THE DEVELOPMENT OF ACHIEVEMENT MEASURES FOR TRADE AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION. PROGRESS REPORT NUMBER THREE.

DURING THIS PERIOD FROM SEPTEMBER 1 THROUGH NOVEMBER 30, 1966, 35 FIELD CONSULTANTS COMPLETED ANALYSIS OF THEIR INDIVIDUAL TRADE AND TECHNICAL CURRICULUMS. THESE ANALYSES WERE DEVELOPED INTO AN OUTLINE TO SERVE AS A GUIDE FOR DEVELOPING ACHIEVEMENT TESTS. THE FINAL OUTLINE WAS DIVIDED INTO AS MANY DIFFERENT AREAS AS THE CONSULTANTS FELT NECESSARY TO REPRESENT INDEPENDENT AREAS OF INSTRUCTION. EACH INDEPENDENT AREA WAS THEN SUBDIVIDED TO DETAIL THE VARIOUS ELEMENTS OF THE CURRICULUM. THE BREAKDOWN WILL BE USED TO INSURE A TEST ITEM POOL REPRESENTATIVE OF ALL AREAS OF THE CURRICULUM. REFERENCE TESTS WITH KNOWN RELIABILITY AND VALIDITY ARE BEING EVALUATED TO DETERMINE WHICH WOULD BE MOST APPROPRIATE IN THE INITIAL TEST BATTERY AS A BASIS FOR COMPARING PROJECT TEST RESULTS. TWELVE NORTH CAROLINA TECHNICAL INSTITUTES PARTICIPATED IN THE INITIAL PHASE OF THE PROJECT, AND 10 ADDITIONAL INSTITUTIONS HAVE AGREED TO PARTICIPATE IN ADMINISTERING THE PRELIMINARY FORMS OF THE TEST. METHODS AND TECHNIQUES OF EVALUATING THE PRELIMINARY FORMS AND THE PROBLEMS OF DATA STORAGE AND RETRIEVAL HAVE BEEN STUDIED. EXPERIMENTAL STUDIES OF KINESTHETIC SENSITIVITY WERE CONDUCTED AND APPARATUS BUILT TO INVESTIGATE THIS AREA IN MORE DETAIL. AUDITORY RESPONSE AND ITS RELATIONSHIP TO ACHIEVEMENT IN SEVERAL OF THE VOCATIONAL AREAS WERE INVESTIGATED, AND HIGH-FIDELITY RECORDING EQUIPMENT HAS BEEN REQUISITIONED TO RECORD NORMAL AND ABNORMAL SOUNDS FOR DIAGNOSTIC WORK IN AUTO MECHANICS, MACHINE SHOP, AND RADIO-TV REPAIR. TWO PAPERS ARE GIVEN IN THE APPENDIXES -- "USE OF OBJECTIVES IN ITEM CONSTRUCTION" AND "AUDITORY DIAGNOSIS STUDY." (HC)