CHAPTER 11:

Assessment For
Education
Domingo, Manahan, Manalili, Rojales, San
Luis, Santos, Sapugay,
2-PSYCHOLOGY 6

Why is assessment important in

Education?
- provides diagnostic feedback
- helps educators set standards
What performance demonstrates mastery?
- evaluates progress
How is the student doing?
What teaching approaches are the most effective
for the students?

Why is assessment important in

Education?
- relates to a student's progress
Can the student apply the knowledge to other
areas/fields?
- motivates performance
How can I do better?

The Role of Testing and Assessment

in Education
TEST measure a variable related to a modifier
Educators are interested in answers to diverse questions
How much of this course material have you actually
learned?
Have you mastered the material in this course?
Educators may also administer tests to pinpoint possible
areas of learning difficulty
Testing may be required by law

Response to Intervention (RtI)

LEARNING DISABILITY
severe discrepancy between achievement and intellectual ability
a disorder in 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."

Response to Intervention (RtI)

IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities
Education Act)
required states to allow the use of a process based
on the child's response to scientific, researchbased intervention"

RtI Model
multilevel

prevention

framework

applied

in

educational

settings designed to maximize student achievement through

the use of data that identifies students at risk for poor learning
outcomes combined with evidenced-based intervention and
teaching

that

responsiveness

is

adjusted

on

the

basis

of

student

RtI Model

Three Levels of RtI

Level 1
classroom environment wherein all students are being taught
whatever it is that the teacher is teaching
Level 2
small group of learners who have failed to make adequate
progress in the classroom
Level 3
individually tailored and administered instruction for students who
have failed to respond to the second level of intervention

Objectives of the RtI Model

accelerate the learning process of students
help identify students with learning disabilities
enhance the success of students with a variety of academic
and/or behavior needs,

Objectives of the RtI Model

Through implementation of RtI, schools identify and monitor
students at risk, use problem-solving and data-based
decision making to provide research-based interventions
and adjust the intensity of interventions based on the
students response

Implementing RtI:
Problem-solving model
use of interventions tailored to students'
individual needs that are selected by a
multidisciplinary team of school professionals
IDEA mandated that no single measure be used as a sole
criterion for determining whether a child is a child of
disability

Implementing RtI:
Integrative Assessment
describe a multidisciplinary approach to evaluation that
assimilates input from relevant sources
deals with organized bodies of knowledge and relationships
between facts, concepts, and generalizations

ACHIEVEMENT TEST
measure accomplishment
measure the degree of learning that has taken place as a result of
exposure to a relatively defined learning experience
gauge student progress toward instructional objectives,
compare an individuals accomplishment to peers, and
help determine what instructional objectives and strategies
might best propel the students toward educational objectives

ACHIEVEMENT TEST
May be standardized nationally, regionally, or locally, or it may
not be standardized at all
identify areas that may require remediation
Vary widely with respect to their psychometric soundness
how general their content is in nature

ACHIEVEMENT TEST
EXAMPLE:
A math exam covering the latest chapter in your book
A test in your social psychology class
A comprehensive final in your Spanish class
A skills demonstration in your martial arts class

M e a s ure s o f G e ne ra l A c hi ev e m e nt
Tests that cover a number of academic areas are typically
divided into several subtests and are referred to as
achievement batteries
individually administered or group administered
Wide Range Achievement Test-4: reading, spelling, and
reading comprehension

Measures of General Achievement

S e q u e n t i a l Te s t s o f E d u c a t i o n a l
Progress (STEP) battery:
- kindergarten through grade 12
- reading, vocabulary, mathematics, writing skills,
study skills, science, and social studies, as well as a
behavior inventory, an educational environment
questionnaire, and an activities inventory

D i ff e r e n t K i n d s o f A c h i e v e m e n t B a t t e r i e s :

span kindergarten through grade 12 vs. grade- or

course-specific
both norm-referenced and criterion referenced
analyses vs. concurrently normed with scholastic
aptitude tests
practice test vs. locator tests (or routing tests)

Wechsler Individual Achievement

Test-Third Edition (WIAT-III)
age 4 through adult (age 50 is the age limit)
designed for use in the schools as well as clinical and research
settings
16 subtests
nationally standardized on 3,000 student and adult test takers, and
the manual provides comprehensive normative information

When selecting such test, there are certain

musts and desirables

MUSTS:

DESIRABLES:
The test is relatively easy to
administer and score

Psychometric Soundness

Content (up-to-date)
Engaging and relevant for its

Possible sources of bias in the

test have been minimized

targeted audience of test

takers

Measures of Achievement in
Specifi c Subject Areas
teacher-made tests

ELEMENTARY-SCHOOL LEVEL: acquisition of basic skills

such as reading, writing, and arithmetic is emphasized

Measures of Achievement in Specific Subject Areas

SECONDARY LEVEL: C o o p e r a t i v e A c h i e v e m e n t Te s t
series of separate achievement tests in areas as diverse as
English, mathematics, literature, social studies, science, and
foreign languages
COLLEGE LEVEL: end-of-major outcomes assessment in state
colleges and universities

2 Different Types of Achievement

Test Items: CONCEPTUAL
ITEMS
FACT-BASED ITEMS
e.g. One type of item that could be
used in an achievement test is an item
that requires

e.g. Which of the following testtakers

would be a likely candidate for the
CLEP?

Remote memory

An illiterate migrate farmworker

Rote memory

A child factory worker

Memory loss

A learning-disabled third grader

Mnemonic loss

A carpenter with little formal education

QUESTION:
Which is a reasonable estimate for the sum of 312 and 105?
a. 400
b. 500
c. 600

QUESTION:
Consider the following series: 3, 4, 6, 9, 13, ____ What
comes next?
a. 15
b. 16
c. 17
d. 18
e. 19

APTITUDE TEST
PROGNOSTIC TEST

make predictive purposes

a person's capacity to learn.
informal learning or life experiences
assess academic potential or career suitability.
represents a person's level of competency to perform
a certain type of task.

APTITUDE TEST
Use to measure:
-enter a particular preschool program
-enter elementary school
-successfully complete a challenging course of study in
secondary school
- successfully complete college-level work
- successfully complete graduate-work level, including a
course of study at a professional or trade school

2 Types of Aptitude Test

1. S P E C I A L A P T I T U D E T E S T S
- to look at an individual's capacity in a particular area.
- to determine if job candidates possess the
skill to perform the job.
2. M U LT I P L E A P T I T U D E T E S T S
- to measure two or more different abilities.
- e.g. SAT, GRE

necessary

Aptitude Test Categories

Logical reasoning
Non-Verbal reasoning
Verbal Reasoning
Spatial Reasoning
Numerical Reasoning

APTITUDE TEST
depend not simply on the types of item it contained but also
on the intended use of the test.

A test is seen as measuring aptitude or achievement is a

C O N T E X T- B A S E D J U D G M E N T

R E A D I N E SS T E S T S physical, personality factors and

other factors that are judged necessary for a child to be
ready to learn

The Preschool Level

First five years of life, basic reflexes and sensorimotor skills develop
Usually between 18 and 24 months, the child becomes capable of
symbolic grasping
In Phillippine Setting:
- Sec. 14 of RA 7277 provides that the State "shall establish, maintain and
support complete, adequate and integrated system of special education for the
visually impaired, hearing impaired, mentally retarded persons and other types
of exceptional children in all regions of the country."

4 Tools of Assessment
1. CHECKLIST
Is a questionnaire on which marks are made to indicate the presence
or absence of a specified behavior, thought, event, or circumstances.
2. R AT I N G S C A L E
Form completed by an evaluator to make a judgment of relative
standing with regard to a specified variable or list of variables.

4 Tools of Assessment
Three commonly used checklist and rating scale:
a) A c h e n b a c h C h i l d B e h a v i o r C h e c k l i s t
(CBCL)
)-has an eight syndrome: 1) anxious/ depressed
2)withdrawn/depressed 3) Somatic complaints 4)social
problems 5) thought problems 6) attention problems 7)
rule-breaking behavior 8) aggressive behavior
) S Y N D R O M E set of co-occurring emotional
and behavioral problems

4 Tools of Assessment
b) Connors Rating Scales-Revised (CRS-R)
screen for ADHD and other behavior problems and
particularly well suited for monitoring ADHD treatment

c) Behavior Assessment System for Children-2

(BASC-2)
- to identify adaptive difficulties on 16 scales ranging from
activities of daily living to study skills

Tools of Assessment
3. TEST
- one hour is a rule of thumb limit for an entire test
session with a preschooler, as testing time increases so
does the possibility of fatigues and distraction
PRESCHOOL ASSESSMENT: screening tools may be used as a
first step in identifying children who are said to AT RISK
difficulty in one or more psychological, social or academic
areas
4. INTERVIEW

The Elementary School Level

The age at which a child is mandated by law to enter
school varies from state to state
M e t r o p o l i t a n R e a d i n e s s Te s t ( M RT 6 ) test
battery that assesses the development of reading and
mathematics skill important un the early stages of formal
schooling
-divided into two levels: Level 1 & Level 2

The Secondary School Level

S C H O L A S T I C A P T I T U D E T E S T ( S AT )
SAT data is also used by organizations and government
agencies in determining who will receive scholarship grants and
other such awards
ACT assessment serves a purpose similar to SATs, scores on
the ACT may be predictive of creativity as well as academic
success

The College Level and Beyond

G r a d u a t e R e c o r d E x a m i n a t i o n ( G R E ) contains verbal and
quantitative sections as well as analytical writing sections
-may be taken by paper and pencil or by a computer at a test center
M i l l e r A n a l o g i e s Te s t ( M AT ) 100-item, multiple-schoice analogy test
that draws not only the examinees ability
- cost-effective of all existing aptitude test
e.g. Classical conditioning is to Pavlov as archetypes is to
a. Freud b. Rogers c. Skinner d. Jung e. Dr. Phil

2 Major Purposes of Tests

E VA LUAT I V E P U R P O S E S data that are used to
make judgments

D I A G N O S T I C P U R P O S E S data used to pinpoint a

students difficulty

DIAGNOSTIC TEST
to identify areas of deficit to be targeted for

intervention
may contain a number of subtests to bring into focus

the specific problems that are to be addressed

*can be used for evaluative purposes, and information from the evaluative tests
can provide diagnostic information
* administered to students who have already demonstrated problem in a
particular subject area through poor performance

DIAGNOSTIC TEST: Reading tests

the ability to read is integral to virtually all classroom learning
Woodcock Reading Mastery Tests-Revised (WRMT-III; Woodcock, 2011)
Type of test: paper and pencil test
Objective: measure reading readiness, reading achievement and reading
difficulties

DIAGNOSTIC TEST: Reading tests

Time limit/ Age: 15 and 45 mins/ ages 4 to 80
Subtests: Letter identification, word identification, word attack, word
comprehension, passage comprehension (newly added: Phonological
awareness, listening comprehension, oral reading fluency)

DIAGNOSTIC TEST: Math tests

Pakikopya sa book ang haba eh SDMT-4
Type of test paper and pencil: multiple choice/ free
response items
Objective: insights about the mathematical abilities of
children just entering school to just entering college
Scoring may be hand scored or centrally scored (it has
online version)
KeyMath 3 Diagnostic System
Type of test paper and pencil

DIAGNOSTIC TEST: Math tests

Age: 4 to 21
Subtests - Numeration (NUM), Algebra (ALG), Geometry
(GEO), Measurement (MEA Data Analysis and Probability
(DAP Basic Concepts Sum Mental Computation and
Estimation (MCE) Addition and Subtraction (A&S)
Multiplication and Division (M&D) Operations Foundations
of Problem Solving (FPS) Applied Problem Solving (APS)
Applications
Scoring: hand scored or computer-scored

Other Tools of Assessment in Educational Settings

Performance Assessment
- any type of assessment that requires the examinee to do more than
choose the correct response from a small group of alternatives
- focuses more on the knowledge, skills, and values that the examinee must
marshal and exhibit
- e.g. essay questions, development of an art project

 Performance Task
- a work sample designed to elicit representative knowledge, skills, and
values from a particular domain of study
Performance Assessment
- evaluation of performance tasks according to criteria developed by
experts

Types of Performance Assessment

1. Portfolio Assessment

.Portfolio synonymous with work sample

.evaluation of ones work samples
.technique designed to target academic teachings
to real-world settings external to the classroom
.important aspect: freedom of the person being
evaluated to select the content of the portfolio

Portfolio
Assessment
Use of portfolio assessment:
a.) to assess giftedness and reading (scholarly
literature)
b.) devices to assist students with career decisions
(college and graduate level)
Benefits:
a.) engage students in the assessment process;
b.) gives students the opportunity to think generatively;
c.) encouraging them to think about learning as an
ongoing and integrated process
Key drawbacks: technique may levy on the noncreative
student, inter-rater reliability

Types of Performance Assessment

2. Authentic Assessment (Performance-based
Assessment)
evaluation of relevant, meaningful tasks that may
be conducted to evaluate learning of academic
subject matter but that demonstrate the students
transfer of that study to real-world activities
thought to increase student interest and the
transfer of knowledge to settings outside the
classroom
also a technique designed to target academic
teachings to real-world settings external to the
classroom

AUTHENTIC
ASSESSMENT
e.g. students writing skills, students reading skills,
identifying patients psychiatric diagnoses
Key drawbacks:

a.)assessment might assess prior knowledge and

experience, not simply what was learned in the
classroom;
b.) authentic skill may inadvertently entail
assessment of some skills that have little to do with
classroom learning
Peer Appraisal Techniques
Peer appraisal method of obtaining information about
an individual by asking that individuals peer group to
make an evaluation

AUTHENTIC ASSESSMENT

most useful in settings where individuals doing the rating

have functioned as a group long enough to be able to
evaluate each other on specific variables (university,
grade-school, industrial, and military settings)

*The nature of peer appraisals may change as the function

changes in the assessment situation and the membership of
the group

Sociogram graphic method of organizing results of

peer appraisal

Methods
of Peer Appraisal
Guess Who? Technique
1.

-employed in elementary school settings

-brief descriptive sentences are read or handed out
in the form of questionnaires to the class, and the
children are instructed to guess who
2. Nominating Technique
-individuals are asked to select or nominate other
individuals for various types of activities
-most widely researched of peer appraisal
techniques and have generally been found to be
highly reliable and valid

Measuring Study Habits, Interests, and Attitudes

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

factors
Ability and motivation are inseparable partners in the pursuit of academic
success

Instruments:
Study Habits Checklist
What I Like to Do Interest Inventory
Survey of School Attitudes
Quality of School Life Scales
Survey of Study Habits and Attitudes (SSHA) & Study
Attitudes and Methods Survey

Psychoeducational Test Batteries

designed to provide a comprehensive assessment of an
individual's strengths and weaknesses across a wide
range of skills and abilities
Test kits that generally contain two types of tests:
academic success test and educational achievement test
Data obtained from these batteries allow for normative
comparisons and evaluation of the test taker' strengths
and weaknesses

Kaufman Assessment Battery for

Children (K-ABC)
Alan S. Kaufman and Nadeen L. Kaufman
published in 1983
designed for test takers from age 2 1/2 through age 12
Score: 16 subtests
Time: 40-85 minutes

Kaufman Assessment Battery for

Children (K-ABC)
measures both intelligence and achievement
- should not be regarded as a complete battery test; it should be
supplemented by other instruments to meet individual needs

Kaufman Assessment Battery for

Children (K-ABC)
two groups reflecting two kinds of information processing skills:
> simultaneous skills - problem solving by mentally arranging small
amounts of information in consecutive, linear, step by step order
- verbal instruction skills
> sequential skills - problem solving by mentally integrating and
synthesizing many parallel pieces of information at the same time
- visual instruction skills
- holistic teaching approach

Kaufman Assessment Battery for

Children
(K-ABC)
> sequential
skills - problem
solving by mentally
integrating and synthesizing many parallel pieces of
information at the same time
- visual instruction skills
- holistic teaching approach
Scores on the simultaneous and sequential subtests are
combined into a Mental Processing Composite, which is
analogous to the IQ measure calculated on other tests

Kaufman Assessment Battery for

Children (K-ABC)
third factor of the K-ABC identified by independent researchers: verbal
comprehension and reading achievement (Good & Lane), achievement and
reading ability (Kaufman & McLean), reading achievement and verbal
reasoning (Keith & Novak)

Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children, Second

Edition (KABC-II)
revised in 2004
age range was extended upward (age 3 to 18)
psychometrically sound instrument measuring cognitive abilities
culturally fair ability test
an individually administered measure of cognitive ability
paper and pencil administration

Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children, Second

Edition (KABC-II)
Time: 25-55 minutes (core battery, Luria model); 35 to 70 minutes (core
battery, CHC model)
Scores/Interpretation: Age-based norms, age equivalents, percentile rank
yields a measure of general intellectual ability (g) and measures of specific
cognitive abilities
closely aligned with the five CHC broad abilities it purports to measure

Woodcock-Johnson III (WJ III)

a psychoeducational test package consisting two
co-normed batteries: achievement tests and
cognitive abilities test
designed for persons as young as 2 years and as
old as 90+
Administration: Combination of interview, and
paper and pencil format
used to diagnose specific learning disability (SLD)
and to plan educational programs and
interventions

Woodcock-Johnson III (WJ III)

Tests of Achievement
packaged in parallel forms designated A and B, each of which
is divided into a standard battery (12 subtests) and an
extended battery (10 additional subtests)
Tests of Cognitive Abilities
divided into a standard battery (10 subtests) and an extended
battery (10 additional subtests)

Woodcock-Johnson III (WJ III)

subtests are conceptualized in terms of broad cognitive factors, primary
narrow abilities, and cognitive performance clusters
Extended battery would likely provide a more comprehensive and
detailed assessment, complete with diagnostic information

Woodcock-Johnson III (WJ III)

Cluster scores are used to help evaluate performance level, gauge
educational progress, and identify individual strengths and weaknesses
Scoring is accomplished with the aid of software provided in the test kit

 http://images.pearsonclinical.com/images/pa/products/keymath3_da/keyma
th3assistreport.pdf