The article describes the Coping Inventory, an observation instrument used to assess 48 coping behaviors and to develop a profile which generates goals and objectives in a preschool learning handicapped child's individualized education plan aimed at increasing coping competence. (Author/SB)

Test measurement, reliability, and validity are discussed in relation to methods of physical fitness testing. A successful testing method which involved students testing their peers is described, showing the administration of various test items and the use of test practice procedures. (JN)

This article describes the development and validation of an instrument to assess adults' orientations toward control versus autonomy in their interactions with children. The responses from 68 teachers had a good range and were internally consistent and temporally stable. Further, the measure was shown to be externally valid. (Author/BW)

Reports on the development and validation of a standardized test, entitled Competency Inventory on Vocational Education for the Handicapped, which was designed to measure the knowledge vocational education teachers possess about teaching handicapped students in regular vocational education programs. (CT)

While Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT) and American College Testing Program (ACT) scores are viewed as reliable, and colleges and universities continue to use them, they are often misunderstood and misused. They are reliable for predicting freshman grades only when comparisons are made within one racial group. They also do not account for student…

Evaluates the use of discrimination indexes (or item-total correlation) for examining the reliability of examinations. States this technique has drawbacks and may cause examination validity to be lower. Discusses the idea of discrimination power and why poor students may answer an item correctly. (CMK)

Comparisons are made of the results of administering the same Objective Structured Clinical Examination-type clinical skills tests to two cohorts of the Ontario Pre-Internship Program. A description is provided of entry-exit comparisons between the test results of the two cohorts. (GLR)

A five-year curriculum evaluation project is described that treated students' course ratings, examination reliability coefficients, and item-discrimination data as a battery of data points for determining annual revision efforts. Histograms were constructed to make valid demonstrations of successful efforts immediately comprehensible to faculty.…

Describes the development of a placement test specifically designed for students entering Pembroke State University. Includes question construction and suitable test standards in discussing the features of a good placement test. Concludes that the test provides a reliable measure of students potential success. (MDH)

Two forms of the Battelle Developmental Inventory, intended for use with handicapped and nonhandicapped children ages 0-8, are examined. The instruments measure personal-social, adaptive, motor, communication, and cognitive skills, for use in screening, diagnosis, identification, assessment, and program evaluation. The paper discusses test…

The Luria Nebraska Neuropsychological Battery identifies cognitive deficits and localizes specific brain impairment in individuals age 15 or older. The instrument uses visual stimulus cards and an audiotape to assess performance in such areas as tactile functions, speech, arithmetic, and memory. This paper examines test administration, summation…

The Peabody Individual Achievement Test-Revised offers a standardized assessment of an individual's level of academic performance in reading, mathematics, spelling, written expression, and encyclopedic knowledge. The test is designed as a screening device for students ages 5-18. This paper describes administration, summation of data,…

The Test for Auditory Comprehension of Language-Revised is intended for use with children ages 3-9 as well as with children and adults with certain disabilities. The test's three sections include Word Classes and Relations, Grammatical Morphemes, and Elaborated Sentences. This paper describes the test's administration, scoring, standardization,…

The Woodcock Reading Mastery Tests assess reading ability in individuals from kindergarten to adulthood. The test battery is designed for use in clinical assessment and diagnosis, program planning, student selection and placement, appraisal of student progress, and other uses. This paper describes the test battery's administration, scoring,…

Describes the rationale and development of a new screening test, Developmental Indicators for the Assessment of Learning-3 (DIAL-3), which is based on previous editions. Empirical research is presented to document item additions and deletions as well as the continued maintenance of three performance areas: motor, concepts, and language. (Author/CR)