Discussion in support of the all-day kindergarten is provided in this pamphlet. Following an introductory description of program rationale, the first section outlines the arguments for and against all-day kindergarten programs. Various research in support of such programs is cited in the second section. The third section reports the commitment in…

This study investigated whether the Developmental Indicators for the Assessment of Learning-Revised (DIAL-R) norms, established with American children, are applicable to a Canadian population. Based on an early childhood model which incorporates ecological validity as well as predictive validity, the DIAL-R assesses three areas: motor, concepts…

Underlying structure of the Basic Achievement Skills Individual Screener (BASIS) and the Kaufman Test of Educational Achievement (K-TEA) were investigated using canonical correlation. Both are individually administered placement and screening instruments currently in use in many school systems that measure achievement in mathematics, reading, and…

This manual for district and school health personnel contains guidelines to facilitate the planning and implementation of vision screening programs in California public schools so that all students may benefit from optimal use of their sense of sight. The major program objectives, the legal basis, minimum requirements, and authorized personnel are…

Literature on psychological characteristics of abusive families suggests that psychometric assessments can be developed to screen parents for abusiveness. Advocates of primary prevention of child abuse have encouraged the development of such perinatal screening devices. However, social values define abusiveness, making its assessment especially…

Replicating a 1978 study of methods of setting cut-off scores in standardized tests for student placement, the Rasch model was used to estimate ability levels and item difficulty for use in determining the probability of course success. Community college students were administered the New Jersey College Basic Skills Placement Tests and items were…

The Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) is the most widely used personality assessment instrument in law enforcement agencies today. Race-related differences on MMPI validity and clinical scales have been the subject of much debate and research in recent years. Male correction officer candidates (N=395) of white, Black and Hispanic…

Northern Kentucky University has implemented a proficiency testing program to screen candidates for admission to the teacher education program. When students are at the sophomore level, four tests are administered: (1) reading proficiency, measured by the Iowa Silent Reading Test; (2) writing proficiency; (3) speech and listening proficiency; and…

A longitudinal study of educational variables and drug use was conducted by interview with 635 young Puerto Rican adults. Half had been selected as representing a "high risk" population, half a "normal risk" population. Correlational analyses revealed that the use of all drugs was associated with a negative attitude toward…

The directory includes descriptions of over 130 developmental screening instruments for preschool and elementary aged children. The first section provides background regarding the development and use of screening programs, including the legal and social implications of screening. The second section discusses the criteria (administration,…

A longitudinal study was conducted in three Maryland counties to determine the predictive validity of the Maryland Systematic Teacher Observation Instrument (MSTOI) and other initial assessment instruments as screening devices to identify kindergarten children with potential reading and/or learning difficulties. The MSTOI was also examined to…

Data from a statewide screening of Tennessee Head Start children on the Developmental Test of Visual-Motor Integration (VMI) are analyzed in this report for two purposes: to determine whether sex, race, and residence have a significant influence on visual motor development as measured by the VMI, and to develop VMI norms for the Tennessee Head…

The study examined the process by which diagnostic data on children thought to have learning disabilities (LD) are generated and used. Emphasis was placed on the validity of test instruments in common use in the field. Since part of the practical validity of any instrument used to identify an LD child rests on the validity of the LD construct…

Questions are addressed pertaining to the Language Assessment Battery (LAB), currently the only single battery that meets all of the state of Connecticut criteria for an instrument to determine which pupils must be offered bilingual education. Normed on an English dominant population, the primary purpose was to obtain its psychometric…

The third of four documents reviews research on assessment in three domains (receptive language skills, expressive language skills, and perceptual and cognitive processes) as the most likely to predict subsequent language development of young children who have yet to speak their first word. Section II focuses on assessment of hearing sensitivity…