This study of the nursing examination for licensure in Michigan shows how adverse impact may be used as a legally mandated, quantitative tool to assess selection procedures in nursing and other health professions. (Author/CM)

Several continuing competency programs, such as mandatory education and periodic review of licensing, and recent experiments in selective performance evaluation are reviewed. A review of the literature and an Ontario experiment provide data concerning program efficacy and the use of a positive reinforcement independent peer review process. (TJH)

Issues associated with incorporation of computerized test development and administration into licensure of health professionals are discussed. Specific issues covered include reporting of test procedures and results, computerized test administration, open-book testing, and the impact of regulation. (TJH)

Credentialing examinations have been relatively immune from legal attack based on allegations that the examinations lack validity. The extent of the present legal obligation to demonstrate the validity of credentialing examinations is analyzed in three areas: (1) the Civil Rights Act of 1964; (2) the Constitution; and (3) antitrust laws.…

Three professional associations, the American Educational Research Association, the American Psychological Association, and the National Council on Measurement in Education, jointly adopted the new "Standards for Educational and Psychological Testing" in 1985. The relationship of these to earlier standards is reviewed, and implications…

Findings regarding formats and scoring formulas for multiple-choice test items with more than one correct response are presented. Strong cluing effects in the Type K format, increasing the correct score percentage and reducing test reliability, recommend using the Type X format. Alternative scoring methods are discussed. (Author/CM)

To address the issues associated with testing standards, sets of context-setting variables and technical matters associated with standard-setting are presented to assist groups or committees desiring to set standards in a systematic way. (Author/CM)

Job relevance and adverse impact are major validity concerns relative to credentializing examinations. This article recommends that examination blueprints utilize a competency model based on: (1) job functions assigned; (2) level of expertise expected given the content and resources available; and (3) specific context and situation in which the…

The effects of educational practices emphasizing faculty control of the learning process on student effort to learn are explored. Research on student learning is summarized. Educational systems that do not acknowledge student management of their own effort will not succeed. (SLD)

A set of guidelines for planning and establishing a certification testing program is presented. The guidelines are organized into three components: (1) content specification; (2) item development; and (3) test design. A mythical new certification testing program, called the Tennis Players' Certification Testing Program, is used to illustrate the…

Two new indices of stability of content-referenced standard-setting results are presented, relating variability of judges' decisions to the variability of candidate scores and to the reliability of the test. These indices are used to indicate whether scores resulting from a standard-setting study are of sufficient precision. (Author/LMO)

Using portfolios as vehicles for reflection and professional development was studied with 32 physical therapy students, 12 baccalaureate nursing students, and 5 master's degree nursing students. Results suggest that portfolios are useful in professional development, though they may vary in structure and complexity. (SLD)

The concept of risk-adjusted measures of quality is discussed, and a methodology is proposed for risk-adjusting and integrating multiple adverse outcomes of anesthesia services into measures for quality assurance and quality improvement programs. Although designed for a new anesthesiology database, the methods should apply to other health…

A specific application of test equating is described, namely that of credentialing examination programs in the health professions. Considered are: (1) the role of test equating in the credentialing process; and (2) the issues that must be considered when implementing test equating in a credentialing examination program. (Author/LMO)

Use of outpatient consultation letters in assessing the clinical performance of medical students, interns, and residents in a teaching hospital was examined via analysis of 222 assessments. The method involved a two-stage rating scale based on performance areas of data base, problem formulation, diagnostic tests, management, and overall…