Communicating Results what can we say and to whom

Overview Communicating with the examinee Communicating with the examinee Communicating with children Communicating with children Communicating with parents Communicating with parents General principles General principles

The School Counselor’s Role Communicating test results to Communicating test results to –Students –Teachers –Administrators –Parents Specific skills are required Specific skills are required

The School Counselor’s Role Who is entitled to know? Who is entitled to know? Federal law outlines rights Federal law outlines rights –The examinee –The parents of minors –Other professionals within limits

Examinee Rights Federal Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 Federal Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 Examinee is entitled to Examinee is entitled to –The scores –Reasonable level of detail –Meaningful interpretations –Reasonable limitations of the scores

Parental Rights Federal Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 Federal Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 Parents of minors are also entitled to Parents of minors are also entitled to –The scores –Reasonable level of detail –Meaningful interpretations –Reasonable limitations of the scores

Other Professionals Access should be given to other trained professionals WITHIN the agency who have a reasonable educational need to know Access should be given to other trained professionals WITHIN the agency who have a reasonable educational need to know The counselor needs to be aware of how test scores are being used or misused The counselor needs to be aware of how test scores are being used or misused

Other Professionals Routine release to other schools and colleges – transfers, admissions, etc. Routine release to other schools and colleges – transfers, admissions, etc. Never disclosed in casual conversation Never disclosed in casual conversation Access should not be given to other trained professionals OUTSIDE the agency without written permission of the examinee or parent of a minor Access should not be given to other trained professionals OUTSIDE the agency without written permission of the examinee or parent of a minor

Other Professionals Governed by school system or agency policy, and state law Governed by school system or agency policy, and state law Everyone in the agency should be aware of the policy Everyone in the agency should be aware of the policy Examinees and parents should be aware of the policy Examinees and parents should be aware of the policy

Releasing to Trained Professionals Copy of the scores Copy of the scores Summary of the testing situation Summary of the testing situation Relevant observations Relevant observations Written permission to release Written permission to release Respect confidentiality Respect confidentiality

Releasing to Untrained Professionals Written interpretative report Written interpretative report Offer to go over scores in person Offer to go over scores in person Avoid jargon Avoid jargon Do not assume any knowledge Do not assume any knowledge Focus on useful information – what the child knows and can do Focus on useful information – what the child knows and can do

Begin at the Beginning Know the test Know the test –Know the original purpose of the test –How was it developed and for whom –Why does your agency use it? –Power versus speeded tests –Individual versus group tests

Begin at the Beginning Know the testing situation Know the testing situation –Examinee motivation –Local conditions –Become familiar with how the test works in your context –Develop local norms

Begin at the Beginning Know the purpose for the testing Know the purpose for the testing Know the norms Know the norms Know the metrics for the scores Know the metrics for the scores Know the audience for the results Know the audience for the results

Communicating with the Examinee Establish rapport Establish rapport Ask the examinee how they think they did on the tests Ask the examinee how they think they did on the tests Ask them what they expect to get out of the testing and debriefing Ask them what they expect to get out of the testing and debriefing

Communicating with the Examinee Individuals with severe impairments should be referred to specialists Individuals with severe impairments should be referred to specialists Keep to the central purpose for the assessment Keep to the central purpose for the assessment Explain the nature of the norms Explain the nature of the norms

Communicating with the Examinee Be careful not to force an interpretation on the examinee Be careful not to force an interpretation on the examinee Some examinees will be reluctant, resistant, or even defensive Some examinees will be reluctant, resistant, or even defensive Avoid a power struggle Avoid a power struggle

Communicating with the Examinee Document the exchange Document the exchange It may give you important information about the examinee’s perception of themselves It may give you important information about the examinee’s perception of themselves It may help to save some things for later It may help to save some things for later

Communicating with the Examinee Try to go over all of the results Try to go over all of the results Emphasize strengths and areas for growth Emphasize strengths and areas for growth Try to make helpful, realistic, and practical suggestions, such as using strengths to compensate for weaknesses Try to make helpful, realistic, and practical suggestions, such as using strengths to compensate for weaknesses

Communicating with the Examinee Avoid overstating results, cause and effect statements, direct predictions Avoid overstating results, cause and effect statements, direct predictions Try to determine if the examinee is understanding the results Try to determine if the examinee is understanding the results Don’t assume they will remember everything - summarize Don’t assume they will remember everything - summarize

Communicating with Children Children have a natural curiosity Children have a natural curiosity Children have a considerable capacity for understanding Children have a considerable capacity for understanding Probably best to work with 5 th grade and above Probably best to work with 5 th grade and above

Communicating with Children General overview of the purpose of the testing General overview of the purpose of the testing Individual conferences – not public discussion of individual scores Individual conferences – not public discussion of individual scores Use general terms, children tend to oversimplify Use general terms, children tend to oversimplify

Communicating with Children General discussion of strengths and weaknesses General discussion of strengths and weaknesses Don’t be discouraging Don’t be discouraging Don’t overemphasize the positive Don’t overemphasize the positive Be realistic in an encouraging way Be realistic in an encouraging way

Communicating with Parents Expect some parents to be argumentative Expect some parents to be argumentative Expect some parents to question both the purpose and the accuracy of the scores Expect some parents to question both the purpose and the accuracy of the scores Expect some parents to be defensive Expect some parents to be defensive Expect some parents to blame the school Expect some parents to blame the school

Communicating with Parents Discourage hostility toward the child Discourage hostility toward the child Don’t reward “passing through a phase” Don’t reward “passing through a phase” In general, the principles for adult examinees apply to parents In general, the principles for adult examinees apply to parents

Consider the Needs of the Audience Other professionals often want just the facts Other professionals often want just the facts General public needs to know why they should care General public needs to know why they should care Graphic organizers help Graphic organizers help Be prepared to answer all questions – some people will be the curious Be prepared to answer all questions – some people will be the curious

If Scores Seem Unreasonable Different sources of information will sometimes conflict Different sources of information will sometimes conflict Remember what is being measured and how Remember what is being measured and how Try to look for patterns and make connections across sources Try to look for patterns and make connections across sources

If Scores Seem Unreasonable The score could be wrong The score could be wrong Our interpretation could be wrong Our interpretation could be wrong Both Both Neither Neither Checking helps understand the whole situation Checking helps understand the whole situation

If Scores Seem Unreasonable Check the scoring Check the scoring Hand score a small sample Hand score a small sample Consider how closely related the score is to the purpose of the assessment Consider how closely related the score is to the purpose of the assessment

If Scores Seem Unreasonable Age of child Age of child Cultural Bias Cultural Bias Construct validity relative to purpose Construct validity relative to purpose Measurement error Measurement error Interaction between examinee and test format Interaction between examinee and test format

If Scores Seem Unreasonable Example Outliers Example Outliers –PPVT SS Winter: 71 (z=-1.93) –PPVT SS Spring: 40 (z=-4.00) –Gain = -31 (z=-3.13) –WJ LWid SS Winter: 110 (z=0.67) –WJ LWid SS Spring: 67 (z=-2.20) –Gain = -43 (z=-3.32)

General Principles Test scores can help institutions be efficient and effective at making decisions for large groups Test scores can help institutions be efficient and effective at making decisions for large groups However, they typically predict the performance of a group better than that of an individual However, they typically predict the performance of a group better than that of an individual

General Principles It is important to remember that test scores “suggest”, they do not “prove” It is important to remember that test scores “suggest”, they do not “prove” Actual performance (past and future) of the examinee and others with similar scores is often best Actual performance (past and future) of the examinee and others with similar scores is often best

Case Studies MSA Applicant MSA Applicant

Report Writing Resources Sample Reports Sample Reports DSM IV strategy DSM IV strategy