Some facts about the nature of computer studies are presented, and it is noted that males make up the majority of students. The nature of current assessment practices is detailed, and suggestions are made about future testing approaches. Mastery testing is promoted as the direction to take in the future. (MP)

Compared three instruments assessing depression in alcoholics: Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-II), the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory Depression scale (MMPI D), and the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI). The number of subjects who were diagnosed as "depressed" varied considerably according to the…

Compared were the Adaptive Behavior Scale (ABS) and a modified version of the ABS (which allowed alternative methods of communication such as sign language) with 134 deaf-blind persons, three to 30 years old. Among results were that alternative communication methods had no effect on nine of 10 ABS domains. (Author/MC)

A method is presented for analyzing data collected in a multiple group time-series design. This consists of testing linear hypotheses about the experimental and control group-means. Both a multivariate and a univariate procedure are described. (Author/GK)

Separate selection and pretesting of students eliminate regression effects in the pre-post achievement gain measured in the RMC Model--A method of program evaluation. (CP)

The linked judgments approach is offered as a potential solution to problems of statistical conclusion validity when judges' ratings are employed in pretest-posttest designs. (Author/GK)

Self-assessment is one answer to the problems that arise when vocational placement tests are not used. Advantages of this system are (1) students obtain evaluation without the trauma of entrance examinations; (2) students are aware of needed competencies; and (3) students will seek courses to prepare them for success. (JOW)

Suggests methods to test whether students have acquired a sense of place or spatial understanding. Knowledge of the concepts of map representation, the region, man/land notations, spatial relations, location, and scale are vital to geographic understanding. Concludes that geographic ideas should relate to particular maps. (Author/KC)

Investigated scoring agreement among three different training levels of Visual Motor Integration Test (VMI) diagnosticians. Correlational data demonstrated high interexaminer reliabilities; however, there were gross errors in precision after raw scores had been converted into VMI age equivalent scores. (Author/RC)

The article focuses on the controversy over norm-referenced v criterion-referenced measures (CRM) in assessment of learning disorders. The authors contend that while the reliability of CRMs is generally indisputable, the validity of measures designed from local curricula is still dependent on the intuitive judgments of teachers. (Author/SBH)

Illinois assessment personnel (N=579) completed a survey designed to shed light on which professionals use tests, which categories of children are most frequently tested, and which tests are usually used and for what purpose. (Author/SBH)

Reviews the findings of a committee formed by the National Research Council (NRC) to rethink assessment. Proposes that recent advances in cognitive and measurement sciences should be the foundation for developing a new system of student assessment. (DDR)

Discusses the issues involved in using achievement tests as a proxy indicator of educational quality, the mechanisms underlying score inflation, and the perverse incentives that can result from simple test-based accountability. Suggests ways to improve incentives by using multiple forms of assessment. (Contains 51 references.) (SK)

Focuses on the process of evaluation capacity building (ECB) in a school district from the perspective of an internal evaluator hired to develop the evaluation function of the district. Shows how the work was originally conceived and why it changed. Emphasizes the core function of the district's Assessment Department, managing the standardized…