Use of the Orthogonal Cultural Identification Scale with 2,048 Mexican American and American Indian adolescents found that, as predicted, identification with one culture was independent of identification with another; cultural identification was strongly rooted in the family; and the scale was factor invariant across gender, grade level, and…

A study compared reports of 20 children (37 to 67 months) of either a voiding cystourethrogram (VCUG) or a pediatric assessment. Ratings of stress were significantly higher for children who underwent the VCUG and they reported more correct information than the children who experienced the pediatric assessment. (Author/CR)

Explores the consistency and accuracy of faculty evaluation, peer evaluation and self-evaluation of applied end-of-semester performances. Finds that faculty inter-judge reliability was uneven, while student peer inter-judge reliability was more uniform; faculty-peer evaluations were highly correlated, but self-evaluations were poorly correlated…

The relative roles of general cognitive ability, speed and efficiency of elemental cognitive processing, and oral reading fluency in the prediction of reading comprehension are examined using multiple regression. The construct validity of the curriculum-based approach to measurement of reading comprehension is supported. Reliability is assessed…

Internal consistency, test-retest reliability, item analysis, and construct and concurrent criterion-related validity of the Writing Essential Skill Screener-Preschool Version were studied using four independent samples of children (ages 4 to 5). The test displayed a high degree of reliability and validity for a brief pre-writing skills screener.…

Describes the development of the VV-BOS (Visualizer/Verbalizer Behavior Observation Scale), a computer-based instrument for direct observation of students' preferences for visual or verbal learning material. Results of a study with second-language learners indicated a high degree of reliability as an alternative to conventional questionnaires.…

Describes a study done at Suffolk County Community College (New York) that assessed the validity of the College Board's Computerized Placement Test in Reading Comprehension (CPT-R) by comparing test results of 1,154 freshmen with the results of the Degree of Power Reading Test. Results confirmed the CPT-R's reliability in identifying basic…

A quantitative study modeled the inherently subjective admissions process for 592 graduate school candidates and 72 raters. Logistic regression models were well-fitting and parsimonious, allowing analysis of each stage of the process. Extended committee discussion/deliberation phases were of limited productivity when inter-rater agreement was…

Reports the development of a paragraph-descriptor short form of the Schedule for Nonadaptive and Adaptive Personality (SNAP); (L. Clark, 1993) with self- and other versions. Data from 294 college students, with parental ratings for 94 students, support the reliability and validity of the measure. (SLD)

Two experiments examined infants' reliance on object shape versus color for word generalization to animate and inanimate objects. Infants were taught labels for either novel vehicles or novel animals using preferential-looking procedure or an interactive procedure. Results of both experiments indicated that infants limited their word…

Examines the reliability and validity of using a survey to gauge the percentage of time that algebra teachers use practices that are consistent with professional standards for teaching mathematics. Survey results from 28 teachers suggest that a composite of practices is quite reliable and somewhat valid but that it does not capture instructional…

This study reports on the development and assessment of the psychometric properties of three measures to assess sexual knowledge, experience, feelings, and needs. Results demonstrate the good psychometric properties of the scales and their suitability for assessing these areas in people with disabilities. (Author/CR)

Discusses the 1996 Electronic Freedom of Information Act and examines 17 federal agency Web sites to see how well they comply. Topics include electronic reading rooms to disseminate documents and records, reference guides, annual reports, a lack of consistency, and a high level of wasteful duplication. (LRW)

Video Planned Activities training was evaluated with parents (N=2) reported for child abuse. Video training was an effective intervention, improving parent use of planned activities and appropriate interaction skills. Corresponding improvements in appropriate child-interaction skills were also observed. Social-validation data indicates that…

Revised the Identity Style Inventory (ISI) to sixth-grade reading level for use with adolescents/adults with reading limitations. Administered original and revised scales to 361 college students. Found that revised ISI (ISI-6G) scales were reliable and valid. Factor analysis and paired-sample t-test results demonstrated construct validity. ISI-6G…