Results from a study of 61 learning-disabled (LD) elementary students provide evidence that the Handwriting Scale included in the Test of Written Language is a valid measure of LD students' handwriting and that LD students have handwriting difficulties. (IAH)

A review of 47 health care education research articles in 9 medical and health care disciplines looked for evidence that the studies attempted to predict success in the health care professions. Results indicated very few of the studies used any of the three major methods for testing predictive validity. (Author/MSE)

A new statistical model based for identifying potential major donors was developed from a portion (n=53,276) of the Northwestern University (Illinois) alumni database. The model, utilizing logit analysis, found that the most critical measure was individuals' past giving records. Results indicate prospects with a low past giving level will rarely…

It is well-known that for normally distributed errors parametric tests are optimal statistically, but perhaps less well-known is that when normality does not hold, nonparametric tests frequently possess greater statistical power than parametric tests, while controlling Type I error rate. However, the use of nonparametric procedures has been…

The predictive analysis approach to adaptive testing originated in the idea of statistical predictive analysis suggested by J. Aitchison and I.R. Dunsmore (1975). The adaptive testing model proposed is based on parameter-free predictive distribution. Aitchison and Dunsmore define statistical prediction analysis as the use of data obtained from an…

Identification and explication of construct relationships, under conditions of extraneous variable control in multiple regression and its multivariate analog, canonical analysis, were studied. Several data models were generated as a function of the interaction of partial correlation and orthogonal linear transformations on nursing examination…

Two approaches were used to predict State Board Examinations (SBE) results for students in four schools of nursing. Multiple regression was used to predict scores of 191 nurses who graduated and took the SBE. Discriminant function analysis was used for 375 nursing students to predict students who would take and pass the SBE from those who would…

Three approaches to the prediction of juvenile recidivism--factor analysis, stepwise multiple regression, and stepwise discriminant analysis--are contrasted. Stepwise discriminant analysis provided the most consistent selection of variables in the data set used. Problems and advantages of the three approaches are discussed. (Author/JKS)

Findings from a study of 302 California students suggest that there are no statistically reliable differences, at any grade level, first through fourth, between those learners who had attended preschools and those who had not. (IAH)

Based on statistics from the first few administrations of the SAT writing section, the test is performing as expected. The reliability of the writing section is very similar to that of other writing assessments. Based on preliminary validity research, the writing section is expected to add modestly to the prediction of college performance when…

The goal of this investigation was to derive a common battery of tests for both whites and negroes, and utilizing, if possible, uniform selection standards. (Author)

Demonstrates that variables that are the basis for admitting students to graduate school must have low correlations with future measures of the success of these students. The question of interest in the admissions procedure is how well the variables evaluate the applicant population rather than the selected students. (GS)

The correction for attenuation formulas for partial, multiple, and canonical correlation coefficients are discussed and the effects of measurement errors on these statistics are explored. The notation is standardized and the derivation extended where appropriate. It is shown that as the reliabilities of the predictors become more disparate, the…

A set of Tests of Scientific Thinking were developed for possible use as criterion measures in research on creativity. Scores on the tests describe both quality and quantity of ideas produced in formulating hypotheses, evaluating proposals, solving methodological problems, and devising methods for measuring constructs. (Author/CTM)