A coefficient derived from communalities of test parts represents greatest lower bound to Guttman's "immediate retest reliability." Constrained minimum trace factor analysis allows a consistent estimate of the greatest defensible internal-consistency coefficient. In modest size samples, this analysis capitalizes on chance, suggesting an…

Identifies counterproductive grading policies and practices, such as varying grading scales; worshipping averages; using zeros indiscriminantly; following the assign, test, grade, and teach pattern; failing to match testing to teaching; ambushing students; grading first efforts; establishing inconsistent criteria; and failing to recognize…

Recommendations are made for the appropriate use and identification of traditional Kuder-Richardson formulas for the estimation of reliability. "Alpha" should be used for reliabilities estimated for tests or scales composed of items yielding scores distributed on more than two points. (SLD)

Presents psychometric investigation of the eight-factor clinical model of the Suicide Opinion Questionnaire (SOQ) as representing the most appropriate interpretive model for the SOQ. Notes that factor-analytic and internal consistency reliability results failed to support hypothesized eight-factor model. Discusses alternative factor scheme and…

The findings of a study of 55 elderly adults support the test-retest reliability of the Assessment of Motor and Process Skills, illustrate the utility of alternative methods for examining the reliability of individual subjects' measures, and indicate that not all test-retest differences represent measurement error. (Author/JOW)

Describes psychometric development of the fourth revision of the Interview for Diagnosis of Eating Disorders (IDED-IV). IDED-IV internal consistency and item-total correlations were assessed. IDED-IV yields sufficiently reliable and valid data for determining diagnoses in research studies and clinics specializing in the treatment of eating…

The long-term stability of the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Third Edition (WISC-III) (D. Wechsler, 1991) was studied with 667 children twice evaluated for special education consideration. Test-retest reliability coefficients are reported, providing the highest estimates of WISC-III stability yet reported. (SLD)

In a sample of 24 children with motor/language delays, the Pictorial Scale of Perceived Competence and Social Acceptance for Young Children (PS) and All about Me (AAM) had moderate to good reliability in measuring self-perceptions of competence. PS subscales other than cognitive competence and competence factor had lower reliability. (SK)

Extends the reliability research of the Qualitative Scoring System for the Modified Version of the Bender-Gestalt Test. The test was administered to 48 children, and the 48 test protocols were scored independently by two psychologists using the Qualitative Scoring System. Results indicated that the scoring system is highly reliable. (JPS)

Presents a normative typology for classifying the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Third Edition (WISC-III) factor index profiles according to profile shape. Current analyses indicate that overall profile level accounted for a majority of the variance in WISC-III index scores, but a considerable proportion of the variance was because of…

Objective: This article provides the results of the psychometric testing of the Brief Impairment Scale (BIS). The BIS is a 23-item instrument that evaluates three domains of functioning: interpersonal relations, school/work functioning, and self-care/self-fulfilment. It capitalizes on the strengths of existing global measures while addressing some…

A component of a school assessment plan includes traditional IQ testing, often referred to as psychological or psycho-educational testing. Psycho-educational testing can yield information about how a student compares to others in her grade or age group, individual strengths and needs, and recommendations to improve instruction. The intended…

Increasingly, academic institutions are being required to improve the validity of the assessment process; unfortunately, often this is at the expense of reliability. In medical schools (such as Leeds), standardized tests of clinical skills, such as "Objective Structured Clinical Examinations" (OSCEs) are widely used to assess clinical…

This article investigates the utility of various estimates of mathematics proficiency. The participants were 432 students in Grades 2 through 5. The delayed alternate form reliability of multiskill probes, retention probes, slopes of student growth, and trials to criterion were computed. The fluency probes were found to be both sufficiently…

The No Child Left Behind Act and the accountability movement in public education caused many states to develop criterion-referenced academic achievement tests. Scores from these tests are often used to make high stakes decisions. Even so, these tests typically do not receive independent psychometric scrutiny. We evaluated the 2005 Arkansas…