The "noise" test is a dictation of English sentences recorded on tape with accompanying background white noise; it is used to evaluate English proficiency. This study describes a revision to increase test validity. Technical aspects of recording, syntactic comparability of test items, and data on revised instrument performance are discussed. (CHK)

Argues that Texas' dyslexia laws and practices are misguided, with children being routinely tested on instruments that have no demonstrated validity or reliability for educational assessment purposes. Suggests that few school districts actually have implemented either assessment or instructional intervention practices that can be defended, given…

A study of 71 students (ages 7-17) with disabilities investigated the interrater agreement of the Adjustment Scales for Children and Adolescents (ASCA), a behavior rating scale used in school settings. Participants were rated by 29 educational professionals in 24 classrooms. Results found ASCA produced acceptable levels of interrater agreement.…

A study involving 470 parents of children with developmental disabilities examined the psychometric properties of a five-item subcomponent (DEP5) of Factor 1, Parent and Family Problems, of the Friedrich Questionnaire on Resources and Stress. Results found the DEP5 to be a reliable and valid measure of depressive reactions. (Author/CR)

A study of 319 individuals with autism (ages 3-43) and 113 other subjects found that a single set of criteria, as operationalized by individually structured questions in the Autism Diagnostic Interview and Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised, was effective in differentiating autism from mental disabilities and language impairment. (Author/CR)

This article is an extension of the table of allocation averages devised by H. E. Brogden and presented in "Educational and Psychological Measurement" in 1959. The current table deals with up to 1000 jobs and rejection rates ranging from 0 to 90%. (Author/SLD)

Offers practitioners and researchers an overview of two inventories used in the study of antisocial and delinquent behavior. Evidence suggests that the inventories are related to behavioral indices associated with antisocial and delinquent behavior. Concludes that both instruments are robust and can yield valuable results. (RJM)

Fifty adults (ages 28-86) with macular degeneration were given the Low Vision Reading Comprehension Assessment (LVRCA) to test its reliability and validity in evaluating the reading comprehension of those with vision impairments. The LVRCA was found to take only nine minutes to administer and was a valid and reliable tool. (CR)

Evaluates the usefulness of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) as a routine measure to screen for emotional and behavioral disorders in children and adolescents referred to a community child and adolescent mental health service (CAMHS). Results reveal that the SDQ is sensitive in detecting emotional and behavioral problems and may…

Defines parental tolerance for misbehavior and provides reliability and validity data for two newly developed parent report measures of tolerance, the Child Rearing Inventory (CRI) and the Annoying Behavior Inventory (ABI). Data were collected from 262 primary caretakers of children ages 3 to 10. Results provide preliminary evidence of good…

A study of 20 children (ages 3-6) with autism and 20 children with pervasive developmental disorders (PDD) examined the validity of a Dutch version of the revised Psychoeducational Profile (PEP-R). No differences were found on the PEP-R developmental subscales, but on the pathology subscales children with autism showed more severe behavior than…

Examined the Test of Written Expression's (TOWE) ability to identify students with various problems. Reviews indicate that the test is reliable in internal consistency, stability, and rater variance. All tests of writing, though, correlate poorly with intelligence tests. Some complications accompany the administration and scoring of the TOWE. (RJM)

Hirsch's Cultural Literacy Test was completed by 200 undergraduates. Subjects who scored highest had higher grade point averages and Scholastic Assessment Test scores. Results for minorities were inconsistent and based on small samples. Effectiveness of the test for adult literacy students remains unproven. (SK)

Used two investigations to assess competing interpretations of a racial identity measure. A meta analysis suggested that the measure's structure is less complex than the theory it is assumed to measure. Confirmatory analysis of two data sets likewise revealed that scale structure found in the data are more parsimonious than those suggested by…

Used three studies to examine a diagnostic questionnaire's psychometric properties. Results strongly supported the psychometric properties of the tool. Convergent validity and criterion validity were both supported by meaningful correspondences, and incremental validity was also supported in that the tool yielded more accurate diagnoses when…