The former HEW National Strategy for Youth Development Model was a community-based planning and procedural tool designed to enhance positive youth development and prevent delinquency through a process of youth needs assessment, development of targeted programs, and program impact evaluation. A series of 12 Impact Scales most directly reflect the…

A counseling program for senior medical school students is described. Each student who wishes to participate is provided with a prediction of his or her Federal Licensing Examination (FLEX) score, as well as the probability of passing the FLEX in Arkansas. Predictions were computed by performing regression analyses to obtain equations relating…

The recent development of strong statistical techniques has made accurate predictions of recidivism possible. To investigate the utility of discriminant analysis methodology in making predictions of recidivism in juvenile offenders, the court records of 271 male and female juvenile offenders, aged 12-16, were reviewed. A cross validation group…

The question of possible racial bias in the Law School Admissions Test (LSAT), the issue crucial to future tests of the constitutionality of preferential admissions, is explored with the conclusion that uncertainties in this area should not overshadow the necessity for reexamination of law school admission criteria. (JT)

The claim that tests of intelligence and abilities are the best predictors of academic success fails to examine closely the important moderator variable as test and criterion characteristics rather than as person characteristics. (EH)

The utility of computer analysis in the assessment of written products was studied using the WordMAP software package. Data were collected for 92 college freshmen, using: (1) the Test of Standard Written English (TSWE); (2) the English Composition Test of the College Board; (3) verbal and mathematical Scholastic Aptitude Tests; (4) two narrative…

The measurement integrity of M. A. Rahim's Organizational Conflict Inventory (ROCI-II) and D. M. Roussel's Managerial Frames of Mind Survey (MFMS) was investigated, as was the relationship between scores on the two measures. Subjects were 369 managers from three types of organizations: (1) higher education; (2) not-for-profit public sector…

Using simulated item response data, the performance of several "robust" and conventional schemes for ability estimation was evaluated in conjunction with logistic item response theory models (one, two, and three parameter models). The simulated item response data were generated using a model that is more complex than are the usual…

A study was conducted at Miami-Dade Community College (MDCC) to determine the impact of raising the minimum grade point average (GPA) from 1.50 to 1.75. A cohort of 1,745 credit students was identified based on their end-of-term GPA for the fall term 1982. The cohort, which consisted of students who completed the term with a GPA between 1.50 and…

The general ability factor (G), as enunciated by Charles Spearman in the model of cognitive functioning, has been the foundation of psychometric theory and test making practices for 80 years. Through these decades, some psychologists disagreed with this theory, especially Godfrey Thompson and E. L. Thorndike. Nevertheless, various aptitude tests…

This paper reviews the existing multidimensional item response theory (IRT) models and demonstrates how one of the models can be applied to estimation of abilities from a test measuring more than one dimension. The purposes of this paper were threefold. First, the fundamental concepts required when considering multidimensional models for the…

The predictive analysis approach to adaptive testing originated in the idea of statistical predictive analysis suggested by J. Aitchison and I.R. Dunsmore (1975). The adaptive testing model proposed is based on parameter-free predictive distribution. Aitchison and Dunsmore define statistical prediction analysis as the use of data obtained from an…

The Key Assessment System, consisting of test instruments which measure psychological functioning, work related competencies, and attitudinal and motivational characteristics, is described. The system is a vocational assessment battery designed to differentiate levels of psychophysical capabilities in a nondiscriminatory manner. It provides a…

The role of anxiety, stress, and social support in predicting negative obstetrical outcomes was examined in a high-risk group of pregnant women. The predictor variables were assessed with separate self-report scales, including The Sarason Life Experience Survey, the Spielberger State/Trait Inventory, and a modified version of the Lazarus and Cohen…

The National Center for Education Statistics supported this conference as a first step in a dialogue among forecasters to benefit all in the field. Fifty forecasters representing 20 different federal agencies attended the day-long session. Objectives of the conference include: (1) to bring forecasters together for a forum to share information on…