Guide to the A2S Utility to Convert ADM © Data to SPSS ® Format

295 Pages·2008·1.47 MB·English

by  David Jacobowitz

Guide to the A2S Utility to Convert ADM © Data to SPSS ® Format

by David Jacobowitz and Dan Walter
February, 2008

Copyright 2003-2008 T. M. Achenbach
A2S Version 3.1 Guide
Table of Contents

Quick Start Instructions..............................................................................................................................1
Introduction..................................................................................................................................................1
Prerequisites to using A2S version 3...........................................................................................................2
Step 1 — Install A2S.....................................................................................................................................3
Step 2 — Export data for analysis from ADM...............................................................................................3
Step 3 — Run A2S_Launch.SBS...................................................................................................................4
Step 4 — Processing data from ADM version 2 through 6.5 and from RTS, part 1......................................8
Step 5 — Processing data from ADM version 2 through 6.5 and from RTS, part 2......................................9
Step 6 — Processing more forms.................................................................................................................11
Appendix A — ASEBA Forms and Data Versions Supported...............................................................12
Form Types, Data Versions, & Export File Formats Currently Supported by the A2S Utility................12
Legacy and current ASEBA forms that are not supported in A2S 3.1:....................................................12
Appendix B — Precautions about .CSV files...........................................................................................13
Appendix C — Entered values vs. Coded values vs. Scored values.......................................................14
Appendix D – Variable information by form type and data version, scored data files from ADM
version 7 and higher...................................................................................................................................15
A note about variable labels.....................................................................................................................15
SPSS string and numeric variable types...................................................................................................15
Legacy School-Age and Young Adult Forms...........................................................................................15
CBCL Ages 6-18, Data Version 2001, Scored Data.................................................................................15
TRF Ages 6-18, Data Version 2001, Scored Data....................................................................................21
YSR Ages 11-18, Data Version 2001, Scored Data.................................................................................27
CBCL Ages 1½-5 and Language Development Survey, Data Version 2000, Scored Data......................32
C-TRF Ages 1½-5, Data Version 2000, Scored Data...............................................................................35
ASR, Ages 18 – 59, Data Version 2003, Scored Data..............................................................................38
ABC, Ages 18 – 59, Data Version 2003, Scored Data.............................................................................43
OAS, Ages 60 – 99+, Data Version 2004, Scored Data...........................................................................48
OAB, Ages 60 – 99+, Data Version 2004, Scored Data...........................................................................52
SCICA, Data Version 2001, Scored Data.................................................................................................56
Appendix E – Variable information by form type and data version, raw data files from ADM version
7 and higher................................................................................................................................................60
A note about variable labels.....................................................................................................................60
SPSS string and numeric variable types...................................................................................................60
Legacy School-Age and Young Adult Forms...........................................................................................60
CBCL Ages 6-18, Data Version 2001, Raw Data....................................................................................60
TRF Ages 6-18, Data Version 2001, Raw Data.......................................................................................72
YSR, Ages 11-18, Data Version 2001, Raw Data....................................................................................80
CBCL Ages 1½ - 5 and Language Development Survey, Data Version 2000, Raw Data......................90
CTRF, Ages 1½ - 5, Data Version 2000, Raw Data...............................................................................102
ASR, Ages 18 – 59, Data Version 2003, Raw Data...............................................................................107
ABC, Ages 18 – 59, Data Version 2003, Raw Data...............................................................................118
OAS, Ages 60 – 99+, Data Version 2004, Raw Data.............................................................................126
OAB, Ages 60 – 99+, Data Version 2004, Raw Data............................................................................134
SCICA, Data Version 2001, Raw Data..................................................................................................143
Appendix F – Variable information by form type and data version, scored data files from ADM
version 2 through 6.5 and RTS................................................................................................................155
A note about variable labels...................................................................................................................155
Legacy School-Age and Young Adult Forms.........................................................................................155
CBCL Ages 6-18, Data Version 2001, Scored Data...............................................................................155
TRF Ages 6-18, Data Version 2001, Scored Data..................................................................................160
YSR Ages 11-18, Data Version 2001, Scored Data...............................................................................165
CBCL Ages1.5-5 and LDS, Data Version 2000, Scored Data...............................................................169
CTRF Ages1.5-5, Data Version 2000, Scored Data...............................................................................172
A2S Version 3.1 Guide
ASR, Data Version 2003, Scored Data...................................................................................................175
ABC, Data Version 2003, Scored Data..................................................................................................179
OAS, Data Version 2004, Scored Data..................................................................................................183
OAB, Data Version 2004, Scored Data..................................................................................................187
SCICA, Data Version 2001, Scored Data...............................................................................................191
TOF, Data Version 2004, Scored Data...................................................................................................195
Appendix G – Variable information by form type and data version, raw data files from ADM version
2 through 6.5 and RTS.............................................................................................................................198
A note about variable labels...................................................................................................................198
Legacy School-Age and Young Adult Forms.........................................................................................198
CBCL, Ages 6-18, Data Version 2001, Raw Data.................................................................................198
TRF, Ages 6-18, Data Version 2001, Raw Data....................................................................................209
YSR, Ages 11-18, Data Version 2001, Raw Data..................................................................................217
CBCL, Ages 1½-5, Data Version 2000, Raw Data................................................................................226
Language Development Survey, Ages 18 – 35 Months; Data Version 2000, Raw Data........................231
CTRF, Ages 1½ - 5 ; Data Version 2000, Raw Data..............................................................................241
ASR, Ages 18- 59 ; Data Version 2003, Raw Data................................................................................246
ABC, Ages 18- 59 ; Data Version 2003, Raw Data...............................................................................255
OAS, Ages 60- 90+ ; Data Version 2004, Raw Data.............................................................................262
OAB, Ages 60- 90+ ; Data Version 2004, Raw Data.............................................................................269
SCICA, Data Version 2001, Raw Data..................................................................................................276
TOF, Data Version 2004, Raw Data.......................................................................................................284
Acknowledgements...................................................................................................................................292

A2S Version 3.1 Guide
Quick Start Instructions

a. Install the utility.
b. Export data for analysis from ADM in .CSV (Comma delimited and quoted fields)
format.
c. Close any open syntax and script windows in SPSS. Save any open data files. Close
the exported data file from step b. if it is open.
d. Open the syntax file A2S_Launch.sbs and click the green triangle (cid:88) (or press F5; or
from the “Script” menu choose “Run.”) and answer the following prompts:
i. The source of the data to be analyzed (RTS, ADM by version);
ii. The ADM data (*.CSV) file name;
iii. The form type and data version you wish to process;
iv. The name of the SPSS data file to be saved.
e. Repeat step d for each form type & data version in your ADM exported data file.

Introduction
The A2S Utility is a set of syntax and script files that will help you convert data
exported from the ASEBA Assessment Data Manager program (ADM) or the ASEBA
Ratings to Scores (RTS) utility to SPSS® format. It will produce a set of SPSS .SAV
files ready for your analyses, formatted, labeled, and with missing values defined.

Features
• New in version 3.1:
o Accepts data from ADM 7, including multicultural scoring and 2007
scales.
o Re-designed program flow yields more stable performance.
• Multiple form types can be processed from a single exported data file
o No need to apply “Export Restrictions” in ADM
o Automatically handles different numbers and types of scale scores based
on age, gender, and form type differences
• Creates files for both scored (profile) data and raw (item) data depending on file
exported from ADM
• Behavior Problem items are separated into individual items with full texts
o Variable and value labels are supplied for each Problem item♣
• Social competence and adaptive functioning items are separated into individual
items
o Variable and value labels are supplied for each of these items♣
• Appropriate variable names are applied specific to form type, age, and gender for
scale scores
• System missing and item-specific missing values are assigned. See Appendix D –
Numeric Fields and Codes for more information on value labels and missing
values.

♣ The variable labels supplied with the A2S utility are meant to help you refer to the original paper forms to obtain the
full text of the items. The manual for each rating form is the official authority of item content. You should not make
statistical or theoretical conclusions based on the variable labels supplied with A2S. The A2S utility will provide value
labels for customized lists from ADM 7.x.
A2S Version 3.1 Guide, page 1
• Supports all current (and most legacy) ASEBA forms (see Appendix A – ASEBA
Forms and Data Versions Supported)

Disclaimer
This code is distributed with no implied warranty for any particular purpose. You
use it at your own discretion. The Research Center for Children, Youth and Families, and
the Achenbach System of Empirically Based Assessment (ASEBA) is distributing the
utility for a nominal fee to cover shipping and handling costs and the setup instructions.
SPSS is not affiliated with this utility, The Research Center for Children, Youth and
Families, or ASEBA.

Prerequisites to using A2S version 3
To use A2S, you need to:
• Have a solid basic understanding of the derivation and application of ASEBA
rating forms;
• Have data exported from ADM in .CSV (Comma delimited and quoted fields)
format, or data exported from RTS;
• Use currently supported SPSS versions (not a student version).
http://support.spss.com/newSupport/Default.asp?refpage=ProductsExt/productCo
mp.asp. A2S version 3 was tested with SPSS versions 11.5, 13, 14 and 15;
• Have experience with SPSS Command Syntax Window and user interface;
• Have Adobe Acrobat Reader installed on your computer (provided on the ADM
and A2S installation CDs, or from
http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.html).
A2S Version 3.1 Guide, page 2
Step 1 — Install A2S

Insert your A2S CD. The setup utility will start automatically. If it does not, use
Windows Explorer to find your CD drive and double click on the file setup.exe.

The setup will offer the default installation folder of C:\ADM\A2S\ (Note – you
do not need to have ADM installed on your computer to use A2S). You can select a
different folder if you wish. The setup will detect and upgrade previous versions of A2S.

To install Adobe Reader:
• Insert your A2S CD while holding down the Shift key. Keep the key pressed until the CD
spinning slows down.
• In Windows Explorer, right click on your CD drive and select “Explore”, not “Open”.
• Double click the Acrobat folder, then the folder pertaining to your operating system
(Adobe_Win9x for Windows 95/98 or Adobe_WinNT_2k_XP for Windows NT, 2000, or
XP).
• Double click on the setup.exe or Acrobat_for_Win95_98.exe file.
• Follow the setup instructions.

Step 2 — Export data for analysis from ADM

ADM’s Power Tools feature provides a highly effective utility within ADM to
export data into very specific sets. For a full explanation, refer to the ADM User's Guide.
Briefly, Power Tools allows the creation of data sets that can be defined by specific
combinations of values regarding person id, name, gender, ethnicity, user-defined subject
variables, form type, age, eval id, data and form versions, role and identity of the
respondent, agency, clinician, education and user-defined form lists, form entry date and
status, and lists specific to forms (e.g. schools for TRF).

The A2S utility overcomes the “export restrictions” that are otherwise a
recommended procedure to use in ADM. Thus, you can export scored data from any
combination of form types in a single file. The A2S utility can be run again on the
selected file until all form types have been processed.

ADM data export rules and requirements for A2S
• Export raw (item) data and scored (profile) data into separate files
• Export data into .CSV (Comma delimited and quoted fields) format.
• When scored data are exported, forms that cannot be scored due to too many
missing items are exported with total scores calculated based on number of present
items and missing values for T scores and percentiles.
• Information for individuals who are entered in the ADM catalog, but have no
forms in the catalog, is NOT exported. Use ADM Power Tools to obtain a report
of these individuals.
• Scored (profile) data and raw (item) data are exported into separate files. A2S will
automatically detect which types of data are in your export file.
A2S Version 3.1 Guide, page 3
• Be sure your data export file is not open in another application when you use
A2S.

ADM strips embedded commas from the ID field, and the subject names fields. A2S
replaces any other embedded commas with semi-colons(;) and any embedded quotes with
a back single quote(`).

A2S will auto-detect the ADM version and type of data (scored or raw) within the file
you are processing, provided you have the data exported into “.CSV(Comma delimited
and quoted fields)” format. If you have received an ADM data file in some other format,
you must convert it into .CSV format. You can use various utilities for this, or use some
other type of software such as Microsoft® Excel®, that can read in a variety of formats
and export to .CSV format. Appendix B — Precautions about .CSV files lists
instructions and precautions for accomplishing this conversion.

Step 3 — Run A2S_Launch.SBS
Be sure your data file is not open when you use A2S.
Save any open data files.

The A2S installation will add an icon to your Programs menu. Click this icon, or
navigate to the A2S_2 folder and double click on A2S_Launch.sbs. The conversion
utility will open a script window with the A2S_Launch.sps script file loaded. Click the
green triangle (cid:88) (or press F5; or from the “Script” menu choose “Run.”) and answer
the following prompts:
1. The source of the data to be analyzed (RTS, ADM by version);
2. The ADM data (*.CSV) file name;
3. The form type and data version you wish to process;
4. The name of the SPSS data file to be saved.

As A2S runs, it will open an SPSS output window (after step 2 above) and display
progress messages. The steps of inspecting the .CSV file and creating the SPSS
command file can take a minute or longer to complete. When the utility is finished, a
message is displayed to you. The utility creates an SPSS syntax file
(A2S\Code_3\ADM7Proc.sps) when processing data from ADM 7. You can save this
file under a different for use in the future.

Figures 1-7 illustrate the series of windows opened by the utility when
processing data from ADM version 7.
A2S Version 3.1 Guide, page 4
Figure 1 - SPSS Script window with a2s_Launch.sbs loaded
Click the green triangle to start the application.

Figure 2 - Prompt to specify the source of the data to be analyzed

A2S Version 3.1 Guide, page 5
Figure 3 - SPSS Output window displaying messages

Figure 4 - Specifying the input file
Click on the displayed file name, then click Open to specify this file.
A2S Version 3.1 Guide, page 6
Figure 5 - Specifying a form type, with normative reference years
A2S automatically detects the type of data (Raw or Scored) and displays the
number of forms of each type on the “Select a form type” screen.

NOTE – For ADM 7 data, Language Development Survey (LDS) scores are written
into the same file with the CBCL Ages 1½ - 5 scores. LDS raw data are written into the
same file as C15 raw data (this is different from processing data from other sources,
and different from A2S version 2). To process LDS, select the C15 & LDS option.

Figure 6 - Specifying the SPSS .sav file name
A2S Version 3.1 Guide, page 7