Holland's theory of six work personalities has become a staple of vocational psychology, providing a robust and simple model for understanding the structure of vocational interests. Though Holland's types provide a common vocabulary for vocational psychologists working with a variety of populations, until this point there has not been a measure of…

The recent "Nationwide academic achievement and study situation survey" was clearly influenced by the idea of "authentic assessment", an educational assessment perspective focused on "quality" and "engagement". However, when "performance assessment", the assessment method corresponding to this…

In this article, I specify a conceptual framework for test validity research on content assessments taken by English language learners (ELLs) in U.S. schools in grades K-12. This framework is modeled after one previously delineated by Willingham et al. (1988), which was developed to guide research on students with disabilities. In this framework…

The phrase "no child left behind" has become a familiar expression in American education circles and in popular culture. The sentiment implied by these four words is noble. However, the effects of the top-down implementation of the high-stakes testing provisions of the law have been anything but salutary for public school children,…

Author questions the widespread use of standardized tests as measures of academic potential, aptitude and ability. The Graduate Record Exam and the Admission Test for Graduate Study in Business are two examples used. (HB)

The Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) is a self-reported inventory tapping current feelings only. A short form was published in 1972 consisting of 13 items from the original BDI, called the BDI-SF. In 1978 the original version was modified to eliminate double negative statements and alternative ways of asking the same question and then referred to…

The performance of 79 elementary school students referred for learning disability evaluation was compared on the Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children (K-ABC), the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Revised (WISC-R) and the Woodcock-Johnson Psychoeducational Battery (WJPEB). Pearson product-moment correlations were performed on the global…

This study attempts to prove that by examining the factor structure of distance runs, it is possible to determine if a run of a specified distance is primarily measuring speed or some type of endurance. (JS)

Foreign language tests fall into two classes, according to their purposes. The first class, tests used for the control of instruction, may be achievement or diagnostic tests. The second class of tests, used in the control of a person's career, may be concerned with what the subject can do, or what he should be able to do in the future. The…

The Cognitive Vocational Maturity Test (CVMT) was constructed to measure knowledge and abilities dealing with the characteristics and requirements of a wide range of occupations. Fifteen cognitive vocational maturity areas were identified; the present form of the test consists of 120 multiple choice items, whose reading grade levels range from 1.4…

Compared the abilities of the most recent editions of the Henmon-Nelson and the Slosson tests to estimate Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (Revised) scaled scores and intelligence quotients. The Henmon-Nelson's validity coefficients were higher than their counterparts for the Slosson, but the Slosson had a higher ceiling and a lower floor.…

This paper is an historical and critical evaluation of the view that test interpretations can be based on constructs, as constructs are currently conceptualized. The nomological network reconstruction of scientific theorizing is discussed. (MT)

Adults (N=154) with developmental handicaps were tested on alternate forms of the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test (PPVT) and the PPVT--Revised. A comparison of response profiles indicated a significant degree of correspondence in general performance using alternate forms. However, differences in consistency appeared when more specific comparisons…