bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Improving the Sensitivity of the Language Sector of the Denver Developmental Screening Test
Authors: Glascoe Frances P. , Borowitz Kathleen C.
Published: February 2009

The DDST and a brief measure of expressive language development were given to 114 children between 24 and 74 months of age. As in a previous study, the DDST failed to identify the majority of children who failed the expressive language screening. Changing total DDST scoring and using more rigorous cutoff scores—the ages at which 50% and 75% of the sample population passed language items—failed to substantially improve the predictive accuracy of the DDST. Adding a very limited number of expressive language items identified most of the children with language difficulties. Use of such a measure together with the DDST is advocated. Recommendations for further research include cross-validation of these findings, revision of the DDST language sector, and subsequent assessment of the test's sensitivity to a variety of mild handicapping conditions.
A Comparison of Preschool Children's Performance on the Kaufman-Assessment Battery for Children Nonverbal Scale and the Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence Performance Scale
Authors: Wade H. L. , Kutsick Koressa , Vance Booney
Published: February 2009

The relationship between the Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children (K-ABC) Nonverbal Scale and the Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence (WPPSI) Performance Scale was examined for a sample of 48 preschool age children. The children were grouped according to their level of language development. One group consisted of normal children with no language delays. The second group was composed of children who exhibited mild to moderate language delays. The third group included children who were essentially nonverbal. Subjects were administered the K-ABC Nonverbal Scale and the WPPSI Performance Scale in a counter-balanced order. The scores were then analyzed to determine if there were any significant relationships or differences between the two measures or the three groups. Pearson product-moment correlations between the K-ABC Nonverbal Scale and the WPPSI Performance Scale ranged from .59 for the language delayed group to .79 for the entire sample. A significant difference was found between the obtained means of the instruments, with subjects receiving higher scores on the WPPSI Performance Scale. Implications of these findings are discussed in terms of assessing young language-delayed children.
A Survey of Perceptions by School Psychologists of the Stanford-Binet IV
Authors: Obringer S. John
Published: February 2009

School psychologists were surveyed as to their perception and opinion of the fourth edition of the Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scale. The survey indicated that the majority of school psychologists feel they need additional training in administering, scoring, and interpreting the test; however, few have received such training. A small number of practicing school psychologists have adopted the revised instrument in their practice or sponsoring agency. When asked to rank, in order, instruments of choice, the Wechsler followed by the Kaufman were scales of choice.
Prevalence of Emotional Impairment in the Mildly Handicapped Attending a Transitional Vocational Program
Authors: Barowsky Ellis I.
Published: February 2009

One hundred fifty-three individuals with mild mental retardation and borderline intellectual functioning who attended a transitional vocational program were evaluated for behavior indicative of emotional dysfunction and personality disorders. Based upon the multiaxial criteria of DSM-III (American Psychiatric Association, 1980), 80, or 53%, were diagnosed as meeting Axis I criteria for a clinical syndrome. Twenty-seven, or 17.6%, of the clients enrolled met the DSM-III criteria for an Axis II diagnosis, which involve more severe personality or developmental disorders. These findings are similar to epidemiological investigations conducted in community, hospital, and outpatient mental health settings for the mentally retarded. Behavior that indicates emotional pathology in individuals with mild retardation and borderline intellectual functioning has a great impact upon meeting the goals of transitional programs and fostering community acceptance.
Special Educators' Perceptions of Teacher Effectiveness Compared to Coordinators, Principals, and Regular Class Teachers
Authors: Voneschenbach John F.
Published: February 2009

Career Incentive Plan coordinators, principals, regular class teachers, and special education teachers responded to questionnaires by indicating their degree of perceived importance of 23 characteristics of effective teachers. An oblique rotation within a factor analysis generated four clusters, labeled delivery, management, rapport, and planning. Multivariate test was significant (p < .002) and the univariate tests were significant for the four identified factors: delivery (p < .002), management (p < .002); rapport (p < .037), and planning (p < .015). One-way analyses showed that special education teachers' perceptions differ from those of principals and regular class teachers. Implications of the findings and recommendations are discussed.
Curriculum-Based Measurement
Authors: Fuchs Lynn S. , Fuchs Douglas
Published: February 2009

This article provides an overview of one form of curriculum-based assessment, known as Curriculum-Based Measurement (CBM). First, CBM is described. Then, three strategies for using CBM to formulate instructional decisions are reviewed. Next, potential contributions of CBM to special education practice are described. Finally, important areas of additional research on CBM are identified.
Providers and Practices in Psychoeducational Assessment of the Hearing Impaired in Educational Settings
Authors: Allen William , Abraham Suzanne , Stoker Richard
Published: February 2009

Demographic and descriptive information was gathered from professionals providing psychoeducational assessment services to hearing-impaired learners in the United States and Canada. Data regarding the educational and experiential background of professionals providing psychoeducational assessment services to the hearing impaired, the communication modes used and problems encountered in testing the hearing impaired, and the educational placements of hearing-impaired learners receiving psychoeducational assessment services are presented. Frequency of use scores and rankings are reported for psychological and educational instruments used by at least 10% of the respondents to assess the hearing impaired at the infant, preschool, primary, and secondary educational levels. Findings are discussed in view of current trends in the psychoeducational assessment of hearing-impaired children and youth.
Relationships between Scores of Gifted Children on Stanford-Binet IV and Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Revised
Authors: Carvajal Howard , Weaver Kenneth A.
Published: February 2009

Thirty-nine children enrolled in the gifted curriculum in the public schools in a midwest community of 27,000 were tested with the Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scale: Fourth Edition. Correlations were then calculated between the scores of the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children—Revised, obtained from the students' files, and the scores of the Stanford-Binet. Only the correlation between the Stanford-Binet Verbal Reasoning standard age scores and the Wechsler Verbal IQs was statistically significant (p < .01). The Stanford-Binet Short-Term Memory standard age score mean was between 12 and 24 points lower than the means of the other Stanford-Binet and Wechsler scores.
The Importance of Shifts in Language Level and Extraneous Information in Determining Word Problem Difficulty
Authors: Bachor Dan G.
Published: February 2009

A sample of 84 Grade 6 students from a Canadian west coast city were administered a set of 80 arithmetic word problems. The problems were developed as part of a larger set intended to reflect individual differences in problem solving. These particular problems were varied in the grade level of language and in the type and amount of extraneous information present. The items appear to be both reliable (internal consistency of the items, Cronbach alpha, for sets of 16 items ranged from 0.86 to 0.88) and valid (criterion-related and concurrent validity were indicated by consistently significant correlations with reading and mathematics achievement measures). Significant overall effects were observed when three CTBS mathematics achievement groups were compared on problems varying vocabulary level and extraneous information.
Comparison of Scores on the Cognitive Levels Test and the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test—Revised
Authors: Overton Terry , Apperson Jennifer
Published: February 2009

The Cognitive Levels Test and the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test—Revised were administered to 30 freshman college students at a small state college in the mid-Atlantic region. The correlations between the two tests were significant (median = .52; range = .46 to .64). This suggested that the PPVT-R measures a component of the CLT. The mean Peabody score was significantly higher than the Cognitive Levels Test means. Implications of these results were discussed.
How do Adolescents Perform on a Statewide Minimum Competency Test?
Authors: Crews W. Bee , Algozzine Bob , Schwartz Stuart E.
Published: February 2009

The purpose of this research was to compare the performance of mildly handicapped and nonhandicapped students on a test designed to measure functional literacy in math and communication skills. Random samples of 300 students were drawn from performance data available for all students participating in a statewide assessment program. Separate item scores as well as percentages of mastery on specific skills and standards were analyzed. Performance of students with individual handicapping conditions on the two standards (communication and mathematics) was compared across exceptional student groups and with the performance of nonhandicapped peers. A high percentage (87.0%) of non-handicapped students demonstrated mastery levels of performance on the communication and mathematics items. Students classified as emotionally handicapped (EH) and learning disabled (LD) achieved mastery within 5% of one another on the communication and mathematics items and performance of students classified as educably mentally handicapped (EMH) was far below that of other exceptional students. In general, scores were highest in communication skills involving writing (i.e., being able to complete money orders, checks, and common forms) and in mathematics skills involving the use of equivalent amounts of change and currency.
Undergraduate Students' Errors in the Administration of Standardized Tests
Authors: Giacobbe George A. , Traynelis-Yurek Elaine
Published: February 2009

One hundred and six students were required to administer the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test—Revised (PPVT—R) to the instructor as the culminating exercise in a course in psychoeducational testing. Only 29.2 percent of the students were able to successfully administer the PPVT—R error free. Errors included the mispronunciation of stimulus words, failure to find the highest basal, failure to find the lowest ceiling, and inaccuracies in calculating the scores. It would appear that a one semester course is not sufficient to adequately prepare special education teachers with the necessary skills to be proficient test administrators.
A Caseload Study of Educational Activities for Special Education Resource Teachers and Speech Pathologists
Authors: Vance H. R. , Hayden David L. , Eaves Ronald C.
Published: February 2009

This study investigated caseloads and the time associated with assessing, planning, developing new IEPs, updating IEPs, and providing direct instruction and indirect instructional services for a cross section of special education resource-room teachers and speech pathologists serving the same elementary, middle/junior, and high schools in various Maryland School Districts. The sample consisted of 100 resource-room teachers and 80 speech pathologists who were randomly selected. A survey was used to collect the data. Analysis of the data showed that developing a new IEP requires significantly more time than updating one. Educational assessment requires more time than speech assessment. Speech pathologists have more instructional periods, but of shorter duration, than special education resource-room teachers. Special education resource-room teachers have more students per instructional period and more instructional groups within the class than speech pathologists. The finding suggests that special education resource-room teachers provide more indirect or consultant service for students than do speech pathologists.
Factorial Validity of the KeyMath-Revised
Authors: Walker David W. , Arnault Lynne S.
Published: February 2009

This study examined the construct validity of the KeyMath-Revised by testing the factorial model proposed by the test author through the use of confirmatory and exploratory factor analysis. The results of this study failed to confirm the proposed factorial model and suggested that the KeyMath-Revised assesses two distinct domains rather than the three proposed by the test author.
The Reliability and Validity of the Cognitive Levels Test (CLT) for Preschool Children
Authors: Lee Steven , Unruh Lori , Ford Laurie , Mace William
Published: February 2009

The present study used a sample of thirty-two preschool children to evaluate the temporal stability and the concurrent validity of the Cognitive Levels Test (Algozzine, Eaves, Mann & Vance, 1988), which was recently developed as a cognitive assessment tool. The Stanford-Binet: Fourth Edition (SB:FE) (Thorndike, Hagen & Sattler, 1986) was used as the criterion instrument for the concurrent validity study. The results indicated good temporal stability for the CLT-Cognitive Index. In addition, high and significant correlations between the SB:FE and the CLT-Cognitive Index were found within the sample.
Relationship Between Teacher Ratings of Secondary Students Using the Revised Behavior Problem Checklist
Authors: Simpson Robert G. , Stephenson Ottis
Published: February 2009

The behavior of 120 children (grades 9 through 12) was rated by two groups of teachers using the Revised Behavior Problem Checklist. Subscale means and standard deviations were calculated for ratings by both groups. Multivariate analysis of variance revealed no significant difference between the mean ratings of the two groups. Obtained Pearson product-moment correlation coefficients were variable and generally indicated low to moderate consistency between the two rating groups. Consistently, the strongest correlation coefficients were obtained for the subscale Attention Problems-Immaturity, while coefficients obtained for Conduct Disorder and Motor Tension-Excess were inconsistent. Consistency of ratings for three other Revised Behavior Problem Checklist subscales was found to be weak. Normative data for males and females are presented.
Operationalizing Learning Portfolios
Authors: Tindal Gerald
Published: February 2009

Reform in assessment is a dominant theme appearing in the professional literature today. Yet, most of this writing is conceptual, with few studies actually investigating viable assessment methods and procedures. This study describes the results from an alternative assessment in reading. Four groups of students (from special education, Chapter I, low achieving regular education, and regular education) in an entire fourth-grade class completed a silent reading-written retell in the fall and again in the spring. While many educators are advocating change in our assessment practices, the results highlight the many unanswered questions that need to be addressed in implementing such changes. Issues of format, administration, and scoring all need to be resolved. Although the findings are generally consistent with expected results (i.e., special education students may perform the lowest, students improve over time), the amount of variation among students is also quite great.
General Mental Ability
Authors: Jensen Arthur R.
Published: February 2009

Individual differences on diverse tests of mental abilities that range in complexity from simple reaction time to abstract reasoning are all positively correlated in the population. The total covariance among all such tests can be analyzed into a number of uncorrelated components of variance, or factors, that, in terms of their generality, are hierarchical, with the most general factor, or g, at the apex. This g factor is common to every type of cognitive performance, whatever other ability factors may be involved (e.g., verbal, spatial, numerical, musical, etc.), and is the crucial factor in most tests' practical validity. Its correlations with various tests' heritability, inbreeding depression, heterosis, average evoked potentials, brain metabolism, and many other physical correlates indicate that as a product of evolution it is profoundly enmeshed with many organismic variables. A theory based on empirical evidence links g to neural processes involved in the speed and efficiency of information processing.
An Evaluation of the PPVT-R and VMI for Screening Preschoolers Who Are At Risk for Reading Disabilities
Authors: Majsterek David J. , Lord Elizabeth N.
Published: February 2009

This school-based study examined the relationship between 84 preschoolers' performance on two widely used preschool screening instruments, and teacher ratings of reading performance at the close of first grade. At prekindergarten screening 4- and 5-year-olds were evaluated with the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test-Revised and Developmental Test of Visual-Motor Integration. Biserial correlations were computed for each test and separate appraisals of decoding and sight-word vocabulary skills. A significant positive relationship was found between PPVT-R scores and sight-word reading ( r = .41, p ≤ .01). In retrospect, analysis of variance indicated that the group of first graders with poor sight-word vocabularies performed significantly lower on the PPVT-R ( p = ≤ .02) than their classmates.
A Study of Institutional Affiliations of Authors of Articles in Selected Special Education Assessment Journals
Authors: Miller Susan A. , Maddux Cleborne D.
Published: February 2009

Four national, refereed, special education assessment journals were examined for the years 1983-1988. The institutional affiliations of authors were used to produce two separate rankings of publishing productivity of faculties of colleges of education. Scoring System A awarded fractions of points based on number of authors, while System B awarded a full point to each affiliated institution, regardless of number of authors. Both systems identified different institutions than those identified in previous studies of educational administration and general special education journals. The researchers cautioned that the technique was a rough measure of productivity, that no consideration of quality was attempted, and that separate analyses should be conducted for each subdiscipline or area of interest for which a measure of productivity is desired.
Curriculum-Based Evaluation
Authors: Howell Kenneth W.
Published: February 2009

This article presents rules for focusing the thinking and actions of evaluators. First it briefly explains the need to link curriculum-based evaluation to the development of individualized educational plans. Then it provides a specific set of rules for focusing evaluator thought.
Evaluation of the Homework Problem Checklist with Students with Learning Disabilities
Authors: Foley Regina M. , Epstein Michael H.
Published: February 2009

With an increased emphasis on the evaluation and accountability of educational programs, it appears that education professionals need to identify reliable and valid assessment instruments to measure intervention outcomes. The purpose of this study was to determine the interrater reliability and internal consistency of the Homework Problem Checklist (HPC) (Anesko, Schoiock, Ramirez, & Levine, 1987) with learning disabled students. Sixty-five pairs of teachers and parents of elementary and secondary school learning disabled students completed the HPC. The HPC demonstrated moderate to high levels of interrater reliability. Acceptable levels of internal consistency were reported for both teacher and parent ratings. Implications for practice and future research are discussed.
Methods for Studying Bias in Psychological and Educational Tests
Authors: Reynolds Cecil R.
Published: February 2009

In this article, bias was defined as constant or systematic error in the estimation of test scores of an individual examinee that is due to a nominal variable such as gender, ethnicity, or socioeconomic status. The emphasis was on developing, applying, and understanding methods for postpublication research on bias in educational and psychological tests. Best methods for estimating bias in criterion-related or predictive validity and determining bias in construct validity across groups were explained.
An Analysis of the General and Specific Intellectual Factors on the WISC-R for Hispanic and White Children
Authors: Taylor Ronald L. , Richards Stephen B.
Published: February 2009

One method of determining test bias is to investigate its factor structure for individuals of different ethnic groups. In this study a factor analysis was conducted for a sample of white and Hispanic children using the WISC-R subtests. Two- and three-factor solutions were obtained and compared for the two groups. In addition, the general factor (g) and the subtest specificity were determined and compared. The results indicate that the two-factor solution was similar for the two groups whereas the three-factor solution and the pattern of relative measures of g were somewhat different. There were also notable differences regarding subtest specificity across the two groups. Implications of these results were discussed.
The Relationship Between Lexicon Rankings and Item Difficulty on the Bracken Basic Concept Scale
Authors: Frisby Craig L.
Published: February 2009

The subtests of the Bracken Basic Concept Scale (BBCS) were analyzed to determine the relationship between item difficulty and frequency of concept words as judged by independent word lists. Item position within subtests was used as an index of item difficulty. Eight variables from two lexicons (Ginn and Literacy Plus) provided various indices of concept word frequency. All subtests except two (Quantity and Time) showed statistically significant correlations with most objective indices of word frequency. Next, the BBCS was administered to 36 first grade children. Item discrimination indices were obtained and compared with recommended instructional grade levels for each word. Most concept words showed expected item discrimination indices. Some words led to speculation that their difficulty on the BBCS was due to factors unique to each item, and not word frequency.
Helping Mainstreamed Students Develop Successful Test-Taking Skills
Authors: Enright Brian , Beattie John , Algozzine Bob
Published: February 2009

Many elementary school students experience significant difficulty when taking the yearly basic mathematics achievement tests. The effect of a systematic review program on fourth- and fifth-grade mainstreamed and at-risk students' scores on achievement tests was evaluated in this research. Students in the experimental group scored significantly higher than students participating in the traditional program on three measures of achievement. Systematic review of content and practice to become comfortable with achievement test formats and timed situations during mathematics instruction influenced the performance of elementary school students. Questions about the appropriateness of the procedures for other grades remain.
Rasch Analysis of the Standardization Data of the Bayley Mental Scale of Infant Development
Authors: Snyder Scott , Sheehan Robert
Published: February 2009

Rasch calibration procedures were applied to item-response data for the 1262 infants and toddlers comprising the standardization sample for the Mental Scale of the Bayley Scales of Infant Development. Analyses tend to confirm the psychometric integrity of the instrument. Implications and recommendations for future research are discussed.
Test Biases that Hamper Learners with Disabilities
Authors: Cole Jack , D'Alonzo Bruno , Gallegos Anne , Giordano Gerard , Stile Steve
Published: February 2009

Biases are extraneous features that can influence the validity of tests. For example, factors that affect the performance of learners from ethnic minorities constitute a cultural bias. Biases that can influence the test responses of students with disabilities can originate with experiences other than those that are culturally restricted. Such additional biases can be related to test content, instructional format, motivation or cognitive arousal, competition, and physical access to testing materials and response techniques. Opportunities for estimating the impact of test biases are discussed and recommendations for modifying an evaluation with biased tests are elaborated.
Protocol Analysis of Strategies Used By Students with Mild Disabilities when Solving Arithmetic Word Problems
Authors: Parmar Rene S.
Published: February 2009

The present study examines the use of protocol analysis as a technique for assessing the difficulties experienced by students with mild disabilities in arithmetic word problems. Thirty-one students classified as learning disabled or behavior disordered, ages 8 to 14 participated in the study. Students were presented arithmetic word problems which were constructed according to a specific matrix. Some of the problems required classification of information and some required the students to deal with extraneous information. All four arithmetic operations were represented. Students were presented problems in individual sessions with one examiner conducting the assessment and a second examiner recording all the students' behaviors and verbalizations in a narrative record. A narrative protocol was thus developed for each student as they engaged in solving the problems. The protocols were then analyzed to determine the cognitive processing difficulties of students and formulate recommendations for teachers working with mildly disabled students. The utility of protocol analysis as a diagnostic tool is discussed, as well as other possible applications of the technique.
Relationships Among Student Scores on Four Social Skills Measures
Authors: Webber Jo , Scheuermann Brenda , Wheeler Larry
Published: February 2009

Thirty-six fifth-grade children identified by their teachers as “disruptive” were rated with the ACCEPTS Placement Test, a curriculum-based rating scale, the Walker-McConnell Scale of Social Competence and School Adjustment, a norm-referenced rating scale, and the Matson Evaluation of Social Skills with Youngsters (MESSY), a teacher rating and student self-report measure. Correlations among the total scores and the subscale scores were calculated. Significant correlations were found between the MESSY student self-report social-skills factor and most of the teacher rating scales. Stronger correlations were found among the teacher rating subscales and total scores. These results should be of benefit to school personnel who are searching for multiple social-skills measures on which to judge students' social functioning.
The Role of Curriculum-Based Measurement in Portfolio Assessment
Authors: Wesson Caren L. , King Robert P.
Published: February 2009

This article presents a system for incorporating CBM with portfolios to document the full range of learning opportunities in the classroom. Because of several important similarities between CBM and portfolios, student performance information can be very effectively organized and reported to parents and other teachers. While portfolios are student-driven and varied across different instructional programs, CBM is standardized and consistently interpretable. As a consequence, portfolios are useful in instructional planning and CBM is most useful in evaluating instructional plans: Neither is sufficient without the other. Specific steps are presented for combining these two forms of assessment and then a case is presented as an illustration of this combination. Finally, a research agenda is described.
Classwide Decision-Making Strategies with Curriculum-Based Measurement
Authors: Fuchs Lynn S. , Fuchs Douglas , Bishop Norris , Hamlett Carol L.
Published: February 2009

Research indicates the potential for curriculum-based measurement (CBM) to help special educators design more effective instructional programs and effect better student achievement. Nevertheless, few studies have investigated the capacity of general educators to employ this methodology to similar outcomes within regular education settings. One possible explanation for the absence of experimental efficacy trials within general education is that the individual student decision-making focus of CBM requires teachers to make different instructional changes for different students at different times; this can be logistically difficult with large numbers of students. Over the past 3 years, we have addressed this problem by developing innovative CBM decision-making strategies that focus on the class rather than on individuals. In this article, we describe these CBM decision-making strategies in the area of mathematics operations and summarize a series of studies exploring the efficacy of these methods within general education. Directions for additional research and development also are discussed.
The Application of Curriculum-Based Evaluation to Social Skills
Authors: Howell Kenneth W. , Caros Jennifer S.
Published: February 2009

Despite the increased interest in social skills instruction, educators have failed to extend the principles of curriculum-based evaluation to social-skill assessment. We argue that instruction and evaluation in social skills can most profitably be aligned by applying procedures of curriculum development to the concept of social competence. To illustrate this application, a rubric, generated by combining variables related to social competence, is used to generate a device for summarizing the status of a student's social skills.
The Effect of Curriculum on Inferences of Reading Performance and Improvement
Authors: Tindal Gerald , Flick Deanna , Cole Carl
Published: February 2009

In this study, 12 students receiving special education services were systematically monitored from two reading curricula concurrently throughout the academic year. Long range goal sampling was used to select measurement passages from two sources: their instructional reading program, which contained highly controlled vocabulary and the curriculum of the mainstream, representing a traditional basal. Paired t-tests were computed to ascertain whether the curriculum made an impact on several indices of performance, some of which were static (measured once, like first performance level in baseline) and others which were dynamic (measured over time, like the average slope of improvement throughout a phase). Although some differences in performance were significant in both static and dynamic indices, performance changes over time were quite comparable in both curricula.
Assessment in the Nineties
Authors: Taylor Ronald L. , Tindal Gerald , Fuchs Lynn , Bryant Brian R.
Published: February 2009

The area of special education assessment is changing constantly. In this article, the authors make several predictions about where the field might be heading in the next decade. The predictions are presented within the new dual-focus framework of Assessment for Effective Intervention that includes traditional assessment and teacher-oriented assessment. Recommendations for a research agenda and changes in assessment practices are also included.
Social Competence of Preschoolers with Disabilities
Authors: Vaughn Sharon , Scott Marcia Strong , Perou Ruth , Scot Michele , Fredebaugh Dana
Published: February 2009

The purpose of this study was to compare the social skills of three groups of preschoolers: those with learning disabilities (LD), mild mental retardation (MMR), and normal achievement (NA). A total of 98 four- and five-year-old children participated in the study: 27 identified as LD, 22 identified as MMR, and 49 identified as NA. Each child identified as LD and MMR was matched on age, sex, and ethnicity with a NA child. The students' social skills were rated by their teachers using the Adaptive Social Behavior Inventory (Hogan, Scott, & Bauer, 1992). The results indicated significant group differences on the express, comply, and prosocial (combination of express and comply) factors, but not on the disrupt factor. Post hoc analyses indicated that whereas the students with MMR were perceived by their teachers as demonstrating fewer express and comply skills than students in the LD or NA groups, there was little difference between the perceptions of the teachers of the students identified as LD and the teachers of the NA students regarding the social skills that their respective students demonstrated. These results suggest that future research should address the extent to which age appropriate social skills are maintained over time.
Concurrent Validity of the Kent Scoring Adaptation of the Bayley Scales of Infant Development
Authors: Baird Samera Major , Folsom Jacqueline
Published: February 2009

Early intervention legislation requires documentation of infant development in multiple domains as a part of the eligibility determination process. The Bayley Scales of Infant Development, a popular standardized infant assessment for eligibility determination, provides scores for only the mental and psychomotor domains. The Kent Scoring Adaptation of the Bayley Scales of Infant Development is a procedure for determining developmental ages in the following domains based on an infant's performance on the Bayley Scales: cognition, language, social, fine motor, and gross motor. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the concurrent validity of developmental age equivalencies obtained from the Kent adaptation procedure when compared to age equivalency scores obtained from the Battelle Developmental Inventory. Subjects were twenty-seven infants less than seventy-three weeks of age with risks for developmental delay. Kent developmental ages were highly correlated with and highly predictive of Battelle age equivalency measures. Significant differences were found however, between the mean developmental ages in three of the domains compared. The results of this study provide evidence supporting the concurrent validity of the cognitive, language, and, to a degree, the social domains of the Kent procedure. Concurrent validity of the Kent fine and gross motor domain measures were questioned and should be interpreted cautiously.
Teachers' Knowledge About Test Modifications for Students with Disabilities
Authors: Siskind Theresa G.
Published: February 2009

The dual purposes of this study were (a) to determine the knowledge level of teachers regarding modifications allowed for pupils with disabilities on required tests, and (b) to determine whether or not this knowledge level varies between regular and special educators. Sixty teachers responded to questions about the permissibility of 51 possible test modifications for pupils with disabilities on statemandated criterion-referenced tests. The results indicate that teachers were not very knowledgeable about which modifications are allowed, and with few exceptions, special educators were no more informed than regular educators.
Relative Contribution of Progress Monitoring Strategies, Student Characteristics, and Program Variables to Instructional Outcomes in Resource Programs
Authors: Kim Dong-il , Deno Stanley , Marston Douglas
Published: February 2009

The purpose of this study was to identify variables, aside from curriculum and instruction, that make a contribution to the effectiveness of special education resource room instruction. Of particular interest was whether different approaches to teachers use of progress monitoring data related to differences in achievement. A total of 343 students identified as learning disabled by their schools from grades one through six within 35 schools in a large city school district participated. Results of descriptive and regression analyses revealed students with learning disabilities made progress in reading proficiency. The results of this investigation implied that one non-alterable variable—initial level of performance—and one alterable variable—instructional group size—were the two factors consistently related to student reading progress. Although no achievement differences were obtained related to the data utilization approach used, frequency of instructional changes was related to the approach for evaluating progress data. Implications for monitoring student progress in reference to alterable and unalterable elements of instruction are considered.
Making Something Out of Everything
Authors: Evans William H. , Gable Robert A. , Evans Susan S.
Published: February 2009

The authors examine issues related to the ecological assessment of students with mild to moderate disabilities. Neither early attempts to assess internal states nor later efforts to identify person-specific variables linked to disabling conditions have proven useful. Accordingly, there is increased interest in the identification of both individual and environmental factors that correspond to either adaptive or maladaptive transactions in the natural environment—school, home, and community. Aspects of an ecological assessment model and recommendations for its use are discussed.
Predictive Validity of the Battelle Developmental Inventory as a Measure of Social-Behavioral Development for Young Children with Disabilities
Authors: Merrell Kenneth W. , Mauk Gary W.
Published: February 2009

Although the Battelle Developmental Inventory (BDI) has become a widely-used assessment tool for evaluating the developmental skills of young children, little is known about this instrument in terms of its value as a measure of social-behavioral development and a predictor of later developmental outcomes. In this investigation, both of these aspects of the BDI were explored. Subjects were 121 young children with disabilities who participated in a longitudinal early intervention study. The BDI was administered to each subject upon their entry into the study, when they ranged in age from two-to five-years old. The subjects were rated by their parents with the Social Skills Rating System at a two- to three-year interval of time after their entry into the study, when they ranged in age from five-to eight-years old. Correlations between the two measures at two points in time found very weak to modest relationships between the BDI and SSRS. The most significant correlations were found between the BDI Personal-Social, Adaptive, and Communication domains, and the SSRS Social Skills subscales (particularly Assertion and Responsibility). The results provided limited support for the BDI as a predictive measure of future social-behavioral development.
Teacher Judgment of Student Mastery of Math Skills
Authors: Bentz Johnell L. , Fuchs Lynn S.
Published: February 2009

The purpose of this study was to describe teachers' judgments about their students' mastery of a set of math skills. Information on each student's actual skill mastery based on curriculum-based measurement (CBM) was provided to nine special and general education elementary teachers. Teachers were then asked to identify the specific math skills their students had mastered. The skills rated as mastered by the teachers were compared to the students' actual mastery on the CBM tests. Results indicated most teachers were not accurate at judging mastery of math skills despite having specific information about their students' achievement. Results are discussed in terms of how teachers may use ongoing systematic achievement data to improve their judgments of student progress.
Modifications in Statewide Criterion-Referenced Testing Programs to Accommodate Pupils with Disabilities
Authors: Siskind Theresa G.
Published: February 2009

Educators are sometimes trapped in a professional dilemma arising from a conflict between the need to provide an appropriate education for every child and the need to collect accurate and valid test data. To ensure that pupils with disabilities are not eliminated from educational experiences because of a handicapping condition, accommodations are sometimes made in test administration procedures and test format. The comparability of modified and standard test forms and the validity of modified test forms have been questioned. The purpose of the present study was to determine how the 50 states balance those sometimes conflicting needs and resolve questions about comparability and validity. In this article, the modifications allowed by 30 states in their statewide criterion-referenced testing programs are reported. There is no universal agreement about all the modifications that should be allowed for students with disabilities; however, accommodations in Test Setting and Test Scheduling are more likely to be allowed than revisions in Test Directions or Test Format. Some accommodations to Answer Mode are permitted as are the use of some types of assistance devices.
The Relationship between the Kaufman Brief Intelligence Test and the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-III in a Clinical Sample
Authors: Javorsky James
Published: February 2009

This study examined the relationship between the Kaufman Brief Intelligence Test (K-BIT) and the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-III (WISC-III) in a sample of 63 youth at a psychiatric hospital. The results indicated that a significant relationship between the measures exists. Consequently, a multiple regression equation, which used the composites of the K-BIT to provide an estimate of the WISC-III Full Scale Intelligence Quotient, was derived.
Reliability and Validity of the Conners Teacher Rating Scale—28 (CTRS-28)
Authors: Erford Bradley T.
Published: February 2009

Internal consistency and construct and criterion-related validity of the Conners Teacher Rating Scale—28 (CTRS-28) were studied, with particular emphasis on its utility as a measure of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (AD/HD) and other disruptive behavior disorders. Subjects were teachers of 540 boys and girls ages 5-10. Internal consistency of the factors ranged from.87 to.94. Convergent validity with similar rating scales generally yielded adequate, but not strong, relationships.
The Utility of the WISC-III Freedom from Distractibility in the Diagnosis of Youth with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder in a Psychiatric Sample
Authors: Gussin Brian , Javorsky James
Published: February 2009

The “Freedom from Distractibility” (FD) or the Third Factor of the Wechsler Intelligence Scales for Children—Revised (WISC-R), has been used to discern attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) from other childhood disorders. This study expands the current research by examining the utility of the Third Factor of the Wechsler Intelligence Scales for Children-III (WISC-III) to differentiate between youth with and without ADHD who are hospitalized at an acute-care psychiatric hospital. There were no significant differences between subjects with and without ADHD on the Third Factor solutions of the WISC-III. The WISC-III FD was not a valid discriminator of psychiatric disorder (affective versus disruptive disorders) or ADHD diagnosis. While these findings question the utility of the Third Factor in the diagnosis of ADHD, the WISC-III FD may be, as described by Kaufman (1994) “a land mine that explodes on a diversity of abnormal populations” (p. 213).
Students Who Seem to be Unmotivated May have Attention Deficits
Authors: Busch Betsy , Nuttall Ronald L.
Published: February 2009

A child or adolescent with school problems whose parents have concerns about motivation, such as, “seems lazy,” or, “could do better if he/she tried,” may have an attention deficit. This paper presents the results of analyses of a brief questionnaire constructed for parents to detect such a behavioral pattern. A 12-item scale, which we called the “Seems Unmotivated” scale, had an alpha of 0.88. Crosstabulations and analyses of variance demonstrated the power of this scale to identify children with attention deficits. In a child with perceived motivational difficulties, the possibility of an attention deficit should be considered.
Concurrent Validity of Standardized Measures of Written Expression
Authors: Riccio Cynthia A. , Boan Candace H. , Staniszewski Deborah , Hynd George W.
Published: February 2009

It is generally agreed that the most effective method of assessing written language is through spontaneous writing samples. The purpose of this study was to compare the results of measures of written language that utilize a spontaneous writing sample. The Wechsler Individual Achievement Test (WIAT) Written Expression subtest is of particular interest as there is only minimal information on this measure and little research is as yet available. As such, this study compares results of the Written Expression subtest of the WIAT with the Written Expression subtest (Level II) of the Peabody Individual Achievement Test - Revised (PIAT-R) and with the Spontaneous Writing Quotient of the Test of Written Language -2 (TOWL-2) in order to provide information specific to the concurrent validity of these measures. Pearson-product moment correlation coefficients indicated that the WIAT Written Expression subtest correlates moderately with both the Written Expression subtest of the PIAT-R and the Spontaneous Writing Quotient of the TOWL-2. Implications of these findings in the assessment of written language are discussed.
Error Ratio Analysis
Authors: Miller James H. , Carr Sonya C.
Published: February 2009

Special and general educators have frequently felt either untrained or bound by time constraints in using existing techniques of informal assessment. We present a description and demonstration of the use of error ratio analysis, a simple technique for assessing mathematics performance. Eighty-seven elementary students in grades 4,5, and 6, were administered a 30-item multiplication instrument to assess performance in computation across grade levels. Sets of problems ranged in difficulty from single-digit by single-digit without regrouping, through three-digit by three-digit with regrouping. The response variability in each type of item was inspected and an error ratio analysis was conducted for each type of problem. We provide an interpretation of student performance using error ratio analysis, and suggest the use of this method with groups of students for instructional decision making.
Educational Diagnosticians
Authors: Bruno Rachelle M. , Walker Stephen C.
Published: February 2009

This article briefly summarizes the development process and context for understanding and using the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) knowledge and skills standards for the preparation and certification of Educational Diagnosticians. The Educational Diagnostician standards were approved by the CEC Professional Standards and Practice Committee in December, 1997 and will become part of the International Standards that guide program development and CEC program approval. The complete set of standards are provided with information regarding the amendment process that will be used for ensuring that the standards remain current as the field continues to evolve.