THE DEVELOPMENT AND VALIDATION OF A FORMULA FOR MEASURING SINGLE-SENTENCE TEST ITEM READABILITY

This study describes the development and validation of the Homan-Hewit t Readability Formula. This formula estimates the readability level of single-sentence test items. Its initial development is based on the a ssumption that differences in readability level will affect item diffi culty. The validation of the formula is achieved by (a) estimating the readability levels of sets of tests items predicted to be written at 2nd-through 8th-grade levels; (b) administering the tests to 782 stude nts in grades 2 through 5; (3) using the class means as the unit of an alyses and subjecting the data to a two-factor repeated measures ANOVA . Significant differences were found on class mean performance scores across the levels of readability. These results indicated that a relat ionship exists between students' reading grade levels and their respon ses to test items written at higher readability levels.