Whenever a major intelligence or achievement test is revised, there is always renewed interest in the underlying structure of the test as well as a renewed interest in the scoring, administration, and interpretation changes. In this interview, Amy Gabel discusses the most recent revision of the "Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Fifth…

This commentary on the article titled "Examining the Internal Structure Evidence for the Performance Assessment for California Teachers: A Validation Study of the Elementary Literacy Teaching Event for Tier 1 Teacher Licensure" provides an overview of Performance Assessment for California Teachers (PACT), its relationship to edTPA and…

This rejoinder provides a reply to comments on a middle school college readiness index, which was devised to generate earlier and more nuanced readiness diagnoses to K-12 students. Issues of reliability and validity (including construct underrepresentation and construct-irrelevant variance) are discussed in detail. In addition, comments from…

Assessments used for both clinical practice and research should show evidence of validity and reliability for the target group of people. It is easy to agree with this statement, but it is not always easy to choose the right assessment for the right purpose. Recently there have been increasing numbers of studies which investigate further the…

In this commentary, we examine Braverman's insights into the trade-offs between feasibility and rigor in evaluation measures and reject his assessment of the trade-off as a zero-sum game. We, argue that feasibility and policy salience are, like reliability and validity, intrinsic to the definition of a good measure. To reduce the tension between…

In this paper, I argue--with an example--that under certain conditions replacement of audio transcriptions with a combination of simultaneously taken and jointly produced notes can be done without affecting reliability, validity, and transparency. These conditions are: (1) professional or otherwise relatively "strong" interviewees…

The notion of the road map, advocated by Black, Wilson, and Yao (2011), and the associated minutiae of the construct map have several powerful features. At one level these notions assist the teacher to select and embody a suitable sequence of constructs within a specified curriculum. Whatever disparate sequenced pathways individual learners may…

Deals with issues of validity and reliability in qualitative research in education. Discusses philosophical assumptions underlying the concepts of internal validity, reliability, and external validity or generalizability. Presents strategies congruent with a qualitative research perspective for ensuring the rigor and trustworthiness of findings.…

Outlines a research framework, in which emphasis is placed upon validity, reliability, and utility, for the systematic evaluation of simulation and gaming instruments and suggests how this framework can be employed in the selection and use of instructional simulations and games. Three tables accompany the text. (Author/JL)

Klingner and Boardman (this issue) offer a cogent and compelling argument for opening the door for the acceptance and use of mixed methods in special education research. Self-identifying as pragmatists, they embody this paradigmatic view by focusing on the utility, efficacy, and accuracy of mixed methods, an argument that should appeal to the…

The "Parenting Stress Index, Fourth Edition" (PSI-4) is a 120-item measure used to explore parental stress levels considering a parent's relationship with one of his or her children between the ages of 1 month and 12 years. The main purpose of the test is to define these stress levels and from where they originate in order to identify…

Philosophical, technical, and practical considerations in selecting and evaluating educational tests for exceptional children are discussed. The following major technical considerations are addressed: validity, reliability, sensitivity, appropriateness, objectivity, and feasibility. (SEW)

Argues that for English education there is a need to refine the concepts of validity, reliability, subjectivity, and objectivity in a theoretical framework encompassing both experimental and enthnographic research as interrelated and mutually supporting modes. (HOD)

Performance-oriented program management is needed at all levels of government. Despite concerns about outcome versus impact, validity, reliability, cost, and standards, monitoring of public agency program quality and outcomes is feasible and essential for accountability. (SK)

Using portfolios for assessment of nursing competence raises issues of ambiguity, confidentiality, and honesty. More research is needed to develop a clear theoretical framework and measures of validity, reliability, and credibility for nursing portfolio assessment. (Contains 29 references.) (SK)