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Journal of Psychoeducational Assessment

2015, Vol. 33(4) 391 –398

© The Author(s) 2015

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Test Review

Test Review

Schrank, F. A., Mather, N., & McGrew, G. Due south. (2014). Woodcock-Johnson IV Tests of Achievement. Rolling

Meadows, IL: Riverside.

Reviewed past: Victor Villarreal, The University of Texas at San Antonio, TX, Us

DOI: ten.1177/0734282915569447

Test Description

Full general Clarification

The Woodcock-Johnson 4 Tests of Achievement (WJ Iv ACH; Schrank, Mather, & McGrew,

2014a) is an individually administered measure containing tests of reading, mathematics, written

linguistic communication, and academic cognition. Areas of reading, mathematics, and written language each

include tests of basic skills, fluency, and awarding. Academic cognition includes tests of sci-

ence, social studies, and humanities. The test authors notation that the WJ IV ACH can be used to

assist with determining an individual's academic strengths and weaknesses, diagnosing specific

abilities and disabilities, and educational planning (Schrank et al., 2014a). When used in con-

junction with the WJ Iv Tests of Cognitive Abilities (WJ Iv COG; Schrank, McGrew, & Mather,

2014) and the WJ IV Tests of Oral Language (WJ IV OL; Schrank, Mather, & McGrew, 2014b),

information technology tin can likewise exist used to evaluate variations betwixt an individual's accomplishment and cognitive and

linguistic abilities. Interpretation of WJ IV test batteries is based on the Cattell–Horn–Carroll

(CHC) theory of cerebral abilities (run into Schneider & McGrew, 2012).

The WJ IV ACH was published by Riverside in 2014; the previous version, the WJ Three Tests

of Achievement (Woodcock, McGrew, & Mather, 2001), was published in 2001. In that location are seven

new tests in the WJ IV ACH; nonetheless, it no longer includes tests of oral language abilities equally

these are now published separately. Examiners should take knowledge of exact WJ 4 ACH

assistants and scoring procedures; graduate-level grooming in educational and psychological

cess is recommended (Schrank et al., 2014a). The test may be administered to individuals

from age two to over 90 years. Near of the tests in the WJ Four ACH require five to 10 min to adminis-

ter; however, some require 15 to twenty min.

Specific Description

The WJ IV ACH contains two test batteries. The Standard Battery contains eleven tests; at that place are

3 alternate and parallel forms (A, B, and C) of tests in this battery. The single version of the

Extended Battery contains nine tests. Notably, Tests i through 6 are considered the core set of

tests and are required for computing intra-achievement variations (Schrank et al., 2014a).

Administration of the WJ IV ACH yields up to 22 cluster scores for interpretation; tests in the

Standard Battery form 15 cluster scores, and administration of the Extended Battery provides an

additional seven cluster scores.

Seven reading clusters are available. The Reading cluster is a measure out of reading decoding and

reading comprehension. The Wide Reading cluster is a measure out of reading decoding, reading

569447JPAXXX10.1177/0734282915569447Journal of Psychoeducational AssessmentTest Review

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392 Journal of Psychoeducational Assessment 33(4)

speed, and reading comprehension. These offset ii clusters can be calculated by administering

the core fix of tests. The Basic Reading Skills cluster measures sight vocabulary, phonics, and

structural analysis. The Reading Comprehension and Reading Comprehension–Extended clusters

mensurate comprehension, reasoning, and vocabulary. Reading Fluency is a cluster that measures

prosody, automaticity, and accuracy. Reading Rate measures automaticity with reading at the

unmarried word and sentence levels. Notably, the WJ IV ACH includes clusters that were not nowadays

in the WJ III ACH, including Reading Comprehension–Extended, Reading Fluency, and Reading

Charge per unit. Run across Figure 1 for a listing of the names of the WJ Iv ACH reading clusters and the tests that

contribute to them.

Four math clusters are available. The Mathematics cluster provides a measure of trouble

solving and computational skill. The Broad Mathematics cluster is a measure of trouble solving,

number facility, automaticity, and reasoning. These beginning two clusters tin be calculated past admin-

istering the core set of tests. Math Adding Skills is a cluster that measures computational

skills and automaticity with basic math facts. Math Problem Solving measures mathematical

knowledge and reasoning. There are no significant differences in the math clusters of the WJ IV

ACH and the WJ III ACH. See Figure 2 for a list of the names of the WJ IV ACH math clusters

and the tests that contribute to them.

Four written linguistic communication clusters are available. The Written Linguistic communication cluster measures spelling

and quality of expression. The Broad Westwardritten Language cluster measures spelling, writing influenza-

ency, and quality of expression. These outset two clusters tin can be calculated past administering the

core ready of tests. Basic Writing Skills measures spelling and identifying and correcting errors in

spelling, punctuation, capitalization, and discussion usage. Written Expression is a cluster that mea-

sures meaningful written expression and sentence writing fluency. There are no meaning dif-

ferences in the written language clusters of the WJ 4 ACH and the WJ 3 ACH. See Figure three for

a listing of the names of the WJ 4 ACH written linguistic communication clusters and the tests that contribute to

them.

Seven cross-domain clusters are available. Two of these clusters—Brief Achievement and

Wide Achievement—are full general academic proficiency clusters that measure operation in

reading, writing, and math. The Academic Skills, Bookish Fluency, and Academic Applications

clusters comprise tests of reading, math, and written language. Academic Skills is a measure of

Test Cluster

Letter of the alphabet -Word Identification

Passage ComprehensionR eading

Word Attack Wide Reading

Oral ReadingB asic Reading Skills

Sentence Reading Fluencyr eading Comprehensionb

Reading Call backaReading Comp.- Extended b

Word Reading FluencyaReading Fluency

Reading Vocabularya Reading Rateb

Figure i. Woodcock-Johnson 4 Tests of Achievement reading tests and reading clusters.

aTests come up from the Extended Battery.

bClusters require administration of tests from the Extended Battery.

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Exam Review 393

basic achievement skill, and it can be calculated by administering the cadre set of tests; Academic

Fluency is a measure of overall academic fluency; and Academic Applications is a mensurate of an

individual'due south power to apply academic skills to academic bug, and it can be calculated past

administering the core set of tests. The Bookish Knowledge cluster provides a broad sample of

knowledge in scientific discipline, social studies, and humanities. The Phoneme–Grapheme Noesis clus-

ter provides information about basic understanding of sound/symbol relationships.

Scoring Organisation

The paper Test Record booklet has built-in "Scoring Tables" that allow examiners to speedily

estimate age- and course-equivalent scores; even so, these represent general estimates, and then scores

for interpretation should be attained from the online scoring program (https://world wide web.wjscore.

com/). Admission to this plan is provided with purchase of paper Test Records. In addition to

precise age- and class-equivalent scores, the scoring program can provide percentile ranks, cog-

nitive-academic language proficiency (CALP) scores, relative proficiency index (RPI) scores, W

scores, and standard scores. Examiners tin can also select normal curve equivalent (NCE) scores,

stanine scores, T -scores, z scores, and proficiency range (e.g., average). Scores are provided for

tests and clusters.

Calculations of actual and predicted discrepancies and variations can as well be attained from the

online scoring system. Using the WJ 4 ACH, an examiner can make up one's mind intra-achievement and

bookish skills/academic fluency/bookish applications variations across areas of reading,

math, and written language. If used in conjunction with the other WJ IV examination batteries (i.e., WJ IV

COG and WJ 4 OL), comparison procedures can be used to determine whether an examinee is

achieving commensurate with his or her electric current levels of cognitive and oral language abilities.

Score reports tin exist output in PDF, web folio, or Westwardord formats. The online scoring program

indicates that it allows users to delete test records. Withal, the delete functionality only hides

the examination record; the record remains in the database and tin can be restored if needed. Also, exam records

must be "committed" to utilize the scoring system; later committing test record information (i.e.,

raw scores and observations ratings), users tin access reporting and score interpretation but simply

have 30 days to make changes to test data.

Test Materials

The WJ Iv ACH contains two easel Test Books, an Examiner's Manual, the Technical Manual on

CD, Test Record and Examinee Response booklets, an audio recording on CD, and scoring

guides. Examiners can besides access a Report and Score Interpretation Guide through the scoring

Examination Cluster

Practical ProblemsM athematics

Calculation Wide Mathematics

Math Facts FluencyM ath Adding Skills

Number Matricesa Math Problem Solvingb

Figure 2. Woodcock-Johnson IV Tests of Accomplishment mathematics tests and mathematics clusters.

aTests come from the Extended Battery.

bClusters require administration of tests from the Extended Battery.

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394 Journal of Psychoeducational Assessment 33(4)

website; this brief guide describes dissimilar written report elements that tin be selected for inclusion in

the score study.

In the easel Test Books, assistants and scoring directions confront the examiner and the

stimulus pictures and words face the examinee. General information and instructions specific

to each test—including suggested starting points and basal/ceiling rules—are included in the

Exam Books. The Test Books are user friendly; exact test instructions are highlighted in a dif-

ferently colored font to assist with standardized administration, and instructions are written in

a clear linguistic communication. The easel format limits the ability of the examinee to see examiner

information.

The Test Tape booklet is used to record identifying data, general observations of

behavior (due east.chiliad., attention and cocky-conviction), examinee responses, and raw scores. It also pro-

vides basal/ceiling rules and includes icons that indicate required materials (e.grand., stopwatch) for

each test. This booklet also includes Qualitative Observation Checklists for nearly of the tests in

the standard Test Book. The checklists for each exam are dissimilar, and they provide helpful infor-

mation non available from the general test session observations checklist.

The Examiner's Manual includes descriptions, specific administration information, and scor-

ing instructions for each test. It also includes reproducible test-by-examination checklists that may exist used

as a self-written report or ascertainment tool; this is especially helpful for those learning to administer the

WJ Iv ACH, and they tin can also serve as a structured ascertainment and evaluation tool for trainers.

Finally, the manual includes the scoring guide for the Writing Samples Test.

Technical Adequacy

Test Structure

Development of the WJ Four ACH incorporated multiple stages including a review and update of

the WJ III, cosmos of new tests and items, consultation with outside experts, and airplane pilot testing

and evaluation of items. Skilful consultants included experienced teachers, university faculty,

and psychologists; consultants assisted with new test and new particular development.

Reviews and studies of the WJ Iii Tests of Achievement indicated that many subtests had

inadequate floors and ceilings (Bradley-Johnson, Morgan, & Nutkins, 2004; Krasa, 2007).

Notably, the authors of the WJ IV ACH notation that one of the principal objectives of new detail devel-

opment was to extend the range of items at the very low and very high difficulty levels. In addi-

tion, for timed tests, items were added to reduce the number of examinees who would finish the

exam before the time limit. Adding new items also served to increase the item pool to allow for the

formation of the three parallel forms of the Standard Battery.

Test Cluster

Spelling Written Language

Writing Samples Wide Written Language

Judgement Writing FluencyB asic Writing Skillsb

Editinga Written Expression

Figure 3. Woodcock-Johnson IV Tests of Achievement written language tests and written linguistic communication clusters.

aTests come from the Extended Bombardment.

bClusters require administration of tests from the Extended Bombardment.

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Exam Review 395

Item Analysis

Items utilized in the WJ 4 ACH were evaluated using the item response theory measurement

model. Specifically, calibration, particular pool equating, and scaling were accomplished through the

employ of Rasch models (Rasch, 1980; Wright & Masters, 1982). Tests containing items that are

scored dichotomously were calibrated using the dichotomous Rasch model; those containing

multiple-signal items were calibrated using the partial credit form of the Rasch model.

Expert reviewers examined item content for potential bias for multiple groups of people (i.e.,

women, individuals with certain disabilities, and individuals from cultural or linguistic minority

backgrounds). Differential item performance was also evaluated to provide an empirical review of

item bias; in this example, items were evaluated past sexual practice, race, and ethnicity. All items flagged in the

differential item functioning analyses were reviewed by the examination authors to identify sources of

bias and, in most cases, were removed from final item pools.

Standardization Sample

A stratified sample was used based on projections from a U.South. Census Bureau written report from

2010. Depending on examinee age, samples were stratified based on demography region, sex, coun-

endeavour of birth, race, ethnicity, community type, parent education, blazon of schoolhouse, type of college,

educational attainment, employment status, and occupational level. Data were collected from

seven,416 individuals from geographically diverse areas and were divided into 4 major sample

levels. The preschool sample (ages 2 through 5 years) contained 664 children; the kindergar-

ten through 12th-grade sample contained 3,891 examinees; the college/university sample

independent 775 graduate and undergraduate students; and the adult sample contained ii,086

examinees.

Comparisons between the WJ 4 norming sample and the U.Southward. Demography projections were con-

ducted at the major levels. The norming sample distribution matched the demography information closely;

even so, individuals with higher didactics levels were overrepresented in the adult sample.

Examinee weighting was applied during the exam norm construction to business relationship for such discrep-

ancies; if an examinee belonged to a category that was overrepresented in the norming written report

sample, the examinee's fractional weight for that variable was less than i.0, and vice versa.

Reliability

Internal consistency. Internal consistency reliabilities for all untimed tests with dichotomously

scored items were calculated using the split-half procedure based on odd and even items. Reli-

abilities for these tests were primarily in the acceptable to excellent range (.84-.94). For tests

containing multiple-betoken items, reliabilities were calculated from mean square mistake values;

reliabilities on these tests were in the excellent range (.90-.96). Reliability estimates for the WJ

4 ACH announced improved compared with those reported for the WJ III ACH (run across Bradley-

Johnson et al., 2004). In addition, reliabilities of WJ Iv ACH cluster scores (.92-.97) are higher

than they are for individual tests and meet minimum expectations for scores used to brand

of import decisions (Ysseldyke & Nelson, 2012), so cluster scores are recommended for

interpretation.

Test–retest. Reliabilities for speeded tests were based on a test–retest model with a 1 day fourth dimension

frame. In most cases, test–retest correlations were in the acceptable to first-class range (.83-.95),

indicating adequate exam–retest stability. Reliabilities for speeded tests also appear to be ameliorate-

ments over those from the WJ III ACH, and the reliabilities of cluster scores that include speeded

tests are in the acceptable range for making important decisions.

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396 Periodical of Psychoeducational Cess 33(four)

Alternative forms equivalence. As previously noted, tests in the Standard Battery are bachelor in

three parallel forms. Items were selected for each form so that the detail difficulty gradient was

approximately equal for each and and then that each contained equal representation of the intended test

content. Content-area curriculum experts provided consultation on the comparability of the three

forms, and equivalence was besides evaluated past comparing exam characteristic curves. Empirical

prove supports the equivalence of the alternate forms.

Validity

Content validity. Content was designed to encompass core curricular areas and accomplishment speci-

fied in federal legislation. In addition to content review past the test authors and content-area

experts, multidimensional scaling (MDS) was used as a supplemental empirical tool. MDS

provides data most content and processes underlying performance on diverse tasks;

the Technical Manual (McGrew, LaForte, & Schrank, 2014) provides detailed information on

the results of MDS analyses of the WJ 4 tests, and results suggest adequate content

validity.

Construct validity. Reported intercorrelations bespeak that correlations are higher among related

WJ IV ACH tests than amidst unrelated WJ IV ACH tests. Correlations are especially loftier among

related WJ IV ACH clusters. This is expected, as many of the clusters utilize the same tests. For

case, Test one (Letter-Westord Identification) is utilized in deriving scores for the Reading, Broad

Reading, and Basic Reading Skills clusters. Confirmatory multivariate statistical methods indi-

cated that reading and writing tests demonstrated moderate to loftier factor loadings on the CHC

Reading and Writing domain, supporting the validity of the reading and writing clusters. Moder-

ate to stiff math test loadings on the CHC Quantitative Noesis domain too provided valid-

ity prove. Notably, factor analyses were conducted to meet how individual tests loaded on CHC

wide factors (see Schneider & McGrew, 2012); factor analyses were not conducted to determine

how individual tests loaded on WJ Iv ACH clusters.

Concurrent validity. Five studies examined the relationship between WJ IV ACH scores and scores

from the Kaufman Test of Educational Achievement–Second Edition (KTEA-Two; Kaufman &

Kaufman, 2004), the Westechsler Private Accomplishment Test–Third Edition (WIAT-III; Wechsler,

2009), and the Oral and Written Language Scales–Westwardritten Expression (OWLS-WE; Carrow-

Woolfolk, 1996). WJ Iv ACH clusters by and large showed their highest correlations with the mea-

sures of the same KTEA-Ii and WIAT-III domain composites. The WJ 4 ACH written language

clusters demonstrated moderate to strong correlations with the OWLS-Nosotros full score. Overall,

these correlations provide evidence of adequate concurrent validity. See the WJ IV ACH Techni-

cal Transmission for more detailed results of these analyses.

Clinical validity. The Technical Manual also provides results of a clinical validity report that exam-

ined the relationship between exam scores and group membership status. Of item relevance to

the WJ IV ACH is the test of examination scores for examinees identified as having learning

disabilities (LDs) in reading, math, or writing. The LD-reading grouping was the only LD group

with mean reading test scores consistently below 80; in those instances where specific reading

test scores were common beyond the iii LD groups, the LD-reading grouping's mean score was

lower than the mean grouping scores for both the LD-writing and the LD-math groups. Even so,

there were no clear-cut differences in scores in math and written language tests between the iii

LD groups. These results not only provide some boosted testify of validity for the reading

tests but also demonstrate that interpretation of exam information should exist done in conjunction

with other relevant data.

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Test Review 397

Commentary and Recommendations

The WJ Four ACH assesses core curricular areas and achievement specified in federal legislation.

The types of items and range of difficulty of tests seem appropriate for the stated population, and

it appears especially useful for determining the academic achievement of students at the primary

and secondary levels. The WJ 4 ACH has been developed with a large, nationally representative

sample. Information regarding reliability and validity is detailed and meets minimum require-

ments for tests used to make important decisions (e.g., diagnosing disabilities).

A detail force of the WJ IV ACH is that it has been co-normed with the WJ Iv COG

and the WJ 4 OL. This is particularly useful for professionals conducting comprehensive evalu-

ations that crave assessment of multiple areas of functioning. Some other forcefulness of the WJ 4

ACH is that test materials are well structured and the repeated presentation of administration

procedures in the Test Books and Test Tape booklet is helpful. The add-on of Qualitative

Observation Checklists is welcome and may encourage examiners to be more thoughtful nigh

collecting observation data throughout testing. Finally, for evaluations conducted with school-

age children, the WJ IV ACH tests and clusters are at present aligned with all of the reading, writing,

and math categories listed in the specific learning inability definition of the Individuals With

Disabilities Education Human action (2004).

The WJ Iv ACH also has some weaknesses. Although the authors state that it may be useful

for instructional planning, the WJ IV ACH provides only a broad sampling of accomplishment areas,

and the sample of skills is too limited for comprehensive instructional planning. Moreover,

although the WJ IV ACH yields up to 22 cluster scores, information technology is important to note that nearly of the 20

WJ Iv ACH tests are utilized in calculating multiple clusters; this results in peculiarly high cor-

relations between clusters in related areas (due east.g., reading) and suggests some redundancy betwixt

clusters. In improver, although the WJ IV ACH has been normed on children as young every bit 2 years

of age, many of the tests accept inadequate floors for children in early on childhood; examiners should

consider giving alternate tests when working with very young children.

The WJ 4 ACH also has changes that examiners take to consider. First, those who have used

the WJ Iii ACH may be surprised to find that the tests of oral language abilities have been

removed from the WJ IV ACH. This modify may be particularly relevant to those working in

schoolhouse settings where administering tests of oral language abilities are considered a typical function

of completing a comprehensive evaluation. Second, the complete shift to an online scoring and

data management organization, while having benefits, may likewise cause concerns nearly privacy and

confidentiality.

Despite these relatively small limitations, the WJ IV ACH is a strong exam and meets its stated

purpose. If used appropriately, and every bit a complement to other forms of psychological and educa-

tional data, it can certainly assist with diagnosis of specific disabilities and can serve every bit a general

evaluation tool to guide more narrow evaluations that can improve inform intervention and educa-

tional planning.

Declaration of Conflicting Interests

The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of involvement with respect to the enquiry, authorship, and/or

publication of this article.

Funding

The author(s) received no financial support for the inquiry, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

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... Raw scores ranged from 0 to 47 in the spring of preschool. The WJLW-IV has a reliability of .84 to .94 for children ages 2 to vii years (Villarreal, 2015). ...

... Raw scores ranged from 0 to 21 in the spring of preschool. The WJAP-IV has also demonstrated high reliability (Villarreal, 2015). ...

The Classroom Assessment Scoring Organization (Form) is a widely administered measure of classroom quality that assesses teacher-child interactions in the domains of Emotional Support, Classroom System, and Instructional Support. We use data from an evaluation of land-funded prekindergarten provided to 684 children from families with depression incomes (Mage = 57.56 months, 48% female) to examine the extent to which Grade scores vary over the course of an observational period inside a single twenty-four hour period and investigate whether this variability is related to children's school readiness at the end of the preschool yr, holding constant two boosted measures of quality. Instructor-kid interactions in all three domains were moderately stable. Mean Classroom Organization was positively related to math, and variability in Classroom Organisation was negatively related to literacy. Mean Instructional Support was negatively associated with linguistic communication. Findings have implications for programs that use the CLASS to brand high-stakes decision and inform professional evolution.

... Iii subtests of the Woodcock-Johnson 4 Tests of Achievement (WJ-4) were used as assessments to compute the Academic Skills Cluster (Schrank et al., 2015): Letter-Word Identification, Spelling, and Calculation (run into Supplemental materials). ...

Children from depression-socioeconomic status (SES) households on average showroom lower academic accomplishment than their higher-SES peers. We investigated a novel hypothesis that differences in early-developing sensory networks—specifically the ventral visual stream (VVS), which is involved in processing visual stimuli—contribute to SES-related disparities in executive functions (EF) and academic outcomes. Nosotros used fMRI to investigate SES-related differences in neural function in children (vi–8 years, north = 62) during two attentional tasks involving attention to visual information: cued attention and memory-guided attention. Recruitment of VVS during both tasks was associated with EF and academic achievement, and SES-related differences in VVS activation during cued attending were marginally explained by differences in cognitive stimulation. VVS activation during cued attention mediated SES-related differences in academic achievement. Finally, the link betwixt VVS activation during both tasks and academic accomplishment was mediated past differences in EF. Nosotros extend previous work by highlighting that: (i) early-developing visual processing regions play a function in supporting complex attentional processes, (ii) babyhood SES is associated with VVS function, which is explained in part past SES-related differences in cerebral stimulation and (iii) provide preliminary evidence that individual differences in VVS part may play a role in the emergence of the income-accomplishment gap.

... International recommendations propose supplementing the standard psychometric evaluations-e.thousand., Wechsler (40), NEPSY (37), and KABC Two (59) scales-with exam batteries measuring academic skills. In that location are numerous Englishlanguage examination batteries of this sort, including the Wechsler Individual Accomplishment Exam-Second Edition (WIAT-2) (60), Wide Range Achievement Test−fifth Edition (WRAT5) (61), Woodcock-Johnson Four Tests of Early Cognitive and Academic Evolution (ECAD) (62), and the Kaufman Test of Educational Achievement-Second Edition (KTEA-2) (63), taken to be the standard instruments. With the exception of the WIAT-2, normed with a express sample of francophone Canadians, none has been calibrated for a French-speaking population (64). ...

Background: Learning disabilities (LDs) are a major public health result, affecting cerebral functions and bookish performance for 8% of children. If LDs are non detected early and addressed through advisable interventions, they have a heavy impact on these children in the social, educational, and professional person spheres, at great cost to society. The BMT- i (Batterie Modulable de Tests informatisée, or "computerized Adaptable Test Battery") enables fast, easy, reliable assessments for each cognitive domain. Information technology has previously been validated in children ages 4–thirteen who had no prior complaints. The nowadays study demonstrates the sensitivity of the BMT- i , relative to reference examination batteries, for 191 children with cognitive difficulties. Materials and Methods: These 191 subjects were included in the study past the 14 pediatricians treating them for complaints in five cognitive domains: written language [60 (cases)]; mathematical cognition (40); oral language (60); handwriting, drawing, and visuospatial construction (45); and attention and executive functioning (45). In accordance with a predefined protocol, the children were administered BMT- i tests first, past their pediatricians, and reference tests afterward, past specialists to whom the BMT- i test results were not disclosed. Comparison of BMT- i and reference test results made it possible to evaluate sensitivity and agreement between tests. Results: For each of the 5 domains, the BMT- i was very sensitive (0.91–1), and normal BMT- i results were highly predictive of normal results for specialized reference tests [negative likelihood ratio (LR–): 0–0.xvi]. There was close agreement betwixt BMT- i and reference tests in all domains except attention and executive performance, for which but moderate agreement was observed. Conclusion: The BMT- i offers rapid, reliable, simple computerized assessments whose sensitivity and understanding with reference test batteries brand information technology a suitable first-line instrument for LD screening in children 4–13 years old.

... Equally part of the comprehensive assessments, youth completed the Woodcock Johnson Tests of Achievement (WJ-Ach) 1 . The WJ-Ach has demonstrated good to excellent content validity and concurrent validity with other accomplishment measures (Villarreal, 2015). The Broad Achievement composite, a measure out of general bookish proficiency beyond reading, writing, and math, was used in the present report as a measure of pre-COVID academic achievement. ...

During the COVID-xix pandemic, a major educational shift took identify—the transition from face-to-face instruction to remote learning. Although this transition impacted all learners, it is speculated that groups of vulnerable youth (i.e., those with neurodevelopmental disorders, in rural areas, from low-income families) would demonstrate significant difficulties with remote instruction. Withal, no work to engagement has investigated remote learning in these groups in rural settings. Accordingly, the aim of this study was to narrate remote learning experiences in youth with neurodevelopmental disorders from rural Appalachia. Xl-nine youth (ages 6-17 years) and caregivers who had previously completed a comprehensive psychoeducational cess were contacted to participate in an online written report during COVID-19 stay-at-home orders. Youth and caregivers reported on psychopathology, emotion regulation and coping strategies, remote learning experiences, and demographics. The majority (87%) of students in rural Appalachia were not receiving the recommended amount of direct remote didactics. Indeed, the majority of school services received pre-COVID were not connected during remote learning. Greater child emotion dysregulation and parent psychopathology were predictive of remote learning difficulties and less engagement. Youth's adaptive coping abilities were predictive of greater full schoolwork per mean solar day. Parent employment was associated with greater difficulty with remote learning, merely IEP/504 status and family income were not related to remote learning experiences. Results identified intervention leverage points, including improving adaptive coping and emotion regulation abilities, and reducing parent psychopathology and stress, to better remote learning outcomes for youth in rural settings with neurodevelopmental disorders.

... During the T2 follow-upwardly, iii subsets of the Woodcock-Johnson Four Tests of Achievement (WJ Four) were used every bit assessments of academic accomplishment (Schrank et al., 2015): Letter-Word Identification, Spelling, and Calculation. Each test presented the participants with items of increasing difficulty. ...

Childhood socioeconomic status (SES) is associated with numerous aspects of cerebral development and disparities in academic accomplishment. The specific environmental factors that contribute to these disparities remain poorly understood. We used observational methods to characterize three aspects of the early on environment that may contribute to SES-related differences in cognitive development: violence exposure, cognitive stimulation, and quality of the physical environment. We evaluated the associations of these environmental characteristics with associative retention, cued attending, and memory-guided attending in a sample of 101 children anile sixty-75 months. We further investigated whether these specific cognitive abilities mediated the association between SES and academic achievement xviii months later on. Violence exposure was specifically associated with poor associative memory, but non cued attending or retentivity-guided attending. Cerebral stimulation and college quality physical environment were positively associated with cued attention accuracy, but not after adjusting for all other environmental variables. The quality of the physical surround was associated with retentivity-guided attention accuracy. Of the cognitive abilities examined, merely memory-guided attention contributed to SES-related differences in bookish achievement. These findings suggest specificity in how detail aspects of early on environmental experience scaffold different types of attention and memory subserved by distinct neural circuits and shed light on a novel cognitive-developmental mechanism underlying SES-related disparities in academic achievement.

... The subtests that were administered from the WJ-3 have been retained in the WJ-IV, with similar assistants and scoring procedures, except for oral language, which was removed. The main changes from WJ-III to WJ-IV (i.due east., renorming and extension of items at low and loftier difficulty levels, to address flooring and ceiling effects; Villarreal, 2015) would not exist expected to significantly influence examiner assistants or scoring errors. The KTEA-3 has retained all xiv subtests that were part of the KTEA-2, and changes primarily involved extension of the age range of the test and the addition of several new subtests (Breaux & Lichtenberger, 2016). ...

  • Gina L. Harrison Gina L. Harrison
  • Lauren D. Goegan
  • Sarah J. Macoun

This report examined the scoring errors across iii widely used achievement tests (Kaufman Examination of Educational Accomplishment–Second Edition [KTEA-2], Woodcock–Johnson Tests of Achievement–3rd Edition [WJ-Three], and the Wechsler Private Achievement Test–Third Edition [WIAT-Iii]) by novice examiners. A total of 114 protocols were evaluated for differences between the measures on the frequency and type of scoring errors. Within-measure analyses were too conducted to identify particular composites or subtests that might be more prone to fault. Among the three measures, the WIAT-III was found to take the most scoring elements and was, therefore, the measure most susceptible to errors in scoring. Irrespective of the measure, more errors occurred on composites requiring greater examiner inference and estimation, like to previous studies on the propensity of scoring errors on cognitive measures. Results are discussed in relation to assessment fidelity and to assessment preparation practices.

  • Kesha Due north. Hudson
  • Michael T. Willoughby

The Canadian Little Developmental Coordination Disorder Questionnaire (Little DCDQ-CA) is a parent-report screening instrument that identifies iii- to iv-year-old children who may be at take a chance for Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD). We tested the factor structure and benchmark validity of the Little DCDQ-CA in a sample of preschool-anile children in the United States ( North = 233). Gene analysis indicated that the DCDQ-CA was best represented by one gene. Using cutoff scores that were proposed by the developer, 45% of the sample was identified as at-hazard for DCD. Although a much larger percentage of children was identified as at-hazard than would be expected based on the prevalence of formal DCD diagnoses in the population, the Lilliputian DCDQ-CA demonstrated good criterion validity. Specifically, compared with their peers, children who exceeded the at-risk criterion demonstrated worse motor competence, executive functioning skills, and early numeracy skills and were rated as having greater ADHD behaviors by their teachers, all consistent with expectations for children who are at risk for DCD. Results are discussed as they relate to future apply of the Little DCDQ-CA.

  • Kesha N. Hudson
  • Haley M. Ballou
  • Michael T. Willoughby

Previous studies have documented that individual differences in fine and gross motor skills are associated with executive function (EF) skills. This study used an experimental design to test whether participating in cognitively challenging motor skills activities was causally related to improvements in motor skills and two primal indicators of school readiness: executive function and early on numeracy skills. The motor skill programme involved fine and gross motor game‐like activities that were delivered in a pocket-sized group format. Activities were socially engaging and progressively challenged children based on their motor competencies. Fifty‐three preschool‐aged children participated in 16 motor skill sessions across eight weeks. There were significant treatment effects for all outcomes, such that children in the treatment condition exhibited significant improvements in motor, EF, and early on numeracy skills, compared to their peers in the waitlist control condition. Treatment effects on EF skills were stronger for inhibitory command than working retention. Improvements in numeracy were most pronounced for children with initially lower levels of ability. Motor skill‐based interventions are an ecologically valid and developmentally appropriate approach for fostering school readiness skills in early childhood.

This report investigated the association of timed visual processing tasks varying in levels of phonological processing with word reading. Nosotros tested 293 Chinese children on Cross Out, Visual Matching, rapid automatized naming (RAN), and Chinese character recognition across three to five years. Children's character recognition at ages 6 and 7 predicted Cantankerous Out at ages 7 and 8. At that place was a cross-lagged relationship between character recognition and Visual Matching from ages 6 to 7. However, simply character recognition at historic period vii predicted Visual Matching at age viii. While RAN and graphic symbol recognition predicted each other from ages five to half dozen. Simply simply RAN predicted subsequent graphic symbol recognition from historic period 6 to age 9. Results advise that learning to read Chinese promotes visual processing when a phonological component is not required in such processing, just conversion from visual codes to phonological codes predicts reading in Chinese.

Estradiol is known to play an important part in the developing human brain, but piffling is known on the entire network of potential regions which might exist afflicted and on how these furnishings may vary from childhood to early machismo, which in plough can explain sexually differentiated behaviors. Here we examined the relationship between estradiol, cortico‐amygdalar structural covariance, and cognitive or behavioral measures typically showing sex differences (verbal/spatial skills, anxious‐depressed symptomatology) in 152 children and adolescents (half dozen‐22 years old). Cortico‐amygdalar structural covariance shifted from positive to negative across the historic period range. Estradiol was found to diminish the impact of historic period on cortico‐amygdalar covariance for the pre‐supplementary motor area/frontal eye field and retrosplenial cortex (across the age range), and for the posterior cingulate cortex (in older children). Moreover, the influence of estradiol on age‐related cortico‐amygdalar networks was associated with higher give-and-take identification and spatial working retentiveness (across the age range), equally well as higher reading comprehension (in older children), merely did not impact anxious‐depressed symptoms. There were no significant sex effects on any of the above relationships. These findings confirm the importance of developmental timing on estradiol‐related effects and hint at the non‐sexually dimorphic part of estradiol‐related cortico‐amygdalar structural networks in aspects of cognition singled-out from emotional processes. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Quantitative knowledge (Gq) can be defined as the depth and breadth of knowledge related to mathematics. … Information technology consists of acquired knowledge almost mathematics, such as knowledge of mathematical symbols .., operations (e.m., addition-subtraction, multiplication-sectionalization, exponentiation-nth rooting, factorials, negation, and many others), computational procedures (e.g., long division, reducing fractions, the quadratic formula, and many others), and other math-related skills (east.1000., using a figurer, math software, and other math aids). (Schneider & McGrew, 2012, S. 127)

  • Nancy Krasa Nancy Krasa

This report assesses the adequacy of item gradients and ceilings for the subtests of the Woodcock-Johnson Three (WJ 3) Cognitive and Achievement batteries, including the Diagnostic Supplement, in their use with participants ages xvi to 25 and Grades x to 18. Of the 52 subtests, 18 comprise adequate detail gradients and ceilings for the entire age and grade range. The remaining 34 sub-tests take inadequate ceilings and/or inadequate item gradients in at to the lowest degree the interval between the first and second standard deviations higher up the mean, every bit predicted by the growth curves of the factor clusters, which peak around age 25. The study discusses developmental and practical implications and suggests improvements for the next revision of the WJ.

Oral and Written Linguistic communication Scales: Written expression

  • E Carrow-Woolfolk

Carrow-Woolfolk, E. (1996). Oral and Written Language Scales: Written expression. Torrance, CA: Western Psychological Services. Individuals With Disabilities Educational activity Act, 20 U.S.C. § 1400 (2004).

Kaufman Exam of Educational Achievement

  • A S Kaufman
  • Due north L Kaufman

Kaufman, A. Southward., & Kaufman, N. L. (2004). Kaufman Examination of Educational Accomplishment (2nd ed.). San Antonio, TX: Pearson.