Laurie Ford

An investigation of school psychology training pertaining to bilingual psycho-educational assessment of primarily hispanic students: Twenty-five years after Diana v. California

Abstract This study, a survey of 1,507 school psychologists from eight states, found that school psychologists who conduct bilingual psycho-educational assessment do not believe that they have received adequate training. Nearly 70% of the respondents described their training with respect to knowledge of cross-cultural issues involved in bilingual psycho-educational assessment as less than adequate. At least 80% stated their level of training was less than adequate on the following three competencies: (a) knowledge of second language acquisition factors and their relationship to assessment; (b) knowledge of methods to conduct bilingual psycho-educational assessment; and (c) ability to interpret the results of bilingual psycho-educational assessments. The data indicate that school psychologists who do conduct bilingual psycho-educational assessment are providing service in an area in which they have not received adequate training. In evaluating the school psychology programs from which they received their training, respondents identified only one program that provided adequate training in all four competencies, two that provided adequate training in three competencies, and four programs that provided adequate training in two competencies. The regression analyses indicated that the amount of training provided by school psychology programs did not differ greatly across the 24 years examined in any of the four competencies.

Examining the Relationship Between Neighborhood Environment and School Readiness for Kindergarten Children

In the current research project, the relationship between neighborhood environment and school readiness was investigated. To measure neighbourhood environment, data from the 2001 Canadian Census were used, while school readiness was measured using the Early Development Instrument (EDI). EDI data were collected for kindergarten children across British Columbia, Canada, in the school years 2000/2001 through 2004/2005 by the Human Early Learning Partnership. A hierarchical linear modeling approach to data analysis was taken given the complex structure of the data (children nested within neighborhoods). Results from this study suggest that neighborhood environment is related to childrens school readiness outcomes as measured by the EDI. Specifically, all 5 EDI domains were significantly predicted by between 2 and 8 of 13 neighborhood variables that were conceptually grouped into 8 categories accounting for family structure, income, education, Aboriginal status, language, labor force occupations, employment rates, and domestic work. Overall, 3 themes emerged from this study that suggest neighborhood-level sources of social wealth: the importance of neighborhood culture, stability, and heterogeneity in promoting better school readiness outcomes for children. Formulations regarding areas for future research are presented.

Examining Preschool Cognitive Abilities Using a CHC Framework

Although there has been a substantial growth in the number of published studies examining tests of cognitive abilities and using contemporary theories of cognitive abilities, to date none have done so with preschool cognitive tests. In this study the relation between cognitive ability measures for young children and Cattell-Horn-Carroll (CHC) theory is examined. Tests and subtests from the Differential Ability Scales: Upper Preschool Level and the Woodcock-Johnson Tests of Cognitive Ability-Revised with a sample of 158 children between 4 and 5 years of age were used in a series of joint factor analyses. Although a series of models were explored, the model representative of the CHC theory of cognitive abilities was best supported by the data. This provides evidence for a greater differentiation of young childrens cognitive abilities than are typically interpreted. Results are discussed with regard to understanding the link between contemporary theories of intelligence and young childrens cognitive abilities, as well as implications for intellectual assessment practices with young children.

Learning disabilities and learned helplessness: a heuristic approach

This study investigated whether students with learning disabilities exhibited learned helpless behavior at a greater rate than their normal achieving peers when confronted with reading failure. Forty-five third grade students from a suburban elementary schools were participants in the study. Thirty of the subjects were classified as having a learning disability (LD) and the remaining 15 subjects were from regular education (RE) classrooms. Fifteen of the students with LD were placed in the treatment group and the remaining fifteen were placed in the control group. All the regular education students were placed in the treatment group. After randomly assigning the students with LD into either a treatment (stressed) group or a control (nonstressed) group, the stressed students were administered a reading instrument in order to measure how they dealt with failure. A one-way ANCOVA was conducted to determine whether significant differences existed between the groups based on their posttest scores. The results indicate that stressed students with LD have a significantly more difficult time recovering from stress than their regular education peers.

Using the Woodcock-Johnson III Tests of Cognitive Abilities with Students with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses cognitive abilities with students with attention deficit (AD) and hyperactivity disorder (HD) using the Woodcock–Johnson III tests. This chapter includes four parts. The first part includes a brief summary of the most frequently used diagnostic criteria and approaches to diagnosing AD/HD, and suggests use of a behavioral–cognitive model that includes assessment of behavioral characteristics as well as certain cognitive functions that may be sensitive to the condition, as suggested by prior research. The second part contains a description of extant research about use of the prior and current editions of the Woodcock–Johnson with individuals who have AD/HD. The third and major part of this chapter presents the results of a study of utility of the WJ III tests that comprise the Executive Processes, Working Memory, and Broad Attention clusters and selected checklists from Report Writer in prediction of AD/HD. The fourth and final part of this chapter includes a discussion of the clinical applications of the WJ III and Report Writer for assessment of individuals who may have AD/HD. Moreover, the WJ III COG may be useful for describing the executive processing characteristics of an individual who has AD/HD, such as any concomitant limitations in working memory capacity and/or inattention to cognitive task demands. This type of cognitive processing information can be used to support a diagnosis of AD/HD and may assist in identifying needed services and interventions. Finally, a case illustration completes the section.

Psychometric Properties of the Spence Children’s Anxiety Scale: Parent Report in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Although anxiety is frequently reported in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), existing anxiety scales are often psychometrically inappropriate for this population. This study examined the internal structure, reliability, convergent and discriminant validity of the Spence Children’s Anxiety Scale-Parent Report (SCAS-P; Spence 1999) in 238 school-aged children with ASD. While confirmatory factor analysis did not support the original six-correlated-factor structure, structural support as well as acceptable internal consistency and convergent validity was found for Generalized Anxiety, Separation Anxiety, Panic, and Agoraphobia subscales. Use of the SCAS-P in its original form for assessment in children with ASD was not supported. However, four subscales showed viability, and may benefit re-analyses of existing SCAS-P data and future scale adaptations for research and clinical purposes.

Assessment with the Woodcock-Johnson III and Young Children

Publisher Summary This chapter deals in the assessment with the Woodcock–Johnson III and young children. This chapter reviews the psychometric properties of the WJ III for young children. The level of expertise brought to the assessment process by an examiner can significantly impact the usefulness of child-specific information gained from any test. This is particularly true for the Woodcock–Johnson III (WJ III) when used with young children, given the tests comprehensiveness and complexity. When used by an examiner with expertise in the assessment of young children and knowledge of the developmental nature of Cattell–Horn–Carroll (CHC) abilities, the WJ III can add to a comprehensive and meaningful evaluation of young childrens abilities. The chapter also introduces the WJ III Diagnostic Supplement, which contributes to an understanding of functioning in young children. The intention of this chapter is to emphasize on the understanding the relationship between findings in research and issues in applied measurement practice. Finally, a rationale for test selection at various ages is provided along with illustrative case studies. The manner in which the WJ III Diagnostic Supplement contributes to an understanding of functioning in young children is also introduced.

Measurement in Group Interventions for Women with Breast Cancer

Abstract Instrumentation is a critical component of intervention research. This article discusses a review of measurement tools used in research on group interventions for women with breast cancer. The wide variety of instruments used in research studies is listed. The criteria for instrument selection are compared with the most commonly used instrument, the Profile of Mood States. The authors summarize directions for future research related to instrumentation use.