Development and validity of the Rating Scales of Academic Skills for Reading Comprehension.

The development and psychometric qualities of a measure using teacher judgment to rate performance in reading comprehension for narrative text is described-the Rating Scales for Academic Skills-Reading Comprehension Narrative (RSAS-RCN). Sixty-five teachers from the third, fourth, and fifth grades of 8 elementary schools completed the measure on 177 students. Each teacher rated students who had been identified through school-based universal screening to be below the 25th percentile, between the 25th and 74th percentile, and at or above the 75th percentile on national normative standards. Results indicated the RSAS-RCN has strong to moderate evidence of (a) 1-week test-retest reliability, (b) concurrent validity with the Group Reading Assessment and Diagnostic Evaluation (GRADE) and end of year state assessment in reading, and (c) significant classification accuracy across student ability levels. Principal component analysis and item response theory (Rasch modeling) indicate the RSAS-RCN is comprised of a single general dimension. Overall, this examination of the RSAS-RCN suggests teacher judgment may be a potentially valuable tool in assessing reading comprehension among upper elementary school students. (PsycINFO Database Record

Body size stigmatization: an examination of attitudes of african american preschool-age children attending head start.

OBJECTIVE: To assess body size stigmatization attitudes (BSSA), their effect on friendship selection, and controllability beliefs in a sample of African American preschool-age children of low socioeconomic status. METHODS: Participants included 76 children attending Head Start. Children completed an adjective task, a friendship selection task, and a controllability task. RESULTS: On the adjective task, the Overweight figure received significantly more negative mean ratings than the Underweight figure; however, there were no significant differences between the mean ratings for the Overweight and Average figures or the Average and Underweight figures. On the friendship selection task, children preferred the Average or Underweight figures as playmates and friends. On the controllability task, greater control was associated with the Overweight figure than the Underweight figure. CONCLUSION: Results suggest that BSSA may be present in a sample of African American preschool-age children of low socioeconomic status. These attitudes may influence friendship selection and controllability beliefs.