Early identification of social-emotional behavioral problems in infants and preschoolers is critical. Nine parent-report and caregiver/teacher-report instruments measuring preschool social-emotional behavioral problems and strengths are reviewed. Advantages to the use of parent-report and caregiver/teacher-report instruments are that they are easy…

Describes the Psychological Screening Inventory, a relatively brief, easy to administer, and score screening instrument. A comprehensive review of the empirical literature suggests moderate reliability, generally stable factor structure, and adequate validity, particularly for use with college undergraduates, with reformatory and prison inmates,…

This article describes the Scale for the Evaluation of Gifted Identification Instruments, developed for use by school decision makers. Development of the scale is reviewed in terms of five areas of assessment: validity, reliability, propriety, respondent appropriateness, and utility. Specific guidelines and cautions in using the scale are also…

The psychometric adequacy of the Social Interaction Scale and the Social Phobia Scale (both by R. P. Mattick and J. C. Clark, 1989) was studied with 165 patients with anxiety disorders and 21 people without anxiety. Results support the usefulness of the scales for screening and treatment design and evaluation. (SLD)

Studied validity of the Career Decision Scale (CDS) for use by high school counselors in identifying students needing career services. Results showed that the construct or factor validity of an adapted CDS did not support its use as a measure of different components of educational/vocational indecision. (WAS)

Although the primary use of the speaking section of the Test of English as a Foreign Language™ Internet-based test (TOEFL® iBT Speaking test) is to inform admissions decisions at English medium universities, it may also be useful as an initial screening measure for international teaching assistants (ITAs). This study provides criterion-related…

The AGS Early Screening Profiles (AGS:ESP) instrument (P. Harrison, 1990) has been introduced recently as a screening instrument for predicting mental ability. A study was conducted to determine the degree of concurrent validity between the AGS:ESP and the Stanford Binet Fourth Edition (SB:FE), an instrument often used by psychologists to detect…

The use of multidomain instruments for screening or diagnostic purposes with handicapped infants and preschoolers is reviewed. Purposes of assessment and criteria for instrument utility are presented. Five multidomain screening tools and three multidomain diagnostic instruments are reviewed with respect to their validity, reliability, and utility.…

A preschool screening battery was presented to a sample of 198 children with and without mild learning problems. Cross-sample test validation was demonstrated when 81% of both groups were correctly classified. Interrater reliability of 80% or greater on all but one of the tasks was demonstrated. (Contains references.) (Author/PB)

Examined whether Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Revised and the Slosson Intelligence Test could be used interchangeably for identifying gifted students or if the Slosson should be used as a screening instrument in the process of screening and identification in students (N=38) identified as potentially gifted. Results indicated tests…

Concludes that the lack of normative data, the suggestion that even one failure on the test (with approximately 111 items) makes a child suspect for "at risk" labelling, along with the brevity of directions and interpretation of data require that the test be used with great caution. (FL)

The Nelson Denny Reading Test (NDRT) is probably the most widely used test of reading comprehension at the college level in the nation. However, reviews of the test, as well as recent reports of its failure to adequately measure gain or lack of gain of college students enrolled in reading improvement courses, do not support the popularity it has…

Investigated use of revised Slosson Intelligence Test (SIT) for screening public school students (N=131) for giftedness. Found revised SIT intelligence quotient (IQ) mean to be significantly lower than old ratio SIT IQ mean, significantly higher than Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Revised and Stanford-Binet means. Advises caution in…

When administered to 87 boys and 53 girls in screening procedures, significant score correlations between Quick Test and Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Revised intelligence quotients and between the Wide Range Achievement Test Reading scores indicated that Quick Test is an effective tool for making valid brief estimates of intelligence.…

Describes the development and use of an instrument designed to screen young children for emotional and behavioral problems. Focusing on play, language and communication, feelings, relationships, movement and coordination, and regulation of body functions, the instrument can be used by teachers in nursery schools, day care centers, and Head Start…