Purpose: The Rapid Assessment of Problem Solving test (RAPS) is a clinical measure of problem solving based on the 20 Questions Test. This article updates clinicians on the RAPS, addresses questions raised about the test in an earlier article (R. C. Marshall, C. M. Karow, C. Morelli, K. Iden, & J. Dixon, 2003a), and discusses the clinical…

This technical report provides an overview of the New York State Alternate Assessment (NYSAA), including a description of the purpose of the NYSAA, the processes utilized to develop and implement the NYSAA program, and Stakeholder involvement in those processes. The purpose of this report is to document the technical aspects of the 2013-14 NYSAA.…

Counseling psychologists (N=8) recorded the time needed to score the Counselor Rating Form (CRF) and the CRF-Quick Score (CRF-QS). Then 120 students viewed a counseling videotape and completed both measures. Results showed the two are comparable but the CRF-QS is significantly less time-consuming to score. (JAC)

The study examined the relationship between performance on the K-ABC (Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children) and the WISC-R (Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children--Revised) for 67 students being considered for placement in a private school in a midwestern metropolitan area that serves students with severe learning disabilities. All were…

Investigated potentially biased scale items on the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression scale (CES-D; Radloff, 1977) in a sample of 600 adults. Overall, results indicate that the scoring method has an effect on differential item functioning (DIF), and that DIF is a property of the item, scoring method, and purpose of the assessment. (SLD)

To examine the interrater reliability of the Ruff Figural Fluency Test (RFFT) (R. Ruff, 1988), 124 college students completed the measure and scored RFFT test protocols. Results indicated substantial interscorer reliability on the RFFT, particularly for number of unique designs. Reliability was lower for scoring perseverative errors and error…

The structure of subscores obtained through streamlined scoring of 334 adults' responses to Figural Forms A and B of the Torrance Tests of Creative Thinking (P. Torrance, 1966) was analyzed. Principal components analyses indicated that one general creativity factor adequately represented subscores of both forms. However, the five subscores of each…

Real and perceived misuses of educational tests, errors in test scoring and test use, and incidents of cheating on tests have been widely reported in local and national media. As educational tests take on additional importance for students, teachers, and schools, there is appropriate concern about the quality of assessments and the appropriate use…

If examinees are permitted to choose to answer a subset of the questions on a test, just knowing which questions were chosen can provide a measure of proficiency that may be as reliable as would have been obtained from the test graded traditionally. This new method of scoring is much less time consuming and expensive for both the examinee and the…

The International Test Commission formed a 13-person committee of psychologists representing a number of international organizations to prepare a set of guidelines for adapting educational and psychological tests. The committee has worked for 3 years to produce near final drafts of 22 guidelines organized into 4 categories: (1) context; (2)…

This paper reviews and critically evaluates the psychometric properties of Kolb's Learning Style Inventory (LSI). The LSI was developed originally in the 1970s (Kolb, 1976a) and was revised in the 1980s (Kolb, 1985). Although the LSI has been very popular, extensive evidence available in the published literature indicates that both the original…

Four areas of the Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children are critically examined from an information processing perspective: theory, tests, scales and scores, and interpretation and educational applications. It is concluded that the promise of a marked improvement in intellectual assessment went unfulfilled. (Author/CL)

A new qualitative scoring system for the Rey Visual Memory Test was tested for its ability to distinguish between malingerers and nonmalingerers. The new system, based on the types of errors made, was able to distinguish between 53 psychiatrically disabled and 64 normal nonmalingerers, and between nonmalingerers and 91 possible malingerers. (SLD)

Studied the use of the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory for Adolescents (MMPI-A) (J. Butcher and others, 1992) with 13-year olds by examining the profiles produced. Investigated the effect of scoring with standard MMPI-A norms. Findings support the use of standard MMPI-A norms with 13-year-old inpatients. (SLD)

Guidelines are offered for the use of progress and outcome measures as an integral part of: (1) treatment planning and progress review; (2) clinical supervision; and (3) program management. Scales with documented reliability and validity are listed. Some sources of computer software programs for scoring are given. (Author/LMO)