Construct Validation of an Instrument for Screening Learning Disabilities

The theme for this month's column is an exploration of test and material of validity. Validity is an elusive construct, especially to practitioners. Few professional persons working with learning disabled children would simply violate a statement of low validity if clearly stamped on a test, intervention procedure, and/or instructional method. However, the issue is that the practitioner must generally search for statements of validity in hopes that something is available, when in reality it generally is not. In this issue three manuscripts address the validity question from the practitioner's point of view, and the final one contrasts the WRAT and PIAT as measures of academic achievement. --- D.A.S.