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Abstract

The Developmental Profile II (DPII), a widely used developmental assessment instrument, was evaluated for its dimensionality, stability, and predictive validity. A total of 349 children were tested at age 4 in prekindergarten. The children were tested again at age 6 in first grade. Teachers provided data on problems, defined as failure to meet promotion criteria and referral for special services. Although the test was designed to measure five areas of development, three factor analyses indicated that it is best described as measuring a single global dimension. Correlations among the five scales indicated that they are highly intercorrelated. In two logistic regression analyses, one using prekindergarten and the other using first-grade DPII scores, only the DPII Academic scales predicted problems. However, the correlations from both analyses, while significant, were too low to be used for prediction. For a subsample of 88 children the DPII scores, taken at both prekindergarten and first grade, did not predict first-grade Iowa Test of Basic Skills Reading Comprehension and Math Problem Solving and Data Interpretation scores.

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The Dimensionality,Stability,and Predictive Validity of the Developmental Profile II

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