REQUEST FOR APPROVAL TO RELEASE VALIDATION STUDY TO WOLFE COMPUTER APTITUDE TESTING CORPORATION

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP93B01194R000700010024-8
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 4
• Document Creation Date: December 12, 2016
• Document Release Date: December 4, 2001
• Sequence Number: 24
• Publication Date: December 6, 1979
• Content Type: MF

Approved For" (ease 2002/01/08 : CIA-RDP93B0119AW00700010024 !SS Reg~s~ry
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MEMORANDUM FOR: Director of Medical Services
FROM: Don I. Wortman
Deputy. Director for Administration
SUBJECT: Request for Approval to Release Validation Study
to Wolfe Computer Aptitude Testing Corporation
Charlie:
1. I have had the Classification Review Division (CRD) review the
publication 's asking for approval to release in the attached
memorandum. CRD has a number of problems with releasing the study per
se since it discusses considerable internal data which can be classified
as intelligence methods, for example, ODP Career Panel practices, the
PATB, correlation/interaction of PATB and the Wolfe Computer Aptitude
Test results, and how such things are used in the Agency.
2. In addition to the above, CRD believes that section A9c12.1 of
the DDA Classification Guide indicates that the above-mentioned matters
should be classified Confidential. In addition, section A9c12.4 would
indicate that some of the information might be classified Secret.
3. I would appreciate it if you would take another look into this
matter. Perhaps the best course of action would be to prepare the study
for external publication in the overt literature, as discussed by
n paragraph 2, rather than to release an Agency publication.
Distribution:
Original - Addressee w/att
1 - DDA Subject w/att
1 - DDA Chrono
2"- C/ISS Subject cch I
CRD w/att
C/IS do (21 Sep 79)
Lon Waeth'~ vi
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18 July 1979
MI3VIORAND[JM FOR: Chairman, Publications Review Board
Donald I. Wortman
Deputy Director for Administration
Director ot e lca erv es
VIA
C Psyc ologica Services Staff/OMS
FROM
esearc rant S
A
rt R'r ~r r
ISS Rock?stry
SUBJECT : Request for approval to release validation study to
Wolfe Computer Aptitude Testing Corporation
REFERENCE : "The Use of Psychological Tests in the Prediction of
Job Performance for ODP Computer Programmers", OMS/PSS
Study; June, 1978.
1. The study referenced above was initiated in September of 1977 and
completed in June 1978. It comprises an extensive look at the validity of
the Wolfe Aptitude Assessment Battery for Programming -- a commercially
available test used to assist management in the selection of qualified com-
puter programmers.
2. The statistical validity of heavily used commercially available
tests should be empirically substantiated. However, for the AABP very
little empirical validity data has been published despite growing usage of
the test. Originally for our own purposes, we conducted a detailed vali-
dation study of the AABP. It has been and still is our intention to prepare
this study for external publication in the overt literature. -However, work-
load expansions, time pressure and manpower shortages have thus far prevent-
ed the study from being re-written for journal publication. Alternatively,
we have reviewed the study as it presently stands and we see no reason why
it could not be sent -- without the "Administrative, Internal Use Only"
dissemination control on the outside cover -- to the Wolfe Computer Aptitude
Testing Corporation, the sole supplier for the AABP test.
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3. Advantages to be derived from disclosure of our study include:
A). Release of valuable data to open sources enabling other
organizations to avail themselves of the empirical facts
regarding selection of computer programmers via the AABP;
B). Verification to the public, that CIA actively supports
proper validation of employee selection procedures; and
Q. Encouragement to the AABP distributors to improve upon
their product, which in the long rin could substantially
increase our ability to select qualified computer pro-
grammers from test results obtained in the field.
4. It is therefore requested tha
approve the release of the attached re
tude Testing Corporation.
uter Apti- STATINTL
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