| Kindergarten scores on The Teacher's School Readiness Inventory (TSRI) plus the Behaviour Appendix to the TSRI (BA-TSRI) were tested for their predictive validity using a sample of 318 elementary school children in Northern Ontario. Criteria included report cards from grades one, two, and three, as well as standardized tests given in grade three for ability and achievement. Additional variables included sex, language of instruction, exceptionality or remediation, retention, and medication or diagnosis of AD/HD. The results showed that the TSRI is a useful predictor for later academic performance up to grade three. The strongest relationships existed between the TSRI and report card marks. The BA-TSRI, which rates levels of externalizing behaviour, was shown to have limited usefulness, where the strongest relationship existed between the BA-TSRI and behaviour ratings from the grade three report card. Both the TSRI and the BA-TSRI tended to overrefer instead of underrefer. This tendency was discussed in reference to the importance of establishing appropriate cut-off points for specific populations and the importance of not missing the children who truly need help, in the initial stages of readiness assessment. |
