The Walker-McConnell Scale of Social Competence and School Adjustment is intended for screening and identifying elementary-aged school children with social skill deficits. The instrument is divided into two components covering adaptive classroom behavior and interpersonal social skills. This paper describes the test's administration, summation of…

The Psychological Maltreatment Rating Scales (PMRS) were developed for assessing psychological maltreatment in the mother-child interaction, and were used to rate the videotaped interaction of 49 high-risk mother-child dyads and predict child protective service involvements. The PMRS was found to be a moderately reliable and valid measure.…

Describes two experiments that were conducted at the University of Illinois to determine how cognitive abilities of users of information retrieval systems and specific design features combine to create system usability. Logical reasoning and perceptual speed are examined, and reliability and validity are discussed. (Contains 12 references.) (LRW)

A measurement and psychometric examination of cognitive tasks was carried out with 195 undergraduates, investigating stability of latencies and number correct scores over a 2-week period and relations with standardized test and ability measure scores. Results are discussed in terms of the need for evaluating cognitive task measurement properties.…

Describes the development of a measure of self-perceived abilities to implement various health promoting behaviors, reporting on a study of the psychometric properties of the measure in three samples. Results suggest the measure demonstrates adequate reliability and demonstrates predicted relationships with other health measures. (SM)

The purpose of this study was to obtain validity and reliability indexes for scores on a 12-item scale measuring family perspectives on extended school year (ESY) programs for students in special education. Responses from 128 families with a child potentially eligible for ESY programs indicated that a two-component model was both valid and…

Concordance between mothers' and teachers' perceptions of behavior problems and competencies of 74 children (mean age 131.6 months) with nonspecific developmental delays was assessed with standardized and study-developed scales. Correlations between raters averaged .43. There were minimal differences in ratings of boys and girls, and few…

A study compared the accuracy of experienced staff with a learning test in predicting the ability of 18 persons with mental retardation to learn 12 training tasks. Results found the Assessment of Basic Learning Abilities test was more accurate for predicting client performance than the assessments of experienced staff. (Author/CR)

Investigates whether training raters to interpret the scoring dimensions on a rubric would increase reliability. Compares two groups of kindergarten and first-grade teachers: one group with training, one without. Finds that training increases raters' abilities to reliably interpret scoring items. (SC)

Combines item response theory (IRT) and statistical methods to analyze California Achievement Test-Mathematics (CAT-M) results for 4,135 seventh graders in northeast Ohio. Provides information to educational analysts about which IRT model fits CAT-M data for the target population, test accuracy in estimating students' abilities at different…

Nurses applied standard behavioral criteria for major depression to evaluate 89 institutionalized adults with severe or profound intellectual disability. Results suggested that several additional behaviors listed on the Aberrant Behavior Checklist and the Developmental Behavior Checklist may be associated with this disorder in this population.…

A study examined the role of career maturity in the college persistence of 307 freshmen at a public, residential, four-year college. Results indicate that the My Vocational Situation instrument is reliable and valid, although theoretical formulations should be reexamined. Career maturity was positively associated with several variables important…

In this information age, needs of librarians, archivists, records managers, and other information professionals must be examined so that information retains its reliability and accountability. Technology changes that are shaking the foundations of previous "tried and tested" methods in information management are discussed. Future implications and…

Reports the development and validation of video-based game-understanding tests in badminton for elementary and secondary students. The tests included different sequences that simulated actual game situations. Players had to solve tactical problems by selecting appropriate solutions and arguments for their decisions. Results suggest that the test…

Introduces a special theme journal issue on research and education in quality control, maintenance, reliability, risk analysis, and safety. Discusses each of these theme concepts and their applications to naval architecture, marine engineering, and industrial engineering. Considers the effects of the rapid transfer of research results through…