The presence of visible flexural dermatitis is a key feature in diagnosing atopic dermatitis. We describe a protocol for recording this sign in population-based studies, which could be used by suitably trained non-dermatologists. The protocol was developed using a standard set of photographs and accompanying instructions, which define the terms 'dermatitis' and 'flexural'. When assessed during a survey of skin disease in primary schoolchildren, there was excellent agreement between a trained nurse and a dermatologist with regard to the presence or absence of this sign in 73 consecutive children, with perfect agreement in 71 children (97%), and a chance corrected agreement index (kappa statistic) of 0.90 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.77-0.99). Agreement between two nurses on 114 consecutive schoolchildren was not quite as good, with perfect agreement in 102 children (90%), and a kappa value of 0.51 (95% CI 0.26-0.77). The protocol is easy to perform, does not require children to undress, takes < 1 min to carry out, and is highly acceptable to children and staff. This protocol may be useful in standardizing the assessment of atopic dermatitis in population studies of children.
Since the early 1970s, concern for children who are both gifted and handicapped has risen dramatically. Books written about this emerging field deal with identification and programmatic concerns (e.g., Fox, Brody, and Tobin, 1983) and also with case studies illustrating the ways in which the two conditions may coexist (Whitmore and Maker, 1985). This research focuses on the problems involved in identifying the child who is both gifted and learning disabled (GLD). The state of the art is demonstrated by surveying procedures in use in Texas by special education and gifted programs. Results from the survey yield characteristics of GLD children that are consistent with observations in the litetature.The identification of children who are both gifted (GT) and learning disabled (LD) has been troublesome to researchers since concern for the gifted handicapped arose in the early 1970s (Hemmings, 1985;Porter, 1983). Research on the characteristics of the gifted learning disabled (GLD) and subsequent identification has yielded limited results. A major barrier to research on the GLD has been the lack of students who are identified as both GT and LD (Yewchuk, 1986). This lack occurs not because such children do not exist but because they are not identified within existing school systems.Identification of children for gifted programs or special education (SPED) services for the LD tend to be mutually exclusive activities in school districts across the United States. This separation is due in part to the federal definitions used in setting criteria in each of the two areas. Procedures for Evaluating Specific Learning Disabilities (Federal Register, U.S.O.E., 1977, p. 65083) are used to guide states and districts in interpreting the PL 94-142 (1975) definition of an LD child:(A) child has a specific learning disability if:(1) The child does not achieve commensurate with his or her age and ability levels in one or more of the areas listed [below] ... when provided with learning experiences appropriate to the child's age and ability levels; and (2) The [multidisciplinary] team finds that a child has a severe discrepancy between achievement and intellectual ability in one or more of the following areas:(i) Oral expression; (ii) Listening comprehension; (iii) Written expression; (iv) Basic reading skill;(v) Reading comprehension;(vi) Mathematics calculation; or (vii) Mathematics reasoning. These procedures have led to an emphasis on the aptitudeachievement discrepancy. As a result, methods have been developed for measuring this discrepancy, and learning disability has become synonymous with underachievement. Therefore, gifted children who are able to compensate for their learning disabilities will not be referred unless they also exhibit severe behavior disorders (Senf, 1983).The Marland Report to Congress (1972) provided the following definition of gifted and talented children:Gifted and talented children are those identified by professionally qualified persons who by virtue of outstanding abilities are capable of high perform...
This study analyzed examinee responses to two essay prompts being considered for the Graduate Record Examinations (GRE®) Writing Assessment: “Present your Perspective on an Issue” and “Analyze an Argument.” Forty prompts (20 issue and 20 argument) were administered to over 2,300 students at 26 participating U.S. colleges and universities. Each student wrote two essays in response to either two issue prompts, two argument prompts, or one of each. Results show that the issue and argument writing tasks appear to assess relatively similar constructs, supporting the decision to include both types of prompts in the operational GRE Writing Assessment and to report a single, combined score. The results also support the random administration of prompts without equating adjustments, because within each task type, most of the prompts were comparable in difficulty and no important subgroup interactions with prompt classifications were detected. Finally, from a fairness perspective, the results show there were advantages to administering the issue prompt first and the argument prompt second. The GRE Program used the psychometric information provided by this study to make final design, delivery, and scoring decisions before introducing the operational assessment in the fall of 1999.
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