Investigated the concurrent validity of the Battelle Developmental Inventory (BDI) with speech and language disordered preschool children. Used the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test-Revised (PPVT-R), Preschool Language Scale-Revised (PLS-R), and Arizona Articulation Proficiency Scale-Revised (AAPS-R). Significant correlations were found for…

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…

Describes and compares two self-report measures of family competence: the Family Awareness Scales (FAS) (Green and Kolevzon, late 1970s) and the Self-Report Family Inventory (SFI) (Beavers, 1983). Discusses reliability and validity. Their focus on the "insider" (family member) is different from the traditional examination of family…

Reviews the Diagnostic Achievement Test for Adolescents (DATA), a test designed to be individually administered to estimate student achievement (for ages 12 to 18) in a variety of academic areas. Concludes that the test is well constructed and easy to use. (SKC)

Discusses aspects of psychological testing as a job screening tool. Examines sampling errors, cumulative effect of bad tests, measurement of specific personality traits, test standards, using tests correctly, test validity, cut-off policies, demographic questions, and practical tips for taking such tests. (CT)

Studied concurrent validity of the Luria-Nebraska Neuropsychological Battery-Children's Revision (LNNB-C) in learning disabled children categorized according to Verbal and Performance IQ differences. Found no significant differences between the three groups, thus failing to support the validity of the LNNB-C in discriminating between learning…

State directors of teacher certification and testing provided updated data (reports, press clippings, manuals, legislative hearings, and validity studies) in April 1987 describing their testing programs and the latest passing rates. Twenty-seven states have admissions testing programs, and 44 have certification testing programs. It is unclear…

Investigated certain measurement properties of the Ethical Judgment Scale. Results revealed findings of questionable validity and unacceptably low reliability for the instrument even though three different scoring methods were used in the analysis. (Author)

Canadian undergraduate students were administered the British general ability test, AH2, along with a multiple-choice vocabulary test and the Standard Progressive Matrices, a nonverbal ability test. Scores were compared with British norms and intercorrelated with those of the other two tests. Correlations with the other ability tests were low.…

Provides a sampling of recent program development ideas that show the varied nature of test wiseness instruction. Warns that teachers are unsophisticated test writers. (ARH)

A content analysis of the writings of 40 representative humanistic educators yielded 15 major operating values. The construct validity testing of two forms of the Orientation to Learning questionnaire, developed from these identified values and administered to 99 graduate students, is reported. (Author/LMO)

Evaluates the utility of the Bannatyne recategorization of WISC-R subtest scores for diagnosing and prescribing instruction for reading/learning disabled children. Concludes that the use of such scores is not warranted. (FL)

Reports on a study that investigated whether significant relationships exist between reading abilities of underprepared students as measured by vocabulary, comprehension, and total reading scores and spelling scores as measured by a dictation format, a multiple choice format, and independently produced discourse. (FL)

Commenting on the Gesell Institute's response to his original article concerning the Gesell assessments, Dr. Meisels continues to maintain that the Gesell readiness tests lack sufficient proof of validity. (BB)

Techniques for constructing short forms of tests are discussed, and an example is given using the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-Revised. Reliability and validity estimation equations are presented. (GDC)