"Atkins v. Virginia" (2002) dramatically raised the stakes for mental retardation in capital punishment cases, but neither defined this condition nor imposed uniform standards for its assessment. The basic premise that mean IQ scores shift over time enjoys wide recognition, but its application--including the appropriateness of…

Despite Kaufman, Raven's Progressive Matrices and the Wechsler subtest Similarities are tests whose gains call for special explanation. The spread of "scientific spectacles" is the key, but its explanatory potential has been exhausted. Three trends force us to look elsewhere: (a) gains on Wechsler subtests such as Picture Arrangement,…

This study investigated the Wechsler Performance IQ (PIQ) or Perceptual Reasoning Index (PRI)/ Perceptual Organization Index (POI) change over time and its relation to ability levels. PIQ or PRI/ POI was analyzed because of the known sensitivity of nonverbal scales to the Flynn effect. Scores were analyzed using two methods. First, analysis of…

The consensus of most intelligence scholars is that the Flynn effect (FE) is real, IQ test batteries are now routinely restandardized on a regular basis. A cornerstone in Flynn's explanation of the FE is his analysis of select Wechsler subtest scores across time. The featured articles by Kaufman and Zhou, Zhu, and Weiss question whether Flynn's…

The purpose of this study was to begin to examine the relationships between social emotional factors related to resilience as measured by the Devereux Student Strengths Assessment (DESSA) and the degree of impairment as reflected in problem behaviors reported by parents according to the Home Situations Questionnaire (HSQ). A second goal was to…

In Study 1 we evaluated whether each of three kinds of reading fluency (oral, silent-sentences, silent-passages) contributed uniquely to reading comprehension when children were in second grade (when oral reading is emphasized) and again when they were in fourth grade (when silent reading is emphasized). In Study 2 we evaluated the relationship of…

The literature pertaining to intelligence assessment reveals an ongoing discussion about the areas of intelligence captured by nonverbal tests. To date, few studies have investigated the criterion validity of the Test of Nonverbal Intelligence, Third Edition (TONI-3). The present study investigates the concurrent validity of the TONI-3 in a sample…

The detection of cognitive patterns in children with learning disabilities (LD) has been a priority in the identification process. Subtest profile analysis from traditional cognitive assessment has drawn sharp criticism for inaccurate identification and weak connections to educational planning. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to use a new…

Although studies investigating the validity of positive affectivity and negative affectivity in children have been supportive, investigations of changes in the structure of affect across childhood have demonstrated mixed results. The current study used confirmatory factor analytic techniques to test one-factor, two-factor correlated, and…

This article presents a review of the "Process Assessment of the Learner-Second Edition" (PAL-II), an individual or group-administered instrument designed to assess the cognitive processes involved in academic tasks in kindergarten through sixth grade. The instrument allows the examiner to identify reasons for underachievement and…

In spite of the growing interest in cross-cultural research and assessment, there is little research on statistical procedures that can be used to simultaneously assess the differential item functioning (DIF) across multiple groups. The chief objective of this work is to show a unified framework for the analysis of DIF in multiple groups using one…

Psychometric properties of the Phonological Awareness Literacy Screening for Preschool (PALS-PreK) instrument were investigated in a sample of 4,518 children. PALS-PreK figures prominently in state and federal early literacy programs as an assessment of emergent literacy skills in preschool-aged children. Exploratory Factor Analysis, Confirmatory…

This article presents a review of the "NEPSY-Second Edition" (NEPSY-II), an updated and modified version of the NEPSY (Korkman, Kirk, & Kemp, 1998). The NEPSY-II is an individually administered compendium of tests designed to assess neuropsychological development in children ranging from 3 to 16.11 years old. The authors of the…

Many concerns have been raised about the validity of the existing instruments measuring teachers' efficacy. Recently, a new instrument to measure teachers' perceived efficacy has been presented, namely, the Teachers' Sense of Efficacy Scale (TSES). The purpose of the present study is to examine the psychometric properties of the TSES in the Greek…

The current study examines the consistency of two response-to-intervention (RTI) decision-making models. Weekly progress monitoring data for 30 students participating in a Tier II intervention were collected for 30 weeks. The data were examined by comparing them to an aimline with a yearly goal and by computing a dual discrepancy (DD) using…