Assessment of Students with Special Education Needs

Definition Educational assessment is the systematic process of gathering educationally relevant information to make legal and instructional decisions about the provision of services.

Assessment should: 1. Relate to regular performance 2. Gather from interdisciplinary sources 3. Consider all aspects of the student's life

Basic terms Assessment: A general term used to denote the systematic collection and interpretation of data that is to be used in the making of educational decisions, including enhancing instruction. Test: An instrument or formal process that presents tasks that yields a specific type of measurement.

Types of Assessments Formal  Standardized  Norm-referenced Informal Observations Authentic

FORMAL STRATEGIES Norm referenced tests- compare a students performance to that of a comparable group Use limited to groups who are much like the norm group Very explicit instructions

 A standardized test is one that is administered, scored, and interpreted in identical fashion for all examinees.  SPED teachers must understand their nature and interpretation.  Achievement tests measure academic skills; aptitude tests measure potential or future achievement.

 Norm-Referenced Tests Permit comparisons to well-defined norm group (intended to represent current level of achievement for a specific group of students at a specific grade level). Answer the following questions: What is the relative standing of this student across this broad domain of content? How does the student compare to other similar students? Scores are often transformed to a common distribution— normal distribution or bell-shaped curve.

Two types: Achievement = ? Aptitude = ? Uses a variety of score reporting types  Raw scores, standard scores, percentiles, stanines, t scores, z scores, etc.

Formal tests Norm referenced tests- compare a students performance to that of a comparable group. 1. group 2. individual Use limited to groups who are much like the norm group.

Characteristics of formal tests Very explicit instructions. Uses a variety of score reporting types. Scores are comparable to other scores Some scores are better for this use than others

The Examiner’s Manual The manual is your best friend! It contains:  Information about the concepts to be tested.  Administration procedures (who should give it, basic test procedures, times, basals and ceilings).

Manual (con’t.) Specific subtest administration instructions Script to read How to score (usually with examples) Explanations of reasons for the scoring Examiner qualifications  How much training  How much practice How to encourage and praise Time needed

Manual (con’t). How to calculate the age of a subject How to record the subtest raw scores How to compute composite scores Tables for computing scores How to complete the graphics for interpretation

Administering items Some tests require that you administer all items Some have ranges of items that you administer The appropriate point to start is usually given in the test manual.

Basals A basal score is the point at which it may be assumed that all lower items would be scored as correct The student establishes a basal by responding correctly to a predetermined number of items

Ceilings The point at which it may be assumed that all harder items will be scored as incorrect Student establishes a ceiling by responding incorrectly to a predetermined number of items.

RAW SCORES When you administer any test, the first step in scoring almost always will be to calculate the number of correct items the student obtained. For example, if a student took a 20-question spelling test in your class, the first thing you would do is determine how many words the student spelled correctly. This score is known as the raw score. The raw score normally indicates the number of items correctly answered on a given test. In almost all cases, it is the first score a teacher obtains when interpreting data.

Raw Scores A raw score is a test score that has not been weighted, transformed, or statistically manipulated. Now, in general, raw scores by themselves mean very little. For example, suppose the student in your class got 18 out of 20 correct on the spelling test. The number 18 has no real meaning. What is important is what you do with the 18. For example, most teachers would say the student got 18 out of 20 and turn it into a percentage indicating that the student got 90% (18/20 is 90%) on this test.

STANDARD SCORES A standard score is a score that has been transformed to fit a normal curve, with a mean and standard deviation that remain the same across ages. Normally, standard scores have a mean of 100 and a standard deviation of 15.

Standard Scores Often, when doing assessment, you will have to tell parents and administrators the standard scores the child received on the given test and the appropriate classification that they represent.

Calculate the Raw Score Basal = 3; Ceiling = 3 1. ___ 2. ___ 3. ___ 4. ___ 5. ___ 6. _1__ 7. _1__ 8. _1__ 9. _0__ 10. _1__ 11. _1__ 12. _0__ 13. _1__ 14. _1__ 15. _0__ 16. _0__ 17. _0__ 18. ___ 19. ___ 20. ___

SCORING ACTIVITY

INFORMAL STRATEGIES 1. Observations 2. Curriculum based assessments 3. Work sample analysis 4. Portfolios 5. Task analysis 6. Inventories 7. Criterion referenced tests. 8. Diagnostic teaching. 9. Checklists and rating scales. 10. Interviews. 11. Rating scales.

Compare and Contrast Informal Assessment Flexible Dynamic Individualized Continuous Process-Based Progress Measuring Formal Assessment Structured Static Standardized Episodic Product-Based Knowledge Testing

Informal Classroom Assessment Checklists and Charts Curriculum-Based Measurement Portfolio Assessment

Informal Classroom Assessment Definition A variety of flexible, non-standardized procedures for measuring student performance, achievement and progress. Provides a direct link between assessment and teaching.

Informal Assessment Procedures As teachers we use informal assessment every day in our classrooms when we  Observe student behavior  Find an error pattern in a student paper  Interview a student  Grade student homework  Give a teacher-made test  Use checklists to measure progress

Checklists of Reading Skills

Oral Reading Observations Comments Reads expressively 2. Reads clearly (pronunciation) 3. Reads at an appropriate rate 4. Reads for meaning 5. Observes punctuation 6. Not easily frustrated 7. Attempts unfamiliar words 8. Uses morphological skills 9. Uses context clues 10. Displays good comprehension 11. Other notable behaviors (specify) Diagnostic Checklist of Oral Reading Student _________________Teacher ______________ Grade Level of Passage _____Date ______________

Silent Reading Observations Comments Points to individual words 2. Runs a finger under each line 3. Runs a finger down the page 4. Whispers words 5. Says words aloud 6. Moves head while reading 7. Holds book too close 8. Holds book too far away 9. Reads too slowly 10. Reads too quickly 11. Other notable behaviors (specify) Diagnostic Checklist of Silent Reading Student ___________________Teacher ______________ Grade Level of Passage _______Date ______________

Reading Comprehension Observations Comments Answers factual questions about the passage 2. Classifies, categorizes, & summarizes the passage 3. Makes inferences & predictions based on the passage 4. Answers valuative questions about the passage 5. Critically analyzes the passage 6. Other notable behaviors (specify) Diagnostic Checklist of Reading Comprehension Student ___________________Teacher _____________ Grade Level of Passage _______Date ________________

Checklists for Students with Severe Disabilities Using Task Analysis

Informal Assessment Curriculum-Based Measurement

What is CBM A method we use as teachers to find out how well our students are progressing in basic academic areas such as math, reading, writing, and spelling.

What is Curriculum Based Measurement (CBM)?  Reading  Pre-reading  Reading fluency  Math  Spelling  Written expression Method of monitoring student growth through direct assessment of skills being taught in the curriculum Areas it can be used in include:

How does CBM work? When CBM is used, each child is tested briefly each week or so. The “tests” generally last from 1 to 5 minutes. The teacher counts the number of correct and incorrect responses made in the time allotted to find the child’s score.

First Grade Word-Identification Fluency two for come because last from... Teacher: Read these words. Time: 1 minute.

Informal Assessment New informal assessment strategy Especially helpful in identify students with special needs Ideal for measuring progress or lack of progress with struggling students

CBM Educator uses probes  Brief, timed samples of material from the curriculum Standardized conditions  Why important? Can be used often

Advantages of CBM Match the curriculum Quick to administer Can be given frequently  Weekly, daily Shows short term gain in skills Measures effectiveness of interventions

Why is Fluency Important? Fluency is the speed with which the student can produce correct answers Proficient skills are automatic. Component skills need to be well developed to support understanding. It is not enough to be simply accurate; the skill must be automatic.

Administration Standardized procedures  Materials  Administration  Time limit  Scoring rules Must choose one area Gather enough materials for probes and instruction

48 Sarah’s Progress on Words Read Correctly Words Read Correctly Sarah SmithReading Fluency SepOctNovDecJanFebMarAprMay

49 Jessica’s Progress on Words Read Correctly Words Read Correctly Jessica Jones Reading Fluency SepOctNovDecJanFebMarAprMay

50 Jessica’s Progress with Tutoring Words Read Correctly Jessica JonesReading Fluency SepOctNovDecJanFebMarAprMay

51 Johnathon’s Progress on Words Read Correctly Words Read Correctly Jessica JonesReading Fluency SepOctNovDecJanFebMarAprMay