Performance of 46 gifted and talented students (7-12 years old) on the Woodcock-Johnson Tests of Cognitive Ability and the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Revised was compared. Concurrent validity between the two full-scale measures was indicated. Scores on the alternative cluster of Broad Reasoning provided more accurate appraisal of…

Educational records of 40 hearing-impaired children (3-15 years old) given both the Leiter International Performance Scale and the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Revised, Performance Scale, were reviewed. The Leiter had a standard deviation significantly greater than that reported in the examiner's manual. Care is suggested when…

The study examined the stability of WISC-R (Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Revised) Verbal-Performance (V-P) differences at the triannual reevaluation of 71 learning disabled students from Hawaii. Results revealed a slight increase of three points in the V-P differences, with a correlation of .55 between the Time 1 and Time 2 V-P…

The author suggests that much of the current vocational evaluation technology does not fit within the definition of a work sample, and warns that if evaluators do not integrate their measurement tools with the discipline's philosophy, system publishers will gain control over vocational evaluation. (CL)

Four purposes of testing (screening, classification, program planning, and program evaluation) are identified, and tests are futher broken down into type, methods of scoring, and methods of administration. The author emphasizes that tests should be selected to accomplish the purposes of testing. (CL)

The author explains that readiness measures should collect data about pupil's entering behavior for instructional objectives or programs, that the criterion of relevance in entering behavior must be met, and that problems arise when there is no consensus on prerequisite entering behavior. (Author/CL)

The paper presents a step-by-step procedure for finding the probability of occurrence of the difference between test scores and the probability of occurrence of errors of measurement. This procedure is useful in interpreting test results to parents and making placement decisions. Difference scores are often used in placing students in learning…

The article reviews the Woodcock-Johnson Psycho-Educational Battery in terms of its standardizaton and psychometric qualities, and its strengths and weaknesses regarding administration, scoring, and interpretation. (CL)

The use of multidomain instruments for screening or diagnostic purposes with handicapped infants and preschoolers is reviewed. Purposes of assessment and criteria for instrument utility are presented. Five multidomain screening tools and three multidomain diagnostic instruments are reviewed with respect to their validity, reliability, and utility.…

Modified Assessment Techniques (MATs) are nonstandard diagnostic activities used with standardized tests and other assessment tools to gather information unavailable through standardized methods. Suggestions are offered for implementing MATs in several cognitive areas by modifying modality, language, complexity, spacial, and temporal elements and…

A framework is presented for implementing standardized achievement testing. Fundamental concepts and formats of the tests are reviewed, and useful references are listed. Standardized tests are considered and categorized in terms of administration format, functions, validity, and type (cognitive versus noncognitive). Thirteen basic recommendations…

A format is suggested for testing using free association techniques. In this system, students are given key words or phrases and asked to relate as much relevant information as they can. Scoring techniques, strengths, and weaknesses of such open-ended approaches are discussed, along with possible suggestions for implementation. (PB)

This article offers advice on interpreting intelligence quotient (IQ) data and other results from intelligence tests. Myths regarding the practical applications and broader implications of IQ profiles are debunked. Several warnings are given regarding test use along with general statements of intelligence tests' strengths and weaknesses in…

Issues such as the utility of standardized assessment instruments in the assessment of severely handicapped infants and preschool children are considered. A model is proposed for analyzing underlying cognitive requirements of assessment tasks and for using results of such an analysis for program planning. (Author/DB)

This article introduces this special issue on the differential performance of various ethnic groups on traditional, norm-referenced intelligence tests. The article discusses the role of the court system in determining intelligence test bias and suggests that attention be focused less on the instruments themselves and more on how they are used.…