Test Construction for Practitioners and Administrators

ED380406 SP035640 Revitalizing Teacher-Made Tests: Quality Control Procedures. Talbot, Gilles L. Sep 1994 28p. Available From: G. L. Talbot, 790 Neree Tremblay St., Ste-Foy, Quebec, Canada G1V 4K2 ($10 Canadian). EDRS Price - MF01/PC02 Plus Postage. Document Type: RESEARCH REPORT (143) Target Audience: Teachers; Practitioners This paper offers college teachers guidelines for improving their teacher made tests. It notes that teachers may focus on how well students have learned course objectives while being unaware of how the testing process itself contributes to the results obtained. The paper reports the results of a test-taking workshop designed to improve college students' testing awareness and test taking skills. An opening section identifies eight steps in the test construction process and discusses item bias and analysis, fairness in grading, and motivations for testing. The second portion of the paper describes a workshop to teach college students test taking skills through a variety of sample activities. Analysis of these activities allow demonstration of the following testing indexes: sensitivity for guessing index, instructional index, discrimination index, and difficulty index. Other testing concepts introduced by examples from the workshop activities include instrument bias, test validity, and interpretation bias. The institutional and social context of test administration and construction is also addressed. A conclusion notes that workshop participants improved their attitudes about tests and appeared to realize the relationship between real effort and improved results. (Contains 29 references.) (JB) Descriptors: College Students; Foreign Countries; Higher Education; Quality Control; Teacher Developed Materials; Teacher Improvement; *Teacher Made Tests; *Test Construction; Test Format; Testing; Test Items; Test Reliability; Test Results; Test Theory; *Test Wiseness Identifiers: *Colleges of General and Professional Education PQ; *Quebec EJ474531 FL523309 Guidelines for Writing Multiple Choice Vocabulary Items. Buchanan, Jeff Guidelines, v14 n2 p54-60 Dec 1992 ISSN: 0129-7767 Document Type: NON-CLASSROOM MATERIAL (055); TEST, QUESTIONNAIRE (160); JOURNAL ARTICLE (080) Target Audience: Teachers; Practitioners Guidelines that language teachers need to write valid multiple choice items/questions for vocabulary tests and exams are presented. A sample test is accompanied by an analysis of possible answers to each question. (LB) Descriptors: Foreign Countries; Guidelines; *Language Tests; *Multiple Choice Tests; *Test Construction; Vocabulary EJ445191 SO523209 Let's Improve Multiple-Choice Tests. Karras, Ray W. OAH Magazine of History, v6 n1 p8-9,43 Sum 1991 ISSN: 0882-228X Document Type: JOURNAL ARTICLE (080); PROJECT DESCRIPTION (141) Target Audience: Teachers; Practitioners Comments that multiple-choice tests are objective, test some knowledge, and are easy to grade, but often ask for little more than rote recall. Offers a structure for multiple-choice questions that require evaluative thinking skills as well as knowledge of the facts. Includes discussion of objectivity, preparation, and memorization. (DK) Descriptors: Elementary Secondary Education; *Evaluative Thinking; *History Instruction; Memorization; *Multiple Choice Tests; Student Evaluation; *Test Construction; Testing Problems; Test Validity; *Thinking Skills Identifiers: Test Analysis ED349726 EC301471 Writing Quality Teacher-Made Tests: A Handbook for Teachers. Williams, Jane M. Sep 1991 48p. Available From: Jane M. Williams, Wheaton High School, 12601 Dalewood Dr., Wheaton, MD 20906-4168 ($5). EDRS Price - MF01/PC02 Plus Postage. Document Type: TEACHING GUIDE (052) Target Audience: Teachers; Practitioners This manual is designed to assist both special and regular educators with mastering the skills for developing quality teacher- made tests consistent with content-oriented instruction. The manual presents tips for constructing both objective and subjective, supply and select test questions--namely, short answer, essay, fill in the blanks or completion, true-false, matching, and multiple choice. The manual presents suggestions for using a table of specifications and item analysis to assure content validity of the tests and for developing multiple choice test questions which tap the higher order thinking skills of students. The manual also proposes solutions for eliminating formatting and construction errors and highlights pitfalls of each type of test question. A checklist for writing quality teacher-made tests is provided. Appendices include: (1) a list of verbs used in teacher-made tests for Bloom's Taxonomy of Education Objectives--Cognitive Domain; (2) a student guide to understanding words used in essay questions; and (3) a list of sample item stems for higher order cognitive questions. (Contains approximately 50 references.) (JDD) Descriptors: Cognitive Processes; *Disabilities; Elementary Secondary Education; Item Analysis; *Teacher Made Tests; *Test Construction; Test Format; Test Items; *Thinking Skills; Verbs ED348858 FL020478 Creative Written Testing. Boykin, Kathleen G. 1991 19p.; In: Acting on Priorities: A Commitment to Excellence. Dimension: Languages '90. Report of Southern Conference on Language Teaching; see FL 020 470. EDRS Price - MF01/PC01 Plus Postage. Document Type: EVALUATIVE REPORT (142); TEACHING GUIDE (052); CONFERENCE PAPER (150) Target Audience: Teachers; Practitioners By being creative in preparing tests and by allowing creativity on the part of students, language teachers can incorporate many of the principles associated with proficiency-oriented instruction into a traditional test format. Such test strategies are based on the following: (1) testing in context is better than testing with a series of unrelated discrete items; (2) students prefer familiar contexts; (3) vocabulary assessment without lists of words to be translated is preferable; and (4) students respond well to visual stimuli. Teachers can make use of both visual and linguistic creativity in testing. Pictures can be used to test vocabulary through labeling, drawing and labeling, drawing and describing, drawing what is described, and responding to pictures with comparison, creation of dialogue, ordering of scenes, and extrapolation from a situation. Linguistic creativity can be tapped through student narratives and sentence completion exercises. For this approach to be successful, the teacher must give explicit directions and assure students that artistic ability is not graded. The approach is suitable when only a written test is desired, and is suitable for large classes. Visual stimuli are particularly appropriate for more elementary skills levels. A brief bibliography is included. (MSE) Descriptors: Creativity; *Language Proficiency; *Language Tests; Second Language Instruction; *Second Languages; *Test Construction; Test Format; Testing; *Writing Tests EJ415577 SE546642 Textbook Tests. The Right Formula? Shick, Jacqueline Science Teacher, v57 n6 p33-39 Sep 1990 Available From: UMI Document Type: JOURNAL ARTICLE (080); TEACHING GUIDE (052) Target Audience: Teachers; Practitioners Described is how tests that accompany texts can be effective if items selected relate to topics stressed in class. Identified are problems commonly found in these types of tests and directions on how to improve problem questions. (KR) Descriptors: Science Education; Science Materials; *Science Tests; Secondary Education; *Secondary School Science; *Test Construction; *Test Content; Testing Problems; *Test Items; *Test Selection; Textbooks ED350486 CE062215 Test Builder Program Instructions. IBM Version. Patton, Jan; Steffee, John 1990 44p. Available From: Educational Development and Training Center, East Texas State University, Commerce, TX 75429 (order no. BO-1320-TBP, including related computer disks). EDRS Price - MF01 Plus Postage. PC Not Available from EDRS. Document Type: TEACHING GUIDE (052) Target Audience: Teachers; Practitioners This document provides printed instructions for teachers to use with an IBM-compatible microcomputer to construct tests and then have the computer give the tests, grade them, and print the test results. Computerized tests constructed in this way may contain true-false questions, multiple-choice questions, or a combination of both. The questions are displayed in random order. Questions can be modified, added, and deleted from other test banks to create other tests; paper copies of the tests, the test keys, and the answer sheets may be printed. The printed instructions are divided into three parts: an overview that covers the scope of the test builder program; loading procedures for various types and numbers of disk drives; and instructions for working with specific parts of the test builder program. (KC) Descriptors: Business Education; *Computer Assisted Testing; *Computer Software; *Computer Uses in Education; Microcomputers; Office Occupations Education; Postsecondary Education; Secondary Education; *Test Construction; *Test Items Identifiers: IBM Personal Computer; Texas ED332751 JC910270 Appropriate Testing Rubadeau, Duane O.; And Others 1990 101p. ISBN: 0-921087-16-0 EDRS Price - MF01/PC05 Plus Postage. Document Type: TEACHING GUIDE (052) Target Audience: Teachers; Practitioners Intended as a guide in the development of a sound evaluation program utilizing both instructor-produced and standardized tests, this booklet presents a practical, understandable rationale for the development and use of both kinds of testing in the educational setting. Section I discusses the functions of measurement, offering a rationale for assessing the potentialities and achievements of students. Section II addresses the question of the purpose of measurement, arguing that the major decision regarding a college's testing program is determining what to measure. Section III provides instructors, counselors, and administrators with a review of some of the generally accepted assessment devices for aptitude and achievement that are in general use in the schools. Section IV focuses on the development of the classroom test, including information on test organization and individual differences in organization. Section V covers practical considerations in testing, such as the consistency of testing and the appropriate time for testing. Section VI discusses problems in measurement, while section VII considers the selection of test items and types of items (i.e., multiple choice, matching, true-false, and essay). Section VIII discusses the principles for developing test items offering examples of good and poor items of each type. Section IX covers organizational components of classroom tests, including format, arrangement and ordering, correct response distribution, scoring, directions, correcting for guessing, and pretesting. Selected sample tests and a glossary are attached. (JMC) Descriptors: Achievement Tests; Community Colleges; *Educational Testing; Elementary Secondary Education; Foreign Countries; *Standardized Tests; *Teacher Made Tests; *Test Construction; Test Format; *Testing Problems; Test Selection; *Test Use; Two Year Colleges ED326510 SP032743 Preparing Better Teacher-Made Tests: A Practical Guide. Fastback 311. Sparzo, Frank J. 1990 42p. Available From: Phi Delta Kappa, P.O. Box 789, Bloomington, IN 47402-0789 ($0.90). EDRS Price - MF01/PC02 Plus Postage. Document Type: NON-CLASSROOM MATERIAL (055) Target Audience: Teachers; Practitioners This fastback concentrates on writing technically correct test items that are compatible with the teacher's instructional objectives. The introductory chapter touches on some of the problems associated with preparing classroom tests. The second chapter outlines five steps in preparing a test according to the "Plan-Write" System: (1) prepare a content outline; (2) list instructional objectives; (3) appraise student performance levels; (4) note content, objectives, and levels in a test blueprint; and (5) write test items. The third chapter describes the do's and don'ts of writing true-false, multiple choice, matching, and completion test items, and essay questions. The last chapter provides practice in applying these suggestions. (JD) Descriptors: Educational Objectives; Elementary Secondary Education; *Essay Tests; *Objective Tests; Questioning Techniques; *Teacher Made Tests; *Test Construction; Test Format; *Test Items ED324339 TM015559 User's Guide to the Testing 1-2-3 Test Development and Delivery System. Edwards, Ethan A. Illinois Univ., Urbana. Computer-Based Education Research Lab. Aug 1990 49p.; Figures contain small print. EDRS Price - MF01 Plus Postage. PC Not Available from EDRS. Language: English Document Type: NON-CLASSROOM MATERIAL (055) Geographic Source: U.S.; Illinois Journal Announcement: RIEFEB91 Target Audience: Teachers; Practitioners Testing 1-2-3 is a general purpose testing system developed at the Computer-Based Education Research Laboratory at the University of Illinois for use on NovaNET computer-based education systems. The testing system can be used for: short, teacher-made quizzes, individualized examinations, computer managed instruction curriculum testing, standardized tests, certification tests, and practice examinations. This system currently supports four test item types: multiple choice, multiple selection, short answer, and numeric. Options for result reporting include overall pass/fail scores, individual criteria for up to 26 subscores, and storage and viewing of a student's complete test history. Testing 1-2-3 is structured around several lists of component parts in a single file. Each test is created by specifying which parts will be combined to create a particular test. This guide discusses the following topics: (1) getting started; (2) creating test items; (3) the text mode; (4) the graphics mode; (5) the locate mode; (6) editing displays; (7) shared graphic resources; (8) making section pages; (9) gathering items into tests; (10) customizing tests; (11) testing under the SYS 4 Management System; and (12) assigning tests to students. Sample computer visual displays are illustrated in 22 figures. (SLD) Descriptors: *Computer Assisted Testing; Elementary Secondary Education; Scores; Teacher Made Tests; *Test Construction; Test Format; Test Items; Test Manuals Identifiers: NovaNET; *Testing 1 2 3 ED324201 SE051580 Assessing Higher Order Thinking in Mathematics. Kulm, Gerald, Ed. 1990 215p. Available From: American Association for the Advancement of Science Books, P.O. Box 753, Waldorf, MD 20604 ($24.95 non-member, $19.95 member). Document Not Available from EDRS. Document Type: REVIEW LITERATURE (070) Target Audience: Researchers; Practitioners; Policymakers This book explores current theory, research, practice, and policy in the assessment of higher order thinking in mathematics, focusing on the elementary and secondary grades. Current knowledge and research on mathematics learning and testing is synthesized. Examples of innovative test items for classroom use and state assessment programs are provided. Information on new assessment technologies, including computer-based approaches is presented. Addressed are the following issues: (1) assessment objectives and the criteria used to construct tests; (2) identification of the parameters that characterize mathematical thinking processes; (3) the distinction between pure and applied mathematics; (4) the integration of mathematics and other disciplines; and (5) determination of the mathematical background of the students for whom an item or test is appropriate. The need for reform is related to five assumptions: (1) the society has moved from an industrial to an informational base; (2) the emphasis in education must shift to communication and reasoning skills; (3) the kinds of activities traditionally associated with higher level thinking are not limited to advanced levels of development; (4) all students can learn higher level thinking skills; and (5) that achievement testing is a conservative inhibitor to needed reform. (KR) Descriptors: *Achievement Tests; Computation; Computer Assisted Testing; Computer Uses in Education; Educational Trends; *Elementary School Mathematics; Elementary Secondary Education; *Interdisciplinary Approach; Mathematical Applications; Mathematics Curriculum; Mathematics Skills; Problem Solving; *Secondary School Mathematics; Teacher Made Tests; Technology; *Test Construction; Testing Problems; *Thinking Skills; Word Problems (Mathematics) ED322157 TM015243 How To Write Tests for Students. Miller, Patrick W.; Erickson, Harley E. May 1990 98p.; Parts of this publication were adapted from "Teacher-Written Student Tests: A Guide for Planning, Creating, Administering, and Assessing" by P. W. Miller and H. E. Erickson (1985). Available From: National Education Association Professional Library, P.O. Box 509, West Haven, CT 06516 (stock number 3008-7-00, $10.95). EDRS Price - MF01 Plus Postage. PC Not Available from EDRS. Document Type: NON-CLASSROOM MATERIAL (055) Target Audience: Teachers; Administrators; Practitioners Guidelines, practical suggestions, and examples are offered to assist teachers in planning and developing tests to accurately measure student achievement. The six chapters cover: (1) planning tests; (2) developing tests; (3) assembling and administering tests; (4) interpreting test results; (5) assessing test items; and (6) improving test validity and reliability. Each chapter concludes with review questions and activities that apply to the information presented. The publication contains four appendices: a description of hierarchical levels for the affective, cognitive, and psychomotor learning domains; sample verbs for writing instructional objectives; a list of selected computer software for text generation and analysis; and sample test items from various curriculum areas. Also included are a glossary of terms and a 60-item bibliography. (SLD) Descriptors: Academic Achievement; *Achievement Tests; Computer Assisted Testing; *Educational Assessment; Elementary Secondary Education; Guidelines; *Student Evaluation; *Teacher Made Tests; Teacher Role; *Test Construction; Test Interpretation; Test Items; Test Reliability; Test Validity ED313444 TM014285 Teacher-Made Test Construction. Gentry, Darrell L. Nov 1989 11p.; Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the Mid-South Educational Research Association (Little Rock, AR, November 8-10, 1989). EDRS Price - MF01/PC01 Plus Postage. Document Type: POSITION PAPER (120); CONFERENCE PAPER (150) This paper suggests that clear understanding and articulation of explicit instructional objectives combined with the use of a simple table of specifications can significantly improve the quality of teacher-made tests. Topics addressed in these guidelines for the construction of tests by teachers include: instructional objectives, types of tests and associated characteristics, test content selection, and the development of tables of specifications. Bloom's Taxonomy, which classifies objectives into three major domains (cognitive, affective, and psychomotor), is used as a basis for the discussion. Criterion-referenced tests (including mastery tests) and norm-referenced tests are characterized. Hypothetical instructional objectives for a simple geometry test are outlined and placed within a table of specifications. (TJH) Descriptors: Classification; Criterion Referenced Tests; *Educational Objectives; Elementary Secondary Education; Mathematics Tests; Norm Referenced Tests; *Specifications; *Teacher Made Tests; *Test Construction EJ395803 SO519679 Computerized Test Construction. Vockell, Edward L.; Hall, Jane Social Studies, v80 n3 p114-21 May-Jun 1989 Available From: UMI Document Type: JOURNAL ARTICLE (080); TEACHING GUIDE (052) Target Audience: Teachers; Practitioners Examines the ways in which computers can assist teachers in developing good tests. Describes the program TESTWORKS in detail and provides charts comparing this program with 11 others in the areas of price, type of questions generated, computer functions, and the usefulness of each. Discusses the use of word processors and databases. (KO) Descriptors: Adaptive Testing; *Computer Assisted Testing; *Computer Software; *Computer Uses in Education; Elementary Secondary Education; Evaluation Methods; *Test Construction; Test Format; *Testing Problems; Test Items EJ392814 SE544842 ...Or None of the Above. Johnson, Janice K. Science Teacher, v56 n4 p56-61 Apr 1989 Available From: UMI Document Type: JOURNAL ARTICLE (080); PROJECT DESCRIPTION (141); TEST, QUESTIONNAIRE (160) Target Audience: Teachers; Administrators; Practitioners Discusses multiple-choice test questions, their advantages, important features, well and poorly written items, and the need to assess students' ability to use higher levels of learning. Cites two ways to include higher level learning skills into the science curriculum and eight rules to consider when constructing multiple- choice tests. (RT) Descriptors: *Achievement Tests; Distractors (Tests); Material Development; *Multiple Choice Tests; Objective Tests; Sciences; *Secondary School Science; *Teacher Developed Materials; Teacher Effectiveness; *Teacher Made Tests; Teachers; *Test Construction; Test Interpretation; Test Items ED375624 FL022456 Testing for Language Teachers. Hughes, Arthur 1989 181p. ISBN: 0-521-27260-2 Available From: Cambridge University Press, 40 West 20th St., New York, NY 1011-4211 (paperback: ISBN-0-521-27260-2, $14.95; clothbound: ISBN-0-521-25264-4, $39.95). Document Not Available from EDRS. Document Type: TEACHING GUIDE (052) Target Audience: Teachers; Practitioners The book is designed to help language teachers write better tests, taking the view that test construction is an exercise in problem- solving, with every teaching situation presenting a different problem that an understanding of the underlying principles of testing can help solve. Examples are given from testing of English as a Second Language (ESL). The first chapter discusses the relationship between teaching and testing, and the second presents the notion of testing as problem-solving. Various kinds of tests (proficiency, achievement, diagnostic, placement) and testing (direct/indirect, discrete-point/integrative, norm-referenced/criterion-referenced, objective/subjective, communicative) are reviewed in the third chapter. Test validity and reliability are discussed in chapters 4 and 5. The potential for "beneficial backwash," or learning from the testing experience, is explored in chapter 6. Chapters 7 and 8 outline stages in test construction (writing specifications, writing the test, pretesting, validation) and techniques for testing overall ability through multiple-choice items. Five subsequent chapters discuss testing techniques in relation to particular abilities: writing; oral ability; reading; listening; and grammar and vocabulary. A final chapter lists considerations and procedures in test administration. An article on statistical analysis of test results, questions from one standardized English test, a bibliography, and an index are appended. (MSE) Descriptors: Aptitude Tests; Foreign Countries; Grammar; *Language Teachers; *Language Tests; Oral Language; Reading Tests; *Second Languages; *Test Construction; *Testing; Test Interpretation; Test Reliability; Test Use; Test Validity; Vocabulary Development; Writing Evaluation ED303486 TM012680 Curriculum-Referenced Test Development Workshop Series: Workshops One through Three. Arter, Judith A. Nov 1988 80p. EDRS Price - MF01/PC04 Plus Postage. Document Type: NON-CLASSROOM MATERIAL (055) Target Audience: Practitioners This set of materials represents the first three workshops in a series of five designed to assist school districts and educators to develop their own curriculum-referenced tests. The series has been assembled to provide school districts with a relatively inexpensive test development method. The series is designed to reduce costs by pooling resources in terms of training and instrument development. Although many of the concepts presented can be used for informal, daily classroom assessment, the main focus is the development of more formal assessment systems (unit, year, or course-end tests) and/or diagnostic systems. The three workshops include an introductory session, a session on developing test specifications, and a item pool development session. The two workshops not outlined cover pilot testing and finalizing assessment materials. The entire series is designed to occur over a period of 1 year or more. Each workshop presents information and practice on one step of the test development process. Participants then finish that step before they proceed to the next workshop. At the end of the series, participants have one or more instruments pilot-tested and ready to use. Although many of the instruments are multiple-choice, other formats are encouraged as appropriate. Presenters' outlines, participant handouts, and copies of transparencies are provided for each of the three workshops. Samples of letters to participants are appended. (TJH) Descriptors: Elementary Secondary Education; Inservice Teacher Education; Item Banks; Multiple Choice Tests; School Districts; Teacher Made Tests; *Teacher Workshops; *Test Construction Identifiers: Curriculum Based Assessment; *Curriculum Referenced Tests; *Test Specifications ED301475 SE050227 Test Mapping. Brown, William R. 1988 20p.; May not reproduce well. Best copy available. EDRS Price - MF01/PC01 Plus Postage. Document Type: PROJECT DESCRIPTION (141); TEACHING GUIDE (052); NON-CLASSROOM MATERIAL (055) Target Audience: Teachers; Practitioners The evaluation tools written by teachers are rarely valid or reliable. One teaching aid that can help in the creation of an effective evaluation instrument is called a test map. A test map is a systematic method to consider variables that are important in the construction of the format of a test. Five variables that are discussed in the test mapping discussions in this paper are time on task, level of learning; type of questions; number of questions; and difficulty order by area. Also included in this document are forms that can be used in this method and an example of the development of a test map using arithmetic content. (CW) Descriptors: Elementary Secondary Education; *Evaluation Methods; Higher Education; *Student Evaluation; Teacher Made Tests; *Test Construction; *Test Format; *Testing; Test Reliability; Test Validity ED300389 TM012206 Measuring Thinking Skills in the Classroom. Revised Edition. Stiggins, Richard J.; And Others Feb 1988 32p. Available From: National Education Association Professional Library, P. O. Box 509, West Haven, CT 06516 (Stock No. 0211-3-00, $8.95). Document Not Available from EDRS. Document Type: TEACHING GUIDE (052) Target Audience: Teachers; Practitioners Educators are now focusing on the improvement of reasoning skills. A key to success in improving such skills will be the ability of the individual teacher to measure skills in a valid and reliable manner. This guide will help teachers acquire the needed assessment skills. Major topics include measuring thinking skills, learning to plan an assessment, and making assessment work in the classroom. Five workable categories of thinking skills are defined: (1) recall; (2) analysis; (3) comparison; (4) inferences; and (5) evaluation. The ways in which these are related to three common forms of assessment-- oral questions, paper-and-pencil tests, and performance tests--are discussed. A basic assessment planning chart is suggested. Examples of completed and partially-completed assessment charts are given for all five skill categories and three forms of assessment in the areas of elementary English, junior high school science and social studies, and high school social studies. Guidelines are then provided for daily use in the classroom. Practice and knowledge of the basic skills of sound test item writing and performance assessment are essential to assessing reasoning skills. Resources for classroom assessment, answers to a sample progress checklist, and cognitive domain levels according to B. S. Bloom et al (1956) are appended. (SLD) Descriptors: *Classroom Techniques; *Cognitive Measurement; Cognitive Processes; Cognitive Tests; Educational Assessment; Elementary Secondary Education; Evaluation Methods; Measurement Techniques; Measures (Individuals); Performance Tests; Teacher Effectiveness; *Teacher Made Tests; Teacher Role; Teaching Skills; *Test Construction; Test Items Identifiers: *Reasoning Tests; *Thinking Skills ED293878 TM011468 An Educators' Field Guide to CRT Development and Use in Objectives Based Programs. Nasca, Donald 17 Mar 1988 42p. EDRS Price - MF01/PC02 Plus Postage. Document Type: REVIEW LITERATURE (070); NON-CLASSROOM MATERIAL (055) Target Audience: Practitioners A basic understanding of criterion-referenced test (CRT) use and development is presented with definitions and characteristics of CRTs. The steps necessary to construct and validate a CRT, the appropriate use of CRTs, the historical development of CRTs, and terms used in conjunction with CRTs are discussed. The most common definition of a CRT is a sample of items yielding information directly interpretable with respect to a well-defined domain of tasks and specified performance standards. The major differences from norm-referenced tests are in development and interpretation. If a test has not been normed and the test items assess performance specified in objectives, it is a CRT. CRTs test only what has been taught and are curriculum aligned. CRTs are used to obtain examinee scores with some absolute meaning relative to a district curriculum. Validity, reliability, discrimination, and the degree of difficulty of CRTs are discussed. CRTs must be field tested on repeated occasions if initial use produces undesirable statistical properties. The possibility of repeated testing should be built into any plan for CRT development. A 38-item reference list is included. (SLD) Descriptors: Academic Achievement; *Criterion Referenced Tests; Elementary Secondary Education; Mastery Tests; Measurement Techniques; Norm Referenced Tests; Objectives; *Test Construction; Test Use EJ358760 UD513061 100 Ways to Improve and Use Teacher-Made Tests. Smith, Charles W. Illinois Schools Journal, v66 n3 p20-26 Spr 1987 Available From: UMI Document Type: JOURNAL ARTICLE (080); NON-CLASSROOM MATERIAL (055) Provides recommendations to aid teachers (elementary and secondary) in planning tests, constructing item types (essay, short answer, true- false, or other alternate response, matching, multiple-choice), administering tests, scoring tests, analyzing tests, and using test results. (KH) Descriptors: Elementary Secondary Education; *Teacher Made Tests; *Test Construction; *Test Format; *Test Items EJ361447 JC504582 The Role of the Teacher-Made Test in Higher Education. Anderson, Scarvia B. New Directions for Community Colleges, v15 n3 p39-44 Fall 1987 Available From: UMI Document Type: JOURNAL ARTICLE (080); POSITION PAPER (120) Target Audience: Practitioners Views teacher-made tests as a fundamental part of the educational process, defining instructional purposes, influencing what students study, and helping instructors gain perspective on their courses. Offers examples of test items that can perform these functions, while assessing knowledge and skills. (DMM) Descriptors: *Achievement Tests; Community Colleges; *Educational Testing; *Student Evaluation; *Teacher Made Tests; *Test Construction; Test Items; *Test Use; Two Year Colleges EJ357069 IR517097 Assessment and Testing. School Library Media Activities Monthly, v4 n1 p28-29,50 Sep 1987 Document Type: JOURNAL ARTICLE (080); TEACHING GUIDE (052); POSITION PAPER (120); TEST, QUESTIONNAIRE (160) Target Audience: Teachers; Media Staff; Practitioners Compares test formats that may be used to measure student achievement levels in library media skills, including strengths and weaknesses of test items, ability levels required to answer items, and possible modifications to items. Different testing methods are also discussed. (CLB) Descriptors: *Achievement Tests; Comparative Analysis; Elementary Education; *Evaluation Methods; *Library Skills; Measurement Techniques; *Student Evaluation; *Test Construction; *Test Format ED298151 TM012244 Improving Essay Tests. IDEA Paper No. 17. Cashin, William E. Jan 1987 5p. Available From: Center for Faculty Evaluation and Development, Division of Continuing Education, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS 66506 (PC $1.00, 25-99 copies $0.20 each, 100 or more $0.15 each). EDRS Price - MF01/PC01 Plus Postage. Document Type: EVALUATIVE REPORT (142) Target Audience: Practitioners; Researchers Essay tests, despite their limitations, have a number of strengths and, therefore, appropriate uses in higher education, as long as users are aware of the limitations. Essay questions (extended response and restricted response) are designed to assess student learning. There is considerable agreement in the educational measurement literature about how essay tests can be improved. Topics addressed in this paper include the nature of an essay test, strengths and limitations of essay tests, and recommendations on appropriate applications, test construction, and scoring. The most notable strength of the essay test is its ability to measure writing composition skills. Serious limitations concern the reliability of essay tests. In all, 25 recommendations are presented. (TJH) Descriptors: College Faculty; *Essay Tests; Higher Education; Learning; *Scoring; Teacher Made Tests; *Test Construction ED289506 IR012973 Essay-Type Questions. Teaching and Learning in Higher Education, 23. Ellington, Henry 1987 15p.; For a related guide, see IR 012 970. EDRS Price - MF01/PC01 Plus Postage. Document Type: NON-CLASSROOM MATERIAL (055); REVIEW LITERATURE (070) Target Audience: Practitioners; Teachers The third of three sequels to the booklet "Student Assessment," this booklet begins by describing and giving examples of three forms that essay-type questions can take: (1) unstructured-essay questions; (2) structured-essay questions; and (3) short-notes questions. Guidelines are then provided for deciding which type of question to use in a given situation and basic rules for writing essay-type questions are presented. Practical advice on how to evaluate and mark essay-type questions concludes the booklet. An annotated list of three items recommended for further reading is included. (MES) Descriptors: *Essay Tests; Foreign Countries; Higher Education; Instructional Material Evaluation; *Questioning Techniques; Scoring; *Test Construction; *Test Format; *Test Items ED289505 IR012972 Short Answer Questions. Teaching and Learning in Higher Education, 22. Ellington, Henry 1987 14p.; For a related guide, see IR 012 970. EDRS Price - MF01/PC01 Plus Postage. Document Type: NON-CLASSROOM MATERIAL (055); REVIEW LITERATURE (070) Target Audience: Practitioners; Teachers The second of three sequels to the booklet "Student Assessment," this booklet begins by describing and giving examples of three different forms that short-answer questions can take: (1) completion items; (2) unique-answer questions; and (3) open short-answer questions. Guidelines are then provided for deciding which type of question to use in a given situation, and the task of writing short- answer questions is broken down into three stages and described in detail. Methods for the evaluation of short-answer questions are also discussed, including evaluation by a colleague or validation panel and quantitative evaluation. Advice on how to mark short- answer questions concludes the booklet. Two general references and three subject-based references for teachers of chemistry, physics, and mathematics are listed. (MES) Descriptors: Foreign Countries; Higher Education; Instructional Material Evaluation; *Questioning Techniques; Scoring; *Test Construction; *Test Format; *Test Items Identifiers: *Short Answer Tests ED289504 IR012971 Objective Questions. Teaching and Learning in Higher Education, 21. Ellington, Henry 1987 18p.; For a related guide, see IR 012 970. EDRS Price - MF01/PC01 Plus Postage. Document Type: NON-CLASSROOM MATERIAL (055); REVIEW LITERATURE (070) Target Audience: Practitioners; Teachers The first of three sequels to the booklet "Student Assessment," this booklet begins by describing and providing examples of four different forms that objective questions can take: (1) conventional multiple choice questions; (2) true/false questions; (3) assertion/reason items; and (4) matching items. Guidance is offered on how to decide which type of question to use in a given situation, and on how to write objective questions of different types. Methods for evaluating objective questions are then discussed, including evaluation by a colleague or validation panel and quantitative evaluation. Advice on how to mark objective questions concludes the booklet. Three general references and three subject-based references for teachers of chemistry, physics, and mathematics are recommended for further reading. (MES) Descriptors: Foreign Countries; Higher Education; *Instructional Material Evaluation; *Objective Tests; *Questioning Techniques; Scoring; *Test Construction; *Test Format; *Test Items ED289503 IR012970 Student Assessment. Teaching and Learning in Higher Education, 20. Ellington, Henry 1987 21p.; For related guides, see IR 012 971-74. EDRS Price - MF01/PC01 Plus Postage. Document Type: NON-CLASSROOM MATERIAL (055); REVIEW LITERATURE (070) Target Audience: Practitioners; Teachers Intended to provide a broad introduction to the subject of student assessment, this booklet begins by discussing the role of assessment in any systematic approach to course or curriculum design and explains the difference between assessment and evaluation. Four basic features of a good student assessment procedure are then discussed, i.e., validity, reliability, practicability, and fairness/usefulness. The differences between criterion-referenced assessment and norm-referenced assessment are also explained, and guidelines for constructing a test or other form of assessment are presented. The booklet concludes with discussions of five methods commonly used to carry out student assessment in terms of their design characteristics, functions, and strengths and weaknesses: (1) traditional extended writing tests; (2) objective tests; (3) practical tests; (4) unobtrusive assessment; and (5) self and peer assessment. An annotated list of three items recommended for further reading is included. (MES) Descriptors: *Academic Achievement; Criterion Referenced Tests; Foreign Countries; Higher Education; Norm Referenced Tests; *Student Evaluation; *Test Construction; *Test Format ED298150 TM012243 Improving Multiple-Choice Tests. IDEA Paper No. 16. Clegg, Victoria L.; Cashin, William E. Sep 1986 5p. Available From: Center for Faculty Evaluation and Development, Division of Continuing Education, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS 66505 (PC $1.00, 25-99 copies $0.20 each, 100 or more $0.15 each). EDRS Price - MF01/PC01 Plus Postage. Document Type: EVALUATIVE REPORT (142) Target Audience: Practitioners; Researchers The definition, nature, limitations, and strengths of multiple- choice test items are reviewed; and recommendations on the development and use of such items are presented. Many teacher-made multiple-choice tests can be significantly improved. Suggestions for layout organization and an interpretive approach to relationships among items on one test are provided. It is concluded that multiple- choice items permit the testing of higher levels of student learning, which are appropriate to college-level students but often are not tested by teacher-made tests (including essay as well as selected response tests). The increased use of interpretive exercises in college-level tests is advocated. A list of standard text books that provide detailed suggestions for design of multiple-choice items is appended. (TJH) Descriptors: College Faculty; Higher Education; Learning; *Multiple Choice Tests; *Teacher Made Tests; *Test Construction ED266182 TM860126 Teacher-Written Student Tests: A Guide for Planning, Creating, Administering, and Assessing. Miller, Patrick W.; Erickson, Harley E. 1985 67p. Available From: NEA Professional Library, P.O. Box 509, West Haven, CT 06516 ($7.95). EDRS Price - MF01 Plus Postage. PC Not Available from EDRS. Document Type: CLASSROOM MATERIAL (050) Target Audience: Teachers; Administrators; Practitioners This publication offers guidelines, practical suggestions, and examples for developing better teacher-made tests. It is divided into five chapters: (1) Planning Classroom Tests, (2) Guidelines for Developing Classroom Tests, (3) Assembling and Administering Classroom Tests, (4) Assessing Test Items, and (5) Desirable Characteristics of Tests. Instructional objectives are included in planning appropriate test items; general and specific guidelines are given for developing classroom tests. An item response profile and discussion of item discrimination are necessary for assessing test items. Descriptions of validity and reliability are included as desirable characteristics of tests. Appendices give sample verbs used to identify specific student behaviors; sample verbs used in various curriculum areas; and sample test items for Art, Biology, Chemistry, English, Foreign Language, Home Economics, Industrial Arts, Mathematics, Music, Physical Education, Physics, Science, and Social Studies. (LMO) Descriptors: Academic Achievement; Behavioral Objectives; *Educational Testing; Elementary Secondary Education; Guidelines; Instructional Development; Student Behavior; *Student Evaluation; *Teacher Made Tests; *Test Construction; Test Format; *Test Items; Test Reliability; Test Validity ED266166 TM860110 Item Banking for Local Test Development: Practitioner's Handbook. Arter, Judith A.; Estes, Gary D. Nov 1985 99p.; Appendices A and B contain small type. For a related document, see TM 860 111. EDRS Price - MF01/PC04 Plus Postage. Document Type: NON-CLASSROOM MATERIAL (055) Target Audience: Practitioners This handbook is intended for persons who might develop or use an item bank to support their testing program. An item bank is defined as a "large collection of distinguishable test items," with "large" explained as meaning that the number of items available is greater than the number to be used in any one test. The first section of the handbook provides guidance as to the types of testing options which might be most appropriate for different testing purposes, resources, and local testing climate. The other two major sections deal with two item banking options: (1) accessing an existing item bank; and (2) developing one's own item bank. Because this handbook is intended as a practical guide, each section has three major parts: (1) a list of questions to guide users through decisions to be made on each topic; (2) assistance with answering questions; (3) examples to illustrate the various concepts presented. Extensive appendices include: (1) an item bank survey summary; (2) a summary of item banking software for microcomputers; (3) a summary of general purpose software for microcomputers which could be used for item banking; (4) item bank design questions; (5) test selection forms; and (6) sample classification scheme for reading items. (LMO) Descriptors: *Adaptive Testing; *Computer Assisted Testing; Computer Software; Curriculum; Elementary Secondary Education; Flow Charts; *Item Banks; Microcomputers; Resource Allocation; Scores; Surveys; *Teacher Made Tests; *Test Construction; Test Format; Testing Problems; *Testing Programs; Test Items; Test Use ED266159 TM860102 Test Design Manual: Guidelines for Developing Diagnostic Tests. Diagnostic Testing Project. Herman, Joan; Winters, Lynn Dec 1985 99p.; Portions of appendices contain small print. Some graphics may not reproduce clearly. EDRS Price - MF01/PC04 Plus Postage. Document Type: TEACHING GUIDE (052); TEST, QUESTIONNAIRE (160) Target Audience: Teachers; Practitioners This manual is designed to provide teachers with technically sound, easy-to-follow procedures for developing diagnostic tests to be used with their own students. The definition of diagnostic testing is broadened to include any tests systematically designed to provide information about skills that students have or have not mastered. A five-step test development process divides the manual into five sections: (1) Specify the Diagnostic Skills to be Tested; (2) Create the Test Description; (3) Write the Test Items; (4) Review Test Items; and (5) Try Out Items. Much space is devoted to the conceptual plan underlying the diagnostic test, the skill map. Several strategies for developing the skill map through task analysis are mentioned. The application of research-based analytic methods to the description of important skills is treated as the core of the description section. Once the conceptual base for the diagnostic test is documented in the skill map and the test description, the steps for writing, reviewing, and trying out diagnostic items remain much the same as those used in survey testing programs. Appendices include model test descriptions, many with graphics, a test description review form, sample constructed response scoring guidelines and sample test item formats. (LMO) Descriptors: *Academic Achievement; *Diagnostic Tests; Elementary Secondary Education; Field Tests; Instructional Development; Skill Analysis; Task Analysis; *Teacher Made Tests; *Test Construction; Test Format; *Test Items Identifiers: Diagnostic Testing Project ED257821 SP026219 Integrating Teaching and Testing: A Handbook for High School Teachers. Fielding, Glen D.; Schalock, H. Del Jan 1985 162p. EDRS Price - MF01/PC07 Plus Postage. Document Type: TEACHING GUIDE (052); TEST, QUESTIONNAIRE (160) Target Audience: Teachers; Practitioners The intent of this handbook is to illustrate the relation between teaching and testing and to demonstrate how they can promote student learning. The first section, "Foundations," offers a discussion of broad ideas about teaching, learning, and testing, and their interrelationships. Chapter one describes generally the kinds of things that teachers do in classrooms where teaching and testing are integrated. Chapter two discusses essential aspects of learning which mutually affect instruction and testing. The third chapter deals with how different dimensions of the context of instruction (the types of students with whom the teachers is working, resources and support available, and the nature of the instructional models in use) influence teaching and testing practices. Chapter four describes the varied purposes served by tests, such as assessing students' past learning or their progress in learning. The fifth chapter offers an overview of the kinds of tests addressed in the handbook: objective tests, essays, and observation of performance. The second section, "Applications," focuses on tasks that need to be performed to integrate teaching and testing. Chapters are included on matching teaching and testing to desired outcomes, assuring quality in tests, preparing, administering, and scoring tests, and using test information for various instruction-related purposes. Lists of references and related resources are provided. (JD) Descriptors: *Instructional Improvement; *Learning Strategies; *Secondary Education; Skill Analysis; Student Evaluation; Teaching Methods; *Test Construction; *Testing ED252559 TM850028 Guidelines for Developing Diagnostic Tests. Methodology Project. Herman, Joan Nov 1984 27p. EDRS Price - MF01/PC02 Plus Postage. Document Type: PROJECT DESCRIPTION (141); TEACHING GUIDE (052) Target Audience: Teachers; Practitioners Diagnostic testing can provide specific information about student skills as a decision-making aid to teachers in prescribing instruction, identifying needs for remediation, determining effective instructional materials and methods, and ultimately, improving student learning. Diagnostic testing, as viewed here, includes individual and group assessment of students' skills in specified cognitive domains. A methodology is presented for designing diagnostic tests which assess the extent of student learning and are sensitive to sources of difficulty within a skill or context area. This 5-step methodology for diagnostic test development includes: (1) Developing a skill blueprint including a general description of the objective or skill, a sample item, content limits, and response limits; (2) Specifying the skill map including sub-skills or simpler contexts which students should master enroute to the desired skill under assessment; (3) Formulating test items that match specifications and follow conventions for sound item-writing; (4) Reviewing test items to insure match to specifications and technical quality; and (5) Field testing the items and revising to insure that the test is appropriate for the intended student population and structured to provide meaningful and reliable diagnostic information. (Author) Descriptors: *Diagnostic Tests; Elementary Secondary Education; *Skill Analysis; Student Evaluation; Teacher Made Tests; *Test Construction; Test Format; *Test Items; Test Reliability; Test Validity Identifiers: *Domain Referenced Tests; *Test Specifications EJ309836 CS730444 Measures of Validity, Reliability, and Item Analysis for Classroom Tests. Nimmer, Donald N. Clearing House, v58 n3 p138-40 Nov 1984 Available From: UMI Document Type: JOURNAL ARTICLE (080); POSITION PAPER (120); NON- CLASSROOM MATERIAL (055) Explains how tables of specifications (used in estabishing content validity) and item analysis (a modification of item difficulty) can readily be used by the classroom teacher to design well-balanced tests. (HOD) Descriptors: Elementary Secondary Education; *Item Analysis; *Measurement Techniques; *Teacher Made Tests; *Test Construction; *Test Reliability; *Test Validity EJ276066 CS727757 Multiple True-False Classroom Tests. Nimmer, Donald N. Clearing House, v56 n6 p257-58 Feb 1983 Available From: Reprint: UMI Document Type: JOURNAL ARTICLE (080); NON-CLASSROOM MATERIAL (055); POSITION PAPER (120) Outlines the benefits associated with true-false and multiple- choice tests and sets forth rules for writing effective items for such tests. (FL) Descriptors: Elementary Secondary Education; Evaluation Methods; *Multiple Choice Tests; *Objective Tests; *Teacher Made Tests; *Test Construction; *Test Items; Test Reliability; Test Validity ED285499 HE020733 Improving Your Test Questions. Ory, John C. [1983 39p.; Paper identified by the Task Force on Establishing a National Clearinghouse of Materials Developed for Teaching Assistant (TA) Training. EDRS Price - MF01/PC02 Plus Postage. Document Type: TEACHING GUIDE (052); TEST, QUESTIONNAIRE (160) Target Audience: Practitioners Information on the uses, advantages, and limitations of different types of test items is presented for college faculty, along with guidelines for developing test items. Included is advice on: choosing between objective and subjective test items, when essay tests or objective tests are appropriate, and when either essay or objective tests can be used. Advantages and disadvantages of using the following types of test items are identified: multiple-choice, true-false, matching, completion, essay, problem solving, and performance. Suggestions for writing each type of test items and examples are provided. In writing multiple-choice test items, consideration is given to both the stem, which identifies the question or problem, and the response alternatives. Both the extended-response and short-answer essays are covered, and suggestions for scoring essay items are included. Two methods for collecting feedback on the quality of test items are addressed: self- review and student evaluation of test item quality. A checklist for teacher evaluation of test items is provided, with sections for each type of test. The Instructor and Course Evaluation System questionnaire items for student rating of the quality of tests items are also included. (SW) Descriptors: Check Lists; College Instruction; Essay Tests; Graduate Students; Higher Education; Objective Tests; Performance Tests; Rating Scales; *Teacher Made Tests; *Teaching Assistants; *Test Construction; *Test Format; Test Items Identifiers: *Teaching Assistant Training Project; *University of Illinois Urbana Champaign ED247261 TM840432 Strategies for Improving Teacher-Made Tests. Lang, Robert M. [1983 11p. EDRS Price - MF01/PC01 Plus Postage. Document Type: NON-CLASSROOM MATERIAL (055) Target Audience: Teachers; Practitioners In this practical, easy-to-use guide, suggestions are made for setting educational objectives and preparing a teacher-made test. Specific suggestions are made for selecting items for essay tests, multiple choice tests, completion tests, matching tests, and true- false tests. (BW) Descriptors: Educational Objectives; Essay Tests; Guidelines; Multiple Choice Tests; Objective Tests; *Teacher Made Tests; *Test Construction; Test Items ED223703 TM820850 Making, Choosing, and Using Tests: A Practicum on Domain-Referenced Testing. Baker, Eva L.; And Others Aug 1980 205p. EDRS Price - MF01/PC09 Plus Postage. Document Type: NON-CLASSROOM MATERIAL (055) Target Audience: Practitioners The materials presented were developed for use in a series of conferences on testing and instruction sponsored by the National Institute of Education, with the United States Office of Education, the UCLA Center for the Study of Evaluation, and a network of research and development agencies. They are intended for use by school practitioners and others concerned with the development or selection of tests geared toward local curricula and objectives. The development and validation process is described. The volume provides procedures for selecting or developing tests that are instructionally relevant and technically sound. Two procedures for test development rely on domain specifications and item review for congruence with these specifications. The two procedures for test selection are concerned with a test's relevance and its technical properties. Domain specifications connect learning outcomes to instructional content and the assessment of learning by providing rules for describing the domain, generating items, and setting their linguistic and cognitive complexity. The test selection procedures consider a test's instructional relevance to specified skills and objectives and its technical qualities. A training unit and practice materials for each procedure and a facilitator's guide are provided. (Author/CM) Descriptors: *Criterion Referenced Tests; Elementary Secondary Education; *Evaluation Criteria; Item Analysis; *Local Norms; Measurement Objectives; Relevance (Education); Skill Analysis; *Test Construction; Testing Programs; Test Items; Test Reliability; *Test Selection; Test Use; *Test Validity Identifiers: Domain Referenced Tests; Test Manuals ED249269 TM840622 A Practitioner's Guide to Criterion-Referenced Test Development, Validation, and Test Score Usage (Second Edition). Laboratory of Psychometric and Evaluation Research Report No. 70. Hambleton, Ronald K.; Eignor, Daniel R. 10 Mar 1979 550p. EDRS Price - MF02/PC22 Plus Postage. Document Type: TEACHING GUIDE (052); TEST, QUESTIONNAIRE (160) Target Audience: Practitioners This instructional training package introduces practitioners to methods for developing, validating, using, and reporting criterion- referenced tests. It provides a comprehensive presentation of criterion-referenced testing technology. The package emphasizes the most recent substantive and technological advances in the field that are both important and relatively easy to use. The 10 units of instruction are: (1) "Introduction to Criterion-Referenced Testing"; (2) "Preparation of Objectives and Test Items"; (3) "Assessment of Content Validity"; (4) "Test Assembly and Administration"; (5) "Reliability, Validity and Norms"; (6) "Issues and Methods for Standard-Setting"; (7) "Criterion-Referenced Test and Test Manual Evaluations"; (8) "Use and Reporting of Test Score Information"; (9) "Design of Criterion-Referenced Testing Programs--Two Examples"; and (10) "New Developments and Areas for Further Research." Each unit is divided into sections: a unit overview; an introduction to covered topics; relevant technical materials and examples; occasional optional materials; and cited references. Some units have additional references for further study. Flow-charts, figures, and tables are included whenever possible. (Author/BS) Descriptors: *Criterion Referenced Tests; *Cutting Scores; *Evaluation Methods; Mastery Tests; Models; Program Design; Research and Development; Scoring; *Test Construction; *Testing; Test Items; Test Norms; Test Reliability; *Test Results; Test Use; Test Validity Identifiers: *Standard Setting

ED307323 TM013472 Helping Teachers Develop Valid and Reliable Assessments: Our Experience in Illinois. Mayo, Samuel T. 1989 13p.; Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association (San Francisco, CA, March 27-31, 1989). EDRS Price - MF01/PC01 Plus Postage. Document Type: RESEARCH REPORT (143); CONFERENCE PAPER (150) While Illinois educational officials developed a uniform assessment manual to accompany standardized tests, a companion handbook was developed by a consultant for use with teacher- and district-made tests. Criterion-referenced or mastery tests were the subject of the handbook. The handbook was designed to assess content validity as well as provide "split-half" and internal consistency information to determine test reliability. Statistical methods incorporated into the handbook utilized classical as well as the simpler, criterion- referenced methods. A training videotape is designed to accompany the handbook, and it includes short student performances of five skills; the tape is designed for use during inservice training as a means of illustrating actual performance upon which the trainees can hone their rating abilities. Specific topics covered in the handbook include establishment of testing objectives, development of paper-and- pencil tests, performance or product assessments, establishment of levels of reliability of paper-and-pencil tests and performance ratings, objectives and assignments related to performance assessments, rating performance, rating scales and checklists and scoring, and interrater reliability. A copy of the handbook's detailed table of contents is appended. (TJH) Descriptors: *Content Validity; Criterion Referenced Tests; Elementary School Teachers; Elementary Secondary Education; *Guides; *Inservice Teacher Education; Interrater Reliability; Mastery Tests; School Districts; Scoring; Secondary School Teachers; *Standardized Tests; *Teacher Made Tests; *Test Construction; Test Manuals; Test Reliability; Videotape Recordings Identifiers: Illinois; Internal Consistency; Paper and Pencil Tests; Split Half Test Reliability ED304445 TM012639 Improving Schools through Inservice Test Construction: The Rossville Model. Gilman, David Alan Nov 1988 35p. EDRS Price - MF01/PC02 Plus Postage. Document Type: RESEARCH REPORT (143); TEST, QUESTIONNAIRE (160) A method for improving curriculum and schools through the local development of competency tests in basic skills--the Competency- Rossville Model (CRM)--is outlined. The method was originated in the school system of Rossville (Illinois) and has been tested in five other midwestern school systems. The approach leads the faculty of the school, with the guidance of a measurement consultant, in the development of a series of grade-level tests to measure mastery in basic skills achievement. This method of test development serves to articulate the curriculum; provides a useful, relevant, and appropriate achievement testing program; and provides a management system for the improvement of basic skills instruction. The CRM is compared favorably to the norm referenced testing model. The CRM program includes: (1) inservice instruction of faculty in an alternate model of evaluation of academic achievement; (2) a committee of school faculty formed around use of the Delphi method to confer with their fellow teachers; (3) grade-level representatives in charge of informal committees for each grade level; (4) informal teacher conferences, involving each grade level, to establish a liist of skills to be mastered by students; (5) development of test items; and (6) computer-assisted interpretation of tests. This type of inservice development project has been successful in increasing faculty morale, improving basic skills instruction, and improving school achievement testing programs. The project involves faculty actively in curriculum development, results in valid and reliable tests, and provides information that is valuable and useful to teachers. Nine figures are provided, and a sample skill-referenced math test is appended. (TJH) Descriptors: Achievement Tests; Basic Skills; Computer Assisted Testing; Curriculum Development; Delphi Technique; *Educational Improvement; Elementary Secondary Education; *Faculty Development; *Inservice Teacher Education; *Minimum Competency Testing; Norm Referenced Tests; *Teacher Made Tests; *Test Construction; Testing Programs Identifiers: Competency Based Assessment; *Competency Rossville Model; Rossville Alvin School District IL EJ327942 EA519335 Final Examinations as Tools for Instructional Management. Smartschan, Glenn F. Educational Leadership, v43 n2 p75-76 Oct 1985 Available From: UMI Document Type: JOURNAL ARTICLE (080); PROJECT DESCRIPTION (141) Target Audience: Administrators; Practitioners Describes how the Allentown, Pennsylvania, public school district uses district-wide final examinations (along with some class-specific test items designed by teachers) to assess secondary school programs, provide "feedback" to teachers, and evaluate student mastery of learning objectives. (MCG) Descriptors: *Educational Diagnosis; *Educational Testing; *Mastery Tests; Secondary Education; Teacher Role; *Test Construction; *Testing Programs; Test Use Identifiers: *Allentown School District PA; Districtwide Testing Programs; *Final Examinations EJ327933 EA519326 Needed: Better Methods for Testing Higher-Order Thinking Skills. Quellmalz, Edys S. Educational Leadership, v43 n2 p29-35 Oct 1985 Available From: UMI Document Type: JOURNAL ARTICLE (080); REVIEW LITERATURE (070); POSITION PAPER (120) Target Audience: Administrators; Practitioners Recent advances in theory and research provide a basis for defining higher-order thinking skills and for designing tests of such skills. (MCG) Descriptors: *Classification; *Cognitive Processes; *Cognitive Tests; Elementary Secondary Education; Guidelines; Learning Theories; *Research Utilization; *Skill Analysis; Synthesis; *Test Construction

EJ513459 EC612475 Modifying Tests for Diverse Learners. Salend, Spencer J. Intervention in School and Clinic, v31 n2 p84-90 Nov 1995 ISSN: 1053-4512 Available From: UMI Document Type: JOURNAL ARTICLE (080); NON-CLASSROOM MATERIAL (055) Target Audience: Teachers; Practitioners Test modifications and techniques that teachers can employ to adapt their tests to meet individualized needs of mainstreamed students with disabilities are considered. Suggestions are offered to assist special education teachers in helping general educators design tests; address test reliability, validity, content, and format; and develop alternative grading systems. (SW) Descriptors: *Disabilities; Elementary Secondary Education; *Evaluation Methods; Learning Problems; Mainstreaming; *Student Evaluation; Student Needs; *Teacher Made Tests; *Test Construction; Test Format; Test Reliability; Test Validity Identifiers: *Testing Accommodations (Disabilities) ED372545 EC303177 Bad Test...Good Test: Designing Classroom Tests To Accommodate Disabled Learners. Graham, Marilyn T.; Isom, Rebecca M. 7 Apr 1994 30p.; Paper presented at the Annual International Convention of the Council for Exceptional Children (72nd, Denver, CO, April 6-10, 1994). EDRS Price - MF01/PC02 Plus Postage. Document Type: CONFERENCE PAPER (150); NON-CLASSROOM MATERIAL (055) Target Audience: Practitioners This paper, presented in an outline format, provides general suggestions for the format of classroom tests and offers guidelines for adapting commercial tests that accompany textbooks for students with disabilities. Suggestions include, for example, using visual prompts to focus attention on important words, symbols, or procedures; and not requiring use of a separate answer sheet. The paper then presents tips for constructing specific types of tests, such as fill in the blank, multiple choice, matching, true-false, math computations, and structured essay. Eighteen short tests are appended as examples of test construction strategies. (JDD) Descriptors: *Disabilities; Elementary Secondary Education; *Teacher Made Tests; *Test Construction; Test Format EJ410362 EC230747 Who Discovered America? How Many Seeds in a Watermelon? Tips for Modifying Teacher-Made Tests. Watanabe, Addison; Algozzine, Bob Diagnostique, v14 n3 p191-97 Spr 1989 Available From: UMI Document Type: JOURNAL ARTICLE (080); NON-CLASSROOM MATERIAL (055) Target Audience: Teachers; Practitioners This article discusses ways teachers may vary and modify teacher- made tests to better facilitate prescriptive programing for special education students. Formats featuring statements, object identification, gestures, and writing are discussed, as are item alterations in terms of both item presentation and student responses. (PB) Descriptors: Achievement Tests; *Disabilities; Elementary Secondary Education; Evaluation Methods; *Student Evaluation; *Teacher Made Tests; *Test Construction; *Test Format; Test Items EJ369448 SE542279 Adapting Test Construction for Mainstreamed Mathematics Students. Miederhoff, Jennifer Wingo; Wood, Judy W. Mathematics Teacher, v81 n5 p388-92 May 1988 Available From: UMI Document Type: JOURNAL ARTICLE (080); TEACHING GUIDE (052) Target Audience: Practitioners Describes a model for adapting the construction of teacher-made mathematics tests for mildly handicapped students including the educable mentally retarded, the emotionally handicapped, and the learning disabled, to the mainstreamed classroom. (PK) Descriptors: Elementary School Mathematics; Elementary Secondary Education; *Mainstreaming; *Mathematics Achievement; Mathematics Education; *Mathematics Tests; Secondary School Mathematics; *Special Education; Student Placement; *Teacher Made Tests; *Test Construction; Test Items ED234055 TM820882 A Manual for Preparing Special Test Editions for the Handicapped. Solomon, Charlotte 1982 29p. EDRS Price - MF01/PC02 Plus Postage. Document Type: TEST, QUESTIONNAIRE (160); NON-CLASSROOM MATERIAL (055) Target Audience: Researchers; Administrators; Practitioners To meet the needs of visually-impaired candidates, Educational Testing Service (ETS) has traditionally provided tests in three special formats: large-print, Braille, and cassette. Certain ETS programs permit the use of the candidate's reader or the use of amanuensis, that is, someone who records answers for the candidate. The primary goal of anyone who adapts an ETS Test for blind or visually-impaired candidates is to provide a test that presents a task equivalent to that presented to sighted candidates. This manual contains both an outline of existing procedures and a number of recommendations. Its purpose is to aid test development staff who have responsibility for preparing tests in large-print, Braille, and cassette editions. Program Direction staff has the responsibility for planning the production of special editions, arranging for printing and taping, deciding testing time, designating which test form will be the base test for special editions, and checking quality control. The roles of test development coordinator, assembler and adapter are discussed. Guidelines for item adaptation and narration include special considerations for quantitative item types. Test development tasks in adapting tests for the visually impaired, a checklist for test adapter, test adapter's control sheet, and additional information about testing the handicapped are included in the appendices. (Author/PN) Descriptors: *Disabilities; Elementary Secondary Education; Higher Education; Program Development; *Test Construction; Test Format; Testing Problems; Testing Programs; Test Items; *Visual Impairments Identifiers: *Educational Testing Service; *Test Adaptations; Testing Conditions

Sitemap 1 - Sitemap 2 - Sitemap 3 - Sitemap 4 - Sitemap 5 - Sitemap 6

QUESTION/PROBLEM: Test Construction for Practitioners and Administrators

Table of Contents

ERIC DOCUMENTS CITATIONS