The study evaluated how 21 first grade teachers differed in preferences, requirements, and expectations of students. Teachers ranked 86 student descriptors on a continuum of contributing to either student success or failure. Teachers were found to vary considerably in descriptor rankings, suggesting that teacher variations may be a factor in the…

Comments that multiple-choice tests are objective, test some knowledge, and are easy to grade, but often ask for little more than rote recall. Offers a structure for multiple-choice questions that require evaluative thinking skills as well as knowledge of the facts. Includes discussion of objectivity, preparation, and memorization. (DK)

The Co-worker Involvement Instrument measures involvement with supported employees with disabilities, via items pertaining to physical integration, social integration, vocational integration, training, associating frequency, associating nature, befriending, advocating, evaluating, and information giving. The instrument was found to be a reliable…

Speech analyses performed on data from 61 speech-delayed children (ages 3-6) found that, in comparison to the validity of conversational speech samples for integrated speech, language, and prosodic analyses, articulation tests appear to yield neither typical nor optimal measures of speech performance. (Author/JDD)

This study examined the construct validity of the KeyMath-Revised by testing the factorial model proposed by the test author. Results failed to confirm the proposed factorial model and suggested that the KeyMath-Revised assesses two domains that are difficult to interpret, rather than the three proposed by the test author. (Author/JDD)

This study investigated two pragmatic profiles (the Pragmatic Profile and the Profile of Communicative Appropriateness) used to assess the language of two aphasic patients. The study examined interscorer reliability, scoring sensitivity, and diagnostic accuracy. Findings indicate that training in scoring these profiles must be uniform, and greater…

Course of study, target student population, structure of matriculation examination, student outcomes and attitudes of student toward various components of this examination are described. It was found that this examination not only offers a fair, educationally valid assessment but also provides support and direction which result in more effective…

Effects of the following methods for linking metrics on detection of differential item functioning (DIF) were compared: (1) test characteristic curve method (TCC); (2) weighted mean and sigma method; and (3) minimum chi-square method. With large samples, results were essentially the same. With small samples, TCC was most accurate. (SLD)

The Wechsler Individual Achievement Test assesses achievement in students in grades K-12, with subtests in reading, mathematics reasoning, spelling, reading comprehension, numerical operations, listening comprehension, oral expression, and written expression. The test was developed to assist in identification of students with learning…

Six medical school faculty evaluated the overall performance of eight students completing a surgery clerkship at the Michigan State University College of Human Medicine. Students were also evaluated by the National Board of Medical Examiners' Computer Based Examination (CBX). Faculty ratings correlated highly with scores produced by the CBX's…

Methods for evaluating the validity of job analysis data derived from activity inventories are proposed. The basic approach is to state assumptions about expected relationships and then check to see whether these relationships exist. The approach is illustrated through a survey of 38 nurses. (SLD)

Parent and teacher ratings on the Aberrant Behavior Checklist with an outpatient sample of 110 children, adolescents, and young adults with mental retardation found that the 5-factor structure of both parent and teacher data corresponded very well with the 5 factors originally obtained from staff ratings of mentally retarded inpatients. (Author/DB)

This study evaluated 9 computer-generated measures of children's language production, based on 24 children with specific language impairment and 24 normally developing children, ages 24-50 months. Three measures possessed desirable developmental and diagnostic characteristics: mean syntactic length, total number of words, and number of different…

Psychological variables influencing adjustment to acquired visual loss are examined conceptually and empirically, to clarify their role in skill acquisition and to develop a testable model of adjustment. The Nottingham Adjustment Scale, which measures anxiety, depression, self-esteem, and other characteristics, is presented, along with analysis of…

This study assessed the adaptation of the Heidelberger-Kompetenz-Inventar (HKI) procedure for use with severely mentally handicapped young people in the German Democratic Republic. The HKI, which covers cognitive, social, and practical competencies and behavioral abilities, was found to be a sensitive and valid method of assessing changes achieved…