Magnet schools have been a main tool or innovation in urban education settings in the United States, originating in the early 1970's and expanding into most large urban districts today (Blank, 1989). While some magnet schools do not rely on a specific criterion to determine entry, many do. This study focuses on such a setting where students must…

The concept of moderate learning difficulties (MLD) is not clearly understood in its definition and in its general use. Nevertheless, as a distinct area of special educational needs (SEN) this category has constituted about a quarter of all of those pupils identified as having SEN in England. This paper reports the analysis of findings from an…

Examine the predictive validity of Kaufman's short form of the McCarthy Scales of Children's Abilities for 74 Mexican-American children. Comparisons between the McCarthy General Cognitive Index (GCI) and Kaufman's estimated CGI with academic achievement showed that the conventional McCarthy and Kaufman's short form predicted achievement about…

Examined the relationships between the McCarthy Scales General Cognitive Index, the McCarthy Screening Test, Kaufman's McCarthy short form, and the Peabody Individual Achievement Test using a sample of elementary students. Found the Estimated General Cognitive Index by Kaufman's short form was virtually identical to the McCarthy Scales Index.…

An evaluation of the Early Fives program of the Farmington (Michigan) Public Schools is reported. This extra-year program began in the 1980-81 school year. By the 1982-83 school year, tuition was no longer charged, and a systematic screening effort was implemented. Each Early Fives classroom contains a maximum of 15 children with a certified…

The predictive validity of an original Piagetian instrument (the Piagetian Task Instrument) was compared with that of two frequently used published screening tests for children entering kindergarten: (1) the Brigance K-1 Screen, and (2) the Merrill Language Screening Test. The relative contribution of each test was determined when they were…

Two school entrance assessments were compared to determine whether or not they are theoretically unique approaches to kindergarten screening. The first test was the "Brigance K and 1 Screen" (Brigance, 1982), a kindergarten entrance assessment which focuses on perceptual-motor development, background experience, and rote memory as…

The predictive properties of the Gesell School Readiness Screening Test (GSRT) were examined, taking into account the stated purposes of the test and the context of test use. Two samples were used: (1) a control sample of 55 students (21 males and 34 females) whose GSRT scores were not used for placement or tracking; and (2) a treatment sample of…

As a preschool screening instrument, the Preschool Preposition Test (PPT) can play an important role in the early identification of cognitive delay. PPT scores increase appropriately with chronological age. Cognitive data demonstrate impressive correlations with recognized intelligence tests (the Stanford-Binet and the Peabody Picture Vocabulary…