On Latent Structure Models for Measuring Achievement on Hierarchically Related Skills

This paper derives explicit estimates of the parameters of latent structure models that are special cases of a model described by Dayton and Macready (1976). These estimates may be used as initial trial values in the iterative estimation technique used by Dayton and Macready and there is some possibility that they might be helpful in avoiding erroneous results when a more general model is preferred. Some implications of these models are discussed and a numerical illustration is described.