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…

Suggests that ELLA (English Language and Literacy Assessment ) implemented in New South Wales, Australia, fails four tests for sound diagnostic assessment set out in a standard reference (K.W. Howell et al. "Curriculum Based Evaluation")--tests for logicality, reliability, validity, and accuracy and practicality. (RS)

Claims that arguments about the invalidity, purposelessness, and misleading nature of ELLA (English Language and Literacy Assessment ) implemented in New South Wales, Australia, remain intact despite attempts to counter the arguments. Presents a detailed critique of arguments presented in an article in the previous of this journal supporting ELLA.…

Describes the rationale and development of a new screening test, Developmental Indicators for the Assessment of Learning-3 (DIAL-3), which is based on previous editions. Empirical research is presented to document item additions and deletions as well as the continued maintenance of three performance areas: motor, concepts, and language. (Author/CR)

The reliability and validity of a revised version of the Reading History Questionnaire was examined using 84 adults from an ongoing study of familial dyslexia and the parents of 107 children from a longitudinal study of reading development. The results indicated that the questionnaire (appended to the article) is both reliable and valid. (Contains…

The Sibling Interaction Scale (SIS), an observational tool, was employed to investigate the interactions between 52 siblings (ages 1-20) with and without disabilities. Differences between nondisabled/disabled sibling pairs were found in the complexity of their sentences, the interpretation of the behaviors, and the roles they engaged in.…

A study of 1,000 children examined the effectiveness of the Parent-Child Conflict Tactics Scales (CTSPC) in measuring parental psychological and physical maltreatment of children, as well as nonviolent modes of discipline. The CTSPC was found to be better suited to measuring child maltreatment than the original Conflict Tactics Scales. (Author/CR)

This study assessed the interrater reliability of a Swedish version of the Childhood Autism Rating Scale (CARS), an instrument for screening and diagnosis of autism. The CARS was used for rating autistic behavior by two investigators in 25 children. Results indicated fair to excellent agreement. Aspects of validity and reliability are discussed.…

Data from 196 Irish school children were analyzed and used to develop a shortened version of the Fennema-Sherman Mathematics Attitudes Scales (E. Fennema and J. Sherman, 1976). Internal consistency estimates of the reliability of scores on the whole scale and each of the subscales of the original and short form were favorable. (SLD)

Describes a new instrument to predict dropouts, the Student At-Risk Identification Scale (SARIS). The SARIS consists of two subscales, one from student records and one that is a self-report. Scale construction is described, and narrative data are presented, along with evidence of reliability and validity. Predictive and diagnostic values of the…

Study seeks to develop a valid, reliable measure of lifetime religious and spiritual experience and to assess its value in explaining late-life health. Discusses the development of the Spiritual History Scale, a 23-item four-dimensional, retrospective summary measure of religious and spiritual practices and attributions over the life course.…

Investigates the general factor and uniqueness characteristics of the individual tests of the Woodcock-Johnson Test of Cognitive Ability-Revised (WJTCA-R). Only 2 of the 19 WJTCA-R tests examined had low general factor loadings, while 2 had low uniqueness. All other tests had medium or high uniqueness. Discusses implications for clinical…

Examines the performance characteristics of 83 school-identified learning-disabled children on the Differential Ability Scales. Sixty percent showed a significant standard score discrepancy between the General Conceptual Ability and at least one achievement test. Implications regarding the educational diagnostic and intervention processes…

Concerns about and objections to competency-based assessment in higher education are examined, including superficiality, use of inference, neglect of knowledge and of process, and subjectivity. It is concluded that, although each objection raises an important issue, in each case, a well-designed competency-based assessment system can overcome…

Data from 104 school children were analyzed to determine the psychometric and conceptual soundness of the Universal Nonverbal Intelligence Test (UNIT), devised for children with limited English language proficiency. Examines test validity through construct validity, confirmatory factor analysis, and exploratory factor analysis in comparison with…