The performance of English-speaking Caribbean-American students in the psychoeducational assessment process
Abstract
This study examined the important aspects of three distinct phases of the assessment process, from referral to placement, for the English-speaking Caribbean-American child. Specifically, the study (a) investigated the significant factors that influence the performance of English-speaking Caribbean-American students on cognitive and academic achievement measures, (b) determined the Bannatyne pattern of performance on the WISC-R, and (c) established the degree of congruence between reason for referral and recommended special education program. The sample (228 boys, 116 girls; grades 2 through 8) was composed of 81 Caucasian, 92 Black, 84 native-born English-speaking Caribbean-American (CAC), and 87 foreign-born Caribbean-American immigrant children (CAIC) who were receiving special education services in the New York City Public School System. The Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Revised (WISC-R), the Metropolitan Achievement Test, and the Degrees of Reading Power were used to measure intellectual ability and academic achievement, respectively. A questionnaire was designed to gather data on social, demographic, and linguistic variables This study employed a quasi-experimental design. Statistical control was achieved by the use of the analysis of covariance and logistic regression analysis procedures. One-way analyses of variance, analyses of covariance, logistic regression analyses, and crosstabulational analyses were employed to analyze the demographic, intelligence, and achievement data. Reason for referral was positively correlated with program recommendation; the racial/ethnic groups did not demonstrate the predicted Bannatyne pattern of performance on the WISC-R with the appropriate levels of significance between the categories; the variables, recency of immigration, dialect usage, and socioeconomic status significantly influenced achievement; membership in a particular racial/ethnic group did not significantly influence academic achievement; and, placement for the CAC and the CAIC, was positively correlated with the reason for referral, but was not significantly related to their native-born/foreign-born status. Practical implications of the findings for the classroom curriculum, professional practice within the field of psychology in the schools, and recommendations for educational decision-makers are offered. The implications and recommendations are discussed within the context of the referral, assessment, and placement phases of the psychoeducational evaluation process.
Subject Area
Educational psychology|Educational evaluation|Psychological tests|Special education
Recommended Citation
Leveque, Patricia Gill, "The performance of English-speaking Caribbean-American students in the psychoeducational assessment process" (1992). ETD Collection for Fordham University. AAI9226421.
https://research.library.fordham.edu/dissertations/AAI9226421
