Responses to a sample test were simulated for examinees under free-response and multiple-choice formats. Test score sets were correlated with randomly generated sets of unit-normal measures. The extent of superiority of free response tests was sufficiently small so that other considerations might justifiably dictate format choice. (Author/DWH)

Two language ability tests are discussed: the Receptive-Expressive Emergent Language Scale (REEL), measuring language competencies from birth through 36 months and the Test for Auditory Comprehension of Language (TACL), for children ages three to seven. Their efficacy in identifying language delays and in establishing criteria for effective…

Describes the process used to develop two examinations, an achievement test of computer literacy and a computer anxiety index. Highlights include a definition of computer literacy, determination of the validity and reliability of the tests, and a study to evaluate the final versions of the tests. (Author/LRW)

Presents study findings which supported the use of answer-until-correct tests. Discusses results based on responses of secondary students from England (N=387) that revealed that the answer-until-correct test of mechanical reasoning had similar findings to the spatial reasoning test. (ML)

The Self-Report Depression Questionnaire (SRDQ), a measure of depressive symptomatology in persons with mental retardation, was administered to 89 mentally retarded adults living in community-based settings. The SRDQ demonstrated high internal consistency reliability, as well as moderate stability over an 11-week period. Content validity and…

Discussion of ways in which second-language learners' processing of and interaction with narrative and expository texts affects their performance on cloze tests suggests that researchers and teachers interpreting these tests should not assume that such tests only assess language ability. (CB)

Reliability and validity of "Degrees of Reading Power" test and "Iowa Tests of Basic Skills" reading comprehension and vocabulary tests were compared. Test scores, grades, and assigned reading levels of 191 fifth and sixth graders and 186 sixth and seventh graders in an eastern Iowa school district were used. Reliability and…

Argues that the tests used to measure reading achievement do not reflect recent advances in the understanding of the reading process, and that effective instruction best can be fostered by resolving the discrepancy between what is known and what is measured. (FL)

To control for response bias in student ratings of college teachers, an index of rater error was used that was theoretically independent of actual performance. Partialing out the effects of this extraneous response bias enhanced validity, but partialing out overall effectiveness resulted in reduced convergent and discriminant validities.…

Lafferty's Life Styles Inventory was completed by 556 managers (Level I, Self-Description) and by 2,922 peers, subordinates, and supervisors (Level II, Description by Others). Factor analysis revealed the same three factors in both ratings. Coworkers generally agreed with each others' ratings, but correlations between self and coworker ratings…

During a major population study of adolescent functioning, pupils from four comprehensive schools were used to compare validity of several screening measures in this age group. Showed that screening instruments tended to be behavior specific and that antisocial and neurotic behavior were relatively sex specific. (Author)

A study of three different applications of cloze procedure to test reading comprehension in college students of German as a second language suggests that the procedure may not yield a valid or reliable assessment of global comprehension in second-language learning. (Author/MSE)

Student perceptions of teaching clarity of vocational agriculture teachers were measured by a 21-item instrument administered to 878 high school students. The face validity and reliability of the instrument were established using Cronbach's alpha coefficient and analysis of variance. (SK)

The content validity of four reading achievement tests was evaluated with respect to third and fourth grade levels of the Pathfinder Allyn and Bacon Reading Program, using 29 third and 34 fourth graders. Instruments evaluated included subtests of the California Achievement Tests, Metropolitan Achievement Tests, Peabody Individual Achievement Test,…

The utility of the Temperament Assessment Battery--Teacher Form (TAB) in predicting academic achievement over intervals of one to four years was studied using 117 kindergartners, 22 preschoolers, and 104 first graders. Results of the studies, each of which used data from a different standardized test to assess the validity of the TAB, support the…