Improving ESL placement tests using two perspectives.

Brown, J. D. (1989). Improving ESL placement tests using two perspectives. TESOL Quarterly, 23(1), 65-83.

Brown (1989) pointed out the difference between NRTs and CRTs and argued that placement tests were NRTs that should spread examinees out along a continuum but that had to be curriculum-specific. In other words, placement tests should include items that could discriminate between groups of high or low scoring examinees within the curriculum. He conducted both norm-referenced and criterion-referenced item statistics, such as item facility, item discrimination, and difference index for the purpose of selecting 35 out of 60 reading items that were sensitive to curriculum content and which could discriminate between examinees. He reported the internal consistency Kuder-Richardson formula 20 reliability coefficient (K-R20) and found the test to be reliable at .89 with 60 items. After the revision was made, there remained reliability at .85 with 35 items. To support the construct validity of the test, Brown reported the pretest/posttest score gain and found a statistically significant gain.