The purpose of this report is to present a synthesis of the research on test accommodations published in 2015 and 2016. We summarize the research to review current research trends and enhance understanding of the implications of accommodations use in the development of future policy directions, to highlight implementation of current and new…

The purpose of the present studies was to test the hypothesis that the psychometric characteristics of ability scales may be significantly distorted if one accounts for emotional factors during test taking. Specifically, the present studies evaluate the effects of anxiety and motivation on the item difficulties of the Rasch model. In Study 1, the…

Whenever a major intelligence or achievement test is revised, there is always renewed interest in the underlying structure of the test as well as a renewed interest in the scoring, administration, and interpretation changes. In this interview, Amy Gabel discusses the most recent revision of the "Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Fifth…

The study aimed to field-test a Greek version of the Wechsler Quicktest and to examine its psychometric properties. The Quicktest was individually administered to 208 students, aged 5-14 years, along with a reading test. Based on the Rasch analysis, data for the Quicktest subtests showed acceptable fit to the model. Also, correlations were found…

The comprehension section of the "Nelson-Denny Reading Test" (NDRT) is widely used to assess the reading comprehension skills of adolescents and adults in the United States. In this study, the authors explored the content validity of the NDRT Comprehension Test (Forms G and H) by asking university students (with and without at-risk…

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of instructions of curriculum-based measurement (CBM) of reading on (a) the number of words read correctly and incorrectly per minute and (b) the relationship between CBM reading and reading achievement. Results indicated that the specific instructions used have a significant impact on CBM…

Three concurrent validity studies involving 88 regular and 56 learning disabled elementary students were conducted to determine the relationship between performances on formative measures of reading and standardized achievement measures of reading. The usefulness of the formative measures for continuous evaluation of student growth in reading is…

Discusses the uses and limitations of a test designed to identify that reading disabled subgroup whose principal deficit is in the ability to deal with visual stimuli holistically. (AEA)

The interrelation of 4 achievement tests was investigated with 202 students (mean age 11) with specific learning disabilities. Although, in general, achievement subtests claiming to measure the same academic construct were moderately to strongly related, significant mean differences were present on several measures claiming to measure the same…

The edumetric adequacy of curriculum-based reading measures were examined for two basal reading programs. On the basis of reading aloud performance, 91 elementary students were assigned seven instructional placement scores within each basal series. Students also were measured on standardized reading achievement tests. Generally, correlations…

Concludes that modified standard reading inventories may be made more useful for assessing the specific abilities and needs of disabled readers. Offers suggestions for making modifications. (FL)

Four components of reading speed were identified, and a measure of the first component, reading speed of known vocabulary, was investigated on a mixed sample of 84 boys (6 to 14 years old), which included a high proportion of retarded readers. (Author/GW)

Compares seven reading expectancy formulae after converting each to stanines to determine whether the more stabilized formulae would produce similar decisions as to whether a student should be referred for further diagnosis. (FL)

Twenty years of research on the Maze, a classroom-based reading measure for students with learning disabilities, is summarized. Overall, the research is supportive of the Maze. However, the most common version requires revision to obtain minimum construct validity, and additional research is needed on reliability and usefulness of alternate forms.…

A study was undertaken to determine if the removal of black English dialect as oral reading errors would influence the scores obtained on three oral reading diagnostic tests: the Gray Oral Reading Test, the Gilmore Oral Reading Test, and the Spache Diagnostic Reading Scales. In addition, the study investigated whether there were differences in the…