The purpose of this study was to compare different statistical and methodological approaches to standard setting and determining cut scores using R-CBM and performance on high-stakes tests. One thousand seven hundred and sixty-six students were followed longitudinally from first through third grades using R-CBM benchmark assessment. In addition,…

Previous research has studied the effects of different methods of item option weighting on the reliability and concurrent and predictive validity of achievement tests. Increases in reliability are generally found, but with mixed results for validity. Several methods of producing option weights, (i.e., Guttman internal and external weights and…

WHILE ATTEMPTS HAVE BEEN MADE TO CONSTRUCT MEASURES WHICH HAVE VALIDITY FOR PREDICTING ACADEMIC SUCCESS IN COLLEGE, MOST OF THESE TESTS HAVE BEEN DEVELOPED FOR NATIONWIDE TESTING PROGRAMS AND MAY NOT BE AS COMPLETELY VALID FOR MEASURING THE APTITUDE OF MINORITY GROUP HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS WHO HAVE RESTRICTED ENVIRONMENTAL BACKGROUNDS. TO TEST THE…

Monte Carlo simulation procedures were used to study the psychometric characteristics of two two-stage adaptive tests and a conventional "peaked" ability test. Results showed that scores yielded by both two-stage tests better reflected the normal distribution of underlying ability. Ability estimates yielded by one of the two stage tests…

The Kuder Richardson-20 Formula is shown to be a special case, where each examinee is given sufficient time to answer each item, of a more general formula where each examinee may not be allowed the necessary time. The formula is extended to allow two scores, knowledge and speed, to be extracted from each examinees test score. Using a sample of 82…

This empirical study examined postsecondary-student attitudes and preferences regarding five discrete student loan plans and loan plan features. Questions addressed dealth with debt ceilings, loan repayment time span and percentage of annual income, and alteration of repayment plan choices. A random sample of 218 federal aid recipients was used.…

The potential usefulness of computerized tests for supplementing paper-and-pencil measures for predicting job performance abilities was the objective of a series of studies. This report covers the initial test development and analysis research. Eight computerized tests were constructed to measure five personal attributes identified in previous…

The Beginning Teacher Evaluation Study (BTES), Phase II, was a research project on effective teaching behavior--what teachers do that significantly affects what and how pupils learn. The purposes of Phase II were to (1) develop an assessment system for measuring teacher and pupil behaviors and other factors which could influence each of them and…

A study compared a Modified Area Skill Survey (MASS) with a Modified Industry/Occupation Matrix (MIOM) method of projecting manpower demand. The comparison was made with regard to the bias and precision of the estimates of the two projection methods on populations of varying size. To achieve the comparison, each method was applied to the same…

In response to the increasing importance of student performance in required classes, research was conducted to compare two prediction procedures, linear modeling using multiple regression and nonlinear modeling using AID3. Performance in the first college math course (College Mathematics, Calculus, or Business Calculus Matrices) was the dependent…

To compile its projections of future employment levels, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) combines the following five interlinked models in a six-step process: a labor force model, an econometric model of the U.S. economy, an industry activity model, an industry labor demand model, and an occupational labor demand model. The BLS was asked to…

The value-added model is presented as a method of assessing the impact of treatments in pretest-posttest quasi-experimental designs. The model yields a projection of treatment group performance at posttest time with no special treatment. The difference between the expected result and the actual outcome is "the value added," a measure of…

The relationships between Myers-Briggs Type Indicators (MBTI), 16 personality types, and 55 behavioral indicators of teacher competency were explored. Subjects were 103 classroom teachers, grades K-12, who were observed in regular classrooms during a two-year period using five objectively-scored, low-inference observation systems. These included…

The purpose of this study was to present and evaluate Bayesian-type models for estimating probabilities of program completion and for predicting first quarter grade point averages of community college students entering certain allied health fields. Two Bayesian models were tested. Bayesian Model 1--Estimating Probabilities of Program…

The validity of prediction equations based on American College Testing (ACT) Program test scores and high school grades is investigated. Presented are separate results for prediction equations based on ACT scores only, on high school grades only, and on both kinds of prediction jointly. Also included is a discussion of the relationship between…