The findings that certain tests are used in almost every situation and that various professionals employ a large number of technically inadequate measures are discussed in terms of implications for current assessment and decision-making practices. (Author)

Multimethod assessment encourages the use of a variety of assessment methodologies to provide accurate and fair data to decision makers in special education. Procedures are first classified according to methodological type and used both for the assessment purposes for which they are best suited and as crosschecks upon one another. (Author/CL)

Error analysis is proposed as a means to supplement diagnostic techniques with exceptional children. A purpose and definition of error analysis are provided. Also, procedures to use error analysis are explained along with basic guidelines to prevent abuse of error analytic techniques. (Author/CL)

The paper presents 12 guidelines for special education assessment. Among proposed guidelines are that parents should be involved, that classroom observation should be part of the process, and that all evaluations should be fair and nondiscriminatory. (Author/CL)

An integrated parent-professional approach to assessment uses parents of disabled children as expert information gatherers and verifiers in an ongoing process of evaluating the child and establishing treatment goals. The Nottingham assessment model is described, and suggestions for implementing parent-professional collaboration are discussed.…

A review of assessment in early childhood education focuses on historical highlights, issues in complying with P.L. 94-142, current practices (multiscore, mulitdomain, and multimeasure processes), critical issues (specifically, the reliability and validity of instruments and procedures used), and recommended practices. (CL)

Though curriculum-based assessment (CBA) is considered a valuable evaluation procedure, areas of concern exist, including: assumptions regarding content of the CBA instrument, appropriateness of CBA as the only information source for individualized education programs, and recognition of CBA's limitations as a procedure/model under the current…

The paper reviews the methodology of quantitative documentation of the progress of handicapped, delayed, and at risk infants in early intervention programs. The authors discuss design and analysis issues, concluding that the use of several designs and analytic techniques provides useful exploration of hypotheses in early intervention programs.…

Three procedures that help to determine the degree of confidence we can place in any raw score are discussed: computing the standard error of measurement, computing the estimated true score, and constructing confidence intervals. These three procedures are easy to use and require only elementary mathematical skills. (Author/CL)

Special education tests evaluated by M. Thurlow and J. Ysseldyke with regard to technical adequacy were reevaluated using the same criteria. There was disagreement of 11 of the 30 tests used in both evaluations, demonstrating that current test standards are vague enough that experts disagree. (Author/CL)

Analysis of four scores for 32 young handicapped children on the Learning Accomplishment Profile-Diagnostic Edition and on the Development Profile, found that all data sources were highly correlated on their estimates. Parent tended to report more items passed than did the diagnostician for both instruments. (Author/CL)

This brief article defines portfolio assessment; explains its use with students having disabilities; and provides 60 references to journal articles, monographs, reports, and conference papers, chosen to represent a cross-section of research-based, practitioner-oriented, and theoretical positions. (DB)

The article presents a rationale for naturalistic assessment of young handicapped and nonhandicapped children in the classroom. Observation of such areas as cognitive activity, materials use, sustained activity, activity variation, adaptive environment, and classroom structure are encouraged. Four alternative assessment procedures are presented,…

The article describes the history, current status, and the future of educational assessment for students with exceptionalities in the U.S. Current issues, including adequacy of measurement theory and assessment instruments are examined. The future role of microcomputers, item response theory, and competency testing is considered. (CL)

Current spelling assessment practices are reviewed. Six individually administered standardized tests presently available to special educators and diagnosticians are examined. Informal procedures (inventories, criterion-referenced tests, and error analysis) are analyzed in terms of advantages and disadvantages. Finally, two particularly promising…