Holistic evaluation is a reliable, valid, and cost-effective alternative to the usual mechanical assessment of writing. Writing samples are scored on a five-point scale against an overall impression of development, organization, and coherentness. The method was applied to the Communication Activities Skills Project (CASP) for grades 3-12. Writing…

Two- and three-category versions of Nedelsky's procedure for setting minimum passing scores, based on item content, were compared. Graduate students acting as judges classified the response options on their midterm into two categories: (1) those which should be rejected as incorrect by a minimally performing (B average) student; and (2) those…

A propositional network system for representing the logical and semantic information contained in a text is described. The reliability of scoring information recalled from reading, using this representational system, is found to vary with the scoring goal. Determination of the amount of information recalled is found to be extremely reliable. A…

Three separate instruments were used to measure and assess the interrelationships of organizational norms, communication climate, and job satisfaction. Of the 155 top administrators and managers at California State University, Long Beach, 101 subjects completed all three measurement instruments. Statistical analysis showed that a significant…

This study sought to refine the concept "procedures" in small group communication. Two categories with eight corresponding properties were delineated and incorporated into a Likert-type scale designed to assess a person's preference for procedural order in task-oriented groups. The instrument was checked for reliability and then…

This report gives the basic definition and purpose of competency-based teacher education (CBTE) cut-off scores. It describes the basic characteristics of CBTE as a yes-no dichotomous decision regarding the presence of a specific ability or knowledge, which necesitates the establishment of a cut-off point to designate competency vs. incompetency on…

An important component of high quality data is the completeness of the gathered data. Complete response consists of 3 specific factors: (1) sample mortality (the loss of respondents from the initial sample); (2) item nonresponse; and (3) detail given to open-ended items. Responses to the personal interview among Mexican American migrants were…

Two modes of evaluation are compared: the summary evaluation by supervisors performed at six-month intervals, and the technique of direct observation of a clinical encounter through one-way glass. The sample consists of 17 residents in pediatrics who were evaluated, using both methods, over an eight-month interval. The analysis of data indicates…

The standard error of measurement as a means for estimating the margin of error that should be allowed for in test scores is discussed. The true score measures the performance that is characteristic of the person tested; the variations, plus and minus, around the true score describe a characteristic of the test. When the standard deviation is used…

An experiment was conducted to find a better method of marking English composition than that which is in general use. The method tested was one in which each composition was assessed independently by three markers who judged the general impression of the writing, and by a fourth marker who applied a code of penalties for mechanical errors. Brief…

Two general areas of instructional validation are discussed: internal validation, which occurs within the framework of a single environment, and external validation, which involves the comparison of two different environmental frameworks. Several sample and basic designs are presented which may be used to validate instructional material. Two…

The objectives of the project were to (1) determine whether students making a subjective evaluation of other students will tend to grade their friends higher than others they do not know as well, (2) whether the use of an evaluation instrument reduces the subjectivitiy of student judgment, and (3) what differences there may be between a grade…

Discusses the development of a Student Attitude Survey and describes initial efforts to test the validity and reliability of the survey instrument. (JG)

The authors respond to Miley's critique (TM 503 900) of their article on predicting parolee recidivism (TM 502 998). They are pleased that he discovered some computational errors, that he used their method to analyze other data, and that he developed hypotheses concerning the behavior of the parameters. (Author/GDC)

Joreskog's procedure for the analysis of simplex models was used to test Humphreys' assertion that eight semesters of undergraduate grade point averages have a simplex form. The assertion was confirmed, and precise estimates of unattenuated correlations and reliabilities were also obtained. (Author/JKS)