UTILITY OF THE STANFORD–BINET INTELLIGENCE SCALES,FIFTH EDITION,WITH ETHNICALLY DIVERSE PRESCHOOLERS

Current research on the use of revisions of intelligence measures with ethnically diverse populations and younger children is limited. The present study investigated the utility of the Stanford–Binet Intelligence Scales, Fifth Edition (SB5), with an ethnically diverse preschool sample. African American and Caucasian preschoolers, matched on age, gender, and parental education, were found to have similar patterns of high and low scores on both the composites and all subtests of the SB5. The present study also found that African American and Caucasian preschool children did not differ on overall cognitive ability as measured by the SB5 Full Scale IQ. Implications and suggestions for further research are discussed.     

JOINT CONFIRMATORY FACTOR ANALYSIS OF THE WOODCOCK‐JOHNSON TESTS OF COGNITIVE ABILITIES,THIRD EDITION,AND THE STANFORD‐BINET INTELLIGENCE SCALES,FIFTH EDITION,WITH A PRESCHOOL POPULATION

This study examined the underlying constructs measured by the Woodcock‐Johnson Tests of Cognitive Abilities, Third Edition (WJ‐III COG) and the Stanford‐Binet Intelligence Scales, Fifth Edition (SB5), based on the Cattell‐Horn‐Carrol (CHC) theory of cognitive abilities. This study reports the results of the first joint confirmatory factor analysis of the WJ‐III COG and SB5 with an independently collected preschool‐aged sample. The WJ‐III COG and SB5 were administered to 200 preschool‐aged children of 4 to 5 with no known disorders or disabilities. Confirmatory factor analyses using maximum likelihood estimation were conducted to evaluate three models of increasing complexity and two alternative models to determine which model best describe the underlying constructs measured by the WJ‐III COG and the SB5. Though none of the models displayed a good fit to the data, results showed that the underlying construct of the two tests was best represented by a Three‐Stratum alternative CHC model in which the Gf factor and subtests were omitted. Exploratory factor analysis was conducted to provide further insights into the actual latent structure underlying the data. Implications of findings to guide school‐based practitioners in using cross‐battery assessment with preschool children were addressed.     

FACTOR ANALYSIS OF THE K–ABC FOR GROUPS OF ANGLO AND MEXICAN AMERICAN CHILDREN

Factor analyses of the Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children (K–ABC) were performed on separate groups of Anglo (n = 100) and Mexican American (n = 100) fifth-grade children to determine the comparability of underlying structures and to examine the existence of possible bias in construct validity of the K–ABC for each group. The subjects were selected from two contiguous school districts and stratified by grade, socioeconomic status (SES), and language status. A principal factor analysis produced two factors in the Mental Processing area and three factors in the total battery (Mental Processing plus Achievement areas) for the two groups. Examination of the coefficients of congruence indicated factorial similarity across four of five factors. Furthermore, the factors that emerged for the Anglo and Mexican American groups corresponded to the scales comprising the K–ABC. The results of the investigation provide some evidence for the construct validity of the K–ABC for the two ethnic groups. Further test bias research on the K–ABC is recommended.     

ASSESSING THE QUALITY OF PARENT–TEACHER RELATIONSHIPS FOR STUDENTS WITH ADHD

Family involvement in education, including the quality of family–school communication, has been demonstrated repeatedly to have a substantial effect on child development and success in school; however, measures of this construct are limited. The purpose this study was to examine the factor structure and concurrent validity of the Quality of the Parent–Teacher Relationship, a subscale of the Parent–Teacher Involvement Questionnaire, in a sample of children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Participants were 260 parents and teachers of children diagnosed with ADHD in Grades kindergarten to 6. Results provided support for a two‐factor model, consisting of separate factors for parents and teachers, and correlational findings provided support for concurrent validity. This measure appears to have utility in assessing parent–teacher relationships and evaluating the effectiveness of family–school interventions.     

中学生开展研究性学习的阻抗因素研究

研究性学习是新一轮基础教育课程改革的亮点,是培养学生创新精神和实践能力的重要举措。研究通过对1986名中学生进行问卷调查,发现中学生对研究性学习的开展态度比较积极,但同时也遇到一定的困难和阻力。阻抗因素主要有：1．应试教育培养模式的束缚;2．教师自身素质的欠缺;3．学生原有学习方式的惯性;4．传统评价方法的制约;5．学校资源和社会支持的匮乏,等等。应采取有效策略,消除各种阻抗因素,以保证研究性学习的顺利开展。     

高中生的现代性水平及其对高等教育需求的影响

本研究使用在北京、湖北、江苏、陕西四省市进行的调查数据,探讨了我国高中生的现代性水平及其对高等教育需求的影响。结果表明,父母是否是农民对学生的现代性水平具有显著影响;爷爷或奶奶是农民而且外公或外婆是农民的学生,其现代性水平显著低于只有爷爷或奶奶是农民或只有外公或外婆是农民的学生以及爷爷奶奶和外公外婆都不是农民的学生;就父辈与祖辈的影响比较而言,父母对学生现代性水平的影响高于祖父母的影响;学生的现代性水平对其高等教育需求具有显著影响学生的现代性水平越高,对高等教育的需求越强烈。     

PERCEPTIONS OF THE ELDERLY AMONG MINISTERS AND MINISTRY STUDENTS: IMPLICATIONS FOR SEMINARY CURRICULA

The changing age composition of the American population has direct implications for clergy members. Despite older individual's high rates of involvement in religious activities and reliance on members of the clergy, most clergy members, both current and prospective, are not adequately prepared for ministry with older adults. In the present study, 754 ministers and 363 ministry students completed Palmore's Facts on Aging Quiz I to determine their knowledge of the aging process and perceptions of the elderly. The results indicate that both ministers and ministry students are poorly informed about the processes and realities of aging. The main implication of the findings is that seminary curricula and continuing education offerings need to be infused with gerontological content so that members of the clergy can be better prepared for ministry to, and with, older adults.     

ACADEMIC SELF‐EFFICACY AMONG JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS IN GHANA: EVALUATING FACTOR STRUCTURE AND MEASUREMENT INVARIANCE ACROSS GENDER

Self‐efficacy is a universal construct, but few validated measures exist for researchers in developing countries to use in assessing youths’ perceptions of their ability to achieve academic success. This study examined the cross‐cultural suitability and psychometric properties of an academic self‐efficacy scale (ASES) adapted for the Ghanaian context. ASES construct validity was assessed with a sample of 4,289 Ghanaian junior high‐school students and exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis. Invariance testing assessed the scale's measurement equivalence by gender and temporal stability of gender equivalence. The ASES is a valid, reliable one‐dimensional scale for assessing young Ghanaians’ perceptions of their academic capabilities, and it works equally well across genders. As adapted, ASES is a valid scale with utility for researchers examining predictors and effects of academic self‐efficacy. The ASES has important implications for decisions regarding investment in programs aimed at improving academic self‐efficacy of youth, both in sub‐Saharan Africa and the increasingly diverse American public schools.     

EFFECTS OF “GAME” VERSUS “TEST” TASK DEFINITION FOR THIRD GRADE CHILDREN ON THREE SUBTESTS OF THE WECHSLER INTELLIGENCE SCALE FOR CHILDREN1

Forty-six male and forty-six female third grade children were assigned to one of two experimental conditions. In one condition Ss were told that they were going to take several tests and were than administered three subtests from the nonverbal battery of the WISC. In the second condition Ss were told that they were going to play several games and were than administered the same three subtests. An analysis of variance applied to the resulting summed scores revealed one significant main effect, task definition (p < .01).     

CORRELATES OF RETENTION AMONG ASIAN PACIFIC AMERICANS IN COMMUNITY COLLEGES: THE CASE FOR HAWAIIAN STUDENTS

This study examined Hawaiian students' persistence at the four community colleges on the island of Oahu, Hawaii. The research covered a five-year period (10 semesters), fall 1991 - spring 1996, and focused on factors promoting persistence for students pursuing either liberal arts or vocational-technical degrees. Logistic regression was the statistical method used, and the analyses were performed separately for the two groups of students. The results indicated that four factors - cumulative grade point average,financial aid, average credit hours, and enrollment at Campus 4 - were significant for both liberal arts and vocational-technical majors,whereas another two variables - reverse transfer and attending an urban high school - were significant for liberal arts students only. Recommendations for policies, programs, and strategies to promote persistence for Hawaiian students were based on those results.     

THE USE OF EVIDENCED‐BASED PRACTICES IN THE PROVISION OF SOCIAL SKILLS TRAINING FOR STUDENTS WITH AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER AMONG SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGISTS

This study aimed to explore school psychologists’ use of evidence‐based practices (EBP), specifically in the area of social skills training, for students with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Participants were 220 school psychologists practicing in public school settings who provided social skills training to students with ASD. Participants were recruited through e‐mail solicitations and completed surveys administered on‐line. Results indicated that 47% of the participants reported that their graduate program did not provide courses including content addressing social skills training for students with ASD, and 58% did not receive training on the topic during their internship. The most and least frequently endorsed EBP reported were the provision of clear and measurable treatment objectives and regular communication with parents, respectively. Greater use of EBP was reported when school districts perceived implementing EBP as important. Implications of findings for training programs of school psychologists, school districts, and individual school psychologists are discussed, as well as implications for future research.     

PREDICTORS OF ACHIEVEMENT IN AFRICAN AMERICAN STUDENTS AT RISK FOR ACADEMIC FAILURE: THE ROLES OF ACHIEVEMENT VALUES AND BEHAVIORAL ENGAGEMENT

The achievement gap between African American and European American youth is a pervasive problem in the United States. This study explored how achievement values and behavioral engagement affect the academic attainment of an academically at‐risk sample of 167 African American youth in late elementary school. Results indicate that achievement values do not have a significant influence on engagement or achievement in late elementary school. However, behavioral engagement significantly influenced math achievement from Grades 4 to 5. The implications of these findings are discussed.     

THE MEDIATING ROLE OF SOCIO‐MOTIVATIONAL RELATIONSHIPS IN THE INTERPLAY OF PERCEIVED STRESS,NEUROTICISM, AND TEST ANXIETY AMONG ADOLESCENT STUDENTS

In this study, we examined whether socio‐motivational relationships, such as student–student relationships (SSR) and teacher–student relationships (TSR), as well as peers as positive motivators (PPM) and teachers as positive motivators (TPM), would mediate the association of both perceived stress and neuroticism with test anxiety in 1,088 German students from grades seven and eight. Results from structural equation modeling revealed that a high quality of SSR mediated the relationship between neuroticism and test anxiety, which was not the case for TSR. Furthermore, both PPM and TPM acted as mediators in all hypothesized associations. Interestingly, although a high quality of SSR mitigated feelings of test anxiety, PPM and TPM intensified test anxiety in neurotic students. The role of social relationships as protective factors as well as risk factors is discussed, as are the implications of the findings for educators, school psychologists, and teachers.     

INTERNAL FACTOR STRUCTURE AND CONVERGENT VALIDITY EVIDENCE: THE SELF‐REPORT VERSION OF SELF‐REGULATION STRATEGY INVENTORY

Using a sample of 348 middle school students, we gathered evidence regarding the internal consistency of scores, as well as the internal factor structure and convergent validity evidence for inferences from a self‐report questionnaire called the Self‐Regulation Strategy Inventory–Self Report. Confirmatory factor analysis revealed that the fit indexes for a hierarchical model (composite, three factors) and a single‐level, three‐factor model were highly similar but mixed. Respecification of the hierarchical model based on conceptual overlap of items led to substantial improvement in the overall fit of the model, as indicated by the root mean square error of approximation, chi‐square/df, and the comparative fit index. Correlational analyses also provided strong convergent validity evidence, as the three subscales exhibited statistically significant relations with four motivation beliefs (i.e., self‐efficacy, perceived instrumentality, task interest, perceived responsibility) and two distinct markers of regulation‐related behaviors (i.e., teacher ratings, office discipline referrals).     

EVALUATION OF THE CLASS PASS INTERVENTION FOR TYPICALLY DEVELOPING STUDENTS WITH HYPOTHESIZED ESCAPE‐MOTIVATED DISRUPTIVE CLASSROOM BEHAVIOR

The aim of this study was to evaluate the Class Pass Intervention (CPI) as a secondary intervention for typically developing students with escape‐motivated disruptive classroom behavior. The CPI consists of providing students with passes that they can use to appropriately request a break from an academic task to engage in a preferred activity for preset amount of time. In addition, students are incentivized to not use the class passes by continuing to engage in the academic task and instead exchanging them for a preferred item or activity. Using an experimental single‐case withdrawal design with replication through a concurrent multiple‐baseline across‐participants design, the CPI was shown to reduce disruptive behavior and increase academic engagement in three students who engaged in hypothesized escape‐motivated behavior. Results also revealed that the effects of the CPI were maintained at a two‐week follow‐up probe and consumers found it to be acceptable. The limitations and implications of the findings for future research on effective classroom‐based interventions are discussed.     

EXTENDING THE VALIDITY OF THE FAMILY INVOLVEMENT QUESTIONNAIRE–SHORT FORM FOR CULTURALLY AND LINGUISTICALLY DIVERSE FAMILIES FROM LOW‐INCOME BACKGROUNDS

The construct validity of the Family Involvement Questionnaire–Short Form (FIQ‐SF) was examined in an independent sample of ethnically and linguistically diverse low‐income families (N = 498) enrolled in an urban Head Start program in the Southeast. A series of exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses replicated the three‐factor structure identified in initial validation studies with Northeast samples: home‐school conferencing, home‐based involvement, and school‐based involvement. Findings from multiple group confirmatory factor analyses provided evidence that the three‐factor structure was invariant across family ethnicity. multivariate analyses of variance also confirmed hypothesized mean differences on FIQ‐SF dimension scores across family demographic variables such as caregiver ethnicity, primary home language, caregiver education, employment, and marital status. Findings replicate and extend prior construct validity evidence to support the use of the FIQ‐SF by early childhood education programs such as Head Start serving diverse families from low‐income backgrounds. Implications for future research, practice, and policy applications in early childhood are discussed.