Interpretation

1
Interpretation Report Writing

• Assessment in Special Education
• Erich Merkle, M.Ed., M.A.

2
Generic Interpretive Approach

• General Observations
• Global Scores
• Subtest Scores
• Specific Items
• Patterns of responding

3
General Observations Global Scores

• General Observations
• Was this a valid assessment?
• Was this a reliable assessment?
• Was the student cooperative?
• Do I need to do more?
• Global Scores
• Clusters/Index (e.g. Broad Reading)
• Are all of the clusters consistent?
• Are the scores within each cluster consistent?
• Why/Why Not?

4
Subtest Scores

• Why did the student score high or low on this
  subtest?
• What were the students strengths?
• What were the students areas of need?
• How did behavior impact results?

5
Written Description

• Goal Tell the reader what the student can and
  can not do - describe the student as a learner
• Tell the reader what was administered
• Describe each cluster separately
• Start general and get specific - Top-Down
  Approach

6
Wechsler Individual Achievement Test (WIAT) - II

• Interpret the Total Composite score
• Must administer all subtests in order to do this.
• Limited utility
• Interpret the Composite areas
• Reading, Mathematics, Written Language, and (if
  administered) Oral Language
• Note where overall skill development is in
  relation to the students age/grade.
• Note which composites are strengths/weaknesses
  (how do they compare with each other?)

7
Wechsler Individual Achievement Test (WIAT) - II

• Interpret the subtests within each Composite
  score
• Which areas stand out as strengths/weaknesses?
• What might explain differences in performance?
• If the scores are unified, it is generally ok to
  interpret the composite score.
• Conduct analyses of patterns within individual
  subtests
• What trends can you detect within a subtest?
• Qualitative observations are very useful here.

8
Wechsler Individual Achievement Test (WIAT) - II

• Conduct analyses of individual items within a
  subtest
• This is not a necessary step unless there is
  useful information that can be obtained (e.g.
  glaring skill deficit, unusual behavior)
• Be sure to discuss within the report any
  behaviors that may have impacted performance.
• Again, qualitative section may be useful here.
• Decide where it is most appropriate to address in
  the report.

9
Woodcock-Johnson III Tests of Achievement
Interpretation

• Begin by ensuring you have administered all
  subtests necessary to have Broad, Clusters, and
  Individual achievement areas represented to
  answer referral question.
• For general LD investigations across all academic
  areas
• Subtests 1, 2, 5, 6, 8, 9,10, 11, 13, 17, 18
• May add other subtests for additional narrow-band
  diagnostic information

10
Woodcock-Johnson III Tests of Achievement
Interpretation (cont)
11
Woodcock-Johnson III Tests of Achievement
Interpretation (cont)

• Interpret Total Achievement score if available
• Subtests 1, 2, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10,11 reqd
• Only a global measure of academic performance,
  average of 9 tests in Broad Clusters
• Not indicative of specific deficits, yielding
  limited treatment utility

12
Woodcock-Johnson III Tests of Achievement
Interpretation (cont)

• Examine 3 Broad Achievement Clusters
• Reading, Mathematics, Written Language
• Note where overall skill development is in
  relation to the students age/grade
• Note which Broad Clusters are strengths/weaknesses
  (how do they compare with each other?)

13
Woodcock-Johnson III Tests of Achievement
Interpretation (cont)

• Examine Reading, Math, Written Expression
  Clusters
• Each cluster is consistent with one of IDEA 97
  LD domains
• Note where overall skill development is in
  relation to the students age/grade
• Note which clusters are strengths/weaknesses (how
  do they compare with each other?) Significant
  Intra-individual discrepancies?

14
Woodcock-Johnson III Tests of Achievement
Interpretation (cont)

• Consider 3 Cross-Academic Clusters by comparing
  to students current age/grade and
  strengths/weaknesses between these clusters
• Academic Skills, Academic Fluency, Academic
  Applications

15
Woodcock-Johnson III Tests of Achievement
Interpretation (cont)

• Interpret the subtests within each Cluster score
• Which subtests stand out as strengths/weaknesses?
• What might explain differences in performance?
• If the scores are unified, it is generally ok to
  interpret the composite score and indicate
  average skills across the subtests.

16
Woodcock-Johnson III Tests of Achievement
Interpretation (cont)

• Conduct analyses of individual items within a
  subtest
• This is not a necessary step unless there is
  useful information that can be obtained (e.g.
  glaring skill deficit, unusual behavior)
• Be sure to discuss within the report any
  behaviors that may have impacted performance.
• Again, qualitative section may be useful here.
• Decide where it is most appropriate to address in
  the report.

17
Psychoeducational Report Writing

• A clinical or psychoeducational report serves a
  number of purposes
• Provides accurate assessment-related information
  to the referral source or other concerned parties
• Provides a source of information for testing
  clinical hypotheses and for conducting program
  evaluation/research
• Serves as an archive of historical, interview,
  psychometric, observational, and other
  information as well as of current remediation and
  treatment plans
• May serve as a legal document and/or medical
  record

18
Psychoeducational Report Writing (cont)

• Important considerations (see Overton 494-495)
• Report presents what you have learned about the
  child in a way that shows respect for his or her
  individuality
• Must take into consideration the circumstances
  under which testing took place, the limited
  opportunities for observation/interaction, and
  behavioral bases for judgments made in report
• Specific behavioral and test experience examples
  should be used
• Recommendations must be made with appreciation of
  the needs/values of the child, the family, the
  school, society and yourself
• Report should be written as soon as possible!

19
Principles of Report Writing

• Organize findings by detecting common themes
  through/across procedures, integrating main
  findings, using theoretical focus
• Include relevant material and delete potentially
  damaging material
• Focus on presence of a behavior rather than
  absence of it
• GOOD Sarah frequently diverted her visual
  gaze to the classroom clock during Mrs. Smiths
  lecture.
• BAD Sarah didnt pay attention to Mrs. Smith
  while she was lecturing.

20
Principles of Report Writing (cont)

• Use all relevant sources of info
• Reliable/valid test results, behavioral
  observations, individual test responses,
  interview data, and case history.
• Be definitive in your writing when the findings
  are clear, be cautious when the findings are
  murky
• Wording suggestion probably, it appears,
  perhaps, it seems, may

21
Principles of Report Writing (cont)

• Use behavioral referents to enhance readability
• Specific examples are valuable, sources should be
  given for examples not obtained personally
• Interpret the meaning and implications of a
  score, rather than simply citing names and scores
• Do not write Johnny earned a standard score of
  83 on broad reading. This fails to provide any
  information that allows goals or objectives to be
  developed.

22
Principles of Report Writing (cont)

• Obtain the qualitative classification of test
  scores from the numerical ranges given in the
  test manuals
• Use percentile ranks whenever possible to
  describe childs scores because they likely most
  easily understood
• Interpret subtest scores using both
  inter-individual (normative) and intra-individual
  (within student) comparisons

23
Principles of Report Writing (cont)

• Remember statistical significance and confidence
  intervals when comparing a test score to another
  subtest or instrument
• Interpret the implications of subtest or test
  variability with caution
• Do not make diagnoses solely on test scores
  consider all sources of info

24
Principles of Report Writing (cont)

• Communicate clearly and eliminate technical
  material no psychobabble
• Charlie evidences intellectual erudition and
  potency in sequential and fluid neurocognitive
  processing as exhibited through statistically
  significant Pearson correlation comparisons and
  ANOVA analyses of his CHC cognitive factor
  profile
• Eliminate biased terms from the report
• Person first language e.g. child with autism,
  not autistic child
• Attend to grammar and stylistic points final
  report must be devoid of all typos and grammar
  errors!

25
Generic Report Template

• General Organizational Structure
• Identifying information
• Reason for Referral
• Background Information (including family,
  medical, developmental, social, vocational,
  school hx)
• Behavioral Observations
• Tests Administered/Interpretation tables!
• Summary (integration of findings)
• Recommendations
• Review Overton pages 492-499

26
Educational Planning

• All educational assessment aims to provide usable
  recommendations to assist teachers and other
  personnel to help a child called educational
  planning.
• Recommendations from the MFE or psychoeducational
  assessment report are central in IEP development
• Long Term (Annual) Goals Statements of
  anticipated progress that student will make
  within a year.
• Short Term Objectives Observable and measurable
  statements that provide evidence of a students
  progress toward long term goals. Essentially the
  steps to take in reaching the goal.

27
Writing Recommendations

• Consider the annual goal first, what short term
  objectives will help accomplish annual goal, then
  the steps necessary to accomplish the objectives.
• Be reasonably specific do not say, Jimmy may
  benefit from additional support in language
  arts. Describe what these supports might look
  like.
• Language should be tentative avoid using words
  such as must, requires, needs
• Remember that these recommendations will be used
  by teachers and the childs parents. Dont
  include something if you wouldnt want to
  implement the recommendation yourself.