This longitudinal study examined change in 220 adolescents' daily range of emotional states between early and late adolescence. Findings showed that emotional states became less positive across early adolescence; this downward change in average emotions ceased in grade 10. The greatest relative instability was during early adolescence; stability…

The agreement of diagnostic classifications from two parallel subtests assessing a mathematics skill with three levels of scoring was studied with 431 Arab Israeli 10th graders. Results indicate that, even when parallel form reliability is high, less agreement is apparent when performance is evaluated at the micro level. (SLD)

Describes the unique reliability problems of very large databases that necessitate specialized techniques for hardware problem management. The discussion covers the use of controlled partial redundancy to improve reliability, issues in operating systems and database management systems design, and the impact of disk technology on very large…

The latent composition of the Learning and Study Strategies Inventory for High School (LASSI-HS) was studied through exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis of results from 367 ninth-grade students. Evidence supports a three-factor model. Interrelationships among the constructs are examined, and use of the instrument is discussed. (SLD)

The Enabling Practices Scale was developed to measure the level of empowering practices used by employment organizations serving individuals with disabilities and was tested with 127 Australian parents who have adult children with intellectual disability. Factor analysis revealed three factors: comfort with parent-staff relationship,…

Reviews research on elementary school pupils' ratings of teacher effectiveness. Concludes adequate research exists to generalize that pupils can rate reliably, pupils may be no more vulnerable than others to rating leniency and halo, psychometric characteristics and factor structures of rating scales resemble those of college students,…

The "Students Evaluation of Educational Quality" is an instrument measuring dimensions of college teaching effectiveness. A study showed that, for ratings of 123 instructors in 3,079 classes over 13 years, each instructor has a distinct profile of ratings that generalizes over time, different courses, and course level. (Author/MSE)

A procedure is described for estimating the reliability and conditional standard errors of measurement of scale scores incorporating the discrete transformation of raw scores to scale scores. The method is illustrated using a strong true score model, and practical applications are described. (SLD)

Explores issues involved in using assessments to define standards and encourage efforts to meet them and compares the European examination system with the American testing system. Also considered are issues of the definition of learning domains in ways that do not encourage narrowly focused training on specific assessment items. (SLD)

The Learner Report (LR) (A. D. De Groot, 1974) is an instrument to identify educational objectives that resist obvious measurement. An overview is presented of studies using the LR and problems and solutions found in the literature and identified in a survey of 16 Dutch LR users. (SLD)

Performance assessment is discussed as it relates to evaluation of clinical performance in medical education. Issues include the meaning of reliability and validity in performance assessment and the balance between them, including simple vs. complex behaviors; stability of performance; specific vs. generic abilities; and experts' roles in clinical…

Examines the use of portfolio assessment in a distance education program for research information skills at the University of South Africa. Discusses the assessment of information literacy and online searching skills; portfolio assessment criteria; student attitudes; validity and reliability of portfolio assessment; and problems. (LRW)

Investigates the procedural understanding of first-year university science students in South Africa. Explores ideas related to the reliability of experimental data and discusses the types of reasoning underlying the responses. (DDR)

In the United States, college students' ratings of instructors are routinely used to make personnel decisions. However, closer examination of the qualifications of amateur student raters and novice public school teachers who have received training that should enable them to be good raters suggests that neither group is qualified to give reliable…

Examined extent to which demographics, students' personal resources, and family resources predicted stable or lowered educational expectations from eighth grade to 2 years post-high school. Found that predictors of lost talent or lowered expectations over time included low SES and racial group membership. External locus of control predicted lost…