The study examined the process by which diagnostic data on children thought to have learning disabilities (LD) are generated and used. Emphasis was placed on the validity of test instruments in common use in the field. Since part of the practical validity of any instrument used to identify an LD child rests on the validity of the LD construct…

This training text is designed to introduce program evaluation concepts and terminology to beginning program evaluators for state-federal vocational rehabilitation programs. Taking a research approach, the text covers the principles underlying program evaluation, and is geared to give the reader a basic understanding of how these principles can be…

The Home Bilingual Usage Estimate was designed to measure a person's home-family language usage and to yield a single classification according to a criterion scale. The following classifications were established: English monolingual, English dominant, apparent bilingual, Spanish dominant, or Spanish monolingual. Validity was determined by the…

The Nature of Scientific Knowledge Scale (NSKS) is a 48 item, Likert-type instrument designed to assess high school students' understanding of the nature of scientific knowledge. This attitude scale is based on a six-factor model adapted from the factor-explication format used by Victor Showalter. Scientific knowledge is characterized as: (1)…

Two tests of oral English ability are described and presented: (1) the Oral Placement Test, and (2) the Oral Production Test, which contains three forms for three levels. The tests may be used for placement or diagnosis. Each student is tested individually; the placement test takes five minutes, and each achievement test takes less than ten…

The purposes of this study were to: (1) develop a valid and reliable instrument for direct recording of leadership behavioral characteristics of nursery school children; (2) develop a valid and reliable scale for teachers' rating of leadership behavioral characteristics of nursery school children; and (3) determine the degree of correlation…

Cognitive and affective scales for assessing computer attitudes were administered to 2,525 students and educators. Results supported test validity and reliability. Generally positive cognitive attitudes were found, as well as a rejection of negative affective attitudes. (The 14 items are included) (GDC)

This book is a manual for the administration and interpretation of the Learning Styles Inventory, Version III (LSI-III). Part 1 is reproducible (so each teacher who administers the LSI can have a copy) and answers the following concerns: what the LSI-III is and what it measures; administering and scoring the LSI-III; interpreting students' scores…

This study examined the SAT® II: Writing Subject Test as a predictor of writing performance in college English courses. Writing performance was based on eight writing samples submitted as part of regular course work by students in eight colleges. The samples consisted of drafts and final papers submitted in response to four take-home writing…

A description is presented of the construction and use of a questionnaire for evaluating freshman science courses. It uses a forced choice technique to measure student expectations, influence on students, and faculty objectives. Field tests are used to estimate the procedure's validity and reliability. (Author/MSE)

This study examined whether the reading, writing, and mathematics skill statements derived for the Praxis I Basic Skills Assessments and the Pre-Professional Skills Test (PPST) are considered by educators to be important for entry-level teachers of deaf and hard of hearing students. The study is based on a survey of 833 teachers, administrators,…

A prototype revised form of the Test of Spoken English (TSE) was compared with the current version of the same test, comparing interrater reliability, frequency of rater discrepancy at all score levels, component task adequacy, scoring efficacy, and other concurrent and construct validity evidence, including the oral proficiency interview…

This resource guide, second in a series of three volumes, is a compilation of assessment instruments, tools, or checklists. These instruments were submitted by active professionals in the field of assistive technology and demonstrate the range of instrumentation in use today. Each item submitted is reviewed according to a standard format that…

This study sought to design and test a survey instrument which examined college faculty satisfaction with their roles of teaching, research, and service. A panel of experts reviewed the Spanish and English versions of the 39 item survey for quality of items and grammatical accuracy. Thirty randomly selected faculty members from a population of 234…

The Parenting Stress Index (PSI) is a clinical and research self-report instrument (101 items) designed as a screening and diagnostic assessment technique to identify parent and child systems which are under stress, and in which deviant development of the child is likely to take place, or where dysfunctional parenting is likely to occur. The PSI…