A comparison of learning disabled college students' achievement from WRAT and PIAT grade,standard, and subtest scores

Although there have been a number of studies that compared the test results of the Wide Range Achievement Test (WRAT) and the Peabody Individual Achievement Test (PIAT), none had been accomplished with a group of college-aged learning disabled students. Indeed, few researchers had investigated populations over 16 years of age, and none had compared grade scores and standard scores with appropriate subtest scores as derived from these two instruments. With the recent emphasis on postsecondary education for the learning disabled, it is deemed critical that researchers should develop a data base for study of this population. The current research demonstrated that although both tests purport to measure academic achievement in reading, spelling, and arthmetic, in reality, significantly different scores are derived when WRAT (1965, 1978) norms are compared to PIAT (1970) norms as stated in grade scores and standard scores. These significant differences in the grade and standard scores clearly indicate that the WRAT and the PIAT, particularly in regard to arthmetic and to a lesser degree to reading, are not interchangeable instruments of academic achievement.     

Social constructivism: Infusion into the multicultural science education research agenda

This article focuses on (a) theoretical underpinnings of social constructivism and multicultural education and (b) aspects of social constructivism that can provide frameworks for research in multicultural science education. According to the author, multicultural science education is “a field of inquiry with constructs, methodologies, and processes aimed at providing equitable opportunities for all students to learn quality science.” Multicultural science education research continues to be influenced by class, culture, disability, ethnicity, gender, and different lifestyles; however, another appropriate epistemology for this area of research is social constructivism. The essence of social constructivism and its implications for multicultural science education research includes an understanding of whatever realities might be constructed by individuals from various cultural groups and how these realities can be reconstituted, if necessary, to include a scientific reality. Hence, multicultural science education should be a field of study in which many science education researchers are generating new knowledge. The author strives to persuade other researchers to expand their research and teaching efforts into multicultural science education, a blending of social constructivism with multicultural science education. This blending is illustrated in the final section of this article. © 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Longitudinal outcome effects of non-at-risk and at-risk transition first-grade samples: A follow-up study and further analysis

Fourth-grade follow-up achievement outcome data of placed and nonplaced transition extra-year school readiness samples indicate a nonsignificant standardized score difference, as noted in the second-grade findings. New analysis of correlation data indicates that within-sample age distribution shows a positive correlation with standardized achievement test scores in a study sample of non-at-risk students nonretained or recommended for retention. This age-achievement correlation is strong in kindergarten, with decreased effects by second and fourth grade. Four study samples of at-risk students (students retained in a transition extra-year school readiness program, students recommended and eligible for such placement but not placed, students retained in kindergarten through second grade, and students held out of school prior to kindergarten) reflect moderate inverse (negative) correlations between age and achievement test scores, with increasing inverse effects in fourth grade. Effect analysis and implications are discussed. © 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.