Intended to help the laity find their way through the confusion and controversy surrounding minimum competency testing (MCT), this paper explains what MCT is, acknowledges its limitations, weighs the criticisms, and shows how MCT may be used constructively for the benefit of students and for the improvement of schools. Highlights from the paper…

The relationship among writing ability (measured by writing samples and the Test of Standard Written English, TSWE) and a reconstruction test (requiring anagram solving, word and sentence reordering, and paragraph assembly) was studied for 105 undergraduates. The reconstruction test was a good predictor of writing ability. (SLD)

Training in tests and measures and attitudes toward testing were related to teacher's use of tests. Results support the contention that teacher's use tests extensively, but that they do not produce high quality tests. Results are discussed in terms of curriculum changes. (RB)

Discusses the problem of assigning subjects to one of several treatments based on their test scores. The success of each treatment is measured by different criterion. (RB)

Compared Erwin's Scale of Intellectual Development (SID) and Allen's Paragraph Completion Instrument to enhance understanding of intellectual development according to the Perry scheme. Indicated that the SID-Dualism subscale held the most promise for discriminating between students at various levels of intellectual development, as measured by the…

This article investigates the bias in regression coefficients caused by inconsistent aggregation of mean test scores by state from the Department of Education's table, "State Education Statistics." First theoretical calculations are used, then data are artifically aggregated from the High School and Beyond Sample. (Author/LMO)

The author describes the use of the revised Detroit Tests of Learning Aptitude and the Woodcock-Johnson Psycho-Educational Battery for students with learning disabilities. He cautions about making a diagnosis on the basis of only one test. (CL)

The study examined the WISC-R (Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Revised) profiles of 26 intellectually gifted students with respect to idiographic and normative variability in performance between scales and among subtests. Results indicated (even among highly homogeneous ability groups) significant variability in performance, reflecting…

The content and process of individual psychological testing can facilitate family therapy goals. Relevant research on the Barnum effect is reviewed, and an illustrative case is presented. (Author)

Performance of 46 gifted and talented elementary students as displayed on the Achievement-Aptitude Profile of the Woodcock-Johnson Psycho Educational Battery suggested that the test is useful for identifying and assessing this population. The Woodcock-Johnson and the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Revised appeared to have concurrent…

Q-sort techniques can be used to verify and quantify the discrepancy between the way handicapped children see themselves and how they would like to be. Modifications of the approach may also be useful with parents, peers, or administrators. (CL)

Analysis of questionnaires completed by 345 learning disability and reading resource teachers revealed that reading specialists diagnosed a broad population of students exhibiting many diverse characteristics. LD professionals used a broader diagnostic focus, touching upon intelligence, general achievement, perceptual and motor processes, as well…

The article suggests that intelligence testing effectively serves the purpose for which it was created and that it can yield a wealth of valuable information about a gifted child. The authors note that acknowledging that other measures are needed does not invalidate those measures currently used. (Author/CL)

The speech intelligibility of 21 hearing-impaired adolescents was measured by the National Technical Institute for the Deaf (NTID) rating scale, the Speech Intelligibility Evaluation, and the Speech Intelligibility Test for Deaf Children. The practical advantages and disadvantages of each procedure are discussed and recommendations made for their…

Educable mentally retarded (N=220) elementary and secondary students were administered Inventory of Basic Skills or the Inventory of Essential Skills (Brigance), The Peabody Individual Achievement Test (PIAT), and the Wide Range Achieve Test (WRAT). Results suggested that the Brigance measures do not replace the PIAT and WRAT. (CL)