Setting pass/fail cutoffs that accurately reflect physical ability required for job performance is a key consideration for public-sector employment testing. Top-down ranking is less appropriate than job-performance expectancy banding. (SK)

Developed a multidimensional measure of affect and cognition in relation to adult learning of computing skills, the Computer Anxiety and Learning Measure (CALM). Results from 794 Australian undergraduates support the validity and reliability of the CALM with this population, although whether the measure is invariant across different adult…

Developed and standardized an Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) questionnaire which was tested with 1,667 adolescents and 277 college students in Hong Kong. Results support the reliability and validity of the scores from this measure of AIDS knowledge among adolescents in Hong Kong. (SLD)

Examined alternative-item types and section configurations for improving the discriminant and convergent validity of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) general test using a computer-based test given to 388 examinees who had taken the GRE previously. Adding new variations of logical meaning appeared to decrease discriminant validity. (SLD)

Investigates the reliability, validity, and sensitivity of curriculum-based measurement (CBM) reading in English with bilingual Hispanic students. Results indicate that CBM reading in English is as reliable and valid for bilingual students as it is for English-only students. Supports construct validity of CBM reading as a measure of general…

Three studies investigated the effectiveness of the Computer Assisted Reading Diagnosis, a diagnostic system based on "rauding" theory (a collection of theories, constructs, and equations developed to describe, explain, predict and control the ability to comprehend relatively easy sentences) and a causal model of reading achievement.…

Developed a system for assessing students' reasoning proficiency in introductory genetics in the computer-supported environment GenScope (tm). Studied whether the assessment system helped students develop the understanding it was designed to assess. Results from 11 high school classes showing strong evidential validity and limited consequential…

This article discusses development of the Blind Rehabilitation Services Functional Outcomes Survey during a research project on the rehabilitation of adults with visual impairments. It describes the development process, the methods used in establishing survey reliability and validity, and the results of intermediate analyses of the data. (Contains…

Critically examines use of student opinion surveys (SOSs) at eight Australian universities. Finds that current SOSs are neither designed nor structured according to sound questionnaire technique and, used as part of a teaching evaluation system, they have serious flaws. Deficiencies include their use as the sole measure of teaching effectiveness…

The D-48, a nonverbal test of general intelligence, was administered to 250 Mexican American and Anglo American community college students. Analysis of D-48 scores indicates no significant differences due to ethnicity or gender; adequate internal consistency and test-retest reliability; and significant correlations with grade point average and…

Investigates the stability of the Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scale: Fourth Edition (SB:FE) and the Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children (K-ABC) by testing a sample of 65 children from low socioeconomic status families. Mean scores for the group were roughly equivalent, correlation coefficients were high, and change scores for the majority of…

Psychometric properties of the MacArthur Communicative Development Inventory (CDI) were examined. Findings suggested that the CDI reflects the progress of language development within the age range 10 to 27 months. Findings support caution in using results to identify individuals at risk for language deficits, to compare groups with different…

Raises questions about the validity and reliability of doing research online via the proliferation of academic databases. Finds different versions of the Lexis-Nexis database have differing search capabilities. Argues that dependence on database research findings means dependence on decisions made by a few people who design search engines and…

Evaluates claims of the Early Intervention Project, an intensive behavioral intervention program for young children with autism. Claims include recovery from autism in 47% of cases and substantial improvement in an additional 42%. The article finds methodological problems affecting internal and external validity of the project's reported results.…

The scale-level factor structure of the adolescent form of the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI-A) was examined in a clinical sample of 358 adolescents receiving psychiatric services. Nine factors accounted for 75.6% of total variance in scale and subscale raw scores. Findings support use of the MMPI-A for assessment of…