Urban Canadian sixth-graders (n=84) were tested on 80 arithmetic word problems developed as part of a larger set to reflect individual differences in problem solving. Problems varied in complexity of language and amount of extraneous information present. Results indicated substantial internal consistency and concurrent validity relative to…

Examined validity of American College Testing (ACT) Program test scores and self-reported high school grades for predicting grades in 12 types of college freshman courses in English and mathematics in 277 colleges. Found predictions based on ACT scores alone yielded similar or higher median multiple correlations than predictions based on high…

A study of 188 Texas education majors suggests that ACT (American College Testing) scores and GPA are reliable predictors of success on the PPST (Pre-Professional Skills Test) and the ExCET (Examination for Certification of Educators in Texas). Implications for teacher educators are considered. (IAH)

Reports a study that examined the utility of health and exercise locus of control and health and exercise value in predicting exercise behavior in 86 adults. Survey results indicated that exercise locus of control was a better predictor of exercise behavior than a more general measure of health locus of control. (Author/SM)

Examines Nickels's claim that interactive models of lexical access in speech production cannot account for naming data from a group of anomic patients. This paper reiterates that the behavior of connectionist models is not easily predictable without running the appropriate simulations, and discusses the role of frequency in lexical access in…

Methodological issues in geropsychological assessment research are discussed and illustrated through recent investigations. Cross-sectional studies are needed to extend and diversify age norms, and short-term longitudinal studies should be planned to assess the predictive validity of test outcomes and diagnostic profiles of older adults. (SLD)

Two statistical approaches for adjusting grades were tested on data obtained from four American law schools (642 students). Neither item response theory nor the general linear model yielded consistent improvements in the predictive validity of Law School Admission Test scores and undergraduate grades for three schools. (SLD)

Reviews the issues and evidence on "measuring" student intelligence. The construct validity of "intelligence," the role of cultural context as a modifier of the meaning of test results, and the lack of meaningful predictive validity of IQ tests are discussed. Results conclude that measuring intelligence currently has no contribution to…

Teacher-Student Congruence was quantified by comparing 52-item descriptive profiles of 38 at-risk students, completed by both kindergarten teachers and receiving first-grade teachers, and reading achievement scores. Congruence in terms of student readiness, language, and perceptual/motor descriptors evidenced predictive validity. (Author/JDD)

A study of 20 first-year students at a small liberal arts college investigated the extent to which an adaptation of the Student Adjustment to College Questionnaire could predict student disillusionment with college. Results and implications for facilitating student adjustment are examined. (MSE)

The predictive power of the short-form Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale of P. Satz and S. Mogel to provide equivalent information about IQ scores and age-corrected scale scores was not differentially affected by the side of the lesion for 63 patients with brain tumors. (SLD)

The ability of the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT), average achievement test scores, and high school class rank to predict students' grades was examined for 3,816 undergraduate students entering the University of Pennsylvania (Philadelphia) in 1983 and 1984. Results suggest that the SAT makes a relatively small contribution to prediction. (SLD)

The reasons college and university administrators dislike institutional rankings and ratings of academic quality published in the popular press are examined, and college attributes commonly used in the ratings are discussed. Virtues and flaws of the assessments are noted, and variations in the evaluations over time are illustrated in charts. (MSE)

Epidemiological techniques were used to reanalyze studies that had longitudinally tracked preschool or kindergarten children, to determine results of screens for the identification of educationally at-risk children. A paradigm shift is recommended, away from longitudinal studies for predictive validity and toward risk analysis and interpretation.…

Studied the ability of logical test design (LTD) to predict student performance in reading Roman numerals for 211 sixth graders in Mexico City tested on Roman numeral items varying on LTD-related and non-LTD-related variables. The LTD-related variable item iterativity was found to be the best predictor of item difficulty. (SLD)