Graduate Program

School Psychology

Degree Name

Specialist in School Psychology

Semester of Degree Completion

Spring 2025

Thesis Director

Gary L. Canivez

Thesis Committee Member

Ronan S. Bernas

Thesis Committee Member

JungSu Oh

Abstract

Cognitive assessment instruments, such as the Cognitive Assessment System Second Edition: Rating Scale (CAS2: Rating Scale), are frequently utilized by school psychologists to assess children’s cognitive abilities and psychopathology. However, the CAS2 and the CAS2: Rating Scale have little research regarding their psychometric properties. The present thesis examined the construct validity of the CAS2: Rating Scale in comparison to the Learning Behaviors Scale (LBS). Canivez and Gaboury (2013), while assessing the construct validity of the CAS, found that for the ADHD group, the LBS Attitude Toward Learning, Attention/Persistence, and Strategy/Flexibility scores and the CAS Planning and Attention scores were significantly lower than for the control group with large effect sizes. It was thus hypothesized that the CAS2: Rating Scale Attention and Planning scales may be related to the LBS Attention/Persistence and Strategy/Flexibility scales, respectively. The present study compared the CAS2: Rating Scale and LBS ratings completed by 55 teacher volunteers on children ages 5 to 17 years (n = 95). The current study produced mixed results. A large, positive correlation coefficient between CAS2: Rating Scale Attention and LBS Attention/Persistence scales was significantly larger than the other correlation coefficients, supporting convergent and discriminant validity. However, only a slight to moderate, positive correlation coefficient was found between CAS2: Rating Scale Planning and LBS Strategy/Flexibility scales that was significantly lower than the discriminant correlation coefficients, not supporting convergent or discriminant validity. Future research should replicate this study with a larger and more representative sample to increase generalizability and compare the CAS2: Rating Scale with other teacher-report measures.

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