The training of teachers is one of the most critical factors in improving the quality of teaching and assessment in the classroom. EFL teachers need to be literate in language assessment; this can be achieved through training. A total of 147 Junior High School EFL teachers was surveyed to identify their training needs in assessmen. Semi-structured…

This guide is designed to assist States, agencies, and/or facilities who work with youth who are neglected, delinquent, or at-risk (N or D). The information in the guide will benefit those who are (a) interested in implementing pre-posttests, (b) in the process of identifying an appropriate pre-posttest, or (c) ready to evaluate current testing…

Assessments used for both clinical practice and research should show evidence of validity and reliability for the target group of people. It is easy to agree with this statement, but it is not always easy to choose the right assessment for the right purpose. Recently there have been increasing numbers of studies which investigate further the…

A neglected element in designing tests is that of publicness, that is, the extent to which test specifications are understandable and usable by all interested parties. Issues related to content validity, such as test bias and instructional sensitivity, become accessible to these parties once content validity and design have been adequately…

The article outlines the physiological and measurement bases for the development of physical fitness tests, raising questions concerning physiological, psychological, and evaluation issues. (Author/CB)

Discusses passage content and style, accessibility of the passages, their completeness, the extent to which the items are passage-dependent, and the extent to which additional knowledge is required to answer the questions on reading comprehension tests and exercises. (TO)

TESTING MATERIALS IN BOTH SPANISH AND ENGLISH LANGUAGE EDITIONS WERE REVISED AND NEW MATERIALS CREATED IN THIS PROJECT. THE NEW SERIES OF TESTS INCLUDED ADMINISTRATION, AND ITEM ANALYSIS OF THE COOPERATIVE INTER-AMERICAN TESTS. DATA FOR THE ENGLISH EDITIONS WERE GATHERED FROM SUBJECTS DRAWN FROM AMERICAN SCHOOLS, AND DATA FOR THE SPANISH EDITIONS…

A computer program generating question series for achievement examinations was presented and the relative reliability of computer-generated and instructor-selected items was investigated. To provide validity for examinations generated by an original computer program, representative processes of construction and sampling were operationally defined.…

In response to Ebel's article (TM 508 146) the author points out that, in emphasizing what a test is intended to measure, the vital question of what should be measured is set aside. While explicit specifications for a test should be encouraged, questions of worth ought to be prominent in designing and selecting tests. (Author/LC)

Three areas of concern related to test bias and validity should be considered during the revision of the Standards for Educational and Psychological Tests. The first area concerns the sources and consequences of test bias. Five sources of bias have been identified: numerical bias, role bias, status bias, stereotypic bias, and familiarity bias. The…

Ten item discrimination indices, across a variety of item analysis situations, were compared, based on the validities of tests constructed by using each of the indices to select 40 items from a 100-item pool. Item score data were generated by a computer program and included a simulation of guessing. (Author/CTM)

THE FEASIBILITY OF USING AN ITEM-ANALYSIS APPROACH FOR THE EVALUATION OF AN INNOVATIVE NINTH-GRADE CURRICULUM WAS EXPLORED. A POOL OF TEST ITEMS WAS DEVELOPED, FOR EACH OF THE THREE UNITS TO BE EVALUATED, BY EXAMINING ENGLISH TEXTBOOKS AND TEACHER'S GUIDES, AND BY WRITING ITEMS THAT REPRESENTED THE MAJOR OUTCOMES EXPECTED OF EACH OF THE…

The FRI and GORT tests are reviewed with attention to test rationales and purposes, test development, test administration, and making the purchase choice. Concludes that the FRI is the preferable test. (JK)

Reasonable and practical solutions to two major problems confronting the developer of any test of educational achievement (what to measure and how to measure it) are proposed, defended, and defined. (Author/PN)