Paul A. McDermott

Preschool peer interactions and readiness to learn: Relationships between classroom peer play and learning behaviors and conduct

Promoting young childrens readiness to learn is a national priority. This mandate is clearly stated within the first of our National Education Goals, which reads that all American children will start school ready to learn by the year 2000 (U.S. Department of Education, 1992). Unfortunately, many young children in America are facing increasingly stressful and ?socially toxic? environments that threaten the development of competencies necessary for early school success (Garbarino, 1995). Approximately one in five American children currently lives in poverty (Childrens Defense Fund, 1998) and is exposed to multiple risk factors—including poor health care, lack of appropriate housing, family stress, and community violence—that severely threaten their development (Huston, McLoyd, & Garcia Coll, 1994).

Preschool competency in context: an investigation of the unique contribution of child competencies to early academic success.

The present concurrent study combined developmental and ecological considerations to examine the unique contribution of multiple preschool competencies to an indicator of early academic success. Participants included 195 Head Start children from 32 classrooms representative of a large, urban Head Start program. Dimensional (variable-centered) analyses revealed 3 distinct classroom competency dimensions (i.e., General Classroom Competencies, Specific Approaches to Learning, and Interpersonal Classroom Behavioral Problems). The first 2 of these dimensions were found to be uniquely associated with early academic success. Findings from typological (person-centered) analyses supported the dimensional findings. Typological analyses revealed 7 profiles of classroom competency distinguished by high scores on the dimensions of General Competencies and Approaches to Learning, and these profiles were found to relate differentially to the indicator of early academic success.

Just Say No to Subtest Analysis: A Critique on Wechsler Theory and Practice

Wechslers beliefs about the nature of human intelligence and its measurement have profoundly influenced contemporary theory and practice. He encouraged interpretations not only of more global intellective indices, such as IQ but encouraged as well the search for pathognomonic meaning in patterns of underlying, more specific, subtest scores. This article examines the evidence that concerns the interpretation of Wechsler and similar tests as measures of specific rather than global ability. Popular practices that involve use of subtests for both intraindividual and interindividual assessment are viewed in the light of empirical research, and recommendations are presented.

Contextually –relevant validation of peer play constructs with African American Head Start children: Penn Interactive Peer Play Scale

The purpose of this investigation was to evaluate the construct and concurrent validity of a modified version of the Penn Interactive Peer Play Scale (PIPPS), a teacher-rating instrument of interactive play behaviors of preschool children. PIPPS were collected on 523 urban African American Head Start children. The PIPPS scales were confirmed, supporting the following constructs of peer play: Play Interaction, Play Disruption, and Play Disconnection. The 32-item PIPPS represented a significant improvement over the 36-item version. Scale validity was established using conceptually related indicators of social competence including teacher report, peer report, and direct play observation data. Children who evidenced high interactive play ratings received high social skill ratings from teachers, and were well liked by peers and engaged during play sessions. Children who were disruptive in play received ratings of low self-control and were more likely to be engaged in solitary play. Disconnection in play was associated with low acceptability by peers and lack of involvement in play sessions. Practical use of the PIPPS and further study of developmentally appropriate social competencies for African American Head Start children are discussed.

National Standardization of Uniform Multisituational Measures of Child and Adolescent Behavior Pathology.

This article presents the design, nationwide standardization, and validation of the Adjustment Scales for Children and Adolescents (ASCA), a device that bases psychopathology on pervasiveness of problem behavior across multiple situations. A norm sample of 1,400 5-through 17-year-old Ss was stratified according to the U.S. Census by age, gender, academic level, ethnicity, handicapping condition, national region, community size, and parent education. An additional 1,418 Ss composed supplementary validity generalization samples, and all Ss were evaluated by teachers using ASCA. Exploratory and confirmatory components analyses revealed 8 distinct and reliable syndromes, 6 of which are core syndromes found to be generalizable across age, gender, and ethnicity: Attention-Deficit Hyperactive, Solitary Agressive (Provocative), Solitary Agressive (Impulsive), Oppositional Defiant, Diffident, and Avoidant

Treatment-Related Symptom Clusters in Breast Cancer: A Secondary Analysis

This study investigated treatment-related symptom clusters and the influence of selected demographic/clinical variables on symptom clustering in breast cancer patients across a treatment trajectory. A secondary analysis of 282 breast cancer patients receiving chemotherapy or radiotherapy was done to determine the clustering of oncologic treatment-related symptoms at selected time points of treatment. Two distinct clusters were identified: a psychoneurological cluster and an upper gastrointestinal cluster. The clustering of symptoms was generally stable across the treatment trajectory. The clustering, however, was weaker when the time lapse after the completion of treatment became longer. Demographic and clinical variables did not significantly influence symptom clustering. Psychoneurological symptoms had a tendency to occur together across the treatment trajectory, as did upper gastrointestinal symptoms. Effective symptom assessment/management strategies need to take into account this co-occurrence of symptoms. The findings from this study underscore the need for further investigation of the common biological basis of symptoms to attain more effective management of multiple symptoms.

Distinctions Without a Difference The Utility of Observed Versus Latent Factors From the WISC-IV in Estimating Reading and Math Achievement on the WIAT-II

This study employed observed factor index scores as well as latent ability constructs from the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children—Fourth Edition (WISC-IV; Wechsler, 2003) in estimating reading and mathematics achievement on the Wechsler Individual Achievement Test—Second Edition (WIAT-II; Wechsler, 2002). Participants were the nationally stratified linking sample (N = 498) of the WISC-IV and WIAT-II. Observed scores from the WISC-IV were analyzed using hierarchical multiple regression analysis. Although the factor index scores provided a statistically significant increment over the Full Scale IQ, the size of the improvement was too small to be of clinical utility. Observed WISC-IV subtest scores were also subjected to structural equation modeling (SEM) analyses. Subtest scores from the WISC-IV were fit to a general factor (g) and four ability constructs corresponding to factor indexes from the WISC-IV (Verbal Comprehension, Perceptual Reasoning, Working Memory, and Processing Speed). For both reading and mathematics, only g (.55 and .77, respectively) and Verbal Comprehension (.37 and .17, respectively) were significant influences. Thus, when using observed scores to predict reading and mathematics achievement, it may only be necessary to consider the Full Scale IQ. In contrast, both g and Verbal Comprehension may be required for explanatory research.

Illusions of Meaning in the Ipsative Assessment of Children's Ability

In this study, we analyze the relative efficacy of normative and ipsative measures for the study of intra- and interindividual differences in child ability. With the use of representative data sets, including the WISC-R national standardization sample, purely ipsatized (or deviational ipsative) subtest scores were contrasted with conventional norm-based scores in terms of the evidential and consequential bases for validity. Internal and external evidence for validity was assessed for relative convergence of ability attributes, short- and long-term stability, and predictive efficiency. Comparative utility of each type of measure was explored for theoretical relevance, applicability in measurement work, and assessment of individualized intervention outcomes. Ipsative ability measures were found to be uniformly inferior to their normative counterparts, with ipsative measures conveying no uniquely useful information and otherwise impeding the versatility of assessment.

The Organization of Student Performance in American Schools: Discipline, Motivation, Verbal Learning, and Nonverbal Learning.

Standardized measures of cognitive ability, academic achievement, classroom learning behavior, and school social-emotional adjustment were administered for a nationally representative sample of 1,268 students aged 6-17 years. Exploratory and confirmatory latent structure analyses revealed 4 distinct and reliable student performance factors (Disciplined Behavior, Motivation, Verbal Learning, Nonverbal Learning) that were generalizable to age, sex, and ethnic subgroups within the national sample. The performance factors showed substantial and consistent relationships to independent measures of school achievement (grades, test scores) and to observations of problem behavior. Differential patterns for age, sex, and ethnic groups were discovered, including female superiority for disciplined behavior, verbal learning, and motivation, and male superiority for nonverbal learning, with unique pattern variations for some ethnic minority students. Theoretical implications are explored.

Multidimensional assessment of emotional and behavioral adjustment problems of low-income preschool children: development and initial validation

The Adjustment Scales for Preschool Intervention (ASPI) was developed and tested for use in preschool programs serving low-income children. The ASPI is a measure of emotional and behavioral adjustment problems observed within routine classroom situations. Principal components analyses revealed five reliable behavioral dimensions: Aggressive, Withdrawn-Low Energy, Socially Reticent, Oppositional, and Inattentive/Hyperactive and two higher-order dimensions: Overactive and Underactive problem behaviors. Concurrent criterion validity of these dimensions was supported by multivariate indicators of peer social competence and classroom behavior problems. Age and gender analyses indicated that boys showed higher levels of overactive behavior than girls and that younger preschool children evidenced more underactive and inattentive behavior than older preschool children. Situational analyses indicated that situations requiring more initiation and self-regulation were associated with more problematic behaviors.