Utility of kindergarten teacher judgments in identifying early learning problems

Most existing research on early identification of learning difficulties has examined the validity of methods for predicting future academic problems. The present study focused instead on the sensitivity of kindergarten teache rs to learning problems in their students and on the continuity of teacher- identified problems over time. To identify early learning problems, kinderg arten teachers in a suburban school district rated student progress toward six academic objectives as satisfactory or unsatisfactory. Twenty percent o f the district's 303 kindergarten children received unsatisfactory ratings in at least one area. Thirty-eight of these children (identified group) wer e matched to 34 children with satisfactory ratings in all areas (nonidentif ied group). Results of testing conducted during kindergarten revealed poore r academic achievement in identified children than in nonidentified childre n. Children from the identified group also performed more poorly than child ren from the nonidentified group on tests of phonological processing and wo rking memory/executive function and were rated by teachers as having more b ehavior and attention problems and lower social competence. Follow-up of th e sample to first grade documented continued learning problems in the ident ified group. These findings support the use of teacher judgements in early detection of learning problems and argue against reliance on discrepancy cr iteria.