Explains why ISDN (integrated services digital network) is the most practical solution for high-speed remote access, including reliability, cost, flexibility, scaleability, standards, and manageability. Other data transmission options are discussed, including asymmetric digital subscriber lines (ADSL), high-speed digital subscriber lines (HDSL),…

Some concerns about the use and reporting of coefficient alpha are addressed. It is also shown that alpha is not a measure of homogeneity or unidimensionality. Four ways in which researchers use of alpha can convey inaccurate information or a lack of understanding are reviewed. (SLD)

The Career Maturity Inventory-Revised (CMI-R) and Occupational Plans Questionnaire were completed by 157 high school students. Analysis of construct and criterion validity demonstrated modest but limited support for CMI-R. Its scales were found to have low internal consistency reliabilities. The Attitude Scale, Competence Test, and total score…

Compared two Angoff standard-setting methods, percentage, and yes-no, in the work of four groups of judges (n=24) given behavioral descriptors or incidents to use in making ratings. Results indicate that passing scores based on percentage estimates were stable from initial to final ratings, but those based on dichotomous (yes-no) ratings had…

Addresses the lack of congruence between different curricular and evaluation ideologies and the lack of sensitivity regarding underlying theoretical assumptions in curriculum evaluation practices from a perspective that calls for a joint ontological and epistemological view of the curriculum and curriculum evaluation. Explores curriculum as a…

Outlines fundamental reasons why educational research has not provided dependable guidelines for policy, suggesting how to repair what it lacks. Notes that there already exists some reliable research on which to base educational policy, found mainly in cognitive psychology. Asserts that naturalistic and laboratory research in education have a duty…

Presents a model of tests and measurement that identifies test scores with Hilbert space vectors and true and error components of scores with linear operators. This geometric point of view brings to light relations among elementary concepts in test theory, including reliability, validity, and parallel tests. (Author/SLD)

Conducted a reliability generalization study of the Geriatric Depression Scale (T. Brink and others, 1982). Results from this investigation of 338 studies shows that the average score reliability across studies was 0.8482 and identifies the most important predictors of score reliability. (SLD)

Item content of the Michigan Alcoholism Screening Test (MAST) was modified to make it more appropriate for young persons. The resulting test was found to have lower internal consistency than the adult MAST, but the elimination of five items with comparatively poor psychometric properties yielded an acceptable alpha coefficient. (Contains 10…

From a six-state sample of 286 bank tellers and supervisors, 118 returned an assessment of a DACUM-generated task listing for the teller occupation. Results indicated that the task listing was highly reliable and possessed substantial construct validity, although tasks added by respondents may indicate that DACUM is not yet a stand-alone…

Reference-reliability relates variability due to change and error. It indicates whether some suspected change can be reliably differentiated from random fluctuations. A means by which the process of change can be measured at different points in time is outlined, using empirical data. (TJH)

An approximate statistical test of the equality of two intraclass reliability coefficients based on the same sample of people is derived. Such a test is needed when a researcher wishes to compare the reliability of two measurement procedures, and both procedures can be applied to results from the same group. (SLD)

Developed Family Emotional Involvement and Criticism Scale (FEICS), self-report scale assessing perceived criticism and intensity of emotional involvement. Adult respondents (n=83) completed FEICS. Cronbach's alpha was 0.82 for Perceived Criticism subscale and 0.74 for Emotional Involvement subscale. Findings suggest that FEICS is reliable…

Describes ways in which content analysis is being used in library and information science research. Methodological concerns are addressed, including selection of target documents, selection of samples to be analyzed, selection of categories for analysis, and elimination of researcher bias to assure reliability. (35 references) (LRW)

Claims that portfolios can be reliably rated in a large-scale assessment situation. Shares the experiences of writing program administrators concerning portfolio assessment. Outlines practical methods of gaining reasonable reliability in portfolio scoring. (RS)