Relationships between Cattell-Horn-Carroll (CHC) cognitive abilities and math achievement within a sample of college students with learning disabilities

This study examined the relationship between cognitive abilities and math achievement within a sample of college students with learning disabilities (LD). The cognitive abilities were seven areas identified by Stratum II of the Cattell-Horn-Carroll (CHC) theory of cognitive abilities, in addition to the eighth area of Working Memory. Math performance was assessed via math calculation and math reasoning tasks. Instruments include the Woodcock-Johnson III Tests of Cognitive Abilities and Tests of Achievement. Participants were 158 college students with a diagnosed LD in math. Multiple regression analyses found that Processing Speed and Working Memory were related to Math Calculation scores and that Comprehension-Knowledge, Fluid Reasoning, and Working Memory were related to Math Reasoning. Implications for the assessment of math LD in the college populations are discussed.     

A preliminary investigation of the concurrent validity of reading comprehension rate: A direct,dynamic measure of reading comprehension

Reading comprehension rate (RCR) is a direct measure of reading skills that may be useful in formatively evaluating students reading beyond the fourth‐grade level. To investigate the concurrent validity of RCR, we correlated RCR, reading comprehension level (RCL), and words correct per minute (WC/M) with the Broad Reading Cluster Scores of the Woodcock‐Johnson III Tests of Achievement (WJ‐III ACH) across 88 students in 4th, 5th, and 10th grades. Results showed that aloud‐RCR was significantly correlated with the WJ‐III ACH scores for 4th‐grade (r = .90; n = 22), 5th‐grade (r = .87; n = 29), and 10th‐grade (r = .65; n = 37) students. Regression analysis specified a one‐predictor model for 4th‐grade students (aloud‐RCR), a two‐predictor model for 5th‐grade students (WC/M and aloud‐RCR), and a one‐predictor model for 10th‐grade students (WC/M). Discussion focuses on directions for future research and applied issues related to RCR probe passage development. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Psychol Schs 44: 373–388, 2007.     

The relative contributions of the Cattell‐Horn‐Carroll cognitive abilities in explaining writing achievement during childhood and adolescence

This study examined the relative contributions of measures of Cattell‐Horn‐Carroll (CHC) cognitive abilities in explaining writing achievement. Drawing from samples that covered the age range of 7 to 18 years, simultaneous multiple regression was used to regress scores from the Woodcock‐Johnson III (WJ III; Woodcock, McGrew, & Mather, 2001) that represent CHC broad and narrow abilities onto the WJ III Basic Writing Skills and Written Expression cluster scores. At most age levels, Comprehension‐Knowledge demonstrated moderate to strong effects on both writing clusters, Processing Speed demonstrated moderate effects on Basic Writing Skills and moderate to strong effects on Written Expression, and Short‐Term Memory demonstrated moderate effects. At the youngest age levels, Long‐Term Retrieval demonstrated moderate to strong effects on Basic Writing Skills and moderate effects on Written Expression. Auditory Processing, and Phonemic Awareness demonstrated moderate effects on only Written Expression at the youngest age levels and at some of the oldest age levels. Fluid Reasoning demonstrated moderate effects on both writing clusters only during some of the oldest age levels. Visual‐Spatial Thinking primarily demonstrated negligible effects. The results provide insights into the cognitive abilities most important for understanding the writing skills of children during the school‐age years. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

THE ROLE OF CATTELL–HORN–CARROLL (CHC) COGNITIVE ABILITIES IN PREDICTING WRITING ACHIEVEMENT DURING THE SCHOOL‐AGE YEARS

Writing is a complex academic task—it involves numerous mental processes. Given the necessity for developing writing skills from elementary to secondary school, this study aimed to investigate the role of broad cognitive abilities derived from the Cattell–Horn–Carroll (CHC) theory of intelligence in predicting skills associated with writing achievement. The normative sample from the fourth edition of the Woodcock–Johnson Tests of Cognitive Abilities and the Woodcock–Johnson Tests Academic Achievement were used to examine the relationships between broad CHC abilities and academic achievement in writing. The findings of this study suggest that the broad CHC abilities Comprehension‐Knowledge, Processing Speed, and Fluid Reasoning are especially important predictors of basic writing skills and written expression during the school‐age years. In general, changes in the strength of the association between cognitive abilities and academic achievement in writing are observed over time, as the cognitive demands involved in the writing increase in complexity in later grades.     

Are psychology students getting worse at math?: Trends in the math skills of psychology statistics students across 21 years

Statistics is an important subject in psychology and social science education. However, inadequate mathematical skills can pose a barrier to learning statistics. Some educators have suggested that students’ math skills are declining. The present research examined trends in the math skills of psychology undergraduates across 21 years. Students (n = 3735) who were enrolled in an introductory psychology statistics course from 1990 to 2011 completed a pencil-and-paper math skills test. Over the 21-year period, there was a 9% decline in math skills scores and a 28% increase in the number of attempts required to pass the test. Consistent with national trends, SAT Math scores also increased by 7%; however, the pencil-and-paper math skills test was nearly twice as predictive of course performance as was the SAT. Results suggest that important math abilities have declined. Implications for statistical education in the social sciences are discussed.     

Joint confirmatory factor analysis of the differential ability scales and the Woodcock‐Johnson Tests of Cognitive Abilities–Third Edition

This study examined the underlying constructs measured by the Differential Ability Scales (DAS; C.D. Elliott, 1990a) as they relate to the Cattell‐Horn‐Carroll (CHC) Theory (K.S. McGrew, 1997) of cognitive abilities. The DAS and Woodcock‐Johnson Tests of Cognitive Abilities (WJ‐III COG; R.W. Woodcock, K.S. McGrew, & N. Mather, 2001) were administered to 131 children in grades 3 through 5 who took part in a concurrent validity study included in the Woodcock‐Johnson Tests of Cognitive Abilities, Third Edition, technical manual (K.S. McGrew & R.W. Woodcock, 2001). Confirmatory factor analyses using maximum likelihood estimation were conducted with the AMOS 5.0 (J.L. Arbuckle, 2001) statistical program to evaluate three models of increasing complexity, to compare how well each fit the data set, and to identify the one that best described the underlying constructs measured by the DAS. Results suggested that the synthesized Three‐Stratum CHC Model provided the most parsimonious representation among the three models tested. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Psychol Schs 44: 119–138, 2007.     

Teacher Judgments of Student Reading and Math Skills: Associations With Child- and Classroom-Related Factors

The purpose of the study was to examine whether students’ linguistic skills and task-avoidant behavior (i.e., the child-related factors) and the mean level of academic skills (reading comprehension and math) of classmates (i.e., the class-related factor) are associated with teacher judgments of children’s reading comprehension and math skills. The participants were third-grade Estonian-speaking students (n?=?656; age 9?11 years) and their classroom teachers (n?=?51). The results of the structural equation modeling path analyses indicated that teachers tend to judge students showing higher academic and linguistic skills and lower avoidance behavior as higher on the reading comprehension and math skills. In contrast, the classmates’ higher academic skill level was related to lower judgments of individual children’s reading comprehension and math skills by teachers.     

Assessing giftedness in children: Comparing the accuracy of three shortened measures of Intelligence to the Stanford–Binet Intelligence Scales,Fifth Edition

This study examined the accuracy of three shortened measures of intelligence: the Woodcock–Johnson Tests of Cognitive Ability, Third Edition Brief Intellectual Ability (WJ III COG BIA) score; the Stanford–Binet Intelligence Scale, Fifth Edition Abbreviated IQ (SB5 ABIQ); and the Kaufman Brief Intelligence Test IQ Composite (K‐BIT) in predicting giftedness as assessed by the SB5 Full Scale IQ score (SB5 FSIQ). Participants were 202 third grade students who were individually administered the SB5, WJ III, and K‐BIT. Four scores (SB5 ABIQ, K‐BIT, WJ III COG BIA, and SB5 FSIQ) were extracted. Correlational analyses revealed positive, significant relationships among the four scores. Discriminant function analyses, conducted to examine the accuracy of the three shortened measures of intelligence in predicting giftedness, revealed that overall, the WJ III score was the most accurate, and the K‐BIT score was the least accurate in identifying giftedness. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Concurrent validity of the Slosson full‐range intelligence test: Comparison with the Wechsler intelligence scale for children–third edition and the Woodcock Johnson tests of achievement–revised

This study examined the concurrent validity of the Slosson Full‐Range Intelligence Test (S‐FRIT) by comparing S‐FRIT scores to the scores of the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children–Third Edition (WISC‐III) and the Woodcock‐Johnson Tests of Achievement–Revised (WJ‐R). Data from 123 elementary students' screening and psychological testing results were examined. Results revealed that the S‐FRIT scores were more related to overall intelligence, verbal, and math abilities than nonverbal intelligence, reading, or written language abilities. Further, it was found that 89% of the participants' S‐FRIT Full‐Range IQ scores fell within one standard deviation of their WISC‐III FSIQ scores, with an average discrepancy of 7.6 points. Discrepancies between S‐FRIT and WISC‐III scores were also examined by educational diagnostic categories and ability levels. Limitations and suggestions for future research are provided. © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Effects of Fact Retrieval Tutoring on Third‐Grade Students with Math Difficulties with and without Reading Difficulties

The purpose of this study was to assess the efficacy of fact retrieval tutoring as a function of math difficulty (MD) subtype, that is, whether students have MD alone (MD‐only) or have concurrent difficulty with math and reading (MDRD). Third graders (n= 139) at two sites were randomly assigned, blocking by site and MD subtype, to four tutoring conditions: fact retrieval practice, conceptual fact retrieval instruction with practice, procedural computation/estimation instruction, and control (no tutoring). Tutoring occurred for 45 sessions over 15 weeks for 15–25 minutes per session. Results provided evidence of an interaction between tutoring condition and MD subtype status for assessment of fact retrieval. For MD‐only students, students in both fact retrieval conditions achieved comparably and outperformed MD‐only students in the control group as well as those in the procedural computation/estimation instruction group. By contrast, for MDRD students, there were no significant differences among intervention conditions.     

THE UTILITY OF MAZE ACCURATE RESPONSE RATE IN ASSESSING READING COMPREHENSION IN UPPER ELEMENTARY AND MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS

This study examined the predictive utility of five formative reading measures: words correct per minute, number of comprehension questions correct, reading comprehension rate, number of maze correct responses, and maze accurate response rate (MARR). Broad Reading cluster scores obtained via the Woodcock–Johnson III (WJ III) Tests of Achievement served as the criterion variable. Examiners administered all reading measures to 98 students enrolled in upper elementary (UES) and middle school (MS) grades (grades 4 through 8). Results indicated significant intercorrelations within all predictor variables for the combined and UES samples; fewer intercorrelations existed at the MS level. MARR exhibited the highest correlation with WJ III Broad Reading across all correlational analyses. Additional regression analyses indicated that the MARR technique best predicted WJ III Broad Reading cluster scores across all groups analyzed. Limitations of the current study and suggestions for future research are discussed.     

Paint-by-Number Teachers and Cookie-Cutter Students: The Unintended Effects of High-Stakes Testing on the Education of Gifted Students

This study examined the utility of the Gifted Composite (GC) formula derived from selected subtests on the Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scales, Fifth Edition (SB5) for evaluating intellectual giftedness. A sample of 52 children were administered both the SB5 and Woodcock-Johnson Tests of Achievement, Third Edition (WJ-III ACH). The ability of the Full-Scale IQ (FSIQ) and the GC to predict reading and math achievement were compared. Though both the FSIQ and GC significantly predicted standardized achievement test scores, the FSIQ explained more of the variance. Sequential regression analyses suggested that the SB5 factor scores preformed differently in their contribution of unique variance to the predictions. The inclusion of working memory scores in the calculation of the FSIQ appears to account for the difference in predictions between the FSIQ and GC for reading but not math skills.     

Reliability and validity of the Math Essential Skill Screener—Elementary Version (MESS-E)

The Math Essential Skill Screener–Elementary Version (MESS-E) is a screener devised to identify primary grade students at risk for math difficulties. Item analysis, interitem consistency, test–retest reliability, decision efficiency, and construct validity of the MESS-E were studied using four independent samples of boys and girls grades 1–3 (aged 6–8). Item analysis revealed median item difficulty of .64 and median item discrimination of .75. Interitem consistency was .92 (n = 171) and .94 (n = 711), while 30-day test–retest reliability was .86 (n = 125). Exploratory factor analysis indicated a one-factor solution accounting for 37% of observed variance. LISREL 7 confirmatory factor analysis procedures determined that the one-factor model fit the standardization sample data poorly (goodness-of-fit index = .729, χ² to df ratio = 9.91). The MESS-E yielded concurrent validity coefficients (n = 171) of .74 with the Woodcock–Johnson: Tests of Achievement–Revised (WJ-R) Math Cluster, .80 with the Wide-Range Achievement Test–Revised (WRAT-R) Arithmetic subtest and .73 with the KeyMath-R Operations Area standard scores. A diagnostic efficiency study yielded a total predictive value (TPV) of .93, sensitivity = .98, specificity = .88, positive predictive power (PPP) = .89, negative predictive power (NPP) = .98, and incremental validity = 39%. The MESS-E displayed a slight tendency to overidentify children potentially at risk for math difficulties. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

An examination of the CTONI utilizing Gc‐Gf theory: A comparison of the CTONI and WJ‐III

The present investigation examined the validity of the Comprehensive Test of Nonverbal Intelligence (CTONI) with the Woodcock‐Johnson III Tests of Cognitive Abilities (WJ‐III COG) by administering these instruments in counterbalanced order to 60 college students. Results indicated that the mean CTONI NIQ score was not significantly different from the mean WJ‐III COG General Intellectual Ability (GIA) score. However, mean score differences were found between the CTONI NIQ and the WJ‐III COG Verbal Ability, Thinking Ability, Comprehension‐Knowledge, and Fluid Reasoning cluster scores. Although the correlations between the CTONI and the WJ‐III COG cluster scores were generally of small magnitude, the CTONI Geometric Nonverbal IQ composite score demonstrated construct specificity, whereas the CTONI Pictorial Nonverbal IQ scale did not. The implications of the findings are discussed and practitioners are asked to use caution when using this instrument to assess the fluid reasoning abilities of college students. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Calculation and word problem-solving skill profiles: relationship to previous skills and interest

Abstract

The current study focuses on the calculation and word problem-solving skill profiles at the end of middle school and their relationships to previous skills and interest in math. The sample included 818 (48% boys) Estonian students from 31 schools. Math skills, reasoning, text comprehension, and interest in math were assessed in Grade 8. Latent profile analysis was used to identify latent profiles of calculation and word problem-solving skills in Grade 9 (age 15 years). Five latent profiles were found. Results indicated that students had significantly different math and cognitive skills; however, the interest level for average and lower-achieving students was quite similar. Students with the highest skills had an exceptionally high interest in math, showing that enhancing students’ interest together with academic skills might help to reach a high level of math skills by the end of middle school.     

Prevention: Necessary But Insufficient? A 2-Year Follow-Up of an Effective First-Grade Mathematics Intervention

We present first-grade, second-grade, and third-grade impacts for a first-grade intervention targeting the conceptual and procedural bases that support arithmetic. At-risk students (average age at pretest = 6.5) were randomly assigned to three conditions: a control group (n = 224) and two variants of the intervention (same conceptual instruction but different forms of practice: speeded [n = 211] vs. nonspeeded [n = 204]). Impacts on all first-grade content outcomes were significant and positive, but no follow-up impacts were significant. Many intervention children achieved average mathematics achievement at the end of third grade, and prior math and reading assessment performance predicted which students will require sustained intervention. Finally, projecting impacts 2 years later based on nonexperimental estimates of effects of first-grade math skills overestimates long-term intervention effects.     

Student–teacher closeness and conflict in students with and without special educational needs

Teachers play a key role in creating effective conditions for students to succeed in school. The quality of student–teacher relationships is consistently associated with social, emotional, behavioural and academic adjustment, and this is even more relevant for students with special educational needs (SEN), considering these students’ emotional, social and learning vulnerabilities. This study aimed to examine the associations between students’ externalising and internalising behaviour, social skills and academic performance, and teachers’ perceptions of conflict and closeness in their relationships with students with and without SEN. Data regarding 360 students in Year 3, Year 5 and Year 7 (169 students with SEN) were collected. Teachers (n = 74) reported on the student–teacher relationship and students’ social skills, behaviour problems and academic performance. Special education teachers (n = 38) provided information regarding the diagnosis and profile of functioning of students with SEN. Results showed that teachers’ reports of students’ social skills and externalising problems were the strongest predictors of closeness and conflict. Internalising problems and SEN status also predicted decreased closeness, despite smaller effects. Taken together, findings support the importance of professional development opportunities focusing on facilitating teachers’ relationships with students with perceived challenging behaviour.     

Relations between measures of Cattell‐Horn‐Carroll (CHC) cognitive abilities and mathematics achievement across the school‐age years

Cognitive clusters from the Woodcock‐Johnson III (WJ III) Tests of Cognitive Abilities that measure select Cattell‐Horn‐Carroll broad and narrow cognitive abilities were shown to be significantly related to mathematics achievement in a large, nationally representative sample of children and adolescents. Multiple regression analyses were used to predict performance on the Math Calculation Skills and Math Reasoning clusters from the WJ III Tests of Achievement for 14 age groups ranging in age from 6 to 19 years. Comprehension‐Knowledge (Gc) demonstrated moderate relations with Math Calculation Skills after the early school‐age years and moderate to strong relations with Math Reasoning. Fluid Reasoning (Gf), Short‐term Memory (Gsm), and Working Memory generally demonstrated moderate relations with the mathematics clusters. Processing Speed (Gs) demonstrated moderate relations with Math Reasoning during the elementary school years and moderate to strong relations with Math Calculation Skills. During the earliest ages of the analysis, Long‐term Retrieval (Glr) demonstrated moderate relations with the mathematics clusters, and Auditory Processing (Ga) demonstrated moderate relations with Math Calculation Skills. Visual‐Spatial Thinking (Gv) generally demonstrated nonsignificant relations with the mathematics clusters. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Psychol Schs 40: 155–171, 2003.     

Preschool Math Exposure in Private Center-Based Care and Low-SES Children’s Math Development

Research Findings: The present study examined the amount of exposure to math activities that children of low socioeconomic status (SES) encounter in private community-based preschool classrooms and whether greater time in these activities predicted higher math skills. Three cohorts of 4- to 5-year-old children were recruited from 30 private centers, resulting in a sample of 288 children nested within 73 preschool classrooms. Classroom observations were conducted for 150 min during fall and winter of the preschool year using a time sampling method. Preschoolers were exposed to an average daily amount of 2 min (range = 0–23) of math exposure. Hierarchical linear models were run to examine associations between math exposure and math achievement. Children’s exposure to math activities significantly and positively predicted their spring math scores, but associations between math exposure and math scores were stronger for children with lower initial cognitive abilities and self-regulation skills. Practice or Policy: Our findings revealed generally low levels of math instruction occurring in private child care centers primarily serving low-SES children. Even limited exposure to math activities predicted children’s math skills, however, which highlights the importance of math content in these settings.     

Simulating the multi‐disciplinary care team approach: Enhancing student understanding of anatomy through an ultrasound‐anchored interprofessional session

Quality of healthcare delivery is dependent on collaboration between professional disciplines. Integrating opportunities for interprofessional learning in health science education programs prepares future clinicians to function as effective members of a multi‐disciplinary care team. This study aimed to create a modified team‐based learning (TBL) environment utilizing ultrasound technology during an interprofessional learning activity to enhance musculoskeletal anatomy knowledge of first year medical (MD) and physical therapy (PT) students. An ultrasound demonstration of structures of the upper limb was incorporated into the gross anatomy courses for first‐year MD (n = 53) and PT (n = 28) students. Immediately before the learning experience, all students took an individual readiness assurance test (iRAT) based on clinical concepts regarding the assigned study material. Students observed while a physical medicine and rehabilitation physician demonstrated the use of ultrasound as a diagnostic and procedural tool for the shoulder and elbow. Following the demonstration, students worked within interprofessional teams (n = 14 teams, 5–6 students per team) to review the related anatomy on dissected specimens. At the end of the session, students worked within interprofessional teams to complete a collaborative clinical case‐based multiple choice post‐test. Team scores were compared to the mean individual score within each team with the Wilcoxon signed‐rank test. Students scored higher on the collaborative post‐test (95.2 ±10.2%) than on the iRAT (66.1 ± 13.9% for MD students and 76.2 ±14.2% for PT students, P < 0.0001). Results suggest that this interprofessional team activity facilitated an improved understanding and clinical application of anatomy. Anat Sci Educ 11: 94–99. © 2017 American Association of Anatomists.