A Comparison of the K-ABC with the Woodcock-Johnson Tests of Academic Achievement in a Referred Population

This study investigated the concurrent relationship between the Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children (K-ABC) and the Woodcock-Johnson Tests of Achievement (W-J). Subjects included 80 consecutive special education referrals (51 males and 29 females) in one large southern school district. The subjects ranged in age from 5-2 to 12-5 and were placed in kindergarten through fifth grade. Results indicated that the K-ABC Sequential Processing Global Score and its respective subtests related significantly to the W-J Reading and Mathematics Clusters, while the Simultaneous Global Score and its subtests correlated significantly with W-J Mathematics and Knowledge. The K-ABC Achievement Global Score correlated significantly with three of the four W-J Achievement Clusters, and K-ABC subtests that measure reading, mathematics, and general knowledge related significantly to their W-J counterparts. These results are consistent with other studies that have compared the K-ABC to individual and group achievement measures. Although none of the K-ABC scores correlated significantly with WJ Written Language, these data suggest that W-J Written Language may be adding another dimension to the K-ABC evaluation, particularly when administered to children referred for special education services.