The predictive validity of a multivariate kindergarten screening battery using child and environmental measures

The purpose of this study was to determine the efficacy and predictive validity of a multivariate kindergarten screening battery in predicting multiple end-of-year success criteria. The screening battery, which included 17 individual measures of student performance and 13 measures of classroom, school, and community environment, was administered in two phases to nine kindergarten classrooms and 209 students. In phase one eight subtests from the McCarthy Scales of Children's Abilities and two subtests of the Developmental Language Program were individually administered by trained paraprofessionals, a developmental review and the Child Behavior Form (CBF)--a social/adaptive rating form--were completed by parents, and the CBF was completed by the teacher. In phase two a peer rating sociometric was individually administered to kindergarten children; perceptions of the school environment were obtained from kindergarten parents and teachers and from students, parents, and teachers of second, third, and fifth grades; and the kindergarten classroom environments were observed. In the third phase end-of-year measures including teacher ratings, parent ratings, achievement test results, and the kindergarten report card were gathered.

The child and environmental variables were analyzed using MANOVA, Pearson correlations, and discriminant analyses. The results indicated different variables predicted different areas of school functioning. A combination of child and environmental variables had the greatest classification success (75% to 84% correct) after Bayesian correction.

The implications of these findings and the methodological limitations of the study were discussed.