There are, at present, a number of tests that are labeled criterion referenced. These tests vary considerably in format, design, analysis, and function. In order to provide an efficient and objective procedure for describing, assessing, and comparing these measures, the Criterion Referenced Test Description and Evaluation (CRTDE) rating system was…

Normative data can help those who must interpret test results decide whether a given performance on a criterion-referenced test is satisfactory. (Author/IRT)

Two sets of obstacles are discussed as part of a major weakness in the methodology of a criterion-reference measurement, and it is suggested that no criterion referenced measure should be published without an explicit statement of how its items were derived from objectives, and by what means item-objective congruence was determined. (Author/STS)

Addresses the issue of counselor expertise in test interpretation. Discusses norm-referenced versus criterion-referenced interpretation, interpreting the precision of the information, interpreting the meaning of the construct and its relevance to the decision, and general precautions regarding test interpretation. (LLL)

A fourteen-item test designed to measure knowledge of the meanings of words used in directions for non-prescription medication was constructed to illustrate the use of criterion-referenced measurement in reading. (TO)

When tested outdoors, students receiving instruction in observational astronomy in a planetarium performed better than students taught using a normal classroom with a celestial globe. (AL)

This paper reviews some of the suggested indices of learning and of the problems inherent in gain measures. It then discusses the relevance of criterion-referenced testing and of operationally-defined testing to the measurement of achievement. (Editor)

Mainstreamed students should be graded in terms of their growth rather than by comparison with nonhandicapped students. Fair evaluation procedures include determining terminal and enabling objectives; pretesting and functional assessment; monitoring progress; measuring achievement; and transferring the evaluation into a meaningful grade. (SK)

Examines four factors involved in the determination of how many test items should be constructed or sampled for a set of objectives: (1) the type of decision to be made with results, (2) importance of objectives, (3) number of objectives, and (4) practical constraints. Specific guidelines that teachers and evaluators can use and an illustrative…

Measurement specialists and instructional personnel can join forces to create tests that are valid indicators of important skills and are instructionally attainable targets for teachers. Such tests can revolutionize education. (Author/IRT)

Within the beta-binomial Bayesian framework, procedures are described for the evaluation of the kappa index of reliability on the basis of one administration of a domain-referenced test. Major factors affecting this index include cutoff score, test score variability and test length. Empirical data which substantiate some theoretical trends deduced…

A number of different reliability coefficients have recently been proposed for tests used to differentiate between groups such as masters and nonmasters. One promising index is the proportion of students in a class that are consistently assigned to the same mastery group across two testings. The present paper proposes a single test administration…

The analysis of variance model for estimating reliability in norm referenced tests is extended to criterion referenced tests. The essential modification is that the criterion or cut-off score is substituted for the population mean. An example and discussion are presented. (JKS)

This research explores struggling adolescent readers' perceptions about reading. The eight students featured in this study were enrolled in a mandatory Title I remedial reading class. The purpose of the Title I intervention class was to prepare these middle school eighth graders to successfully pass the state's criterion referenced test. The…