Standardized Reading Test Research Articles

Pathways Between a Polygenic Score for Educational Attainment and Higher Educational Attainment in an African American Sample.

We investigated the extent to which performance on standardized achievement tests, executive function (EF), and aggression in childhood and adolescence accounted for the relationship between a polygenic score for educational attainment (EA PGS) and years of education in a community sample of African Americans. Participants (N = 402; 49.9% female) were initially recruited for an elementary school-based prevention trial in a Mid-Atlantic city and followed into adulthood. In first and twelfth grade, participants completed math and reading standardized tests and teachers reported on participants' aggression and EF, specifically impulsivity and concentration problems. At age 20, participants reported on their years of education and post-secondary degrees attained and their genotype was assayed from blood or buccal swabs. An EA PGS was created using results from a large-scale GWAS on EA. A higher EA PGS was associated with higher education indirectly via adolescent achievement. No other mediating mechanisms were significant. Adolescent academic achievement is thus one mechanism through which polygenic propensity for EA influences post-secondary education among urban, African American youth.

Effect of Vergence/Accommodative Therapy on Reading in Children with Convergence Insufficiency: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

SIGNIFICANCEThe results of this study suggest that clinicians providing vergence/accommodative therapy for the treatment of childhood convergence insufficiency should not suggest that such treatment, on average, will lead to improvements on standardized assessments of reading performance after 16 weeks of treatment.PURPOSEThe purpose of this study was to determine the effect of office-based vergence/accommodative therapy on reading performance in 9- to 14-year-old children with symptomatic convergence insufficiency.METHODSIn a multicenter clinical trial, 310 children 9 to 14 years old with symptomatic convergence insufficiency were randomized in a 2:1 ratio to 16 weeks of office-based vergence/accommodative therapy or office-based placebo therapy, respectively. The primary outcome was change in reading comprehension as measured by the reading comprehension subtest of the Wechsler Individual Achievement Test, Third Edition (WIAT-III) at the 16-week outcome. Secondary reading outcomes of word identification, reading fluency, listening comprehension, comprehension of extended text, and reading comprehension were also evaluated.RESULTSThe adjusted mean improvement in WIAT-III reading comprehension was 3.7 (95% confidence interval [CI], 2.6 to 4.7) standard score points in the vergence/accommodative therapy group and 3.8 (95% CI, 2.4 to 5.2) points in the placebo therapy group, with an adjusted mean group difference of −0.12 (95% CI, −1.89 to 1.66) points that was not statistically significant. No statistically significant treatment group differences were found for any of the secondary reading outcome measures.CONCLUSIONSFor children aged 9 to 14 years with symptomatic convergence insufficiency, office-based vergence/accommodative therapy was no more effective than office-based placebo therapy for improving reading performance on standardized reading tests after 16 weeks of treatment.

Development of the Oral Reading Skills and Comprehension Test-II (SOBAT®-II) for Assessment of Turkish Children with Specific Learning Disabilities: Pilot Study Results

In the process of screening and evaluating children with reading difficulties, and planning, monitoring, and evaluating reading improvement interventions for those children, standard reading tests are usually not used in Turkey. The first version of the Oral Reading Skills and Comprehension Test (SOBAT®) was developed by Prof. Dr. H. Gülsen ERDEN, and the validity and reliability studies of SOBAT® were conducted between 2002 and 2012. To expand to include children between the ages of 7 and 14, and form the parallel form of the test, A and B, a research project supported by the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TUBİTAK) completed between 2013 and 2015. The purpose of this paper is to share the pilot study findings of the project. A total of 232 tests were conducted within the scope of the pilot study.

Aerobic fitness relates to differential attentional but not language-related cognitive processes

Compelling evidence supports an association between the attribute of aerobic fitness and achievement scores on standardized tests of reading. However, such standardized assessments provide only a broad valuation of a complex network of language related sub-processes that contribute to reading and are heavily confounded by other attention-related processes. The present investigation sought to clarify the nature of the association between aerobic fitness and language processing in a sample of college-aged adults. Participants were bifurcated based on aerobic fitness level and on a separate day were asked to complete a lexical decision task while neuroelectric activity was recorded. Analysis of word-level language-related ERP components revealed no fitness differences. However, lower aerobically-fit individuals elicited smaller amplitude for attention-related ERP components relative to the higher aerobically-fit group. These data provide initial evidence to suggest that fitness-related differences in reading achievement may result from attentional processes rather than acting upon specific language-related processes.

Effect of a Canine-Assisted Read Aloud Intervention on Reading Ability and Physiological Response: A Pilot Study.

Simple SummaryCanine-assisted reading aloud programs have been attracting growing interest because reading to a dog may contribute to the reading performance of children. The positive effect of a canine-assisted reading aloud program, however, received limited empirical support. Specifically, most of the current papers were papers of expert opinions. The current pilot study aimed at providing preliminary evidence for the effects of reading to dogs on three lower-performing third-graders’ reading abilities and understanding their physiological stress responses. The findings of the study implied that canine-assisted reading aloud programs had potential to increase the reading fluency and relaxation level of children with lower performance when reading to a dog.The aim of this study was to determine whether there is an increase in the reading fluency and accuracy of three lower performing third-graders after participating in a canine-assisted read-aloud program, as well as an increase in the relaxation level during and after the program. This study employed a pre-test-post-test design to test the hypotheses that gains would be made in both reading fluency and reading accuracy upon completion of the program. The three grade 3 students were assessed by the Chinese Character Reading Test and the Reading Fluency Test. During the intervention, they read to a trained canine in the presence of a handler. Three days after the completion of the seven 20-min interventions, the participants were assessed by the two standardized reading tests a second time. Heart rate variability (HRV) responses to the pre-test, the intervention and the post-test were recorded. The three grade 3 students attained a higher level of relaxation while reading to the dog and increased their reading fluency after the reading sessions. These results provided preliminary evidence that the canine-assisted read-aloud program can increase the reading performance of children with lower performance. Implications for future research and reading programs will be discussed.

Do Charter School Students Outperform Public School Students on Standardized Tests in Michigan?

ObjectiveWe compare academic achievement in charter schools versus two types of traditional public school in the State of Michigan over a 10‐year period. Charter schools serve as a reform measure for failing public schools, so the natural research question is: Do charter schools generate higher achievement levels than observationally comparable public schools?MethodsWe have assembled a longitudinal data set spanning academic years 2002/2003–2011/2012 containing proficiency rates on standardized math and reading tests for Grades 4, 7, and 11. Our set of control variables includes demographic measures, free lunch eligibility, school characteristics, funding per student, and locational measures. We model unobserved heterogeneity using random effects estimation.ResultsWe find that Michigan charter schools significantly underperform traditional public schools in both subjects and in all three grade levels early in the study period. These gaps narrow considerably, and in some cases disappear, by the end of the period.ConclusionMichigan is noteworthy among states with charter schools for its deregulated and competitive charter environment. Our results suggest that Michigan charters nevertheless were doing about as well on the state's academic achievement tests as observationally comparable public schools by the end of the period.

Early Visual-Spatial Integration Skills Predict Elementary School Achievement Among Low-Income, Ethnically Diverse Children

ABSTRACTEarly fine motor ability is significantly associated with later achievement, even after controlling for typical child-level predictors of school outcomes. Previous longitudinal studies have confirmed this but typically have not included low-income, at-risk populations. Research has distinguished two different aspects of fine motor skills: those that involve integrating motor information with visual-spatial information (i.e., visual-spatial integration; VSI) and those that rely mainly on coordination (i.e., fine motor coordination; FMC). This study examines the differential importance of early fine motor skills, measured during preschool, to later school performance from third through fifth grades, among a large (n = 34,491), primarily low-income, ethnically diverse sample of children. Research Findings: Overall, stronger VSI skills in preschool were associated with significantly better outcomes for children’s standardized math and reading test scores in third, fourth, and fifth grades even after controlling for gender, SES, and preschool cognitive, language, and social-emotional skills. FMC was associated with significantly better math outcomes across all three grade levels but was not associated with better reading performance. Practice or Policy: Results indicate that VSI is a good predictor of later school achievement, whereas FMC was not as strongly associated with later achievement. Implications for early childhood intervention are discussed.

Visual information processing skills are associated with academic performance in Grade 2 school children.

This study evaluated the association between performance on visual information processing tests and academic performance in school children. Visual-motor integration (VMI), the Developmental Eye Movement (DEM) test, visual acuity and stereoacuity were assessed in 222 Grade 2 children (mean age: 7.90±0.33years). Academic performance was assessed using standardized tests of reading and mathematics (PAT-R and PAT-M). Linear regression analyses examined associations between visual information processing (VMI and DEM) and academic measures, adjusting for school socio-economic background and age. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was used to assess the ability of the tests to identify children with below average academic performance. Visual-motor integration (VMI) and DEM (horizontal time) were most strongly associated with PAT-R and PAT-M. Linear regression models explained 28.6% of variance in PAT-R (VMI: standardized regression coefficient=0.31, p<0.01; DEM horizontal time: -0.28, p<0.01) and 24.1% of variance in PAT-M (VMI: standardized regression coefficient=0.29, p<0.01; DEM horizontal time: -0.16, p=0.02). Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis indicated that VMI was most strongly associated with below average PAT-R (area under curve [AUC] of 0.74 [95% CI: 0.67-0.81]) and PAT-M (AUC of 0.73 [95% CI: 0.66-0.81]). Visual-motor integration (VMI) was most strongly associated with reading and mathematics scores in school children. A child's academic performance can be an important factor in their optometric management. The ability of clinical tests to identify children at risk of underachieving academically provides additional support to clinicians in managing their patients.

Differential Effects of Weight Status on the Relations Between Diet Quality, Socioemotional Development, and Academic Performance in U.S. Schoolchildren (P14-008-19)

ObjectivesChild obesity, a risk factor for adverse health and functioning, can foster a heightened stress state in the body that may affect relations between nutritional status and cognitive development. We investigated if associations between diet quality (DQ), socioemotional development (SED), and academic performance (AP) varied by child weight status in U.S. 5th graders. MethodsNationally representative data from 7755 U.S. children (mean age 11–11.5 years) were analyzed using survey-weighted, multiple linear regression models adjusted for relevant factors. DQ was calculated by applying a novel short Diet Quality Index (sDQI) on a brief food frequency questionnaire. Established measures for SED (Self-Description Questionnaire scaled scores for internalizing and externalizing problem behaviors [IPB, EPB] and peer relations competency) and AP (standardized reading, math, and science test scores) served as dependent variables. Children’s weight status was classified based on their BMI compared against sex-age-specific BMI percentiles of CDC Child Growth Charts. ResultsSome relations between DQ and SED and AP were slightly moderated by child weight status. A borderline significant interaction between DQ and IPB (overall F = 2.48; P = 0.06) revealed better socioemotional health with higher diet quality for both underweight (β = −0.02 [SE = 0.01]; P < 0.01) and overweight children (β = −0.01 [SE = 0.00]; P = 0.01) that was not observed in children of normal weight (β = −0.00 [SE = 0.00]; P = 0.07) or obese (β = −0.01 [SE = 0.00]; P = 0.16) status. Another borderline significant interaction between DQ and math scores (overall F = 2.39; P = 0.07) highlighted higher scores with higher diet quality in underweight (β = 0.18 [SE = 0.07]; P = 0.01) and normal weight children (β = 0.10 [SE = 0.02]; P < 0.01) not observed in overweight (β = 0.00 [SE = 0.04]; P = 0.96) or obese (β = 0.02 [SE = 0.05]; P = 0.75) children. Significant interactions were not observed between DQ and EPB or peer relation competency, or DQ and reading or science scores, by child weight status. ConclusionsThe moderating effects of child weight status here underscore a need for more research on the stress of malnutrition (non-normal weight status) in child development. Interventions to improve cognitive health through diet should heed underlying vulnerabilities within population groups to optimize success. Funding Sourcesn/a.

Predicting the Extended Time Use of College Students With Disabilities

This study investigated the extent to which standardized reading performance, individual perceptions of reading and test taking skills, and test anxiety predict the amount of extended time needed to equalize test access for college students with disabilities. Thirty-seven college students with a specific learning disorder (LD) and/or an attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) diagnosis who received university test accommodations were recruited to participate in this study, along with 37 controls. All participants individually completed standardized reading tests and rating scales, and a timed reading comprehension task in a group setting. Results indicated that participants receiving test accommodations utilized approximately 14% more time than control participants to complete the timed reading task. Regression analyses indicated that the differences in time required to complete the reading comprehension task were related to participants’ reading fluency and decoding, as well as perceptions of the strength of their reading and test taking skills.

Identical Genes, Unique Environments: A Qualitative Exploration of Persistent Monozygotic-Twin Discordance in Literacy and Numeracy

This study aimed to explore unique environmental factors impacting differential academic trajectories among Australian school students. Monozygotic (MZ) twin pairs who were consistently discordant in results of nationwide standardized tests of reading, numeracy or writing between Grades 3 and 9 were identified. MZ twins control for genes, gender, age and aspects of the home and school environment shared by twins. Thus any difference between MZ twins in academic outcomes can be attributed to the unique environment experienced by each twin. From 551 MZ twin pairs with three or four sets of test results, we identified 55 pairs who were substantially and consistently discordant in reading, numeracy or writing between Grades 3 and 9. Parents were contacted for interview, resulting in 40 semi-structured interviews. Qualitative data analysis revealed three major themes, interpreted by parents as possible contributors to persistent academic discordance: biological mechanisms, school-based factors and personal factors. We discuss implications for educational practice, policy and research.

Impact of Bridging Strategy and Feeling of Knowing Judgments on Reading Comprehension Using COMPRENDE: an Educational Technology

The main purpose of the present investigation was to explore the effects of a newly-developed educational technology, COMPRENDE, on adolescents’ (N = 85) reading comprehension. More specifically, we explored whether exposure to COMPRENDE significantly improved students’ reading comprehension performance gains as measured by Lectum (a standardized reading test), and to what degree this was effective on struggling readers when compared to proficient readers. Further, we sought to better understand whether planning, monitoring, and evaluation (as metacognitive skills), bridging strategy, contextual vocabulary, perception of COMPRENDE, confidence judgments for performance judged to be correct, and confidence judgments for performance judged to be incorrect (as cognitive skills) significantly predicted reading comprehension performance. Confidence judgments were collected as indices of feeling of knowing (FOKs). Results revealed that COMPRENDE was successful at improving reading comprehension performance but only for struggling readers, and that bridging strategy was the best predictor of reading comprehension performance across both local (item-by-item) and global (holistic) FOKs. Implications for educational practice, technology use in the classroom, research, and theory are discussed.

Texas–Mexico Border vs. Non-Border School Districts’ Growth Trajectory of High-Stakes Reading Performance: A Multi-Level Approach

This study focuses on comparing the growth trajectory of border and non-border school districts regarding their fifth-grade students’ performance on a standardized reading test. Using a growth hierarchical linear model, we investigated the effect of time, school location, and their interaction on students’ reading performance through the State of Texas Assessment of Academic Readiness (STAAR) reading test in five recent school years. It was found that border school students lagged behind in reading at the initial stage when STAAR was first administered. As time went by, the gap between border and non-border district students’ reading performance remained. Implications for teaching pedagogy and research are discussed regarding the preparation of border district students to become bilingual, bicultural, and biliterate.

Association of Type 1 Diabetes With Standardized Test Scores of Danish Schoolchildren

Type 1 diabetes has been associated with cardiovascular disease and late complications such as retinopathy and nephropathy. However, it is unclear whether there is an association between type 1 diabetes and school performance in children. To compare standardized reading and mathematics test scores of schoolchildren with type 1 diabetes vs those without diabetes. Population-based retrospective cohort study from January 1, 2011, to December 31, 2015 (end date of follow-up), including Danish public schoolchildren attending grades 2, 3, 4, 6, and 8. Test scores were obtained in math (n = 524 764) and reading (n = 1 037 006). Linear regression models compared outcomes with and without adjustment for socioeconomic characteristics. Type 1 diabetes. Primary outcomes were pooled test scores in math and reading (range, 1-100). Among 631 620 included public schoolchildren, the mean (SD) age was 10.31 (SD, 2.42) years, and 51% were male; 2031 had a confirmed diagnosis of type 1 diabetes. Overall, the mean combined score in math and reading was 56.11 (SD, 24.93). There were no significant differences in test scores found between children with type 1 diabetes (mean, 56.56) and children without diabetes (mean, 56.11; difference, 0.45 [95% CI, -0.31 to 1.22]). The estimated difference in test scores between children with and without type 1 diabetes from a linear regression model with adjustment for grade, test topic, and year was 0.24 (95% CI, -0.90 to 1.39) and 0.45 (95% CI, -0.58 to 1.49) with additional adjustment for socioeconomic status. Among Danish public schoolchildren, there was no significant difference in standardized reading and mathematics test scores of children with type 1 diabetes compared with test scores of children without diabetes.

Reading and math tests differentially predict number transcoding and number fact speed longitudinally: A random intercept cross-lagged panel approach.

Children’s early math abilities have been claimed to depend differentially on various cognitive competencies (e.g., core number skills, working memory, and general math and reading abilities). Clarifying the relative importance of these different cognitive markers in predicting key early math skills would provide a conceptual framework for understanding development of math competence. To this end, we assessed 267 six-year-olds’ core number (dot enumeration, number comparison) abilities, visuospatial working memory, and standardized math and reading test performance, as well as their number fact retrieval speed and ability to transcode number strings (e.g., “4,073”) at 6, 7, and 8 years. To minimize interpretive difficulties associated with previous analyses, we used a random intercept cross-lagged panel model to characterize the reciprocal relationship between number transcoding ability and number fact speed over time. We tested the hypotheses that general math scores would predict individual differences in number fact speed, while general reading scores would predict individual differences in number transcoding accuracy. Findings showed that both standardized tests and core number measures differentially predict math skills in the early school years. Dot enumeration and general math ability predicted individual differences in number fact speed, while general reading and general math predicted individual differences the ability to transcode number strings over time. We suggest combining standardized assessments of math and reading, together with measures of core numerical ability, at school entry offers important information about the factors associated with key early math skills. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved)

Development and Initial Validation of a Reading-Specific Performance Validity Test: the College Assessment of Reading Effort (CARE)

Although performance validity tests (PVTs) are routinely used in neuropsychological assessment to detect malingering or low-effort test-taking, they are seldom administered to college students seeking academic accommodations and other benefits for reading disabilities. Previous research indicates that between 9.5 and 31% of students seeking learning disability evaluations at university-based clinics provide noncredible test scores indicative of symptom exaggeration or low effort. We developed a brief reading–specific PVT designed for college students participating in reading disability testing: the College Assessment of Reading Effort (CARE). We administered the CARE and standardized reading tests to three groups of students: honest controls, students with documented reading disabilities, and students coached to simulate reading disabilities. Simulators displayed normative deficits on standardized reading measures, similar to the scores earned by students with actual reading disabilities and lower than the scores earned by honest controls. In contrast, CARE scores differentiated simulators from honest examinees with and without disabilities. ROC curve analysis showed that CARE composite scores could be used diagnostically to detect low effort with sensitivity, specificity, and predictive power ≥ 0.90. The CARE offers a time- and cost-effective way to assess performance validity during reading disability testing for postsecondary students.

Three-Year Longitudinal Study: Impact of a Blended Learning Program—Lexia® Core5® Reading—on Reading Gains in Low-SES Kindergarteners

This three-year longitudinal study tracked the reading performance of 68 kindergarten students from low SES backgrounds. These students received instruction with a blended learning program ——Lexia® Core5® Reading—from the start of kindergarten through second grade. During each school year the students made significant gains on a standardized reading test. However, performance on the test declined significantly from the spring of one school year to the fall of the next, indicative of a substantial summer slide. Yet, further comparisons revealed that performance from the fall of one school year to the fall of the next showed significant improvement, pointing to the benefits of school-based instruction to help overcome the summer slide. More than 90% of low performers who started kindergarten scoring below average on the standardized test finished second grade scoring average or better. Benefits of Lexia Core5® Reading to support reading growth in elementary school students from low SES backgrounds are discussed.

Protocol: An efficacy randomized controlled trial of a spelling program in primary schools

This paper presents the research protocol for an efficacy randomized controlled trial of a spelling program in primary schools. The program is a workforce development program that supports Teachers and Teaching Assistants develop and deliver targeted spelling instruction to children aged 8-10. The protocol outlines a research design to assess whether the program delivered over 10–12 weeks improves spelling, writing and reading-comprehension outcomes, in a sample of 120 children from 10 schools in two English districts with high socio-economic disadvantage. The outcome measures include spelling and reading standardized tests, and spelling/writing diagnostic test. A process evaluation will measure fidelity and potential for scale-up.

The link between mothers' vulnerability to intimate partner violence and Children's human capital

We propose a conceptual framework to examine the association between mothers' vulnerability to intimate partner violence (IPV) and children's human capital. An important contribution of our framework is that it uses multiple dimensions of human capital and identifies several pathways through which the negative associations of IPV translate to human capital deficits. The conceptual framework is empirically tested using a large-scale representative child-level dataset from India that includes two dimensions of children's human capital – traditional school-based measures of educational attainment, and standardized reading and arithmetic test scores reflecting cognitive ability. Additionally, our study is the first to use an indirect measure of IPV which aims to overcome underreporting bias associated with direct questioning based IPV measures. The results show significant negative correlation between mothers' vulnerability to IPV and children's human capital. The negative association is more pronounced and robust for cognitive outcomes as opposed to the commonly used school-based measures of human capital. As predicted by our conceptual framework, the negative associations are mediated by mothers' poor health and disruption of home environment. We find strong evidence of IPV-exposed children being more likely to experience corporal punishment at school reflecting signs of externalizing behavior. The indirect measure of IPV stands the test of multiple validity and robustness checks.

The Relationship Between the Natural Environment and Individual-Level Academic Performance in Portland, Oregon

We tested the hypothesis that exposure to the natural environment is associated with improved academic performance. Specifically, we examined the association between individual-level standardized math and reading test scores and exposure to the natural environment using data from Portland Public Schools (17,918 students attending 83 schools for the math model and 19,459 students attending 90 schools for the reading model). We found that a 1- SD increase in tree cover within 200 m of a child’s home was associated with moving from the 50th percentile to the 51st percentile on math tests. A 1- SD increase in tree cover within 100 m of a child’s school was associated with moving from the 50th percentile to the 56th percentile on reading tests. Finally, a 1- SD increase in road density within 100 m of a child’s home was associated with moving from the 50th percentile to the 47th percentile on reading tests.