Educational assessment and, more broadly, educational research in the United States have entered into an era characterized by a dramatic increase in the prevalence and importance of test score use in accountability systems. This volume covers a selection of contemporary issues about testing science and practice that impact the nation's public…

The purpose of this article is to discuss the role of "baseline studies" in investigations of test impact and to illustrate the type of thinking underlying the design and implementation of such studies by reference to a recent study relating to a high-stakes test of English language proficiency. Baseline studies are used to describe an…

The booklet specifies procedures used in Ohio for determining the existence of a severe discrepancy between intellectual ability and achievement in learning disabled (LD) students. An introductory section outlines state regulations regarding eligibility criteria for determining LD. A three-step procedure is then described (and illustrated in a…

The study examined the relationship between performance on the K-ABC (Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children) and the WISC-R (Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children--Revised) for 67 students being considered for placement in a private school in a midwestern metropolitan area that serves students with severe learning disabilities. All were…

The development and use of a questionnaire assessing interpersonal attitudes relevant to pediatric practice are described. The Behavioral Pediatrics Questionnaire measures a wide array of beliefs ranging from attitudes toward physical disabilities to parenting and empathy. (TJH)

Describes a study to determine if the Areas of Change Questionnaire (AC) items represent commonly occurring problems seen by marital therapists and identified by Geiss and O'Leary (1981). Results suggest that AC Questionnaire, containing 13 of Geiss and O'Leary's 29 marital problem categories, is limited in the range of clinical marital problems…

The Kaufman Test of Educational Achievement (K-TEA) is described in terms of training, subtest description and evaluation, and technical information. (CL)

Responses of 584 high IQ children to the Revised Children's Manifest Anxiety Scale were submitted to a factor analysis. The five factors that emerged were highly similar to factors found with the normative sample. Reliability estimates for each age group on three subscales of anxiety and for the total scale support its clinical and research use.…

The paper describes the Children's Interaction Schedule (CIS), an observation schedule designed to measure children's skills or processes in interacting with peers. There are nine categories of interactive behavior on which the CIS is based. The effectivness of the instrument in a field situation, using an interval-recording technique of behavior…

Paper discusses advantages and disadvantages of using the Leiter International Performance Scale with autistic children and presents the results of a study comparing the performance of 18 autistic children on the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Revised and the Leiter. Results showed a high positive correlation between the WISC-R…

Follow-up of 100 children whose mothers were identified during their pregnancy as high risk for serious parenting problems indicated that the scale (Family Stress Checklist) was a remarkably accurate predictor, with a sensitivity (percent correct negatives) of 89 percent. (CL)

A set of 45 mental scale items from the Bayley Scales of Infant Development was administered by two testers to 33 nonambulatory, profoundly mentally retarded subjects. Bayley raw scores predicted success in conditioning programs, suggesting that this test is useful for educational programing. (Author/CL)

The effects of grade level and socioeconomic status upon Purdue Elementary Problem-Solving Inventory (PEPSI) scores were investigated with 123 elementary students. It was concluded that the PEPSI is usable with most grade two through grade six pupils at both lower and middle socioeconomic levels, and has potential utility in teaching…

The Development Indicators for the Assessment of Learning (DIAL), a preschool screening instrument, was administered to 436 three- to five-year-olds. Results, in terms of the number of children identified as having potential problems, and the organization of the DIAL subscales, supported the use of the DIAL. (Author/CL)

This book takes the mystery and confusion out of assessment by reframing its purpose in student evaluation and learning by providing teachers and school and district administrators with mechanisms for the effective use of assessment, real-life examples and case studies, sample rubrics and lesson plans, and a discussion of the changing role of…