Ten African-American children, aged five to six, who speak Black English Vernacular were administered three standard English articulation tests. Results showed that a failure to take the issue of dialect variation into account substantially increased the likelihood of misdiagnosing normally speaking African-American children as having articulation…

In the first report, dated August 1991, assessment of three language tests is reported. The tests were developed and are used as part of a Los Angeles Unified School District (California) program to teach mainstream American English (MAE) to speakers of African American Language (AAL). The tests include a writing assessment (grades 3-6) and two…

The study compared performance of 135 children of three different ethnic groups (Black, Hispanic, and White) on the Minnesota Percepto-Diagnostic Test-Revised with age and IQ controlled. Results indicated no significant differences for the rotation T-score but significant differences in favor of Whites for the supplementary scores. (Author/DB)

A study of the validity of Guglielmino's Self-Directed Learning Readiness Scale using Black and White college students and comparing their ratings to faculty assessments is reported and compared with an earlier study. Some conflicting results are found, but the scale's validity is supported. (MSE)

Comparison of language test performance of 26 learning disabled and 26 non-learning disabled Black elementary-aged children is discussed in terms of (1) relative performance of the two groups, (2) the most useful assessment measures for this population, and (3) effects of socioeconomic factors on language test performance. (Author/DB)

A culture-specific approach to identifying artistic talent in African-American students is presented, called Tactuality. Tactuality identifies four characteristics: emotional intensity, flexibility and open-endedness, holistic perception, and tactile sensitivity. A pilot test with 63 fourth graders resulted in statistical problems with validation.…

Examined construct validity of the Pictorial Scale of Perceived Competence and Social Acceptance and its appropriateness for urban children. Data collected from a sample of 476 African American children of low-income families in a large metropolitan Head Start program failed to produce psychologically meaningful constructs or support for…

Describes a nontraditional technique for identifying gifted African American children. Defining giftedness from an African culture-centered perspective is discussed. The Gifted Children Locator for Parents and a version for teachers are presented as behavioral-observational interview rating scales. Studies with 64 and 284 children support validity…

This study of 105 low-income, urban, African-American preschool and kindergarten children found that the performance of most of the children on the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test-Revised was more than one standard deviation below the mean. Findings indicated that the test was not appropriate for use with this population. (Author/JDD)

Applies four measures of disparate impact (four-fifths rule, Hazelwood rule, Shoben rule, and rule of practical significance) to Texas Assessment of Academic Skills (TAAS) performance data for racial/ethnic groups. Compares findings to data on school quality and math course completion by racial/ethnic group. (Contains 21 references.) (SV)

Reports that the Estes Attitude Scale suffers from the influence of cultural biases that make it inadequate to measure attitude about reading among low-income, Black students in grades three through seven in the rural southern United States. (FL)

This special issue includes the following: "Introduction"; "Interest Inventories: Which One, Why, and for Whom?"; "Recent Reports from the Committee to Screen Career Guidance Instruments"; "Assessment of Career Specialty Interests in Business and Medicine"; "Using Career Interest Inventories with…

Mississippi students are now being tested at almost every grade level. Passage of the Functional Literacy Examination (FLE) will be a prerequisite for a high school diploma beginning with the 1989 graduating class. This emphasis on testing, without an accompanying commitment to ensuring all students equal access to a full academic core curriculum,…

A validation study used 136 college students to test 37 specific hypotheses. Three general conclusions include: (1) validity was supported; (2) significant differences were found in faculty ratings according to racial composition and student scores; and (3) significant associations exist between the scores and variables such as age and educational…

The effects of the use of computer-enhanced instruction with remedial students were assessed, using 4,293 ninth through twelfth graders--3,308 Black, 957 White, and 28 Other--involved in the Governor's Remediation Initiative (GRI) in Georgia. Data sources included the Comprehensive Tests of Basic Skills (CTBS), a data collection form developed for…