A survey devised to measure students' perceptions of their medical school was completed by undergraduates at two schools with radically different approaches to medical education. The survey was reliable in terms of its internal consistency, and exhibited strong validity for a construct of school learning environment. (Author/AL)

Six dimensions of curriculum profiles are identified: (1) function-purpose; (2) curriculum coverage; (3) criterion referencing; (4) validity-reliability; (5) manageability; and (6) interpretability. Each dimension in Australian National Profiles, the Victoria (Australia) Profiles, and the National Curriculum Assessment in England and Wales is…

The study evaluated the psychometric properties of reliability and construct validity of the Attitude Toward Mainstreaming Scale (ATMS) in an Australian context. It was concluded that the scale is both reliable and factorially valid in an Australian context. (Author/DB)

Suggests that ELLA (English Language and Literacy Assessment ) implemented in New South Wales, Australia, fails four tests for sound diagnostic assessment set out in a standard reference (K.W. Howell et al. "Curriculum Based Evaluation")--tests for logicality, reliability, validity, and accuracy and practicality. (RS)

Claims that arguments about the invalidity, purposelessness, and misleading nature of ELLA (English Language and Literacy Assessment ) implemented in New South Wales, Australia, remain intact despite attempts to counter the arguments. Presents a detailed critique of arguments presented in an article in the previous of this journal supporting ELLA.…

This paper reports data on the psychometric relationship between personality traits (Big Five), and preference for particular assessment methods in an Australian sample of University students (N=125). Reliability analysis showed that participants tended to have consistent attitudes toward assessment methods, across disciplines (e.g., History,…

Possible integrated and independent tasks were pilot tested for the writing section of a new generation of TOEFL® (Test of English as a Foreign Language™) examination. This study examines the impact of various rating designs as well as the impact of the number of tasks and raters on the reliability of writing scores based on integrated and…

The manual for the Fourth Edition of the Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scale is reviewed. The test has been updated in content and design, following a rationale that is likely to make it a major individual intelligence test. The test appears readily adaptable to use in Australia. (SLD)

The Personal Wellbeing Index (PWI) is being developed for the cross-cultural measurement of subjective wellbeing (SWB). This paper reports the findings of its utility with the Hong Kong Chinese and Australian populations. An item on affect, "satisfaction with own happiness" was also investigated to determine whether it should be added to…

This project examined some of the common constraints on reliable cognitive assessment for children over time. Repeated measures design (n = 133) was with younger (5 & 6 year old, n = 64) and older (7 & 8 year old, n = 69) children. Results showed that children's self-concepts moderated the test-retest reliability over extended intervals…

A supports classification and assessment system is required in residential settings that enables accurate classification and resource allocation in the context of limited resources. In developing such a system, the American Association on Mental Retardation intensities of supports framework was used and consultation with all stakeholders resulted…

The aim of this study was to develop a means of tracking the reading performance of low-progress readers on a weekly basis, so as to inform instructional decision-making. A representative sample of 261 primary school children from Years 1 to 5 were tested on 21 different text passages taken from a developing passage reading test, the Wheldall…

The interrelationships of a variety of student aptitude and achievement measures are examined in a sample of 88 Australian undergraduate students, and the critial role of the data analyst in examining the relationships is discussed. (MSE)

Relationships between intelligence test scores and measures derived from reaction time and perceptual speed procedures were investigated. Only three reaction time measures produced correlations greater than .25 with a general intelligence factor. Test-retest reliability of reaction time measures was low. The reaction time-intelligence relationship…

This paper reports on a study that investigated the reliability and validity of a school-environment measuring instrument: the School Level Environment Questionnaire (SLEQ). Results were compared to teachers' and principals' perceptions of actual and ideal school environments. The questionnaire was sent to 60 schools throughout Australia where it…