Factorial validity of the 1976 edition of the metropolitan readiness tests for males and females

The 1976 edition of the Metropolitan Readiness Tests was factor analyzed from the responses of 408 beginning first graders. A single General Readiness factor, consistent with prior research, best described the battery of eight subtests. This factor was found to be invariant across sex when separate analyses for males and for females were compared. The coefficient of congruence for the general factor across sex was .98, and the salient variable similarity index reached a value of 1.00.     

Evaluation of the double-deficit hypothesis in college students referred for learning difficulties

The present study explored the double-deficit hypothesis (DDH) in a sample of 146 college students with and without reading disabilities (RD). The results indicated that although both phonological awareness (PA) and visual naming speed (VNS) contributed to performance on measures of decoding and comprehension, their relative contribution was influenced both by the nature of the stimulus (word vs. nonword vs. text) and by the conditions of the task (timed vs. untimed). Similar results were obtained using an individual differences approach, or when between-group comparisons were made of individuals with deficits in PA or VNS. The relative representation of DDH subgroups in groups of adults with RD varied based on the classification criteria used to define RD. These results support the DDH, extend its applicability to adults, and have implications for diagnostic decision making.     

Concurrent validity of the school problem screening inventory for behavior-disordered students

This study investigated the relationship between the School Problem Screening Inventory, Fifth Edition (SPSI) and the Bristol Social Adjustment Guides (BSAG) and the WISC-R. Subjects were 43 junior high school students enrolled in residential or day-treatment programs at a treatment center for adolescents with behavior problems. The results showed the SPSI Behavior Disorder-undercontrolled and overcontrolled scores to be moderately correlated with the BSAG Overreaction and Under reaction scores, respectively. The SPSI Learning Disability and the Mental Retardation scores were found to be moderately correlated negatively with the WISC-R IQs. The findings lend support to the concurrent validity of the SPSI.     

Adjustment scales for children and adolescents and Native American Indians: Factorial validity generalization for Ojibwe youths

Replication of the core syndrome factor structure of the Adjustment Scales for Children and Adolescents (ASCA; P.A. McDermott, N.C. Marston, & D.H. Stott, 1993) is reported for a sample of 183 Native American Indian (Ojibwe) children and adolescents from North Central Minnesota. The six ASCA core syndromes produced an identical two‐factor solution as the standardization data through principal axis analysis using multiple criteria for the number of factors to extract and retain. Varimax, direct oblimin, and promax rotations produced identical results and nearly identical factor‐structure coefficients. Coefficients of congruence resulted in an excellent match to the factorial results of the ASCA standardization sample and a large, independent sample. It was concluded that for these Ojibwe students, the ASCA measures two independent dimensions of psychopathology (i.e., Overactivity and Underactivity) that are similar to the conduct problems/externalizing and withdrawal/internalizing dimensions commonly found in the child psychopathology assessment literature. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Psychol Schs 43: 685–694, 2006.     

WISC-R verbal and performance abilities of native american students referred for school learning problems

This study was designed to determine if three diagnostic groups of Navajo children differed on intellectual dimensions as measured by the WISC-R. Subjects had been previously diagnosed by state certified professionals and were identified as nonhan dicapped (NH) (N = 113), educationally disadvantaged.(ED) (N = 189), and learning disabled (LD) (N = 150). NH group means on all WISC-R variables were significantly higher than the LD group means. The ED and the LD group means were similar on the verbal measures, but the LD group scores were lower than the ED group scores on performance measures. The NH group demonstrated intellectual abilities and deficits similar to those reported for other primary-grade Navajo children who had not been referred for suspected handicapping conditions.     

Evaluating the validity of the Automated Working Memory Assessment

The aim of the present study was to investigate the construct stability and diagnostic validity of a standardised computerised tool for assessing working memory: the Automated Working Memory Assessment (AWMA). The purpose of the AWMA is to provide educators with a quick and effective tool to screen for and support those with memory impairments. Findings indicate that working memory skills in children with memory impairments are relatively stable over the course of the school year. There was also a high degree of convergence in performance between the AWMA and the WISC‐IV Working Memory Index. The educational implications are discussed.     

School psychologist assessment practices in the evaluation of students referred for social/behavioral/emotional problems

The current study examined the assessment strategies school psychologists used in their everyday assessment routine in the evaluation of students referred for social/behavioral/emotional problems. A stratified, random, national sample of 1,000 members of the National Association of School Psychologists were sent surveys; 667 completed surveys were returned, and 648 were included in the current study (64.8%). Findings indicated that, although measures of intelligence, achievement, and perceptual‐motor skills continue to remain a part of the assessment process, structured interviews, direct observation, and behavior rating scales and checklists also are frequently used methods of assessment. In addition, the majority of experienced practitioners indicated that their use of behavioral assessment had increased and that it was valuable in linking assessment to intervention. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Psychol Schs 41: 551–561, 2004.     

The concurrent validity of the Cognitive Levels Test with the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Revised for a sample of referred children and youth

The present investigation compared the Cognitive Levels Test (CLT) and the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Revised (WISC-R) scores for 55 children who were referred for remedial educational services. A comparison of the correlations for each of the criterion measures from the WISC-R showed a consistent significant positive relationship with the CLT. A repeated measures analysis of variance that compared standard scores for the CLT with those of the WISC-R indicated that significant differences existed between WISC-R IQs and the CLT Cognitive Index. Implications concerning the validity of the Cognitive Levels Test are discussed.     

Assessment of alcohol and other drug abuse with referred adolescents

Adolescents with alcohol or other drug problems may be referred to school psychologists for assessment and demonstrate symptoms similar to handicapping conditions such as learning disabilities or emotional disturbance. Therefore, school psychologists have a need for assessment techniques to determine the probablity that referred adolescents have alcohol or other drug problems. In this paper, prereferral questionnaires, initial interviews, behavioral observations, and assessment devices are discussed. Suggestions are made for referring substance-abusing adolescents.     

Behavioral observations of disruptive behaviors with referred and nonreferred elementary school students

Local norms for the frequency of disruptive and unproductive classroom behaviors were established. The sample consisted of 81 referred and 81 nonreferred elementary students. Each student was observed for 45 minutes during classroom instruction periods. The referred students were more frequently “off task,” “talked out” more often, were more frequently “out of seat,” and more often displayed “other” disruptive behaviors. For assessment purposes, frequency of behaviors was categorized for severity by grade level.     

Concurrent and predictive validity of the WISC-R,McCarthy Scales,Woodcock-Johnson,and academic achievement

Twenty-six normal first-grade children (M = 7.0 years) were administered the WISC-R, the McCarthy Scales, and the Woodcock-Johnson Scales of Cognitive Ability. Two years later, their levels of academic achievement were determined by way of the WRAT and global teacher ratings of classroom performance. Pearson intercorrelations among the summary indices of the three intellectual measures were significant and uniformly high (rang. 77-.95). Correlations between first-grade ability scores and third-grade achievement measures also were significant (range .64-.90), suggesting strong predictive validity for each of the cognitive instruments. Though not significantly so, the correlations between the Woodcock-Johnson and achievement tended to be the highest. The results indicate that all three intellectual measures are appropriate for predicting later academic achievement in young school-aged children.     

Early Numeracy Assessment: The Development of the Preschool Early Numeracy Scales

Research Findings: The focus of this study was to construct and validate 12 brief early numeracy assessment tasks that measure the skills and concepts identified as key to early mathematics development by the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (2006 National Council of Teachers of Mathematics. (2006). Curriculum focal points for prekindergarten through Grade 8 mathematics. Reston, VA: Author. [Google Scholar]) and the National Mathematics Advisory Panel (2008 National Mathematics Advisory Panel. (2008). Foundations for success: The final report of the National Mathematics Advisory Panel. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Education. [Google Scholar])—as well as critical developmental precursors to later mathematics skills noted in the Common Core State Standards (2010 Common Core State Standards. (2010). Common Core State Standards: Preparing America’s students for college and career. Retrieved from http://www.corestandards.org/ [Google Scholar]). Participants were 393 preschool children ages 3 to 5 years old. Measure development and validation occurred through 3 analytic phases designed to ensure that the measures were brief, reliable, and valid. These measures were 1-to-1 counting, cardinality, counting subsets, subitizing, number comparison, set comparison, number order, numeral identification, set-to-numerals, story problems, number combinations, and verbal counting. Practice or Policy: Teachers have extensive demands on their time, yet they are tasked with ensuring that all students’ academic needs are met. To identify individual instructional needs and measure progress, they need to be able to efficiently assess children’s numeracy skills. The measures developed in this study not only are reliable and exhibit evidence of validity but also are easy to use and can be utilized for measuring the effects of targeted instruction on individual numeracy skills.     

The validity of student ratings of teaching quality: Factorial structure,comparability, and the relation to achievement

Student ratings are widely used to assess teaching quality in primary and secondary education. This necessitates a thorough examination their validity and reliability in such contexts. To this end, we present validity evidence for using student ratings of teaching quality based on their factorial structure, comparability across grades and subjects, and relation to achievement. Based on data from the 2019 Trends in Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) and its national extensions in Norway (N = 3951 5th graders and N = 4575 9th graders), we could confirm a theoretically assumed three-dimensional factor structure (i.e., classroom management, cognitive activation, and supportive climate). Moreover, classroom management and supportive climate were more comparable across grades and subjects then cognitive activation. Finally, classroom management was associated with achievement across all groups, whereas other dimensions showed mixed results, especially across grades. Overall, the findings indicate that students, especially in Grade 9, can provide a valid assessment of teaching quality.