PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSESSMENT
ASSESSMENT IN COMMON CORE STATE STANDARDS
EDUCATON
Dozens of tests are administered to students over the
course of their academic career. Included are
teacher-made tests, state-mandated tests,
psychologist-recommended tests and assorted
other tests
ROLE OF TESTING AND ASSESSMENT IN EDUCATION
 Educators are interested in answers to diverse
questions as students progress through school
 Many questions have been raised with regard to
the K-12 educational systems. Some observers
cite generally disappointing answers to such
questions
CASE FOR AND AGAINST EDUCATIONAL TESTING IN
SCHOOLS
 The blame for any failure of the educational
system lies with standardized testing
 The logic behind such arguments is rooted in the
fact that the NCLB legislation mandated
improvement in reading and math scores on
standardized tests
The result of NCLEB was undue pressure
on teachers to make certain that their
students performed satisfactory on
standardized tests
 Standardized tools of assessment, including tests,
are not only a desirable element of an
educational system, but an absolutely necessary
one at that.
It is used for screening purposes
This can alert educators to students who
may be at risk for negative education-
related problems
Knowledge derived from diagnostic
educational testing is necessary if
students are to be increasingly
challenged by new and intellectually
stimulating subject matter
It is indispensable for purposes of
comparison
 Students learn at different paces and in different
ways, and it is through such comparisons of
progress that educators can begin to identify
what teaching methods work best for which
individual
 If judiciously administered, it would seem to hold
out the promise of more benefit than harm
When certain negative conditions
relevant to the ecology of testing exist,
sentiments against tests and testing may
well have merit
16
1
 With the lack of uniformity in proficiency
standards among states, it would be entirely
possible for a student from one state to be
deemed proficient in a particular subject, while
having knowledge and skills that would not be
deemed proficient according to another state’s
standards
 Consider ways to bring uniformity to state
education curriculums for public schools. The
result was the creation of a comprehensive set
of standards that affects the everyday classroom
life of students
The standards set objectives for what
students should know by the end of each
school ear
It is packaged along with a computer-
assisted testing program designed to
ensure conformity in teacher’s teaching
as well as student’s learning
 Consortia – groups of 15 or more states that was
offered funds to develop new K-12 tests to be
aligned with the CCSS
PARCC – partnership for the assessment
of readiness for college and careers
Smarter balanced – smarter balanced
assessment consortium
The ones above are assigned to develop
a comprehensive assessment system that
was qualitatively different in many ways
than anything that had preceded it.
 From the perspective of students, perhaps the
most obvious reason testing occurs is to ensure
that knowledge being shared by the teacher has
indeed been received and learned by the
student
RESPONSE TO INTERVENTION (RtI)
 Specific learning disability – a disorder on
one or more of the basic psychological
processes involved in understanding or in
using language, spoken or written, which
disorder may manifest itself in the imperfect
ability to listen, think, speak, read, write, spell,
or do mathematical calculations
 Individuals with disabilities education act –
required states to allow the use of a process
based on the child’s response to scientific,
research-based intervention
RTI model
• Response to intervention model – a multilevel
prevention framework applied in
educational settings that is designed to
maximize student achievement through the
use of data that identifies students at risk for
0
 PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSESSMENT
poor learning outcomes combined with
evidence-based intervention and teaching
that is adjusted on the bases of student
responsiveness
teachers provide evidence-based
instruction
student learning of the instruction is
regularly evaluated
intervention occurs in some form of
appropriate adjustment in the instruction
re-evaluation of learning takes place
intervention and reassessment occur as
necessary
• Multilevel because there are at least three
levels of intervention
1. All students are being taught whatever it
is that the teacher is teaching
2. A small group of leaners who have failed
to make adequate progress in the
classroom have been segregated for
special teaching
3. Intervention is individually tailored and
administered instruction for students who
have failed to respond to the second
level of intervention
• The objective of the RTI is to accelerate the
learning process for all students
• It doubles as a process in place that identify
students with learning disabilities
Implementing RTI
• Problem solving model – the use of
interventions tailored to students’ individual
needs that are selected by a multidisciplinary
team of school professionals
• Other states and school districts rely more on
a more general intervention policy
• Tests and measurement procedures
designed to answer RTI-related questions are
being developed, and tests already
published are being suggested as useful
within the RTI model
• IDEA – mandated that no single measure be
used as the sole criterion for determining
whether a child is a child with disability
• Integrative assessment – used to describe a
multidisciplinary approach to evaluation that
assimilates input from relevant sources
• RTI has been termed a dynamic model.
DYNAMIC ASSESSMENT
 Dynamic assessment – is an approach to
assessment that departs from reliance on,
and can be contrasted to, fixed tests.
It encompasses an approach to
exploring learning potential that is based
on a test-intervention-retest model
16
2
It is consistent with the RTI model
 LPAD – learning potential assessment device.
It is designed to yield information about the
nature and amount of intervention required
to enhance a child’s performance
 Zone of proximal development – the
distance between actual developmental
level as determined by individual problem
solving, and the level of potential
development as determined through
problem-solving under adult guidance or in
collaboration with more capable peers
 Dynamic assessors – are hardly neutral. Their
goal may be to do everything in their power
to help the test taker master material in
preparation for testing
ACHIEVEMENT TESTS
 Achievement tests – are designed to measure
accomplishment
it is designed to measure the degree of
learning that has taken place as a result
of exposure to a relatively defined
learning experience
in most educational settings, it is used to
gauge student progress toward
instructional objectives, compare an
individual’s accomplishment to peers,
and help to determine what instructional
activities and strategies might best propel
the student toward educational
objectives
 A sound achievement test is one that
adequately samples the targeted subject matter
and reliably gauges the extent to which the
examinees have learned it
Gauges quality of instruction
Screen for difficulties
MEASURES OF GENERAL ACHIEVEMENT
 Measures of general achievement may
survey learning in one or more academic
areas
 Achievement batteries – subtests that cover
a number of academic areas that may be
individually administered or group
administered
 Locator tests – are pretests administered to
determine the level of the actual test most
appropriate for administration
 Wechsler individual achievement test third
edition – nationally standardized on 3000
student and adult takers, and the manual
provides comprehensive normative
information.
the test has been favorably reviewed
regarding its potential to yield actionable
0
 PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSESSMENT
data relating to student achievement in
academic areas such as reading, writing,
and mathematicians, as well as skill in
listening and speaking
 Psychometric soundness is. Must when
evaluating the suitability of nationally
standardized test for a local administration
 Another must is that possible sources of bias
in the test have been minimized
 It is better if a test is relatively easy to
administer and score
MEASURES OF ACHIEVEMENT IN SPECIFIC SUBJECT
AREAS
 Most measures of achievement in specific
subject areas are teacher-made tests
 Elementary school level
Acquisition of basic skills such as reading,
writing, and arithmetic is emphasized
 Secondary school level
Cooperative achievement test – consists
of a series of separate achievement tests
in areas as diverse as English,
mathematics, literature, social studies,
science, and foreign languages
 College level
Another use for achievement tests at the
college level, as well as for adults, is
placement
Achievement tests may also assess
whether college credit should be
awarded for learning outside a college
classroom
College level examination program
(CLEP) – based on the premise that
knowledge may be obtained through
independent study and sources other
than formal schooling
Proficiency examination program (PEP) –
designed to assess achievement and
skills learned outside the classroom
Adult basic learning examination (ABLE)
– a test intended for use with examinees
age 17 and older who have not
completed eight years of formalized
schooling. It is designed to assess
achievement in areas of vocabulary,
reading, spelling and arithmetic
Curriculum-based assessment (CBA) – a
term used to refer to assessment of
information acquired from teachings at
school
Curriculum-based measurement – a type
of CBA that is characterized by the use of
standardized measurement to derive
local norms to be used in the evaluation
16
3
of student performance on curriculum-
based tasks
 Types of achievement test items:
Fact based
Conceptual
APTITUDE TESTS
 Aptitude tests – focuses more on informal
learning or life experiences
 the label for a test may depend not simply on the
types of items in the test but also on the intended
use for the test.
 It is possible for two tests containing the same or
similar items to be called by different names
 Whether a test is seen as measuring aptitude or
achievement is a context-based judgement
 Prognostic tests – typically used to make
predictions. Some aptitude tests have been used
to measure readiness to certain events or
objectives.
 Achievement tests may also be used for
predictive purposes. And individual who was
able to master a certain skill should be able to
master more advanced skills
 When measures of achievement tests are used
to make predictions, the measures tend to draw
on narrower and more formal learning
experiences than do aptitude tests
 Readiness tests – “readiness” presumably refers
to the physical factors, personality factors, and
other factors that are judged necessary for a
child to be ready to learn
PRESCHOOL LEVEL
 Preschool period – first five years of life
Basic reflexes develop
Child becomes capable of symbolic
thought and develops language skills
 Public law 94-142 – mandated the
professional evaluation of children age 3 and
older suspected of having physical or mental
disabilities in order to determine their special
education needs
 Public law 99-457 – extended downward to
birth the obligation of states toward children
with disabilities
 Public law 105-17 – intended to give greater
attention to diversity issues, especially as a
factor in evaluation and assignment of
special services
 Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder
(ADHD) – a disabling condition that can
qualify a child for special services
Checklists and rating scales
• Commonly used with preschoolers
0
 PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSESSMENT
• Checklists – a questionnaire on which marks
are made to indicate the presence or
absence of a specified behavior
• Rating scale – quite similar in definition and
sometimes even identical in form to a
checklist. It is a form completed by an
evaluator to make a judgement of relative
standing with regard to a specified variable
or list of variables
• Apgar number – a score on a rating scale
developed by Virginia Apgar. It is a rapid
method of evaluating newborn infants and
determining what immediate action is
necessary.
Conducted 1 minute after birth to assess
how well the infant tolerated the birthing
stress
Evaluation is conducted again at 5
minutes after birth to assess how the
infant is adapting to the environment
Variables assessed:
- Heart rate (pulse)
- Respiration
- Color (appearance)
- Muscle tone (activity)
- Reflex irritability (grimace)
• Informal evaluation – typically a non-
systematic, relatively brief, assessment
leading to the formation of an opinion or
attitude conducted by any person, in any
way, for any reason, in an unofficial context
that is not subject to the ethics or other
standards of an evaluation by a professional
• Connors Rating scales revised – a formal
assessment that come in different versions for
use through the lifespan
• BASC 3 – utilizes teacher and parent ratings
to identify adaptive difficulties on 16 scales
ranging from activities of daily living to study
skills
• Screening tools may be used as a first step in
identifying children who are said to be at risk
At risk – refers to children who have
documented difficulties in one or more
psychological, social, or academic areas
and for whom intervention is or may be
required
Psychological tests
• Cognitive, emotional, and social attributes
are gauged by scales that assess the
presence or absence of various
developmental achievements through such
means as observation and parental
interviews
• Test materials should be colorful, engaging,
and attention sustaining
16
4
• Approximately one hour is a good limit for an
entire test session with a preschooler
• Tests such as the WPPSI-III and the SB5 may be
used to gauge developmental strengths and
weaknesses by sampling children’s
performance in cognitive motor, and
social/behavioral content areas
ELEMENTARY SCHOOL LEVEL
 School readiness tests provide educators with
a yardstick by which to assess pupil’s abilities
in areas as diverse as general information
and sensorimotor skills
Metropolitan readiness test 6th edition (MRT6)
• A test battery that assesses the development
of reading and mathematical skills important
in the early stages of formal school learning
Level I – individually administered
Level II – group administered
• the tests are orally administered in several
sessions and are untimed
• A practice test may be administered several
days before the actual examination to help
familiarize students with the procedures and
format
SECODNARY SCHOOL LEVEL
 Scholastic aptitude test – it has value in
helping students decide whether further
academics, vocational training, or some
other course of action would be most
advisable
the SAT subject tests are one hour long
tests designed to measure achievement
in specific subject areas such as English
history and social studies, mathematics,
science and languages
students who take the test more than
once can now decide which institution
will receive which results
 ACT assessment – formerly known as
American college testing program, was
developed at the university of Iowa. It is an
outgrowth of the Iowa tests of educational
development.
the test is curriculum-based, with
questions directly based on typical high-
school subject areas
 Motivation and interest may be judged by
less standardized means such as letters
written by the candidates themselves, letters
of recommendation, and personal interviews
COLLEGE LEVEL AND BEYOND
0
 PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSESSMENT
Graduate record examinations
• Contains verbal and quantitative sections as
well as analytical writing sections
The verbal subtest taps the ability to
analyze and evaluate written materials
as well as the ability to recognize
relationships between concepts
The quantitative subtests taps knowledge
of basic mathematical concepts and the
ability to reason quantitatively
• It was a valid predictor of several important
criterion measures
Miller analogies test (MAT)
• A 100-item multiple choice analogy test that
draws not only on examinee’s ability to
perceive relationships but also on general
intelligence, vocabulary, and academic
learning
• Cited as one of the most cost-effective of all
existing aptitude tests when it comes to
forecasting success in graduate school
Other aptitude tests
• Applicants training in certain professions and
occupations may be required to take
specialized entrance examinations
• Seashore measures of musical talents –
classic measure of musical aptitude
administered with the aid of a record or
prerecorded tape
• Horn art aptitude inventory – a measure
designed to gauge various aspects of the
respondent’s artistic aptitude
DIAGNOSTIC TESTS
 Evaluative – typically applied to tests or test data
that are used to make judgements
 Diagnostic information – typically applied to tests
or test data to pinpoint a student’s difficulty,
usually for remedial purposes
 Diagnostic test - a tool used to identify areas of
deficit to be targeted for intervention
Administered to students who have
already demonstrated their problem with
a particular subject area through their
poor performance either in the classroom
or on some achievement test
READING TESTS
 Ability to read is integral to virtually all
classroom learning
Stanford diagnostic reading rest
Metropolitan reading instructional tests
Diagnostic reading scales
Durrell analysis of reading test
16
5
Woodcock reading mastery tests-revised
• Paper and pencil measure of reading
readiness, achievements, and difficulties
• It can be used with children as young as 4 ½
years old, adults as old as 80, and most
everyone in between
• Subtests:
Letter identification – items that measure
the ability to name letters presented in
different forms
Word identification – words in isolation
arranged in order of increasing difficulty.
The student is asked to read each word
aloud
Word attack – nonsense syllables that
incorporate phonetic as well as structural
analysis skills
Word comprehension – items that assess
word meaning by using a four-part
analogy format
Passage comprehension – phrases,
sentences, or short paragraphs, read
silently, in which a word is missing. The
student must supply the missing word
MATH TESTS
 Stanford diagnostic mathematics test 4th
edition and KeyMath 3 diagnostic system are
two of many tests that have been developed
to help diagnose difficulties with arithmetic
and mathematical concepts
KeyMath 3 DA – is a standardized test that
may be administered to children as
young as 4 ½ years old and adults as old
as 21. It is administered by a qualified
examiner who is skillful in establishing and
maintaining rapport with test takers and
knowledgeable in following the test’s
standardized procedures
SDMT-4 – a standardized test that can
provide useful diagnostic insights with
regard to the mathematical abilities of
children just entering school to just
entering college
PSYCHOEDUCATIONAL TEST BATTERIES
 Psychoeducational test batteries – generally
contain two types of tests
Those that measure abilities related to
academic success
Those that measure educational
achievement in areas such as reading
and arithmetic
Data derived from these batteries allow
for normative comparisons as well as an
evaluation of the test taker’s own
strengths and weaknesses
0
 PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSESSMENT 6
 A number of tools have been published to
KAUFMAN ASSESSMENT BATTERY FOR CHILDREN (K- examine factors such as study habits,
ABC) & KAUFMAN ASSESSMENT BATTERY FOR interests, and attitudes
CHILDREN 2nd EDITION (KABC-II)
 KABC – was designed for use with test takers Want more Psychology content? Consider visiting
from age 2 ½ through age 12 ½ . my YouTube channel
 Subtests are divided into two groups,
reflecting the two kinds of processing skills
Simultaneous
Sequential
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjoUBbGZb7-
w0cEHSuz-TLw?view_as=subscriber
 KABC-II – was designed for ages 13 to 18 Also consider subscribing to my other channel that
 the grounding in Luria’s theory of sequential will be soon uploading content tackling current
versus simultaneous processing theory was issues in our society
expanded and a grounding in the CHC
theory was added
it provides the examiner with a choice as
to which model of test interpretation was
optimal for the testing situation https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFNBFsLA9Kw
1aRc8zVazoWA?view_as=subscriber
OTHER TOOLS OF ASSESSMENT IN EDUCATIONAL
SETTINGS
 Performance, portfolio, and authentic
assessment
Performance assessment refers to any
type of assessment that requires the
examinee to do more than choose the
correct response
Performance task – a work sample
designed to elicit representative
knowledge, skills, and values from a
particular domain of study
Portfolio assessment – evaluation of one’s
work samples
Authentic assessment – an evaluation of
relevant, meaningful tasks that may be
conducted to evaluate learning of
academic subject matter but that
demonstrate the student’s transfer of that
study to real-world activities

PEER APPRAISAL TECHNIQUES

 Peer appraisals – help call attention to an
individual who is experiencing academic,
personal, social, or work-related difficulties
It allows an individual in charge to view
members of a group from the
perspective of those alongside the
individual being evaluated
The results of peer appraisals can be
graphically illustrated

MEASURING STUDY HABITS, INTERESTS, AND ATTITUDES

 Academic performance is the result of a
complex interplay of a number of factors

16 0