Measures of 4traits (cognitive competence, social competence, social maladaption, and personal maladaption) were obtained on 157 persons with mental retardation, using 3 measurements: standardized assessment instrument, day shift staff ratings, and evening shift staff ratings. The multitrait-multimethod matrix procedure demonstrated strong…

Correlations of National Teacher Examination (NTE) Core Battery scores and college grade point average (GPA) with a measure of teaching effectiveness for 493 first-year teachers indicate that the correlation is higher for GPA than for the Core Battery. NTE core scores do not predict effectiveness better than GPA alone. (SLD)

Faculty opinions of an evaluation program for medical school clinical tutors were obtained through a survey of 24 undergraduate clinical tutors. Although students had been using the evaluation instrument to rate teachers for five years, faculty expressed many reservations about its reliability and validity. (SLD)

Questionnaire responses of 155 student teachers were analyzed to develop meaningful attitude scales and to refine the instrument. Attitude scales identified in the analysis and built into the final form of the questionnaire were (1) anxiety; (2) confidence and enjoyment, (3) desire for recognition; and (4) pressure to conform. Includes a copy of…

Describes a study of the validity and reliability of a writing skills assessment test taken by 4,284 2-year college students in 1986-87. Assesses interrater reliability, influences of nonperformance factors (e.g., gender, native language, and form of test), predictive validity of test for future performance, and implications of findings. (DMM)

This paper investigates the psychometric properties of the African Self-Consciousness (ASC) Scale in a noncollege heterogeneous population of 147 African Americans to determine the reliability and validity of the ASC Scale. Based on analysis of the scale's reliability, factor structure, and construct validity, the study shows the ASC Scale to be a…

Constructed School Social Behavior Scales (SSBS) to include teacher-related and peer-related forms of social competence and antisocial behavior. Standardized SSBS using teacher ratings on 1,858 kindergarten through grade 12 students across United States Evidence presented from several related studies in present investigation indicated that SSBS…

A validity study with 5,219 students examined the degree to which Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) scores and undergraduate grade point average (GPA) could predict first-year average and final GPA in doctoral programs in business. The usefulness of the predictions derived from the empirical Bayes regression models is discussed. (SLD)

A review of 36 social interaction measures found that there are no measures available to evaluate infants and preschool children's basic capacity for social interaction. The available measures are described and grouped into parent-child interaction, social skills, social competence, play, adaptive behavior, communication, general development, and…

Describes research on the development of a measure of student metacognition. The brief, domain-independent measure serves as a collateral measure in construct validation, supporting exploration of the self-regulatory demands of performance assessment. Results show that metacognition can be directly and explicitly measured in the context of…

This article comments on two studies (EC 629 875) that investigated the validity of a set of 15 general growth outcomes (GGOs) for identifying young children with disabilities. It argues that without additional efforts focusing on the nature of GGOs, the ultimate utility of the outcome measures will be limited. (Contains references.) (CR)

The "Chinese College Stress Scale" was developed to ascertain stress in university students. Results suggested that the psychometric properties of the "Chinese College Stress Scale" were satisfactory. Overall, student stress was primarily related to academic, personal, and negative life events. Approximately 8% of Chinese…

Assessments in English that are constructed for native English speakers may not provide valid inferences about the achievement of English language learners (ELLs). The linguistic complexity of the test items that are not related to the content of the assessment may increase the measurement error, thus reducing the reliability of the assessment.…

Validity and parent-child agreement of the Social Phobia and Anxiety Inventory for Children-Parent Report (SPAI-C-P) were examined in a racially diverse sample of 158 students in Grades 5 through 8 (87 girls; ages 10 to 14; M = 11.53) and their caregivers. Children completed the Social Phobia and Anxiety Inventory for Children (SPAI-C), and…

This study used a sample of 501 families from the Mississippi Delta region to examine the feasibility of the Family Stress Model for understanding adolescent suicidal ideation. The results indicated that family economic pressure was related to parental depressive symptoms, which, in turn, was related to parental hostile behavior and physical…