Diagnosing written language disabilities using the Woodcock-Johnson Tests of Educational Achievement-Revised and the Wechsler Individual Achievement Test

The writing portions of the Woodcock-Johnson Tests of Educational Achievement-Revised and the Wechsler Individual Achievement Test are often administered when establishing eligibility for special education services due to learning disabilities. The scores on these measures are typically regarded as equivalent although little is known about how scores on the two measures differ for the same students. Differences of only a few points, however, may affect eligibility for special education services. These tests were administered to 25 sixth grade students previously diagnosed with learning disabilities in written expression only. Students' Wechsler scores were consistently higher on the overall writing composite, while there was no difference in the mean scores on the language mechanics subtests. The WIAT Written Expression subtest mean, however, was significantly higher than the Woodcock-Johnson Writing Samples subtest mean. Use of the Wechsler test would be less likely to identify children for special education services in written expression when point discrepancy criteria are utilized for eligibility. Clinicians should be cognizant of the effect of the specific test chosen on eligibility outcome.

Gender and racial differences in mathematical performance

The authors examined gender and racial differences in mathematics performance among 5th- and 8th-grade students in the United States. Math performance was assessed by scores on the math-concepts and math-computation sections of the California Achievement Test (CTB/McGraw-Hill, 1986) given at the end of the previous year. There were no significant gender differences, but in both grades, the White students scored significantly higher than the Black students. The racial differences were more pronounced in the scores for concepts than in the scores for computation. Responses to a parent questionnaire showed significant relationships between parents' self-reported math anxiety, parents' most advanced math course, and parents' education level in relation to the child's math performance. Differences in these relationships suggest that, although parents' beliefs and attitudes about math influence their child's math performance, the relationship is complex and may vary with race.

A comparison of the performance of cognitively disabled children on the WISC-R and WISC-III

This study compared differences in performance on the WISC-III and on the WISC-R. Sixty-one students with learning impairments, due for reevaluation of their special education placement, were administered the WISC-III as part of a psychological assessment battery. Results indicate a mean difference between WISC-R and WISC-III FSIQ of 7.95 points, which is similar to WISC/WISC-R comparisons. Substantial differences that averaged 9.21 points were found between WISC-R and WISC-III PIQ means. These findings suggest that for a special education sample an average decrease of at least 8 points can be expected on the WISC-III Full Scale IQ. Caution should be exercised when one is considering changes in educational classification or interpreting qualitative differences in performance on WISC-III scores compared with WISC-R scores.

Adjustment issues with adult children of alcoholics

The current study assessed locus of control, general level of life satisfaction, and self-reported grade-point averages among adults who had experienced either alcoholism within the family of origin, traumatic life events other than alcoholism, or who indicated neither problem during their childhood. Results indicated that both the adult children of alcoholics (ACOA) and traumatic experience (TE) groups had lower life satisfaction scores than the control group. Significantly lower levels of locus of control also were found for the ACOA group in comparison to the control group. There were no significant differences among the three groups based on self-reported GPAs. Results of the current study support the concept that family dysfunction during childhood can influence negatively later life experiences and adjustment.

Factor structure of the McCarthy scales for males and females

Determined the factor structure of the McCarthy Scales (1972) for a referred group of male and female children, ages 6 to 81/2, from rural eastern North Carolina and compared their factor structure to that of the standardization sample. Three hundred and one males and 177 females were separated into two groups and examined independently. The 21 individual test scores of the McCarthy were correlated and then subjected to a principal factor analysis followed by Varimax rotation. Three meaningful factors emerged for males and females: Verbal, Perceptual, and Motor factors for males and General-Cognitive, Verbal, and Memory factors for females. The factor analyses for males and females agreed with previous factor analytic studies conducted with referred samples on the absence of a Quantitative factor and inconsistencies in the emergence of General-Cognitive and Memory factors. Coefficients of congruence with Kaufman's (1975) standardization analysis suggest that the McCarthy Scales reflect a general dimension of cognitive ability rather than a measure of distinct abilities for a referred sample of males and females.