Limitations of Preschool Instruments and Standards for Minimal Levels of Technical Adequacy

Abstract

Serious evaluation of preschool instruments has been limited in part by the lack of standard technical adequacy criteria. This article suggests minimal levels of technical adequacy for subtest and total test internal consistency, stability, floors, subtest item gradients, and validity. Ten commonly used preschool instruments (5 used for placement purposes and 5 used for general skills testing) were evaluated according to the proposed criteria, and suggestions were made that concerned the use of the instruments. The principal recommendation made is that practitioners carefully select instruments for preschool assessment according to the instruments' technical adequacy.