A validation study of five checklists for assessing two-year-olds' word production revealed that the lists produced comparable mean production scores, reflected age differences, and preserved individual differences in total production and in production of linguistic categories such as nouns, verbs, open class items, and closed class items.…

Two measures used for early detection of learning problems (Preschool Screening System and Denver Articulation Screening Exam) were tested for their predictive validity. Educational placement at the end of grade one was examined and compared to pre-kindergarten test scores on the two measures. Analysis found both measures to be valid. (Author/MSE)

Whether 12 university students could discriminate validly between the correctness and originality of responses of 150 elementary school children to 3 creativity tests was studied as a determination of the discriminant validity of the tests through the multitrait-multimethod procedure. There was compelling evidence for convergent and discriminant…

Compares the effectiveness of the Concepts about Print (CAP) Test and the Metropolitan Readiness Test (MRT) in assessing the literacy development of both normal and at-risk primary students. Finds the CAP to be an effective predictor for at-risk children. Finds the MRT not worth the time, effort, and cost of administration. (RS)

Research demonstrates that centers sanctioned by the National Association of Secondary School Principals to assess the job-related proficiency behavior of administrators and candidates for administrative positions generate a significant amount of valuable information about them, have an acceptable level of validity, and are cost-effective. (BJV)

An expanded framework for validating tests is needed to include the perspectives of teachers and students as well as of test makers and scientists. The development of educational assessments must take place within an understanding of how tests are used in context. (SLD)

Compared adolescent cigarette smoking rates determined by traditional questionnaire, random response questionnaire, and carbon monoxide test. Results from 1,160 ninth graders in 40 classrooms in 7 schools indicated that random response questionnaire elicited statistically larger proportion of smokers than did traditional questionnaire. Neither…

A validation study of the "semi-direct" Chinese Speaking Test (CST) directly compared college students' performance on the test with their performance on the "live" language proficiency interview. CST provided scoring results largely equivalent to those of the live interview, although examinees perceived CST to be more…

Evaluates the criterion validity of a curriculum-based assessment (CBA) to identify gifted children in rural areas. Compares CBA and standardized test scores for 286 kindergarten and first grade children. Concludes that the instruments' predictive validity is equivalent, but the CBA has practical advantages for rural school districts. 25…

Discussion of testing methods that adequately measure the ability to perform manipulative tasks focuses on criterion-referenced performance tests (CRPT) to evaluate trainees. Topics discussed include predictive validity; physical fidelity; test construction; testing constraints; performance conditions; criteria for attainment standards; scoring…

Investigated development of working memory in the transitional period from infancy to preschool years. The age-related increase in scores on the Imitation Sorting Task (IST) appeared to be about one unit every six months. Results suggest that the IST has a good construct validity. (AA)

A test of pharmacists' practice knowledge, for use in professional continuing education, was developed by having practitioners prepare 673 assessment items related to specific competencies. Item pool was refined by psychometric evaluation and content validation. Two parallel tests, each containing 120 items, were pilot-tested with first-year…

This literature review discusses the match between tests and curricula, measurement validity and instructional utility when sampling student performance in general and advantages/disadvantages of sampling performance in the curriculum. It concludes that sampling from the curriculum is not essential and outlines three critical features ensuring the…

The development of the new fifth edition of the Sixteen Personality Factor Questionnaire (16PF) is described. The factor structure of the new 16PF was explored with 4 samples ranging from 646 to 3,498 subjects. Results support the validity of the 16PF factor structure and its continuity with earlier versions. (SLD)

A four-item measure of acculturation for Hispanics was administered as part of interviews conducted with 684 first-, second-, and third-generation Puerto Ricans and Mexican Americans, ages 15-24, living in urban low-income households. The four-item scale correlated highly with generation, length of time in the United States, subjective evaluation…