The nine-volume Survey Kit is designed to help readers prepare and conduct surveys and become better users of survey results. All the books in the series contain instructional objectives, exercises and answers, examples of surveys in use, illustrations of survey questions, guidelines for action, checklists of "dos and don'ts," and…

These four issues of "Gifted Education Quarterly" include the following articles: (1) "Using Test Results To Support Clinical Judgment" (Linda Kreger Silverman), which discusses some of the difficulties in obtaining accurate indications of a child's level of giftedness and the importance of using professional judgment in…

This report describes the development and psychometric qualities of a new instrument to assess clinical teaching effectiveness in medical education. The strength of the instrument is seen to lie in the qualitative development process involving iterative checking with key stakeholders; its high reliability, validity, and feasibility; and its ease…

There are no available measures that assess family interaction from a comprehensive theoretical perspective. This study reports analyses of the measurement integrity of scores from a measure developed to offer a comprehensive assessment. The preliminary version of the Family Interaction Inventory (FII) is a 24-scale instrument with 5 items per…

A study focused on the development and pilot testing of a student satisfaction instrument, the results of which may be used to identify weaknesses and strengths of nontraditional degree programs. The literature review demonstrated little empirical evidence that could support positive or negative conclusions regarding student satisfaction within…

Educational refinement is defined as attempts to improve education through incremental improvements in the existing structure, while educational reform refers to change in the structure itself. A strong move is underway to reform education in the United States. It is argued that the development of assessments in support of educational reform…

Researchers too frequently consider the reliability of the scores they analyze, and this may lead to incorrect conclusions. Practice in this regard may be negatively influenced by telegraphic habits of speech implying that tests possess reliability and other measurement characteristics. Styles of speaking in journal articles, in textbooks, and in…

College faculty are unlike other teachers in that they are not trained to teach and have little supervision. Effectiveness of language instruction is more difficult than most to evaluate. Contemporary models of supervision tend to emphasize training, not evaluation, even for teaching assistants. Some see teaching as an art, not susceptible to…

The 1992-93 school year saw the second statewide implementation of the Vermont portfolio-assessment program, and RAND continued its ongoing evaluation of the program's implementation, effects, and data quality. While the first year's study found evidence of the impact of the assessment program and low reliability of portfolio scoring, this year's…

The present study investigated the reliability and validity of scores from the Child Abuse Potential (CAP) Inventory. The CAP is a screening device for physical abuse potential in adults; it is a self-administered test written on a third-grade reading level. Subjects were 113 mothers, including 53 (46.9%) mothers of young children with handicaps,…

The relationships among independent observer ratings of a child care program on the Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale (ECERS), state department personnel ratings of program quality using the Child Development Program Evaluation Scale (CDPES), and self-evaluation ratings using the self-assessment instrument designed for the Early Childhood…

Research into language acquisition is reviewed and implications for practice are discussed. The research stemmed from the State of California's mandate to use specific oral language instruments for identifying students who are limited English speakers. The development of a test to identify and place English as a second language students in…

The Information Exchange Procedures (IEP), which were developed through a project sponsored by the National Center for Higher Education Management Systems, are briefly described, and the application of the IEP in Virginia is examined. The IEP were designed to enhance the institution's ability to identify alternatives in the allocation of resources…

This final report analyzes results of a comprehensive, integrative review of 273 primary research studies on modifying attitudes toward disabled persons. Attitude modification approaches identified included providing information, direct contact with disabled persons, vicarious experiences related to having a disability, systematic desensitization,…

Practitioner use of learning style theory and measures can have an impact on curriculum design, instruction and assessment methods, and student guidance in the secondary school. Concern about the "operationalization" of learning style continues due to confusion concerning definitions, weakness in reliability and validity of measurements, and…