Autumn leaves

TEST DEVELOPMENT AND RESEARCH

LSAC Products and Services: The Committee discussed LSAC products and services that had been previously introduced or were currently being developed or envisioned, providing input and suggestions. The possible development of an online LSAT preparation tool was discussed. Test Security: The Committee received updates on test-security procedures being implemented for the LSAT, as well as the types of test-security cases being investigated. Potential revisions to the current test-security procedures were also discussed. The Committee recommended Board approval of two proposed policy changes intended to enhance test security: (1) test takers with a reportable score of 180 be barred from repeating the test, and (2) approval of exceptions to the limitation of taking no more than three tests in two years be shifted from the law schools to LSAC. Ongoing Projects: The Committee received reports and provided input on global issues, the Skills Readiness Inventory, the Evaluation Service, admission-model research, standardized interviews, LSAT validity beyond the first year of law school, and collaborative research efforts with the Higher Education Research Institute (HERI)—all ongoing work carried out by LSAC staff. Research Proposal: The Committee considered and recommended Board approval of a funding request by Bernard P. Veldkamp and Cees A. W. Glas of the University of Twente for their research project titled Data Mining Applied to Testlet Response Modeling . The Board concurred with the committee recommendation and granted funding of this project. Research: The research activities of LSAC staff and external researchers resulted in the Committee’s approval of seven reports for publication. Through the work of the Grants Subcommittee, the Committee considered six full proposals for research funding and one request for additional funding of a previously funded research project. One full proposal and the request for additional funding were granted, and two proposals were returned to the researchers with advice to revise and resubmit them.

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