A study analyzed validity and reliability of grades and credits earned by college students in five departments, as indicators of student learning. Results indicate positive, strong correlation between faculty-assigned grades and student performance on external criterion measures. Validity of credits was not as clear. Strong and consistent evidence…

Reliability and validity of a new measure of cognitive speed, the Speed of Thinking Test (SST), were investigated with 129 college students, who also completed a vocabulary test, a test of reading speed, and a test of reading comprehension. The SST appears to be a reliable and valid measure. (SLD)

This article reviews the content and procedural requirements of social competence assessment for children with disabilities and presents information on multiperspective prototype assessments using a videodisc and a microcomputer with a "touch screen." Preliminary psychometric data on sensitivity, reliability, and construct validity are…

The research of the Biology component of the Teacher Assessment Project (BioTAP) of Stanford (California) University is described. BioTAP uses portfolio development as an important aspect of teacher assessment. Advantages and drawbacks of teacher portfolios are discussed, including issues of validity and reliability. (SLD)

The development and preliminary testing of a six-item scale to assess risk taking among young adolescents are described. Test construction was based on information provided by eighth graders. The measure, used in a longitudinal study of 758 eighth through tenth graders from 3 rural counties in Maryland, showed good reliability. (SLD)

Presents four studies using a criterion measure of political activity to compare overall (locus of control), political, and situation-specific believed efficacy. Reports that the more situation specific the feelings of efficacy, the greater the predictability of political behavior. Concludes that even situation-specific efficacy did not predict…

The study assessed the cross-cultural validity of the Thematic Apperception Test (TAT) as a gauge of motivation to succeed (as proposed in Atkinson's model of motivation) with 45 Hong Kong students. Although doubts about the TAT's validity were found to be unjustified, the question of whether the test captures the need to achieve remains.…

Statistical methods for program evaluation with nonexperimental data are reviewed with emphasis on circumstances in which nonexperimental data are valid. Three solutions are proposed for problems of selection bias, and implications for evaluation design and data collection and analysis are discussed. (SLD)

Thirty-six testwise and 41 test-naive high school seniors in British Columbia (Canada) were tested to determine their abilities to apply selected test wiseness principles according to a proposed model of test-taking behavior. To apply the testwiseness strategy, students first needed knowledge of the content tested and test item content. (SLD)

Measurement properties of two response formats (bipolar and unipolar ratings) in personality assessment were compared using data from 135 college students taking the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI). Factorial validity and construct validity of the MBTI were supported. Reasons why the bipolar method is preferable are discussed. (SLD)

A set of instruments designed to measure generalizable interpersonal relations skills was validated with students in Illinois area vocational centers. The instruments developed possess a relatively high degree of content and face validity and moderate to high internal consistency and test-retest reliability. (JOW)

Two pilot tests with fifth and sixth graders evaluated the Secondary School Admission Test for identifying academically talented students of elementary school age. Testing indicated that mean scores for eighth and ninth grade normative samples are recommended as cutoffs for identifying highly able fifth and sixth grade students. (Author/JDD)

This paper examines the evidence for two explanatory propositions for the striking similarity found between verbal descriptions of the written language of deaf students and descriptions of their personalities. The proposition that language difficulties invalidate the diagnostic process for deaf students is supported. (Author/DB)

Discusses the extent to which violence can be accurately predicted, suggesting interventions, control, and remediation. The educator's role in reducing violence includes dealing with the school, parents, media, and community. Educators need conflict resolution skills for defusing aggression and establishing better relations. (SM)

Dismissing research that is not theory driven, hypothesis testing, or generalization producing does injustice to the variety of contributions that qualitative research can make. Studies conducted through qualitative approaches are reviewed to summarize the desirable outcomes that can result. No research model has a monopoly on quality. (SLD)