Part 1 of this document describes the background, format, and early groundwork that went into the development of a test sponsored entirely by private enterprise. The discipline imposed by a financial bottom line imposes special pressures but also offers new opportunities. This private enterprise model is a multi-constructional process where…

Describes development and validation of a 24-item test which assesses student performance on a set of 12 objectives related to planning and constructing an investigation. In addition to sound psychometric properties, the test is distinctive because it includes a set of interrelated cumulative objectives which reflect autonomous problem solving.…

This introduction to a series of five articles in a clinical forum outlines the forum theme, that culturally/linguistically diverse children can be validly and reliably assessed and treated for communication disorders. The introduction notes the growing population of minority children in the United States and the critical shortage of minority…

Proposition 48 of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), which calls for tougher academic standards for students seeking to participate in Division I athletics, discriminates against Black athletes and historically Black colleges and universities. Furthermore, the best athletes are not always the best students; the bill limits the…

Examines the development and validation of a new instrument that assesses student perceptions of gender equity, investigation, innovation, and resource adequacy in computer-assisted learning. A survey of 671 high school students in Singapore revealed that each scale displayed satisfactory validity and reliability. (65 references) (Author/AEF)

Data from the grade 8 and grade 10 science tests of the National Education Longitudinal Study of 1988 (NELS:88) were used to demonstrate that achievement tests are multidimensional and that using psychologically meaningful subscores in national surveys can enhance test validity and usefulness. (SLD)

Educating for Success, an instructional program designed to enhance college student self-esteem through analysis of personal successes and strengths, values identification, conflict management, and positive reinforcement was validated with 394 first-year college students in experimental and control groups. Results showed significant improvement of…

Three studies involving 79 teacher leaders, 4 school empowerment experts, and 387 secondary school teachers indicate that the 38-item School Participant Empowerment Scale (SPES) may tap 6 dimensions of empowerment within the school organization identified in the literature. The SPES effectively measures perceived empowerment in school settings.…

Selection criteria at a graduate school of business were examined in a study evaluating the predictive validity of the Graduate Management Admissions Test and the Miller Analogies Test for 203 recent graduates. Implications of the correlations between test results and grade point average for admission policy are discussed. (SLD)

This study of 1,477 rating forms on students (grades 6-12) with mild disabilities attending mainstream vocational courses found that curriculum-based vocational assessment is a feasible means of assessing student career/vocational behaviors and skills. A two-factor solution representing work-related behaviors and generalized instructional outcomes…

Analysis of the use of a cloze-procedure test to measure the English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) proficiency of Japanese college students revealed that the cloze test correlated significantly with an essay test and improved prediction of ESL proficiency, suggesting that carefully constructed cloze tests could be useful in integrative language…

Employing standardized achievement tests to ascertain educational quality is like measuring temperature with a tablespoon. Such tests are prone to testing-teaching mismatches, omitted items, and confounded causation problems. Actually, three factors influence students' scores: what's taught in school, native intellectual ability, and out-of-school…

This article describes the Developmental Indicators for the Assessment of Learning-Third Edition, a global screener designed to be administered to children ages 3 through 6.11 years. The instrument assesses motor skills, conceptual knowledge, language skills, self-help skills, and social behaviors. Its administration, standardization, reliability,…

A study examined the efficacy of the Restricted Academic Task in evaluating the effects of stimulant medication in 149 children (ages 5-17) with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. The measure consists of standardized observation of a child performing an academic-like task, and was found to be both reliable and valid. (Author/CR)

Describes the development of the Early Adolescent version of the Home Observation for Measurement of the Environment (EA-HOME) Inventory. Presents information on its usefulness with African Americans, Chinese Americans, European Americans, Mexican Americans, and Dominican Americans. Notes findings indicating high interobserver agreement, with…