This study attempted to develop a reliable and valid instrument for measuring the diagnostic and remedial capacity of primary schools and to apply this instrument in examining how special needs services are provided in ordinary primary schools in the Dutch speaking part of Belgium. The study's conceptual model was based on two clusters--the key…

In response to the increasing use of state-based performance indicators for postsecondary education, a study was undertaken to review the reliability and validity of state-level indicators in the Florida Community College System (FCCS). Data were collected from literature reviews and the 1996 FCCS Accountability Report, detailing outcomes for 17…

This paper describes the development of a scale that measures college students' attitudes about community service, based on Schwartz' process model of altruistic helping behavior. The development of such a scale is seen as essential for research, evaluation of interventions, and the prediction of outcomes of community service participation. The…

The internal construct validity of the 1989 Advanced Placement Spanish Language Examination was analyzed to determine whether the traditional four-factor examination structure hypothesized by test developers (listening, reading, writing, speaking) was invariant for relevant subpopulations. Using a nested hierarchical design, multiple confirmatory…

This study investigated the effects of student self-assessment on English-as-a-Foreign-Language (EFL) students' knowledge achievement and academic thinking. Ninety-four college seniors from the Department of English at the School of Education at Suez University in Egypt participated in the study. They were randomly divided into two groups, an…

The consequences of large state testing are often uniformity of expectations for achievement. The largest impact of higher standards, then, are realized by traditionally disenfranchised student populations, particularly the least affluent who are most likely to bear the yoke of low expectation. This paper advances S. Messick's (1981) fundamental…

This paper describes the outcomes of a study that explored the significance of the Severity of Illness Rating Scale (SIRS) as a tool for utilization review and program evaluation. The SIRS was first introduced in March 1993 and soon became the centerpiece for the Arthur Brisbane Child Treatment Center's Utilization Review Plan. Since its…

This paper discusses the results of a study that investigated the reliability and validity of the Youth Client Satisfaction Questionnaire (YCSQ). The YCSQ is administered as a telephone interview, which provides a higher response rate than mailed surveys. Participants in the study were 87 clients (ages 11-17) and their parents who had completed…

This study investigated whether a self-efficacy course would raise English-as-a-Second-Language learners' English ability by raising their self-efficacy. It also examined the reliability and validity of a self-efficacy questionnaire and English test. Participants were 293 Japanese college freshmen. Researchers developed two versions of an English…

This report introduces the General Education Development Testing Services (GEDTS) Administrator screening model for adults with learning disabilities. The screening model is designed to identify adults whose educational achievement is significantly below overall potential due to an informational processing deficit and who are thus eligible for…

This document contains two papers devoted to human resource development (HRD), the Academy of Human Resource Development (AHRD), and certification. The first paper, "Certification of HRD Professionals, Products, and Academic Programs--The Role of AHRD" (Michael Leimbach), is intended to facilitate dialogue on the AHRD's role in…

Past research has shown that adults can report their own skill level on four dimensions of emotional intelligence, using the Trait Meta-Mood Scale (TMMS). This study assessed children's ability to self-report on the emotional attention, emotional clarity, and emotional repair dimensions of emotional intelligence, using a modification of the above…

Although there are many regions of the country that have historically been ethnically and linguistically diverse, school system data as well as information from the 2000 census and other sources has indicated that many hitherto homogeneous regions of the country and their educational institutions have experienced significant growth in populations…

This volume contains the following articles: "Orthography and Identity in Cameroon" (Steven Bird); "Literacy Evaluation Tool" (Becky Feldpausch, Jean Nichols, Robin Rempel); "Kenyang Literacy Program" (Tanyi Eyong Mbuagbaw); "Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E): A Brief Overview" (Ian Mowatt);…

This report examines the potential of adaptive testing, two?-stage testing in particular, for improving the data quality of the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). Following a discussion of the rationale for adaptive testing in assessment and a review of previous studies of two-?stage testing, this report describes a 1993 Ohio…