assessment: understanding the psycho-educational evaluation elizabeth a. rizzi, ma nys certified...

Assessment: Understanding the Psycho-Educational EvaluationElizabeth A. Rizzi, MANYS Certified School PsychologistJohn Jay High School

Components of the Psycho-educational Assessment

• Cognitive Assessment

• Academic Assessment

• Classroom Observation

• Input from Teachers and other school staff

• RTI (Response to Intervention Data)

• Social Emotional Assessment (if needed)

• Adaptive Functioning (if needed)

• Executive Functioning (if needed)

Cognitive Assessment• A cognitive assessment is an

examination conducted to determine someone’s level of intellectual functioning through performance of various tasks designed to assess different types of reasoning.

• Often referred to as “IQ” or “Full Scale IQ”

Cognitive Assessments

• Wechsler Intelligence Tests (WPPSI-IV, WISC-IV, WAIS-IV)

• Woodcock Johnson Tests of Cognitive Abilities (WJ-III Cog)

• Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children (KABC-2) {also has a non verbal scale available}

• Stanford Binet Intelligence Scales (SB V)

• C-TONI, TONI and UNIT (non verbal)

What they have in common:• Crystallized Intelligence (Verbal)

• Fluid Intelligence (Non Verbal)

• Working Memory

• Processing Speed

• Overall General Intellectual Ability (FSIQ, GAI, FCI)

Crystallized Intelligence (Gc) [Verbal]

• Crystallized intelligence is the ability to use skills, knowledge, and experience. It does not equate to memory or knowledge, but it does rely on accessing information from long-term memory.

• Crystallized intelligence is one’s lifetime intellectual achievement, as demonstrated largely through one's vocabulary and general knowledge.  Tends to improve with age – more experiences = more knowledge.

Fluid Intelligence (Gf) [Non-Verbal]

• Fluid intelligence or fluid reasoning is the capacity to think logically and solve problems in novel situations, independent of acquired knowledge. 

• It is necessary for all logical problem solving, e.g., in scientific, mathematical and technical problem solving.

Levels approach to Cognitive Functioning1. Full Scale IQ

2. Index Scores

3. Subtest Deviations

4. Subtest & Process Comparisons

5. Response Patterns

6. Qualitative Analysis (Observation)

Standard Scores

• Most standardized test scores are reported as standard scores

• Standard Scores ARE NOT the same as test scores … not out of 100%

Standard Scores• At a CSE meeting, a parent is told that

the child earned a standard score of 85 in one area, a standard score of 70 in another area. Most parents are relieved to hear this news. Why? Most parents believe these numbers are similar to grades, with 100 as the highest score and 0 as the lowest.

• In statistics, a standard score indicates by how many standard deviations an observation is above or below the mean.

Standard Score Descriptors

130 and above Very Superior

120-129 Superior

110-119 High Average

90-109 Average

80-89 Low Average

70-79 Borderline (Low)

69 and below Extremely Low

Reading• Decoding• Comprehension

Mathematics• Concepts• Computation

Written Language• Written Expression• Spelling

Academic Achievement Assessment

Academic Achievement Assessments

• Wechsler Individual Achievement Test,

Third Edition (WIAT-III)

• Kaufman Test of Educational Achievement,

Second or Third Edition (KTEA-2, KTEA-3)

• Diagnostic Achievement Battery, Third

Edition (DAB-3)

• Woodcock Johnson Test of Achievement,

Fourth Edition (WJ-IV)

Behavior Assessment• Behavior Assessment System for Children, Second Edition

(BASC-II)• Attention Deficit Disorder Evaluation Scale, Third Edition

(ADDES-3)

Adaptive Functioning• Adaptive Behavior Assessment System, Second Edition

(ABAS-II)Executive Function• Behavior Rating Inventory for Executive Functioning (BRIEF)• Planning Index on KABC-2

Supplemental Components of Assessment

Questions?

elizabeth.rizzi@wcsdny.org