Assessment of Learning Disabilities

1
Assessment of Learning Disabilities

• Chapter 5

2
Purpose of Assessment

• Protects the interests of children
• Help schools identify children who need help
• Document the actual levels of performance on
  classroom tasks for an IEP

3
Assessment for Eligibility Decisions

• Psychological Processes
• Discrepancy Criteria
• Ability-achievement discrepancy
• Process-oriented intraindividual discrepancy
• Exclusionary Clause

4
Psychological Processes
5
Psychological Processes

• Intelligence Assessment
• Multiple Intelligences Theory
• Visual-Perceptual and Visual-Motor Tests
• Auditory and Language Processes Assessments

6
Discrepancy Criteria

• Process-oriented intra-individual discrepancy
• Ability-achievement discrepancy
• Standard-Score discrepancies

7
Severe Discrepancy Areas

• Basic Reading
• Reading Comprehension
• Mathematical Calculation
• Mathematical Reasoning
• Written Expression
• Oral Expression
• Listening Comprehension

8
Cautions in Determining Severe Discrepancy in MN

• MAY NOT use the Woodcock-Johnson-Revised computer
  printout
• MAY NOT use a flat comparison of either a point
  difference or a grade level difference
• MAY NOT use a 5 standard error of measurement of
  tests of achievement
• MAY NOT choose the higher of the verbal or
  performance IQ scores on the Wechsler
  Intelligence Scales
• MAY NOT use the scoring diskette developed for
  use with the WISC III WPPSI III WAIS III and
  the WJ-R tests

9
Determining Severe Discrepancy

• Step 1 Find the correlation between the ability
  and achievement tests administered to the student
• Step 2 In the left hand column locate the
  students ability score and then find the
  correlation column closest to the correlation for
  the tests you are comparing
• Step 3 If the students achievement score
  (standard score) is equal to or less than the
  score reported in the correlation column then
  the students discrepancy is considered severe
  and meets this part of the SLD eligibility
  criteria
• Step 4 The team must verify this discrepancy
  through other measures such as observation
  performance-based measures etc.

10
Exclusionary Clause for MN

• Vision Hearing and Motor Impairment
• Mental Impairment
• Emotional and Behavioral Disorders
• Cultural Environmental Economic Disadvantaged
• History of an Inconsistent Education Program
• Lack of Instruction in Reading and Math and
  Limited English Proficiency

11
Assessment for Instruction

• Norm-Referenced Achievement Tests
• Observational Reports
• Criterion-Referenced Testing
• Curriculum-Based Assessment
• Task Analysis
• Innovative Assessment Practices
• Authentic assessment
• Portfolio assessment
• Dynamic assessment