Comments on the strengths and weaknesses of the reading portions of the California Achievement Tests. (JT)

Experiments demonstrate that in bilingual subjects, Welsh digits take longer to articulate than their English equivalents, explaining why norms for Welsh children on the digit span test of the Welsh Children's Intelligence Scale are less than those for the same age American children. (Author/KC)

The nature of the testing situations should be carefully considered when interpreting the correlation between a personality test and a measure of social desirability and interpreting the actual scores on personality measures which seem strongly susceptible to the influence of social desirability. (Author)

Five new test batteries are reviewed: California Achievement Tests, Iowa Tests of Basic Skills, Metropolitan Achievement Tests, SRA Achievement Series, and Sequential Tests of Educational Progress. The review covers six basic areas: test administration, norming, test scores, reporting and interpretation, aptitude test considerations, and general…

This response to TM 505 708 briefly reviews the five major points of that article, and adds seven points that evaluators should consider when preparing reports. Illustrations are taken from Project Follow Through. (BW)

Supports arguments against general use of change scores and recommends the Lord/McNemar estimates of true change. Provides a numerical example illustrating the reliability problem and the problem of the prediction of true change from various linear composites of initial and final measures. (Author)

With psychometric tests (that is, norm-referenced tests), nearly all scores fall into one of three categories: those based on comparison with an absolute standard; those based on inter-individual comparison; or those based on intra-individual comparison. These are described and all commonly used metrics are discussed. (Author/RL)

The Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence (WPPSI) was factor analyzed at each of six age levels between four and six-plus years through the method of principal factors. Results substantially support Wechsler's division of the WPPSI subtests into a Verbal and a Performance scale at all age levels. (Author)

Compared Kuder-Richardson Formula 20 and coefficient alpha (by blocks) reliability estimates for a reading comprehension test. On the average, K-R 20 exceeded coefficient alpha by about .05; that is, K-R 20 exaggerated the internal consistency of the test as would be expected from theory. Implications for counseling interpretations are discussed.…

Five indices are discussed that should logically discriminate between situations in which: (1) the linear equating method (LEM) adequately adjusts for difference between score distributions of two approximately parallel test forms; or (2) a method more complex than the linear equating method is needed. (RL)

Presents the maximum likelihood factor structure of the Family Environment Scale. The first bipolar dimension, "cohesion v conflict," measures relationship-centered concerns, while the second unipolar dimension is an index of "organizational and control" activities. (Author)

TAILOR, a computer program which implements an approach to tailored testing, was examined by Monte Carlo methods. The evaluation showed the procedure to be highly reliable and capable of reducing the required number of tests items by about one half. (Author/JKS)

A procedure is described for the determination of individual mastery scores when instructional units are sequenced in a linear hierarchy. It can be used when data for the entire sequence have been obtained. The process entails working backwards, from the final test to the first. (Author/JKS)

It is argued that consequential validity is a concept worth considering. The solution to defining "validity" is not to narrow the concept, but to allow for the differential prediction provided by tests in different circumstances. Consequences of the uses and interpretations of test scores are central to their evaluation. (SLD)

The development and validation of professional development resource materials for teachers by the National Council on Measurement in Education and associated professional groups is described. The developed module contains a context-orienting vignette, instruction, practice exercises, hands-on experiences, small group topics, and homework problems.…