Teachers' ratings, especially the peer relations measure, far surpassed other data sources in predicting general adult mental status. Mothers and sons closely agree on sons' adult behavior. One teacher-rated item, "fails to get along with other children," was closely associated with adult behaviors. (Author/CP)

A 22-item instrument (My Classmates) was developed to measure fifth-sixth graders' perceptions of their peer relationships, and administered to 621 students. The instrument's reliability and validity were supported. Group membership was found to be related to certain student characteristics. (The questionnaire is appended). (GDC)

Examined are questions pertinent to the use of the Position Analysis Questionnaire: Who can use the PAQ reliably and validly? Must one rely on trained job analysts? Can people having no direct contact with the job use the PAQ reliably and validly? Do response biases influence PAQ responses? (Author/KC)

Addresses problems involved in developing and using performance tests, creating job-like testing situations, specifying measurable criteria, and controlling external factors to reduce problems of test reliability. Placing trainees in on-the-job training environments when training cannot be provided in the classroom or laboratory is recommended.…

Selective admissions may become an archaic notion for undergraduate institutions due to intensified competition for enrollments and a marketing mentality in recruiting students. It is likely that technical development of tests will continue on an incremental basis as testing agencies try to meet public criteria of fairness and credibility. (FG)

Discusses computer assisted instruction programs that deal with the specific area of the modeling of systems and the programing techniques that affect their educational value. An environment intended to increase the impact of interactive CAI is described and developed. (Author/CHC)

Presents a questionnaire which can be used by teachers to assess individual differences in the social behavior of nursery school children. Evidence for the instrument's reliability and validity is included. (CM)

Criticizes the revised examination for the English Certificate, Oral Section, on these points: validity and reliability of the examination forms, and claims of authenticity, range, and accuracy in evaluation of language competence in the section called "Everyday Situations." (IFS/WGA)

Generalizability theory was used to study the occurrence and generalizability of classroom interaction measures. Results indicated infrequent occurrence and lack of generalizability of many behaviors of the Brophy-Good Teacher-Child Dyadic Interaction System. (JKS)

Student ratings on general, broad questionnaires about instructors are shown to lack validity to the extent that the ratings can be predicted from irrelevant characteristics, such as characteristics that belong to the student, the particular class, or interactions of the student and the class. (Author/JKS)

The Image of Science and Scientists Scale was developed to assess high school students' attitudes toward science as a field of study. Reliability and three types of validity evidence are reported for the scale. (Author)

Examines school psychologists' (N=339) rated acceptability of two approaches to assessing emotional and behavior problems and provides a large-scale validation of an instrument designed to evaluate assessment acceptability. Results indicate significant differences between assessment methods and ratings of acceptability: behavioral assessments were…

The practice of cognitive referencing to determine the presence of a specific language impairment (SLI) and eligibility for services is questioned by a study which compared the variability of the IQ scores of children with specific language impairment over time. The study found high IQ variability, suggesting that IQs reflect current abilities…

An authority on student assessment says the ability of public schools to meet federal expectations will depend on the instructional sensitivity of the tests in use. Offers a six-step blueprint for carrying out a public-information campaign about NCLB tests. Lists websites for two reports by five national education associations on instructionally…

Examines claims that unconscious second language learning under implicit and incidental conditions is insensitive to measures of individual differences in cognitive abilities, in contrast to learning under conscious rule-search and instructed conditions. Findings revealed that only in the incidental condition was the extent of learning and…