The Assessment Center Method is a comprehensive, standardized procedure in which mulitple appraisal techniques are used in combination to evaluate individuals for various purposes, primarily used in a business setting to identify those with potential for higher level procedures. The dimensions to be observed and measured in an assessment center…

Support for the validity of the equipercentile assumption is presented in contrast with the conclusion of Powers, Slaughter, and Helmick (EJ 289 091). Observed "gains" from pre- to posttests are better attributed to stakeholder bias, posttests that match curriculum content too closely, or a combination of these factors. (Author/DWH)

The Koppitz Human Figure Drawing (HFD) Test was examined for use in early identification of academically not-ready kindergarten children. HFD scores of children who later "passed" the Metropolitan Readiness Test were compared with HFD scores of children who later "failed." Results indicate that HFD scores are useful in…

A three-year study yielded data on the characteristics and progress of 44 preschool children with developmental delays of uncertain etiology. Findings support the use of traditional developmental tests for assessing developmental status. Analyses across time suggest that three assessments are needed before confident prediction is possible about…

The predictive accuracy of the newly developed actuarial risk measures Risk Matrix 2000 Sexual/Violence (RMS, RMV) were cross validated and compared with two risk assessment measures (SVR-20 and Static-99) in a sample of sexual (n = 85) and nonsex violent (n = 46) offenders. The sexual offense reconviction rate for the sex offender group was 18%…

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…

Recognizing the need for a uniform method of measurement to apply to non-degree adult education programs, the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools incorporated the Continuing Education Unit (CEU) for use December 1, 1971. The purpose of this study was to forecast the utilization of the CEU in these programs within the Southern Association…

A ratio adjustment procedure for baseline records which compares the observed response frequency with a maximum possible frequency for each observation period is described. This ratio is transformed into a response percentage with a more general predictive value for the behavior modification practitioner. (Author/RC)

Tests the inferential approach to the study of competence evaluation and a series of complicating factors relevant to it by having participants with known implicit theories judge an observed communicator on a set of competence-relevant characteristics and on overall competence. Finds inferential models predicted these judgments well. (MS)

This study, in which 237 blind persons were administered the Comprehensive Vocational Evaluation System (CVES), found that the CVES was significantly able to predict subjects' vocational placement and independent living levels as determined by rehabilitation personnel. (Author/DB)

As the rapidity with which medical knowledge is generated and disseminated becomes amplified, an increasing emphasis has been placed on the need for physicians to develop the skills necessary for life-long learning. One such skill is the ability to evaluate one's own deficiencies. A ubiquitous finding in the study of self-assessment, however, is…

The literature on validity provides much more guidance on how to collect various kinds of validity evidence than it does on which kinds of evidence to collect in specific cases. An argument-based approach to validation redresses the balance by linking the kinds of evidence needed to validate a test-score interpretation to the details of the…

The National Center for Education Statistics supported this conference as a first step in a dialogue among forecasters to benefit all in the field. Fifty forecasters representing 20 different federal agencies attended the day-long session. Objectives of the conference include: (1) to bring forecasters together for a forum to share information on…

The development of new statistical methods of log-linear models by Leo Goodman has led to major advances in the statistical analysis of categorical data. Goodman's logit analysis, (the simplest form of log-linear models) can be applied in evaluation studies to estimate the "main effects" and "interaction effects" of categorical…