The Cattell-Horn-Carroll (CHC) taxonomy of cognitive abilities married John Horn and Raymond Cattell's Extended Gf-Gc theory with John Carroll's Three-Stratum Theory. While there are some similarities in arrangements or classifications of tasks (observed variables) within similar broad or narrow dimensions, other salient theoretical features and…

In today's market-driven educational culture, universities are coming under increasing pressure to justify funding through the disclosure of measurable outcomes in education and research. One educational objective that receives particular attention is critical thinking, regarded as an essential skill in both academic and work environments. The…

Cognitive ability tests are widely used in organizations around the world because they have high predictive validity in selection contexts. Although these tests typically measure several subdomains, testing is usually carried out for a single subdomain at a time. This can be ineffective when the subdomains assessed are highly correlated. This…

As a result of the upcoming Federal reauthorization of the Individuals With Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEA), practitioners and researchers have begun vigorously debating what constitutes evidence-based assessment for the identification of specific learning disability (SLD). This debate has resulted in strong support for a method that…

The Hope Scale is an 11-item teacher-rating instrument designed to help identify academic and social components of giftedness. It provides insights from teachers who work with students on a daily basis, which may differ from the type of information yielded through achievement and ability tests. The Hope Scale development was made possible by the…

In this article, we introduce a person-fit statistic called the hierarchy consistency index (HCI) to help detect misfitting item response vectors for tests developed and analyzed based on a cognitive model. The HCI ranges from -1.0 to 1.0, with values close to -1.0 indicating that students respond unexpectedly or differently from the responses…

Compared to unidimensional item response models (IRMs), cognitive diagnostic models (CDMs) based on latent classes represent examinees' knowledge and item requirements using discrete structures. This study systematically examines the viability of retrofitting CDMs to IRM-based data with a linear attribute structure. The study utilizes a procedure…

Tests of mental ability provide the most precise and efficient means of assessing a person's structure of knowledge. Tests help in cultivating cognitive competence, in developing and identifying excellence. The harmful consequences of not testing are outlined. (Author/AL)

In 1967 Gough and McGurk proposed a 30 item set of geometric forms and illusions for use in cross-cultural study of cognitive functioning. An Italian survey was therefore initiated to determine the applicability of the series and its validity in specifying age related cognitive levels. The results are discussed. (Author)

Computers are used to manage assessment information for special education students and to administer, score, and interpret tests. Although the content validity of computer-administered assessment instruments may have certain practical limitations, several useful advantages can be gained by using computer-administered tests, including real-time…

Emerging areas and critical problems related to computer-based testing are identified. Topics covered include adaptive testing; calibration; item selection; multidimensional items; uses of information processing theory; relation to cognitive psychology; and tests of short-term and spatial memory, perceptual speed and accuracy, and movement…

The Selected Marker Tests were examined for scoring problems and internal consistency and were administered orally to sixth and seventh graders. Scoring problems were discovered and changes were suggested. The problem was found to be item reliability rather than interrater reliability. (Author/MH)

A binary communication format and active interrogation were used to administer the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test (Revised) to 25 individuals unable to make oral or fine-motor responses resulting from various physical and intellectual disabilities. Results correlated with those obtained using the standard form. Discussion focuses on use with…

Six current issues in the use of tests are examined in this paper. Are the tests used in education valid? In general and to a reasonably satisfactory extent they are. Is the emphasis these tests place on cognitive achievements a serious limitation? Because of the basic and pervasive role of cognition in human affairs, and in the absence of any…

The history of the Educational Testing Service (ETS) Factor Kits is summarized. The original ETS Factor Kit was developed in 1954 and contained 51 items, three each for each of 15 factors and six for a 16th factor. The next edition was developed in 1963 and included adaptations (clones) of the defining tests instead of the exact copies. These…