A study investigating possible sex bias, concerning both student and standardized-patient genders, in an objective structured clinical examination found that neither men nor women were afforded an advantage by patient or test location. However, women's scores on tests administered by females were higher than corresponding men's scores. (MSE)

The Walker/Severson Systematic Screening for Behavior Disorders measure was revised for use with preschool children. The revision consists of three hierarchical stages of increasingly time-consuming methodologies: (1) teacher rankings, (2) teacher ratings, and (3) direct behavioral observations. Testing with 121 children demonstrated significant…

Evaluation of the Child Dissociative Checklist found it to be a reliable and valid observer report measure of dissociation in children, including sexually abused girls and children with dissociative disorder and with multiple personality disorder. The checklist, which is appended, is intended as a clinical screening instrument and research measure…

Portfolio assessment can be a valuable tool in assessing professional proficiency in teachers if appropriate attention is given to issues of reliability and validity. The Teaching Assessment Project at Stanford University has explored portfolios as an alternative to traditional methods of teacher evaluation. (IAH)

A study tested the validity of the Diagnostic Assessment for the Severely Handicapped-II (DASH-II) for determining the presence of mania (bipolar disorder) in 22 individuals with severe mental retardation. Results found the mania subscale to be internally consistent and able to be used to classify manic and control subjects accurately. (Author/CR)

The criticisms of the reading literacy study conducted by the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA) are addressed. It is argued that the IEA literacy survey met requirements for valid international comparisons, and that its rank order of nations is fair. (SLD)

Provides psychometric information on the second edition of the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-II) (A. Beck, R. Steer, and G. Brown, 1996) for internal consistency, factorial validity, and gender differences. Results indicate that the BDI-II is a stronger instrument than its predecessor in terms of factor structure. (SLD)

Hearing in Noise Test (HINT) list equivalency was examined using 24 listeners (ages 60 to 70) with sensorineural hearing impairments. Four speech conditions were tested, including a quiet condition and three noise conditions. Results found that for the three noise conditions, all lists were within 2dB of the means, indicating list equivalency.…

A study administered the Matson Evaluation of Social Skills for Individuals with Severe Retardation (MESSIER) and the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales (VABS) to 892 individuals with severe mental retardation residing in a residential state facility. Significant positive correlations were found between corresponding MESSIER subscales and VABS…

The validity of the Clinical Evaluation of Language Fundamentals (Third Edition) for identification and description of language disorders following brain injury was evaluated in 11 adolescents with traumatic brain injury. In general, the measure identified only those individuals who had previously been diagnosed as language impaired, not those…

Student ratings of instruction measure general instructional skill, give a composite of delivering instruction, facilitate interactions, and evaluate student learning. A meta-analysis of the multisection validity studies indicates student ratings are moderately valid, but affected by administrative, instructor, and course characteristics. (MMU)

A study involving 120 school-aged children that investigated the concurrent validity of measures of written language found that the Wechsler Individual Achievement Test Written Expression subtest correlates moderately with the Written Expression subtest of the Peabody Individual Achievement Test-Revised and the Spontaneous Writing Quotient of the…

A study involving 27 elementary children with hearing impairments indicated positive, moderate correlation between the Test of Nonverbal Intelligence, 2nd edition, (TONI-2) IQ, and the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children, 3rd edition, Performance IQ that supported concurrent validity. The TONI-2 had predictive value for Stanford Achievement…

This study examined the validity and reliability of the Pre-school Behaviour Checklist (PBCL) for Turkish nursery school children. Data were obtained from 902 children, 24 to 82 months old, attending state or private nursery schools. Findings suggested that the PBCL has psychometric properties comparable to the British sample and could be used…

Describes the development of "The Behavioral and Emotional Rating Scale: A Strength-Based Approach to Assessment" for use with children with special needs. Reports on several pilot studies conducted to establish the scale's validity prior to the scale being normed on a nationally representative sample. These studies addressed content…