Biased assessment instruments and practices can lead to over-representation of minority children in special education classes. This paper analyzes the amount of variance in Mexican-American achievement test scores attributable to sociocultural factors. Fifty learning disabled Mexican-American elementary school students completed the Peabody…

The predictive relationship between the WISC-R and the PIAT and WRAT scores of 125 Mexican-Americans and 125 non-minority students (K-8) was analyzed using four methods. Conventional methods were found to be insensitive to and inappropriate for the detection of predictive bias. An alternative means of detecting predictive bias is proposed.…

The most striking aspect of this study is that the PIAT, designed and standardized for children in the educational mainstream, is as applicable to Mexican-American children as to their Anglo counterparts. Consequently, the PIAT may be advantageous as a screening instrument with this culturally specific population. (Author)

The Peabody Individual Achievement Test (PIAT) was administered to matched samples of 30 Mexican-American and 30 Anglo-American children. Indices of internal consistency and standard errors of measurement were generally equivalent for groups. It was concluded that the PIAT is as reliable with Mexican-American children as with their Anglo…

This study sought to determine the convergent and discriminant validity of the PIAT when administered to separate samples of Anglo and Mexican-American children. Thirty-one Mexican-American and 31 Anglo-American children were matched on the basis of sex, age, SES, educational placement, and reason referred for psychological assessment. All…