Presents a refined method for designing a valid and reliable Likert-type scale to test attitudes toward the generation of electricity from nuclear energy. Discusses various tests of validity that were used on the nuclear energy scale. Reports results of administration and concludes that the test is both reliable and valid. (CW)

News media reports about Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) scores and trends have drawn or suggested conclusions about the quality of schools, teachers, and colleges that are neither supported by evidence from the test itself nor consistent with its nature and purpose. (MSE)

Describes the development and preliminary validation of the Computer Attitudes Scale (CAS), which is designed to provide researchers and educators with a way of assessing some basic student attitudes about computer usage. (MBR)

Using both the Behaviorally Anchored Rating Scales (BARS) and the Purdue University Scales, 727 undergraduates rated 32 instructors. The BARS had less halo effect, more leniency error, and lower interrater reliability. Both formats were valid. The two tests did not differ in rate discrimination or susceptibility to rating bias. (Author/GDC)

Argues in defense of Rubin's CCAI, that Powell and Avila's study did not use adequate controls to assess the instrument's reliability. Asserts that their study simply discovered differences in communication competence among ethnic groups. (MS)

A survey of institutions concerning their reporting of data on the Higher Education General Information Survey and specifically examining the differences in definitions and calculations among reporting institutions, confirmed suspected problems of comparability of information. The impact of these differences on data interpretation is discussed.…

The proposed theory provides a basis for both measuring and correcting rater stringency error in some grossly incomplete rating data matrices. The theoretical model fits ratings made by faculty and resident physicians of student clinical performance in each of three junior year medical student cohorts better than alternative models. (Author)

The nature and quality of adolescents' (n=213) attachments to peers and parents were assessed. The relative influence on measures of self-esteem and life satisfaction of relations with peers and with parents was investigated in a hierarchical regression model. (Author/PN)

Describes the development of the Secondary Level English Proficiency (SLEP) Test specifications and the performance of each item type during administration of the test in other countries. Innovative formats such as multiple-choice cloze and multiple-choice dictation are discussed and described. In addition, the findings of a validity study…

Building capacity within schools and districts for continuous improvement is a goal of educators at all levels across the United States of America. An important first step in capacity building is identifying schools' current strengths and weaknesses. Schools can then begin building upon existing strengths to implement improvement initiatives.…

This document is a summary of the findings of an extensive review by the Education Commission of the States (ECS) of empirical research on the effectiveness of current approaches to licensing and certifying teachers. The research review focused on eight questions (and several subquestions) that are of particular interest and concern to policy and…

Year-to-year rater variation may result in constructed response (CR) parameter changes, making CR items inappropriate to use in anchor sets for linking or equating. This study demonstrates how rater severity affected the writing and reading scores. Rater adjustments were made to statewide results using an item response theory (IRT) methodology…

Ensuring that language tests for adult English language learners are appropriate, valid, and reliable is a challenge. Performance-based assessments are complex to develop and implement. Yet, because the focus of assessment, both in the National Reporting System for Adult Education (NRS) descriptors and in the Department of Education's definition…

The paper initially describes the sources of uncertainty in National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) data and standard errors. As NAEP sample sizes have increased, greater precision has been attained by the program. For this reason, exclusion effects are increasingly important. Two scenarios of revised NAEP results are presented (for New…

To find ways to improve rater reliability of a tape-mediated speaking test for Japanese university students of English as a Second Language, two studies gathered information on: how raters actually made their choices on rating sheets of students' speaking ability; determined what criteria teachers think they use and actually use in rating…