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…

The problem of scaling ordinal categorical data observed over two or more sets of categories measuring a single characteristic is addressed. Scaling is obtained by solving a constrained entropy model. A Kullback-Leibler statistic is generated that operationalizes a measure for the strength of consistency among the sets of categories. (TJH)

The author suggests combining grades from component assessments to provide an overall student assessment. He explores the concept of reliability and concludes that the overall assessment will be reliable only if the number of grades used to report component achievements equals or exceeds the number used to report overall achievement. (Author/CH)

New coefficients of agreement are suggested for the measure of intraclass consistency between observations on two variables. The coefficients are derived from a general coefficient for measuring intraclass dependence in a bivariate analysis context. Various coefficients for the univariate agreement analysis are shown to be cases of the suggested…

Negative coefficients of reliability, sometimes returned by the standard formula for estimation of the internal-consistency reliability, are neither theoretically nor numerically correct. Alternative strategies for test development in this special case are suggested. (Author)

Proposes a new lock primitive called ordered sharing that allows increased concurrency in database systems. Reliability and performance issues of the proposed protocol are addressed, a simulation study that demonstrates that ordered sharing results in improved performance in database systems is described; and use in several representative database…

Outlines major features of qualitative research methods and rehabilitation research contexts for which these methods are particularly appropriate. Presents representative examples of qualitative rehabilitation research. Presents strategies for handling threats to reliability and validity within qualitative tradition and criteria for assessing…

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)

Examined interrater reliability of diagnoses made on basis of structured interview for psychiatric patients with and without psychoactive substance use disorders (PSUDs). Results from 47 pairs of ratings by 9 clinical interviewers revealed that interrater reliability for non-PSUD psychiatric diagnoses was quite high when patient had no diagnosable…

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…

Discussion of performance improvement focuses on work processes. Highlights include a definition of process; types of process steps, including operational and nonoperational; desired process characteristics, including high reliability and low variability; a comparison of two different processes; and suggestions for process improvement, including…

Discusses methodological and ethical issues pertaining to "psychological autopsy," an interview method for reconstruction of suicidal death through interviews with survivors, based on application of method to three studies of suicides and review of other investigations. Emphasizes consideration of integrity of deceased, integrity and health of…

The stability, reliability, and validity of scores on the subscales of the School Participant Empowerment Scale (P. Short and J. Rinehart, 1992) were studied with data from 4,091 Ohio classroom teachers. Confirmatory factor analysis did not confirm the subscales identified by the instrument developers. Explanatory factor analysis was used to…

A coding method for measuring reflective thinking in student journals was tested twice, demonstrating acceptable reliability among evaluators and supporting the precision of the guidelines for coding. Coding categories were as follows: habitual action, introspection, thoughtful action, content reflection, process reflection, content and process…

To examine the interrater reliability of the Ruff Figural Fluency Test (RFFT) (R. Ruff, 1988), 124 college students completed the measure and scored RFFT test protocols. Results indicated substantial interscorer reliability on the RFFT, particularly for number of unique designs. Reliability was lower for scoring perseverative errors and error…