Is the instrument technically sound, i.e., is the validity and reliability of the instrument adequate?
The first criterion requires project staff to assess the appropriateness of the instrument for limited English proficient (LEP) adults. This step is extremely important since there may be the temptation to simply adopt an existing instrument designed for LEP school-age youth. In rare instances, such an instrument could be used. However, in the majority of cases, such use would be inappropriate and the resulting information would be inadequate. If an instrument is not designed for an adult population, it will be critical to evaluate the content of the measures to make certain that it is appropriate for adults. The second criterion requires that an instrument be selected which measures the language skill areas which need to be assessed. The areas that can potentially be measured include all components of listening, reading, speaking and writing. Before an instrument is selected, the project staff need to decide on the specific skill areas to be measured. This judgment should be made on t
