An application of confirmatory factor analysis, using the LISREL program, to retrospective analysis of rating data common in health professions education was illustrated. A causal model was specified and tested. Although most measures clustered around latent traits, there was more method variance in the data set than trait variance. (Author/JAZ)

This study compared two instruments for evaluating the performance of individual college-level academic advisors: (1) a student form assessing abilities in listening and other counseling skills, knowledge, and technology use; and (2) a professional scale assessing task competence, other-orientation, and professional networking. Both showed high…

An expanded version of the method of content evaluation proposed by S. G. Sireci and K. F. Giesinger (1992) was evaluated with respect to a national licensure examination and a nationally standardized social studies achievement test. Two groups of 15 subject-matter experts rated the similarity and content relevance of the items. (SLD)

The authors compared 2-, 3-, 4-factor, and 2-factor/4-facet Psychopathy Checklist-Revised (PCL-R) models in a previously unpublished sample of 1,566 adult male sex offenders assessed under applied clinical conditions as part of a comprehensive state-mandated community notification risk assessment procedure. "Testlets" significantly…

School-wide behavior support has experienced recent interest among educators. This approach has been embraced because of its potential for decreasing school violence and improving school climate. In this paper we examine issues related to construct, internal, external, and social validity of school-wide support as it has been conceptualized in…

Valid measurement of physical activity is important for studying the risks for morbidity and mortality. The purpose of this study was to examine evidence of construct validity of two similar single-response items assessing physical activity via self-report. Both items are based on the stages of change model. The sample was 687 participants (men =…

Purpose: The purpose of this research is to examine the construct and predictive ability of a German version of the Learning Transfer Systems Inventory (GLTSI), an instrument designed to assess a constellation of 16 factors known to influence the transfer of training in work settings. Design/methodology/approach: The survey data for this study was…

During a period when the reform-minded are very critical of the degree to which testing is actually related to the conditions for which data are employed, authentic assessment offers the opportunity to evaluate learning in settings closely related to the real world. It also allows the evaluator to tailor assessment conditions for individual…

The Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) is used to assess the behavioral problems and social competencies of children. Its broad usage in both practitioner and research contexts has led to misapplications as compared to the CBCL's original intended purpose. In addition, the composition of the normative sample presents particular difficulties for…

Presents a study comparing two measures of general education outcomes, focusing on the validity of these instruments as measures of program effectiveness. Challenges the perceived advantages of standardized testing as measures of general education outcomes, recommending qualitative, institution-specific approaches relying on student and faculty…

This study investigated the concurrent and construct validity of an alternative group assessment procedure. The study assessed performance and personal traits of teacher education students and compared group assessment ratings to faculty evaluations. Results established the group assessment procedure's construct and concurrent validity. (SM)

The development of the DETECT procedure marked an important advancement in nonparametric dimensionality analysis. DETECT is the first nonparametric technique to estimate the number of dimensions in a data set, estimate an effect size for multidimensionality, and identify which dimension is predominantly measured by each item. The efficacy of…

Reliance on subjective grant proposal review methods leads private philanthropies to underfund mental health programs, even when foundations have mental health focuses. This article describes a private mental health foundation's efforts to increase the objectivity of its proposal review process by developing a reliable, valid proposal rating form.…

This paper represents Part I of a two-part study examining preservice teachers' development of a personalized, research-based Science Teaching Rationale (STR). Researchers have historically documented the application of the "rationale paper" (Clough, 1992; Veronesi, 1998) using qualitative methodologies. Since the rationale paper continues to…

Cultural competence has become a central social work tenet enshrined in the profession's ethical and educational standards. Few measures of cultural competence exist, however, in spite of an increasing array of religious, ethnic, and racial groups in U.S. society. This article develops a new measure to assess cultural competence among one family…