Effectiveness of Screening Procedures to Determine Delay Versus Regular Kindergarten Entrance

This study evaluated education outcomes of a psychological screening procedure used by the Omaha Public Schools to assist in entrance decisions for summer and fall born children who were eligible to attend kindergarten. From the available sample of children tested from 1975-1979, 115 were chosen based on availability of a complete set of required scores. There were 71 males and 41 females, with 75 from the suburban area and 26 from the city. Racial composition was 107 Caucasian, 3 Black, 3 Hispanic, and 1 Indian student. One hundred five students had average or above intelligence. Discriminant analysis showed several significant factors that were able to correctly classify the delayed versus regular entrance groups. The most effective factor appeared to be a measure of IQ, consistent with the major focus of the OPS screening battery. Other factors included the student\u27s home school area, and achievement scores on the California Achievement Test (CAT), especially the reading subtests. There were indications that the type of IQ measure, WPPSI or Binet, may be an important factor, along with the kindergarten CAT tests, in best discriminating between these two groups. Overall, both groups of subjects, delayed and regular entrants, showed positive outcomes at school in kindergarten through third grade, regarding academic achievement, retention rates and referrals to special education. The regular entrants, typically achieving less well academically than their older classmates, actually performed better on the CAT than the delayed entrants and the OPS population of children in their grade range in this study. Results indicated the screening battery was effective in differentiating these summer and fall born children for regular or delayed school entrance