Reliability and construct and criterion-related validity of scores on the Disruptive Behavior Rating Scale--Teacher Version were studied with 151 teachers of 1,766 elementary school students and 30 teachers of 131 students. Factor analysis confirmed a four-factor structure. Results support the measure's internal consistency and convergent…

This study of 54 individuals with head injuries compares a commonly used measure of physical disability, the Barthel Index, with three measures designed to assess intellectual functioning, communication, behavior, and mobility. The results indicate support for using scales other than the Barthel Index when describing disability following traumatic…

Four posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) scales were compared in a community sample of 330 former prisoners of war and World War II combat veterans. The Mississippi Scale for Combat-Related PTSD, the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2, and the Impact of Event Scale demonstrated moderate relationships with PTSD. (SLD)

Criterion validity of the Sexual and Physical Abuse Questionnaire was investigated in 134 psychiatric patients using the Structured Trauma Interview. The measures of agreement and the predictive measures of the questionnaire were satisfactory, particularly with sexual abuse. Positive answering increased odds for sexual abuse by a factor of…

Presents the design and validation of an English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) test for a commercial publisher. (Author/VWL)

Examined the validity and generalizability of the use of Teacher Work Samples to assess the ability of preservice teachers and inservice teachers to meet national and state teaching standards and to make an impact on the learning of their students. Results of the study, which involved 132 work samples, show initial support for teacher work sample…

This article critically analyzes research investigating the use of antecedent events in the functional assessment process, with an emphasis on interventions conducted in natural settings. An analysis of 17 articles found that research on antecedent-based interventions lacks a consistent conceptual framework. Suggestions for future research are…

Outlines a framework for considering the validity of standards-based score interpretations and then considers the potential roles of different stakeholder groups and other participants in that process. Suggests study of a new standard-setting method, the "briefing book," which would describe alternative cut scores. (SLD)

Investigates the psychometric properties of a Spanish and English version of the Penn Interactive Peer Play Scale (PIPPS) when employed with Spanish- and English-speaking teachers and students. The independent emergence of comparable Spanish and English PIPPS factor structures provides initial support for use of this measure in research with…

Examines what teachers learn about the role of assessments in instruction through designing and using their own curriculum- embedded assessment, noting how the development of teachers' understanding of assessment for instructional purposes supports and conflicts with use of assessment data for reporting and accountability purposes. The paper…

Validated a parent-based assessment of cognitive abilities of 3-year-olds, the Parent Report of Children's Abilities for 3s (PARCA3), against a standard tester-administered measure, the McCarthy Scales of Children's Abilities, and a vocabulary checklist. Found that PARCA3 parent report and parent-administered components significantly related to…

A study examined the validity of the Gilliam Autism Rating Scale (GARS) with 119 children (ages 3-10) with strict DSM-IV (Diagnostic Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-IV) diagnoses of autism. The GARS consistently underestimated the likelihood that children would be classified as having autism. Limitations of ratings scales and of the GARS…

Describes the development and validation of the 30-item Computer User Self-Efficacy (CUSE) Scale, a copy of which is appended. Topics include social cognitive theory; experience and computer self-efficacy; gender differences; and the measurement of computer self-efficacy in student computer users and its relevance to learning in higher education.…

Developed and tested the psychometric properties of the 38-item Self Description Questionnaire for Preschoolers. Found that the scale was reliable for young children, first-order and higher order confirmatory factor analysis models fit the data, and factor correlations were mostly moderate. Achievement test scores correlated moderately with…

The validity of a dynamic assessment interview approach to the measurement of metacomponential (executive level) cognitive processing in 48 children aged 8 to 9 years was studied. The interview instrument apparently measured both content knowledge and metacomponential processing. Implications for study of young children's cognition are discussed.…