This study is a systematic review designed to identify the instruments most frequently used to evaluate children's development, describe their operational and psychometric characteristics and determine which are the most accurate. We carried out a systematic search of the online databases PsycINFO and PubMed Central using the descriptors…

Universal screening of very early school-age children (age 4-7 years) is important for early identification of learning problems that may require enhanced learning opportunity. In this context, use of standardized instruments is critical to obtain valid, reliable, and comparable assessment outcomes. A wide variety of standardized instruments is…

Notes that efforts are being made to validate the Rorschach with minority cultures and that preliminary psychometric review of Rorschach data tends to confirm its usefulness in cross-cultural work, and the legitimacy of the concept of modal personality. Reviews several significant issues in cross-cultural use of Rorschach, including norms,…

The data available suggest that at least some interest inventories, developed on White United States normative samples, are sufficiently valid for international and cross-ethnic use and that the world of work is organized around a structure that is similar to Holland's hypothesized hexagon and reasonably invariant across cultures. (Author)

The use of Stanford Achievement Tests (SATs) with hearing impaired students is considered. Background of the test is given, and the SAT-HI (SAT for the Hearing Impaired) is discussed in terms of its content, item wording, and norms. Among six specific recommendations made are to use the SAT-HI because it minimizes floor and ceiling effects,…

Traces student comprehension in beginning economics course examinations in the United Kingdom from 1969 to 1973. Demonstrates that males performed better on multiple-choice tests, females performed better on essay examinations, and that female learning rates were lower than male learning rates. Reviews the influence of precollege courses. Includes…

The report examines uses, advantages, and criteria for selection of behavior rating scales (BRSs) and their use with juvenile offenders, focusing in particular on the Behavior Dimensions Rating Scale (BDRS). Previously normed using a representative sample of behavior disordered and nonhandicapped males and females in grades K-11 (N=1,942), the…

With psychometric tests (that is, norm-referenced tests), nearly all scores fall into one of three categories: those based on comparison with an absolute standard; those based on inter-individual comparison; or those based on intra-individual comparison. These are described and all commonly used metrics are discussed. (Author/RL)

In response to the limitations of the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT), several states, including California and Connecticut, are moving away from exclusive use of standardized tests and toward more performance-based assessments. In Massachusetts, a committee is working to put SAT scores into context by finding other ways to judge and report school…

Outlines the rationale, critical dimensions, and techniques for using peer micronorms for determining developmental delays in young children and discusses technical adequacy considerations. Case examples of the use of peer micronorms with preschool children, supplemented with hypothetical data, are used to illustrate the technique. (CR)

This chapter discusses units of measurement, relates types of scales and norms to the purpose for testing, looks at types of test data typically reported, identifies the primary users of test information, looks at limitations of scales and norms, and looks at the interaction between user and data. (Author/RL)

Presents an alternative between open access to test results as recommended by consumer groups and test security as practiced by test producers. The alternative suggested places counselors directly in the center as interpreters who can satisfy client needs for increased feedback while maintaining test integrity. (Author)

The Parent Attitude toward Children's Expressiveness Scale (PACES) provides a measure of the degree of acceptance-control the respondent allows toward a child's hypothetical emotional and expressive behavior. PACES is a 20-item scale with a multiple choice format for each item. Emotional and expressive behaviors represented in PACES include anger,…

This article discusses the advantages and disadvantages of the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales for measuring adaptive behavior in adults with mental retardation. It concludes that the advantages of the coverage of the main domains of adaptive behavior, their standardization, impressive psychometrics, and brevity are becoming outweighed by…

Annual desk reference of key education facts is organized as follows: (1) year's education events in review; (2) common measures of education attainment; (3) cost of school construction; (4) demographics of school leadership; (5) gender gap in academic achievement; and (6) key education indicators by region and by state. (MLF)