This paper discusses how certain recent technical advances might be extended to examine proficiency tests which are conceptualized as representing a variety of skills with one or more items per skill. In contrast to previous analyses, errors in the item level are included. (Author/BW)

Examined the self-reported impact of factors affecting career decision making and tested the validity of the Career Factor Checklist (CFC) developed from O'Neil, Meeker, and Borgers' model. Results provide evidence of the factorial validity of the CFC, and support the O'Neil model and hypothesized factors affecting career decision making.…

Reviews five commercially available tests of functional literacy and discusses two concerns related to the testing of functional literacy. (MKM)

Evaluations of the same 64 teachers by graded students in college agreed with evaluations by ungraded students. This agreement suggests that teacher evaluations were not simply a response to grades, although they were positively associated with them, both within and across teachers. (Author/CP)

Adapting curricula to the cognitive developmental level of students has been hindered by the difficulty of assessing those levels in students. The reliability and validity of a paper-and-pencil Piagetian assessment are discussed. (Author/ JKS)

A technique to measure maternal teaching strategies was developed for possible use in research and evaluation studies. Scores derived from the technique describe quality and quanitity of behaviors used by mothers to teach cognitive-perceptual tasks to their own young children. Reliability and validity data are presented. (Author/JKS)

A replication of Lawrence and Lorsch's (1967) findings of three modes of conflict resolution did not yield a clear factor structure. The validity of the scale for purposes of measuring conflict resolution modes is seriously questioned as is what is taught in the area of conflict resolution. (Author)

Significant job-relatedness was found for a posttraining job knowledge test criterion. Content validity methods may be able to help solve the problem of criterion relevance in validation research by providing quantitative evidence of job-relatedness. (Author)

Several issues about component validity are examined by using covariance modeling to test hypotheses about the relationships between components, aptitude, and achievement. Support was found for cognitive components to model individual differences in verbal aptitude, decompose test validity, and differentially predict achievement. (Author/GK)

Examines the relationship between the Woodcock Word Comprehension Test and several measures of reading achievement and verbal intelligence on 194 children. Pearson product-moment correlations (r) were used to test the relationships. It appeared that the Woodcock Word Comprehension Test assesses reading ability more than general verbal ability.…

Compared Kuder-Richardson Formula 20 and coefficient alpha (by blocks) reliability estimates for a reading comprehension test. On the average, K-R 20 exceeded coefficient alpha by about .05; that is, K-R 20 exaggerated the internal consistency of the test as would be expected from theory. Implications for counseling interpretations are discussed.…

Shows that the Test Anxiety Scale (TAS) is a reliable and valid instrument for separating test anxious readers in a population of students. Offers suggestions for reducing reading anxiety. Includes the 16-item TAS measure. (FL)

A criterion-referenced language growth measure to diagnose and index growth in English writing skills in hearing impaired students was evaluated utilizing six criteria for adequate language assessment and interrater reliability and validity indices. (Author)

The design and development of the Consumer Health Products Inventory are discussed. The instrument produces a valid and reliable behavioral inventory to assess self-reported use of selected consumer health products. (JMF)

Recent court cases leave unresolved the controversy over the presence of bias in major tests involving assessment of minority children throughout the country. Federal legislation has emphasized the need for establishing nonbiased testing procedures, and many changes in the assessment repertoire will occur in the next few years. (FG)