Selection, Administration,
Scoring, and Communicating
Assessment Results
Chapter 5
Selection of Assessment
Instruments/Strategies
1. Determine what information is needed
2. Analyze strategies for obtaining information
3. Search assessment resources
4. Evaluate assessment strategies
5. Select an assessment instrument or strategy
Determine Information Needed
 Identify:
 information needed for specific client
 general information clinicians in an organization need
about clients
 Consider information that is already available
Analyze Strategies for Obtaining
Information
 Formal or informal techniques
 Consider which assessment method would be best
suited to client(s)
 Consider professional limitations & which instruments
counselor can ethically administer and interpret
Search Assessment Resources
 Resources:
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Mental Measurements Yearbook
Educational Testing Service (ETS) Test Link
Tests in Print
Tests: A Comprehensive Reference for Assessments in
Psychology, Education, and Business
 Directory of Unpublished Experimental Mental Measures
Evaluate Assessment Strategies
 Consider:
 Test purpose
 Instrument development
 Appropriate selection of norming group or criterion
 Reliability
 Validity
Evaluate Assessment Strategies
(cont.)
 Bias
 Interpretation and scoring materials
 User qualifications
 Level A
 Level B
 Level C
 Practical issues
Administering Assessment Instruments
 Read administration materials ahead of time
 Know precise instructions for administration
 Attend to time limits, be familiar with testing
materials/equipment
 Know boundaries of what is acceptable
 Use administration checklist, if helpful
Scoring
 Hand-, computer-, or Internet-scored
 Some assessments can be self-scored
 Before using computer scoring, investigate
integrity of scoring service and steps used to
develop program
 Some assessments require clinician judgment as
part of scoring
Scoring Authentic/Performance
Assessments
 Involve performance of “real,” authentic applications,
rather than proxies
 Objectivity in scoring is more difficult to achieve
 Scoring is enhanced if:
 Assessment has specific focus
 Scoring plan is based on qualities that can be directly
observed
 Scoring is designed to reflect intended target
 The setting for assessment is appropriate
 Observers use checklists or rating scales
 Scoring procedures have been field-tested before use
Oosterhof, 2000
Communicating Results
 Often one of the most important parts of assessment
process
 Surprisingly, little research related to communication of
results
 Clients who receive test interpretation experience greater
gains than those who do not (Goodyear, 1990)
 Tentative interpretations more helpful than absolute
(Jones & Gelso, 1988)
 Clients prefer individual interpretation (Goodyear, 1990)
Guidelines for Communicating
Results
 Some tips:
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Know information in manual (especially validity information)
“Optimize” the power of the test
Use effective general counseling skills
Develop multiple methods of explaining results
Use visual aids to explain technical terms
Use descriptive terms rather than numerical scores
Provide range of scores and rationale for assessment
Guidelines for Communicating
Results
(cont.)
 Some tips:
 Use probabilities rather than certainties, tentative
interpretations rather than absolutes
 Discuss results in context of other information
 Involve clients in interpretation
 Monitor client reactions during interpretation
 Encourage client to ask questions
 Discuss limitations of assessment in non-technical terms
 Ensure do not leave confused or ill-informed about results
 Summarize results
Communicating Results to Parents
 Be prepared to answer questions and explain results
 Results may need to be discussed more than once
 Counselor should understand testing used and
symptoms of child’s disorder (if applicable)
 Help parents adjust to diagnosis
 Be prepared to use a variety of techniques
 Focus on active, coping approach
 Acknowledge parents’ emotions
Psychological Reports
 Purpose: To disseminate assessment information to
parents or other professionals
 Evaluate quality of reports before implementing
suggested interventions
 Expect a comprehensive overview of client and
interpretation of results in contextual manner
 Should be carefully crafted with attention to detail
 Be alert for typographical errors, use of vague jargon,
careless mistakes, lack of detail
Psychological Reports (cont.)
 Common areas:
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Identifying Information
Reason for Referral
Background Information
Behavioral Observations
Assessment Results and Interpretations
Diagnostic Impressions & Summary
Recommendations
Signature