Abstract: The positive effects of systematic metacognitive instruction on reading achievement have been demonstrated, but that research has generally not been translated into classroom practice. This mixed methods research study sought to facilitate reading comprehension by involving subjects metacognitively with profiles of their own cognitive strengths and weaknesses. The study was conducted with 196 intermediate elementary students in the naturalized setting of 10 classrooms. Student scores from Woodcock- Johnson III cognitive clusters were utilized to generate individual cognitive profiles. In each classroom there were three experimental levels: (1) cognitive assessment only (control group) vs. (2) cognitive assessment + profile awareness (profile awareness group) vs. (3) cognitive assessment + cognitive profile awareness + metacognitive systematic inquiry (metacognitive systematic inquiry group). The metacognitive systematic inquiry treatment occurred as part of classroom independent reading instruction with judgments of learning, feedback, self- reflection, and comprehension questions related to those individual cognitive strengths and weaknesses which have been shown to correlate with reading comprehension. This treatment yielded significantly higher comprehension on a state standardized reading test, but not on an informal reading inventory. In a qualitative analysis, the treatment groups seemed to be more proficient at articulating declarative knowledge about individual cognitive abilities and reading strengths, as well as procedural knowledge about the connection between reading comprehension and cognitive ability. This study provides an example of how research findings in metacognition and metacomprehension can be generalized into classroom practice.

 

Abstract:  This study examined parents' verbal and affective interactions with their first-grade children during shared storybook reading and how these interactions relate to growth in children's reading activity and achievement. Participants varied in income level and ethnicity. The nature and amount of meaning-related talk was similar regardless of whether the parent or child assumed primary responsibility for reading, but there was more talk about the reading process itself (word recognition) when the child read. Talk that went beyond the immediate content of the story was more common among middle-income families. Positive affective interactions were associated with meaning-related talk, and negative interactions were associated with parental attempts to have the child use decoding strategies to identify unknown words. Affective quality was an important contributor to children's reading of challenging materials in third grade but not to their reading achievement. Implications for advising parents on reading with their children are considered.

 

Race and socioeconomic status (SES) moderated the link between children’s sleep and cognitive functioning.One hundred and sixty-six 8- to 9-year-old African and European American children varying in SES participated. Sleep measures were actigraphy, sleep diaries, and self-report; cognitive measures were from the Woodcock – Johnson III and reaction time tasks. Children had similar performance when sleep was more optimal, but after controlling for SES, African American children had lower performance with sleep disruptions.Children from lower and higher SES had similar performance with better sleep quality and less variability insleep schedules, but when sleep was more disrupted, higher SES children had better performance. Examination of environmental variables associated with race and SES that may underlie these effects may lead to directions for interventions to improve cognitive performance.

Abstract:  This research examines variations in parenting and its effects on child cognitive outcomes across Latino subgroups from a national sampling that utilized a subset of 995 former Head Start Latino parents and children. Comparisons of the Parenting Dimension Inventory scaled scores revealed Latino subgroup differences on nurturance and consistency. Puerto Rican parental caregivers scored higher on nurturance and consistency than Mexican Americans and El Salvadorans. Pearson’s product-moment correlation revealed a positive relationship between responsiveness to child inputs and higher academic achievement scores for each Latino subgroup. Examination of the Woodcock-Johnson Test of Achievement also revealed a main effect of Latino subgroup differences. Findings suggest that there exist intracultural variations in parenting and academic achievement within the Latino population and confirm previous findings that parenting is related to positive child cognitive outcomes.

Abstract. Many school psychologists use the Cattell-Hom-Carroll (CHC) theory of cognitive abilities to guide their interpretation of scores from intelligence test batteries. 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, school- age 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.  Modern scale construction techniques have been used to develop scales measuring examiner ratings of examinees’ test session behavior (TSB) on Wechsler and Stanford-Binet intelligence tests. This study analyzes data from the Test Session Observation Checklist (TSOC), a measure developed by post hoc rational analysis, from a portion of the Woodcock Johnson Psychoeducational Battery–Third Edition standardization sample (N = 5,769). Results indicate (a) most participants are rated as displaying minimal negative test session behaviors, (b) the seven TSOC items are organized into two components (General Impressions and Attention To Task) that explain roughly 54% of the variance in TSOC scores, and (c) race, sex, and age differences in component scores examined with and without covariates are consistent with results from prior TSB research.

Abstract:  This study examined potential differential examiner ratings for a large sample of self-identified Hispanics on the Woodcock Johnson Psychoeducational Battery–Third Edition (WJ-III) Test Session Observation Checklist (TSOC). Both between- group (Hispanics vs. non-Hispanics) and within-group analyses (Hispanics disaggregated by first spoken language, language spoken in the home, and mother’s highest educational level) were conducted. Four research hypotheses were tested through 44 analyses. Most comparisons were not statistically significant, and across- and within-group differences had minimal influence in analyses that were statistically significant. The authors conclude that there is no compelling evidence of substantial systematic differences in examiner ratings of Hispanics’ test-session behaviors on the WJ-III.

This study assesses the adequacy of item gradients and ceilings for the subtests of the Woodcock-Johnson III (WJ III) Cognitive and Achievement batteries, including the Diagnostic Supplement, in their use with participants ages 16 to 25 and Grades 10 to 18. Of the 52 subtests, 18 contain adequate item gradients and ceilings for the entire age and grade range. The remaining 34 subtests have inadequate ceilings and/or inadequate item gradients in at least the interval between the first and second standard deviations above the mean, as predicted by the growth curves of the factor clusters, which peak around age 25. The report discusses developmental and practical implications and suggests improvements for the next revision of the WJ.

Abstract: In this study of Oklahoma's universal pre-K program, the authors relied on a strict birthday eligibility criterion to compare "young" kindergarten children who just completed pre- K to "old" pre-K children just beginning pre-K. This regression- discontinuity design reduces the threat of selection bias. Their sample consisted of 1,567 pre- K children and 1,461 kindergarten children who had just completed pre- K. The authors estimated the impact of the pre-K treatment on Woodcock- Johnson Achievement test scores. The authors found test impacts of 3.00 points (0.79 of the standard deviation for the control group) for the Letter- Word Identification score, 1.86 points (0.64 of the standard deviation of the control group) for the Spelling score, and 1.94 points (0.38 of the standard deviation of the control group) for the Applied Problems score. Hispanic, Black, White, and Native American children all benefit from the program, as do children in diverse income brackets, as measured by school lunch eligibility status. The authors conclude that Oklahoma's universal pre-K program has succeeded in enhancing the school readiness of a diverse group of children.

 

Abstract: The purpose of this research is to investigate the relationship between academic achievement in elementary school children participating in an instrumental music program (band or orchestra) to those children not participating in an instrumental music program. While research in this area has suggested a positive correlation between exposure to music and cognitive abilities (spatial, temporal, mathematical, language abilities), it is yet to be determined if learning to play a musical instrument is related to academic achievement. Seventy, fourth grade children enrolled in regular classroom settings were evaluated in spelling achievement, arithmetic achievement and phonemic awareness in the beginning of the school year (prior to the introduction of instrumental instruction) and reevaluated nine months later, at the end of the school year. Additionally, a short- questionnaire was given to each child. All participants were from a suburban, public elementary school. The comparison groups are: children studying an instrument prior to the introduction of band and orchestra in fourth grade (Group A), children just beginning the study of an instrument (Group B), and children with no experience in instrumental instruction (Group C). For all three groups, the academic achievement scores obtained in the beginning of the year were compared to the academic achievement scores obtained at the end of the school year. Spelling and mathematical achievement were assessed using the Wide Range Achievement Test-III. Tests of phonemic awareness were administered using the Word Identification and Word Attack subtests from the Woodcock Johnson Test of Achievement. While both the experimental groups and the control group were expected to show gains after one year across all dependent variables, it was hypothesized that those children participating in an instrumental music program would show significantly greater gains: (a) on a test of spelling achievement, (b) on a test of mathematical achievement, and (c) on a test of word identification, and (d) on a test of phonemic awareness, than those children not participating in an instrumental program. It was further hypothesized that those children studying an instrument for greater than one school year would demonstrate greater gains across spelling, math, word identification, and phonemic awareness than those children with only one year of experience or no experience.

Abstract: This research studies the construct comparability of the Woodcock-Johnson Battery - Third Edition Tests of Cognitive Ability (WJ III COG; Woodcock, McGrew, & Mather, 2001) and the BaterIa III Woodcock- Munoz: Pruebas de Habilidad Cognitiva - Third Edition (BaterIa III COG; Woodcock, Munoz- Sandoval, McGrew, Mather, & Schrank, in press- b), which are the English and Spanish versions of the same battery, respectively. These are measures of cognitive functioning that purport to be direct counterparts of one another. This study examined the degree of comparability and sources of incomparability of seven tests of cognitive ability that were translated from English to Spanish. The purpose of this study was to determine: (1) whether the dimensionality and structure of each of the selected tests of the WJ III COG and BaterIa III COG were the same; (2) whether there were specific items from the selected tests of the WJ III COG and BaterIa III COG that function differentially for English- and Spanish- speaking examinees; and (3) whether the sources of differences in constructs being assessed for the two language groups could be identified. Answers to the research questions stated above contributed to evidence relevant for determining the comparability of the inferences based on these test scores for two different language versions. Between the two language versions of the tests, at the scale as well as the item level, the results indicated that there were different levels of psychometric similarities and differences for some of the seven tests that may jeopardize the comparability of scores from these versions.

Abstract:  This study examined the relationship between scores on “speeded” cognitive and academic tests and the need for the accommodation of extended test time for normally achieving students (NA) and students with learning disabilities (LD). Often, in postsecondary settings the decision to provide the accommodation of extended test time is based largely on the diagnostic test scores in the student's LD documentation. Therefore, the primary purpose of this study was to evaluate the relationship between specific diagnostic tests and the need for the accommodation of extended test time. A secondary purpose was to investigate the relationships and predictive ability of five speeded cognitive tests, three speeded cluster scores, and two measures of timed reading. Correlations and logistic regression analyses were used to assess gain in score performance and predict the need for extended test time. Participants included 41 NA university students and 43 university students with LD. The findings indicated significant group differences on all speeded cognitive, reading, and academic tests, with the exception of Digit Symbol on the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-III and Retrieval Fluency and Decision Speed tests on the Woodcock- Johnson III Tests of Cognitive Abilities. The Reading Fluency test and the Academic Fluency cluster of the Woodcock-Johnson Tests of Achievement III were the best predictors of students with LD who needed extended time on the multiple- choice reading comprehension test.

 

Abstract: Compared cognitive function in nondemented pre- and postmenopausal females with Down's syndrome. Ss (aged 21- 57 yrs) comprised 58 premenopausal females (mean age 34.7 yrs) and 24 postmenopausal females (mean age 49.7 yrs). Ss were assessed for cognitive function using the Woodcock-Johnson Tests of Cognitive Ability-- Revised (WJTCA- R) at baseline and at 2- yr follow-up. Results show that premenopausal Ss performed better than age-matched male controls, while postmenopausal Ss performed more poorly than age- matched male controls. Premenopausal females and young male controls showed no significant declines in cognition at 2- yr follow-up. Postmenopausal Ss, but not age-matched male controls, showed significant declines in cognitive function at 2-yr follow-up. It is concluded that cognitive function declines in postmenopausal females are associated with estrogen deficiency rather than with age

 

Abstract: The Cattell-Horn-Carroll (CHC) factor clusters of theWoodcock- Johnson III Tests of Cognitive Abilities (WJ III COG; Woodcock, McGrew, & Mather, 2001) were studied with a group of gifted (n551) and nongifted individuals (n551).   Specifically, a profile analysis was conducted using the seven CHC factors identified by the WJ III COG authors. The gifted and nongifted individuals were between the ages of 5 and 18 years, and were matched on gender, age, ethnicity, and father’s level of education. Each group consisted of 23 females and 28 males. The mean age in months for the gifted group was 135.61 (SD 5 48.81), and the mean age in months for the nongifted group was 134.25 (SD 5 47.86). The results of the profile analysis found gifted and nongifted individuals display similar patterns of performance across the CHC factor clusters. As expected, the gifted group, on average, scored consistently higher across the set of CHC factor clusters compared to the nongifted group. In addition, no intracognitive differences were found among the CHC factor clusters for either the gifted or nongifted group. Clinical and educational considerations when using the WJ III COG when assessing giftedness are also discussed.

 

Abstract:  This research examined scores from two learning-disabled (LD) samples for evidence of the Flynn Effect (FE; Flynn, 1999) to determine (a) whether the FE was evident, and (b) if the magnitude of the FE differed on IQ scores at varying levels of intelligence. Sample 1 consisted of 40 children who were administered the Woodcock- Johnson Tests of Cognitive Ability- Revised (WJ-R Cog) and the Woodcock- Johnson Tests of Cognitive Ability-Ill (WJ- III Cog) approximately 8 weeks apart. Sample 2 consisted of triennial test data for 169 students who were tested once with the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-   Revised (WISC-R) and 3 years later with the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children- Third Edition (WISC-  III). After an initial analysis for the overall FE, Samples 1 and 2 were each divided into IQ level groups (e.g., 91-105) and analyzed accordingly. Results for Sample 1 (W-J) indicated that the 2+ point observed IQ change was not significant for this relatively small sample, although it appeared to be consistent with the direction and degree predicted by the FE (Flynn, 1984). Results for Sample 2 (WISC) indicated a significant IQ change consistent with the FE. Neither sample exhibited statistically significant differences for FE by IQ level. However, consistent with previous research, observed differences increased from lower to higher IQ levels. Consequently, this research cannot rule out the possibility that a child's IQ level influences the degree to which the FE is apparent.

 

Abstract:  Fifteen children ages 7 to 9 years who had persistent reading difficulties despite adequate instruction were provided with intensive tutorial interventions. The interventions targeted deficient phonological processing and decoding skills for 8 weeks (2 hours per day) followed by an 8-week, 1-hour-per-day intervention that focused on the development of reading fluency skills. Spatiotemporal brain activation profiles were obtained at baseline and after each 8-week intervention program using magnetoencephalography during the performance of an oral sight- word reading task. Changes in brain activity were found in the posterior part of the middle temporal gyrus (Brodmann's Area [BA] 21: increased degree of activity and reduced onset latency), the lateral occipitotemporal region (BA 19/37: decreased onset latency of activation), and the premotor cortex (increased onset latency). Overall changes associated with the intervention were primarily normalizing, as indicated by (a) increased activity in a region that is typically involved in lexical- semantic processing (BA 21) and (b) a shift in the relative timing of regional activity in temporal and frontal cortices to a pattern typically seen in unimpaired readers. These findings extend previous results in demonstrating significant changes in the spatiotemporal profile of activation associated with word reading in response to reading remediation.

Abstract:  This study examined the effect of improvements in timing/rhythmicity on students’ reading achievement. 86 participants completed pre- and post-test measures of reading achievement (i.e., Woodcock- Johnson III, Comprehensive Test of Phonological Processing, Test of Word Reading Efficiency, and Test of Silent Word Reading Fluency). Students in the experimental group completed a 4- week intervention designed to improve their timing/rhythmicity by reducing the latency in their response to a synchronized metronome beat, referred to as a synchronized metronome tapping (SMT) intervention. The results from this non- academicintervention indicate the experimental group’s post-test scores on select measures of reading were significantly higher than the non-treatment control group’s scores at the end of 4 weeks. This paper provides a brief overview of domain-general cognitive abilities believed effected by SMT interventions and provides a preliminary hypothesis to explain how thisnon- academic intervention can demonstrate a statistically significant effect on students’ reading achievement scores.

Abstract: Recently, negative attention has focused on the disproportionate increase in special education enrollment. Particular attention has been given to the overrepresentation of minority students identified as students with disabilities. Research has suggested that the relationships between poverty and disability may partially explain this disproportionality. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of poverty and poverty measures on elementary special education students. This study used data from the first wave of the Special Education Longitudinal Study (SEELS) to describe student and household characteristics and to identify the extent to which income and poverty are associated with academic achievement and disability using multiple poverty measures (Wagner, Marder, Blackorby, & Cardosa, 2004). The SEELS data were obtained from parent interviews and from student assessments based on subtests of the Woodcock Johnson. The data set consisted of 9,747 parent interviews and 4,912 student assessments. Since the federal poverty measure is widely agreed to be an inaccurate measure, multiple definitions of poverty were employed in the present study including: 50% of the federal threshold, the federal threshold, 150% and 200% of the federal threshold. Across all levels of poverty and non-poverty, descriptive findings indicated that in special education there are more boys than girls, the majority speak English at home, ethnicity differs by poverty category, and that the percentages of students living with both parents increase as income increases. Descriptive findings also indicate that: poorer students are more likely to live in households with more people, lower income families are more likely to have lower levels of parental educational attainment, and that students from lower income families are more likely to have parents that were never married. Findings of interest were uncovered in the extreme poverty category with more pronounced differences revealed in gender and ethnicity. Regression analyses indicated that poverty is a significant predictor of passage comprehension scores and calculation scores. Overall, this research suggests that poverty is a more significant predictor for academic achievement than ethnicity and that the lower a student's income, the less positive their circumstances are. Findings are discussed with respect to future research, policy and practice.

 

Abstract:  Protocols from 110 evaluations utilizing the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children- Third Edition (WISC- III) and the Woodcock/Johnson Tests of Achievement- Revised (W/J-R) were scored by two different raters to determine (a) whether subtests with more difficult levels of scoring yield lower interrater correlation coefficients, (b) whether scoring errors on subtests affect broad score estimates, (c) the effect of expertise of rater on scoring errors, and (d) whether scoring errors affect a learning disability determination based on IQ/achievement discrepancy. Scoring errors were found on almost 25% of Comprehension and Vocabulary subtests; however, the effect of these scoring errors was minimal. About 42% of Writing Samples subtests had scoring errors, resulting in a mean change of 1.75 points on the Broad Written Language Cluster subtest. On the WISC-III, but not the W/J- R, there were significantly more errors made by inexperienced testers. Scoring errors resulted in two cases in which learning disability determination would be changed. Overall, the study corroborates previous findings of strong interrater reliability on most subtests of common IQ and achievement tests and indicates that novice scorers are not likely to make scoring mistakes that will significantly impact an IQ/achievement discrepancy- based documentation of learning disability.