This is one of a series of eight short monographs intended to aid practicing educators in planning and conducting accountability programs in schools. This booklet discusses how to develop an experimental design appropriate to the objectives of a particular research or evaluation effort. Short sections focus in turn on the characteristics of a good…

The authors suggest that there may be a phenomenon of posttest sensitization which could affect the generalizability of experimental results in the way that pretest sensitization does. A quasi-experimental design is proposed to test for such a phenomenon. (JKS)

A statistical study produced a list of 350 highly "learnworthy" words from the specialized medical vocabulary of German, for the benefit of English-, French-, and Spanish-speaking students. The words are ranked and listed according to frequency, range, and difficulty of learning. (Text is in German.) (IFS/WGA)

Pratt's measure C on the class concentration of bibliometric distributions is calculated and interpreted for the laws of Zipf, Mandelbrot, and Lotka and geometric distribution, and comparisons are made of the results. An explicit mathematical formula which unifies disparate theories is derived and tested. (Author/CLB)

Reviews research on appropriate methodologies to use in studying native or second language acquisition and points out that both quantitative and qualitative research methods are used in different ways of study in the field. (CB)

For the conditions investigated in the study, the parametric ANCOVA was typically the procedure of choice both as a test of equality of conditional means and as a test of equality of conditional distributions. (Author/LMO)

Linear conversions were developed relating scores on recent forms of the Graduate Record Examinations. Conversions based on specially selected subpopulations were compared with total-group conversions and evaluated. Conclusions indicated that the data clearly support the assumption of population independence for homogenoeous tests, but not quite…

This paper reports a Monte Carlo study of differences induced by different analysis choices over selected types of aptitude treatment interaction (ATI) data (nine combinations of three sample sizes and three population parameter effect sizes). Generally, ANOVA methods tended to overestimate smaller effect sizes and to underestimate larger effect…

Five sets of paired comparison judgments were made concerning test item difficulty, in order to identify the most probable source of intrasensitivity in the data. The paired comparisons method was useful in providing information about sensitivity to stimulus differences, but less useful for assessing dimensionality of judgment criteria.…

Since computer programs have been available for estimating and testing linear causal models, these models have been used increasingly in the behavioral sciences. This paper discusses the problem that very different causal structures may fit the same set of data equally well. (Author/LMO)

This study was designed to determine whether adjustments for the differential prediction observed among sex, racial/ethnic, or age subgroups in one freshman class at a college could be used to improve prediction accuracy for these subgroups in future freshman classes. (Author/LMO)

Methods for selecting relevant and appropriate quasi-experimental studies for inclusion in research synthesis using the threats-to-validity approach are presented. Effects of including and excluding studies are evaluated. (BS)

The Bayesian inferential process is modified for use in an aggregate meta-analytic evaluation. Compared with the average effect size meta-analytic approach, the Bayesian approach was more sensitive, more consistent and more powerful. This approach is recommended when primary data are not available and when all evaluations involve comparisons of…

Three methods of test equating (linear, equipercentile, and item response theory) were investigated with respect to the issue of scale drift. Results indicate that all three models work well in limited settings but that the item response theory approach provided the most stable results overall. (JKS)

Provides a survey of the history of grammar instruction and suggests that factors other than the teaching or not teaching of grammar in secondary schools may account for the statistical decline in college freshmen's writing abilities. (KS)