A study examined the power of communication apprehension, person perception, network connectedness, and course satisfaction to predict learning outcomes in a college communication course. Subjects, 81 students from a multisection course, completed a variety of self-report instruments measuring their communication apprehension levels; perceptions…

Psychometric theory has been one of psychology's stronger foundations and a major contributor to the recognition of psychology as a scientific discipline. Basic principles of psychometric theory led to the development of respected intelligence tests and large and comprehensive testing and assessment programs. This paper synthesizes major…

The power of the Slingerland Screening Tests was examined, and a discrepant performance index was developed between cognitive measures to predict early school achievement and class placement for children at risk for specific language disabilities. Subjects were two successive cohorts of entering kindergarten children for whom Slingerland Tests…

A study was conducted at Kirkwood Community College (KCC) to assess the role played by students' selection of a major as a predictor of academic success as measured by graduation from a two-year college. The study utilized computerized records and transcripts of students enrolled at KCC during fall 1974 through fall 1980. The records of a sample…

This report is the first in a series of publications emanating from a four year research effort designed to further knowledge of admissions testing and handicapped people. The report is divided into three major sections describing (1) the development of the research program, (2) a context for conducting that research, and (3) major research issues…

To determine the effectiveness of placement test scores in predicting final course grades, students enrolled in selected college-level courses at Walters State Community College in Tennessee were tested during winter 1983. At the end of the quarter, course grades were collected, and correlations between test scores and course grades were…

Recent national surveys have found marked increases in the use of illicit drugs and alcohol among adolescents. To investigate differential prediction of alcohol versus hard drug use amoung youths, 6% of the youths, aged 10-19, from a Pennsylvania county school system (N=1,689) were assessed on the HEW Community Youth Program Impact Scales. The 12…

Since fall 1983, each student intending to enroll in an English course at American River College (ARC) has been required to take a placement test consisting of the vocabulary and usage subtests of the Descriptive Tests of Language Skills of the College Board. A study was conducted to establish the predictive capability of the test by correlating…

Examinees (N=1,233) at the Johnson O'Connor Research Foundation (JOCRF) were administered one of three test forms in which only item order differed. The study was undertaken to determine the validity of the assumption underlying item response theory (IRT) that there are fixed item parameters that can predict performance. The Rasch IRT model was…

In response to the fact that technical standards for screening and placement tests must be more rigorous than those for readiness tests, the predictive validity of the Gesell School Readiness Tests (GSRT) was examined. The purpose of the GSRT, a commonly used screening instrument, is the assessment of children's developmental behaviors to aid in…

This study presents data augmenting the validity studies of the Wheatley Cube (McDaniel and Kroll, 1984), a computer managed test of spatial visualization. Twenty-one students in pilot training are administered several instruments designed to measure the ability to construct a cognitive three-dimensional space, including: (1) the Wheatley Cube,…

A study sought to determine the relationship between grammar competency and success in a business communication course. Students completed a written English competency test consisting of 25 sentences, each with one of eight kinds of errors, including comma splice and incorrect pronoun reference. Students were then asked to choose the one…

The continued controversy concerning the predictive validity of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) aptitude test and its influence on selection decisions, including admission and financial aid, has necessitated the establishment of local norms. The sample involved 407 University of Kansas education and computer science students. Information on…

Much of the concern with juvenile delinquency has been based on the premise that delinquent behavior leads to adult crime. Police and court records of three cohorts comprised of 6,127 persons were analyzed. The most prevalent pattern of delinquent behavior was one of declining seriousness and discontinuation after the teenage period. With few…

This study investigated the relation between the entering characteristics of the 1,210 students who entered the 7 residential teachers' colleges in Jamaica in September 1976 and their subsequent performance in college. There were 41 predictor variables (encompassing biographical data, previous education and work experience, and general and…