FURTHER RESULTS ON THE STANDARD ERRORS OF ESTIMATE ASSOCIATED WITH ITEM-EXAMINEE SAMPLING PROCEDURES

Defining one observation as the score received by one examinee on one item, the results of this investigation suggest that, for a given test length, item-examinee sampling procedures having the same number of observation have, for all practical purposes, the same standard error in estimating μ but different standard errors in estimating σ. Additionally, the variance of the item difficulty indices (proportion answering the item correctly) was found to be a significant factor in accounting for differences in standard errors of estimating μ between normative distributions differing primarily in degree of skewness.     

A NOTE ON TERMINOLOGY AND NOTATION IN MATRIX SAMPLING

The proliferation of terminology in matrix sampling is beginning to cause some minor problems. Presented herein is one set of terms and notation which hopefully will facilitate communication among individuals engaged in all aspects of matrix sampling.     

A COMPARISON OF EXAMINEE SAMPLING AND MULTIPLE MATRIX SAMPLING IN TEST DEVELOPMENT

For the purpose of obtaining data to use in test development, multiple matrix sampling (MMS) plans were compared to examinee sampling plans. Data were simulated for examinees, sampled from a population with a normal distribution of ability, responding to items selected from an item universe. Three item universes were considered: one that would produce a normal distribution of test scores, one a moderately platykurtic distribution, and one a very platykurtic distribution. When comparing sampling plans, total numbers of observations were held constant. No differences were found among plans in estimating item difficulty. Examinee sampling produced better estimates of item discrimination, test reliability, and test validity. As total number of observations increased, estimates improved considerably, especially for those MMS plans with larger subtest sizes. Larger numbers of observations were needed for tests designed to produce a normal distribution of test scores. With an adequate number of observations, MMS is seen as an alternative to examinee sampling in test development.     

A NOTE ON THE RELATIVE SIZES OF THE STANDARD ERRORS OF TWO RELIABILITY ESTIMATES

Formulas for the standard error of a parallel-test correlation and for the Kuder-Richardson formula 20 reliability estimate are provided. Given equal values of the two reliabilities in the population, the standard error of the Kuder-Richardson formula 20 is shown to be somewhat smaller than the standard error of a parallel-test correlation for reliability values, sample sizes, and test lengths that are usually encountered in practice.     

ITEM-EXAMINEE SAMPLING PROCEDURES AND ASSOCIATED STANDARD ERRORS IN ESTIMATING TEST PARAMETERS

Selected parameters for a negatively skewed and a normally distributed normative distribution were estimated in a post mortem item-examinee sampling investigation. Manipulated systematically were number of subtests, number of items per subtest, and number of examinees responding to each sub-test. Each item-examinee sampling procedure was replicated five times. Defining one observation as the score received by one examinee on one item, the results of this investigation support the conclusion that, in estimating parameters by item-examinee sampling, the variable of importance is not the item-examinee sampling procedure but is instead the number of observations obtained by that procedure. Degree of skewness in the normative distribution and failure to distribute all items among subtests were found to be relatively unimportant variables.     

ITEM BEHAVIOR ASSOCIATED WITH CHANGES IN THE NUMBER OF ALTERNATIVES IN MULTIPLE CHOICE ITEMS1

Language reading examinations in French and Spanish were administered to students in order to compare the behavior of “natural” four-choice items with “natural” five-choice items rescored as four-choice items after removing the least popular incorrect alternative. No significant differences in the regression systems of these items were found. However, “natural” four-choice items were significantly less reliable than “natural” five-choice items.     

SCRAMBLING CONTENT IN ACHIEVEMENT TESTING: AN APPLICATION OF MULTIPLE MATRIX SAMPLING IN EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN

This study was designed to research the question of scrambling item content in the construction of achievement tests, so that very general implications could be drawn for both examinee and item populations. To achieve this generality, the methodology of multiple matrix sampling was combined with a simple two group experimental design: a random group of 8th graders responded to mathematics, science, social studies, reading, and language arts achievement items organized in a scrambled (random) test format, while another random group responded to the same items organized in a fixed (segregated by subject matter) test format. The results indicated that scrambling cognitive test items has minimal or no effect on mean examinee test performance or on any of the other parameters included in the analysis.     

也谈剥削标准问题——与石康先生商榷

正确认识和把握剥削问题是社会主义初级阶段的一个重要问题。笔者以商榷的形式指出不能轻易否定原来的定义和标准 ,轻率地提出新标准可能会造成混乱     

THE APPLICATION OF A FACTORIAL DESIGN TO THE STUDY OF CULTURAL BIAS IN GENERAL CULTURE ITEMS ON THE NATIONAL TEACHER EXAMINATION1

This article describes a series of studies performed with the National Teacher Examinations which were designed to study the relationship between the cultural content of special sets of general culture test items and the performance of blacks and whites on these experimental items. Significant differences between the performance of blacks and whites were found in terms of black, modern, and traditional test items. A replication of the study with the same test items, and also with a different group of test items, is also described.     

关于R＆D项目申报立项的评价

科学研究与试验发展（Ｒ＆Ｄ）是科技活动的核心部分。做好Ｒ＆Ｄ项目的申报立项工作在科研管理活动中具有重要的意义。笔者根据自身从事科研管理多年的经验，并广泛参阅国内已有的成果，提出了一个综合评价指标体系，并对有关指标作了说明和界定，最后建立了Ｒ＆Ｄ项目申项立项的评价模型。以供立项时进行决策。     

随机变量二次型协方差的注记

给出了随机变量二次型协方差、方差的计算公式,改进推广了已有结果。     

《内蒙古出版事业概况》的缺陷与讹误

《内蒙古出版事业概况》是反映内蒙古自治区出版事业的首部专著。笔者在深入分析研究的基础上,以大量实例证明该书质量不高,存在着史实讹误、收录失当等弊病,主要集中在新中国成立前的内容方面。     

A MULTIPLE MODERATOR APPROACH TO THE IDENTIFICATION OF OVER- AND UNDERACHIEVERS1

Reported is a study of over- and underachievement of college students, utilizing an iterative multiple moderator technique. The subjects were students at a large southwestern university, the predictors were high school rank and short forms of the Scholastic Aptitude Test, and the criterion was first year grade average. Selected background variables were the potential moderators. The overachievers were characterized as having average aptitude, yet coming from backgrounds where the father was highly educated; the underachievers were observed as having small town origins and high interest in extracurricular activities.     

A NOTE ON THE POWER OF STATISTICAL TESTS IN THE JOURNAL OF EDUCATIONAL MEASUREMENT

The power of statistical tests recently appearing in the JEM was determined using the power calculation guidelines proposed by Cohen (1969). All the articles containing tests of significance were surveyed. The results indicated that power was generally below .50 for small effect sizes and above .50 for medium and large effect sizes. A suggestion for reporting statistical results to include power of the tests was made.