Essentials of educational measurement. / Robert L. Ebel.

This book has been designed to serve as a textbook for an introductory course in educational measurement. It can also be used as a reference book by classroom teachers and by those in government and business who are responsible for making and using tests of abilities. The author has undertaken to produce a book that is technically sound, practically useful and clearly written. This Third Edition has been made more concise and somewhat simpler than the Second. The chapter on Historical Perspectives has been replaced by one on the current status of measurement in education. A new chapter describes the construction of short answer, matching, numerical problems and other objective item types. Chapter 15 treats validity as a problem primarily of test use, not test content. It suggests that attempts to "validate" a test by relating real test items to hypothetical abilities or traits are likely to be no more productive in the future than they have been in the past.