Portfolio assessment can be a valuable tool in assessing professional proficiency in teachers if appropriate attention is given to issues of reliability and validity. The Teaching Assessment Project at Stanford University has explored portfolios as an alternative to traditional methods of teacher evaluation. (IAH)

A network-flow model is formulated for constructing parallel tests based on classical test theory while using test reliability as the criterion. Practitioners can specify a test-difficulty distribution for values of item difficulties as well as test-composition requirements. An empirical study illustrates the reliability of generated tests. (SLD)

Some of the methods originally used to find relationships between reliability and power associated with a single measurement are extended to difference scores. Results, based on explicit power calculations, show that augmenting the reliability of measurement by reducing error score variance can make significance tests of difference more powerful.…

Two articles discuss the controversy about the relationship between reliability and the power of significance tests in response to the discussion of Donald W. Zimmerman, Richard H. Williams, and Bruno D. Zumbo. Lloyd G. Humphreys emphasizes the differences between what statisticians can do and constraints on researchers. Zimmerman, Williams, and…

Measurement and psychometric quality of the Sternberg task (S. Sternberg, 1966, 1969), a memory search task, was investigated with 78 undergraduates. Individual performance was fairly homogeneous across responses, fairly unstable over time, and fairly stable across stimulus content. Implications for individual differences research are discussed.…

A study tested the validity of the Diagnostic Assessment for the Severely Handicapped-II (DASH-II) for determining the presence of mania (bipolar disorder) in 22 individuals with severe mental retardation. Results found the mania subscale to be internally consistent and able to be used to classify manic and control subjects accurately. (Author/CR)

Provides psychometric information on the second edition of the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-II) (A. Beck, R. Steer, and G. Brown, 1996) for internal consistency, factorial validity, and gender differences. Results indicate that the BDI-II is a stronger instrument than its predecessor in terms of factor structure. (SLD)

Hearing in Noise Test (HINT) list equivalency was examined using 24 listeners (ages 60 to 70) with sensorineural hearing impairments. Four speech conditions were tested, including a quiet condition and three noise conditions. Results found that for the three noise conditions, all lists were within 2dB of the means, indicating list equivalency.…

Considers four key decision points in the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards' assessment-development process: development of content standards; development of tasks guiding candidates in providing evidence about their teaching; development of scoring rubrics and benchmarks; and determination of the performance standard that…

Examined the validity and reliability of the 1995-96 reading/language arts portfolio assessment developed in the Dallas (Texas) public schools for prekindergarten through second grade. Ratings by 42 teachers show that portfolio contents do not provide a valid sample of student work and the assessment reliability is low. (SLD)

Examines the psychometric properties of Psychological Sense of School Membership-Brief Questionnaire (PSSM-Brief). Middle school students (N=120) completed the PSSM-Brief. Results show high internal consistency and validity. Results were consistent with prior research pertaining to the PSSM. (Author/MKA)

A study involving 120 school-aged children that investigated the concurrent validity of measures of written language found that the Wechsler Individual Achievement Test Written Expression subtest correlates moderately with the Written Expression subtest of the Peabody Individual Achievement Test-Revised and the Spontaneous Writing Quotient of the…

This study examined the validity and reliability of the Pre-school Behaviour Checklist (PBCL) for Turkish nursery school children. Data were obtained from 902 children, 24 to 82 months old, attending state or private nursery schools. Findings suggested that the PBCL has psychometric properties comparable to the British sample and could be used…

Argues that social studies teachers should offer their students the necessary critical-thinking skills to help them navigate the Internet. Presents an overview of six criteria, with accompanying questions, to assist students in determining the reliability and usefulness of information sites and allowing them access to the valuable information…

Examined the validity and reliability of the Professional Development Inventory, an instrument used in assessment centers of the National Association of Elementary School Principals (NAESP). Results support the ease of use and high degree of validity and reliability of the instrument. (SLD)