An Evaluation of the California Abbreviated Wisc for the Intellectually Gifted Child (Caw-Ig) as an Identification Device for Gifted Programming

Abstract

The recent resurgence of interest in serving gifted children in our public school system and the mandate that all gifted children will be served by 1980 (K.S.A. 72-966) has reawakened the search for an identifying device that accurately predicts intellectual potential. In this study, seventy- three (73) children were given the Weschler Intelligence Scale for Children- Revised (WISC-R). Group A (18 children) had five subtests of the California Abbreviated WISC (CAW-IG) administered first. An Equivalent Full Scale Score was computed from these scores. At another time these same children were given the remainder of the subtests that make up the WISC-R. Group B (55 children) was given the WISC-R according to instructions for administration in the WISC-R manual. The five subtest scores from the CAW-IG were then computed and an Equivalent Full Scale Score IQ was determined. Analyses of how well the CAW-IG Equivalent Score correlates with the obtained Full Scale Score was computed by using a Pearson Product Moment Correlation. Correlations of .91, .84 and .84 were obtained for Group A, Group B and Total Sample, respectively. A test of differences between 2 correlations of independent samples showed no significant differences in these correlations. One way analyses of variance (ANOVA) comparing the scores of Group A and Group B indicated that order of administration made no significant difference in how well the CAW-IG Equivalent Score predicts the Full Scale Score. Frequency tables examined the effectiveness and efficiency of various CAW-IG scores as predictors of the Full Scale Score. It was concluded that the CAW-IG correlates with the Full Scale IQ, that order of administration does not affect the ability of the CAW-IG as a predictive tool and that the CAW-IG score can be used effectively and efficiently as a short form of the WISC-R. Possible advantages and cautions when using the CAW-IG are discussed.