The technical characteristics of the reading criterion referenced tests administered to pupils in grades 4, 8, and 11 as part of the Louisiana State Assessment of Reading are described. Fourth and eighth grade tests include vocabulary, phonetic and structural analysis, comprehension and study skills; eleventh grade tests include vocabulary, word…

This interim report re-examines data on instrument suitability, comparability of groups, and adequacy of sample size in Year III of the process evaluation of Project Developmental Continuity (PDC) and offers preliminary recommendations concerning the feasibility of continuing the impact study. PDC is a Head Start demonstration program aimed at…

Questions often raised about intelligence tests are discussed: (1) the definition of intelligence; (2) the definition of intelligence quotient; (3) the kinds of tests available; (4) validity; (5) fairness to minority groups; (6) use made of test results; (7) differences in results among various intelligence tests; (8) differences in scores using…

The matching cloze format used in constructing the reading comprehension parts of the Micronesian Achievement Test Series (MATS) is described as a holistic approach which measures skills comparable to those needed by English as a second language students in actual reading situations. Kenneth Goodman's theory about the strategies used by good…

A discussion of evaluating informal logic competence centers on the identification of currently available tests and on a description of test theory, to aid in test selection. The following concepts in test theory are discussed: norm-referenced and criterion-referenced tests, true scores, reliability, validity, test selection and evaluation, test…

COUNSELORS OFTEN ADMINISTER TESTS OF QUESTIONABLE VALIDITY. IN RELIABILITY STUDIES, EVERY PRECAUTION IS TAKEN TO STABILIZE THE STIMULUS SITUATION. IN ASSESSING VALIDITY, CONCERN CENTERS ON BEHAVIOR UNDER DIFFERENT STIMULUS CONDITIONS. CRONBACH'S THEORETICAL LIMIT FOR A VALIDITY COEFFICIENT OF A TEST IS THE SQUARE ROOT OF THE RELIABILITY…

DEFINING MUSICALITY AS THE ABILITY TO GRASP A MUSICAL IDEA IN ITS TOTALITY, THIS RESEARCH INVESTIGATED THE RELATIVE EFFECTIVENESS OF MUSICAL PERFORMANCE (BOTH ORCHESTRAL AND CHORAL), GUIDED LISTENING, MUSIC READING, AND MUSICAL COMPOSITION AS MEANS OF DEVELOPING SUCH MUSICALITY. THE INSTRUMENT OF EVALUATION WAS A TEST OF AESTHETIC JUDGMENTS IN…

IN THIS REPORT THE UNITED FEDERATION OF TEACHERS (UFT) ANALYZES SPECIFIC DATA FROM THE CENTER FOR URBAN EDUCATION'S (CUE) NEGATIVE EVALUATION OF NEW YORK CITY'S MORE EFFECTIVE SCHOOLS (MES) PROGRAM AND CHARGES THAT CUE'S CONCLUSIONS ARE INVALID. THE UFT MAINTAINS THAT SINCE 18 OF THE 21 MES WERE FORMER SPECIAL SERVICE (SS) SCHOOLS, CUE SHOULD HAVE…

Before selecting an achievement test, it is essential to determine its purpose. There are eight purposes, relating to three educational decision making contexts: (1) instructional managerial (diagnosis, course placement, career guidance); (2) screening (selection and certification) and (3) programmatic (survey assessment, formative evaluation,…

A set of eight widely used inductive reasoning tests were investigated to determine whether or not they have different factorial structures. The eight inductive tests and three deductive tests, taken from the French Kit of Reference Tests for Cognitive Factors and the Watson-Glaser Critical Thinking Appraisal, were administered to 157 high school…

The relationship between children's performance on a standardized achievement battery and compositional writing performance was examined. One hundred thirty-eight writing samples were collected from fourth-grade students. Compositions were scored for both mechanistic and holistic qualities. Four subscores on the Metropolitan Achievement Test were…

It is argued in this paper that generalizability theory provides a uniquely useful framework for defining and quantifying the dependability of data for decision making. It does so by requiring careful specification of the conditions of measurement and the anticipated sources of variation in the results of the measurement procedure. A distinction…

Variability in diagnostic procedures and a lack of valid and reliable measures led to the development of a comprehensive battery, which incorporated an operational definition of learning disabilities. The battery consisted of forms for observing these functions: intelligence, academic achievement, gross and fine motor control, visual perception,…

The purpose of this first phase of a continuing research program was the development of a test of creative problem solving in general design. A design class of 186 members was divided into an experimental and control group; a non-design control group (an educational psychology class) of 45 was also tested. Multivariate interpretation of creative…

Generalizability theory extends previous methods of estimating the reliability of rating instruments such that one can estimate the precision of a measurement system for differentiating among students, scales, or any other important dimension. In this study, generalizability theory is applied to faculty ratings of junior and senior dental students…