An 82-item multidimensional questionnaire, the Verona Service Satisfaction Scale, was recently developed in Italy to measure client satisfaction with psychiatric services. The scale contains 29 items from the English Service Satisfaction Scale. Psychometric characteristics and test use are discussed. Results support the use of the scale in service…

A study of the usefulness of the Anticipated Student Adjustment to College Questionnaire found it to be reliable and predictably related to a variety of pre- and postmatriculation self-report student data and real-life student behaviors. Uses of the instrument in high school and college are considered. (Author/MSE)

The stability of some dimensions of ability between the ages of 12 and 15 years was investigated for 225 boys and 242 girls in Sweden. Testing in grades 6, 8, and 9 indicated high stability for the general intelligence factor and for the residual of the General Visual factor. (SLD)

Looks at the large-scale experiments on the testing of oral proficiency in English, French, and German that have been carried out over the last five years in the Swedish gymnasium. Various kinds of tasks and different grading criteria have been used, and the practical problems of scheduling and of teacher training have been discussed. (nine…

This review of the Test of Early Written Language concludes that the test succeeds in identifying students who are below their peers in writing and in measuring long-term gains in written language achievement; but its format makes it difficult to document specific strengths and weaknesses and its reliability; and validity have not been…

Data are presented that demonstrate the reliability and construct validity of a 27-item behaviorally anchored rating scale (BARS) used to rate the performance of 757 nursing assistants in South Carolina. Results support the reliability and construct validity of the BARS and the usefulness of the BARS approach for evaluation. (SLD)

This study focused on the validation of Generalizable Reasoning Skills assessment instruments with students with disabilities in secondary vocational programs. Results indicated that student self-ratings, teacher ratings, and a performance test were internally consistent and precise measures of reasoning skills for some uses but that most…

A study reveals the need for extensive refinement of the Revised Perceived Environmental Control Measure purported in the past to be a reliable and valid instrument to measure the relationship between the psychological construct, "locus of control," and environmental action or environmentally responsible behavior. (MCO)

This article briefly reviews findings from more than 250 research studies on instructional leadership and productive schools and discusses development and field testing of a needs assessment instrument for assessment of the continuing education needs of principals. (IAH)

To assess the reliability and validity of the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) in a non-Western setting, the instrument was administered to 223 teachers in Jordan. Results indicate an acceptable reliability for the MBI and suggest that it has promise for use in non-Western countries. (SLD)

The Consent Screening Interview was developed to enable consumers with mental retardation to express views and preferences about community residential placements and indicate to service providers their ability to give informed consent. Analysis of content and construct validity and interrater reliability, involving 69 subjects, revealed that the…

Two studies are reported that measure the long-term stability of performance assessments involving story-writing and poetry-writing (involving grade four and five students) and story-telling (involving grade two students). The long-term stability of these assessments compares favorably with stability figures for other creativity tests. (Author/JDD)

Subscales of the Sheltered Care Environmental Scale dealing with conflict, cohesion, and independence were administered to 47 adults with moderate mental retardation on 4 occasions using either a verbal format or picture-cued format. Results indicated that the use of pictures enhanced the test-retest reliability of the instrument. (Author/JDD)

Psychometric characteristics and factorial replicability of the factor structure of the adolescent version (grades 7-12) of the Walker-McConnell Scale of Social Competence and School Adjustment were studied in an initial wave (n=266) of the national normative sample. The version studied has substantial utility in assessing adolescent social…

This study, involving 24 children or adolescents with pervasive developmental disorders, assessed 3 autism scales: Autism Behavior Checklist, Real Life Rating Scale, and Childhood Autism Rating Scale. The study analyzed interrater reliability, correlations between pairs of the three scales, diagnostic classification cutoff scores, and…