This document contains samples and explanations from Colorado's state reading and writing comprehension test for Grade 7, hereby released to the public (parents, teachers, and any other interested parties). It presents one multiple-choice reading comprehension item based upon a poem and includes the correct answers. Next, it presents two short…

This document outlines the test and item specifications for the Washington Assessment of Student Learning for seventh grade reading. It notes the purpose of this test is to measure Washington seventh grade students' level of proficiency in the Essential Academic Learning Requirements in reading, and that the reading test contains literary,…

This article discusses the validity issue in teacher-made tests. Seventh-grade students' comments about their responses to a test designed to illustrate faulty items suggests students are quite proficient in using secondary clues to figure out correct answers. Teacher comments suggest teachers are unaware they provide such clues. (Author/JAZ)

The purposes of the present study were to ascertain whether or not two particular formatting characteristics influenced seventh grade student performance on math tests. One research question focused on the effects of decimal positioning in multiple choice options for computational items. In a second question, labeling format was compared with…

This publication contains released test items for grade 7 reading from the 2001 Washington Assessment of Student Learning (WASL). It is designed to assist teachers and administrators in the analysis of specific test items in order to identify patterns, trends, weaknesses, and strengths of student performance on the Essential Academic Learning…

Examined are the global issues of population growth, world hunger, air quality and atmosphere, and water resources in 10 middle school science textbooks. Less than two percent of text pages were devoted to these issues and no significant differences were found between textbook series. (Author/YP)

The learning objectives for writing skills contained in this volume are congruent with Texas law. These objectives and the measurement specifications are provided for teachers and test developers involved with the preparation of the Texas Educational Assessment of Minimum Skills (TEAMS) tests. Beginning with the 1985-86 school year, the TEAMS…

Beginning with the 1985-86 school year, the Texas Educational Assessment of Minimum Skills (TEAMS) tests have been based on the objectives provided in this publication for teachers and test development specialists. Reading skills objectives for grade 7 include the ability to: (1) identify the main idea; (2) use context to understand the meaning of…

The DIMTEST statistical procedure was used in a confirmatory manner to explore the dimensionality structures of three kinds of achievement tests: multiple-choice tests, constructed-response tests, and tests combining both formats. The DIMTEST procedure is based on estimating conditional covariances of the responses to the item pairs. The analysis…

Three different differential item functioning (DIF) detection methods were used to examine the extent to which items in a mathematics performance assessment functioned differently for matched gender groups from a sample of 1,782 sixth and seventh graders. Implications of the finding that two items were potentially biased are discussed. (SLD)

Eleven mathematics objectives for seventh grade students to attain are listed. After general specifications for test items and the format for the test package are noted, specifications for assessing each objective are given, with enabling skills, a description of test questions, a description of answer choices, and examples of test questions for…

The mathematics learning objectives contained in this volume and the measurement specifications are congruent with Texas law. These objectives are provided for teachers and test developers involved with the preparation of the Texas Educational Assessment of Minimum Skills (TEAMS) tests. Beginning with the 1985-86 school year, the TEAMS tests will…

This study used three different differential item functioning (DIF) procedures to examine the extent to which items in a mathematics performance assessment functioned differently for matched gender groups. In addition to examining the appropriateness of individual items in terms of DIF with respect to gender, an attempt was made to identify…

Beginning with the 1985-86 school year, the Texas Educational Assessment of Minimum Skills (TEAMS) tests have been based on the objectives provided in this publication for teachers and test development specialists. For grade 7, mathematics objectives include the ability to: (1) convert decimals or percents to equivalents; (2) add and subtract…

Scholastic achievement tests and mental ability tests normally consist of a set of multiple choice items, all of which are assumed to measure school-relevant cognitive abilities. The presumption, in a given test situation, is that the answers/solutions to the given tasks represent cognitive capabilities on the part of the examinees. The purpose of…