This study assessed the interchangeability of the Matthews Youth Test for Health (MYTH) and Hunter-Wolf A-B Rating Scale. Data from 25 elementary teachers and 300 of their students showed these scales to be weakly correlated, and the concordance of their A-B classifications to be only slightly above that expected by chance. Weak agreement was…

This paper deals with six sets of concerns and suggestions that arise as attitudes toward urban teaching are assessed. The first set arises from the complexity of measuring attitudes. It is strongly recommended that critiques of attitude data be based on plausible rival hypotheses. The second set involves the identification of beliefs related to a…

Anticipation of negative consequences and sex role have both been found to contribute to fear of success (FOS). Specifically, research has found that expressive personalities (feminine) exhibit high FOS while instrumental personalities (masculine) exhibit low FOS. To demonstrate that values, especially those associated with sex roles, determine…

One of several papers commissioned by the National Institute of Education (NIE), this discussion addresses the utility of test-equating studies for large-scale program evaluation and investigates the use of standardized tests in similar evaluation efforts. The discussion begins with an examination of the question, Should standardized achievement…

A model for the validation of standardized tests of academic achievement upon populations not represented in the samples used to standardize the tests is presented, and the results of a field testing of the model are described. The 1973 editions of the Stanford Achievement Test and the Test of Academic Skills were administered to a sample of…

An observation guide for the identification of intellectually advanced preschool children was developed by adapting characteristics illustrated in the literature for older children. The 46 descriptive characteristics included in the guide were categorized in terms of three general sets: general ability, task commitment, and creativity. Teachers…

A school system's testing program can be used as a tool in curriculum development and instructional improvement if the tests match the goals and objectives of the instructional program and what is taught in the classroom. Test-taking skills should be taught so that the test will accurately reflect certain knowledge. Test results should be an…

Prior research demonstrates that examiner unfamiliarity negatively affects the optimal performance of handicapped preschoolers. The present investigation sought to determine whether examiner unfamiliarity also interferes with the optimal performance of handicapped school-age pupils and nonhandicapped children. Sixty-four subjects (16…

The Arizona Tax Research Association analyzed the Arizona Teacher Proficiency Examination (ATPE). An item analysis of the 150 questions administered to 2,430 applicants from July 1982 through March 1983 was undertaken. A minimum point biserial correlation coefficient of .33 indicated the validity of an item. Nearly two-thirds (64 percent) of the…

The School District Questionnaire described in this paper evolved from the Orangeburg (North Carolina) School District's plans to implement programs for improvement. The content-based questionnaire, which provides the school district with specific attitudinal feedback from parents, can be used for both pre- and posttesting following implementation…

The construct validity of written Ideaphoria and oral Ideaphoria is discussed through analysis of their content and format and their correlations with tests of divergent thinking and writing speed. The current status of research on the measurement of divergent thinking ability is reviewed. Although the Ideaphoria tests have the same content as…

The Nelson Denny Reading Test (NDRT) is probably the most widely used test of reading comprehension at the college level in the nation. However, reviews of the test, as well as recent reports of its failure to adequately measure gain or lack of gain of college students enrolled in reading improvement courses, do not support the popularity it has…

A study was conducted to determine whether there is a significant correlation between the scores obtained on a communication functional dominance instrument and those obtained from an instrument of the Ohio State Leadership Scales. Subjects, 102 freshman speech students, completed the Human Communication Functional Dominance instrument, which…

An experimental test battery designed to measure several perceptual abilities was administered to 1,368 (51.8% male) paying clients of the Johnson O'Connor Research Foundation (JOCRF) in an effort to identify and measure three perceptual abilities: (1) flexibility of closure; (2) speed of closure; and (3) spatial scanning. Subjects, who ranged in…

"The Holocaust" is an exercise designed to measure thinking processes of students in grades 8 through 12. It consists of a 14-minute videotape and a four-page handout describing the destruction of the European Jews. The exercise is based on an approach to measuring thinking suggested by the work of E. A. Peel (1971). Peel maintains that…