The Structured Photographic Expressive Language Test-Preschool was compared to an author-developed structured task activity in determining the grammatical ability of 20 Spanish-speaking preschoolers. The structured task activity was a better means for obtaining information concerning the preschoolers' productive knowledge of grammatical forms. (CR)

Fifty adults (ages 28-86) with macular degeneration were given the Low Vision Reading Comprehension Assessment (LVRCA) to test its reliability and validity in evaluating the reading comprehension of those with vision impairments. The LVRCA was found to take only nine minutes to administer and was a valid and reliable tool. (CR)

Defines parental tolerance for misbehavior and provides reliability and validity data for two newly developed parent report measures of tolerance, the Child Rearing Inventory (CRI) and the Annoying Behavior Inventory (ABI). Data were collected from 262 primary caretakers of children ages 3 to 10. Results provide preliminary evidence of good…

An 18-item "Shortened Visuospatial Questionnaire" (SVS) was validated twice, first by verifying that children (ages 8-13) identified with the SVS questionnaire as having visuospatial learning disability (VSLD) (n=54) actually showed visuospatial deficits on psychometric evaluation, and second, by rating with the SVS a clinically identified…

A study of 20 children (ages 3-6) with autism and 20 children with pervasive developmental disorders (PDD) examined the validity of a Dutch version of the revised Psychoeducational Profile (PEP-R). No differences were found on the PEP-R developmental subscales, but on the pathology subscales children with autism showed more severe behavior than…

It is argued that consequences are a logical part of the evaluation of test use, which has been an accepted part of test validity for several decades. The examination of effects following from test use is essential in evaluating test validity and not merely the domain of policymakers and politicians. (SLD)

It is argued that consequential validity is a concept worth considering. The solution to defining "validity" is not to narrow the concept, but to allow for the differential prediction provided by tests in different circumstances. Consequences of the uses and interpretations of test scores are central to their evaluation. (SLD)

Examined the Test of Written Expression's (TOWE) ability to identify students with various problems. Reviews indicate that the test is reliable in internal consistency, stability, and rater variance. All tests of writing, though, correlate poorly with intelligence tests. Some complications accompany the administration and scoring of the TOWE. (RJM)

Hirsch's Cultural Literacy Test was completed by 200 undergraduates. Subjects who scored highest had higher grade point averages and Scholastic Assessment Test scores. Results for minorities were inconsistent and based on small samples. Effectiveness of the test for adult literacy students remains unproven. (SK)

Used two investigations to assess competing interpretations of a racial identity measure. A meta analysis suggested that the measure's structure is less complex than the theory it is assumed to measure. Confirmatory analysis of two data sets likewise revealed that scale structure found in the data are more parsimonious than those suggested by…

Used three studies to examine a diagnostic questionnaire's psychometric properties. Results strongly supported the psychometric properties of the tool. Convergent validity and criterion validity were both supported by meaningful correspondences, and incremental validity was also supported in that the tool yielded more accurate diagnoses when…

Explored the concurrent validity of two measures given to students with disabilities who underwent special education assessment. Three years after tests were administered to 44 adolescents, correlations among the total and the subscale scores of these measures were high and statistically significant, excluding the difference between a verbal…

Discusses the use of the Test of Written Language (3rd ed.) in assessing the writing ability of students with significant hearing losses. Reviews the test's format, administration, scoring, standardization and norming. Evaluates the test's reliability and validity as a screening tool for determining student strengths and weaknesses. (CR)

Examined the use of eye-gaze as a response mode so as to determine whether changes in response modes altered test scores. Testing of 80 children, ages 8-12, revealed no significant difference in response modes, meaning that eye-gaze can be an acceptable response mode for students with severe motor and language disabilities. (RJM)

Two convergent validity studies of the Behavioral and Emotional Rating Scale (BERS) were conducted with primary students. It was compared to the Systematic Screening for Behavior Disorders and the Scale for Assessing Emotional Disturbance. The BERS demonstrated adequate convergent validity and is recommended for identifying students with special…