Studied the validity of the Atopic Dermatitis Assessment Measure (D. Charman and others, 1999) with 171 pediatric patients in Australia using partial credit analyses to produce clinically relevant "word pictures" of grades of severity for atopic dermatitis. Discusses implications for measurement in medicine. (SLD)

Investigated the effects of retaining test items showing differential item functioning (DIF) on aspects of the measurement quality and validity of that test's scores. Analysis of data for 2,145 high school sophomores from the "High School and Beyond Study" shows that the measurement quality of tests is not seriously degraded when items…

Responds to letters to the editor regarding comments on semantics, psychometrics, and assessment reform regarding authentic assessment of student academic achievements. Suggests that psychometric concerns need to be addressed. (MMU)

Examines the components required to assess student problem solving in technology environments. Discusses the purposes of testing, provides an example demonstrating the difference between retention and transfer, defines and analyzes problem solving, and explores techniques and standards for measuring the quality of student understanding. Contains…

Investigates the validity of the Substance Abuse Subtle Screening Inventory (SASSI) instrument in two studies. Results reveal that the SASSI effectively discriminated between an at-risk high school group and clients of a residential treatment center. However, agreement of SASSI classification with clinical diagnosis was only 62%, and Kappa…

Investigates internal dimensions of the Organizational Identification Questionnaire, performing factorial analytic tests of cross-sectional and longitudinal data. Finds that it is unidimensional across organizations and time, but that only 12 of 25 items contribute meaningfully to the scale, and that these 12 items essentially constitute an…

Examines the reliability and validity of the Palestinian version of the Student Alienation Scale. Results, based on 574 students, revealed a high internal consistency for the SAS and a concurrent validity with other measures. Findings indicate that the Arabic version of SAS is suitable for use in research and clinical work. (RJM)

The validity of a four-subtest short form of the third edition of the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC-III) and the Kaufman Brief Intelligence Test (K-BIT) was evaluated with 42 adolescent offenders. Findings support the clinical use of the short form as a good estimate of WISC-III full-scale IQ. (SLD)

Examined the psychometric properties of a social competence scale for school-age children. Factor analyses identified two moderately correlated competence aspects, Prosocial Orientation and Social Initiative. Scale showed reliability across one year, and concurrent and predictive validity in interrater agreement; also corresponded with observed…

Three studies of college students (n=178, 129, and 96) evaluated the reliability and validity of the Assessment of Attributions for Career Decision-Making instrument. Factor analysis supported a three-factor structure. The instrument demonstrated adequate internal consistency, test-retest reliability, and construct, criterion, and incremental…

Developed direct observational measure of children's attachment to inanimate objects such as blankets and soft toys among object-attached and non-object-attached 15- to 31-month-olds. Procedure varied arousal levels across situations. Found support for validity of the procedure in, among other factors, its ability to capture the preference of…

This study evaluated the validity of the Assessment of Motor and Process Skills instrument to evaluate the performance of activities of daily living of 21 students (ages 10 to 21) with severe visual impairments. These preliminary results support the validity of both the motor and process skill scales for use with this population. (Contains nine…

Critically examines five issues surrounding the use of student evaluations of teaching for summative decisions: current practices, validity concerns, improving the reporting of results, improving the decision-making process, and incorporating validity estimates into the decision-making process. Concludes with a list of recommendations for…

Responds to Abrami's proposals in "Improving Judgments about Teaching Effectiveness Using Teacher Rating Forms." Draws from comments made by members of an American Education Research Association special interest group and offers a personal perspective. (EV)

Preceding articles in this issue, "Improving Judgments about Teaching Effectiveness Using Teacher Rating Forms" (Abrami) and "Can We Put Precision into Practices? Commentary and Thoughts Engendered by Abrami's 'Improving Judgments about Teacher Effectiveness Using Teacher Rating Forms,'" offered: (1) Abrami's proposals to…