Predictors Of School Performance Research Articles

The links among action-control beliefs, intellective skill, and school performance in Japanese, US, and German school children

We compared the relationships among action-control beliefs, intellective skill, and actual school performance in samples of children from Tokyo ( n = 817, grades 2-6), Los Angeles ( n = 657), and West Berlin ( n = 517). Although these samples have been utilised in other comparative studies we have conducted, the role and function of intellective skill, as measured by the Raven Progressive Matrices, has not before been examined. The results of our analyses predicting school performance from the action-control beliefs and the Raven scores were quite revealing. The amount of variance in actual school performance that was shared with (1) the children's action-control beliefs and (2) their Raven scores was very high in West Berlin (86%) and Tokyo (73%), but very low in Los Angeles (37%). These outcomes strengthen arguments that the comparatively high levels of personal agency, but low correlations with performance, are distinctive characteristics of US socioeducational contexts.

Neuropsychological Test Scores, Academic Performance, and Developmental Disorders in Spanish-Speaking Children

Limited information is currently available about performance of Spanish-speaking children on different neuropsychological tests. This study was designed to (a) analyze the effects of age and sex on different neuropsychological test scores of a randomly selected sample of Spanish-speaking children, (b) analyze the value of neuropsychological test scores for predicting school performance, and (c) describe the neuropsychological profile of Spanish-speaking children with learning disabilities (LD). Two hundred ninety (141 boys, 149 girls) 6- to 11-year-old children were selected from a school in Bogota, Colombia. Three age groups were distinguished: 6- to 7-, 8- to 9-, and 10- to 11-year-olds. Performance was measured utilizing the following neuropsychological tests: Seashore Rhythm Test, Finger Tapping Test (FTT), Grooved Pegboard Test, Children's Category Test (CCT), California Verbal Learning Test-Children's Version (CVLT-C), Benton Visual Retention Test (BVRT), and Bateria Woodcock Psicoeducativa en Espanol (Woodcock, 1982). Normative scores were calculated. Age effect was significant for most of the test scores. A significant sex effect was observed for 3 test scores. Intercorrelations were performed between neuropsychological test scores and academic areas (science, mathematics, Spanish, social studies, and music). In a post hoc analysis, children presenting very low scores on the reading, writing, and arithmetic achievement scales of the Woodcock battery were identified in the sample, and their neuropsychological test scores were compared with a matched normal group. Finally, a comparison was made between Colombian and American norms.

Measuring Peer Pressure, Popularity, and Conformity in Adolescent Boys and Girls: Predicting School Performance, Sexual Attitudes, and Substance Abuse

Existing measures of peer pressure and conformity may not be suitable for screening large numbers of adolescents efficiently, and few studies have differentiated peer pressure from theoretically related constructs, such as conformity or wanting to be popular. We developed and validated short measures of peer pressure, peer conformity, and popularity in a sample (n = 148) of adolescent boys and girls in grades 11 to 13. Results showed that all measures constructed for the study were internally consistent. Although all measures of peer pressure, conformity, and popularity were intercorrelated, peer pressure and peer conformity were stronger predictors of risk behaviors than measures assessing popularity, general conformity, or dysphoria. Despite a simplified scoring format, peer conformity vignettes were equal to if not better than the peer pressure measures in predicting risk behavior. Findings suggest that peer pressure and peer conformity are potentially greater risk factors than a need to be popular, and that both peer pressure and peer conformity can be measured with short scales suitable for large-scale testing.

Modeling the prediction of elementary school adjustment from preschool temperament

While there is a growing body of research demonstrating associations between temperament and behavior problems, there are few longitudinal studies of temperament rated in early childhood, and behavior problems and skills assessed during the elementary school years in which different sources of data are used. In this research, parental ratings of temperament at age 5 years were used to predict school performance problems, behavior problems and positive social behaviors as rated by teachers at age 8 years. Using Latent Variable Path Analysis With Partial Least Squares Estimation parent rated negative emotionality was found to be a substantial predictor of externalizing behavior problems, and a modest predictor of positive social behaviors (negative direction). Also, self-regulation of motor behavior and attention were found to be predictive of school performance problems, and positive social behavior. This study strengthens the empirical literature on the connection between temperament and behavior problems, particularly problems observed in school setting. It underscores the importance of parent rated negative emotionality as a potent predictor of later occurring behavior problems.

A neuropsychological approach to intelligence.

This paper proposes that current psychometric intelligence tests are limited in evaluating cognitive activity. From a neuropsychological perspective, they fail to measure some fundamental cognitive abilities such as executive functions, memory, and visuospatial abilities. The analysis of the Wechsler Intelligence Scale presented shows that the original rationale for selecting the specific subtests included in the WAIS was unclear. The concept of a g factor in cognition is also analyzed, with the conclusion that the g factor continues to be controversial. The value of intelligence tests in predicting school performance is also criticized. It is proposed that the psychometric concept of general intelligence should be deleted from cognitive and neurological sciences. Finally, it is proposed that, in the future, neuropsychological instruments sensitive to more specific cognitive abilities replace current psychometric intelligence tests.

8 YEAR EDUCATIONAL OUTCOME OF THE <801 G BIRTHWEIGHT INFANT: RELATIONSHIP TO ASSESSMENT AT 3 YEARS OF AGE. ▴ 1601

Eighty infants <801 g birthweight (BW) (range 490-800 g) were evaluated at 3 and 8 yrs of age. Results of the 3 yr assessments were reviewed to determine their usefulness in predicting school performance at 8 yrs of age. Neurodevelopmental status of infants at 3 yrs of age were as follows: 27 (30%)“normal” (IQ and motor quotient [PMQ] ≥84), 39 (50%)“suspect” (IQ or PMQ 69-83), and 14 (20%) “abnormal”(IQ or PMQ ≤68, CP, visual, or auditory impairment). Eighty-nine per cent(24/27) of “normals” and 7% (1/14) of “abnormals” were in a regular classroom without educational assistance at 8 yrs of age(p<.0001). Of the 3 yr “suspect” infants, 20% (8/39) were in special education classes, 33% (12/39) were held back one grade or were receiving learning disability assistance, and 46% (18/39) were functioning in an age-appropriate classroom, although only 6 (15%) were not referred for or receiving additional services outside of school. Within the“suspect” category, 75% (8/12) of infants with combined cognitive and motor concerns were in special educational or remedial classes compared to 33% (7/21) with borderline cognition alone. Three infants with motor dysfunction alone were in a regular classroom setting. For infants in each status category, the 8 year IQ was better predicted by the 3 yr IQ adjusted for prematurity rather than the IQ based on chronologic age.

Educational Risk and Resilience in African-American Youth: Context, Self, Action, and Outcomes in School

This study examined the empirical validity of a model of human motivation as it applies to school success and failure in 3 independent samples of 10- to 16-year-old African-American youth. Specifically, we assessed how indicators of context, self, and action relate to measures of risk and resilient outcomes in school in 3 different samples, using 3 different measurement strategies. Correlational and path analyses on the 3 data sets supported the empirical validity of the model. African-American youth's experience of their parents' school involvement predicted a composite of self-system processes, which in turn predicted the subjects' reports of their engagement in school. Engagement then predicted school performance and adjustment. The data supported a reciprocal path from action to context, suggesting that youth who show more disaffected patterns of behavior and emotion in school experience less support from their families than those reporting more engaged patterns of action. Implications for program and policy decisions are discussed.

School-based clinic use and school performance

School-based health clinics (SBCs) have been promoted as an innovative approach to providing adolescent health care. The present study examined the effect of a SBC on academic success. We studied the effect of clinic registration and use on students' absence, suspension, withdrawal, and graduation or promotion rates in an alternative high school for students who were not able to succeed in traditional educational programs. On average, these 322 high-risk students attended school only 56% of the time; 24% were suspended; and only 26% graduated or were promoted. The 189 (59%) students who were registered to use the clinic and the 159 (49%) who actually used the clinic were as likely to be absent or to be suspended as non-registered students. However, students who used the clinic were significantly more likely to stay in school, and to graduate or be promoted than students who were not registered for the clinic. This relationship was strongest for black males; those who used the clinic were nearly three times [odds ratio = 0.35; 95% confidence interval (CI) = (0.16–0.78)] more likely to stay in school than those who did not use the clinic. In multiple linear regression models predicting school performance, only clinic use and percent of enrolled days absent were significantly associated with graduation/promotion, and these two variables predicted 23% of the variance in promotion status.

The effect of social influence on cognitive development and school performance.

Three months before school entrance a sample of 29 children and their mothers was tested for degree of decentred child educability and degree of decentred maternal teaching. Mother and child were tested in two different situations, thus preventing interdependency between the measures of mother and child. Four months after school entrance, teacher judgements of school performance were obtained. A strong correspondence between degree of decentred child educability and degree of decentred maternal teaching was demonstrated. Degree of decentred maternal teaching and degree of decentred child educability were found to be good predictors of school performance, accounting for respectively 45 and 33% of the variance in school performance. In contrast a test of school readiness only accounted for 2% of the variance. A test of intelligence given after the teacher judgement accounted for 31% of the variance. The fact that the mother seems to be a better predictor of her child's school performance than the child himself, supports the assumption that parents, particularly mothers, are important mediators between the child and the outer world.

Imposed-Etic and Emic Measures of Intelligence as Predictors of Early School Performance of Rural Philippine Children

Emic and imposed-etic strategies were applied to the assessment of intelligence in rural Philippine children. Emic (culture-specific) measures assessed children's "intelligence" as conceptualized by rural adults. We concluded that Western-type (imposed-etic) tests measure a concept of intelligence that only partially overlaps emic conceptions. The imposed-etic measures were better than the emic measures as predictors of school performance, which could be viewed as an imposed-etic criterion. Most indigenous (emic) competencies showed no relationship to school performance. Thus what is "intelligent" in everyday barrio functioning ("everyday intelligence') is distinct from "academic intelligence."

Early Mother-Infant Interaction and Infant Cognitive Status as Predictors of School Performance and Cognitive Behavior in Six-Year-Olds

This study examines the predictive validity of early mother-infant interaction for development in early childhood. Observations of the interaction between 40 mothers and their 3-month-old infants were used in multiple regression analyses to predict math and reading achievement, conversation, and WISC Vocabulary and Block Design performance at 6 years of age. Frequency and proportion of interaction measures were derived that represent types of maternal stimulation and responsivity. Frequency measures are counts of the occurrence of a given behavior, while proportion measures are the proportion of the mother's total behavior that occurred as a specific behavior. Percentage responsivity measures are the best predictors of child performance. However, type of responsivity is differentially related to cognitive performance. Proximal and vocal responsivity are related to reading and conservation, while distal responsivity to infant distress is related to math achievement. Results suggest that maternal behavior can be characterized along several different and conceptually relevant dimensions as these dimensions differentially account for aspects of early development.

Predicting school performance of preschool children from parent reports.

Parents of 391 preschool children ages 49 to 64 months completed a brief developmental inventory as part of a preschool screening program operated by an urban school district. The 28-item developmental inventory assessed adaptive behavior and language development. In addition, preschool children were administered the Minneapolis Preschool Screening Instrument. Teacher ratings of kindergarten performance the following year provided criterion data to validate the screening measures. Correlations with the overall teacher rating [the mean of nine ratings] were .40 for the adaptive behavior scale and .57 for the language scale. Validity figures for the developmental inventory were significantly higher for low SES than for high SES children, for older children [57 to 64 months] than for younger children [49 to 56 months], and for firstborn children than for younger siblings. No effects were found by sex. While a positive relationship between parent reports of developmental functioning and early school performance was clearly established, validity levels did not justify use of parent information as a sole source of preschool screening information.

Predicting school performance with the early screening inventory

Criteria are proposed for defining and selecting preschool developmental screening instruments. These criteria include the purpose, breadth, and psychometric properties of screening tests. The Early Screening Inventory (ESI) is a developmental screening instrument designed to satisfy these criteria. The test samples developmental, rather than school achievement, abilities and focuses on performance in a wide range of developmental areas. The results of several reliability and validity studies performed on the ESI are presented, demonstrating that the ESI predicts school performance with moderate to excellent accuracy through the end of second grade. The usefulness and limitations of the ESI in predicting school performance from kindergarten to grade four are discussed.

Test bias: The other side of the coin

Although there are a variety of definitions of test bias, none has provided a basis to support claims of bias, especially with respect to those tests that predict school performance. The fact that validity coefficients for such tests are consistently high suggests that what bias there is derives from the nature of the criteria; i.e., the cultural bias of schooling. And because schooling reflects social values, the resolution of the problem lies through social-political action and not psychological or psychometric advances.

“Project Screen” — A Follow‐up Study of a Pre‐school Screening Battery

Abstract This study examines a pre‐school screening survey battery with an aim to validate it in terms of predicting school performance. Subjects participating in the screening were tested at the end of their first year at school. Analysis of the data, using a canonical correlation procedure, suggested elimination of a number of test items ‐‐ age, sex, age of walking, socio‐economic rating, Draw‐a‐Man Test, balance and posture, body image, perceptual motor match, height and weight. Measures of general ability, visual discrimination, visual reception, general development, receptive language, language concepts and positional concepts were the best predictors of school performance.

Validating Panga Munthu Test and Porteus Maze Test (wooden form) in Zambia

This study aims at validating two non‐verbal, non paper‐and‐pencil tests, namely Panga Munthu and Porteus Maze (wooden form) on the basis of age differentiation and school performance. The subjects included Zambian school children from an intellectually average group aged 7–8 years, 9–10 years and 11–12 years; and also 11–12 years‐old bright and dull school children. The results show that the two tests differentiate the three age groups, but not the bright, average and dull 11–12 year old children. The tests in their present form thereby seem to measure some factor which matures with age, but they are not useful at predicting school performance. In Africa, especially rural Africa, intelligent behaviour is not usually measured by acadmic excellence. A study of the relationship between these tests and the African criteria for intelligence is recommended.

EVALUATION OF THE HOME ENVIRONMENT USING A SELF-ADMINISTERED QUESTIONNAIRE

A study was conducted to develop a brief self-administered questionnaire based on Caldwell's Home Observation for Measures of the Environment (HOME). Previous studies have demonstrated prediction of children's school performance based on home environment (SES) as well as developmental status. The Home Screening Questionnaire (HSQ) could be useful as a screening device for identifying home environments that may be detrimental to early development. Drawing items from two forms of the HOME, two corresponding forms of the HSQ were developed. 180 subjects drawn from private physicians offices (high SES) and public health clinics (low SES) completed the HSQ. Subsequently two examiners conducted Caldwell's interview in each of the subject's homes. Correlations between HOME and HSQ were significant for both Form 0-3 and 3-6, ranging from .42 to .77 (p < .01). Mean scores on the HSQ and HOME were higher in the private sample than in the clinic sample for all age groups. The distribution for the clinic samples, ages 0-3 years, was bi-modal, the lower tail identifying a high risk group for the low SES families. The distribution of scores for the clinic sample was lower than the private sample for both age groups (0-3 and 3-6). Previous studies have shown the Denver Developmental Screening Test (DDST) to have predictive validity for later school performance. The predictive power of the DDST could be increased if used in conjunction with the HSQ, for children under 6, to predict school performance and to identify cases where intervention might improve school performance.

Prediction of School Performance in Developing Countries

A comparison is made between two different kinds of predictors of school performance: previous school records and intelligence tests. It is shown that both predictors have their weaknesses, from a theoretical/psychometric as well as from a practical/ethical point of view. It is further demonstrated that a number of objections are particularly pertinent in developing countries. In this respect, special attention is paid to the negative effect on educational objectives and discrimination of less advantaged subgroups in the population. It is argued that, generally, school records may suffer more from these weaknesses than certain psychological tests, provided that the latter have been constructed carefully and have been adapted to the particular population. In the summary, therefore, an optimal "division of tasks" between school records and psychological tests is recommended.

The correlational validity of IQ as a function of ethnicity and desegregation

IQ tests were viewed solely as predictors in this investigation. It was printed out that there is little or no data to support the prevalent assumptions that IQ tests predict school performance equally well for different ethnic groups and/or in a desegregated school setting. Moreover, test users and publishers often mistakenly imply or assume that the correlational validity for a total ethnically heterogeneous population applies in equal magnitude to the respective ethnic subgroups of that population. An investigation to provide evidence relevant to these assumptions was conducted using all the pupils in grade K-3 in Berkeley, California—the first large district to voluntarily desegregate its schools completely. The results revealed equal but very low within-ethnic-group correlations between IQ and achievement measures administered concurrently prior to desegregation and for tests administered one and two years following desegregation. The correlations between IQ and the criteria for the ethnic groups were, as expected, significantly lower than the total population correlation. The practical implications of these findings of generally poor predictability were discussed.