This study assessed the psychometric properties of the Environmental Rating Scale, a measure specifically designed to assess residential treatment programs for individuals with autism. The measure's reliability was demonstrated by assessments of the internal consistency, stability, and interrater reliability. Preliminary analysis of validity…

The Malcolm Baldridge National Quality Award (MBNQA) framework for defining organizational quality is widely accepted in for-profit organizations. A study examined the validity of the proposed relationships among MBNQA dimensions using data from higher education. The empirical results help identify a modified model that has implications for…

Examined validity of use of human figure drawing to evaluate cognitive development status using Piagetian tasks with 7- to 11-year-olds. Found that scores for children's drawings of a man and a woman correlated significantly with mental imaging, conservation of mass, and conservation of length, suggesting the possibility of finding patterns to…

Investigates the role of academic self-esteem and academic performance in 208 U. S. college students' perceptions of the validity of their grades. Data collected through a questionnaire. Finds that regardless of self-esteem, the students with higher GPAs saw grades as more valid. This finding is in accordance with weak forms of self-enhancement…

Reviews research literature on comparability issues in computerized adaptive testing (CAT) and synthesizes issues specific to comparability and test security. Develops a framework for evaluating comparability that contains three categories of criteria: (1) validity; (2) psychometric property/reliability; and (3) statistical assumption/test…

Examines one aspect of the many interfaces between second language (L2) learning and L2 testing. The aspect is the oral interaction--the dialogue--that occurs within small groups. Discusses from within a sociocultural theory of mind, that in a group, performance is jointly constructed and distributed across the participants. (Author/VWL)

Describes a team-based approach for creating Sentence Verification Technique (SVT) tests, a development procedure that allows teachers and other school personnel to develop comprehension tests from curriculum materials in use in their schools. Finds that if tests are based on materials that are appropriate for the population to be tested, the…

Provides an in-class activity that enables students in research methods to learn about survey design and multiple regression. Explains that the students developed questionnaires in order to generate five items, as set in a multiple regression equation, that would best predict a particular outcome. Discusses benefits and drawbacks. (CMK)

Describes a study involving 1,343 community college students, which examined the relationships between the Cultural Literacy Test (CLT), developed by E.D. Hirsch, and several academic factors: grade point average and first-semester grades in remedial and regular English, history, and government courses. Emphasizes the clinical usefulness of the…

Because educators have unrealistic expectations about tests, they use them inappropriately and draw inaccurate conclusions from results. This article debunks five myths about test-score comparisons: valid measurement of school quality; declining international competitiveness; "fixing" schools with more tests; development of new, improved…

Investigates whether a videotape designed to reduce public speaking apprehension (PSA) could be used to help at-risk students cope with PSA. Finds that the videotape condition was associated with lower levels of trait communication apprehension, state communication apprehension, and negative thinking than the placebo and control conditions. (SR)

In an engineering technology course at Coventry University (England), the utility of computer-assisted tests was compared with that of traditional paper-based tests. It was found that the computer-based technique was acceptable to students, produced valid results, and demonstrated potential for saving staff time. (Author/MSE)

To test the validity of brief measures of intelligence and explore how well these instruments relate to academic performance, the WPPSI-R, the Kaufman Brief Intelligence Scale, Draw-A-Person: Quantitative Scoring System, and the K-ABC Achievement Scale were administered to 50 kindergarten and first-grade children. Results indicated all measures…

This study found that Nottingham Adjustment Scale items on acceptance of sight loss and attitudes toward blindness were free of response bias. Respondents (n=559) who were given only negative items disagreed significantly more with them than did those given mixed positive and negative statements. Respondents with poor emotional adjustment were…

Two case studies examined the utility of curriculum-based measurement of math and reading for evaluating the effects of methylphenidate on the academic performance of two students diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Results suggest that the curriculum-based measures were sensitive indicators of the students' responses to the…