Psyrhology
in
the
Schools
Volumr
22.
April
1985
KINDERGARTEN SCREENING RESULTS AS PREDICTORS OF
ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT, POTENTIAL, AND PLACEMENT
IN SECOND GRADE’
SHELDON SCHMIDT AND JOSEPH PERINO
Huniingion,
New
York
The ability of a battery of kindergarten screening measures to predict educationally
relevant criteria was investigated. Subtest scores
on
The Vane Test
of
Language and
The Vane Kindergarten Test administered at the beginning of kindergarten were ex-
amined and compared to the Metropolitan Achievement Test scores in reading and
math, The Otis-Lennon School Ability Test index, and placement into special educa-
tion
or
high achievement programs at the end of second grade.
A
weighted combina-
tion
of
subtests accurately predicted 77% of the children classified as special education
students. The same battery also predicted 73%
of
the children who were classified as
high-achieving students.
Federal and state laws recently have been enacted mandating the educational
screening of children entering school
(N.Y.S.
Ed. Dept., 1982; Wendt, 1978). Despite the
reality of these strictures, a good deal of conflicting evidence exists regarding the efficacy
of screening measures to accomplish the tasks of identifying children who risk learning
failure and identifying children with high achievement potential (Nichta, Federici,
&
Schuerger, 1982; Randall, Fry,
&
Ralls, 1977).
A great deal of variability
in
the types of measures used and the purposes for
preschool screening prevails (Wendt, 1978). Several methods
of
screening generally have
been found useful. Specifically, Steinbauer and Heller (1978) found that a measure
of
receptive language given
in
kindergarten correlated at a significant level with third-grade
achievement test results
in
reading comprehension, arithmetic, and spelling
(rs
of
.40
and
SO
range). Gallerani, O’Regan, and Reinherz (1982) found that brief cognitive screening
at the beginning of kindergarten was more predictive of kindergarten functioning than
was extensive developmental history taking. Two components of the Preschool Screening
Program were utilized to measure information processing and verbal reasoning and were
found to predict kindergarten ratings more consistently than did a parent questionnaire
and behavior checklist. Sexton and Treolar (1982) utilized a visual perceptual test that
measured spatial relations, visual discrimination, figure ground, visual closure, and
visual discrimination skills. They concluded that “a measure of visual perception added
significantly to the prediction of achievement afforded by consideration
of
sex and
academic aptitude” (p. 122). Another investigation pointed to
the
utility of a human
figure drawing test in predicting readiness for first grade (Dunleavy, Hansen, Szasz,
&
Baade, 198
1).
The preschool screening
buttery
approach was found effective in predicting subse-
quent reading failure (DeHirsch, et al., 1966).
A
kindergarten assessment
of
verbal and
academic aptitude, visual preception, and additional learning potential measures were
shown to accurately discriminate between high and low achievers through the fourth
grade (Book, 1980).
In
terms of efficient use
of
time and effort, a
brief
battery
of
screening measures
providing language assessment, visual perceptual development level, and
a
draw-a-man
Requests for reprints should be sent to Sheldon Schmidt, 75 Prospect St., Huntington,
NY
11743.
’The authors gratefully acknowledge the statistical support provided by Bernard Gorman.
146