Evaluates the use of discrimination indexes (or item-total correlation) for examining the reliability of examinations. States this technique has drawbacks and may cause examination validity to be lower. Discusses the idea of discrimination power and why poor students may answer an item correctly. (CMK)

Provides information about informal reading inventories (IRI), an early reading assessment. Explains what IRIs are; who should administer an IRI; when and how to administer an IRI; the reliability of data from IRIs; and the limitations of IRIs. (PM)

In order to locate optimal cutoff scores for detecting developmental delays, the Brigance Screens were administered to 408 children (ages 21-48 months) along with a criterion battery measuring achievement and intelligence. The Receiver Operating Characteristic analyses were then used to locate optical cutoff scores for each form of the Brigance.…

Developed a counseling self-efficacy instrument in order to examine change in counselors across a broad range of training and experience. Self-efficacy theory and models of counselor development make similar predictions about increases in counseling self-efficacy due to clinical training and experience. Results showed strong reliability and…

Discusses the development of a computer literacy measurement instrument for undergraduates. The reliability and validity of the survey are assessed using longitudinal and cross-sectional data, and results are compared to another instrument. A copy of the survey is appended. (Author/LRW)

Most Web site rating systems overemphasize technological "bells and whistles." The University of Georgia's information quality criteria address site access and usability; resource identification and documentation; author identification; authority of author; information structure and design; relevance and scope, validity, and accuracy and…

Offers a practical evaluation and a technical evaluation of a military-generated career exploration program. Concludes that the instrument is a superb example of a multiple-aptitude battery due to its psychometrics, extensive norming data, and excellent materials. Cautions against adoption of instrument for civilian use without further testing.…

In a study of criteria for and reliability of grading of college essays in introductory psychology, 16 essays were marked by 12 faculty and 20 graduate students. Analysis found that two content attributes (facts, examples) accounted for 82% of variance in grading by faculty, while five stylistic measures accounted for the remainder. Both faculty…

Reports on four studies that addressed the development of a career counseling scale. Results show that the instrument had moderate to high internal consistency across the studies and exhibited strong test-retest reliability over a two-week period. Construct validity was also supported. Uses of this test for training are discussed. (RJM)

Seven separate studies over 3.5 years developed the Trauma-Related Guilt Inventory, examined its internal consistency, factor structure, and the questionnaire's convergent and discriminant validity. Results with college students, veterans, and battered women support the conceptualization of trauma-related guilt as a multidimensional construct.…

The example of a medical licensure test is used to demonstrate situations in which complex, integrated content must be balanced at the total test level for validity reasons, but items assigned to reportable subscore categories may be used under a multidimensional item response theory adaptive paradigm to improve subscore reliability. (SLD)

Conducted a meta-evaluation of 11 school-based smoking prevention programs. Criteria included: adequacy of research design; evidence of reliability and validity; appropriate statistical analyses and interpretations; reporting of effect sizes or practical significance; accounting for attrition; and tracking fidelity to the program. Criteria with…

Examined predictability of observed parent-child interaction from preschool to middle childhood among 283 mother-child dyads who were welfare recipients enrolled in a job training program. Found that interaction in middle childhood could be predicted from observed interaction 4 years earlier. Families with greater risk factors tended to show more…

Developed and validated the Acculturation, Habits, and Interests Multicultural Scale for Adolescents (AHIMSA), a survey for use in a smoking prevention curriculum for early adolescents in multicultural, urban settings. Found that three of the subscales correlated with subscales of another acculturation instrument, with English language usage, and…

A series of group-administered curriculum-based measurement (CBM) probes were developed to assist in the identification of kindergarten students exhibiting deficient readiness skills. Acceptable reliability and validity estimates were obtained for three of the probe measures. Proposes the use of kindergarten CBM probes as a potential screening…