Students' perception of overall teaching performance is strongly aligned with feelings about the course. A method is presented for separating the effects of the teacher, the course, and individual student groups. All three effects are highly significant; the effect of the course is by far the most prominent. (Author/JKS)

Examined the validity and reliability of the Strengths and Stressors Tracking Device (SSTD), a rapid assessment measure of family well-being to help guide case planning and evaluate treatment effectiveness. Found high internal consistency in all domains measured: environmental conditions, social support, caregiver skills, and child well-being.…

Evaluated social competence and problem behaviors of 200 Japanese preschoolers. Found anxiety-withdrawal, anger- aggression, and social competence factors as well as age and gender differences in emotional and behavioral problems and social competence. Found consistency with previous findings from U.S. and Canadian samples. (DLH)

The short form of the Modern Language Aptitude Test (MLAT) was administered to 587 university students, and scores were validated against final first and second semester grades in introductory foreign language classes for 529 and 365 students, respectively. The MLAT failed to distinguish good from poor students. (TJH)

Classroom assessment procedures of 36 teachers in grades 2 to 12 were studied to determine the extent to which they measure students' higher order thinking skills in mathematics, science, social studies, and language arts. A striking finding was the absence of evaluation of comparative and evaluative thinking. (SLD)

Using generalizability theory as a framework, the problem of assessing the content validity of standardized achievement tests is considered. Four designs to assess test-item fit to a curriculum are described, and procedures for determining the optimal number of raters and schools in a content-validation decision-making study are considered. (TJH)

Outlines an application of theoretical understandings of institutionalized or nativized varieties of English to the practical concern of English-as-a-Second-Language programs, including testing, placement, and pedagogy. (29 references) (Author/OD)

Achievement in English was measured for 64 German eighth graders by a cloze test, which was evaluated by three methods, yielding similar results. Twenty-one native English speakers comprised a criterion group. The cloze test may be appropriate for evaluating oral communication when an oral interview is not feasible. (SLD)

Innovative or adaptive behavior of 86 eighth-grade students was rated by themselves, parents, and teachers using the Kirton Adaption-Innovation Inventory. The inventory was found to be reliable, stable, and valid. No significant differences between male and female students' scores were exhibited. Correlation with scores on the Comprehensive Test…

The difference between item bias and item impact and the way they relate to item validity are discussed from a multidimensional item response theory perspective. The Mantel-Haenszel procedure and the Simultaneous Item Bias strategy are used in a Monte Carlo study to illustrate detection of item bias. (SLD)

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)