Tests of Achievement

Reliability Reliability Goal for clusters set at .90 or higher Goal for tests set at .80 or higher NOTE: Reliability statistics calculated for all WJ III tests across their range of intended use. Included all norming subjects tested at each technical age level. (25 levels - by year 2-19, by 10 yr.intervals 20-79, 80+) Split-half coefficients corrected for length using Spearman-Brown correction Rasch analysis procedures used for calculating reliability for 8 multi-point tests (4 in COG, 4 in ACH) and 8 speeded (5 in COG, 3 in ACH) Test-retest study also conducted for 8 speeded tests Interval set at 1 day to minimize changes in test scores due to changes in the subjects’ states or traits. These reliabilities are lower than those for same tests obtained using Rasch analysis procedures. Test-retest is lower bound for speeded tests - other reliabilities are upper bound. TESTS: 38 of 42 are .80 or higher (15 are .90 or higher) (4 are in .70s) CLUSTERS: 36 of 42 are .90 or higher (6 are in .80s) Consult: Chapter 3 of Technical Manual for more information. Summary information in ASB 2.

Reliability of the Achievement Clusters Standard Battery Clusters Extended Battery Clusters Total Achievement .98 Oral Language-Std. .87 Broad Reading .94 Broad Math .95 Broad Written Language .94 Academic Skills .96 Academic Fluency .93 Academic Applications .95 Oral Language-Ext. .92 Oral Expression .85 Listening Comprehension .89 Basic Reading Skills .95 Reading Comprehension .92 Math Calculation Skills .91 Math Reasoning .95 Basic Writing Skills .94 Written Expression .91 Phoneme/Grapheme .90 Knowledge NOTE: Note: median reliabilities reported

Validity Evidence Content Construct Concurrent CHC theory test blueprint-based content analysis Both broad and narrow abilities accounted for in test specifications Construct Divergent growth curves (developmental evidence) Confirmatory factor analysis (internal/structural) evidence Test and cluster intercorrelations Convergent/discriminate validity evidence Concurrent 11 special studies (775 additional subjects) Comparison to tests measuring similar constructs NOTE: Test validity refers to the degree to which empirical evidence and theory support the use and interpretation of the test. 4 sources of validity evidence reported in Technical Manual: a.) test content (content or substantive validity) b.) developmental patterns of scores (provides evidence of unique abilities) c.) internal structure (construct - intercorrelations of tests/clusters, CFA) d.) relationships to other external variables (special studies-concurrent) Convergent evidence that test/cluster scores are measuring similar abilities or constructs (e.g., all Gc tests correlate higher with each other than with tests of other abilities) Discriminant evidence that tests/clusters are measuring different abilities (e.g., correlations lower between different areas, factors) Factor analysis (CFA - confirmatory factor analysis) Bias & sensitivity reviews conducted as part of item development. Consult Chapter 4 of the Technical Manual for more information. See Chapter 2 of Tech. Manual for info. on CHC theory . Summary information in ASB2.

WJ III Math Clusters: Math Calculation

ACH 5 Calculation Requires calculation of problems ranging from simple addition facts to calculus (uses SRB) Basal/Ceiling Rules: 6 lowest correct/6 highest incorrect Skipped items are scored as a “0” Do not point out signs Accept reversals but not transposed numbers NOTES: No major changes from WJ-R. Tasks range from writing single numbers to performing addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, and combinations of these basic operations, as well as some geometric, trigonometric, logarithmic, and calculus operations. Subject does not need to make decisions about what data to include or which operation to use. (presented in SRB) Use Suggested Starting Points. Includes: negative numbers, decimals, percents, fractions, and whole numbers. Median Reliabilities: 5-19 .85 Adult .89 Broad Ability Mathematics (Gq) Narrow Ability Mathematics Achievement Clusters Broad Mathematics Math Calculation Skills Academic Skills Total Achievement

Sample A: Make the number “one” in this box. Calculation Sample A: Make the number “one” in this box. 1. 2 + 2 = 2. 1 + 1 = 3. 2 + 1 = 9. 5 - 1 = 10. 9 11. 17 + 7 - 9 26. 1.05 28. -18 29. -6 x .2 + 12 x 7 NOTES: Poorly formed or reversed numbers are acceptable. Transposed numbers are NOT acceptable (e.g., 14 for 41). NO, examiners may not point out the signs to the subject. Examiner Tips If subject responds incorrectly to both sample items, testing may be discontinued. Score test “0.” Do not penalize for poorly formed numerals. Be sure to complete all queries in Test Book.

New ACH 6 Math Fluency Requires rapid calculation of single-digit addition, subtraction, and multiplication facts (uses SRB) Begin with Item 1/End with 3-minute time limit Skipped items are scored as a “0” Do not point out signs Discontinue if 3 or less correct after 1 minute NOTES: New to WJ III Measures ability to solve simple addition, subtraction, and multiplication facts quickly. Median Reliabilities: 7-19 .89 Adult .92 Broad Ability Mathematics (Gq) Narrow Abilities Mathematics Achievement Numerical Facility Clusters Broad Mathematics Math Calculation Skills Academic Fluency Total Achievement

Math Fluency Examiner Tips NOTES: Examiner Tips Do not penalize for poorly formed or reversed numbers. Record exact finishing time if subject finishes early or examiner exceeds time limit. Scoring overlay is provided.

WJ III Math Clusters: Math Reasoning

WJ III NU Tests of Achievement Test 10: Applied Problems Requires comprehending the nature of a problem, identifying relevant information, performing calculations, and stating solution No reading is required

WJ III NU Tests of Achievement 15. If Maria ate one of these suckers, how many suckers would be left? _______________________________ 30. Jay’s car holds fifteen gallons of gas. Yoshi’s car holds ten gallons of gas and Ellen’s car holds twenty gallons of gas. How many more gallons does Jay’s car hold than Yoshi’s car? Jay: 15 gallons Yoshi: 10 gallons Ellen: 20 gallons

WJ III NU Tests of Achievement Test 18: Quantitative Concepts Requires applying mathematical concepts and analyzing numerical relationships (use Subject Response Booklet) Broken into two subtests Each item in 18B: Number Series has a 1-minute time limit

WJ III NU Tests of Achievement 18A: Concepts 3 3. What number is this? 6. Point to the largest star. Now point to the smallest star.

WJ III NU Tests of Achievement 18B: Number Series 1 2 3 ___ 8 6 4 ___ 7 14 28 ___ 1. 10. 20.

Written Expression Cluster

ACH 8 Writing Fluency Requires formulating and writing simple sentences rapidly (uses SRB) Begin with Item 1/End with 7-minute time limit Discontinue if subject has “0” on Samples B-D Any stimulus words may be read upon request 3 stimulus words may not be changed in any way NOTES: No major changes from WJ-R. Median Reliabilities: 7-19 .86 Adult .92 Broad Ability Reading-Writing (Grw) Narrow Ability Writing Speed Clusters Broad Written Language Written Expression Academic Fluency Total Achievement

Writing Fluency - Samples A & B I am going to ask you to write short sentences about some pictures. A. Look at this picture and the words “good,” “cake,” and “is.” A short sentence that tells about the picture and uses these words is “The cake is good.” B. Now look at this picture and the words “pig,” “fat,” and “is.” Use these three words and any other words you need to write a short sentence about the picture. You may put the words in any order. Go ahead and do Sample Items C and D. A. good cake is B. pig fat is NOTES:

Writing Fluency - Examiner Tips Score as incorrect any items skipped. Do not penalize for spelling, punctuation, or capitalization errors. Do not penalize for poor handwriting unless illegible. Response must be a reasonable sentence to receive credit. If the sentence is awkward but the meaning is clear, score as 1. Accept sentences with the understood subject you. Accept abbreviations or symbols If a word critical to the meaning is omitted, score as 0. Omission of less meaningful word is not penalized. NOTES:

He is dropping a dime in the bank. Writing Fluency - Scoring Items 25-28 He is dropping a dime in the bank. The light is shining from the window. They are running the race again. NOTES: Scoring examples. Item 25: 1 Item 26: 0 (did not use the word “in”) Item 27: 0 (changed “ran” to “running”) Item 28: 1 I want to use the toy truck.

ACH 11 Writing Samples Requires writing sentences in response to a series of demands that increase in difficulty (uses SRB) Use Suggested Starting Points Administer Block of Items Administer additional block of items if score falls in shaded area of scoring table NOTES: No major changes from WJ-R. Same number of items, but organized into fewer blocks (5 blocks of items vs. 6 blocks). Median Reliabilities: 5-19 .84 Adult .91 Broad Ability Reading-Writing (Grw) Narrow Ability Writing Ability Clusters Broad Written Language Written Expression Academic Applications Total Achievement

1.5 not clearly a 2, but better than a 1 point Writing Samples Scoring Responses 2 superior response 1.5 not clearly a 2, but better than a 1 point 1 standard response .5 not clearly a 1, but better than a 0 0 inadequate or illegible Block of Items 1 to 6 1 to 12 7 to 18 13 to 24 19 to 30 NOTES: Examiner Tips Use Scoring Guide in Appendix B of Examiner Manual. Items may be scored 2, 1.5, 1, .5, or 0 even if no example is shown in Scoring Guide. Score is based on one block even if additional blocks were administered.

Writing Samples 1. This says, “My name is________.” Write your name here. 7. This woman is a queen. Write a sentence that tells what this man is. 13. Write one good sentence that tells what is happening in this picture and what could happen next. 19. Write one sentence about a boy finding a lost dog. Include the words “who found the” in the middle of your sentence. 30. Write a good sentence using the words “despite her anger.” NOTES: Illustrates range of items. This test can be given to a small group (2-3) if examiner determines it will not effect the performance of any of the subjects. Examiner Tips Do not penalize for punctuation, capitalization, spelling, or usage errors except when indicated otherwise. Words may be read upon request. Do not spell any words for subject.

Bothe the lamp & the sun are sorsus of lite. Writing Samples - Scoring Items 13 -15 He can’t see ware to sit. Add eggs. NOTES: Scoring examples: 13. Number thirteen. Write one good sentence that tells what is happening in this picture and what could happen next. Response: He can’t see where to sit. (Score is 1 point) 14. Number fourteen. The second sentence is missing from this recipe. Write a sentence that will fit. Response: Add eggs. (Score is 1 point) 15. Number fifteen. Write a good sentence that tells how these two things are alike. Response: They are both sources of light. (Score is 2) This illustrates that misspellings do not lower the rating. Accept & for “and.” Bothe the lamp & the sun are sorsus of lite.

I like to snowbored, skee, and play video games. Writing Samples - Scoring Items 16-18 I like to snowbored, skee, and play video games. It’s riskee to dive into a pool of unnoan depth becuz you mite misjuge your dive and, konsukwently, brake your nek. He gets a retainer but it’s not the thing you put in your mouth. NOTES: Scoring examples: Item 16: Write one sentence that tells three things you would like to do on a vacation. Remember, three things. (Note: This item is partially scored for punctuation.) See response above. Score: 1 point Item 17: Write a good sentence that tells why it is dangerous to dive into a pool when you do not know how deep it is. See response above. Score: 2 points (Spelling does not detract from score. Item must be readable.) Item 18: The second sentence is missing from this paragraph. Write a good sentence that will fit. Examiner Tips Do not ask subject to read response for purpose of scoring. Response must be legible enough to be read by adult without knowledge of item content.

Writing Samples - Examiner Tips Severe grammatical or usage errors - reduce score by 1 point (omission of critical words, extremely awkward sentences) Multiple Sentences - Select and score the one sentence that most closely meets tasks demands. Inappropriate Content - Responses that have little to do with the requested task are scored as 0. Misinterpretation of Picture - Ignore and score response according to item criteria. Two Raters - Two independent raters score items and resolve any score differences of more than 1 point. Average the two scores to obtain final number correct. Round scores - ending in .5 to nearest even number (15.5 = 16, 16.5=16) NOTES:

3. Find 22 in column for Items 1-12 4. See Note 2 Adjusted Item Blocks 2 1 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 6 2 1.5 1. 4 1.5 5 2 1. Began with Items 1-12 2. Number of Points = 22 3. Find 22 in column for Items 1-12 4. See Note 2 5. Administer Items 13-18 6. Base score on Items 7-18 22 NOTES:

Oral Expression Cluster

New ACH 3 Story Recall Requires listening to stories and recalling elements Use Suggested Starting Points Follow Continuation Instructions Do not repeat or replay any stories NOTES: New to WJ III. Subject listens to a story from the audio recording and then recall as many details as possible. The stories become increasingly complex. Median Reliabilities: 5-19 .87 Adult .89 Broad Ability Comprehension-Knowledge (Gc) Narrow Abilities Language Development Listening Ability Clusters Oral Language-STD Oral Language-EXT Oral Expression

Pause the audio recording after each story so the subject can respond. Story Recall - Examiner Tips Pause the audio recording after each story so the subject can respond. In the Test Record, place a check mark over each element recalled. (elements are separated by slash marks /) Elements that are bold must be recalled exactly. Other elements can be synonyms or paraphrased. If necessary, stories can be presented orally. If Test 12 Story Recall-Delayed will be administered, do not tell subject that stories may need to be recalled later. NOTES: Oral presentation is possible if subject is not responsive to audio recording (e.g., very young, low functioning).

She catches butterflies. (1) Julie catches butterflies. (2) Story Recall - Story 1 Julie / likes to catch butterflies./ Then she lets them go./ She catches butterflies. (1) Julie catches butterflies. (2) Julie likes catching butterflies. She lets them go. (3) Sample Responses 3 Points Possible NOTES: Continuation Rules If subject has 3 or fewer points on Stories 1 and 2, testing may be discontinued. If subject has 4 or more points on Stories 1 and 2, administer Stories 3 and 4 unless already administered.

Story Recall - Story 2 Mary / has a dog./ He loves to ride / in the car,/ but he hates to take a bath./ Score these responses: (5 points possible) He doesn’t like taking baths. Mary’s dog loves to ride in the car. Her dog hates baths but he loves riding in the car. NOTES: Scoring of first example. He doesn’t like taking baths. ( Score is 1) * (one element) Mary’s dog loves to ride in the car. (Score is 4) * * * * (4 elements) Her dog hates baths but he loves riding in the car. (Score is 4) * * * *

birthday./ He wanted to put them on his bedroom / ceiling./ Story Recall - Story 5 Rick / got some glow-in-the-dark/ stars / for his sixth birthday./ He wanted to put them on his bedroom / ceiling./ He wanted to put them in his bedroom. (1) Rick got some glowing stars for his birthday. (2) He put some glow-in-the-dark stars on his bedroom ceiling. (4) Sample Responses 6 Points Possible NOTES: Continuation Rules If subject has 8 or fewer points on Stories 5 and 6, administer Stories 3 and 4 unless already administered. If subject has 9 or more points on Stories 5 and 6, administer Stories 7 and 8 unless already administered.

Story Recall - Story 6 The dinosaur / at the museum/ was over 20 feet / tall./ Many people came to see it. / Some small / children / were scared./ They thought it was real./ Score these responses: (9 points possible) They were afraid of the dinosaur. At the museum there was a 20 foot tall dinosaur. The little kids were scared. They thought it was real. NOTES: Scoring of examples. They were afraid of the dinosaur. (Score is 2 points) * * (2 elements) * * * * At the museum there was a 20 foot tall dinosaur. The little kids were scared. They thought it was real. (Score is 8 points) * * * * (8 elements)

Story Recall - Story 6 The dinosaur / at the museum/ was over 20 feet / tall./ Many people came to see it. / Some small / children / were scared./ They thought it was real./ Score these responses: (9 points possible) They were afraid of the dinosaur. At the museum there was a 20 foot tall dinosaur. The little kids were scared. They thought it was real. NOTES: Scoring of examples. They were afraid of the dinosaur. (Score is 2 points) * * (2 elements) * * * * At the museum there was a 20 foot tall dinosaur. The little kids were scared. They thought it was real. (Score is 8 points) * * * * (8 elements)

Place check mark over each element recalled correctly. Enter Date & Time. 9 27 00 11 30 Place check mark over each element recalled correctly. Bold words must be recalled exactly. 2 3 5 3 or fewer points: Discontinue testing. 4 or more points: Administer Stories 3 and 4. Follow Continuation Instructions. NOTES: Recording the date & time is especially important if Test 12: Story Recall-Delayed is to be administered. Best to record it at all times because a decision may be made later to administer Test 12. Continuation Instructions tell examiner when to discontinue, when to test further, or when to administer easier items. In this example, the instructions for Stories 1-2 are: 3 or fewer points, discontinue testing. 4 or more points, administer Stories 3 & 4. Record points for each story and each set of stories.

ACH 14 Picture Vocabulary Requires naming pictures (familiar to less familiar) Use Suggested Starting Points Basal/Ceiling Rules: 6 lowest correct/6 highest incorrect Point to picture or part of picture as directed Test by complete pages NOTES: No major changes from WJ-R. (moved from COG to ACH) Items range from receptive, pointing tasks to orally naming pictured objects. Word-finding difficulties may impact performance. (retrieval) Median Reliabilities: 5-19 .77 Adult .90 Broad Ability Comprehension-Knowledge (Gc) Narrow Abilities Language Development Lexical Knowledge Clusters Oral Language-Extended Oral Expression

1. Run your finger across item and say: Put your finger on the flower. Picture Vocabulary 1. Run your finger across item and say: Put your finger on the flower. NOTE: Receptive item Item 1: points to flower

2. Point to picture and say: What is this? Picture Vocabulary 2. Point to picture and say: What is this? 19. Point to picture and say: What are these called? NOTE: Expressive items Item 2: ball Item 19: binoculars

40. Point to picture and say: What is this called? Picture Vocabulary 40. Point to picture and say: What is this called? Query: eye glass, lens Tell me another word. NOTES: Expressive item Illustrates need to point to “exact” part of picture. Illustrates “query.” Item 40: monocle Examiner Tips Point to the picture or picture part as directed. Complete any queries listed in Test book. Record errors for further analysis.