Assessment Flashcards
Testing vs. Assessment
- testing is administering a test and obtaining scores, it’s about data collection
- assessment is more comprehensive evaluation
- involves various skill areas
- strengths/weaknesses, formal/informal, interviews, observations
- synthesizing and interpreting scores
Four Pillars of Assessment
Normative Assessment
- administering tests that allow for comparison to a reference group - scores can be assigned a rank
Observations
- formal and informal
- look at response to stressors, behavior changes
- can compare referred child to non-reffered children
Interviews
- unstructure, semi-structured, and structured
- structured are most accurate
Informal Assessment
- CBM, Criterion referenced tests
- district-wide and teacher-made tests
- objective-referenced tests
- direct assessment
- formative evaluation
Purposes of Assessment
Screening - a brief evaluation of a skill to determine need for a comprehensive evaulation
Focused/Problem-Solving - more detailed evaluation in one area of functioning
Diagnostic Assessment - comprehensive evaluation of multiple areas of functioning, strengths/weaknesses
- Can examine behavior, aptitude, achievement, language, social functioning
Counseling/Rehab - examines child’s ability to function in daily aspects of life, potential for recovery, potential response to treatment
Progress Monitoring - day-to-day, month-to-month…
- used to evaluate changes tto a child’s development ans skills to evaluate the effectiveness of interventions
Pros and Cons of Intelligence Testing
(Kaufman, Lichtenberger, & Naglieri, 1999)
Pros
- allows for comparison to a norm sample
- standardized and objective
- useful in diagnosis and placement
- required for ID and gifted evals
- predictor of achievement
Cons
- stigmatization
- doesn’t measure all components of intelligence
- doesn’t measure motivation, perserverance, social skills
- Doesn’t inform treatment or intervention
- Overlap between IQ and intelligence
Non-Verbal Intelligence Tests
- all tests are influences by some language ability because it requires communication
- better if all directions and responses are nonverbal
- can over estimate abilities in a verbally oriented society
- can underestimate because measures very narrow aspects of intelligence
- nonverbal IQ is proven to be less effective in predicting academic outcomes than verbal IQ
Measures of Nonverbal Intelligence
UNIT
- green and black so that it can be used with color blind
- completely nonverbal directions - gestures -
- multidimensional - memory, reasoning, and attention
- should be used for high stakes assessments
TONI
- completely nonverbal directions
- untimed
- not heavily reliant on manipulatives - good for kids w/ motor problems
- one dimensional - narrow aspect of IQ b/c only used progressive matrices
- use for screening
Achievement Tests
- Assesses the extent to which students have benefited from formal schooling and other life experiences compared with other students of the same age/grade. These are generally norm-referenced
Skills Covered in Achievement Tests
Reading
- letter recognition, word attack, sight recognition, fluency, comprehension
Writing
- letter formation, spelling, capitalization, punctuation, syntax, text construction
Numeration
- math facts, time/money measurement, estimation, problem solving
Achievment vs. IQ Tests
- IQ tests are better predictors of future achievement and they cover a broader skill area
- also looks at the application of knowledge to new situations
- Achievement tests look at mastery of skills and are more dependent upon formal schooling and culture
- Both measure aptitude, learning, and achievement to some degree
Competent Test Use
(Eyde et al., 1993)
- Knowledge of professional laws and ethics
- appropriate interpretation of tests
- use appropriate test setting
- establish rapport w/ child
- test security
- test standardization
- be aware of examinees performance
- inteprett performance within the limit of the test
- integrate test results w/other sources of information
- remember that a score only represents one point in time
- understand reliability/validity
- don’t make evaluations w/inappropriate tests
Factors that Affect Accurate Assessment
- ability to understand stimuli
- ability to respond to stimuli
- nature of normative sample
- appropriate level of items
- opportunity to learn - exposure to the curriculum
Adaptations of Tests to Accommodate Students w/ Disabilities
- timing
- presentation
- response
- setting
If Used and Interpreted Correctly IQ Tests:
- may increase accountability and help to know if the educational system is working
- are usually more reliable and valid - less bias than teacher-made tests
- let the community see how students in one school differ from students in another
- motivate parents and teachers to seek help for students whose test performance is poor
- allow students access to programs
Testing of the Limits (TOL)
- extension of testing beyond the standard procedures
- goal - to obtain additional information about the child’s abilities
- use only after entire test is completed
- results are for information only - not final score
- procedures
- provide additions cues to adi subject
- uncover problem-solving strategies used by examinee
- addition time limits - readminister a subtest
Recommendations for Assessing Children w/ Physical Disabilities
- may need more time to respond
- be sensitive not to talk over or rush the child
- may fatigue easily
- may feel extreme pressure when test is timed
- imperative that they are not penalized b/c of sensory or motor deficits
