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Text of Letter:
Neuropsychology Clinic
Telephone: (414) 283-7769
Kerry Hamsher, Ph.D.
Diplomate in Clinical Neuropsychology
American Board of Professional Psychology
1218 WEST KILBOURN AVENUE, SUITE 415
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN 53233-1325
16 January 1995
Linas A. Bieliauskas, Ph.D., Executive Director
American Board of Clinical Neuropsychology
Department of Psychiatry
The University of Michigan Medical Center
1500 East Medical Center Drive
Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109-0704
RE: Minutes, Item Writing Workshop, Test Construction Meeting
Dear Linas:
Enclosed you will find the original copies with my signature for the minutes of the Planning Meeting on 10/27/94 and the special BoD meeting on 12/10/94. Today, I faxed to you and Byron copies of these minutes, as requested.
I am taking this writing opportunity to report that the Item Writing Workshop held at the Palmer House Hilton in Chicago on January 13-14,1995 went very well. Our goal was to obtain 60 new items and we obtained about 120 items. It is expected that 50% of these items will survive the PES review and the next ABCN round at the Test Construction Meeting. The Test Construction Meeting is scheduled to be held on Wednesday, 5 April 1995 in Milwaukee. Previously our goal was to revise 30 items on the 1st form of the test and not to touch the 2nd form (used for second time takers of the test). However, with this favorable outcome from the Item Writing Workshop, it may be possible to revise 30% of the items on both forms of the test.
At the Item Writing Workshop, we identified items to be deleted from the 1st form of the ABCN Written Examination. These were items that were too easy, too difficult, or had low discrimination power. However, since we do not know the psychometric properties of the new items, it is not possible to predict how the substitution of the new items will affect the statistical parameters of the Written Examination (1st form).
Originally, I planned to use Chuck Matthews and Tom Hammeke, alon: with myself, at the Test Construction Meeting, just as I did in the last Test Construction Meeting in 1992. However, Bob Lipkins from PES would like to see more people in attendance. He suggested we include the members of the Examination Committee to bring the number up to at least 6 or 7 people. One of the tasks is to have the Test Construction Meeting participants rate the
TO: Linas A. Bieliauskas, Ph.D.
RE: Minutes, Item Writing Workshop, Test Construction Meeting
16 January 1995 Page 2
of 2 final selection of items in terms of the expected passing rate on each item for persons qualified to become Diplomates. This is one way to go about setting a new cutting score.
Alternatively, the ABCN BoD could set the new passing score by fiat. That is, in fulfilling its responsibility to protect the public, ABCN could simply assert a required passing level, e.g., 80% correct, or 75% correct, et al. While a chance score is 25%, at least on the 93- 94 versions of the Written Examination the effective score range was from 48% to 91% correct. If the passing score were set by fiat, then the number of participants at the Test Construction Meeting might be reduced, perhaps down to 3 as I originally planned.
With best wishes,
Sincerely,
Kerry Hamsher, Ph.D., Chair
ABCN Examination Committee
Enclosure: ABCN Minutes 27 October 1994
ABCN Minutes 10 December 1994
cc: Byron P. Rourke, Ph.D., President, ABCN
(End of letter text)