Review of the research literature on functional assessment-based interventions for students with or at risk for emotional and behavioral disorders identified key issues in the design of these studies. Issues included (1) an emphasis on descriptive analysis; (2) interventions employed and procedural integrity; (3) generalization and maintenance;…

Developed a scale to measure individuals' desire for moral approbation. Factor analysis of data from 382 university business students supported the viability of desired moral approbation, which was composed of three constructs: (1) desire for approbation from others; (2) desire to avoid moral blame from others; and (3) desire for moral approval…

The Sibling Interaction Scale (SIS), an observational tool, was employed to investigate the interactions between 52 siblings (ages 1-20) with and without disabilities. Differences between nondisabled/disabled sibling pairs were found in the complexity of their sentences, the interpretation of the behaviors, and the roles they engaged in.…

A study of 1,000 children examined the effectiveness of the Parent-Child Conflict Tactics Scales (CTSPC) in measuring parental psychological and physical maltreatment of children, as well as nonviolent modes of discipline. The CTSPC was found to be better suited to measuring child maltreatment than the original Conflict Tactics Scales. (Author/CR)

This study assessed the interrater reliability of a Swedish version of the Childhood Autism Rating Scale (CARS), an instrument for screening and diagnosis of autism. The CARS was used for rating autistic behavior by two investigators in 25 children. Results indicated fair to excellent agreement. Aspects of validity and reliability are discussed.…

The precision of a computerized adaptive test (CAT) with a limited item pool was measured using test results from 4,494 nursing students. Regardless of the item pool size, CAT provides greater precision in measurement with a smaller number of items administered even when the choice of items is limited, but CAT fails to achieve equiprecision along…

Describes a new instrument to predict dropouts, the Student At-Risk Identification Scale (SARIS). The SARIS consists of two subscales, one from student records and one that is a self-report. Scale construction is described, and narrative data are presented, along with evidence of reliability and validity. Predictive and diagnostic values of the…

Addresses the role of affect in writing by describing the psychological construct of writer self-efficacy. Presents the Writer Self-Perception Scale that teachers may use to assess classroom writing climates and children's perceptions of themselves as writers. Describes the instrument, its administration and scoring, assessment and instructional…

The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development's indicators project identified 635 educational indicators in 13 categories in 3 blocks: contexts, processes, and results. Analysis of the educational features of 28 high-income countries demonstrates relationships between the three blocks of indicators and suggests that about 50 indicators…

This study examined informal phonological awareness measures as predictors of first-grade broad reading ability with 91 former Head Start students. Regression analyses indicted that three phonological awareness tasks (invented spelling, categorization, and blending) were the most predictive of standardized reading measures obtained at the end of…

A battery of "g" loaded mental ability tests was administered to 274 Bedouin children and adolescents, full and half siblings from 106 families. Results demonstrate internal validity for the tests in this cultural context and support the idea that shared family environment is a strong determinant of sibling similarity for children in the…

Two achievement testing programs in New York City that have had and are having some consequences are described, and how the school system tries to determine and deal with these consequences is explored. Cooperation and open dialog between test publishers and the school district are making it possible to deal with the real-life problems of test…

Provides a general framework for examining the consequences of assessment programs, especially statewide programs that intend to improve student learning by holding schools accountable. The framework is intended for use with programs using performance-based tasks but can be used with programs using traditional item formats as well. (SLD)

This meta-analysis of 12 studies assessed the efficacy of projective techniques to discriminate between sexually abused and nonsexually abused children. Results indicated the techniques were able to discriminate distressed children from nondistressed subjects, but were less able to discriminate the type of distress. (Author/DB)

Discusses a few of the current concerns about creativity measurement, including fluency as a contaminating influence on originality scores and the controversy over creative generality vs. content specificity. Describes recent advances in creative measurement and proposes possible future directions for psychometric approaches to creativity…