High rates of learner attrition from courses continue to plague distance education institutions. As educational researchers continue to examine the attrition/completion issue, many measurement problems emerge. Focusing on Athabasca University, Alberta, this paper, part of a series produced by Project REDEAL (Research and Evaluation of Distance…

A study was designed to test predictability of actual occupation from expressed vocational choice when combined separately with measures of career development. Subjects were 1,994 members of a national study of high school career development who were working more than half-time three years later (1976). Expressed vocational choice and measures of…

The United States Employment Service (USES) Specific Aptitude Test Battery (SATB) for Semiconductor Occupations is evaluated from three points of view: (1) technical adequacy of the research, (2) fairness to minorities, and (3) usefulness of the battery to United States Employment Service staff and employers in selecting individuals for training…

The effectiveness of Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) scores in predicting success during the first phase of medical education is investigated. The process by which medical students are educated and evaluated, the nature and purpose of the MCAT, and the MCAT Interpretive Studies Program developed by the Association of American Medical…

The accuracy and variability of 4 cross-validation procedures and 18 formulas were compared concerning their ability to estimate the population multiple correlation and the validity of the sample regression equation in the population. The investigation included two types of regression, multiple and stepwise; three sample sizes, N = 30, 60, 120;…

The study, involving 379 students (6-20 years old), investigated the 3-year performance stability of handicapped children from four racial groups (Anglo, Black, Mexican American, and Native American). Data were collected from the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children--Revised (WISC-R) and the Wide Range Achievement Test (WRAT). Results…

The language problems of foreign teaching assistants (TAs) at American universities are formidable. At UCLA, the ESL Section of the English Department has responded to the needs of foreign TAs through the development of an advanced course in oral communication that focuses on teaching-related skills. A research project has been undertaken as well.…

The real problems of contextual analysis concern the conceptualization of contextual effects, the kinds of data with which to estimate them, and the selection and implementation of appropriate statistical techniques. This paper focuses on detection; specifically, an approach to contextual analysis based on the estimation and interpretation of a…

Investigated the efficacy of various WAIS short forms among outpatients. Results favor Pauker's (1963) short form but also show a decrease in correspondence between short-form and Full Scale scores when the short forms are administered separately. (Author/EJT)

Reports a study that evaluated the efficacy of a nonranking grading system in assessing superior performance. (JT)

Argues that standardized IQ, aptitude, and achievement tests are biased against persons of low socioeconomic status. (IRT)

The Predictive Screening Test of Articulation (PSTA) was administered to 371 children in first grade and again in third grade to evaluate its effectiveness as a predictive test and screening instrument. (LS)

A study of the academic performance of college students at LaTrobe University, Australia, in relation to their college entrance scores (high school achievement) shows that although the scores provide a reasonable guide to first-year performance, a better guide to overall success is the performance at the first-year level. (JT)

A model for analyzing policy impacts is presented that will assist state-level policy makers in education. The model comprises four stages: (1) monitoring, which includes the identification of relevant trends and issues and the development of a data base; (2) forecasting, which uses quantitative and qualitative techniques developed in futures…

This study attempts to determine factors which would predict Spanish ability in experienced bilingual teachers in order to plan language development lessons for prospective bilingual teachers. A review of literature on personality, social, and psychological factors in learning a foreign language suggests that there may be some correlation between…