The paper describes the Children's Interaction Schedule (CIS), an observation schedule designed to measure children's skills or processes in interacting with peers. There are nine categories of interactive behavior on which the CIS is based. The effectivness of the instrument in a field situation, using an interval-recording technique of behavior…

The Development Indicators for the Assessment of Learning (DIAL), a preschool screening instrument, was administered to 436 three- to five-year-olds. Results, in terms of the number of children identified as having potential problems, and the organization of the DIAL subscales, supported the use of the DIAL. (Author/CL)

The paper presents a step-by-step procedure for finding the probability of occurrence of the difference between test scores and the probability of occurrence of errors of measurement. This procedure is useful in interpreting test results to parents and making placement decisions. Difference scores are often used in placing students in learning…

Assessment questionnaire completed by 65 special education teachers indicated the tests they used, the assessment results gathered from other sources, and tests found most useful in instructional planning. Results of only one instrument, the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Revised, were used by over 3/4 of the Ss. (Author/CL)

Studied rater reliability, internal scale validity, and person response validity of the School Assessment of Motor and Process Skills (School AMPS) using results for 208 elementary school students, some with educationally related disabilities. Results support rater reliability, scale validity, and person response validity of the School AMPS as a…

Because it is possible to distort the Attitudes Toward Disabled Persons Scale (ATDP) scores, the ATDP should not be used as a screening device unless it is used in conjunction with other attitude measures. It might be used as a measure of a person's knowledge of what constitutes "positive" attitudes toward disabled persons in our…

Data contained in the Learning Potential Assessment Device report were compared with information in a standard psychological report for value in educational programming with 146 graduate special education students. Ss rated both reports negatively. Neither report was perceived to be valuable for program planning purposes. (Author/CL)

Three hundred eighty-two special education teachers (N=382) listed published tests useful in making diagnostic and placement decisions. Perceived usefulness of many tests varied as a function of exceptionality and geographical region. Those tests most frequently listed were not necessarily the most psychometrically sound, but tended to be…

Information about current assessment practices was obtained from 54 surveys completed by Handicapped Children's Early Education Program (HCEEP) demonstration projects across the United States. Information about factors influencing the selection and continued use of tests also was provided. Results indicated that 19 tests were used by five or more…

Samples of handicapped and nonhandicapped pupils were compared on the following: initial Minimum Competency Test (MCT) performance, participation in remediation, improvements in subsequent MCT, and eligibility for receiving high school diplomas. Nonhandicapped pupils generally fared better on all measures, although sharp differences were found…

Twenty-two handicapped and 10 nonhandicapped young children were administered the Evaluation and Programing System Level 1 (EPS-1), a measure designed to provide information to develop educational programs and assess program effectiveness. The article notes reliability, validity, and utility data. (Author/CL)

The alternate-forms reliability of the Assessment of Motor and Process Skills (AMPS) (A. Fisher, 1997), where alternate forms means different pairs of AMPS tasks, was studied with 91 people who had performed four AMPS tasks. Results support use of the AMPS activities of daily-living motor and process scales. (SLD)

An objective, 63-item measure of 12 types of parent participation in their child's special education program was developed and evaluated from teachers reporting the involvement of 229 families. Preliminary findings suggest that the instrument can be useful in determining overall involvement, mother-father differences, and in designing…

The focus of this research was to examine the perceived effectiveness of the Practical Assessment Exploration System (PAES) (J. Swisher, 1987) for making educational decisions at the instructional program level for students with disabilities across groups of teachers who have various levels of familiarity with the PAES. The PAES is a functional…

Since the passage of the 1997 amendments to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, inclusion of all students with disabilities in accountability systems has been mandatory. By 2001, school personnel began to understand that alternate assessment needed to focus on students' performance on state standards, and nearly all states had created…