This study investigated the cognitive strategies that underpin assessors' holistic judgments of a school-based vocationally-related portfolio performance. Using a portfolio already identified as containing borderline qualities, quantitative data were gathered about features that six assessors attended to as they holistically evaluated the…

Assessing the psychometric properties of scores on self-concept measures with gifted students may provide guidance for interpretation and selection of appropriate instruments to use for individual assessments and in studies of self-concept. Given the widespread use of the Harter Self-Perception Profiles for Children and Adolescents, the purposes…

To address the need for a standardized system to classify the gross motor function of children with cerebral palsy, the authors developed a five-level classification system analogous to the staging and grading systems used in medicine. Nominal group process and Delphi survey consensus methods were used to examine content validity and revise the…

Visual inspection is the primary method used to analyze graphed behavioral data produced by functional analyses of problem behavior. The purpose of this study was to examine rater reliability of functional analysis graphs using visual inspection. Forty-three participants responded to a one-time anonymous survey (N = 454) mailed to graduate…

Purpose: The aim of this study was to investigate voice loudness and gender effects on jitter and shimmer in healthy young adults because previous descriptions have been inconsistent. Method: Fifty-seven healthy adults (28 women, 29 men) aged 20-40 years were included in this cross-sectional single-cohort study. Three phonations of /a/ at soft,…

There is a degree of instability in any measurement, so that if it is repeated, it is possible that a different result may be obtained. Such instability, generally described as "measurement error", may affect the conclusions drawn from an investigation, and methods exist for allowing it. It is less widely known that different disciplines, and…

It is particularly important that GCSE and A-level marking is valid and reliable as it affects the life chances of many young people in England. Current developments in marking technology are coinciding with potential changes in procedures to ensure valid and reliable marking. In this research the effectiveness of procedures to facilitate the…

To date, no standardized measures have been developed to evaluate the mealtime behavior of children with autism. The Brief Autism Mealtime Behavior Inventory (BAMBI) was designed to measure mealtime behavior problems observed in children with autism. Caregivers of 40 typically developing children and 68 children with autism completed the BAMBI,…

Two studies were conducted to provide the first empirical examination of the factor structure of a revised version of the clinically derived Structured Interview for Disorders of Extreme Stress, a structured interview designed to assess associated features of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) thought to be related to early onset, interpersonal,…

As states and communities invest in initiatives to improve the quality of early care and education, the measurement of quality is becoming more widespread and the importance of measuring quality well is gaining increasing attention. Within the broad context of interest in improving quality, this report seeks to differentiate among a number of…

The study sought to develop consensus opinion on the core competencies required to succeed as a female executive in the C-Suites of Alberta, Canada. The study was prompted by the significant under-representation of women in Canadian corporate executive positions and by a post-secondary institution's interest in determining whether a market exists…

Counselor ability to accurately self-assess their competence is important to ethical practice. However, research indicates that people in general are not reliable in judging their own competence. This study compared the self-assessments of skills of 69 counselors-in-training to the skill ratings of trained expert-raters at three points during…

Office discipline referrals (ODRs) are commonly used by school teams implementing schoolwide positive behavior support to indicate individual student need for additional behavior support. However, little is known about the technical adequacy of ODRs when used in this manner. In this study, the authors assessed (a) the concurrent validity of number…

This paper reports the results of two studies. The purpose of the first study was to determine if lifestyle variables and past involvement in physical activity was related to current activity levels in master athletes and sedentary older adults. Retrospective interviews were conducted with 12 master athletes and 12 sedentary older adults. Results…

Sluggish cognitive tempo (SCT) is a construct that some researchers believe may be extremely useful in understanding the inattentive subtype of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, and may even help define a completely new disorder. However, the construct of SCT is as yet inadequately operationally or theoretically defined. The authors took…