Examining the relation between PASS cognitive processes and superior reading and mathematics performance

Abstract

AbstractAlthough several studies have shown that planning, attention, simultaneous, and successive (PASS) cognitive processes—operationalized with the cognitive assessment system (CAS; Naglieri & Das, 1997)—are significant predictors of academic performance in the general population, little is known about their role among children with superior academic skills. Thus, the purpose of this study was to examine whether PASS processes can predict superior performance in reading and mathematics. We used the standardization sample of CAS (n = 1210) and further identified children with superior reading (n = 62) and mathematics (n = 73) performance on Woodcock–Johnson Tests of Achievement–Revised (Woodcock & Johnson, 1989). Results of the initial regression analyses showed that the PASS processes were significant predictors of superior reading and mathematics performance. Next, a classification and regression tree approach showed that the PASS scores could classify superior or not‐superior readers and mathematicians with 89% and 82% accuracy, respectively. Theoretical and practical implications of our results are discussed.