A longitudinal study was conducted to evaluate the U.S. Employment Service's Specific Aptitude Test Battery (SATB) for plumber/pipe fitter from three aspects: technical adequacy of the research; fairness to minorities; and usefulness in the selection of individuals for training as plumber/pipe fitter apprentices. The validation sample consisted of…

This paper argues the merits of including the topic of classroom psychosocial environment in the curriculum of science teacher education programs, on the assumption that having a positive classroom environment is an educationally desirable end in its own right. Discussions focus on the potential of the classroom environment as a way of: (1)…

Background: In recent research, verbal working memory has been proposed as a primary area of deficit for children with language impairment (LI), and therefore a source of more sensitive assessment measures. In addition, research on non-linguistic tasks has suggested that children with LI may have deficits that extend beyond the linguistic domain.…

Selection and classification testing throughout the nation has been subject to widespread criticism and legal attack. Tests used by the military service, however, have been largely immune from the criticism. A major reason is that from their inception, military tests have been carefully validated as predictors of successful performance. The…

This study examines the effects of sex, socioeconomic status, birth order and birth spacing on the cognitive performance of 12-week-old infants. A brief review of research on neonatal cognitive ability is followed by a description of the study itself. The subjects, 189 three-month-old Caucasian infants (61 first borns, 58 second borns, and 49…

THE SYMBOL TEST OF ORIGINALITY (STO) WAS STUDIED AND MODIFIED TO SUBSTANTIATE ITS USEFULNESS AND TO MEET SEVERAL CRITERIA FOR TEST CONSTRUCTION--FREEDOM FROM INTELLECTUAL BIAS, SIMPLICITY, OBJECTIVITY, AND DIRECT RELATIONSHIP TO A GENERAL CREATIVITY FACTOR. FROM AN ORIGINAL GROUP OF 4,500 PERSONS RANGING IN AGE FROM 10 TO 25 YEARS, FROM FIFTH…

The TAMA was designed specifically for the Longitudinal Study as a nonverbal test of general knowledge. The test requires the child to point to the correct picture among three alternatives in response to a question. The two practice items and 25 test items are printed on bound cards, mostly in black and white. Items can be classified as follows:…

Behavioral and engineering tests were conducted in the field and laboratory to assess effectiveness and usefulness of the Vibralert, an electronic device for maintaining contact with deaf and deaf-blind children and adults. The vibrating portable signal system was used by 24 deaf and hearing parents to maintain contact with their deaf children at…

Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs) allow users a small profile, battery-operated, and relatively low-cost way to take many of the capabilities of a personal computer into the field. This combination of features suggests a great potential for the use of a PDA as a field data collection instrument. This research compared the use of one kind of PDA…

Changes in selection criteria have meant that children are being provided with cochlear implants (CI) at increasingly younger ages. However, there is a paucity of measures that are appropriate for testing complex listening skills--most tests are too cognitively complex for such young children. The Common Objects Token (COT) Test was developed as a…

A study was undertaken to obtain direct empirical evidence for the validity and usefulness of English as a second language (ESL) placement of a shortened version of the Secondary Level English Proficiency (SLEP) Test being used in the Los Angeles Community College District (LACCD) and locally developed and scored writing tests. The LACCD provided…

The Vocational Instruction, Training and Assessment (VITA) Project conducted a study to determine whether a battery of tests used with a sample of handicapped students enrolled in vocational education program(s) could aid in predicting success in vocational training. Procedures, instruments, and student samples were selected to provide data on (1)…

As part of a program to evaluate noncognitive tests for use in classifying recruits, the Navy Vocational Interest Inventory (NVII) was validated against "A" school achievement and analyzed for its ability to differentiate men in different ratings. The NVII was administered experimentally to incoming students at seven "A"…

A pilot study of a computerized adaptive test of mathematics achievement was conducted in May and June 1989 in selected schools of the San Diego Unified School District. The study evaluated the usefulness of the test for determining eligibility for Chapter 1 programs in mathematics. The test was a prototype battery of three adaptive tests: (1)…

A sample of 4,502 airmen assigned to the security police career field were administered a test battery consisting of biographical, attitudinal, and interest measures. Using a criterion of in/out of service after a minimum period of one year on the job, regression analyses were accomplished to determine the effectiveness of the predictor…