Ch. 8 Assessing, Achievement, and Aptitude: Applications for Counseling

Vocational/Career Aptitude Tests

Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Test Battery (ASVAB) WorkKeys Differential Aptitude Test (DAT)

Criterion referenced assessments in Indiana

ISTEP, IMAST, ISTAR

The best predictor of graduate school success is

a combination of GRE scores and undergraduate GPA

the best predictor of college success is

a combination of high school grades and all 3 SAT section scores

Minimum level skills tests

criterion-referenced tests where the minimum level is the "criterion" for passing great controversy over the institution of minimum competency examinations as prerequisite to earning high school diploma

`Response to intervention (RTI) model now replaces discrepancy model for identifying learning disabilities

data used to identify students at risk for poor learning outcomes intervention provided to student at primary, secondary, and tertiary level student progress monitored and intervention adjusted as needed

Criterion-References Tests & Minimum-Level Assessments

designed to determine if a certain academic standard is met becoming more common with increasing focus on standards and accountability in education

No Child Left Behind (2001)

focus on educational accountability, examining individual student progress blueprint for revising Elementary and Secondary Education Act released in March 2010, not yet reauthorized

Achievement tests

what individual has learned/acquired

Coaching

- research investigating effects of coaching on test results has mixed and inconsistent results - closer the resemblance between the coaching material and test content the greater improvement in scores - "teaching to the test" approach - general conclusions: coaching programs may increase scores slightly; significant changes occur only if programs are longer and content is closely aligned with test material

Test sophistication

- test scores improve when individuals retake alternate form of test - individuals with extensive experience taking standardized tests have advantage - some test publishers are trying to provide free test preparation materials to create "more level playing field"

Test preparation and performance

- test sophistication: individual's level of knowledge in test-taking skills - coaching: training or practice on questions that are the same or similar to items on test - education: domain or area is covered more broadly, with intent of helping test taker learn content or information

Vocational/career aptitude tests

- used in career counseling to predict job or occupational performance - some used for employment selection purposes - effective selection of instruments requires that they accurately predict successful performance of job duties - difficult for many reasons

Survey Achievement batteries

- administered to thousands of students in multiples school districts throughout the nation - many subtests that measure achievement in certain academic areas (reading, math, language, etc.) - can provide information on strengths, limitations, and the students' progress form year to year - often co-normed with tests of general ability or academic intelligence

Identifying learning disabilities

- in the past, discrepancy model was sued to identify specific learning disabilities - SLD identified when there was difference of two standard deviations between academic achievement and intellectual ability

effective selection of instruments requires that they accurately predict successful performance of job duties - difficult for many reasons:

- job duties within an occupation vary depending on organization and setting - what constitutes "successfully performing" - job performance can rarely be measured unidimensionally - difficult to recruit large norming groups

Issues in Achievement Testing

Increase in standardized achievement testing in all 50 states ("high stakes testing") No child left behind (2001) National Assessment of Educational Progress (the nation's report card) AERA's conditions for high stakes achievement testing programs int education

Survey Achievement Test Examples

Iowa Test Metropolitan Achievement tests, 8th ed TerraNova, 3rd ed Current, well-known achievement battery modular series with multiple measures of achievement achievement batteries also available for adults (Test of Adult Basic Education)

Commonly used achievement tests

Kaufman test of educational achievement, 3rd ed Wechsler Individual Achievement Test, 3rd test Wide range achievement test 4

Aptitude Assessment

Scholastic Aptitude Tests & Vocational/Career Aptitude Tests

Scholastic Aptitude Tests

Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT) American College Testing (ACT) Graduate Record Examination (GRE)

The Georgia Student Achievement Pyramid of Interventions

Tier 1: Standards-Based Classroom Learning Tier 2: Needs Based Learning Tier 3: SST Driven Learning Tier 4: Specially Designed Learning

Validity of scholastic aptitude tests

Validity of SAT and ACT are about the same

Individual Achievement Tests and Diagnostic Achievement Tests

often used in psychoeducational evaluations (screening for learning disability, cognitive deficits, behavioral disorders, other academic issues) can be used with adults

aptitude tests:

predict future performance/ability to learn new tasks