Formative assessment measures are commonly used in schools to assess reading and to design instruction accordingly. The purpose of this research was to investigate the incremental and concurrent validity of formative assessment measures of reading comprehension. It was hypothesized that formative measures of reading comprehension would contribute…

This study used data from the Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills (DIBELS; Good & Kaminski, 2002) oral reading fluency (ORF) probes to examine variation among different ORF score types (i.e., the median of three passages, the mean of all three passages, the mean of passages 2 and 3, and the score from passage 3) in predicting…

The study assessed the ability of English phonemic awareness measures to predict kindergarten reading performance and determine factors that contributed to growth trajectories on those measures for English Only (EO) and English language learner (ELL) students. Using initial sound fluency (ISF), phoneme segmentation fluency (PSF), and a combined…

The validity and reliability of the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test was estimated with emotionally disturbed adolescents. Results indicated that the power of the test to predict future achievement of emotionally disturbed adolescents is comparable to that expected for normals. (Author)

Investigated validity of Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scale-Fourth Edition and Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children with 89 preschool Head Start children from low-income families, using Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scale-Form LM as criterion measure. Found some support for concurrent and construct validity of both instruments for use with…

Examined the reliability and predictive validity of the WISC-R with Navajo children (N=40). Internal consistency reliability estimates of WISC-R subtests as well as composites were found to be low for the Navajo subjects. The predictive validity of the WISC-R IQ scales was similarly found to be very low. (Author)

Evaluated effectiveness of abbreviated Printing Performance School Readiness Test in identifying at-risk or failure-prone children (N=171) at the start of prekindergarten by following subjects for three years. Found form errors in children's printing could be scored reliably and that they remained stable over time and were tied to children's…

Examined the Developmental Indicators for the Assessment of Learning (DIAL) with regard to its effectiveness in predicting school success as determined by subjects' (N=245) first-grade performance on the California Achievement Test (CAT). Found the DIAL concepts subtest to be the most valid single predictor. (Author/ABB)

Calculated intra-cognitive strengths and weaknesses of children in grades 1 through 12, using two common criteria for defining exceptionality. Found that an individual's total number of significant intra-cognitive strengths and/or weaknesses has little diagnostic significance as pertains to low- or under-achievement in reading, mathematics, or…

Evaluated extent to which brief screening measure predicted achievement in young children. Screening test scores from 796 students in kindergarten through second grade were correlated with subsequent teacher evaluations, end-of-year grades, and, for second-graders, achievement test scores. Screening test scores were found to be significant…

Examined relative utility of two scoring systems for Modified Version of Bender-Gestalt Test in predicting performance on Developmental Test of Visual-Motor Integration. Findings from 53 kindergarten and 47 first grade students indicated that Qualitative Scoring System was significantly better predictor of visual-motor integration skills than…

Administered the Gesell Development Exam and the Bracken Basic Concept Scale (BBCS) to kindergarten graduates (N=80). Found the BBCS may be a better predictor of achievement from a current state of readiness. (Author/ABL)

Combined use of Koppitz' developmental and emotional scores did not improve the prediction of school readiness from children's human figure drawings when compared with each measure separately. Nonreadiness predictions yielded by the developmental score, emotional score, and their combination were not better than chance predictions. (Author/BEF)

Examined stability and predictive validity of Boehm Test of Basic Concepts-Revised (Boehm-R). Administered Boehm-R to 58 Black urban kindergartners in fall. In spring, children were reevaluated on Boehm-R, 2 criteria of academic achievement and 2 criteria of learning-related classroom behavior. Results showed appreciable test-retest reliability…

Examined the differential diagnostic potential of the Scales of Independent Behavior (SIB) using 479 subjects, including nonretarded, educable mentally retarded, and trainable mentally retarded subjects. Demonstrated support for use of SIB as a significant contributor to the process of differential diagnosis. (Author/ABL)