High school students (N=26) with learning disabilities, their parents, and their special education teachers rated the students' skills in 21 specific areas such as general ability, oral language, reading, written language, and social skills. Parents' ratings were consistent with teachers' in 16 areas and lower in 5 areas. Students' ratings were…

Variability of aided sound field thresholds (ASFTs) was examined in 30 hearing-impaired children comprising 2 age groups (5-9 and 10-14 years). Findings showed that 2 ASFTs would have to differ by more than 10 decibels across signal test frequencies to attain statistical significance. (Author/DB)

The Behavior Summarized Evaluation (BSE) measures changes in behavioral parameters in autistic children over time and treatments. Tests of reliability and validity suggest that the BSE is an acceptable tool for the assessment of autistic behaviors, is easy to handle, and is accessible to both professional and paraprofessional medicoeducative…

Summarizes a reanalysis of the data from an investigation of a test designed to measure a learning sequence in geometry based on the work of van Hiele (1986). Discusses the test based on the Rasch model. (YP)

Reported is a study in which secondary school students assessed their teachers for characteristics of effective science teaching. It was shown that the instrument used was highly valid and reliable and that secondary school students could effectively assess their teachers' pre-classroom characteristics, teaching behaviors, personality, and…

The usefulness and validity of the 3 versions (Infant-Toddler, Early Childhood, and Middle Childhood) of the HOME Inventory were studied with 261 children with cognitive, hearing, vision, or orthopedic handicaps. The Inventory in its original form and a modified form was subjected to analysis of reliability, construct validity, and criterion…

Describes a paper-and-pencil test for high school biology students measuring science process skills, such as developing hypotheses; making predictions; identifying assumptions; analyzing data; and formulating conclusions. Reports some data on reliability and validity of the test. Provides all 35 items of the test. (YP)

The validity of the schizophrenia subscale of the Psychopathology Instrument for Mentally Retarded Adults (PIMRA) was evaluated with 65 adults having mild to moderate mental retardation as well as either schizophrenia, depression, or no psychopathology. Univariate and multivariate analyses were conducted, as were interrater reliability analyses.…

The diagnostic decision-making standards used by practicing clinicians to determine language impairment were investigated. Results showed significant interrater agreement among the 27 clinicians' decisions and moderate intrarater reliability within clinician's decisions. Most of the clinicians' diagnostic decision-making standards could be modeled…

The validity of the Five Dimensional Life Satisfaction Index was evaluated with 48 adults with moderate mental retardation. Results showed reliability of alternate forms and internal consistency, convergent and discriminant validity, and construct validity. (Author/DB)

The Survey of Teenage Readiness and Neurodevelopmental Status (STRANDS), which includes a questionnaire and structured interview designed to assist in assessing learning problems in high school students, was administered to 54 older adolescents either normally achieving or with learning disabilities. Results provided preliminary support for the…

This study evaluated the reliability and validity of the Blind Learning Aptitude Test with 193 Indian children (ages 8-15) with visual impairments and the relationship between time to complete and test performance. Results indicated satisfactory validity and reliability and completion rates of 30 to 133 minutes. (DB)

This article describes the database of the National Repository for Instruments and Strategies Used in the Identification and Evaluation of Gifted Programs (University of Virginia). The Scale for the Evaluation of Gifted Identification Instruments is applied to the Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children. A sample bibliographic reference from the…

This paper describes two measurement integrity analyses conducted using data on the Battelle Developmental Inventory, obtained from a sample of 78 children with severe disabilities. Procedures used to conduct internal reliability and construct validity analyses are discussed. Researchers are urged to evaluate a test's construct validity when their…

The Kaufman Test of Educational Achievement is a norm-referenced, individually administered measure of the school achievement of students in grades 1-12, focusing on the areas of reading decoding, reading comprehension, mathematics application, mathematics computation, and spelling. The test's administration, summation of data, standardization,…