Noting that there has been extensive discussion of the relation of evaluation to: (1) research; (2) explanations (a.k.a. theory-driven, logic model, or realistic evaluation); and (3) recommendations, the author introduces: (4) prediction. He advocates that unlike the first three concepts, prediction is necessarily part of most kinds of evaluation,…

Atkinson and Geiser (2009) make a strong argument for moving to a new form of college admissions testing using curriculum-based achievement tests. In making their case, however, they exaggerate the weaknesses of current tests such as the ACT and SAT by minimizing these tests' predictive utility and claiming a stronger relationship to socioeconomic…

Newton's article (2010) makes three main contributions to the literature. First, it is transatlantic, bringing together literatures that have been dealing with similar problems, using sometimes different methods and certainly with distinctive educational, cultural perspectives. He points out that neither of these literatures has all of the…

The article "Thinking About Linking" by Newton (2010) presents a novel philosophical perspective on the way that educational assessments should be linked. Newton starts by describing the linking framework as it was characterized in various publications and identifies a cross-cultural dimension in the definitions and uses of test…

N. Stewart, G. D. A. Brown, and N. Chater's relative judgment model includes three core assumptions that enable it to predict accurately the vast majority of "classical" phenomena in absolute identification choices, but not the time taken to make them, including sequential effects, such as assimilation and contrast. These core assumptions, coupled…

R. D. Howell, E. Breivik, and J. B. Wilcox (2007) have argued that causal (formative) indicators are inherently subject to interpretational confounding. That is, they have argued that using causal (formative) indicators leads the empirical meaning of a latent variable to be other than that assigned to it by a researcher. Their critique of causal…

Examines two interpretations of the purpose of licensure examinations: (1) as predictors of future professional performance, and (2) as measures of critical abilities. Holds that is is difficult to accurately predict professional performance, and, therefore, that licensure exams should be seen primarily as evaluations of certain abilities related…

The problem of modeling information systems is studied with a focus on predictability. Syntactic, semantic, and pragmatic criteria are discussed, and 11 references are cited. (Author/BK)

Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) and American College Program (ACT) scores are the main determinants of college entrance in the USA. It is widely assumed that these tests are predictive of success both during college and in later life, but such views are incorrect. Another widely-held view, held by many educators, is that the SAT and ACT are…

The authors contend that most research in education lacks statistical power. They feel that the poor use of statistics as a tool for enhancing internal validity must be remediated. The adoption of a new convention is proposed in order to put statistical certainty into reasonable perspective. (RLV)

Critically examines articles by Goodall and Phillips (EJ 246 871 and 254 905). Argues that science is a part of a critical approach to knowledge and that attempts to divorce science from criticism mystify the reader by misidentifying issues facing the emerging social science of communication. (PD)

Answers Patrick Wilson's criticism of the theory of utility-theoretic indexing (Journal of the American Society for Information Science, v30 n3) and defends the theory on the basis of its analytic capability. (FM)

The emphasis placed on test scores in college admissions is discussed. The need for colleges to periodically analyze and define their admissions policy is recommended. (Author/AL)

The results of studies regarding intelligence in infancy are reviewed, and are compatible with Sternberg's findings on intelligence in adulthood. It is suggested that a major aspect of intelligence--attitude toward and performance with novel kinds of concepts--is continuous in nature throughout the life span, but requires different measurement…

In the area of developmental screening, predictive validity is typically assessed by two methods: correlational analysis and classificational analysis. This paper describes each methodology and reviews their relative advantages and disadvantages in relation to early identification of developmental handicaps and risks. (JOW)