Although phonemic awareness is an essential skill in learning to decode written words, practitioners may question which phonemic awareness tasks best operationalize their relationship with orthographic mapping, the process that converts a decoded word into one instantly recognized on sight. Tests from the "Woodcock-Johnson IV" were used…

This article reviews the administrative, scoring, and psychometric properties of the Wechsler Individual Achievement Test, Fourth Edition (WIAT-4, NCS Pearson, 2020). The WIAT-4 is one of the more commonly administered broadband measures of academic achievement. The instrument was determined to be well-conceptualized, and generally…

Like all psychoeducational batteries, the Wechsler Individual Achievement Test, Fourth Edition (WIAT-4) requires independent investigation and analysis. The publisher provides multiple theories to support interpretation of its reading measures. At the word reading level, the battery includes a new Phonemic Proficiency subtest that the publisher…

Brazil's education system lags behind international standards, with two-fifths of students scoring below the minimum level of proficiency in mathematics, science, and reading. Thus, this study combined machine learning with traditional statistics to identify the most important predictors and to interpret their effects on proficiency in the PISA…

Students with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) are struggling writers. Yet no comprehensive model has been validated to explain their poor writing outcomes. This study aims to test whether an extended version of the Not-So-Simple View of Writing (NSVW) model can describe the effects of key abilities on writing performance in…

Eighty Woodcock-Johnson IV Tests of Achievement protocols from 40 test administrators were examined to determine the types and frequencies of administration and scoring errors made. Non-critical errors (e.g., failure to record verbatim) were found on every protocol (M = 37.2). Critical (e.g., standard score, start point) errors were found on 98.8%…

The simple views of reading (SVRs) and writing (SVWs) reflect useful frameworks for the psychoeducational evaluation of literacy difficulties. They describe reading comprehension and written expression as the outcome of oral language, decoding, and transcription skills. Prior research has demonstrated that these components explain the vast…

Practitioners are encouraged to apply theories of reading development to psychoeducational test interpretation. Orthographic mapping provides an explanation of the acquisition of sight words. Although many test batteries provide tasks for practitioners to assess reading components associated with orthographic mapping, the relationship among…

This study examined the psychometric properties of the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule for Children-Short Form (PANAS-C-SF) in a diverse sample of 15-year-olds in the United States [N = 4382]. Multiple measurement models, including a one-factor model, two-factor orthogonal and oblique models, a three-factor model (PA, Fear, and Distress),…

Sixty-three Woodcock-Johnson IV Tests of Achievement protocols, administered by 26 school psychology trainees, were examined to determine the frequency of examiner errors. Errors were noted on all protocols and ranged from 8 to 150 per administration. Critical (e.g., start, stop, and calculation) errors were noted on roughly 97% of protocols.…

This article addresses conceptual and methodological shortcomings regarding conducting and interpreting intelligence test factor analytic research that appeared in the Decker, S. L., Bridges, R. M., Luedke, J. C., & Eason, M. J. (2020). Dimensional evaluation of cognitive measures: Methodological confounds and theoretical concerns.…

Achievement tests are used to make high-stakes (e.g., special education placement) decisions, and previous research on norm-referenced assessment suggests that errors are ubiquitous. In our study of 42 teacher trainees, utilizing five of the six core subtests of the Kaufman Test of Educational Achievement, Third Edition (KTEA-3), we found that…

African Americans experience more than double the prevalence of low birth weight (LBW)/premature birth compared to their Caucasian counterparts, reflecting a public health crisis and a significant social justice concern. However, there is a paucity of LBW outcome studies in African American samples. There are even fewer that investigate…

The Woodcock-Johnson Tests of Achievement, Fourth Edition (WJ IV ACH) is purported to align with Cattell-Horn-Carroll (CHC) theory and offers upward of 20 scores within its interpretive and scoring system. The Technical Manual does not furnish validity evidence for the scores reported by the scoring system, suggesting that evidentiary support may…

Early identification of students needing additional support is a foundational component of Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS). Due to the resource-intensive nature of implementing MTSS, it is critical that universal screening procedures are maximally accurate and efficient. The purpose of this study was to compare the classification accuracy…