Assessed long-term predictive validity of the MacArthur Communicative Development Inventories: Words and Sentences (CDI:WS) for children's expressive and receptive vocabulary development. Sixty-one New Zealand children were assessed with a New Zealand version of the CDI, and with the Expressive Vocabulary Test and Peabody Picture Vocabulary…

Addresses the issue of the reliability of grammaticality judgment tests and explores what it is that they measure (i.e., their construct validity). Various methods of examining their reliability demonstrate that the grammaticality judgment tests used in this study had relatively low reliability. (Author/VWL)

Describes short-form versions of the MacArthur Communicative Development Inventories (CDIs) and their development, summarizes newly available normative data and psychometric properties of the instruments, and discusses research and clinical applications. (Author/VWL)

A short version of the Approaches to Studying Inventory administered to 169 college psychology students in early semester revealed that scores for meaning orientation did not predict academic performance in any way, whereas there was a very small negative correlation between reproducing orientation and academic achievement. Internal reliability of…

Tests for equivalence models predicting ethnic minority and nonminority students' intentions to remain enrolled in college. Reports similarities and differences in the models for predicting commitment for ethnic minority and nonminority students. Notes limitations to the inferences that can be drawn from the study due to its methodology. (DSK)

Created a teaching effectiveness rating instrument for use by students at Rand Afrikaans University. Analyzed the questionnaire's reliability and validity and found it to be a useful instrument for formative teaching assessment. (EV)

Investigates the short-term stability of the Adjustment Scales for Children and Adolescents for 124 randomly selected children in grades kindergarten to grade 12. Significant test-retest stability coefficients were obtained and mean differences across the retest interval did not exceed .8 raw score points. Results were similar to those obtained in…

Two studies are reported demonstrating the reliability, validity, and clinical utility of the Language Development Survey (LDS) as a screening tool for the identification of expressive language delay in toddlers. The LDS test-retest reliability was .97. The LDS also correlated highly with other measures and the LDS identified at-risk group scored…

States that standard scores are the numerical universal language for reporting and comparisons. Discusses what standard scores are, specifically, and why they are used, along with how the conversion assessment of raw scores to standard scores is accomplished. Provides contact information for those who would like to further their knowledge on the…

The extent to which testing practices complied with professional guidelines regarding reliability and validity evidence was studied in research appearing in American Psychological Association journals. Documentation of reliability and validity was reported for 20% of the 2,157 instruments studied in these papers. About half supported one or the…

This study compared fears and social anxiety in children with (n=57)and without (n=25) developmental disabilities, using self-ratings and parent ratings. Children without disabilities showed significantly higher consistency over time than children with disabilities. Correlations between parent and child ratings were fair to good. (DB)

Reports on the design and development of the Parent Concerns Questionnaire, an instrument designed to obtain the views of mothers in general, and particularly depressed mothers, in families subject to child and family care intervention. Discusses the reliability and validity of the instrument. (JPB)

Describes five basic elements that need to be considered with every test: backwash; reliability, administrative concerns; validity; and ethics. These elements are discussed in relation to tests for students who are second language learners of English. (Author/VWL)

Describes development and testing of the Literacy Orientation Survey (LOS)--an instrument for assessing teachers' beliefs about literacy learning and classroom practices as related to constructivism. Finds while LOS has robust internal validity and reliability, questions remain about external validity of teachers' self-reports of their…

Study seeks to examine, for South African adolescents, the reliability of the Communities that Care Youth Survey of risk and protective factors for drug use and anti-social behavior, and the extent to which drug use can be predicted from community, family, school, and peer factors. Findings support use of the survey with slight revisions for South…