Factor analysis of the Childhood Autism Rating Scale found three factors: (1) social impairment, (2) negative emotionality, and (3) distorted sensory response. Subjects with autism were distinguished from subjects with either pervasive or nonpervasive developmental disorders by higher scores on social impairment. Negative emotionality was most…

Interset and set-to-total correlations for the California Card Sorting Test were studied for 135 college students and 63 elementary school students. Although subsets were not equivalent, the generally good correlations between subset and total test scores indicated that use of the individual subsets as short forms is justified. (SLD)

Original data and other studies using the Positive Automatic Thoughts Questionnaire (ATP-Q) show that the reliability and norms of the instrument appear stable and that the ATP-Q is inversely associated with negative affective states but unrelated to conditions such as medical condition not accompanied by psychological distress. (SLD)

The issue of state-imposed standards and high-stakes tests for graduation and promotion has polarized communities and school boards. Lawsuits have arisen in Texas, Louisiana, Arizona, Indiana, and California. Although opinion polls still strongly support standards and accountability, a backlash is spreading in some districts. (MLH)

Applies four measures of disparate impact (four-fifths rule, Hazelwood rule, Shoben rule, and rule of practical significance) to Texas Assessment of Academic Skills (TAAS) performance data for racial/ethnic groups. Compares findings to data on school quality and math course completion by racial/ethnic group. (Contains 21 references.) (SV)

Analyzed the surveys completed by 9,765 students from the Davis County, Utah, School District to determine patterns of response. Item analysis suggested that students responded with reliability and validity. Some items were more defensible than others for conceptual and empirical reasons. (Author/SLD)

States that French authorities refused to make International Adult Literacy Survey results public, citing methodological flaws, the need for better procedural precautions, and a more adequate notion of literacy. Presents a synthesis of the counter investigations demanded by French authorities that justify their doubts on the IALS definitions and…

Familiarizes test users with issues to consider when employing assessments for screening and admission purposes. Examines the purpose, content, and scoring methods of three English-as-a-Second-Language admissions tests--the Cambridge certificate exams, International English Language Teaching System, and Test of English as a Foreign…

Constructed and tested for validity the Developmental Rating Scale (DRS), which uses teacher judgments about the academic development of children to evaluate student achievement. Teachers evaluated children at the pre-kindergarten, first-, and second-grade levels using the DRS and the Developmental Profile II (DPII). Found that the DRS, unlike the…

This article describes two developmental assessment instruments used by teachers working with students with autism: the Psychoeducational Profile-Revised (PEP-R) and the Adolescent and Adult Psychoeducational Profile. Information is provided on administrator qualifications, item administration, scoring, reliability, and validity. One teacher's use…

Developed the Postgraduate Research Experience Questionnaire (PREQ) to measure the extent to which Australian Ph.D. and postgraduate students are satisfied with their research supervision. Evaluated the usefulness of these student evaluations for benchmarking across universities and disciplines. Found that the evaluations did not vary…

The predictive validity of active responding on a computer-based groupware system was examined with 48 second graders. Results showed that active responding correlated highly with initial and final performance measures and that active responding contributed significantly to predicting final performance when initial performance was controlled.…

Examined psychometric properties of Adolescent Risk-Taking Questionnaire, using 11- to 18-year-olds. Found that the four-factor risk structure was substantiated via confirmatory factor analysis. One week test-retest and internal consistency indices were sound. Older adolescents and boys perceived less risk and reported more risky behaviors than…

A study of 27 employees of an agency that provides services to persons with developmental disabilities investigated using the six-item Guttman scale, based on the Levels of Use framework, for monitoring the adoption and implementation of person-centered planning and other supports-oriented programs. High scores indicated likelihood of…

Investigates the reliability and validity of the Bentley Measures of Musical Abilities (BMMA) for predicting musical achievement of students entering the Conservatory Alberto Ginastera (Argentina) by measuring the students improvement over the first four-month term. Encourages the use of the BMMA as a means to evaluating the entering students…