Preschool and kindergarten screening : how well can we predict later academic achievement?

The purpose of the present study was to examine the nature of the relationship between data gathered during the preschool and kindergarten years and later academic achievement. Children were selected from a group of white, lower to middle-class participants who were screened during a child find procedure and pre-school round-up in the Spring of 1990 and kindergarten screening in 1991. Of the 257 subjects originally screened, 165 were located for theidentified as having complete data. There were approximately equal numbers of male (n=38) and female (n=32) subjects.The following research questions were addressed:1. What is the nature of the relationship between preschool screening and later achievement?2. What is the nature of the relationship between kindergarten screening and later achievement?3. What is the nature of the relationship between preschool and kindergarten screening?The preschool and kindergarten screening data were archival in nature. Preschool screening consisted of the, purposes of this study. However, only 70 subjects were administration of the Bracken Basic Concept Scale (BBCS), Preschool Prediction Minnesota Preschool Inventory (MPI), and the Developmental Test of Visual Motor Integration (DVMI). Kindergarten screening consisted of administration of the Metropolitan Readiness Test (MRT), Bracken Basic Concept Scale, and the Children's Learning Abilities Scale (CLAS).The second grade achievement data was collected by the current researcher. This data set consisted of the administration of the Children's Learning Abilities Scale to each child's teacher and collection of Indiana Statewide Testing for Educational Progress (ISTEP) scores.Results of canonical correlation analyses and post hoc analyses of separate multiple regressions for each dependent variable indicated that the Bracken total battery score, the Children's Learning Abilities Scale, and the Developmental scale of the Minnesota Preschool Inventory consistently accounted for a significant proportion of individual differences in later measures.Taken individually and with other kindergarten variables, teacher ratings proved to be the best predictors of second grade achievement. This is supportive of earlier research using structured teacher ratings as accurate predictors of children's school success (Graue & Shepard, 1988). However, we must continue to enhance our knowledge concerning the utility of preschool and kindergarten screening procedures.Department of Educational PsychologyThesis (Ph. D.