|
TYPES OF EVALUATIONS
There are limitless numbers of assessment instruments available. The instruments chosen depend upon the nature or purpose of the evaluation. Usually, information from a parent and/or school is used to determine which tests should be administered to an individual. Both standardized (formal) and qualitative (informal) tools yield data that are necessary to answer important diagnostic questions. For example, if a student is struggling to read, a standardized achievement test alone may not provide enough information about why the student is having difficulty. A standardized or formal evaluation is used to:
A qualitative or informal assessment is used to:
Frequently, many evaluations fall into one of the following categories: |
|
Basic Evaluation
This evaluation includes a complete psycho-educational battery which is necessary to determine whether or not a student is disabled or gifted. The evaluation is conducted to determine levels of intellectual functioning and academic skill levels and provides a thorough picture of how this student performs in an academic setting. The intelligence/cognitive (IQ) tests are used to determine a student’s potential. Achievement/ academic tests identify strengths and weaknesses relative to overall ability. The cognitive and achievement data then is used to determine what informal assessments should be administered. The results of the informal evaluation are used to drive instruction. This will provide the student, family, school, and service providers with a baseline of data and a plan for the future.
Comprehensive Evaluation
This evaluation includes all of the basic testing and also incorporates either dyslexia testing and/or information processing. Vocational assessment is recommended for students who are age 14 and older. Students who are having their last evaluation before college must have this type of evaluation to document the need for certain accommodations in post-secondary education.
Curriculum-based Measurement/Assessment
This assessment is designed to measure how the student is progressing in a very narrow aspect of the curriculum. CBM is used to provide a baseline of current achievement and measure progress of an intervention.
Developmental/Early Childhood/Preschool Screenings
Many parents choose to have their children screened to determine educational strengths and weaknesses. This provides families with more information to make decisions regarding school placement. This evaluation often includes:
This evaluation includes a complete psycho-educational battery which is necessary to determine whether or not a student is disabled or gifted. The evaluation is conducted to determine levels of intellectual functioning and academic skill levels and provides a thorough picture of how this student performs in an academic setting. The intelligence/cognitive (IQ) tests are used to determine a student’s potential. Achievement/ academic tests identify strengths and weaknesses relative to overall ability. The cognitive and achievement data then is used to determine what informal assessments should be administered. The results of the informal evaluation are used to drive instruction. This will provide the student, family, school, and service providers with a baseline of data and a plan for the future.
Comprehensive Evaluation
This evaluation includes all of the basic testing and also incorporates either dyslexia testing and/or information processing. Vocational assessment is recommended for students who are age 14 and older. Students who are having their last evaluation before college must have this type of evaluation to document the need for certain accommodations in post-secondary education.
Curriculum-based Measurement/Assessment
This assessment is designed to measure how the student is progressing in a very narrow aspect of the curriculum. CBM is used to provide a baseline of current achievement and measure progress of an intervention.
Developmental/Early Childhood/Preschool Screenings
Many parents choose to have their children screened to determine educational strengths and weaknesses. This provides families with more information to make decisions regarding school placement. This evaluation often includes:
- reading or pre-reading skills
- language/vocabulary
- math skills/concepts
- developmental writing skills
Assessment Tools
The following is a list of some of the more popular assessment tools used as part of evaluations:
Intellectual/Cognitive
These tests measure intellectual potential (IQ) and estimate or predict academic success.
Academic Achievement
These assessment tools measure specific academic strengths and weaknesses through an individually administered, standardized evaluation. They measure what skills have been learned in academic areas such as reading, math, written expression, and language. The results serve as a baseline to measure effectiveness of educational programs.
Information Processing
These cognitive processing tools measure how information is processed and integrated in the brain. The main processing components for assessment purposes include: attention, auditory and visual processing, executive functioning, fluid reasoning, short-term memory and long-term retrieval, phonemic awareness, planning and organization, processing speed, simultaneous and successive processing, and metacognitive skills such as self-monitoring and strategic thinking.
Reading
These tests include specific measures of all areas of reading and are administered to provide comprehensive information about the reading process.
Writing, Spelling, and Language
The following tests are used to evaluate aspects of written expression, spelling, and language.
Informal Assessments
These qualitative, subjective evaluation tools are administered to assist with the development of instructional programs based on the student’s strengths and weaknesses.
Observations
This is a process approach which may include descriptions of response analysis, fatigue, frustration, attention, motivation, learning style, and error analysis.
The following is a list of some of the more popular assessment tools used as part of evaluations:
Intellectual/Cognitive
These tests measure intellectual potential (IQ) and estimate or predict academic success.
- Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Fourth Edition (WISC-IV)
- Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-Third Edition (WAIS-III)
- Woodcock-Johnson Tests of Cognitive Ability-Third Edition (WJ-III COG)
- Kauffman Assessment Battery for Children-Second Edition (KABC-II)
Academic Achievement
These assessment tools measure specific academic strengths and weaknesses through an individually administered, standardized evaluation. They measure what skills have been learned in academic areas such as reading, math, written expression, and language. The results serve as a baseline to measure effectiveness of educational programs.
- Wechsler Individual Achievement Test-Second Edition (WIAT-II)
- Woodcock-Johnson Tests of Achievement-Third Edition (WJ-III ACH)
- Kauffman Test of Educational Achievement-Second Edition (KTEA-II)
- Diagnostic Supplement to the Tests of Cognitive Abilities (WJ-III DS)
Information Processing
These cognitive processing tools measure how information is processed and integrated in the brain. The main processing components for assessment purposes include: attention, auditory and visual processing, executive functioning, fluid reasoning, short-term memory and long-term retrieval, phonemic awareness, planning and organization, processing speed, simultaneous and successive processing, and metacognitive skills such as self-monitoring and strategic thinking.
- Woodcock-Johnson Tests of Cognitive Ability-Third Edition (WJ-III COG)
- Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Fourth Edition Integrated (WISC-IV IN
Reading
These tests include specific measures of all areas of reading and are administered to provide comprehensive information about the reading process.
- Gray Oral Reading Test-Fourth Edition (GORT-4)
- Comprehensive Test of Phonological Processing (CTOPP)
- Test of Word Reading Efficiency (TOWRE)
- Nelson Denny Reading Test (NDRT)
- Test of Preschool Early Literacy (TOPEL)
Writing, Spelling, and Language
The following tests are used to evaluate aspects of written expression, spelling, and language.
- Test of Written Language–Third Edition (TOWL-3)
- Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test–Fourth Edition (PPVT-4)
- Expressive Vocabulary Test (EVT)
- Rapid Automatized Naming (RAN)
- Visual Motor Integration (Bender or VMI)
- Test of Written Spelling–Fourth Edition (TWS-4)
Informal Assessments
These qualitative, subjective evaluation tools are administered to assist with the development of instructional programs based on the student’s strengths and weaknesses.
- Informal reading inventories measure rate, vocabulary, comprehension, word reading in isolation, word reading, reading in context, silent versus oral reading, expository versus narrative text structure, and listening comprehension.
- Writing samples are used to evaluate content and structure including vocabulary, organization, mechanics, sentence complexity, and figurative language.
- Developmental spelling evaluations identify the student’s understanding of word knowledge.
Observations
This is a process approach which may include descriptions of response analysis, fatigue, frustration, attention, motivation, learning style, and error analysis.