One reason the fear of success (FOS) literature is confusing and contradictory is because the FOS construct is not being reliably measured across studies. Current scoring guidelines are insufficient for ensuring the reliable measurement of this construct. (RC)

Discusses the use of student-generated rubrics in science classes where students design their own laboratory activities to solve open-ended problems. Promotes careful consideration of what constitutes open-ended work. Presents certain rubrics and grading criteria. (JRH)

A new qualitative scoring system for the Rey Visual Memory Test was tested for its ability to distinguish between malingerers and nonmalingerers. The new system, based on the types of errors made, was able to distinguish between 53 psychiatrically disabled and 64 normal nonmalingerers, and between nonmalingerers and 91 possible malingerers. (SLD)

Investigates the developmental, gender, and practical considerations surrounding three categories of Curriculum Based Management written language scoring indices. With only one exception, older students outperformed younger students on all of the scoring indices. Although at the middle school level students' levels of writing fluency and writing…

Notes that handwriting achievement can be assessed in degrees from being legible to being illegible. Suggests that a rubric, carefully developed and designed, may well be used to ascertain the quality of handwriting achievement. Gives a brief history of handwriting instruction. Presents 10 points for teachers to follow when teaching handwriting.…

Problems inherent in setting standards/passing scores for criterion-referenced tests are discussed; and traditional methods of setting standards are reviewed. Three acceptable methods based on judgments of questions are discussed; their authors include, respectively: (1) W. H. Angoff (1971); (2) R. L. Ebel (1972); and (3) L. Nedelsky (1954). (SLD)

Investigated examiner errors on 46 protocols completed by certified and/or licensed clinical and school psychologists. Findings showed that nearly 83 percent of the protocols contained at least one error, about one-half containing errors that resulted in an incorrect Mental Processing Composite Global score and/or Achievement Global score.…

The study evaluated speed as a factor in Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Revised performance with 66 high scoring and 36 average scoring children (ages 3-15 years). Results cast doubt on the utility of speed bonuses in tests of general intelligence with gifted children. (Author/DB)

Comparison of scores on the Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children and the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Revised of 67 students (ages 6-12) referred for possible learning disabilities found strong relationships among all the global standard scores on both instruments with different score patterns for those with severe disabilities.…

Responses to a 50-item, 4-choice test were simulated for 1,000 examinees under conventional formula-scoring instructions. Based on 192 simulation runs, formula scores and expected formula scores were determined for each examinee allowing and not allowing for inappropriate omissions. (TJH)

Describes an expert panel member's experiences in working with Educational Testing Service to redesign the scoring for the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards Early Adolescence/English Language Arts Assessment. Maintains that a less mechanistic and more valid scoring system could have been developed if criticism and open discussion…

Analyzed 56 Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Revised protocols completed by 1 certified and 8 licensed practitioners to examine administration and scoring mistakes. Observed numerous mistakes (failure to record examinee responses, assigning too few or too many points to answers, inappropriate questioning, and failure to obtain correct…

A model for the age standardization of test scores is presented, which is fitted to the percentile points of the raw score distribution and assumes a linear trend of each percentile with age. The model's applications in standardizing tests and diagnostic plots produced by a computer program--STANEW--are described. (SLD)

The concept of information functions developed for dichotomous item response models is adapted for the partial credit model, and the information function is used to investigate collapsing and recoding categories of polytomously scored items from the National Assessment of Educational Progress. (SLD)

Predictive validity, generally taken to be the prime validity that occupationally normed interest inventories should demonstrate, is dependent on the capacity of an instrument to differentiate between occupations. A comparison of two methods of differentiation shows that a method using proportions of each occupational group to assign item-scoring…