Sixty-five pairs of teachers and parents of elementary and secondary school learning-disabled students completed the Homework Problem Checklist (HPC). The HPC demonstrated a moderate level of interrater reliability. Acceptable levels of internal consistency were reported for both teacher and parent ratings. (JDD)

Tested the assumption that familial self-reports are biased by social desirability and other factors, through the use of a latent variables modeling approach that evaluated rater reliability and bias in mother, father, and child ratings of parent-child negativity. Results based on 78 families demonstrated that family member ratings contained a…

An investigation of the effects of integrative and instrumental motivation on the learning of French/English vocabulary demonstrated that both types of motivation facilitated learning, and that computer administration of an attitude/motivation test battery did not detract from the internal consistency reliability of the subscales. (19 references)…

This study examined head rotation, shoulder extension and rotation, ankle plantar and dorsiflexion, hip flexion, and sit and reach (SR) in 80 adults, aged 45-75, to identify flexibility factors. No single measurement indicates loss of flexibility at all joints, but SR tests are found to be more reliable than others. (SM)

A brief overview is provided of the Conger-Lipshitz approach to estimating the reliability of a profile or test battery. A computational example from a recent study shows how canonical reliability can be obtained through existing statistical software. (SLD)

This study describes validation data for qualitative and quantitative writing measures useful with a full range of students, including special education students, in grades three through five. The study looked for consistent administration and scoring, sensitivity in differentiating groups of students, relation to other accepted assessments, and…

Used a 61-item questionnaire to measure the quality of curricular processes at 4 curriculum conferences. Participants' estimation of the process revealed high curricular quality at all four conferences. Findings suggested that curricular intensity, rational argumentation, interaction, and ego involvement were greatest at the third conference. (11…

The Groningen Social Disabilities Schedule for the assessment of social dysfunctioning of psychiatric patients is described. The measure is based on social role theory and the hierarchy in social disabilities as well as compatibility with the International Classification of Impairments. The semistructured measure allows for posing supplementary…

This study examined the relationship between scores on the Behaviour Disorder Scale (BDS) and other assessments of challenging behavior in 100 adolescent and adult Australians with intellectual disabilities. The study found that the BDS was reliable and could be used to identify people with intellectual disabilities who exhibit behavioral…

Difficulties inherent in differentiating practice effects from meaningful change in neuropsychological retest data are illustrated in this case study of a personal injury case. Although the patient demonstrated substantial gains on the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale Revised, most of the tests given on successive days did demonstrate acceptable…

Examined validity, reliability, and curvilinearity of Clinical Rating Scale and tested scale's ability to discriminate between clinical families and nonclinical families on family cohesion, adaptability, and communication. Data from two groups of problem families and two control groups supported curvilinear hypothesis that problem families are…

Reliability and validity of self-reported behavior within a deviant population are examined using data from 2 interviews with 323 narcotics addicts conducted 10 years apart (1974-75 and 1985-86). Results complement existing reliability and validity studies of alcohol use, and suggest that quality information can be obtained from heroin users. (SLD)

A 1990 study of domain-referenced scores from a multiple-station clinical examination for foreign medical graduates investigated identification of essential checklist items, setting of minimum passing scores, consistency of candidate classification, and perceived appropriateness of the number of candidates classified as competent. Results and…

Logical difficulties with existing measures of construct implications are examined, and a new instrument that partially overcomes them--the Logical Relations Grid--is described. Empirical data from a study of 28 children and 47 parents in Australia are given in support of instrument reliability and validity. (SLD)

This rejoinder to Grant Wiggins on performance assessment suggests that true educational reform will undoubtedly be evidenced by something more substantial than pocket folders bulging with student work. Labeling performance tests "authentic" does not ensure their validity, reliability, or incorruptibility. Such tests are neither replacements nor…