Some of the conceptual and methodological problems in identifying and measuring creativity in young children are presented. Among the issues raised are: (1) the prediction of validity of creativity tests, (2) the problem of predicting adult creativity from evidence of childhood creativity, and (3) the need to identify and adequately measure the…

The common approach to studies of predictive bias is analyzed within the context of a conceptual model in which predictors and criterion measures are viewed as fallible indicators of idealized qualifications. (Author/PN)

The problem of finding a meaningful way of demonstrating the benefit or satisfaction to be gained by using predictive assessment techniques to select or place individuals in work situations is explored. The urgent need of developing nations for appropriate occupational and educational selection procedures is presented and explained. A discussion…

This paper discusses college admissions tests and their tendency to discriminate against blacks and Chicanos. Evidence to support this thesis is presented from two perspectives--the level of reading difficulty of the tests and the restricted dialectal characteristic of the language used in the tests. The Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT)-Verbal…

An investigation of self-statements, test anxiety and academic achievement studied 426 college students. Research methodology is defined, demographics and student profiles for both facilitative and debilitative test anxiety are presented, with the resulting findings for each testing component. The student profile for high facilitative test anxiety…

The predictive and incremental validity of the New Medical College Admission Test (New MCAT) Science Problems Subtest was examined with a sample of over 165 medical students. Criterion measures were National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME) Part I (basic science) and Part II (clinical science) performance. The Science Problems subscore is derived…

This study was designed to determine if the decline evidenced in the College Entrance Examination Board (CEEB) Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) scores for mathematics is a true reflection of a decrease in students' mathematical ability, or is a result of the inadequacy of the test in measuring students' mathematical abilities. The data consisted of…

Achievement assessment has recently become an issue of major public concern. Concurrent with demands which have placed increased reliance on measurement and assessment have been criticisms of present testing practices. The effects of sociocultural and motivation variables on achievement patterns of 7,000 Illinois school children were investigated.…

One hundred and five English undergraduate college students at two colleges in England completed the Holland Vocational Preference Inventory (VPI), the Barron Ego Strength Scale, the Adult Nowicki-Strickland Internal-External Control Scale, and the Occupational Values Q Sort. Congruent students were identified by matching their reading (major)…

Issues associated with the ACT (American College Testing) Assessment Program illustrate the need to assess college entrance examinations in terms of the variety of common predictive uses such as estimation of first year grade point average (GPA), or chances of obtaining a C average after certain semesters or in specific courses. Test developers…

The American College Testing (ACT) Assessment Program is reviewed in this four-part report in terms of its use at North Harris County College (NHCC). Part I briefly reviews the contents of the four ACT tests: English Usage, Mathematics Usage, Social Studies Reading, and Natural Science Reading. It goes on to discuss the stability, limitations, and…

The author presents his view that the public has not been well informed about the limitations of college entrance examinations. Several educational trends are discussed: (1) since World War II, college admissions testing has underscored the classic American tension between egalitarianism and meritocracy; (2) more students have aspired to attend…

It is suggested that bias--when associated with a predictor, a test, or a statistical estimator--is not always bad, in spite of the immediate negative response evoked by the word, bias. Four settings are described to illustrate situations in which a procedure should not be summarily rejected due to bias: (1) educational researchers rejected the…

To help college reading teachers develop an awareness of what standardized reading tests do and do not reveal about students' reading abilities, a study examined the testing of reading and criticized four major standardized tests. Results indicated that reading is tested through (1) reading passages accompanied by multiple choice questions, (2)…

This study examined differences in predicting achievement by sex on the Iowa Tests of Basic Skills (ITBS) from the verbal, quantitative, and nonverbal scores on the Cognitive Abilities Test (CogAT). The sample (n=10,000) consisted of all students in Grades 2, 5, and 8 who completed both tests in fall 1984. Examinations of means and standard…