Dan Wright

School Psychologists' Job Satisfaction and Discrepancies between Actual and Desired Work Functions

School psychologists in Nebraska were surveyed with regard to actual and desired work functions and their satisfaction with several aspects of their jobs. A comparison of present results with a previous study of the same general population by Cook and Patterson (1977) indicates that consultation has grown in importance as an actual job function and remains the major component of the role desired by school psychologists. Over-all psychologists reported moderate job satisfaction with relatively lower satisfaction in regard to their workloads and their ability to effect change and relatively higher satisfaction in reference to their interpersonal relationships with other school personnel. Job satisfaction in several areas was a function of actual and desired job activities.

DIFFERENTIAL VALIDITY OF THE WISC-R FOR BOYS AND GIRLS REFERRED FOR PSYCHOLOGICAL SERVICES

WISC-R correlations with Reading, Spelling, and Arithmetic achievement were compared for 145 males and 69 females referred by regular classroom teachers for school psychological services. Although correlations were smaller than are typically found due to restriction of range, no significant differences occurred across sex in the magnitudes of WISC-R/achievement correlations.

Factor Analysis of the WISC-R and the WRAT with a Referral Population.

Scores on the WISC-R and the WRAT from a referral sample of 250 children, ages 6 through 11, were factor analyzed using a principal factor method with varimax rotation. Results offered support for interpretation of WISC-R scores in terms of Verbal and Performance scales, and for interpretation of WRAT scores as a separate achievement factor. The contention that achievement and intelligence tests measure identical constructs is challenged.

Components of Variance in Behavior Ratings from Parents and Teachers

The behavior ratings of parents and teachers using the Burks Behavior Rating Scales (BBRS) were examined by means of a paradigm derived from generalizability theory. Internal consistency indices and interrater reliabilities were manipulated to determine and apportion variance into error components. The analysis suggested that large amounts of error variance were present for most of the 19 scales on the BBRS. The large amount of error or situational variance indicated that comparing scores obtained from different raters in different settings is not advisable when one is making judgments with respect to stable child characteristics. Further implications for the development and use of behavior rating scales were discussed.

COMPARISON OF SCORES ON TWO VISUAL-MOTOR TESTS FOR CHILDREN REFERRED FOR LEARNING OR ADJUSTMENT DIFFICULTIES

93 students 6 to 11 yr. old and referred for evaluation because of learning or adjustment difficulties by their classroom teachers were administered Beerys Developmental Test of Visual-motor Integration and Koppitzs version of the Bender-Gestalt test. Previous research with retarded samples indicated the two tests were highly correlated while one study using normal subjects yielded significant differences between the tests. The present study indicated significant mean differences between the tests and significant but moderate correlations between the measures for each of three age ranges between 6 and 11 yr. In general, Beerys test gave higher standard scores for this sample of referred students; examiners are cautioned not to use the tests interchangeably with similar populations.

Incremental Validity of the Test for Auditory Comprehension of Language and the Developmental Test of Visual Motor Integration.

Predictive validity of the Test for Auditory Comprehension of Language and the Developmental Test of Visual Motor Integration was investigated singly and in combination for a group of preschool children. Both tests were significant predictors of achievement over the two year period (rs typically in high .40s to low .50s). The combination of tests significantly increased the percent of variance accounted for over that provided by the individual tests. That the increases ranged only from 3 to 8% indicated little practical significance in using both instruments as opposed to either test singly.

Usefulness of a group-administered ability test for decision making

Abstract This study examines relationships between two measures of general ability (Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Revised and Educational Ability Series) andthree measures of academic achievement (teacher grades, Wide Range Achievement Test, and Science Research Associates Achievement Series). These data indicate comparability of the group-administered with the individually administered measures of general ability. The correlations between the measures of general ability and achievement are uniformly strong. Teacher-assigned grades also are adequately and equally well predicted by both measures. The implications for assessment practices are discussed.

CRITERION-RELATED VALIDITY OF THREE COMMON PRESCHOOL ASSESSMENT INSTRUMENTS FOR BOYS AND GIRLS

Pearson correlations of scores on two instruments for preschool assessment with first-grade achievement scores taken 2 yr. later were compared across sex for 44 boys and 45 girls seen initially at Kindergarten entry. Correlations between WPPSI IQs and scores from concurrently administered WRAT subtests were compared across sex for 30 boys and 30 girls referred by regular classroom teachers for school psychological services. Lack of significant differences in the comparisons supports these instruments as equally valid predictors of achievement for boys and girls.