Local norming data from the Brief Index of Adaptive Behavior are presented, as are construct and concurrent validity data. Participants in three studies were 430 children. Factor analytic results from Study 1 yielded an easily interpreted three-factor solution; conventional item analysis techniques yielded significant item-domain and item-total…

Compared with data from civilian institutions, data from two graduating classes at the United States Military Academy showed extrordinary stability of independently calculated grade point averages from freshman to senior years and no decline in the validity of Scholastic Aptitude Tests and high school class rank as predictors of these GPAs over…

Examined validity of Wisconsin Card Sorting Test, Canter Background Interference Procedure for the Bender Visual-Motor Gestalt Test, Conners Parent Questionnaire, and three measures of the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Revised for identifying attention deficit disorders. Compared test results among clinical, special education, and…

Reviews a writing abilities competency test based on samples of essay writing. A copy of the test is appended. (NKA)

The Integration Rating Guide, (research-based guidelines for successful mainstreaming of hearing-impaired students), assisted school personnel in estimating the probability of successful integration and the necessary amount of teacher support, for 16 hearing-impaired children. The guide's criteria include communication skills subject achievement,…

Reports efforts and results associated with the development and validation of a test of graphing skills for grade seven through twelve science students. Concludes that the Test of Graphing in Science (TOGS) is a valid and reliable instrument. Also discusses TOGS value to the teacher and educational researcher. (ML)

Reports the efforts of the California Assessment Program (CAP) to interject critical thinking items into its new statewide social studies tests. Provides definitions of the critical thinking skills tested by the 8th grade social studies CAP test, and lists 100 critical thinking skills vocabulary words. (JDH)

Reviews the strengths and weaknesses of the Nelson-Denny Reading Test (NDRT) and compares the use and misuse of the test as revealed through published surveys. Finds problems in the use of the NDRT to diagnose the specific reading needs and deficiencies of low-achieving students and to measure individual growth. (CBC)

Finds the test useful but criticizes its lack of generalizability of norms and the absence of reliability, validity, or normative information for the Spanish version. (FL)

Evaluates a 10-item scale of perceived occupational opportunity, using data covering career decision making and labor entry, adolescence to young adulthood (N=630). The scale's external validity is explored using a structural equation model linking perceived opportunity to social origins, adolescent career plans, and early socioeconomic…

Reports on the first phases of an American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages project to develop a computerized adaptive test of reading proficiency. The theoretical multidimensionality of the construct is clarified, and its implications for test development, item calibration, and validation procedures are discussed. (Author/SED)

The researchers devised a system for classifying earliest school recollections (ESRs). To determine the validity of this system, judges classified 100 third- and fourth-grade public school students according to their earliest school recollections. A statistically significant agreement was found between judges' and teachers' classifications of…

This study sought to describe the personality characteristics of self-directed continuing learners, develop an instrument to identify such learners, and conduct empirical investigations to validate the instrument. Results suggest the instrument is a valid tool for identifying self-directed continuing learners when used in its entirety. (Author/CT)

The Computer Aptitude, Literacy, and Interest Profile (CALIP) is a standardized test battery with six subtests designed to assess computer-related abilities of individuals between 12 and 60 years old. The CALIP was developed to assess computer-related aptitudes of younger or inexperienced populations, including talented minority persons and…

Describes a study which examined the reliability, validity, and scalability of a new technique for constructing, administering, and scoring dictation tests to measure second language proficiency. Findings indicate that such tests can be constructed easily by dividing a coherent text into segments of increasing length. (SED)