This document contains the technical information for the 1998 Washington Assessment of Student Learning (WASL), Grade 4 Assessment for Reading, Mathematics, Listening, and Writing. It documents the technical quality of the assessment, including the evidence for the reliability and validity of test scores. The manual's chapters are: (1)…

The validity of various reliability-corrected procedures for adjusting for initial differences between groups in uncontrolled studies is established for subjects exhibiting linear fan-spread growth. The results are then extended to a nonlinear model of growth. (Author)

An experimental program in jury grading of freshman composition at Arkansas State University, abandoned after charges of racial bias and infringement on academic freedom, is described and evaluated based on comparison of jury grades and standardized test scores. The consensus of instructors is that the method was objective and consistent. (MSE)

Compared the assessments of 18 judges asked to use an array of information to differentiate learning disabled students. Found judges extremely inaccurate and in little agreement with each other. Different judges emphasized different factors. Results cast doubt on the ability of school personnel to identify learning disabilities accurately.…

Reports on Part A of the Older Americans' Resources and Services Multidimensional Functional Assessment Questionnaire. Content and consensual validity were ensured by construction method. Information on criterion validity was obtained for all dimensions except social. (Author)

Describes a computer assisted system for intake assessment. Reports on two experiments that compared the reliability of a diagnostic procedure that involves technicians, a structured interview schedule, and a computerized diagnostic program with diagnoses made by clinicians. Results show the computer assisted technician approach is as reliable as…

Problem-child families and normal families were classified using the dyadic parent-child interaction coding system (DPICS). The DPICS was found to be a reliable, clinically practical research instrument that correctly classified 94 percent of the families and predicted 64 percent of the variance in parent report of home behavior problems. (Author)

Problems in grading and evaluating English compositions are discussed. Factors include methods of marking, reliability, prediction, characteristics of markers, and handwriting. The effect of time passage on evaluation criteria was determined by comparing essays written in 1922 with new ones written on the same topic (f=fiche number). (MH)

This investigation sought to establish how documentation of relevant unpaid work experience can be reliably rated by administrators, and how well these ratings correlate with other assessments of administrative skills. A portfolio technique was developed and validated as a documentation device. (SK)

Levitan (Chairman of the National Commission on Employment and Unemployment Statistics) and Belous question the usefulness and accuracy of current methods of compiling unemployment statistics. Better measurements of labor market performance are crucial because of the ways such data are used to allocate funds and to form policies for combatting…

Factors involved in pre-planned and post-planned evaluation of program effectiveness are compared: (1) reliability and cost of data; (2) internal and external validity; (3) obtrusiveness and threat; (4) goal displacement and program direction. A model to help program administrators decide which approach is more appropriate is presented. (Author/MH)

The reliability of grades on tutor-marked assignments was studied as background for debate on changing examination and assessment policy at the Open University. Results indicate that essay questions present the greatest reliability problems. (JMF)

Time to learn, intelligence, and school achievement were correlated for fourth-, fifth-, and sixth-grade children. Time to learn was a strong correlate of school achievement. Correlations were lower between time to learn and IQ, and between IQ and achievement. (Author/RD)

The task of this project was to evaluate a course which was more practical than intellectual, more involved with processes than with products, more diversified in student activities than usual, and less explicit than usual in its assessment criteria. The evaluation concentrated on the students' view of the course. (Author/CTM)

Results of a study of the reliability of student ratings of academic advising from 15 postsecondary institutions show that generalizability theory is an appropriate and accurate way to estimate reliability. Advantages and disadvantages of the generalizability theory approach in comparison with coefficient alpha are discussed. (SLD)