The extent, causes, and importance of context effects on item parameters for one- and three-parameter latent-trait models were examined. Items were taken from the California Achievement Tests Reading Comprehension and Mathematics Concepts and Applications subtests. The reading items were administered to 1,678 fourth-grade students, and the…

The papers in this collection represent a wide spectrum of approaches, philosophies, viewpoints, and techniques of scholarly endeavor in their treatment of the reading process. The 55 papers, which were presented at the 1978 meeting of the National Reading Conference, are arranged according to the following categories: (1) reading readiness, (2)…

Focusing on research and evaluation in college reading, the papers in this volume were drawn from the ninth annual meeting of the National Reading Conference held in 1959. Among the topics discussed in the 19 papers are the following: a proposed model of reading comprehension, factors affecting reading test performance, student attitudes toward…

Two chi square techniques were applied to identify culturally biased items on the Reading Vocabulary and Reading Comprehension sections of the California Achievement Tests. Subjects were 1,035 Mexican Americans and 2,474 Anglo Americans in grade 7. Eight items appeared biased against Mexican Americans, but not Anglo Americans; seven occurred in…

In an evaluation of a language arts program for oral and written facility and comprehension among children of an urban culture, 262 children in kindergarten comprised the experimental group, and 369 students served as controls. Children in both groups were presented with three pictures and instructed to tell a story about each. Observers rated…

An outline is presented of the instructional objectives for Spanish reading measured by the Austin Independent School District's Spanish Criterion Referenced Test (SpCRT). Available in six levels from kindergarten through fifth grade, the test is referenced to the Spanish materials available and the instructional activities for Spanish reading…

The scores of 1,907 entering freshmen on the Survey of Reading Achievement (advanced grades 9-12) were examined in the fall of 1976 at Los Angeles City College. Important findings included: (1) a 10th grade median reading level; (2) slightly better performance by males; (3) an average of 9.5 grade level for first-time enrollees (71%); (4) a…

To investigate the type of classroom testing format most appropriate for the Southwest Regional Laboratory (SWRL) Mod 2 Reading Program, three types of teacher-administered tests for the SWRL Second-Year Communication Skills Program were developed and tried out during the 1970-71 school year. The tests were administered by the classroom teacher as…

An attempt was made to determine differences in reading achievement gains and student attitudes towards school between groups of third grade children enrolled in either modified open or traditional classrooms in the same school. The Metropolitan Achievement Test in Reading was used for pre- and posttest comparisons of achievement, and a…

The final report of a demonstration project in individualized adult education in rural areas of Arkansas, which took place during the period of July 1974 through December 1975, is presented. Program goals included: (1) to recruit and retain rural male adults who are operating at less than a fourth grade educational level, with emphasis on the…

The purpose of this technical report is to describe the Tests of General Ability and Tests of Reading of the Inter-American Series, to give a brief account of their construction, and to present related statistical data. Norms and suggestions on the use and interpretation of the tests are published separately. The Inter-American Series discussed in…

An evaluation study of adult basic education in Maine (ABE) was made by the University of Maine's Continuing Education Division. It was found that during FY 1968-69 ABE programs had reached 1034 persons of a potential ABE population of 88,539. Chapter I summarizes the findings and recommendations. Chapter II presents the design of the study.…

A collection of papers delivered during the Fifteenth Annual International Reading Association Convention is presented which represents a variety of views on diagnosis and/or on the manner in which diagnostic information is interpreted. The papers have been arranged into three sections. The first deals with the importance of diagnosis, presents…

This document, which contains sixteen reports, focuses on various aspects of the teaching of reading. Report topics are: individualized reading, language experiences in reading, beginning reading, readiness in reading, an approach using decoding, recognizing and stimulating reading interests, functional reading in the junior high school, study…

Developed and coordinated by the Bureau of Reading Education of the New York State Education Department, Project Alert is a statewide inservice program to facilitate instituting or improving the diagnostic-prescriptive approach to reading instruction. As part of this program, a reading resource kit was prepared by the bureau to give structure and…