Self-assessments combined with achievements and test scores lead to increased accuracy and fairness in examining, but require adjustment for degree of understanding of the element to be rated. This kind of analysis appears promising for studies designed to reduce adverse impact of tests. (Author)

Presents a critical analysis of reports and empirical literature on the quality of candidates in teacher education programs, and describes the results of a nation-wide survey of basic skills competencies required of such candidates. (BJV)

We combined data from the Office for Standards in Education with those from a large national survey of child and adolescent mental health and developed a simple score that schools or LEAs could use to predict the level of emotional and behavioural difficulties that they are likely to encounter. The final Ford score is based on the rates of free…

Early screening programs to determine learning problems in preschool children are evaluated. A review of early identification literature indicates considerable difficulty in describing screening results and determining when a screening program accurately identifies those students believed to be "at risk." The authors propose several…

Discusses the relationship between changes in delinquency prevalence over time and prediction error. Data from a 21-year British longitudinal study exemplify the formal relationships that are derived. Results indicate statistically, as prevalence increases, a relative increase in false negative errors and a decrease in false positive errors…

The Bakke case is viewed as simply another reflection of elitist criteria which limit the success of minority groups in our society. The arguments brought forth by Bakke's lawyers are shown to support this position. (GC)

Tests a model that posited that three diverse sets of academic outcomes for children were uniquely determined by psychological, family, and peer factors. Results reveal that early verbal skills are unique predictors of academic outcomes, and that the relative importance of psychological and peer factors depends on the kind of academic outcome of…

"Outlier studies" identify items for which extreme differences in performance by contrasting groups occur; these extreme items are the "outliers" referred to. Review of the studies conducted on tests receiving major use in higher education reveals that though one cannot make a priori classifications of outliers with confidence,…

Focusing on assessment centers, this chapter is one of seven in a report that examines the assessment of occupational competence. Assessment centers are presented first in a historical context (their origins in personality theory), through which their evolution is traced and examined. What follows is a description of current assessment center…

The author comments on articles that discuss the roles of demographic variables, qualitative variables, and the interview in making sound selection for medical school admission; analyze the effectiveness of traditional predictors in selecting successful students; and examine the predictors that best identify minority students likely to succeed in…

The criterion most frequently used in studies designed to assess the predictive validity of measures used in college admission has been the freshman-year grade point average (GPA). It is not self-evident that the first-year GPA provides either a sufficient or a representative sample of a student's academic performance. Questions have been raised…

Explores the limitations associated with the expectancy formula approach, using a logical and mathematical analysis. Expectancy tables are predicted on the questionable assumption that achievement follows a straight line growth pattern. The approach is biased in the direction of applying a more stringent underachievement criterion for older,…

A scale assessing teacher beliefs concerning the responsibility for student academic success was developed and validated. The results show a striking difference in male/female teacher responses. Female teachers consistently assumed greater responsibility for the learning outcomes of their students. (JN)

Compares the validity of individuals' self-assessments with other assessment procedures commonly used in psychological evaluation. It is argued that greater attention should be given to self-assessments and the improvement of their validity. Steps are outlined for deciding when self-assessment should be used, and suggestions are offered for…

In 1992, a study was conducted of the codes of ethics and relevant policy and procedural statements of the largest two-year colleges in each state. By analyzing these documents, the study sought to determine whether a common body of ethics is surfacing among the colleges surveyed; compare academic codes of ethics with business codes of ethics, and…