To examine possible reasons for conflicting prevalence data on psychiatric features of Alzheimer's disease, compared results of mental status examination by physician with questionnaire completed by caregivers in eliciting 12 different psychiatric symptoms. Found agreement only on categories suggesting agitation. Formal examination showed more…

To examine the interrater reliability of the Ruff Figural Fluency Test (RFFT) (R. Ruff, 1988), 124 college students completed the measure and scored RFFT test protocols. Results indicated substantial interscorer reliability on the RFFT, particularly for number of unique designs. Reliability was lower for scoring perseverative errors and error…

Analyzes the relationship between success on the two new practice-test forms (EE and FF) developed by Steck-Vaughn and success on the General Educational Development (GED) test. Success with practice-form EE correlated with GED test scores; form FF failed to correlate. (JOW)

Assessment influences cognitive and operant aspects of learning. Finds that integration of the planning of exams and examination rules will drive student learning in a positive way. (Author/CCM)

The structure of subscores obtained through streamlined scoring of 334 adults' responses to Figural Forms A and B of the Torrance Tests of Creative Thinking (P. Torrance, 1966) was analyzed. Principal components analyses indicated that one general creativity factor adequately represented subscores of both forms. However, the five subscores of each…

Describes the American Psychological Association's (APA's) development of the Task Force on Test User Qualifications, explaining the APA's purpose in developing guidelines for the use of psychological tests. Highlights the historical background, the scope of the guidelines, generic knowledge and skills considered important for good test use, and…

Explores the basis of negative sentiments toward high-stakes student testing and current critiques of the practice from within the education profession. Provides evidence for 10 unintended, unrecognized, or unarticulated positive consequences. Also examines the relationship between high-stakes testing and accountability systems. (Author/SLD)

A model for simultaneous optimization of combinations of test-based decisions in psychology and education is proposed using Bayesian decision theory. Weak and strong rules are distinguished for a decision model that consists of a combination of placement and mastery decisions. (SLD)

Used the national standardization sample (n=2,200) of the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children Third Edition (WISC-III) to investigate differential item functioning (DIF) in 6 WISC-III subtests. Detected both uniform DIF and nonuniform DIF, finding DIF for about one third of the items studied. Discusses implications for use of the WISC-III.…

This article is concerned with the relationship between assessment information and teacher planning. In the UK, although planning used to be central to characterizations of formative assessment, the most recent government proclamations under the Assessment for Learning banner offer no clear role for teachers making decisions about what to do based…

The International Test Commission's (this issue) Guidelines on Computer-Based and Internet-Delivered Testing constitute a comprehensive and excellent set of internationally agreed guidelines. This article looks forward and discusses what should be done to ensure that these guidelines will be used in educational, clinical, and organizational…

Commencing in 1985, a small body of experimental studies on the effects of test taking on delayed retention learning of technical subject matter has been completed in technology education settings. Much of the learning in technology education courses, especially the hands-on aspects, are best assessed via instruments and techniques other than…

Multivariate normality is required for some statistical tests. This paper explores the implications of violating the assumption of multivariate normality and illustrates a graphical procedure for evaluating multivariate normality. The logic for using the multivariate bootstrap is presented. The multivariate bootstrap can be used when distribution…

The Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children--Revised and the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale--Revised were administered in a conterbalanced design to 14 educable mentally handicapped 16-year-olds. Verbal, Performance, and Full Scale IQ scores were compared. Correlations and matched t-tests were computed and the results indicated that Verbal and…

This paper summarizes the steps that led to the development of new test purchaser qualification forms (TPQFs), with major emphasis on a form for an educational test publisher. Three separate research studies, conducted by the Test User Qualifications Working Group (TUQWG) of the Joint Committee on Testing Practices, constituted the research base…