Stresses the importance of devising accurate methods of evaluation rather than teaching material only because it can be easily evaluated. (DF)

Recent changes in the objectives and techniques of testing India's university students are examined, including trends toward continuous rather than biennial or annual evaluation; internal (institutional) rather than external, standardized examinations; replacement of essay exams with more objective methods; and a letter grading system. (MSE)

The purpose of this report is to document the pilot test of the Instruction and Learning Appraisal (ILA) and describe the quality of the ILA process. The ILA process was developed by Edvantia staff who serve as technical assistance providers to schools and districts in the region. Low-performing schools and districts (i.e., those that fail to…

A form, which permits students to evaluate effectiveness of instruction in college lifetime sports courses, was developed and evaluated at Kansas State University. The form provides feedback to help teachers improve instructional methods and outcomes. Seven tables display study data. (Author/PP)

Research on teacher evaluation and teacher effectiveness indicates that there are serious problems with the reliability of presage, process, and product findings. Quality in teaching can best be assessed by measuring process in the classroom and by using observation instruments which record the occurrence of specific, well-defined behaviors. (PP)

Describes the development of a behaviorally based performance appraisal system for assessing the performance of highway patrol personnel. The items in the present scale were developed to describe proficiency levels of specific job tasks. This characteristic is expected to enhance the objectivity of the evaluation system. (Author)

Describes the Student Developmental Task Inventory (SDTI-2) which assesses the level of student development in terms of autonomy, purpose, and intimate relationships. The development, reliability, and validity of the SDTI-2 are discussed; student uses are suggested. (RC)

A study involving 593 students (ages 15-29) with deafness investigated the validity of a shortened version of the Transition Competence Battery for Deaf Adolescents and Young Adults (TCB). Overall results suggest that the "Mini" TCB is a viable assessment tool that can be used in transition assessment. (Author/CR)

A study compared the Social Responsiveness Scale (SRS) with the Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised in 61 children (ages 4-16) with autism. Correlations between the test scores for DSM-IV criterion sets were on the order of 0.7. SRS scores were unrelated to I.Q. and exhibited inter-rater reliability on the order of 0.8. (Contains references.)…

This study reports on the standardization of the Scale for Assessing Emotional Disturbance. Data collected on 2,266 typical students (ages 5- 18) and 1,371 students with emotional disturbances led to the identification of six behavioral problem factors that correspond to the federal definition of emotional disturbance and were highly internally…

In the context of developing assessment instruments in psychology, issues of standardization, norming procedures, and test reliability and validity are discussed. Criteria, guidelines, and rules of thumb are provided to help the clinician with instrument selection for a given psychological assessment. (SLD)

A 72-item survey, examining 6 types of instructional media, was administered to 85 preservice teachers to examine their beliefs with respect to instructional media. Factor analysis supported two strong constructs, technological beliefs and traditional beliefs. Whole and subscale reliabilities are also reported. (SLD)

This article describes the Course Experience Questionnaire, a student evaluation of teaching performance. The article discusses the instrument's theoretical basis, statistical qualities, and national trials in Australian higher education. The questionnaire is seen to offer a reliable, verifiable, and useful means of evaluating teaching quality in…

This study, involving five experienced and trained speech language pathologists, categorized the elicited imitations of five profoundly and five severely prelingually hearing-impaired subjects using the Phonetic Level Evaluation. Failure to obtain acceptably high levels of reliability suggests that this measure may not yet be an accurate and…

Twenty students and 45 adults with visual impairments or blindness were administered a test of tactile concentration and short-term memory involving the reproduction of the order of finger stimulation using the Finger Knocking Box. Reliability and validity scores indicated encouraging results with use of the instrument. (JDD)