Abstract:  In this article we explore the application of Cattell-Horn-Carroll (CHC)-based cognitive assessment to school psychology practice. We review the theoretical literature to address both identification practices, with a focus on learning disabilities and mental retardation eligibility, andprogram development, with a focus on linking assessment to intervention design. We present case studies that illustrate the application of CHC- based cognitive assessment to identification and intervention development.

Abstract:  Response to intervention (RTI) must be combined with comprehensive cognitive assessment to identify children with learning disabilities. This article presents the Cognitive Hypothesis Testing (CHT) model for integrating RTI and comprehensive evaluation practices in the identification of children with reading disabilities. The CHT model utilizes a scientific method approach for interpreting cognitive and neuropsychological processes together with evaluation of ecological and treatment validity data to develop targeted interventions for students who do not respond to standard academic interventions. A case study highlights how CHT practices can lead to effective interventions for a child who did not respond to a phonologically based reading intervention. In addition, discriminant analyses of 128 children with reading disabilities revealed the presence of Global, Phonemic, Fluency-Comprehension, and Orthographic subtypes. Results suggest subtypes show disparate cognitive profiles that differentially impact their reading achievement, supporting our contention that individual assessment of cognitive processing strengths and weaknesses is not only necessary for identifying children with reading disabilities but also can lead to individualized interventions designed to meet their unique learning needs.

Abstract:  Significant limitations in research on learning disability (LD) have included failure to incorporate well- validated guiding theories, use of vague or nonspecific operational definitions, and lack of a systematic framework and common terminology for LD identification. Difficulties in communication among researchers continue to limit theoretical development and empirical advancement, and have lead to disagreement regarding best practices in identification. To this end, we propose an operational definition of LD that is grounded in contemporary psychometric theory and research on the relations between cognitive abilities/processes and academic outcomes. We demonstrate that response-to- intervention (RTI) and norm- referenced ability testing should not be viewed as mutually exclusive, but instead should be integrated within an operational definition of LD. Only when there exists a common set of definitions and terms, as is evident in operational definitions, can researchers and practitioners move toward the goal of better diagnosis and treatment of LD.

Abstract.Many school psychologists use the Cattell-Hom-Carroll (CHC) theory of cognitive abilities to guide their interpretation of scores from intelligence test hatteries. Some may frequently assume that composite scores purported to measure the same CHC broad abilities should be relatively similar for individuals no matter what subtests or batteries were administered to obtain these scores. This study examined this assumption using six samples of preschool children, schoolage children, or adults who completed two or more intelligence test batteries. From these samples, composites measuring the broad abilities Crystallized Intelligence, Visual Processing, Fluid Reasoning, and Processing Speed were compared to examine their exchangeability. Results indicate that most CHC broad ability composites produced scores that were not as exchangeable for individuals as may have been assumed by some. Discussion focuses on the influence of score reliability and on the interaction between examinee characteristics and the tasks used to measure the broad abilities.

Abstract:  During the past decade the Cattell-Horn Gf-Gc and Carroll Three-Stratum models have emerged as the consensus psychometric-based models for understanding the structure of human intelligence..  Although the two models differ in a number of ways, the strong correspondence between the two models has resulted in the increased use of a broad umbrella term for a synthesis of the two models (Cattell-Horn- Carroll theory of cognitive abilities--CHC theory). 

The purpose of this editorial is three-fold.  First, I will describe the CHC framework and recommend that intelligence researchers begin using the CHC taxonomy as a common nomenclature for describing research findings and a theoretical framework from which to test hypotheses regarding various aspects of human cognitive abilities.  Second, I argue that the emergence of the CHC framework should not be viewed as the capstone to the psychometric era of factor analytic research.  Rather, I recommend the CHC framework serve as the stepping stone to reinvigorate the investigation of the structure of human intelligence. 

Finally, the Woodcock-Muñoz Foundation Human Cognitive Abilities (HCA) project, which is an evolving, free, on- line electronic archive of the majority of datasets analyzed in Carroll’s (1993) seminal treatise on factor analysis of human cognitive abilities, is introduced and described.  Intelligence scholars are urged to access the Carroll HCA datasets to test and evaluate structural models of human intelligence with contemporary methods (confirmatory factor analysis). In addition, suggestions are offered for linking the analysis of contemporary data sets with the seminal work of Carroll.  The emergence of a consensus CHC taxonomy and access to the original datasets analyzed by Carroll provides an unprecedented opportunity to extend and refine our understanding of human intelligence.

Abstract:  The general purpose of the present article is to emphasize contemporary research- based and theory- based assessment, specifically Cattell- Horn-Carroll (CHC) theory-based assessment (Carroll, 1993, 1997; Horn & Noll, 1997), in work with deaf and hard of hearing students in the school setting. The article focuses on the history of cognitive ability theory and test development and interpretation, as well as contemporary perspectives, including recent applications of CHC-based assessment useful with deaf and hard of hearing students in school- based evaluations. Implications for future are discussed. research and educational practice

Abstract.  The WJ-R provides a wide age range and comprehensive set of cognitive measures. A major interpretation feature of the battery is the provision of eight factor scores, each based on two measures. The theoretical basis for the tests is founded in Gf- Gc theory, work that is often associated with Raymond Cattell and John Horn, although other scholars think and write about intelligence in a similar vein. This report is a brief review of the theory followed by the results of several factor analytic studies. Nine data sets drawn from the 1977 and 1989 norming and concurrent validity studies have been analyzed. In the concurrent studies, the WJ-R cognitive tests were administered in conjunction with other major batteries including the K-ABC, the SB-IV, the WISC-R, and the WAIS- R. Altogether, 15 sets of exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses that included a total of 68 variables were completed. The results of all studies provide support for the WJ-R eight- factor model of Gf-Gc theory. As a byproduct of the procedure, comparative information was observed for the congruence of other cognitive batteries to the Gf- Gc theory. It is suggested that the other cognitive batteries often have been underfactored, which has led to misinterpretation of their factorial structures. This report demonstrates the need for factor analytic studies in which the set of variables is not constrained to the limited set of subtests that have been published together as a battery. It is indicated that the set of variables to be included in a factor study must include enough breadth and depth of markers to ensure that the presence of all major factor effects can be identified.

Abstract.  The past 30 years have produced major changes in the measurement of cognitive ability and the interpretation of assessment results. Theory describing the factorial structure of cognitive ability has blossomed, and the results are visible in several recently published batteries of intellectual ability. The application of better theory to new assessment instruments has been facilitated by advances in the psychometric and statistical tools available to test developers. Attention is drawn to a concern about the capability of many clinicians to appreciate the importance of these changes and to apply them in practice without adequate continuing education.

Abstract:  Empirical evidence is examined on the extent to which the structure of the Woodcock-Johnson Psycho- Educational Battery- Revised is matched to Horn-Cattell Gf- Gc Theory. Confirmatory factor analysis is described, and the confirmatory factor analyses used to support the match are examined. It is concluded that the test is a good fit to the model, though some questions and research possibilities are raised.