Research and development of measures to document ongoing learning within the content areas are in the beginning stages. As such, the current study adds to efforts in the development of the vocabulary-matching measure. Using a modified format of the previously studied vocabulary-matching measure, 63 middle school students completed alternate forms of an administrator-read science measure weekly across 24 data collection periods. Results of hierarchical linear modeling analysis revealed a significant mean growth rate across time (0.26 items per week), significant individual variation in learning rates, and growth rate differences that were significantly predicted by student disability status. General education students had a higher rate of growth than those with disabilities included for science. Results are analyzed and limitations as well as directions for future research are discussed. It is concluded that current findings lend additional validity support to the interpretation of vocabulary-matching scores as indices of learning in the content areas.

Although often applied in practice, clinically based cognitive subtest profile analysis has failed to achieve empirical support. Nonlinear multivariate subtest profile analysis may have benefits over clinically based techniques, but the psychometric properties of these methods must be studied prior to their implementation and interpretation. The current study posed the following question: Is Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Third Edition (WISC-III) cluster membership based on nonlinear multivariate subtest profile analysis stable over a 3-year period? Membership stability to a subtest taxonomy, including constancy of displaying an unusual profile, was based on data from 585 students. General (.39) and partial (.26 to .51) kappa coefficients either failed to reach statistical significance or indicated poor classification stability, with the exception of two profile types. It was concluded that, with these two possible exceptions, profile-type membership to an empirically derived WISC-III subtest taxonomy should not be used in interpretation or educational decision making.