Peer reviewed
ERIC Number: ED323220
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 1984
Pages: 9
Abstractor: N/A
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Local Development of Subject Area Item Banks.
Ward, Annie W.; Barlow, Gene
Florida Journal of Educational Research, v26 n1 p21-27 Fall 1984
It is feasible for school districts to develop and use subject area tests as reliable as those previously available only from commercial publishers. Three projects in local item development in a large school district are described. The first involved only Algebra 1. The second involved life science and career education at the elementary level; and the third involved three subjects: (1) geometry, (2) biology, and (3) United States history. The algebra project was conducted during the summer of 1982 by five algebra teachers who wrote approximately 500 test items. Multiple test forms containing about 40 items each were tested on about 250 students. Items that performed acceptably were divided into two groups--one for dissemination to teachers, and one to serve as a test bank for the future. The other projects were similarly conducted during the school year. The projects demonstrated that it was possible for a local district to develop item banks, which can be used to improve educational assessment. It was important that the project be seen as item development, rather than test development, and that local curriculum objectives be reviewed. Careful selection of the teachers writing the items and careful review and editing of items were also essential. (SLD)
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Evaluative
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A