What are the 4 main purposes of education assessments ?
- How well have students learned the curriculum
- How well can students apply what they have learned to novel situations
- Are students ready for the next level of learning
- does this student have a learning disability
What is an achievement test, give an example.
These tests measure academic acomplishment and can be nationally standardized.
- the WIAT-II measure domains of math, reading, writing, listening and speaking
- the WRAT-5 measures reading comprehension and math computation
What are some drawbacks to achievement tests ?
These tests must be psychometrically sound and the content on these test must be up-to-date and culturally accurate
What are aptitude tests ? Give an example
Measures learning from life experience or informal learning experiences
- the SAT is a prognostic test for school admittance
- There are several preschool tests that are done as well
What is a diagnostic test ? Give an example
Used to identify areas of deficit or challenge in a students learning
- The Woodcock Reading Mastery Test WRMT-III measures reading difficulty for young kids to older adults
What are 3 other forms of assessment tools ?
- Portfolio assessments: evaluation of ones work samples with specific content
- Authentic assessment: evaluation of meaningful tasks that relate to academic subject matter and its transfer to real-world situations
- Peer appraisals: Evaluation from ones peers
What are the 4 criteria of the DSM definition of a learning disability ?
- Difficulties learning and using academic skill for 6+ months despite interventions
- academic skills are substantially below age expectations
- Beings during school-age years but may not manifest until demands exceed capabilities
- Not better accounted for by another disorder
Give an example of an academic skill and how it may be affected ?
- Reading: difficulty sounding out words, or guesses frequently
- Reading comprehension: difficulty understanding what they are reading
- Spelling: adding, omitting or substituting letters
- Number sense: poor understanding of numbers and what they mean
For criteria 2 of the DSM, what is the specific guideline?
Performs at least 1.5 standard deviations below the standardized norm on the test in a specific domain
What are some cultural considerations for learning disabilities ?
Different languages have a different emphasis on phonology and orthography therefore disabilities manifest differently for each language
- proficiency must be considered in relation to all languages spoken by the individual
