Hypothesizes that children may misunderstand the task required by Piaget's test and that researchers may therefore underestimate the children's cognitive capacities. Tests the hypothesis by dividing 48 children of both sexes into two groups, those taking the standard tests and those taking a test restructured to limit ambiguity. (BE)

Examined whether method of presentation (live vs. taped) affected scores on Blending and Memory for Sentences subtests of Woodcock-Johnson Psycho-Educational Battery in two age levels of 60 Black and 60 White children. Results indicated that live voice presentation benefitted all groups in their scores on both subtests. (NRB)

Students with learning disabilities can prepare for the SATs (Stanford Achievement Tests) by (1) counseling sessions to discuss college prerequisites and pre-admission tests; (2) taking more academic courses or procuring necessary remedial help; (3) school personnel identifying and correcting skill weaknesses; and (4) discussing abuses and uses of…

Teacher-made tests can be adapted for learning disabled students during the process of test construction (incorporating aspects of directions, individual items, and test design) or during test administration. (CL)

A study of the extent to which two popular Published Reading Inventories (PRIs) identify the same instructional level when administered to 50 children in grades 1 through 7 demonstrate a significant lack of congruence between the instruments, particularly at the intermediate grade levels. (Author/CL)

The Binghamton (New York) City School District uses test scores in an annual curriculum review to identify subjects in which students are academically weak and need improvement. (MD)

This study compared two approximations for normalizing noncentral F distributions: one based on the square root of the chi-square distribution (SRA), the other derived from a cube root of the chi-square distribution (CRA). The CRA was superior, and generally provided an excellent approximation for noncentral F. (Author/BW)

Analysis of questionnaires completed by 79 special education supervisors revealed that (1) schools are satisfied with appraisal services provided; (2) the majority of districts contract for appraisal services; (3) employed examiners are more involved in total assessment processes than contracted examiners; and (4) examiners do not participate in…

A study of the written language test performance of a grade four learning-disabled French Immersion student revealed notable qualitative improvement between pretest and posttest settings concurrent with either minimal or no quantitative improvement. These observations suggest that standardized test instruments may not be the most appropriate tool…

Former NCME presidents comment on 1985 NCME Presidential Address: (1) William E. Coffman suggests an NCME review panel on testing programs; (2) Thomas J. Fitzgibbon sees a need for formative evaluation; (3) Jason Millman believes validity in assessment depends on purpose; and (4) Lorrie A. Shepard believes that tests may be poor agents of reform.…

Discusses various aspects of computerized testing: advantages of immediate feedback, on-the-spot score reporting, retention of scores on disks, the computer's potential as a simulation device, expert tests, embedded tests, intelligent tests, and adaptive testing. (CT)

The Debra P. versus Turlington case marked the first major inquiry into content validity of a student competency testing program. The Florida federal district court determined material assessed on the test had been taught in Florida's classrooms. Schools may deny regular diplomas to students who fail the test. (DWH)

This article provides unbiased estimates of the proportion of items in an item domain that an examinee would answer correctly if every item were attempted, when a closed sequential testing procedure is used. (Author)

A survey of 285 assessment personnel in Texas indicated that most assessment personnel do not believe themselves adequately prepared to conduct assessments of students with severe disabilities and desired additional training. Further, a higher percentage of those assessment personnel with training perceived themselves to have the competency than…

Identifies three sources of reporting deficiency for meta-analytic results: quality (adequacy) of publicizing; quality of macrolevel reporting, and quality of microlevel reporting. Reanalysis of 25 reports from the Smith, Glass and Miller (1980) psychotherapy meta-analysis established two sources of misinformation, interrater reliabilities and…