The Application of a WISC-III Short Form for Screening Gifted Elementary Students in Canada

Abstract

This investigation explored the accuracy of a short form of the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Third Edition (WISC-III} in predicting Full Scale IQ when administered as a separate test. The Dumont-Faro short form (i.e., Picture Completion, Information, Coding, Block Design, and Vocabulary; Dumont & Faro, 1993) was administered to 60 Canadian elementary students who were referred for gifted eligibility purposes. The remaining WISC-III standard subtests, coupled with two supplementary subtests, were administered immediately following the Dumont-Faro short form so that Full Scale IQ scores could be calculated. In order to determine the actual amount of time saved by using the short form, administration times were recorded for each WISC-III subtest. When administered as a separate test, the Dumont-Faro short form IQ scores correlated highly (.88) with the Full Scale IQ scores. Moreover, this instrument reduced the average administration time of the WISC-III standard battery by 55%. It was concluded that the Dumont-Faro short form is an effective screening instrument to use with elementary students who are referred for gifted eligibility purposes in Canada. This instrument can assist school psychologists in meeting increased service demands while still providing effective intellectual assessment.