An area of current concern is that of the advantages and disadvantages of measuring writing proficiency directly via writing samples, and indirectly via objective tests. Much research has been completed documenting the correlation between direct and indirect measures. However, there had not yet been a systematic and detailed conceptual analysis…

This paper reports upon the evaluation and implementation of a 30-item Likert-type rating scale for teachers to use in assessing children's behaviors within preschool classrooms. The Preschool Observation Scale (POS) was developed to evaluate programs of the Mt. Druitt Early Childhood Project, North Ryde, Australia. Items were constructed on the…

As part of an effort to provide more economical methods for job-skill evaluation in the Army Enlisted Personnel Management System, a study investigated the use of television as a means of presenting test items for a sample of tests from the job field of tank crewman. The television scene provided the job setting for each item and then posed a…

A previously published discussion of the ACER "Australian Studies in School Performance" suggests that the performance of students constitutes a concern; however, it is possible to be encouraged by evidence from the study that 97% of 10 year olds and 99% of 14 year olds have mastered the abilities to understand simple written sentences.…

A multi-faceted study followed up 800 children originally administered SCREEN, a comprehensive early identification screening battery. Ss were given an individually administered diagnostic battery: The Illinois Test of Psycholinguistic Abilities (ITPA), The Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC) Verbal Scale, The Beery Visual Motor…

This paper provides a progress report on an investigation to validate and extend the autocatalytic model for the adoption of educational innovations. Three topics are dealt with: (1) a brief description is provided of the autocatalytic model and its current application, (2) the design of a survey to collect data for further tests of the model is…

Formulas are presented for decision reliability and for classification validity for mastery/nonmastery decisions based on criterion referenced tests. Two item parameters are used: the probability of a master answering an item correctly, and the probability of a nonmaster answering an item incorrectly. The theory explores the relationships of…

The reliability and validity of three measures of infant temperament were compared in this study. The measures included the revised Carey (1978) Infant Temperament Questionnaire, a version of the Bayley (1969) Infant Behavior Record revised for completion by the parent, and a modified version of Buss and Plomin's (1975) EASI, an acronym standing…

The viewpoint is expressed that adding to test reliability by either selecting a more homogeneous set of items, restricting the range of item difficulty as closely as possible to the most efficient level, or increasing the number of items will not add to test validity and that there is considerable danger that efforts to increase reliability may…

Determination of the fairness of preschool tests for use with children of varying cultural backgrounds is the major objective of this study. The predictive validity of a battery of preschool tests, chosen to represent the core areas of preschool assessment, across race and sex, was evaluated. Validity of the battery was examined over a 12-month…

Predictive validity of the Weschler Intelligence Scale for Children-Revised (WISC-R), was investigated with 174 Chicanos and 94 Anglos, ages 10-11, who were referred for psychological services. Wide Range Achievement Test Reading, Spelling, and Arithmetic subtest scores were each regressed on WISC-R Verbal, Performance and Full Scale Intelligence…

The construct of spatial ability is discussed and it is suggested that some widely used and cited tests that are called spatial ability tests may not be valid measures of that ability. Instead, their items may be solved using mental processes that are clearly analytical and not spatial in nature. Four studies involving the analysis of subjects'…

Intended for parents, this guide discusses the effects of standardized tests on children, using test items from recent standardized reading tests which have been administered to children aged 7 to 13 and children's responses to these items. For each item, comments are made about the ambiguity of the item; the various interpretations that can be…

THE PURPOSE OF THIS SYMPOSIUM WAS TO CONSIDER SOME PROBLEMS FREQUENTLY ENCOUNTERED WHEN PREPARING INSTRUCTIONAL OBJECTIVES AND TO DISCUSS SEVERAL MEANS BY WHICH FUTURE EFFORTS AT IMPLEMENTATION MIGHT BE FACILITATED. TOPICS DISCUSSED INCLUDE--(1) "IN DEFENSE OF INSTRUCTIONAL OBJECTIVES," (2) "SOME IMPORTANT WAYS IN WHICH PERFORMANCE…

THE RELATIVE EFFECTIVENESS OF TASK SCORES VERSUS IQ AS PREDICTORS OF ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT WAS INVESTIGATED, AND THE CORRELATIONS BETWEEN TASK SCORES AND IQ RE-EXAMINED. SUBJECTS WERE 99 UPPER-MIDDLE CLASS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL CHILDREN WITH A MEAN STANFORD-BINET IQ OF 126 (SD EQUALS 19). THE INSTRUMENTS USED WERE DUNN'S OBJECT SORTING TASK (OST),…