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The development and validation of a criterion-referenced test for seventh-grade mathematics students
Abstract
The purpose for conducting this study was to develop a criterion-referenced test implementing the recommendations by the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics in Curriculum and Evaluation Standards for School Mathematics (NCTM, 1989) and the mandates set forth by the Nebraska Department of Education in Administrative Rule 10 (NDE, 1989). Mathematics teachers from six junior high schools and three university mathematics education specialists comprised a panel of experts to assist in the development of the test objectives and test items for the Dolezal-Stevens Mathematics Test (DSMT). Thirteen objectives were developed. The prototype form of the DSMT consisted of 78 items and was piloted with 50 randomly selected seventh graders to determine item difficulties. The DSMT was also administered to 60 tenth grade students (masters) and 60 fifth grade students (non-masters) to determine a phi coefficient for each item. Based on the item difficulties and phi coefficients, 47 items were included on the final form of the DSMT. Test reliability was determined by using both the test-retest and split-half methods. Fifty randomly selected seventh graders were used for each method. Content validity was established by means of the test development process. Essential to the process was the selection of test objectives and test items by the panel of experts. The DSMT was administered to 432 seventh grade students from five schools in the state of Nebraska. Based on the standard error of the mean of the pilot test, 126 students were randomly selected for the norm group of the DSMT. A Pearson product-moment correlation was computed for the DSMT score and California Achievement Test (CAT) score. A.80 relationship was found between the DSMT and CAT. A test manual was developed which contained an introduction and rationale, description of the test, directions for administering and scoring the test, test reliability and validity, and report forms for individual students and the school district.
Subject Area
Mathematics education|Educational evaluation
Recommended Citation
Dolezal, Douglas Daniel, "The development and validation of a criterion-referenced test for seventh-grade mathematics students" (1991). ETD collection for University of Nebraska-Lincoln. AAI9211489.
https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/dissertations/AAI9211489