Studied three measures of task and ego achievement goal orientations in terms of factorial and construct validity, internal consistency reliability, and distributional characteristics. Results for 393 undergraduates suggest that the Patterns of Adaptive Learning Survey scales fared better than the other 2 in terms of distributional…

Comparability of a Spanish language translation of the Preschool and Kindergarten Behavior Scales (PKBS) was examined in relation to the English language version. Children were rated concurrently by respondents on English and Spanish versions of the PKBS. Results showed virtually identical internal consistency of scores on both forms on Social…

Describes a process directed at developing a simple paper-and-pencil checklist to assess Intranet effectiveness. Discusses the checklist purification procedure, and attempts to establish reliability and validity for the list. Concludes by identifying managerial applications of the checklist, recognizing the limitations of the approach, and…

This study examined the validity and reliability of a staff-completed rating instrument (to determine relationship patterns and compatibility during the resettlement of 57 people with learning difficulties from a hospital to group home settings in Wales). Although ratings were relatively consistent across raters, there was limited support for the…

Examined the best approach to the development of procedures for assessing beginning teachers, reviewing studies on teacher thinking, development, learning, and knowledge; examining studies on new approaches to teacher evaluation and on issues of validity and reliability; and proposing a framework with 15 implications for the development of…

Using an independent college sample, examines the characteristics of the Woodcock-Johnson Tests of Cognitive Ability-Revised. Differences exists in subtest performance based on the order in which the Standard and Supplemental Batteries were administered. Gender differences exist on the Visual Matching, Picture Vocabulary and Cross Out subtests.…

The internal reliability and concurrent validity of the Play Assessment Questionnaire (PAQ) was compared to that of the Minnesota Child Development Inventory with 170 deaf or hard of hearing infants and toddlers. The PAQ was found to be a useful nonverbal tool that assesses symbolic play behaviors and demonstrates a parallel development with…

Demonstrates empirically a structural equation modeling technique for group comparison of reliability and validity. Data, which are from a study of 495 mothers' attitudes toward pregnancy, have a one-factor measurement model and three sets of subpopulation comparisons. (SLD)

Presents a generalizability theory (GT) analysis of data from 531 agricultural students' evaluations of teaching. Illustrates GT estimations of reliability for student and class means and the use of GT in obtaining standard errors. (SK)

Presents a model-based approach to rater reliability for essays read by multiple raters. The approach is motivated by generalizability theory, and variation of rater severity and rater inconsistency is considered in the presence of between-examinee variations. Illustrates methods with data from standardized educational tests. (Author/SLD)

Looks at the use of the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), the most widely used test to assess the English language proficiency of students applying to colleges and universities in the United States or Canada. Examines the TOEFL in relation to backwash, reliability, administration, validity, and ethics. (Author/VWL)

Constructed a multiple choice instrument to assess the level of competence of students aged 15 and 16 on eight cross-curricular skills. A pilot study involving 465 students and a main study with 9,000 students supported the developed measure, the Cross-Curriculum Skills Test, as a valid and reliable test of cross-curricular skills. (SLD)

Examined the effects of test length and sample size on the alternate forms reliability and equating of simulated mathematics tests composed of constructed response items scaled using the two-parameter partial credit model. Results suggest that, to obtain acceptable reliabilities and accurate equated scores, tests should have at least 8 6-point…

Establishes a Kenyan standardization of the Raven's Coloured Progressive Matrices (RCPM), a nonverbal instrument widely used to assess academic aptitude in young children. Data was gathered from a sample of 1,370 children between the ages of 6 and 10 years. Using the current data, the RCPM appears to be a reliable and valid instrument for use in…

Examined whether preschool children's play-partner choices were stable over time and how they influenced behavior. Found that partner preferences were highly sex differentiated and stable over time. Identified two types of consequences of partner choice: a binary effect that influenced differences between the sexes and a social dosage effect that…