The Hand Test was administered to 30 male and 10 female eighth- to tenth-grade students transferred to an alternative school for acting-out behavior. When retested 21 days later, responses were significantly consistent supporting the reliability of the Hand Test variables related to acting-out behavioral tendencies. (Author/CM)

The outcomes of two scoring methods (one based on an error analysis and the second on a conventional method) on free-response tests, compared in terms of reliability and dimensionality, indicates the conventional method is inferior in both aspects. (Author/PN)

Compared the interrater reliability of the Torrance Tests of Creative Thinking for gifted and nongifted elementary school students. Results indicated most interrater reliability coefficients exceeding .90 for both groups. However, multivariate analysis of variance indicated significant mean differences across the three self-trained raters for both…

Concludes that for fourth and fifth grade students in compensatory reading programs, using test forms from a lower grade level and converting the scores might give a more reliable estimate of achievement. (FL)

An ignored aspect of standard setting, namely the possibility that Angoff or Nedelsky judges specify inconsistent probabilities (e.g., low probabilities for easy items but large probabilities for hard items) is explored. A latent trait method is proposed to estimate such misspecifications, and an index of consistency is defined. (Author/PN)

A shortened version of the Mathematics Anxiety Rating Scale (MARS) was developed. It yielded a coefficient alpha reliability estimated at .98, correlated .97 with the original MARS, and showed relationships with state, trait, and test anxiety parallel to the original MARS. It should be useful for mathematical course-related applications.…

The purpose of this study was to determine the difficulty level, the internal consistency, and the usefulness of the Nelson-Denny Reading Test (NDRT) as a predictor of college freshmen grades. Adding the NDRT to a prediction equation already containing high school grade point average did improve the prediction. (Author/BW)

A validity study on a locally developed college entrance examination was conducted. Thirteen variables combined accounted for only 20 percent of the total variance in university grade point average. A critical analysis of the entrance examination and university selection procedures is discussed and contrasted with data from United States colleges.…

Studied the reliability of The Survey of Reading Attitudes scores in predicting the reading attitudes of fifth and sixth graders in rural Ohio. Also investigated students' socioeconomic and ethnic backgrounds. The highest reliability was on Reading as Enjoyment, Expressed Reading Difficulty; Reading Group, and Reading as Direct Reinforcement.…

Multiple matrix sampling of items and examinees was applied to an 18-item rank order instrument administered to a randomly assigned group and compared to the ordering and ranking of all items by control subjects. High correlations between ranks suggest the methodology may viably reduce respondent effort on long rank ordering tasks. (Author/CM)

A comparison of three treatments (training students to take tests, training teachers to administer tests, and reinforcing reading test score improvement) showed that group achievement scores more accurately indicate what students know if motivated to do their best in tests and take tests from teachers trained to administer standardized tests.…

The study examined the relationship among teacher, peer, and self ratings of children's social behavior using the Pupil Evaluation Inventory with 172 first graders, 346 fourth graders, 283 seventh graders, and 30 teachers. (Author/SW)

Starting from the premise that the assessment of second language learners' competence is a must at several points during the learning process, discusses the usefulness of laboratory testing. Argues that it allows for standardized testing, facility of test administration, easy scoring, objective measures, reliability and validity of results. (MES)

Describes the Time Management Anxiety Scale developed to measure time management anxiety in undergraduate students. Tested respondents (N=490) commonly associated their management of personal time with feelings of anxiety. This effect was found to be significantly stronger for female than for male students. (Author)

First grade students were administered a screening battery that included the Otis-Lennon Mental Ability Test, the Metropolitan Readiness Test, the Bender Gestalt Test, and the Visual Memory Technique. Stepwise regression equations revealed that the Bender Gestalt Test significantly increased the predictive power of the test battery. (FL)