Assessment:
Understanding the
Psycho-Educational
Evaluation
Elizabeth A. Rizzi, MA
NYS Certified School Psychologist
John Jay High School
Components of the Psycho-educational
Assessment
• Cognitive Assessment
• Academic Assessment
• Classroom Observation
• Input from Teachers and other school staff
• RTI (Response to Intervention Data)
• Social Emotional Assessment (if needed)
• Adaptive Functioning (if needed)
• Executive Functioning (if needed)
Cognitive Assessment
• A cognitive assessment is an
examination conducted to
determine someone’s level of
intellectual functioning through
performance of various tasks
designed to assess different types of
reasoning.
• Often referred to as “IQ” or “Full
Scale IQ”
Cognitive Assessments
•
Wechsler Intelligence Tests (WPPSI-IV,
WISC-IV, WAIS-IV)
•
Woodcock Johnson Tests of Cognitive
Abilities (WJ-III Cog)
•
Kaufman Assessment Battery for
Children (KABC-2) {also has a non
verbal scale available}
•
Stanford Binet Intelligence Scales (SB V)
•
C-TONI, TONI and UNIT (non verbal)
What they have in
common:
• Crystallized Intelligence (Verbal)
• Fluid Intelligence (Non Verbal)
• Working Memory
• Processing Speed
• Overall General Intellectual Ability
(FSIQ, GAI, FCI)
Crystallized Intelligence
(Gc) [Verbal]
•
Crystallized intelligence is the ability to
use skills, knowledge, and experience.
It does not equate to memory or
knowledge, but it does rely on
accessing information from long-term
memory.
•
Crystallized intelligence is one’s lifetime
intellectual achievement, as
demonstrated largely through one's
vocabulary and general
knowledge. Tends to improve with
age – more experiences = more
knowledge.
Fluid Intelligence
(Gf) [Non-Verbal]
• Fluid intelligence or fluid reasoning is
the capacity to think logically and
solve problems in novel situations,
independent of acquired
knowledge.
• It is necessary for all logical problem
solving, e.g., in scientific,
mathematical and technical
problem solving.
Levels approach to
Cognitive
Functioning
1. Full Scale IQ
2. Index Scores
3. Subtest Deviations
4. Subtest & Process Comparisons
5. Response Patterns
6. Qualitative Analysis (Observation)
Standard Scores
• Most standardized test scores are
reported as standard scores
• Standard Scores ARE NOT the same
as test scores … not out of 100%
Standard Scores
•
At a CSE meeting, a parent is told
that the child earned a standard
score of 85 in one area, a standard
score of 70 in another area. Most
parents are relieved to hear this
news. Why? Most parents believe
these numbers are similar to grades,
with 100 as the highest score and 0
as the lowest.
•
In statistics, a standard score indicates
by how many standard deviations an
observation is above or below the
mean.
Standard Score Descriptors
130 and above
120-129
110-119
90-109
80-89
70-79
69 and below
Very Superior
Superior
High Average
Average
Low Average
Borderline (Low)
Extremely Low
Academic Achievement Assessment
Reading
• Decoding
• Comprehension
Mathematics
• Concepts
• Computation
Written Language
• Written Expression
• Spelling
Academic Achievement
Assessments
•
Wechsler Individual Achievement Test,
Third Edition (WIAT-III)
•
Kaufman Test of Educational
Achievement, Second or Third Edition
(KTEA-2, KTEA-3)
•
Diagnostic Achievement Battery, Third
Edition (DAB-3)
•
Woodcock Johnson Test of Achievement,
Fourth Edition (WJ-IV)
Supplemental Components of
Assessment
Behavior Assessment
• Behavior Assessment System for Children, Second Edition (BASCII)
• Attention Deficit Disorder Evaluation Scale, Third Edition (ADDES3)
Adaptive Functioning
• Adaptive Behavior Assessment System, Second Edition (ABAS-II)
Executive Function
• Behavior Rating Inventory for Executive Functioning (BRIEF)
• Planning Index on KABC-2
Questions?
[email protected]