Search

Although phonemic awareness is an essential skill in learning to decode written words, practitioners may question which phonemic awareness tasks best operationalize their relationship with orthographic mapping, the process that converts a decoded word into one instantly recognized on sight. Tests from the "Woodcock-Johnson IV" were used to evaluate the effects of phonemic awareness tasks and vocabulary on measures of pseudoword decoding, word reading, and spelling in three age groups (ages 6 to 8, 9 to 13, and 14 to 19 years) within the WJ IV normative sample (N = 4082). Results from path analysis indicated the effects of phonemic awareness tasks and vocabulary varied depending on age and reading task type with mixed results based on theoretical expectations. Results from the 9 to 13 age group appeared closest to conforming to hypotheses. We discuss implications of measuring phonemic awareness, reading, and spelling in the context of comprehensive psychoeducational assessment.

This study examined the extent to which cognitive ability index scores predicted multidisciplinary teams' (MDT) SLD identification within a response-to-intervention (RtI) method after accounting for RtI slope and norm-referenced achievement scores. Results showed that four achievement composite scores (i.e., basic reading, reading comprehension, math computation, and math problem solving) and two cognitive ability index scores (i.e., crystallized ability, working memory) predicted MDT-determined SLD, explaining 81% of the variance. The inclusion of academic achievement and cognitive ability index scores predicted MDT-determined SLD with 90% accuracy; cognitive ability index scores only increased specificity (sensitivity = 95%; specificity = 79%). RtI slope did not predict MDT-determined SLD, which was a required component of the evaluation.

The purpose of this study was to estimate the longitudinal and reciprocal predictive relations between children's social skills, measured by an adaptation of the frequently used Social Skills Rating Scale, and their standardized academic achievement. A large nationally representative sample of elementary school students were assessed at least annually from kindergarten through fifth grade in the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Kindergarten Class of 2010-2011 (n = 7963). Structural equation modeling was used to test a panel model of teacher-rated interpersonal and self-control skills and children's scores on standardized reading, math, and science achievement tests. Reciprocal relations between children's social skills and achievement were supported throughout elementary school, with achievement showing a stronger and consistent pattern of influence on children's subsequent social skills.

Despite decades of research, much is still unknown regarding how specific learning disability (SLD) identification decisions are made, particularly how language related to sociodemographic and psychosocial factors may impact decision-making. This study employed the Linguistic Inquiry and Word Count (LIWC) method to examine the language used in school psychological reports to better understand how sociodemographic (i.e., race, socioeconomic background, and gender) and psychosocial factors (e.g., positive and negative emotion, student effort, and student social processes) related to SLD identification within a Response to Intervention (RtI) identification method. The reports of students identified as SLD contained significantly more achievement-related language (e.g., hardworking, motivated, exerting effort) compared to students who were not identified as SLD, and achievement-related language was associated with SLD identification above and beyond RtI evaluation data (i.e., academic achievement and slope). Implications for research and practice are discussed.

At school entry, girls are rated by teachers as more competent on measures of social skills than boys. It is less clear if this higher rating is stable or grows over time. To address this question, multiple group curve of factors models investigated gender-specific growth trajectories across seven waves of measurement in a large, longitudinal sample (N = 1024, NICHD SECCYD). Results showed that girls' social skills were consistently rated higher from kindergarten to sixth grade, and the effect size was moderate (latent Cohen's "d" = 0.37 to 0.62). Boys demonstrated greater heterogeneity in social skills at nearly every grade with the gender difference in variability stable after second grade. An examination of gender differences in growth trajectories showed that boys demonstrated a linear decrease over time, whereas girls' social skills did not significantly change over time after accounting for initial level of social skills in kindergarten.

The current study aimed to develop a measure of anticipated teacher-student relationship quality to be used with preservice teacher populations that is operationally similar to a measure commonly used with inservice teachers (i.e., short-form of the Student-Teacher Relationship Scale). To date, teacher-student relationship quality has been a construct studied solely with inservice teacher populations. Two hundred and thirteen preservice teachers participated in the current study. Results suggest that the developed measure of anticipated teacher-student relationship with preservice teachers demonstrated response trends similar to the measure used with inservice teachers except that preservice teachers anticipate more conflict with future students than inservice teachers report with current students. Additionally, results show the developed measure fits the two factor structure of the original scale and exhibits concurrent validity via associations with teacher self-efficacy beliefs. Implications for measuring anticipated teacher-student relationship quality within teacher education programs and future directions for research are discussed.

The longitudinal relations between teacher-student relationship quality (TSRQ) and student achievement were examined to determine the directional associations between the quality of teacher-rated closeness and conflict with students, and measured math and reading achievement in a large, multisite sample of U.S. youth at first, third, and fifth grade. A longitudinal confirmatory factor analysis model of panel data was employed. After testing longitudinal factorial invariance across time, we tested heterogeneity in the factor variances and differences in the latent means. Math and reading achievement had longitudinal reciprocal relations. Math achievement explained small differences in subsequent teacher-rated closeness after controlling for previous levels of math achievement and teacher-rated closeness. Teacher-rated conflict served as a small but significant predictor of subsequent math achievement across measured time points but previous teacher-rated closeness did not explain subsequent reading or math achievement at any time point. Teacher-rated conflict was relatively stable across grades, whereas teacher-rated closeness varied from first to third grade. Reading and math achievement were highly stable predictors of future achievement. The findings suggested that in a lower-risk sample, measures of TSRQ and achievement may serve as predictors or outcomes and directionality of effects should not be assumed in advance.

School psychological reports of evaluation results have the potential to provide data that are timely, synthesized, and interpreted and could include recommendations for evidence-based interventions and accommodations for improving student outcomes. The current study examined 130 school psychological reports from 13 school districts and found that 61.5% of the reports included recommendations, most of which were related to interventions or accommodations. There were no differences in the frequency or types of recommendations between reports that did and did not identify a specific learning disability (SLD), but recommendations were more frequently based on assessment data for students that were identified with SLD, as compared with those who were not. Only 48.5% of the recommendations were rated as related to a difficulty or strength identified in the report.

Students with specific learning disabilities (SLDs) represent a large proportion of those receiving special education services in U.S. schools, but the relationship between student-level variables and SLD identification is still not well understood. The purpose of this study was to examine the extent to which data collected as part of a comprehensive psychoeducational evaluation were associated with SLD identification status. Logistic regression analyses were used to examine how response to intervention (RtI) slope (i.e., growth rate), academic achievement, global cognitive ability, and demographic variables (i.e., race/ethnicity, gender, and free/reduced-price lunch [FRL] status) were related to SLD identification. Academic achievement (B = -0.13, OR = 0.88), race/ethnicity (B = -1.35, OR = 0.26; 0 = white student, 1 = student of color), and FRL (B = 0.94, OR = 2.57) were related to SLD status, but global cognitive ability and RtI slope were not, even though the RtI method was reported to be used during the special education decision-making process. Implications for practice, particularly related to the use of RtI, are discussed.

The present study examined whether global ability influences on reading, writing, and math achievement are generalizable across gender in children and adolescents in Grades 1 to 4 (n = 1,276), 5 to 8 (n = 1,265), and 9 to 12 (n = 1,042) using multiple group structural equation modeling with the standardization samples for the Woodcock-Johnson IV. Results showed a small female advantage in writing achievement across grade levels. The General Intellectual Ability (GIA) composite showed some evidence of slope bias with math achievement, and the Fluid-Crystallized (G"f"-G"c") composite showed some evidence of slope bias with math and reading achievement. The GIA and G"f"-G"c" composite scores showed evidence of intercept bias mostly in the area of writing achievement. Findings are generally consistent with previous research showing minimal gender bias in global intelligence predicting achievement.

School climate is a broad, multi-dimensional construct that represents the quality and character of school life. Although many student-reported measures of school climate are available, less is known about the specific dimensions assessed by various measures. Using three comprehensive models of school climate as a guide, a systematic literature review of school climate measurement tools was conducted with two main questions. First, which dimensions are identified and measured in published studies of student-reported school climate? Second, what overlap in studies of student-reported school climate measures exist with the model dimensions? Results from the review of 18 school climate measures largely supported five dimensions (safety, relationships, teaching and learning, institutional environment, and school improvement processes) with at least three dimensions present within all reviewed measures. The discussion elaborates on the dimensions and sub-dimensions assessed in these tools, implications for failing to measure the sub-dimension of respect for diversity, and a new sub-dimension titled academic orientation that emerged from overlap in measurement tools.

The relation between social dyadic variables such as teacher-student relationship quality (TSRQ) and student achievement have been well-documented within prior work; however, less research has focused on how TSRQ associates with achievement. We used longitudinal structural equation modeling to investigate the extent that teacher self-efficacy mediated the relationship between TSRQ and math achievement for 881 children in the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Study. Teacher-student closeness had moderate to large positive effects on teacher self-efficacy, whereas teacher-student conflict had small to moderate negative effects on teacher self-efficacy, which then had small positive effects on math achievement. Closeness only had indirect effects on math achievement via teacher self-efficacy, whereas conflict had direct and indirect effects on math achievement. The results were consistent across grades, lending strength to the findings. This study provides researchers and practitioners evidence of an area that can be developed to potentially enhance student success in math.

To better understand the longitudinal relations between risk and relationship variables during early to middle adolescence, we employed latent variable cross-lagged panel models using data (N = 1,050) from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Study. Results showed self-reported individual risk behavior ([beta] = 0.77-0.88) and mother-reported child-parent relationship quality (CPRQ; [beta] = 0.59-0.76) were stable, whereas the self-report of one's peer's risk behavior ([beta] = 0.21-0.27) was less stable. After controlling for previous levels of peer risk behavior and CPRQ, higher levels of individual risk behavior resulted in subsequent increases in the number of peers who demonstrated risk behavior ([beta] = 0.38-0.54) across early to middle adolescence. CPRQ and peer risk behavior, however, did not influence subsequent individual risk behavior. School psychologists can encourage friendship selection strategies that reduce potential risk affiliation while increasing healthy, supportive friendships and teach adolescents stress management skills.

Individual differences in Cattell-Horn-Carroll (CHC) cognitive abilities are related to individual differences in math problem solving. However, it is less clear whether cognitive abilities are associated with math problem solving directly or indirectly via math component skills and whether these relations differ across grade levels. We used multigroup structural equation models to examine direct and indirect CHC-based cognitive ability relations with math problem solving across six grade-level groups using the Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children, Second Edition and the Kaufman Tests of Educational Achievement, Second Edition co-normed standardization sample data (N = 2,117). After testing factorial invariance of the cognitive constructs across grade levels, we assessed whether the main findings were similar across higher-order and bifactor models. In the higher-order model, the Crystallized Ability, Visual Processing, and Short-Term Memory constucts had direct and indirect relations with math problem solving, whereas the Learning Efficiency and Retrieval Fluency constructs had only indirect relations with math problem solving via math computation. The integrated cognitive ability and math achievement relations were generally consistent across the CHC models of intelligence. In the higher-order model, the g factor operated indirectly on math computation and math problem solving, whereas in the bifactor model, the first-order G factor had direct relations with math computation and math problem solving. In both models, g/G was the most consistent and largest cognitive predictor of math skills. Last, the relation of math computation with math problem solving increased as grade level increased. Theoretical implications for math development and considerations for school psychologists are discussed.

Cognitive ability and spelling predictors of written expression were examined between gender groups as well as across age and writing skill levels using quantile regression with the Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children--Second Edition and the Kaufman Test of Educational Achievement--Second Edition conormed standardization sample data (N = 2,117). Quantile regression is an analytic tool that allows for examination of predictors at different levels of the achievement distribution. Spelling predicted differing levels of writing competency for both genders. For girls, retrieval fluency and crystallized ability predicted lower and higher levels of writing competency, respectively. From a bifactor model interpretation, general intelligence was the largest and most consistent predictor of writing competency. Using a higher order model interpretation, learning efficiency predicted lower to average writing competency for girls, whereas for boys, visual processing predicted all levels of writing competency, and retrieval fluency predicted average to higher levels of writing competency. Although results are preliminary, researchers and practitioners are encouraged to consider that predictors of writing competency may differ markedly in strength across the continuum of writing achievement.

Teacher-student relationships (TSR) have been a key focus of study for developmental and educational psychology researchers interested in improving proximal and distal academic outcomes for children and youth. Although prior empirical work suggests some degree of association between TSR and achievement, the co-development of TSR and achievement during elementary grades remains unclear with most findings limited to reading and mathematics achievement. The current study used parallel process growth curve models (PPGCMs) to examine the longitudinal growth trajectories of teacher-student closeness and conflict, and science, reading, and mathematics achievement simultaneously for children followed from kindergarten to third grade in the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Kindergarten Class of 2010-2011 (N = 13,490). Findings from the final PPGCM showed teacher-student closeness in kindergarten was positively associated with science, reading and mathematics achievement in kindergarten (r = 0.234 to 0.277) and the linear growth of achievement through third grade (r = 0.068 to 0.156). Teacher-student conflict in kindergarten was negatively associated with science, reading, and mathematics achievement in kindergarten (r = −0.099 to −0.203) and the linear growth of achievement through third grade (r = −0.081 to −0.135). Child biological sex, family socioeconomic status, and child racial and ethnic identity predicted TSR and achievement developmental trends. Implications of the findings and future directions for research are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although the trajectories of children's social skills have been examined across biological sexes, less research has examined these patterns for racially and ethnically diverse children in the United States. The purpose of this study was to estimate the longitudinal growth trajectories of social skills, while examining the influence of biological sex, race, and ethnic identities using an adaptation of the commonly used Social Skills Rating Scale. A large nationally representative sample of elementary school children in the United States were assessed annually from kindergarten through fifth grade (N = 11,792). Structural equation modeling was used to examine latent growth curve models of teacher‐rated interpersonal skills and self‐control. After finding evidence of longitudinal invariance, results suggested a quadratic growth pattern best represented the trajectories of social skills ratings. Teacher ratings for African American children demonstrated a moderate declining linear trajectory throughout elementary school when compared with White children (reference group) and their Asian and Hispanic peers. Children from families with higher socioeconomic status and girls showed moderate to large differences in social skills ratings in kindergarten and stronger growth across time. Implications of the findings with future directions for research are discussed. Practitioner Points: Teacher ratings of children's social skills differ by child demographics.Teacher ratings for African American children show a decline throughout elementary school compared to peers.Children from families with higher socioeconomic status and girls showed larger differences and stronger growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to investigate developmental gender differences in academic achievement areas, with the primary focus on writing, using the child and adolescent portion (ages 6-21 years) of the "Kaufman Test of Educational Achievement-Second Edition, Brief Form," norming sample (N = 1,574). Path analytic models with gender, parent education, age, age[superscript2], and gender-by-age moderation as predictors of reading, writing, and math were used to test for gender differences and for the influence of development on these differences. A small but consistent advantage was identified for females in reading. No gender differences were detected in math. The most important results of the present study pertain to a gender gap in writing in favor of females that increased as a function of age. Male students are at greater risk for writing failure than are females.

Research suggests that the quality of interactions and relationships teachers share with students and students' social skills are interrelated, but it is less clear if this relationship is bidirectional or consistent across elementary school. The purpose of this research study was to estimate the possible longitudinal and reciprocal effects of teacher–student relationship quality (TSRQ) and social skills for kindergarten through third grade students. Longitudinal reciprocal relations between teacher-rated closeness and conflict, and student interpersonal and self-control skills were estimated to examine the strength and direction of associations in a large, nationally representative longitudinal sample (N = 12,507, ECLS-K:2011). Structural equation modeling was used to test a panel model of reciprocal, longitudinal effects of TSRQ and social skills. Main results suggest that the small to moderate effects of teacher–student closeness on student's interpersonal skills are bidirectional (β's = 0.07 to 0.15). Additionally, the moderate to large effects teacher–student conflict on student's self-control skills are bidirectional (β's = −0.12 to −0.35). Prior teacher–student conflict also had large negative effects on subsequent interpersonal skills, but not vice versa (β's = −0.25 to −0.28). Implications of the findings and ways to improve relationship climate and student outcomes are discussed. Impact Statement The quality of teacher–student relationships and a student's social skills are reciprocally related from kindergarten to third grade, after controlling for differences due to race, gender, and socioeconomic status. Teacher–student closeness and students' interpersonal skills have bidirectional relations. Additionally, teacher–student conflict and students' self-control skills have bidirectional relations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We used integrated and conjoint confirmatory factor analysis of Shipley-2 and Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children–Fourth Edition (WISC-IV) data to investigate constructs measured in the Shipley-2 for children and adolescents. We also estimated Shipley-2 composite reliability at the subtest level rather than the item level. The three Shipley-2 subtests for the most part measured what was described in the manual, although Block Patterns measured visual spatial ability in addition to fluid ability and Abstraction was best considered a measure of psychometric g. The g factors derived from the WISC-IV and Shipley-2 were similar but not identical. Internal reliability estimates for Shipley-2 composites that were based on correlations between the subtests were substantially lower than those based on the items. Last, based on WISC-IV derived g factors, 37% to 53% of the variance in Shipley-2 composites was explained by g. Some of the reliable variance in the Shipley-2 composites was due to something specific that the subtests had in common not explained by psychometric g. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is a compendium of research to support the premise that positive teacher-student relationships (TSR) set the stage for children's success via classroom engagement, social functioning, and academic skills development. Although studies have demonstrated reciprocal associations between TSR and academic achievement, inferences that stem from prior study results are limited due to methodological designs that fall short in capturing directionality in developmental change processes. To address gaps in the literature and improve our understanding of the complex associations between TSR and academic achievement, we analyzed the codevelopment of TSR and achievement in reading and mathematics using dual change score models (DCSM), a type of latent change score model, focusing on the associations between longitudinal trajectories of TSR-achievement pairs and on the reciprocal prediction of latent changes between each wave of measurement. We examined data from a large-scale, nationally representative study (Early Childhood Longitudinal Study Kindergarten Cohort of 2010-2011). Results of our DCSM, contrary to prior findings, demonstrate that variability in the ratings of TSR did not predict subsequent latent changes in reading or mathematics achievement. Likewise, the variability in achievement scores did not predict subsequent latent changes in ratings of TSR. Limitations and future directions for research are discussed. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).