Frank B. Womer

The assessment of partial knowledge

THE general acceptance of the multiple-choice type test item as the best one for objective measurement of aptitude or achievement does not imply that its merits are optimal. Any variation upon an already widely accepted and useful technique which indicates promise of improved measurement is deserving of further investigation. A response method3 for multiple-choice items which has certain theoretical advantages over the conventional response method is considered here, and this study is an empirical investigation of some of its relative merits. The conventional response method (C method) for multiplechoice items requires selecting and marking the answer from among the choices offered. In this study it was to pick one of four. The conventional item score in a power test is one point when the answer is chosen and zero when a distracter is chosen. Complete information leads to an item score of one and misinformation to a score of zero. Partial information may lead to a score of either one or zero. The inability of the

The national assessment of educational progress

Abstract The purpose of this paper is to provide the reader with a knowledge of the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) project. The first section of the paper provides an overview and general discussion of National Assessment; the second section presents some of the operating issues related to the project and its purposes; and the third section provides a short history of the project and its governance.