The usefulness and validity of the 3 versions (Infant-Toddler, Early Childhood, and Middle Childhood) of the HOME Inventory were studied with 261 children with cognitive, hearing, vision, or orthopedic handicaps. The Inventory in its original form and a modified form was subjected to analysis of reliability, construct validity, and criterion…

The factor structure of the Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children was evaluated with 169 gifted students, aged 6-10. Results tentatively suggested that the factor solution for gifted students is dissimilar to that for the standardization sample, as subtests designed to assess sequential processing did not all load together, nor did those…

A total of 413 students in grades 1-6 were administered the Basic Academic Skills Samples, the Gates-MacGinitie Reading Tests, and the Metropolitan Achievement Test. Although the relationships among the three tests were reasonably strong, it appeared that the measures did not identify identical populations of at-risk students. (Author/JDD)

The Test of Problem Solving (TOPS) was evaluated by 20 speech-language clinicians based on designer claims that the test assesses integration of semantic, linguistic, and reasoning ability and taps skills needed for academic and social acceptance. Results challenged the content validity of the test. (Author/DB)

This study evaluated the construct validity of the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children, Third Edition (WISC-III) with children (ages 8 to 13) having learning disabilities who were either Hispanic (N=120) or Non-Hispanic white (N=120). Factor analyses found that the WISC III has a three factor structure consisting of verbal comprehension,…

To identify classroom behaviors that differentiate primary-level students with learning disabilities (LD) from their nondisabled peers, two scales of 83 items each were devised and piloted. Two subscales and 18 individual items were found to discriminate students later classified as LD and those referred but not subsequently classified as LD.…

This study, involving 20 children (ages 4-11) with severe hearing impairments, affirmed the content validity of the Clark-Madison Test of Oral Language as a measure of nonwritten expressive language with hearing-impaired children. Performance comparison with hearing individuals revealed a different profile of strengths and weaknesses than did…

Analysis of Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children (K-ABC) Sequential and Simultaneous Processing scores of 94 children (ages 6-12) with learning disabilities produced factor patterns generally supportive of the traditional K-ABC Mental Processing structure with the exception of Spatial Memory. The sample exhibited relative processing strengths…

Comparison of scores of 35 third- and fourth-grade students with learning disabilities on 3 major achievement tests found high positive correlations among the reading subtests. Agreement across all 3 tests for learning disability eligibility in the basic reading skills area was found in 20 of 35 cases and 9 of 35 cases in reading comprehension.…

The authors of a report on the technical adequacy of alternative reading measures reflect on issues concerning "whole language" terminology, the use of both quantitative and qualitative measures, and instructional decision making. (DB)

This study examined the concurrent validity and diagnostic efficiency of the Kaufman Brief Intelligence Test (K-BIT) with 75 elementary and middle school students with learning disabilities, who had been referred for triennial multidisciplinary re-evaluations. High and significant correlations were found between the K-BIT and the Wechsler…

Analyzed intelligence and achievement test scores for 100 learning disabled boys to investigate the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (Revised) as a predictor of Woodcock Johnson reading, mathematics, and written language scores. WISC-R performance IQ predicted the greatest variance. (JAC)

Comparison of scores on the Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children and the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Revised of 67 students (ages 6-12) referred for possible learning disabilities found strong relationships among all the global standard scores on both instruments with different score patterns for those with severe disabilities.…

This paper illustrates the need for full description and measurement of differences between "experimental" and "control" situations in school program evaluation studies. Two studies were completed at the University of Oregon involving the innovative program--differentiated staffing (DS). The first study, a doctoral investigation, sought to assess…

Assessed construct validity of Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test-Revised (PPVT-R) as measure of general achievement in 208 children, aged 6-12. Results indicated that PPVT-R had substantial loadings on factors resembling Kaufman's (1975) Verbal Comprehension factor, while it consistently failed to load significantly on achievement-related factors.…