Comparison of Three Intelligence Tests as Predictors of Academic Achievement and Classroom Behaviors of Mexican-American Children

Abstract

The school performance of low-income Mexican-American children was predicted from scores on three intelligence tests. The Stanford-Binet (S-B) was given at 3 years, S-B and McCarthy Scales of Children's Abilities (MSCA) at 4 years, and the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Revised (WISC-R) at 7-9 years. School grades, Iowa Test of Basic Skills (ITBS) scores, and the Classroom Behavior Inventory (CBI) comprised the school performance measures. Grades were predicted significantly by S-B, but there were no significant correlations for the other tests. All the intelligence tests had some significant correlations with some of the ITBS and CBI scores. The S-B and MSCA were about equal as preschool predictors of ITBS and CBI scores. The controversy over the value of the WISC-R in assessing minority-group children was discussed in view of the finding that WISC-R scores were significantly correlated with the ITBS but not with grades.