This survey of 40 northeast state universities and colleges found that criteria used by admission personnel to determine the eligibility of undergraduate applicants with learning disabilities are similar to those employed for applicants without learning disabilities. Criteria differ significantly among institutions, and admission personnel do not…

A total of 102 university English majors were administered 4 different language tests to form a General Language Proficiency measure against which the C-test was evaluated. Results confirmed its reliability and validity and also provided data on text difficulty/appropriateness, word structure, content, and different scoring methods. (13…

Mother and peer assessments of preschoolers' behavior were compared to teachers' responses on a preschool behavior questionnaire with three components. The disruptive component was highly correlated with peer assessments, and moderately correlated with mother assessments; the prosocial and anxious components were moderately correlated with mother…

This study of 640 twins with reading disability and 436 controls (mean age 12) examined external validity of the distinction between specific reading retardation and reading backwardness, in 3 domains: genetic etiology, sex ratio and clinical correlates, and neuropsychological profiles. There was no evidence of differential genetic etiology of the…

Whether the external validity of the Personality Inventory for Children (PIC) was moderated by age, sex, or race was studied using 1,333 children and adolescents referred for mental health services. Race and sex generally did not moderate the relation of PIC scales to symptom checklists. Some relationships were age modified. (SLD)

Normative data for the Wechsler Memory Scale-Revised were derived empirically using a sample of 50 volunteers between 25 and 34 years of age, who matched U.S. Census data on demographic characteristics. Differences between these empirical norms and published norms that were estimated statistically appear clinically significant. (SLD)

The Transition Competence Battery for Deaf Adolescents and Young Adults (TCB) measures employment and independent living skills. The TCB was standardized on students (N from 180 to 230 for the different subtests) from both mainstreamed and residential settings. Item statistics and subtest reliabilities were adequate; evidence of construct validity…

Teacher ratings on the Aberrant Behavior Checklist were collected on 666 students with mental retardation attending special classes. Classroom placement and age had significant effects on subscale scores, whereas sex failed to affect ratings. The study concludes that the original scoring method, developed for individuals in residential facilities,…

Presents a study comparing two measures of general education outcomes, focusing on the validity of these instruments as measures of program effectiveness. Challenges the perceived advantages of standardized testing as measures of general education outcomes, recommending qualitative, institution-specific approaches relying on student and faculty…

Examined 6 widely used grade-8 standardized tests for content, required processes, and level to determine their alignment with the 5-8 NCTM "Curriculum and Evaluation Standards." Concluded that these tests inadequately covered the 5-8 standards. A follow-up study examined items from newly developed and foreign tests to demonstrate the…

Different methods of measuring print experience were studied for 63 fifth graders who completed daily activity diaries. Book reading time estimate was correlated with new measures of reading time that use a checklist. Results support recognition checklist measures as convenient proxy indicators of children's print exposure. (SLD)

A study evaluated the feasibility of an objective structured clinical examination to assess the competence of foreign medical school graduates, clinical clerks, and interns to address clinical ethical situations. The University of Toronto's experience with the measure found it useful but in need of improvement. (MSE)

High-stakes state-mandated testing programs are discussed, illustrating that proposed educational innovations are adopted because of their power as symbols of value orientations in the wider culture. In such programs, tests represent order and control, focus on important outcomes, and symbolize basic moral values. (SLD)

A summary is provided of a large-scale needs assessment research project in Colorado that tested the validity of several statistical procedures or models for indirectly estimating the need for alcohol, drug abuse, and mental health services across geographic subregions using a Colorado Social Health Survey sample of 4,745 adults. (SLD)

Three systems of class ranking (grades, test scores, and clinical performance evaluations) are compared, using 124 residents graduated from medical school. All three systems showed modest correlations with performance in residency, but clinical performance measures were most predictive. Reliable and valid deans' letters of recommendation could be…