Further validation of the Qualitative Scoring System for the modified bender-gestalt test

This study compared the Qualitative Scoring System for the modified version of the Bender-Gestalt Test and the Developmental Scoring System for the Bender-Gestalt Test in predicting performance on the Metropolitan Achievement Test. The subjects were 409 first through fourth graders from regular classes in a public elementary school. Both scoring systems correlated significantly with school achievement. However, the Qualitative system correlated higher than the Developmental system with all Metropolitan Achievement Test subscores. Tests for differences between correlations indicated that five of these comparisons were statistically significant.     

Predictive validity of the K-ABC for exceptional preschoolers

This 5-year follow-up study examined the predictive validity of the Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children (K-ABC) for 39 children identified during preschool as exhibiting language impairment (n = 10), behavior control deficits (n = 13), or normal language and behavioral development (n = 16). Mean age at follow-up was 9.75 years. The results generally supported the predictive validity of the K-ABC (p<.001). However, analyses by group indicated that the relationship between baseline K-ABC and follow-up K-ABC, language, and achievement measures for the language-impaired subjects was weak (p>.05). Although these results must be interpreted cautiously because of the small sample size, they suggest that for young children likely to be referred as at risk for future learning problems, the K-ABC may not be useful for prediction of later cognitive skills. Implications for practitioners are discussed.     

On the Performance of Semi- and Nonparametric Item Response Functions in Computer Adaptive Tests

Large-scale assessments often use a computer adaptive test (CAT) for selection of items and for scoring respondents. Such tests often assume a parametric form for the relationship between item responses and the underlying construct. Although semi- and nonparametric response functions could be used, there is scant research on their performance in a CAT. In this work, we compare parametric response functions versus those estimated using kernel smoothing and a logistic function of a monotonic polynomial. Monotonic polynomial items can be used with traditional CAT item selection algorithms that use analytical derivatives. We compared these approaches in CAT simulations with a variety of item selection algorithms. Our simulations also varied the features of the calibration and item pool: sample size, the presence of missing data, and the percentage of nonstandard items. In general, the results support the use of semi- and nonparametric item response functions in a CAT.     

Variable uses of alternative conceptions: A case study in current electricity

Recent research related to the design of science instruction is often based on conceptual change theory and requires assessments of what knowledge students bring to instruction. The premise of this study was that it is also important to understand when and how students apply their knowledge. Fourteen elementary and middle school teachers in an in-service physics course were asked to solve qualitatively a variety of series and parallel circuit problems and explicate their reasoning. These teachers were found to share a common core of strongly held propositions that formed a coherent, but incorrect and contradictory model of sequential current flow. Yet their predictions about the circuits were highly variable. The variability in predictions resulted from differences and contradictions in additional “protective belts” of propositions, and differences in the ways in which the teachers changed and selectively applied those propositions to different problems. Understanding the variations in not only what teachers knew, but also the differences in when and how they applied their knowledge complicated the task of designing instruction. However, it also made possible the design of more precise instruction in which the teachers were required to recognize, confront, and reconcile specific inconsistencies in their beliefs.     

Curriculum bias and reading achievement test performance

The overlap of words specifically taught in reading textbooks with the contents of standardized reading achievement tests may be a source of bias that is frequently overlooked in psychoeducational assessments. This study compares the standardized achievement test performance of 62 second graders receiving instruction in two different reading curricula (Open Court and Houghton-Mifflin) to determine whether either curriculum generates different quantitative estimates of reading achievement. Reading subtest scores derived from the Kaufman Test of Educational Achievement-Brief Form (K-TEA), the Wide Range Achievement Test-Revised (WRAT-R), and the Reading Recognition and Reading Comprehension subtests from the Peabody Individual Achievement Test (PIAT) were examined. Grade level equivalents and scaled scores from the California Achievement Test (CAT) were also examined. Three Curriculum × Test repeated measures ANOVAs were conducted using grade level scores (2×7), standard scores (2×4), and CAT scaled scores (2 × 5) as dependent measures. A significant Curriculum × Test interaction was identified, suggesting differences among tests in estimates of reading ability as a function of the reading program.