Federal Updates
Dianne Brown & Heather Roberts
APA Science Directorate
National Skill Standards Board (NSSB)
Despite dramatic cuts in government spending on labor and educational programs, the National
Skill Standards Board, authorized in the Goals 2000 legislation, has survived. Its counterpart in
education, the National Education Standards and Improvement Council (NESIC), has been de-
authorized. The NSSB is charged with guiding the development of voluntary skill standards for
broad occupational areas in industry. In collaboration with industries, the Board will serve as
a catalyst in stimulating the development and adoption of skill standards and certification
assessments. For those of you who have been following these initiatives, you may recall that
Paul Sackett testified before Congress on the National Skill Standards Board.
The Board is currently in the process of identifying occupational clusters representing the areas
in which skill standards are being developed by voluntary partnerships with industries. The
Department of Labor (DOL) has reported wrapping up experimental efforts to develop industry-
based skill standards. The DOL has completed 15 out of 20 standards for non-professional
occupations, with 10 of the standards electronically accessible through the Internet. The
Department of Education will continue to fund 16 grants to pilot industry-based skill standards
for approximately one more year.
Revision of the GATB
The Department of Labor (DOL) has been conducting an extensive research effort to put the
finishing touches on the revised General Aptitude Test Battery (GATB). The new paper and
pencil version of the GATB is nearing completion, and is reported to have a new "contemporary"
look to it. The DOL has developed two new forms of the tests, and has completed an intensive
equating study to link both forms back to the "original" GATB Form A. Former GATB test
users will notice several changes from the old version, including the elimination of the form
matching test and a decreased number of items across all subtests. The reduction of items will
greatly reduce the speeded aspect of three of the subtests, and will place more emphasis on the
power nature of the subtests. The new version includes subtests in verbal and quantitative
aptitude, spatial, form, and clerical perception, and psychomotor aptitude. It is not known at this
point when the revised GATB will be implemented in the United States Employment Service.
The Assessment Research and Development Program (ARDP) of the DOL is also developing two
forms of a computerized adaptive version of the GATB (CAT-GATB). Six of the 11 GATB tests
are being computerized, with the remainder comprised of psychomotor tests that are not readily
amenable to computerization at this time. The Assessment Research and Development Program
will conduct additional research which includes an equating study to test the reliability and
construct validity of the CAT-GATB. Data collection for this study will begin in the near future.
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