Linda

Linda Lusher

Chapter 9: Assessment of Academic Achievement

1. What are the major differences between the Behavioral Approach and the Ecological Approach in assessments and interventions for students with emotional disturbance? Behavioral Approach-The belief that the student has learned inappropriate responses and failed to learn appropriate ones, Manipulates student’s immediate environment and consequences of behavior, and it involves measurement of responses and subsequent analyses of behaviors to change them: emphasis on reward for appropriate behavior. Ecological Approach- The belief that the student interacts poorly with the environment; student and environment affect each other reciprocally and negatively, attempts to alter entire social system so it will support desirable behavior when intervention is withdrawn, and it involves all aspects of a student’s life, including classroom, family, neighborhood, and community, in teaching useful life and educational skills.

2. Name at least five possible characteristics of students with behavioral or emotional disorders. Why is it important that these characteristics exist for a long period of time and to a marked degree before labeling students as emotionally disturbed? 1. An inability to learn which cannot be explained by intellectual, sensory, or health factors. 2. An inability to build or maintain satisfactory interpersonal relationships with peers and teachers. 3. Inappropriate types of behaviors or feelings under normal circumstances. 4. A general pervasive mood of unhappiness or depression. 5. A tendency to develop physical symptoms or fears associated with personal or school problems. A child may act a certain way for a period of time in some situations. It is important to keep track to make sure that it is not just acting out, but that there is an issue.

3. Describe sources of information that would help an assessment team determine whether a student has an emotional or behavioral disorder. School Records, may help a team gain a background on information on a student’s classroom behavior that is long-standing, particular attention should be paid to the results of past interventions. Educational records usually contain information about school disciplinary actions. Observations of former teachers may have left some written records of their observations of the student’s classroom behavior. Also of interest are any services that the student received in relation to behavioral problems.

4. Describe an appropriate data collection system for students with behavioral problems. List several considerations in setting up the system. The Behavior Rating Profile (2nd ed.) is norm-referenced measure because it attempts to provide a comprehensive picture of the student’s current behavioral status. Information can be gathered from four types of informants-students themselves, teachers, parents, and peers- to assess the student’s performance in the home, at school, and in interpersonal relationships. The BRP-2 is made up of four measures that correspond to the different types of informants. The self-rating scale, called the Student Rating Scales, the teacher rating scale, the parent rating scale, and the peer portion of the BRP.

5. Give three examples of how learning environments can support students with emotional or behavioral disorders. 1. Sound-Separate quiet areas from noisy areas. 2. Student traffic patterns. Make traffic patterns direct. 3. Teacher mobility. Use an open room arrangement so that the teacher can move quickly and easily to any location.

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Linda Lusher Chap 7 Essay Questions

1. Define learning aptitude. Learning aptitude refers to an individual’s capacity for altering behavior when presented with new information or experiences. It is used to gain a better understanding of the student’s ability to cope with the demands of the instructional and other environments that require changes in behavior.

2. List at least 3 ways the field of assessment has attempted to make the assessment of students from linguistically and culturally diverse backgrounds fair. One effort that was made early on was the design of the Culture Fair Intelligence Tests. Another approach has been the nonstandard use of traditional measures such as IQ test. They are the System of Multicultural Pluralistic Assessment and the Learning Potential Assessment Device.

3. Define adaptive behavior. Adaptive behavior is the ability to cope with the demands of the environment; includes self-help, communication, and social skills.

4. Describe the two primary areas of assessment included on most individual test of intellectual performance. Working memory, verbal comprehension, auditory processing and general knowledge.

5. Provide examples of information parents or other family members can contribute to the assessment of intellectual performance. Parents can contribute information about behavior outside of school, developmental histories, and observations of learning apptitudes.

Linda Lusher 3/22/10 Chap 7 four definitions Verbal Comprehension index score requires children to listen to questions and answer orally. One of the things students have to do is answer questions about similarities. As an example, pony and cow or car and airplane in how they are alike. Then there is vocabulary. A student must tell its meaning. The tester can ask “What is a ___?” In comprehension the student answers questions that are general knowledge questions such as “what are some reasons why we need firefighters?” Then in the information section, the student again responds orally to questions like “How many eyes do we have?” Then there are word Reasoning. In this the tester reads one or more series of clues that the student must identify. The first clue would be “This is an animal”, and the second is “with a very long neck” then the student would answer “giraffe” Perceptual Reasoning are subtests that are visual-motor tasks. The student will listen to oral directions, looks at stimulus materials, and responds motorically. In the block design the student is timed and they are given colored blocks that the student much match the testers design. Picture concepts the student is shown two rows of drawings and must select one drawing from the top row that goes with one drawing from the bottom row. Matrix reasoning is when the student is shown a matrix with a design missing. They then have to identify which of the five choices correctly completes the pattern. Picture completion is when the student is shown a color drawing of an object or a scene that is missing some important part. The student must point to or say what is missing with the 20 second time limit. Working memory index requires that it is all recall. Only one item presentation of each item is allowed. Digit span is when the tester reads a series of numbers to the student at the rate of one digit per second. ON the first portion of the test, the student attempts to repeat the digits in the order read by the tester. Letter number sequencing is when then tester reads a series containing both numbers and letters at a rate of one per second. The student must first repeat the numbers in order beginning with the lowest, then the letters in alphabetical order. Arithmetic is where the tester reads math problems to the student, and the student must respond orally within 30 seconds. Processing speed index assesses how well students are able to complete precise tasks under timed conditions. Coding is using this paper-and-pencil task, the student is shown a code, such as one geometric design for each of the digits. Symbol search is where the student is shown a symbol and must determine if its match appears in a row of three symbols. It is a timed task. Cancellation is where the student is shown several target pictures (different types of fruit), the student must locate the target pictures in an array and the cross them out. In the first task, the pictures in the array are scattered throughout the page and in the second, they are arranged in rows. Both of these tasks are timed.

=10/10 points earned= Linda Lusher ** 1. When assessing for school performance problems, what recommendations are given for the use of norm-referenced standardized tests, criterion referenced tests and curriculum-based measurement? There has been debate over the relative merits of norm-referenced versus criterion-referenced. Norm referenced tests remain the most common strategy for eligibility assessment. Norm-referenced measures provide the comparative information necessary for determining eligibility, and they are much more time-efficient. Criterion-referenced tests and other informal measures are typically used after eligibility has been established to provide more detailed descriptions of student performances in areas of educational need.
 * Chap 6 **
 * ESSAY QUESTIONS **

2. Why are testing accommodations allowed for students with special needs in state- and district- wide tests? Name 6 common testing accommodations. Testing accommodations are allowed for students with special need in state and district wide because they can participate in testing. Some of the common testing accommodations are- Motivation, scheduling, setting, assistance during testing,

3. Besides administering individual achievement tests to students, what are other ways to establish a student’s school performance strengths and challenges? The Peabody Individual Achievement test (revised/normative update), the Woodcock-Johnson Tests of Achievement and Woodcock-Johnson Normative Update, and Wechsler Individual Achievement test-second edition just to name a few.

4. When choosing an academic achievement test to determine school performance problems, what features of the test would you look at to determine its appropriateness for your student? In the Peabody Individual Achievement Test, it states in the text that is has only minimal qualifications are required for test administration. The results are used for educational decisions, however, the manual advises that testers study the administration and scoring procedures and practice test administration. Interpretation of test results requires additional expertise, particularly in the areas of measurement and curriculum. It is also relatively easy to administer and score. In the Woodcock-Johnson (wjlll) is designed for use by professionals trained in the administration and interpretation of individual tests. In learning this measure, testers should study the procedures for administration and scoring and practice test administration under the supervision of an experienced examiner. The examiner training workbook that accompanies the test is also a useful resource. Interpretation of test results requires additional expertise. The achievement portion of the WJ lll is quiet easy to administer, although this version is more difficult than the previous edition. One complication is that administration rules vary from subtest to subtest then they did in the old version. The WIAT-lll manual says that anyone with individual administered assessment instruments are qualified to administer and interpret the WIAT. The tester should practice both administration and scoring. Testers should pay special attention to the scoring guidelines provided for subtest in which judgment is required. The test is easy to administer.

=Very Good! Grade - A=

Norm Referenced Testing Project

I was trying to look in the text book to find out about this project. I wasn’t to clear on the concept. I was looking through the chapters to find different types of testing. I was doing this on my lunch one day when my boss asked me what I was working on. I explained to her what I had to do (to the best of my ability). She then said to me- “Linda, this is what I use for testing. Why didn’t you ask me?” So this is how I have the fortune of having a boss who does testing using the Brigance k and 1 screen by Albert H. Brigance and the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test (3rd edition). She uses this for testing children entering Kindergarten. She let me borrow them for this assignment. In order to prepare for testing the person giving the test needs to have a neat and clean environment, free of distractions, and noise. It has to be a place where students are comfortable. It is important that when testing the student to make sure that you are not interrupting their favorite time of day. The tester is to make sure that the student is comfortable with him/her. It is best to do it with a person that the student knows so that they are at their most relaxed state. It is easier to concentrate on what they will do. The tester should approach this testing as if it is a game. Or, ask the student to help them with something because they are so smart and that they know so much stuff. Another important bit of information that is helpful is that knowing when to screen the child. As an example, screening can be scheduled at the time it best serves the needs and purposes of the school program. Some of the schools prefer the schedule screening in the spring. If you have a student who would be entering Kindergarten in the fall and was screened in the spring, the results can serve the purpose of letting the school personnel and parents to existing problems, which can receive help prior to the students’ entrance in the fall. Some schools prefer to take it in the opening of the school year or some time shortly after the start of the year. It also can be used during the school year to help with placement and planning for a transfer student. It is very important that it is not to be used routinely for all students throughout the year as a post test. However, it can be used as a post test for student/students who may have scored low in the first screening and after a period of six weeks or after a variety of teaching activities for remediating discrepancies have been implemented. Also, it can be used if a student scores significantly lower than expected, possibly due to having a bad day or sick. This is all listed in the book. In the Brigance, the book itself is an amazing tool. It explains what the features are of the test. It has no requirements for equipment, and it will help provide an overall picture of the student. Some other features that the testing book has is the rationale and history. For example, in the book it has a topic to read called “Basis for selecting assessment for screening purposes”. In this section, it gives five reasons that the skills included in the screening were selected by use the criteria. The first reason, is asking which skills does a review of the literature suggest or support as having the greatest predictive validity for success in kindergarten and the first grade. The second reason is which skills can be assessed expediently with a high degree of validity and objectivity. The third is which skills have personnel using the inventory of basic skills and the inventory of early development found to be the most appropriate for screening purposes? In the fourth, which skills does field testing/critiquing indicate, support, and validate as being appropriate for screening purposes. The fifth and last reason is which skills are of a developmental or difficulty level that will identify the students who may be successful and yet will allow most of the students to have the degree of success needed to feel positive about the screening. This book should be read through by the assessor. The Brigance gives general directions, using different methods of screening, gives reasons for low scores, and shows you how to compute the score. It gives a sample to show an assessor how to do their job. When starting the test, the assessor will begin with **Personal Data Response.** It asks a series of question, such as **“What is your name?, What is your full name?, How old are you?, What is your address or where do you live?, and when is your birthday?”** The response is an oral response. The assessor has to stop after two consecutive errors. There are also possible observations that can be done. Things to look for are Articulation problems, interest level, types of responses. Then the next section is **color recognition.** One of the possible observations can be how a child says yellow for example “ellow” or “wed” for red. In each section, there is a point system. There is a point value for everything. They tabulate the scores to get a number that is based on one hundred. The same the book has is that the child scored seventy-nine out of one-hundred. I will attach a copy of sample to the email. This sample will show how it is scored and how they came up w/ the numbers. If I have a child who may not know what same and different means, I would do several quick games or something to get them to understand. So when I am doing the section on visual discrimination, they will understand by looking at a series of four pictures that the one bird is different than the three cats. That is something that I would do for remediation. Whatever the issue a student may have regarding the testing whether it be a general educations student or a special needs student I would do whatever it took for them to understand the concepts that I was trying to accomplish. I looked through the Brigance and the Peabody Picture Vocabulary test. I like both. I don’t have all the information on the PPVT. Some of the information that explains how it works is lost. My boss knows how to administer the test but I didn’t have the concrete to help show much about it. I did sit in on her testing a child. She did say, because of her program, that when testing for Kindergarten, she usually uses the first grade test. The reason for that is that our program exposes the students to many of the Kindergarten expectations. So they would most always know the requirements. If a student needs more help she would go back to the Kindergarten instead of the first grade. My boss mentioned that in all the years that she has used the tests, she has had to use the Kindergarten test only a few times. It was used only in those cases because they were newer students to our program and didn’t have the exposure that we provide. I guess good job for us! When I watched her administer the test, she went over and explained how and what she did. The child scored eighty-four out of one-hundred. The child did very well on most skills. When doing the drawing of a person for ten points, she received eight out of ten. She didn’t have a neck or a body- just a head, arms that stuck out of head, and legs. The hands did have fingers. She did not have ears either. I am going from memory so I am not sure if it was eight points or seven. She did well on most things. I am going to be sitting in on more of the tests as she tests children for kindergarten. I found that watching and observing was so rewarding to understanding how it is done. I feel more comfortable about it because there is some form of knowledge on my part about the test. I look forward to seeing more done. I wish I could observe the test being done on a child with special needs. I would love to see how true remediation would take place.

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Linda Lusher Chapter 5 Essay Questions