Objective: To evaluate the psychometric properties of a new measure, the Abuse-Related Beliefs Questionnaire (ARBQ), designed to assess abuse-related beliefs among adult survivors of childhood sexual abuse (CSA). Study 1 examined the structure of the scale, and Study 2 evaluated its reliability and validity. Method: One hundred and seventy female…

Since the last "TESOL Quarterly" commemorative issue 15 years ago, there have been too many important developments in language testing and assessment for all of them to be discussed in a single article. Therefore, this article focuses on issues that we believe are integrally linked to pedagogic and curriculum concerns of English language teaching.…

Purpose: To scale language milestones in a group of 527 children to provide an instrument for screening language development. Procedure: The questionnaire regarding these milestones was completed by parental report. It was evaluated whether the scaled milestones satisfied the assumptions of the Mokken item response model. Results: The scalability…

The psychometric properties of the Pervasive Developmental Disorders Rating scale (Eaves, 2003) and the Gilliam Autism Rating Scale (Gilliam, 1995) were investigated in this study. One hundred thirty-four individuals with autism, other pervasive developmental disorders, or conditions frequently confused with autism participated in the study. The…

The Secondary Level Proficiency (SLEP) test, offered by the SLEP School Services Program at the Educational Testing Service, measures English language listening comprehension and reading comprehension skills. It was developed for use with nonnative-English speaking students in grades 7 through 12. The SLEP is administered and scored locally, and…

Traditionally, correlation coefficients have been used to validate course placement decisions based on test scores and high school grades. Because placement systems restrict the range of both the predictor and outcome variables, correlation coefficients based on data from students enrolled in particular courses are understated relative to what…

A study compared the performance of 44 applicants seeking admission to an alternative high school (n=19) and nursing assistant program (n=25) at a Wisconsin postsecondary institution on the Assessment of Student Skills for Entry Transfer (ASSET) test and the Nelson-Denny Reading Test. (Applicants who did not achieve a minimum score on ASSET then…

A statewide survey was conducted by Georgia Assessment Project, Georgia State University during 1992 to determine if Georgia employers and educators agreed with Georgia policymakers that each of the 28 desired student outcomes (DSOs) was important to success in the workplace. Of 4,041 surveys mailed to a representative sample of educators and…

This report deals with the question of obtaining insights into states of prior knowledge and exploring knowledge state tests and knowledge state profiles. The first part introduces a few basic terms important in the context of prior knowledge state. Evaluation and the validity, reliability, and usefulness of tests are considered in a prior…

An assessment course for teachers is described that uses validity as the primary focus. Five dimensions of validity for classroom-based assessments are highlighted in a course that relies on the use of a process portfolio. The five dimensions are: (1) looking at the content of the assessment in relation to the content of the domain of reference;…

This report summarizes results from research aimed at improving the quality of information collected about school curriculum. The research sought to design and pilot a model for collecting benchmark data on school coursework. These more indepth data, such as course textbooks, assignments, exams, and teacher logs, can serve as anchors against which…

This paper describes findings from a set of extended observations of 15 public school teachers in an effort to gain insight into classroom assessment procedures. Two elementary school, seven middle school, and six high school teachers were observed over 5 days by dividing time into 10-minute intervals. Attention was given to the amounts of time…

In 1991 the Measurement and Evaluation Center of the University of Texas at Austin was asked to develop a test for credit by examination in four lower division courses in Japanese. The test (in Japanese) was constructed from locally developed items provided by instructors of Japanese. The developed test consisted of 80 items distributed among…

The District of Columbia public schools sought to obtain an index of "customer satisfaction" from its parents through a study designed to examine their perceptions of their children's schools and school experiences. A survey was developed and pilot tested to ensure content validity and reliability. The survey focused on five areas: (1)…

The Second International Mathematics Study was conducted in 20 countries under the sponsorship of the International Association for Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA). Among the instruments used in this study was a questionnaire investigating student attitudes about school, instruction, and mathematics. The fit of an a priori model that…