In a replication of an earlier study, a questionnaire with items lacking content and merely containing answer possibilities was administered to a sample of Dutch freshmen psychology students. Subjects showed a preference for positive options over negative options. (Author/JKS)

Individuals, randomly selected from important but diverse community and school groups, rated the tasks tested and the items used in the Mathematical Tests of the Australian Studies in School Performance. For tasks at the basic numeracy level, disagreement was generally insignificant. (Author/SJL)

Argues that using the Brazelton Neonatal Behavioral Assessment Scale outside the standard hospital setting introduces variations in the physical and social context that influence scores on some of the behavioral items. (Author/BH)

The issues of culture-free and culture-fair tests for elementary school children are explored by examining specific tests and the testing situation. Investigators examined the problem of group intelligence testing vs. individual testing and conclude that tests still reflect White American middle socioeconomic class values and experiences. (HS)

The study describes the implementation of three related suggestions for the development of items for a course evaluation form. High degrees of consistency were evidenced in preferences of students, faculty, and individuals from different academic areas. Significant differences were obtained between student and faculty responses and the basic…

Reviews current and developing technology uses that are relevant to language assessment and discusses examples of recent linguistic applications from the laboratory at the Educational Testing Service. The processes of language test development are described and the functions they serve from the perspective of a large testing organization are…

Presents a validation study on the Hausa Speaking Test (HAST), a simulated oral proficiency interview. Addressed validity of the HaST through examination of the ratability on the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) scale of elicited speech sample and an investigation of the nature of probes on the HaST through speaking…

The use by 31 reading specialists, compensatory education teachers, and secondary reading teachers of Angoff and Nedelsky methods for setting cutting scores for a high-school graduation test in reading comprehension was studied. The Angoff method provides a wider variety of information and yields estimates closer to actual p values. (TJH)

This study examined characteristics of multiple-choice reading comprehension tasks suspected of influencing their difficulty, through administration of the California Achievement Tests to 158 deaf college students. Problem components evaluated included manifest content, psychologically salient features, and processing demands. Variation in item…

This review provides an overview and definition of the concept of neurobehavior in human development. Two neurobehavioral assessments used by the authors in current fetal and infant research are discussed: the NICU Network Neurobehavioral Assessment Scale and the Fetal Neurobehavior Coding System. This review will present how the two assessments…

Concomitant with the many initiatives concerned with ICT curriculum integration are requirements for measurement of the student outcomes of that integration, in keeping with recent education priorities that emphasize outcomes and accountability. However researching and measuring the impact of ICT initiatives has been found to be a significant…

The purpose of this study was to provide initial results on the development and validation of the Career Futures Inventory (CFI), a new 25-item measure of positive career planning attitudes. Items were originated using the rational method. Results from an item analysis of scale homogeneity and exploratory factor analysis in a sample of 690…

This article is the second contribution to a research methods series dedicated to getting good results from survey research. In this series, "good results" is a stenographic term used to define surveys that yield accurate and meaningful information that decision makers can use with confidence when conducting program evaluation and policy…

The development of an assessment tool to measure the quality of instruction is necessary to provide an informative accountability system in education. Such a tool should be capable of characterizing the quality of teaching and learning that occurs in actual classrooms, schools, or districts. The purpose of this paper is to describe the development…

It has been reported that the cultural-historical experiences of ethnic group members can play a role in the literacy beliefs of those members. Socioeconomic conditions can also influence the belief system of the groups' constituents. This study investigated parents' and children's beliefs pertaining to early literacy acquisition as related to the…