The Laramie County School District Number 1 (Wyoming) developed local norms for a standardized developmental test of entering school students. The district's analysis of the differences between the local norms and the national norms is presented. Further study of the results is needed to assess the tests' usefulness. (MD)

A recommendation to renorm the Bayley Scales of Infant Development is based on (1) high scores obtained on infants in rural North Carolina (N=305); (2) published means for other samples of infants born in the 1970s; (3) recent age placement revisions of items on the Gesell Developmental Examination. (Author/JW)

The construction and refinement of the Yale Children's Inventory (YCI) is described, resulting in 11 scales (eight behavioral and three cognitive). The relationship and content of the three relevant YCI scales (attention, impulsivity, hyperactivity) are compared to the DSM-III (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual) diagnostic categories for attention…

Criticizes the Detroit Tests of Learning Aptitude 2 (DLTA-2): (1) scoring criteria for the Story Construction Test are questionable; (2) the Word Fragment Test may not be practically significant; (3) the Picture Book is inconvenient to use without an index or table of contents. One major strength is the provision for combining subtest scores. (SRT)

Presents an in-class activity which uses videotaped television shows to teach time sampling, event sampling, and trait rating techniques. Students responded favorably to this activity, and many reported that it increased their understanding of the different observation techniques. (Author/JDH)

Investigates the relative and interactive effects of rater-, and ratee-, relationship-, situational-, and group-level contingencies on peer assessments of open communication. Results suggest that, given certain procedural conditions, peer assessments are highly reliable and valid. Rater bias accounted for a relatively small amount of rating…

The development and validation of the Attitudes Toward Statistics (ATS) for measuring attitude changes in introductory statistics students is described. Two ATS subscales are identified: Attitude Toward Course and Attitude Toward the Field. These were demonstrated to have both high internal consistency and test-retest reliability. (Author/DWH)

This study investigated the relationship between teachers' attitudes toward evaluation and elementary school climate. The instrument used in the study was the Organizational Climate Description Questionnaire (OCDQ) which described eight dimensions of school climate. (Author/DWH)

Describes the Luiten, Ames, Bradley Readability Variation Method for estimating the variation within a text. Concludes that it is practical and relatively accurate. (HOD)

Much of the responsibility for measuring teacher competency rests with teacher educators. Instead of developing new observation inventories, educators should use available ones. This article describes instruments used at the University of Toledo's competency-based teacher education program since 1979 and suggests they are broad enough to be used…

This article describes the development of a research-based teaching evaluation system including instrument development, content validation, and field testing. More than l,200 observations of teacher practice at all grades were made, and results support the instrument's value in teacher training, remediation, and evaluation. (Author/MT)

Bender Gestalt Test data from 60 severely emotionally handicapped and 60 normal children were computer digitized and scored traditionally. Reliability results from comparison of analysis techniques favored computer approach; criterion-related validity was unsuccessful for both scoring methods; and concurrent validity results indicated limited…

Concludes that the lack of normative data, the suggestion that even one failure on the test (with approximately 111 items) makes a child suspect for "at risk" labelling, along with the brevity of directions and interpretation of data require that the test be used with great caution. (FL)

Compares peer ratings, supervisor ratings, and self-ratings of counseling performance. Earlier studies of the relationship of performance ratings from different sources have indicated some comparability across source of rating, particularly late in the training process. These results indicated considerable variability across sources of ratings…

Information is presented on the psychometric characteristics of the Aberrant Behavior Checklist, a measure of psychotropic drug effects. Internal consistency and test-retest reliability of the checklist appeared very good. Interrater reliability was generally in the moderate range. In general, validity was established for most Aberrant Behavior…