A Psychometric Study of a Criterion-Referenced Assessment Instrument Designed For Infants and Young Children

Abstract

The Evaluation and Programming System: For Infants and Young Children. Assessment Level I: Developmentally 1 Month to 3 Years (EPS-I) is an experimental assessment Instrument designed for children functioning developmentally between birth and three years of age. This instrument was designed to provide Information that can be used to develop educational programs and as a tool to assess program effectiveness. Although perhaps a viable option for professional working with young handicapped children, the ESP-I lacked technical information reflecting the extent to which it is a reliable and valid Instrument. The purpose of this study was to investigate selected psychometric properties of the ESP-I. Interobserver agreement and temporal stability were examined as a measure of test reliability. Comparisons between ESP-I scores and standardized test scores and parent ratings of childrens' skills and abilities were examined as a measure of test validity. In addition, this study examined the instrument's usefulness for developing educational programs for young handicapped children.