Educational Assessment, Evaluation, and Research Commons^™

International Perspectives On Citizenship, Education And Religious Diversity, Sarfaroz Niyozov

Institute for Educational Development, Karachi

No abstract provided.

The Cadre Project: A Retention Study, Sheryl Mcglamery, Nancy A. Edick Dr.

Teacher Education Faculty Publications

I his article describes the findings of a study of leachcr retention and the effectiveness of one induction program, the Career Advancement and Development for Recruits and Experienced teachers (CADRE) Project, in helping teachers remain in the profession. National statistics report teacher attrition rate to be 40 percent over five years. CADRE participants have a retention rule ol 89 percent over five years.

Course Revitalization As A Change Driver Throughout Undergraduate Business Curriculum, Elke M. Leeds, Radwan Ali

Faculty Articles

This paper describes the revitalization of Business Information Systems and Communication, a high enrollment, prerequisite course for all undergraduate business students in the Coles College of Business. An overview of the course components is presented and original structure described. The rationale for change, technologies leveraged and measures of success are presented. The change drivers are identified and their impact on undergraduate curriculum delineated. Lessons learned and future implications are discussed.

Building A Better Reading-Writing Assessment: Bridging Cognitive Theory, Instruction, And Assessment, Roxanne Greitz Miller, Robert C. Calfee

Education Faculty Articles and Research

"Based upon our work at the district, state, and national levels, we address the following issues: how to improve large-scale writing assessments, and how to create bridges between effective reading and writing instruction and writing assessment."

Alternative Education : An International Perspective, Yoshiyuki Nagata

Shannon Research Press

Chapter 1 discusses how the characteristics of alternative education are to be understood, for the purposes of this research, in the contemporary context and in light of former interpretations. Chapters 2 to 8 take up cases of alternative education in practice in six countries and discuss the realities of the systems and mechanisms involved in practice and theory in alternative schools.

Handbook Containing Basic Requirements Of The Implementation And Management Of Parent Partnered Programs, Gregory Wayne Lovercamp

All Graduate Projects

This project provides school districts with background and resources to implement an alternative school program that involves parent partnership at a high level. Though resembling homeschooling, families involved in these programs in Washington State are emolled as public school students in the sponsoring district. Some homeschoolers tend to view these programs with a wary eye, while participants have found what they consider to be a godsend that enables them to educate their children the way they want with resources made available by the local school district. Applicable requirements are delineated and sample documents to meet those requirements are included.

Inside Unlv, Diane Russell, Mae Worthey-Flennoy, Cate Weeks, Gian Galassi

Inside UNLV

No abstract provided.

An Analysis Of Learning Styles Among Young-Old Adults (Age 65-74) And Old-Old Adults (Age 75-99) And The Affect On Aging, Edith R. Ginsberg

Graduate Student Dissertations, Theses, Capstones, and Portfolios

This dominant/less dominant design uses two methods (phenomenological and quantitative) to study, describe, examine, and analyze the learning style of two groups of older adults. The first group consists of Young-Old adults, who are between the ages of 65 and 74. The second group consists of Old-Old adults, who are between the ages of 75 and 99.

The researcher used the Kolb Learning Style Inventory Version 3 to determine the preferred learning style of each participant within each group. The results of the inventory for each participant was analyzed and compared between the two age groups. The analysis includes a …

The Conceptual Guidelines And Considerations For The Development Of Elementary Charter Schools In The State Of Washington, Janice Louise Mirro

All Graduate Projects

The purpose of this project was to design a conceptual set of guidelines and considerations for the development of Elementary Charter Schools in the State of Washington. To accomplish this purpose a review ofliterature related to charter schools and their development was conducted followed by a mail reply survey. A wide variety of sources, including journal articles, books, newspaper reports, interviews, and printed material (organizational by-laws, school pamphlets, etc.) from existing charter schools across the nation were studied and synthesized into the findings. As a result of this study a comprehensive conceptual set of guidelines were developed.

The Impact Of A Formal Public School Instrumental Music Instruction Program On An Eighth Grade Middle School Student's Reading And Mathematics Achievement, Gerard D. Babo

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

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Scholastic Aptitudes And The Future Of An Illusion, Ibpp Editor

International Bulletin of Political Psychology

This article describes basic problems with how the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) is conceived and employed in the United States (US).

The Evaluation Of Education Systems: Insecurity Through Testing?, Ibpp Editor

International Bulletin of Political Psychology

This article describes some fallacies in a common approach to employing the testing of students in evaluating education systems.

Home Schooling: A Resource Guide For Parents And Teachers, April L. Stucker

All Graduate Projects

Home schooling was researched for the purpose of determining how many students are home schooled, the rules and regulations regarding home schooling, and the effectiveness of home schooling. A resource guide has been developed for home schooling parents and teachers dealing with home schoolers. Many of the resources are geographically specific to the Yakima Valley, but most can be used or adapted for a variety of age and maturity levels. The guide is divided into three topics: Public Resources, Private Resources, and Community Resources.

The Impact Of School Reform On Teacher Professionalism Lessons From Case Studies To Inform Future Professional Development Initiatives, Meher Rizvi

Institute for Educational Development, Karachi

This paper will outline a number of issues faced by Government Primary Schools in Pakistan. Specifically, it will identify a research agenda that needs to be addressed if these schools are to progress. Pakistan's educational system is faced with many problems and dilemmas and each dilemma justifies a reason, but perhaps no problem is as grave as the low quality, the poor morale and the dejected professional status of the teachers. I say that because I believe that schools are only as good as their teachers, regardless of how high their standards, how up-to-date their technology, or how innovative their …

Reducing Aversive Interactions With Troubled Students, Michael Hass, Perry D. Passaro, Amy N. Smith

Education Faculty Articles and Research

"This paper is about the impact of staff in-service education on the quality of interactions between staff and students at an educational facility for at-risk youth operated by the Orange County Department of Education. Data on the use of punitive behavior management techniques was gathered before, during, and after staff training in the use of more positive approaches to responding to disruptive behavior. Staff members use of punitive techniques as physical restraint and suspensions was greatly reduced following the training."

Health Risk Behaviors Among Maine Youth : Results Of The 1997 Youth Risk Behavior Survey, Grades 7-12, Chuck Rhoades

Maine Collection

Health Risk Behaviors Among Maine Youth : Results of the 1997 Youth Risk Behavior Survey, Grades 7-12

Prepared for the Maine Department of Education by Chuck Rhoades of CERES Associates, Inc., Survey Administered by Pan Atlantic Consultants / Strategic Marketing Services (June, 1998).

Contents: Introduction / Methodology / Demographics / Safety, Violence & Suicide / Alcohol, Drug & Tobacco Use / Sexual Behaviors / Health Care, Physical Activity & Nutrition / References

Rethinking Educational Design In New' School Construction, Daniel Duke, William Bradley, Dan Butin, Margaret Grogan, Monica Gillespie

Education Faculty Articles and Research

"The primary impetus to new school construction, of course, typically involves relieving overcrowding or replacing outdated or dangerous facilities. Bradley (1996), however, in a study about the role of architecture in education, notes that the physical structure of a school has the potential to be a vehicle for change. In other words, the design. of school facilities can inspire alterations in the nature, quality, and future direction of what goes on inside. The present study sought to determine the extent to which five school systems in Virginia took advantage of building a new secondary school to address the need for …

Dedication- Licensure Testing: Purposes, Procedures, And Practices, James C. Impara

Licensure Testing: Purposes, Procedures, and Practices

The impetus for this book and for my involvement in it are due principally to the efforts of three people: Jimmie Fortune, Howard Stoker, and Barbara Plake. Jimmie edited (and contributed to) an earlier book devoted to licensure testing (Fortune, J. C., & Associates, 1985, Understanding Testing in Occupational Licensing, Jossey Bass: San Francisco.). Shortly after that book was published he told me that he felt some important topics had not been included and that another book was needed. He encouraged me on several occasions to edit a new book that picked up where his left off and expand …

Preface- Licensure Testing: Purposes, Procedures, And Practices, James C. Impara

Licensure Testing: Purposes, Procedures, and Practices

This book represents a unique effort for the Buros Institute of Mental Measurements and the Buros-Nebraska Series on Measurement and Testing. All of the previous books in this series have been associated with a symposium sponsored by the Buros Institute of Mental Measurements and the University of Nebraska. This book is "free standing" in that it is an independent effort intended to fulfill a perceived need for a book, but without preceding the book with a symposium. There are few books devoted solely to the topic of licensure testing, but each state and the federal government is involved in this …

Section One: Purposes And Policy Issues

Licensure Testing: Purposes, Procedures, and Practices

No Content

Section Two: Overview Of The Procedures For Developing A Licensure Examination, James C. Impara

Licensure Testing: Purposes, Procedures, and Practices

There are a variety of strategies that may be employed in the development of a licensure examination. The following list of activities illustrates typical procedures. Depending on the needs and conditions of the particular occupation, certain variations in specific activities may take place or changes in the sequence may be appropriate. In addition to the procedures listed, many decisions will be made that may add activities. For example, the decision to use a computerized item bank or to enter into a computerized adaptive testing format will require procedures in addition to those described briefly below.

1. Conducting a job (or …

6. Developing And Using Clinical Examinations, Jimmie C. Fortune, Theodore R. Cromack

Licensure Testing: Purposes, Procedures, and Practices

INTRODUCTION

Generally, clinical examinations for licensing (sometimes called performance tests) involve the candidate completing one or more tasks (in licensing this is thought of as "services for a client") that have been selected from the supervised practice Gob analysis) of an occupation or profession. The clinical examination may exist in contexts (occupations) that do not require client interactions. Such contexts include building trades, automobile repair, accounting, etc. The tasks may range from fixing brakes, to preparing a body for burial, to wiring a house, or auditing a set of business interactions.

Other contexts require the candidate to perform services or …

7. Basic Psychometric Issues In Licensure Testing, Howard W. Stoker, James C. Impara

Licensure Testing: Purposes, Procedures, and Practices

INTRODUCTION

The number of people in the United States who carry some responsibility for the writing of examination questions and the construction of tests is unknown. In the Preface to The Construction and Use of Achievement Examinations, published by the American Council on Education in 1936, the authors indicated that the number probably exceeded a million. That number has certainly grown in the past 60 years. Questions are posed to students by teachers at all levels of education; the Armed Forces have people whose job it is to construct tests which are used in the promotion of personnel; over …

4. Practice Analysis: Building The Foundation For Validity, Joan E. Knapp, Lenora G. Knapp

Licensure Testing: Purposes, Procedures, and Practices

INTRODUCTION

A review of the literature associated with job analysis reveals two extremes of opinion as represented by the following provocative quotes:

Historically job analysis has been a relatively soporific area of industrial and organizational psychology, characterized by neither heated controversy nor prominent visibility in the research literature. (Harvey, 1991, p. 71)

Validation was once a priestly mystery, a ritual behind the scenes with the professional elite as witness and judge. Today it is a public spectacle combining the attraction of chess and mud wrestling. (Cronbach, 1988, p. 3)

Both our evaluation of practice analysis research and our professional experience …

5. Systematic Item Writing And Test Construction, Anthony Laduca, Steven M. Downing, Thomas R. Henzel

Licensure Testing: Purposes, Procedures, and Practices

Standardized objective testing remains the most popular mode of licensure testing. Even where other types of tests are incorporated, it is often the case that they are provided as complimentary to standardized, multiple-choice (MC) tests. Moreover, scoring theories and standard-setting procedures have been developed over the years in the context of standardized MC testing. At the same time, critics have pointed to limitations of contemporary MC testing practices, including lack of fidelity to real-life challenges and emphasis on recall of factual minutiae. In our view, testing professionals should make conscientious attempts to modify test development procedures so as to address …

3. Policy Issues With Psychometric Implications, Michael Rosenfeld, Richard F. J. Tannenbaum, Scott Wesley

Licensure Testing: Purposes, Procedures, and Practices

Testing candidates with disabilities, testing repeaters, and coaching involve issues of fairness, the validity of the inferences made from test scores, and protection of the public. Licensing boards must develop policies to deal with each of these issues. It is interesting to note that although all three are of concern to licensing agencies, little of the research on these topics has been conducted in licensure settings. This chapter discusses the results of research conducted on each topic, considers the psychometric implications for policy of each, and suggests steps licensing boards can take when formulating policy.

TESTING CANDIDATES WITH DISABILITIES IN …

Section Three Emerging Practices

Licensure Testing: Purposes, Procedures, and Practices

No abstract provided.

8. Item Banking, Betty A. Bergstrom, Richard C. Gershon

Licensure Testing: Purposes, Procedures, and Practices

Item banks developed by licensure agencies range from a collection of items stored on index cards to highly sophisticated electronic databases. Regardless of the storage mechanism, most banks contain items that have been organized and referenced according to procedures established by the licensure agency. This chapter outlines useful practices for building and maintaining a computerized item bank. We address storage of item text, graphics, and statistical history. We deal with the creation of paper-and-pencil and computerized tests from an item bank and the use of Item Response Theory (lRT) to calibrate and equate item banks. New directions in item banking …

12. Computerized Testing In Licensure, C. David Vale

Licensure Testing: Purposes, Procedures, and Practices

Computerized testing has come out of the laboratory and into the field. By rough estimates, over a million licensure and certification examinations are currently given by computer each year, and the number is rising. Computerized testing is not appropriate for every application, however. Computerized tests always result in significantly greater direct costs than paper-and-pencil tests. To justify their use, a computerized test must result in a net dollar saving. This means that something in the process of computerization must offer a cost reduction that more than offsets the direct cost of computerization. The purpose of this chapter is to identify …

9. Differential Item Functioning In Licensure Tests, Barbara S. Plake

Licensure Testing: Purposes, Procedures, and Practices

When test scores are used to make important decisions, as is typically the case with licensure tests, the validity of test score interpretations is extremely critical. The validity of the decision (e.g., pass or fail the licensure examination) relies heavily on the validity of the test score that is used in making the licensure decision. So, although validity is always a critical component in test score interpretation, it has increased importance when the score is used in high-stakes decision situations such as licensure testing.

Issues in validity for licensure tests have been addressed in Chapter 4 of this volume. The …