A multi-faceted study followed up 800 children originally administered SCREEN, a comprehensive early identification screening battery. Ss were given an individually administered diagnostic battery: The Illinois Test of Psycholinguistic Abilities (ITPA), The Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC) Verbal Scale, The Beery Visual Motor…

This paper provides a progress report on an investigation to validate and extend the autocatalytic model for the adoption of educational innovations. Three topics are dealt with: (1) a brief description is provided of the autocatalytic model and its current application, (2) the design of a survey to collect data for further tests of the model is…

Formulas are presented for decision reliability and for classification validity for mastery/nonmastery decisions based on criterion referenced tests. Two item parameters are used: the probability of a master answering an item correctly, and the probability of a nonmaster answering an item incorrectly. The theory explores the relationships of…

The reliability and validity of three measures of infant temperament were compared in this study. The measures included the revised Carey (1978) Infant Temperament Questionnaire, a version of the Bayley (1969) Infant Behavior Record revised for completion by the parent, and a modified version of Buss and Plomin's (1975) EASI, an acronym standing…

The viewpoint is expressed that adding to test reliability by either selecting a more homogeneous set of items, restricting the range of item difficulty as closely as possible to the most efficient level, or increasing the number of items will not add to test validity and that there is considerable danger that efforts to increase reliability may…

Determination of the fairness of preschool tests for use with children of varying cultural backgrounds is the major objective of this study. The predictive validity of a battery of preschool tests, chosen to represent the core areas of preschool assessment, across race and sex, was evaluated. Validity of the battery was examined over a 12-month…

Predictive validity of the Weschler Intelligence Scale for Children-Revised (WISC-R), was investigated with 174 Chicanos and 94 Anglos, ages 10-11, who were referred for psychological services. Wide Range Achievement Test Reading, Spelling, and Arithmetic subtest scores were each regressed on WISC-R Verbal, Performance and Full Scale Intelligence…

The construct of spatial ability is discussed and it is suggested that some widely used and cited tests that are called spatial ability tests may not be valid measures of that ability. Instead, their items may be solved using mental processes that are clearly analytical and not spatial in nature. Four studies involving the analysis of subjects'…

Intended for parents, this guide discusses the effects of standardized tests on children, using test items from recent standardized reading tests which have been administered to children aged 7 to 13 and children's responses to these items. For each item, comments are made about the ambiguity of the item; the various interpretations that can be…

THE PURPOSE OF THIS SYMPOSIUM WAS TO CONSIDER SOME PROBLEMS FREQUENTLY ENCOUNTERED WHEN PREPARING INSTRUCTIONAL OBJECTIVES AND TO DISCUSS SEVERAL MEANS BY WHICH FUTURE EFFORTS AT IMPLEMENTATION MIGHT BE FACILITATED. TOPICS DISCUSSED INCLUDE--(1) "IN DEFENSE OF INSTRUCTIONAL OBJECTIVES," (2) "SOME IMPORTANT WAYS IN WHICH PERFORMANCE…

THE RELATIVE EFFECTIVENESS OF TASK SCORES VERSUS IQ AS PREDICTORS OF ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT WAS INVESTIGATED, AND THE CORRELATIONS BETWEEN TASK SCORES AND IQ RE-EXAMINED. SUBJECTS WERE 99 UPPER-MIDDLE CLASS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL CHILDREN WITH A MEAN STANFORD-BINET IQ OF 126 (SD EQUALS 19). THE INSTRUMENTS USED WERE DUNN'S OBJECT SORTING TASK (OST),…

A NEED FOR AN ADEQUATELY DEVELOPED AND STANDARDIZED INTELLIGENCE SCALE IN THE WHOLE OF LATIN AMERICA RESULTED IN THE WAIS PROJECT WHOSE AIM WAS TO TRANSLATE INTO SPANISH, ADAPT TO SPANISH CULTURE, AND STANDARDIZE THE WECHSLER ADULT INTELLIGENCE SCALE IN PUERTO RICO. FOLLOWING A DISCUSSION OF THE FOUR GENERAL GOALS, THE PROJECT REPORT OUTLINES THE…

AN INVESTIGATION AND EVALUATION OF TOTAL INFANT AND PRESCHOOL MENTAL TESTING SITUATIONS AND SOME CONCLUSIONS AS TO THE CURRENT NEEDS IN THIS AREA ARE PRESENTED. THESE APPROACHES ARE MADE TO THE PROBLEM. FIRST, THE THEORETICAL THINKING ON THE NATURE OF INTELLIGENCE AND HOW IT DEVELOPS IN CHILDREN IS TRACED. THERE HAS BEEN DISAGREEMENT OVER THE…

SOURCES OF INFORMATION FOR RESPONSES TO MULTIPLE-CHOICE ITEMS ON READING COMPREHENSION TESTS AND THE EFFECTS OF CONTENT WORDS AND FUNCTION WORDS IN SUPPLYING INFORMATION FOR THE CORRECT COMPLETION OF MULTIPLE-CHOICE ITEMS WERE STUDIED IN AN EXPERIMENT AT CAMPBELL COLLEGE. PARAGRAPHS WITH ACCOMPANYING MULTIPLE-CHOICE ITEMS SAMPLED FROM READING…

Six widely used college admissions variables and four course-specific measures (tests of entering mathematical skills and physics knowledge, and indexes of previous study of mathematics and physics) were correlated with final marks for 495 students in an introductory college physics course. The college admissions variables included scores on…