The National Staff Development Council (NSDC), a private, nonprofit association, has outlined high standards for educator professional learning. One demonstration of NSDC's commitment to the goal of ensuring all schools support and use high standards for professional learning is the organization's investment in developing an instrument to assess…

This study examined the psychometric properties of a new scale to measure adolescents' worry regarding outcomes of risky sexual behavior (i.e. sexually transmitted infections, including HIV [STI/HIV], and unintended pregnancy). The 10-item worry about sexual outcomes (WASO) scale, resulting in two subscales STI/HIV worry and pregnancy worry, was…

Although measures of student ratings of instruction have been developed and examined empirically, students' attitudes about the utility of these ratings have yet to be meaningfully quantified. Using survey responses from 1229 students at a major Canadian university, we developed a psychometrically sound measure of the usefulness of student…

Objective: To develop a child victimization survey among a diverse group of child protection experts and examine the performance of the instrument through a set of international pilot studies. Methods: The initial draft of the instrument was developed after input from scientists and practitioners representing 40 countries. Volunteers from the…

On a general level, the objective of diagnostic classifications models (DCMs) lies in a classification of individuals regarding multiple latent skills. In this article, the authors show that this objective can be achieved by multidimensional adaptive testing (MAT) as well. The authors discuss whether or not the restricted applicability of DCMs can…

This paper reviews and critically evaluates the psychometric properties of Kolb's Learning Style Inventory (LSI). The LSI was developed originally in the 1970s (Kolb, 1976a) and was revised in the 1980s (Kolb, 1985). Although the LSI has been very popular, extensive evidence available in the published literature indicates that both the original…

This paper considers applications of decision theory to the problem of instructional decision-making in computer-based adaptive instructional systems, using the Minnesota Adaptive Instructional System (MAIS) as an example. The first section indicates how the problem of selecting the appropriate amount of instruction in MAIS can be situated within…

Intended as a resource for individuals wishing to evaluate smoking cessation programs, this handbook, one in a series of seven, provides a collection of measuring devices that can improve the quality of such evaluations. Chapter 1 introduces the handbook's contents and outlines evaluation related issues specific to smoking cessation programs.…

Most discussions of measurement theory are focused on "scales" of measurement, but it is not clear whether reference is made to the mechanisms of measurement or the metric information derived from measurement. This emphasis on scales in measurement theory has not always provided a meaningful or fruitful description of measurement activities in…

Discusses the patterns of mental development of 350 pairs of twins studied longitudinally from 11/2-6 years of age. (DP)

THE MAJOR OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY WAS TO FORMULATE A SOUND, EFFECTIVE AND WORKABLE METHOD OF SCREENING CHILDREN FOR PLACEMENT IN SPECIAL CLASSES FOR THE MENTALLY RETARDED. THE PROJECT WAS A PILOT STUDY OF APPROXIMATELY 5,000 ELEMENTARY SCHOOL CHILDREN IN GRADES 1 THROUGH 6 IN 2 REPRESENTATIVE COUNTIES. TEACHER AND PRINCIPAL REFERRALS WERE SECURED…

A pattern-analytical technique, Similar Response Analysis (SRA), was developed, validated with contrived data, verified using previously reported data based on other pattern-analytical methods, and used successfully with "real" data. This technique orders subjects on the basis of the similarity of responses of adjacent individuals, not…

The cognitive characteristics involved in a relatively field-dependent or field-independent cognitive style and the personal characteristics associated with these contrasting styles have been shown to play a role in a) students' selection of electives and majors, b) vocational preferences they experience early in their academic careers, and c) the…