Abstract: Establishing an instrument’s factorial invariance provides the empirical foundation to compare an individual’s score across time or to examine the pattern of correlations between variables in differentiated age groups. In the recently published Woodcock-Johnson Tests of Cognitive Ability (WJ COG) and Achievement (WJ ACH) Third Edition (111) the authors provide evidence for the factor structure of the entire battery, but they did not report the formal testing of the factorial invariance of the battery across age groups. In practice, all WJ I11 tests are generally not administered to a single examinee. The purpose of this study was to investigate the factorial invariance of the WJ COG under one of the most frequent testing scenarios: the calculation of an examinee’s General Intellectual Ability Score- Extended (GIA-EXT; a single, global or full- scale score of intelligence) and performance on the seven latent cognitive processing or Cattell-Horn- Carroll (CHC) clusters. The overall results from this study provide support for the factorial invariance of the WJ COG when the 14 tests contributing to the calculation of an examinee’s GIA and CHC factors scores are administered. Support is provided for the WJ COG theoretical factor structure across five age groups (ages 6 to 90+ years), such as the Wechsler scales, that use an atheoretical measurement model to account for the instruments’ latent factor structure. In the latest revision, the WJ III COG test design blueprint is based on the Cattell- Horn- Carroll (CHC) theory of cognitive abilities, an overarching integration of the Carroll Three- Stratum (Carroll, 1993, 1997) and Cattell-  Horn Gf-Gc models under a common theoretical umbrella.

Abstract: The use of intellectual and other forms of psychological and mental tests with students who differ culturally, linguistically, or racially is subject to substantial controversy. Professionals responsible for the assessments of culturally different children frequently are uncertain which test instruments provide the most valid, relevant, and equitable results. Research studies indicate mean IQs for some racial/ethnic groups are significantly lower than mean IQs for Caucasians. Some believe IQ differences among racial/ethnic groups suggest the tests unfairly favor one group over another and evidence of group differences indicate intelligence tests are biased against lower performing groups. They further contend intelligence testing influences the disproportionate representation of minority students in special education. Most intelligence test developers currently do not provide information about mean IQ differences by racial/ethnic groups. The Woodcock- Johnson III Cognitive and Achievement Batteries were used to compare the mean score differences of the distributions between African-Americans and Caucasian- Americans. The factor structures of the two groups were also analyzed. In light of the Spearman- Jensen hypothesis and Cattell- Horn- Carroll theory, the mean IQ difference between African- Americans and Caucasian- Americans were hypothesized to be smaller on the Woodcock- Johnson III than on other frequently used measures of intelligence. The results reveal mean IQ differences between Caucasian- Americans and African- Americans are smaller on the Woodcock- Johnson III than on other measures of intelligence. African- Americans obtain lower mean IQs than Caucasian- Americans. The factor structures of the two groups do not differ. Judgments regarding test selection and administration when mean IQ differences occur between two statistically sound instruments will influence educational decision- making and disproportionate representation of minorities in special education. All else being equal, an intelligence test with a smaller disparate mean difference between subgroups is the test that possesses less consequential bias and provides the most relevant and equitable results.

Abstract:  Bias in testing has been of interest to psychologists and other test users since the origin of testing. New or revised tests often are subject to analyses that help examine the degree of bias in reference to group membership based on gender, language use, and race/ethnicity. The pervasive use of intelligence test data when making critical and, at times, life-changing decisions warrants the need by test developers and test users to examine possible test bias on new and recently revised intelligence tests. This study investigates factorial invariance and criterion related validity of the Woodcock-Johnson III for African American and Caucasian American students. Data from this study suggest that although their mean scores differ, Woodcock- Johnson III scores have comparable meaning for both groups.