Tinto's conceptual schema of college dropout forms the theoretical framework for the development of a model of university student dropout intention. This study validated Tinto's model in two different departments within a single university. Analyses were conducted on a sample of 684 college freshmen in the Education and Economics Department. A…

A study was conducted at Miami-Dade Community College (MDCC) to provide data on the relationship of cumulative grade point average (GPA) and College-Level Academic Skills Test (CLAST) performance. Because Florida community college students must be eligible for graduation in order to take the CLAST, the study focused mainly on MDCC students with…

A visual display is introduced that enables one to compare the predictive validities of all possible non-negatively weighted sums of two predictors. This two-predictor validity curve assesses the level of predictability of a criterion from composites of two predictors. Derivations are presented for the general case. For illustrative purposes, the…

This study compared the reliability and validity of two different measures of reading ability, the Degrees of Reading Power (DRP) and the Iowa Tests of Basic Skills (ITBS) Reading test and the ITBS Vocabulary test. The data consisted of scores of 377 grade 5 and grade 6 students on these tests, along with their assigned reading levels in the…

The validity of the Communication Skills and General Knowledge portions of the NTE (National Teacher Examination) Core Battery as predictors of student performance was examined, including scores on the test of professional knowledge required for certification in teacher education programs. This predictive validity was compared to that of the…

This report addresses the problem of sample size in developing prediction equations for college freshman grade averages under the American College Testing (ACT) Assessment Program. For the ACT Assessment, the prediction weights are estimated by standard least squares procedures. Because prediction weights are estimated regression coefficients…

It has been suggested that training in altruistic behavior would last longer if the change were self-initiated. To compare methods of increasing altruistic behavior, 103 male college students were randomly assigned either to self-record their altruisitc behaviors, to read about helping and caring, or to a control group. All took the Minnesota…

In 1986, a study was conducted by the Rancho Santiago Community College District (RSCCD) to evaluate the relationship between reading placement scores and classroom performance. The study sample consisted of students from fall 1985, spring 1986, and fall 1986 who had been tested using the College Board Assessment and Placement Test upon…

Six university English departments collaborated in this examination of the differences between multiple-choice and essay tests in evaluating writing skills. The study also investigated ways the two tools can complement one another, ways to improve cost effectiveness of essay testing, and ways to integrate assessment and the educational process.…

With the proliferation of suicide prevention centers in the United States, the task of rapidly and effectively assessing an individual caller's suicide potential has become an important research problem. However, the social science researcher is often confronted with an ethical problem when the results of his predictive equations can be used to…

Public Law 94-142 mandates the identification and placement of learning disabled children based primarily on the measurement of intelligence. It is, therefore, the responsibility of educational psychologists to use standardized intelligence tests appropriately to accurately and objectively assess a childs' intellectual potential and ability. Three…

This study investigates selectivity in teacher education. Using perspectives afforded by institutional admissions practices, teacher effectiveness research, and selected public school influences, the study explored both current policies and procedures in the selection of preservice students and the usefulness of a number of biographical,…

Results are described for the first two phases of a study to develop and evaluate models of student progress in a technical training course being offered in a computer managed instructional environment at Lowry Air Force Base, Colorado. Several categories of models were developed in Phase I and defined by model type and by the type of variables…

Studies were conducted to determine whether measures of intellectual merit that are used as criteria for admission to the University of Karachi in Pakistan have predictive validity. The predictive validity of the intermediate examination score was studied with recent graduates of the pharmacy, medicine, and engineering schools. Additional studies…

Least squares and Bayes methods were used in a cross validation study conducted for comparison purposes. The study applies to situations with the following conditions: predictor data are given on the same scales; criterion data may be given on different scales; and it is necessary to pool data even though criterion scale differences exist. Such a…