The main problem of the educational evaluation validity is that it just copies the conceptual framework system of validity from educational measurement to its own conceptual system. The validity conceptual system that fits the need of theory and practice of educational evaluation has not been established yet. According to the inherent attributive…

This study has attempted to investigate the administered written tests in the language department of Islamic Azad University of Hamedan, Iran from validity, practicality and reliability points of view. To this end two steps were taken. First, examining 112 tests, we knew that the face validity of 50 tests had been threatened, 9 tests lacked…

The comprehension section of the "Nelson-Denny Reading Test" (NDRT) is widely used to assess the reading comprehension skills of adolescents and adults in the United States. In this study, the authors explored the content validity of the NDRT Comprehension Test (Forms G and H) by asking university students (with and without at-risk…

Describes the development of a placement test specifically designed for students entering Pembroke State University. Includes question construction and suitable test standards in discussing the features of a good placement test. Concludes that the test provides a reliable measure of students potential success. (MDH)

Describes the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) and the Advanced Placement in International English Language (APIEL) and evaluates both tests on three basic types of validity criteria: content, construct, and criterion-related. Concludes that the TOEFL has serious limitations, and that the APIEL may be more useful. (EV)

A study involving 234 Texas college students was undertaken to develop and test the validity and reliability of an instrument designed to measure college students' attitudes toward alcohol. Special attention was given to the content and construct validity of the instrument. Subjects ranged in age from 18 to 24 years. The mapping sentence served as…

The development and tryout of an instrument designed to measure college students' attitudes toward alcohol demonstrate the utility of Guttman's facet analysis for developing and validating instruments. Findings from the survey, administered to 1,049 students, support the construct validity of the instrument. (SLD)

The Stages of Concerns Questionnaire (SoCQ) is an established instrument which has been used primarily with inservice teachers involved in innovations. While it focuses on inservice teachers' concerns about an innovation, the instrument is based on theoretical constructs developed by the work of Frances Fuller and others during the 1960s with…

The Graduate Record Examination (GRE) in Physics was analyzed as a specific indicator of learning outcomes in that undergraduate major. Textbooks were selected as a measure of curriculum content. A representative sample of colleges and universities (n=59) responded to questions about physics courses and textbooks and the existence of a graduate…

This study, conducted at six southern universities, analyzed the validity and reliability of a researcher developed instrument designed to evaluate educational software in secondary mathematics. The instrument called the Instrument for Software Evaluation for Educators uses measurement scales, presents a summary section of the evaluation, and…

Three related Canadian studies assessed the content validity of 59 clinical problems designed as part of a test of medical decision-making skills. Focus was on the key features, i.e., the critical or essential steps in identification and management of the clinical problem. Results support content validity of the key features. (MSE)

Item response theory's (IRT) suitability for medical examination data was examined, using data on 2,000 candidates who took the 1980 and 1982 American Board of Internal Medicine Certifying Examinations. Focus was on determining whether the tests met IRT assumptions and applying one-parameter and three-parameter IRT models to the data. (TJH)

The College Outcome Measures Program (COMP) and the Collegiate Assessment of Academic Proficiency (CAAP) examinations were evaluated as measures of the effectiveness of the general education program of the University of Tennessee (Knoxville). The criteria used to evaluate these examinations focused on their construct validity. The data were…

Analyzed and validated revised versions of the 2000 Word Level and the University Word Level of Nation's Vocabulary Levels Test, which can be administered for course planning and placement in language programs. Japanese high school and university students (n=496) completed four forms of the 2000 Word Test, and 464 completed four forms of the…

The use of multiple-choice test items measuring content-specific pedagogical knowledge (C-P) as a viable method of increasing the validity of teacher tests is described. The purposes of the paper are to: (1) present examples of multiple-choice test items used for the assessment of C-P and contrast these items with items used for assessing content…