Properties of dichotomous Guttman-scalable items are described. Both the elements and eigenvalues of the Pearson correlation matrix of such items can be expressed as simple functions of the number of items if the score distribution is uniform and there is an equal number of items at each difficulty level. (SLD)

Some unresolved methodological and philosophical issues in the assessment of performance trends are discussed as they relate to the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). How to measure performance change while remaining responsive to advances in curriculum and the technology of assessment is a central dilemma. (SLD)

Item parameter estimates derived through item response theory methods have been considered relatively robust to changes in item position and context, but the anomaly in reading scores from the 1986 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) illustrates problems with common population equating procedures when there are test form changes.…

A validity study with 5,219 students examined the degree to which Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) scores and undergraduate grade point average (GPA) could predict first-year average and final GPA in doctoral programs in business. The usefulness of the predictions derived from the empirical Bayes regression models is discussed. (SLD)

Considers the guide on high-stakes testing issued by the federal Office for Civil Rights, including the controversy which ensued upon release of the first draft, changes in the subsequent version, and the issue of differences in educational achievement among ethnic and racial groups of which differences in standardized test scores may be…

Eliminating the Scholastic Aptitude Test for college admissions might seem a form of covert affirmative action. Although it is possible to design a workable admissions policy that excludes standardized tests (as 15 percent of colleges have done), banishing admissions tests to further a social-policy goal indirectly is unsound policy. (Contains 25…

The focus of this article is on parents and how they should be involved in the education of their children. Viewing the parents as resources can only enhance the educational process. Discussion centers on ways parent cooperation can be developed in the school system. (Author/PC)

The author describes ways in which the mental health specialist can help classroom teachers. (Author/HMV)

Presented are the workshop-prepared study guides to accompany captioned educational films for the deaf. The guide is designed to give teachers of the deaf at all levels a guide reference to captioned films, with descriptions, reviews, and suggestions for use of the films. Films are cross-referenced, according to levels and subject areas. Types of…

This final report announces the completion of a project, the purpose of which was to develop in coded machine retrievable form, a biographical data archive on the Soviet political elite, and in addition, to gather data on socio-economic and political factors in the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe. The computer processed data is intended to help…

A system is described in which students are assigned to keep minutes for each class, read the minutes to the next class, and submit them for grading. The approach is helpful to both teachers and students throughout the course in diagnosing problems, introducing grading criteria, and reinforcing basic skills. (MSE)

The performance of four rules for determining the number of components (factors) to retain (Kaiser's eigenvalue greater than one, Cattell's scree, Bartlett's test, and Velicer's Map) was investigated across four systematically varied factors (sample size, number of variables, number of components, and component saturation). (Author/JKS)

Provides guidelines for resume writing. Discusses standard and optional categories of information and methods for organizing these categories. Discusses also how to secure and list references. (PRA)

A simulation study of methods of assessing differential item functioning (DIF) in computer-adaptive tests (CATs) was conducted by Zwick, Thayer, and Wingersky (in press, 1993). Results showed that modified versions of the Mantel-Haenszel and standardization methods work well with CAT data. DIF methods were also investigated for nonadaptive…

The degree to which SAT scores and high school grade-point average (GPA) predicted first-year college GPA (FGPA) and college graduation was examined for four groups: Hispanic students whose first language was Spanish and Hispanic, Black, and White students whose first language was English. The percentage of variance in FGPA jointly explained by…