Executive Functions and Performance on High-Stakes Testing in Children From Urban Schools

Abstract

High-stakes achievement testing is a centerpiece of education reform. Children from socially disadvantaged backgrounds typically perform more poorly than their more advantaged peers. The authors evaluated 91 fifth-grade children from low-income urban schools using clinical neuropsychological tests and behavioral questionnaires and obtained fourth-grade scores on state mandated standards-based testing. Goals were to determine whether executive functions are selectively diminished in children from poor urban environments and to evaluate to what extent integrity of executive functions is associated with test scores. Neuropsychological variables (particularly executive functions) accounted for 40% of the variance in English scores and 30% in mathematics. Efforts to improve children's academic achievement should consider developmental factors as well as curricular content.

Individual differences in growth in executive function across the transition to school predict externalizing and internalizing behaviors and self-perceived academic success at 6 years of age

“…For example, in a recent theoretical review of factors underpinning children's developing social skills, Beauchamp and Anderson (2010) argued that, with regard to influences of EF, attentional control (i.e., self-monitoring, response inhibition, and self-regulation) is especially critical. In contrast, other aspects of EF, such as working memory, appear to be critical for performance in academic tests of arithmetic or reading (e.g., Adams & Hitch, 1997;Cain, Oakhill, & Bryant, 2004;Waber, Gerber, Turcios, Wagner, & Forbes, 2006).…”

Contribution of Rating Scales to Intervention for Executive Dysfunction

“…Although the past decade has seen substantial growth in research on executive function in children and adolescents (Anderson, Jacobs, & Anderson, 2008;Bernstein & Waber, 2007), only more recently has there been research on relationships between executive function and real-world functioning such as academic performance in children (Clark, Pritchard, & Woodward, 2010) and adolescents (Waber, Gerber, Turcios, Wagner, & Forbes, 2006) or occupational functioning in adults (Barkley & Murphy, 2011). Even more recently, research has turned to developing interventions for executive dysfunction and measuring outcomes in the real world.…”

Executive Functioning in Children with Asperger Syndrome, ADHD-Combined Type, ADHD-Predominately Inattentive Type, and Controls

“…Other studies have found that some children with EF may not show deficits that are significant (Nigg et al 2002;Sonuga-Barke 2002). The complexity of EF may be the reason why studies have been equivocal as to whether EF as a general domain is a major difficulty in ADHD (Anderson et al 2002;Denckla 2007;Nigg 2005;Vriezen and Pigott 2002;Waber et al 2006).…”