Types of Educational tests


There are many different types of testing that can be done during an evaluations.  They can be done by our school system or independently:

There are about a dozen different intelligence test (WISC being the most common used).
Achievement test for: reading, spelling, written language, and arithmetic/mathematics.

These are assessments listed on this page, click on the type of test or the test acronym, and it will take you to that place on the page.
Educational Diagnose

Reading:
TERA - young child basic abilities

Five areas of Reading:
1. Phonemic Awareness (PA)
(PA may also be tested in a Speech and Language evaluation)
CTOPP
TPAT
TOPA
LAC
2. Phonics (Decoding)
WRMT - word attack & identification
WIST - decoding, and spelling (encoding)
3. Fluency
DIBELS - phonological awareness, alphabetic understanding, and fluency
RFI - fluency
GORT - fluency & comph.
TOWRE - accuracy, fluency, sight words
4. Vocabulary
(Vocabulary may also be tested in a Speech and Language evaluation)
TOLD - spoken language,  vocabulary.
PPVT-  receptive vocabulary, verbal ability
EVT - expressive vocabulary
5. Comprehension strategies
Gates-MacGinitie - reading comprehension,  & vocabulary
GRADE - reading comprehension
GDRT -  identification, phonetic, vocabulary, & reading meaning
GORT-D - decode, comprehension
GSRT- silent reading comprehension

Writing:
         
TEWL
WPT
TOWL
TOWE

Spelling:
KTEA
TWS

Math:
KeyMath
TOMA
Speech and Language:
          Oral Language:
CELF -  oral language
TLC- oral language
OWLS -  written and oral
TNL - oral narrative

Problem solving, drawing inferences:
TOPS-E - problem solving
TOPS-A - problem solving

Vocabulary:
TOLD - spoken language,  vocabulary.
PPVT-  receptive vocabulary, verbal ability
EVT - expressive vocabulary

Auditory processing:
TAPS - auditory processing

Articulation:
Arizona - articulation

Social Pragmatics:

TOPL
Also check under Social skills, below in it's own section.

Phonological Awareness (PA):
(To test a child's readiness for reading, see Phonological Awareness Tests):

Achievement:
Woodcock-Johnson
Kaufmann
WIAT
Classroom Kindergarten Skills checklist 28 
  by Tampa Reads
(view the form on their website, in html format)



Classroom reading checks:
DAR
QRI
Stanford Diagnostic
DIBELS - phonological awareness, alphabetic understanding, and fluency
WADE


Reading Programs levels & ratings






Occupational Therapy:
 
MAP - developmental delays
PDMS - Peabody
TVPS - Gardner Test of Visual Perceptual
MVPT - Motor Free Visual Perceptual
TVMS - Test of Visual Motor Skills
PVMIA - Preschool
Berry-VMI - Visual Motor Integration
Bruininks-Test of Motor Proficiency
THS-Test of Handwriting skills

SI:
Sensory Profile
SIPT
Social Skills:
SSBS
SSRS
WMS
VABS
SIB
Also check under Social Pragmatics, listed under Speech and Language.
Executive Functioning:
         D–KEFS
         BRIEF
Related resources:
Describe the type of scores
Which Educational Test to use?
Article and book:
An Article: Tests & Measurements
Recommend Book
Program:
A tool to graph your test scores
Charts, diagrams and graphs:
Detailed Tests Scores chart
Full Scale IQ Bell Curve
Detailed Bell Curve (8 type of scores: Standard Deviations (SD), percentiles (%tiles), Z-scores, T-scores, Scaled Scores (ScS), Standard Scores (SS), Staines, etc. )
Less Detailed Bell Curve (3 type of scores: Standard Deviations (SD), Standard Scores (SS), and percentiles (%tiles)

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Comprehensive Achievement Assessment of Perceptual Abilities:


The Woodcock-Johnson Psycho-Educational Battery
Test:
Measures:
Cognitive ability, academic achievement, and scholastic interest.  provides a co-normed set of tests for measuring cognitive abilities and academic achievement.

Ages:  2.0+, Grades: K.0 - 16.9

Administration time:
Varies; approximately 5 minutes per subtest.

Scores:
SS; GE; AE; PR; RMI; instructional ranges; developmental level bands. Yields individual test scores plus cluster scores.

Purpose:
A diagnostic tools used by evaluators to determine whether a student has learning disabilities.  It is important that both the cognitive and achievement portions of the Woodcock-Johnson test be administered.  Often only the achievement portion is given which points out the student's academic weaknesses. The cognitive test needs to be given to provide a more complete picture of the student's academic functioning and strengths. The combination of both the cognitive and achievement test results gives valuable information concerning the strengths and weaknesses of the student, the student's learning style, the possible presence of visual perceptual difficulties, and the student's aptitude in academic areas.  A student with learning disabilities often scores high in oral language and verbal ability. ( From The Woodcock-Johnson Test: Maximizing Benefits for Students with Learning Disabilities , by Larry Falxa.  Note: The WISC can be used for the   cognitive test instead of the WJ cognitive section.)

The WJ is divided into two sections, Cognitive and Achievement:

The WJ-R Cognitive part has 7 subtest and the supplement battery of the cognitive test are made up of 14 subtest (total 21).  The achievement battery 9 subtest and the supplement battery of the achievement battery test are made up of 5 subtest (total 14 subtest).  Giving us a total of 35 subtests in all.

The WJ-III Has 42 subtests, the Cognitive part has 20 subtests.  The achievement battery 22 subtest.   

For a list of the WJ-R, subtests and clusters, click here.
For a list of the WJ-III, subtest and clusters, click here.

Educators have often reported that when they give WJ to prove what they all ready know, and have found that test does not show the student areas of weakness.  It is important to have your child tested in each area of weakness.  Using standardize tests in their area of weakness (i.e. reading test, spelling, math test).   Publisher: Riverside Publishing Company website

See the list of the different diagnostic tests that are available.

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Achievement Assessment:

The Kaufmann Educational Achievement Tests (KTEA)

Test measure:
Achievement assessment of core subject areas.

Ages:  6-11, Grades: 1-12

Administration time:
Brief Form 20-30 minutes;
Comprehensive Form (Grades 1-3) 30-60 minutes, (Grades 4-12) 50-75 minutes.

Test purpose:
This test is intended to screen students on global achievement skills to determine the need for follow-up testing and evaluation.

Scores/Interpretation:
Age and grade-based standard scores (M = 100, SD = 15), grade equivalents, percentile ranks, normal curve equivalents (NCEs), and stanine.   Provides error analysis for each subtest to help identify a student's strengths and weaknesses.   Provides accurate score comparisons for reading decoding, reading comprehension, and math.

Subtest:

To see actual example of Kaufmann report, click here 
  
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Wechsler Individual Achievement Test (WIAT)

Test measure:
Achievement assessment of core subject areas.

Ages: 5 - 19

Administration time:
30 - 75 minutes

Test purpose:
The educational achievement of the children and adolescents.

Score:
Age and grade-based standard scores (M = 100, SD = 15), composite score, grade equivalents, percentile ranks and stanines.

The Wechsler Individual Achievement Test - Second Edition (WIAT-II), published in 2001, revises the Wechsler Individual Achievement Test (WIAT), published in 1992, by The Psychological Corporation.

Subtests:

Publisher: Harcourt Assessment
Nova Southeastern University test description
Article by Dumont/Willis, Fairleigh Dickinson University

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    Educational Diagnostic tests

    Reading:

    Test of Early Reading Ability (TERA)
    Measures of the reading ability of young children age 3 years, 6 months - 8 years, 6 months (does not test the child's readiness for reading).  Assess their mastery of early developing reading skills.  Three subtests: Alphabet - Knowledge of alphabet and uses, Conventions - Book orientation and format, and Meaning - Construction of meaning from print.  Testing time 30 minutes. (Recommend to also test the child Phonological Awareness).  Publisher: Stoelting

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    Phonological Awareness    34

    Comprehensive Test of Phonological Processing (CTOPP)
    Test measure: Measures student's awareness of the individual sounds in words.

    Purpose:
    Assesses phonological awareness, phonological memory, and rapid naming.  The CTOPP has 4 principal uses:

    (1) to identify individuals who are significantly below their peers in important phonological abilities, (2) to determine strengths and weaknesses among developed phonological processes, (3) to document an individual's progress in phonological processing as a consequence of special intervention programs, and (4) to serve as a measurement device in research studies investigating phonological processing.

    Ages:
    kindergarten through college

    The assessment has two versions:

    The first version, developed for individuals ages 5 and 6 (primarily kindergartens and first graders)

    The second version, for individuals ages 7 through 24 (persons in second grade through college)

    Administration time:
    30 minutes 

    Score:
    Percentiles, standard scores, and age and grade equivalents are provided.  Subtest standard scores (SS) have a mean of 10 and a standard deviation of 3. The Phonological Awareness, Phonological Memory, and Rapid Naming quotients have a mean of 100 and a standard deviation (SD) of 15. Age and grade equivalents show the relative standing of individuals’ scores.

    Subtests:
    There are two version of the test.  The first version, developed for children ages 5 and 6, contains seven core subtests and one supplemental test.  The Subtests: Elision (substation and deletion), Rapid Color Naming, Rapid Object Naming, Blending Words, Sound Matching, Non-word Repetition and Memory for Digits.

    The second version, for individuals ages 7 through 24, contains six core subtests and eight supplemental tests.  The subtests for Phonological Awareness: Elision (substation & deletion), and Blending Words.  For Phonological Memory: Memory for Digits and Non-word Repetition.  For the Rapid Naming: Rapid Digit Naming, Rapid Letter Naming, Rapid Color Naming, and Rapid Object Name.  The other subtests are Blending Non-words, Phoneme Reversal, Segmenting Words, and Segmenting Non-words.  These supplemental tests are provided to allow the examiner to more carefully assess specific phonological strengths and weaknesses.

    Authors: Richard Wagner, Joseph Torgesen, and Carol Rashotte
    Publisher: Pearson, 1999


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      Test of Phonological Awareness (TOPA)
    Test measure:
    Measures young children's awareness of the individual sounds in words.

    Purpose:
    TOPA-2 measures the educational achievement of the children and adolescents.  Children who are sensitive to the phonological structure of words in oral language have a much easier time learning to read than children who are not. The TOPA can be used to identify children in kindergarten who may profit from instructional activities to enhance their phonological awareness in preparation for reading instruction.

    Ages:
    The Early Elementary version of the TOPA can be used to determine if first and second-grade students’ difficulties in early reading are associated with delays in development of phonological awareness.
    The TOPA is provided in a Kindergarten version suitable for administration any time during the kindergarten year.  The Early Elementary version suitable for first and second-grade children.

    Administration time:
    Both versions can be administered either individually or to groups of children, with group administration taking about 20 minutes. 

    Score:
    Age Equivalency,
    percentile ranks, and standard scores (M = 100, SD = 15).

    Subtest:
    There are nine subtest: Rhyming, Segmentation, Isolation, Deletion, Substitution, Blending, Grapheme's, Decoding, and Invented Spelling.
      The TOPA is a nationally normed, standardized, 20-item test that measures awareness of the individual sounds within words. Specifically, children are asked to identify the ending sounds in words. 
              Publisher: Linguisystems, 2004

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      The Phonological Awareness Test (TPAT) 34
    Test measure:
    Measures young children's awareness of the individual sounds in words.

    Purpose:
    Same as TOPA, children who are sensitive to the phonological structure of words in oral language have a much easier time learning to read than children who are not. The TPAT can be used to identify children in kindergarten who may profit from instructional activities to enhance their phonological awareness in preparation for reading instruction.

    Ages: 5-9 and Grades: Kindergarten to 4th grade.

    Administration time:

    40 minutes

    Score:
    Age Equivalency,
    percentile ranks, and standard scores (M = 100, SD = 15).

    Subtest:
    There are nine subtest: Rhyming, Segmentation, Isolation, Deletion, Substitution, Blending, Graphemes, and Decoding.

    Decoding tasks include: (V=vowel, C=consonant)

      VC words Vowel Digraphs
      CVC words r-controlled vowels
      Consonant Digraphs CVCe words
      Consonant Blends Diphthongs

    The TPAT is a nationally normed, standardized.

      To view an actual copy of the test protocol on-line:

        http://www.linguisystems.com/sample1/6-0191-7.pdf
    Publisher: Lingui Systems

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      The Lindamood Auditory Conceptualization Test® (LAC®)

      Test measure:
      The LAC helps determine which students will be at risk in reading and spelling.   It measures the ability to (1) discriminate one speech sound or phoneme from another and (2) segment a spoken word into its constituent phonemic units.

    Purpose:
    Because of the importance of these auditory skills to reading, the results are helpful for speech-language pathologists, special educators, and reading specialists.

    The student must understand the concepts of sameness and difference, be able to number 1- 4, and be familiar with left-to-right progression.

    Ages:
    It may be  administered at any age level.

    Administration time:
    Testing time is about 10 minutes.

    Score:
    Criterion-referenced measure, easy to administer, and helpful in identifying younger student may be at risk for reading problems.  Area of need of older students.

    The newer version, the LAC-3, is standardized, and it will provide percentiles, and standard scores.
    The table below shows the recommended minimum scores for high probability of grade-level or above-grade-level spelling and reading performance, on earlier versions of LAC: 
    End of the 1st half of the grade End of the 2nd half of grade
    Kindergarten 31
    Kindergarten 40
    1st grade 41
    1st grade 61
    2nd grade 61
    2nd grade 71
    3rd grade 71
    3rd grade 81
    4th grade 81
    4th grade 86
    5th grade 86
    5th grade 93
    6th grade 93
    6th grade 99
    7th grade 99+
    7th grade 99+
    Possible score of 100, half way through 6th grade the student should be scoring 99-100.

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    Phonics (Decoding)
    Woodcock Reading Mastery Test-Revised (WRMT-R) 34

      For students in Grades K-16, ages 5-0 through 75+.  Measures Word Attack and Word Identification.  The test has two alternate, equivalent forms (G and H), that are used to pre-and post-testing.  Grade equivalent, percentile and standard score are provided.
      The Word Attack subtest assesses the students' word-level phonetic decoding skills.  The subtest is comprised of 45 isolated, phonetically regular syllables, nonsense words and low frequency, phonetically regular real words.  The use of phonetic nonsense words and syllables allows us to examine decoding in relative isolation form sight-words and vocabulary abilities.
      The Word Identification subtest assess the students "word recognition" skill (the ability to read isolated real words).
      Publisher: Pearson Assessments

      Word Identification and Spelling Test (WIST)
    Identifies students who are struggling with reading and spelling.  Wilson publishes a norm-referenced called the WIST (Word Identification and Spelling Test).   Created by  by Barbara A. Wilson , Rebecca H. Felton.
     
    Test measures: Reading decoding (phonetic and irregular), sound-symbol knowledge and spelling.  Each can be used independently.  This assessment can be used three times per year to measure student reading decoding and spelling progress.
    Ages: 7 to 18 years 11 months,  Includes an elementary version (Grades 2-5) and a secondary version (Grades 6-12).
    Administration time: 40 minutes
    Test purpose: Assesses students who have difficulty reading continuous print and who requires an evaluation of specific abilities and weakness.  Three subtests, two “core” subtests (Word Identification and Spelling) and one "supplemental" subtest (Sound-Symbol Knowledge).
    To provide additional information, the examiner may administer the informal procedures to assess a student’s performance on test items, sound-symbol skills, and errors specific to the written word. This information enhances the examiner's interpretation of the child's test performance and aids in the formulation of a literacy intervention plan.  Publisher: Pro-Ed

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      Test of Word Reading Efficiency (TOWRE)
      Measures of  word reading accuracy and fluency.  It is used to monitor the growth of two kinds of word reading skills that are critical in the development of overall reading ability.  Recognizing familiar words as whole units or sight words, and the ability to Sound out words quickly.  
      The TOWRE contains two subtests: the Sight Word Efficiency (SWE) subtest assesses the number of real printed words that can be accurately identified within 45 seconds, and the Phonetic Decoding Efficiency (PDE) subtest measures the number of pronounceable printed non-words that can be accurately decoded within 45 seconds.  Each subtest has two forms (Forms A and B) that are of equivalent difficulty, and either one or both forms of each subtest may be given depending upon the purposes of the assessment.  Scores are provided  in percentiles, standard scores, and age and grade equivalents are provided. (1999)

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    Reading Fluency:

    Oral Reading Fluency Data Table by Jan Hasbrouck and Gerald Tindal
    Table contains Grade Level, Percentile, and benchmark for fall, winter, and spring
    Used by
    Read Naturally program 

      Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills (DIBELS) 34
      A set of standardized, individually administered measures of early literacy development. 

      For Students in K - 3th grade and 4th - 6th grade to measure reading fluency and comprehension.  This test can be used for benchmark assessments in the fall, winter, and spring assessments  to monitor progress (more frequent assessment of lower-achieving students).

      Scores provided for each grade level,  3 catalogues: At risk, Some risk, Low risk  or  Deficit, Emerging, Established.

      The reading comprehension has the student read a very short passage (which may not be an authentic reading comprehension situation for the for 4th - 6th upper grades.)

      The fluency measures are designed to be short (one minute) used to regularly monitor the development of pre-reading and early reading skills.

      The following are seven fluency measures: Initial Sounds Fluency (ISF), Letter Naming Fluency (LNF), Phoneme Segmentation Fluency (PSF), Nonsense Word Fluency (NWF), Oral Reading Fluency (ORF), Retell Fluency (RTF) and Word Use Fluency (WUF).

    This test was developed upon the essential early literacy domains discussed in both the National Reading Panel (2000) and National Research Council (1998) reports to assess student development of phonological awareness, alphabetic understanding, and automaticity and fluency with the code.  Each measure has been thoroughly researched and demonstrated to be reliable and valid indicators of early literacy development and predictive of later reading proficiency to aid in the early identification of students who are not progressing as expected. When used as recommended, the results can be used to evaluate individual student development as well as provide grade-level feedback toward validated instructional objectives.  Publisher: University of Oregon

    To view a sample of the DIBELS Individual Student Performance Profile for a grade 1 student

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    Reading Fluency Indicator (RFI)

    A brief, individually administered test of oral reading fluency that measures rate, accuracy, comprehension, and prosody.

    Age Range: Grades 1 - 12, ages 5 - 18 years 

    Administration Time: Approximately 5 - 10 minutes

    Scores/Interpretation: Stanine scores and words read correctly per minute for rate, quartile scores for accuracy, cut scores for comprehension, and a miscue descriptive analysis.  Publisher: Psycan Education


      The Gray Oral Reading, Third Edition (GORT­3)
      Is a popular reading test created by William S. Gray. This version provides an objective measure of growth in oral reading and an aid in the diagnosis of oral reading difficulties. The GORT­3 comprises two alternate, equivalent forms, each of which contains 13 developmentally sequenced passages with five comprehension questions.  The GORT­3 provides examiners with a Passage Score that is derived by examining the reader's performance in rate (time taken to read each passage) and deviations from print (errors). The Passage Score is reported in terms of  standard scores, percentile ranks, and grade equivalents. Also provided are standard scores, percentiles, and grade equivalents for Oral Reading Comprehension. Unlike the earlier versions, the GORT­3 adds normative scores for rate and accuracy .  A total score for Oral Reading is also provided. For ages: 7.0 through 18.11, testing time: 15-­30 minutes, administrated individually. (1992)

      For the newer version GORT- 4 see below.
       
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      The Gray Oral Reading Test, Fourth Edition (GORT-4)  34

      Test measures: Reading skills progress in Reading Fluency, Rate, Accuracy and Oral Reading Comprehension.

    Ages: ages 6 through 18-11 months

    Test purpose: Assesses students who have difficulty reading continuous print and who requires an evaluation of specific abilities and weakness.

    Score: All four scores are reported in terms of standard scores, percentile ranks, grade equivalents, and age equivalents.

      This is the newest version of this test.  Some educators find student to score higher on this version of the test.
      It provides an efficient and objective measure of growth in oral reading and an aid in the diagnosis of oral reading difficulties. The test consists of two parallel forms, each containing 14 developmentally sequenced reading passages with five comprehension questions and can be given to students . The GORT has 4 scores: Reading Fluency, Rate, Accuracy and
      Oral Reading Comprehension .  The Fluency Score that is derived by combining the reader's performance in Rate (time in seconds taken to read each passage) and Accuracy (number of deviations from print made in each passage). The number of correct responses made to the comprehension questions provides examiners with an Oral Reading Comprehension Score.  The Fluency Score and the Oral Reading Comprehension Score are combined to obtain an Oral Reading Quotient.
      The test -retest study was conducted with all ages for which the test can be administered and illustrates the stability and reliability of the measure. The validity is extensive and includes studies that illustrate that the GORT­4 can be used with confidence to measure change in oral reading over time. The GORT-4 has many improvements.  Finally, several new validity studies have been conducted, including  an examination of the relationship of the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children , Third Edition (WISC­III) to the GORT­4. You can use the GORT­4 in a variety of settings, such as elementary and secondary schools, clinics, and reading centers. The two forms of the test allow you to study an individual's oral reading progress over time. (2001)
      Publisher: Pro-Ed and Pearson.

       
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      The Gray Oral Reading Tests-Diagnostic  (GORT-D)
      now called: Gray Diagnostic Reading Tests (GDRT-2)

      Test measure: Reading skills progress

    Ages: 6 - 13, 11 months

    Administration time: 45 - 60 minutes

    Test purpose: Assesses students who have difficulty reading continuous print and who requires an evaluation of specific abilities and weakness.

    Score: Two parallel forms

      The GDRT-2, a revision of the Gray Oral Reading Tests-Diagnostic (GORT-D),
      (There are also the Gray Oral Reading Tests-Fourth Edition (GORT-4) and the Gray Silent  Reading Tests (GSRT), form the Gray reading test battery.)

      GDRT 4 core subtests: Letter/Word Identification, Phonetic Analysis, Reading Vocabulary, and Meaningful Reading.
      There are 3 supplemental subtests, Listening Vocabulary, Rapid Naming, and Phonological Awareness. 
      Publisher: Pro-Ed

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    Vocabulary

    Test of Language Development (TOLD)

    Test of Language Development - Primary
    Pre-Kindergarten through fourth grade An individually administered language battery.
    Ages: 4-0 through 8-11
    Administration Time: 1 hour
    Development­Primary, Third Edition (TOLD-P) has 9 subtests that measure different components of spoken language. Picture Vocabulary, Relational Vocabulary, and Oral Vocabulary assess the understanding and meaningful use of spoken words. Grammatic Understanding, Sentence Imitation, and Grammatic Completion assess differing aspects of grammar. Word Articulation, Phonemic Analysis, and Word Discrimination are supplemental subtests that measure the abilities to say words correctly and to distinguish between words that sound similar.  Publisher: AGS Publishing

    TOLD PRIMARY (Ages 4-0 through 8-11)

    SUBTEST

    ABILITY MEASURED

    CONSTRUCT

     1.

    Picture Vocabulary

    Understanding words

    Semantics

     2.

    Relational Vocabulary 

    Mediating vocabulary

    Semantics

     3.

    Oral Vocabulary

    Defining words

    Semantics

     4.

    Grammatic Understanding

    Understanding sentence meaning

    Syntax

     5.

    Grammatic Completion

    Understanding sentence formation

    Syntax

     6.

    Sentence Imitation

    Repeating sentences

    Syntax

     7.

    Word Discrimination

    Noticing sound difference

    Phonology

     8.

    Phonemic Analysis 

    Segmenting words

    Phonology

     9.

    Word Articulation

    Saying words correctly

    Phonology

    Test of Language Development - Intermediate
    Focus on middle school language An individually administered language battery.
    Ages: 8-0 through 12-11
    Administration Time: 30 minutes to 1 hour
    The TOLD-I, third edition assesses the understanding and meaningful use of spoken words, as well as different aspects of grammar. This third edition features five subtests.

    TOLD INTERMEDIATE (Ages 8-0 through 12-11)


    SUBTEST

    ABILITY MEASURED

    CONSTRUCT

     1.

    Sentence Combining

    Constructing sentences

    Syntax

     2.

    Picture Vocabulary

    Understanding word relationships

    Semantics

     3.

    Word Ordering

    Constructing sentences

    Syntax

     4.

    Generals

    Knowing abstract relationships

    Semantics

     5.

    Grammatic Comprehension

    Recognizing grammatical sentences

    Syntax

     6.

    Malapropisms

    Correcting ridiculous sentences

    Semantics

       
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    Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test (PPVT)  34


    PPVT measures receptive vocabulary for standard English and a screening test of verbal ability.  Several versions of this test: PPVT-R, PPVT-III, PPVT-IV.
    Ages 2-1/2 (2.6) through 90+ years.
    Administration Time: 10-15 minutes
    Publisher: AGS Publishing

    Expressive Vocabulary Test (EVT) 34

    The Expressive Vocabulary Test (EVT), expressive vocabulary and word retrieval.  The expressive assessment counterpart used in conjunction with the PPVT test (see the description above), and have both been updated (2006).
    Ages 2-1/2 (2.6) through 90+ years.
    Administration Time: 10-15 minutes
    Publisher: Parson

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    Reading Comprehension

    Gates-MacGinitie Reading Tests (GMRT) Fourth Edition
    Group Administered reading survey test,
    It has two forms S and T.  Norm-referenced tests.
    Grades: K-12, adult education; Online: Grades: 3-12
    Administration time: 55 minutes to 100 minutes, paper-pencil and online versions.
    Vocabulary 20 minutes (45 items) and Comprehension 35 minutes (48 items)
    Date Published: 2002

    Four levels:

    The Pre-reading level contains 4 subtests: 1) literacy concepts, 2). oral language concepts and 3). letter-sound correspondence and 4). story listening comprehension.  Students are not required to read at this level, as they choose answers from pictures or symbols.  Pictures are always identified by the teacher.

    The Beginning reading level contains 3 subtests 1). initial consonants and consonant clusters, 2). use of final consonants and consonant clusters, use of vowels, and 3). Basic story words, evaluates students' abilities to identify words most commonly used in written text that typically are learned without decoding.  At this level children are asked to choose pictures with names that begin or end with certain letters, to read words, and to read simple sentences.  The teacher reads most of the questions to the children, who then choose answers from pictures or words.

    Levels 1 through 12 were designed to provide a general assessment of reading achievement.  At these levels the 4 subtests: 1). Word Decoding, 2). Word Knowledge, and 3). Comprehension.  Both Level 1 and Level 2 contain a Word Decoding test, which evaluates students' abilities to decode or recognize words and a Comprehension test, which evaluates students' abilities to understand extended written text. Level 2 also contains a Word Knowledge test, which evaluates beginning reading vocabulary. For Word Decoding, incorrect answer choices are based on common decoding errors; for Word Knowledge, on errors of meaning.   4). Vocabulary subtests at levels 1 and 2 are primarily a test of decoding skills.

    At levels 3 through 12 the vocabulary subtest is a measure of Word Knowledge.  Students are asked to select a word or phrase that means most nearly the same as a test word.  Students need to either recognize or sound out words that correspond to pictures.  At levels 1 and 2 comprehension of "passages"(sic) ranging form one sentence to five sentences is measured by asking children to choose the picture that illustrates the "passage" or answers a question about the "passage." At levels 3-12 students respond to questions in a multiple-choice format.

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    Group Reading Assessment and Diagnostic Evaluation (GRADE) 34

    Author: Kathleen T. Williams
    Date Published: 2001

    For Pre-Kindergarten through Adult (post secondary):

    Level P for pre-kindergarten and kindergarten;
    Level K for kindergarten and first grade;
    Level 1 for kindergarten, first, and second grade;
    Levels 2-6 for upper elementary school;
    Level M for middle school grades 5 through 9;
    Level H for high school, and
    Level A for upper high school and post secondary students.

    Passage Comprehension -- Student reads a passage of text and responds to multiple-choice comprehension questions (both explicit and implicit).   This subtest is for each grade level, up to adult level.  

    This is a link to the GRADE (119 pages) marketing brochure, with samples of the different test sections:

     
    http://www.pearsondiagnostic.com/downloads/GRADEManual.pdf

    The Group Reading Assessment and Diagnostic Evaluation (GRADE) is not timed.
    The administration time for the whole test is 45 - 90 mins.  If the student takes extra time on the Comprehension section it should be noted by the examiner.

    This test can be given 4 times a year.  That there 2 forms A and B, used by alternating them.

    Scores provided: Percentile ranks, standard scores, grade equivalents, normal curve equivalents, stanines, and growth scale values.

    There are six subtests: Word reading (decoding and sight words), Word meaning (decoding and sight words), Vocabulary, Sentence comprehension, Passage comprehension, and Listening comprehension.

    Publisher: Pearson Publishing

     
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    Gray Silent Reading Test (GSRT)
    Measures an individual's silent reading comprehension ability ages 7 - 25.
    This test consists of two parallel forms each containing 13 developmentally sequenced reading passages with five multiple-choice questions. The two forms of the test allow you to study an individual's reading progress over time.  It can be given individually or to groups. Each form, of the test yields raw scores, grade equivalents, age equivalents, percentiles, and a Silent Reading Quotient.  Publisher: Pro-Ed

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      Classroom checks:

      Diagnostic Assessment of Reading (DAR)
      Provides individual diagnostic information in the areas of reading and language: word recognition, word analysis, oral reading, silent reading comprehension, spelling, and word meaning. Can be used by classroom teacher to get a quick assessment of a child's reading. Appropriate use requires training. This test is criterion referenced test, not as reliable as norm referred test. Grades K - 3 version, another version for grades 4 - 8. There are two measures of reading skill oral reading (decoding) and comprehension. A reported instructional level is meaningless in DAR for both decoding and comprehension. There is not one score. Hearing your child is reading at "DAR of level 12" does not give you enough information about student's reading performance.

    For Oral reading (decoding) scores of 94% or better indicates independent reading level.
    Comprehension should be reported as an independent level and the score in the assessment.  Adequate comprehension (score 16-21) is considered passing = independent.  Publisher: Riverside Publishing Company
     
    Appropriate reporting would be:

    Oral Reading                                                                 Comprehension
    Level:                                                                              Level:                                                            
     A - 2                              Kindergarten                            6 - 9           Very little comprehension    
     3,4,6,8,10,12,14,16    First grade                               10 - 15         Some comprehension
     18,20,24,28                 Second grade                         16 - 21         Adequate comprehension
     30,34,38                      Third grade                               22 - 24        Very good comprehension
     40,44                            Strong third grade
     
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      Qualitative Reading Inventory (QRI)
      Is an informal reading inventories. It provides graded word lists and numerous passages designed to assess the oral reading, silent reading, or listening comprehension of a student. It contains narrative and expository passages at each pre-primer through high school level. All are self-contained selections highly representative of the structure and subject matter of materials found in basal readers and content-area textbooks.  Passages at the pre-primer through second grade levels are presented with and without pictures. Maps and illustrations are part of the high school selection. Prior to reading, knowledge of concepts important to an understanding of the passage is assessed, which allows the examiner to label a passage as familiar or unfamiliar to each student. The QRI–3 measures comprehension in several ways: through an analysis of the student's retelling, through the answers to explicit and implicit comprehension questions, through the use of look-backs that allow readers to search in the text for information to answer questions not previously answered correctly, and through the use of think-alouds to analyze students’ thoughts during reading.  This test allows the user to evaluate a reader's comprehension abilities in light of his or her background knowledge about a subject and whether the text was narrative or expository. The reader's answers to explicit and implicit comprehension questions allow the examiner to assess the reader's understanding of the text. The examiner can also assess the reader's understanding of the structure of the text through a qualitative analysis of his or her retelling. Look-backs and think-alouds can be used to assess a reader's awareness and use of various metacognitive strategies for comprehending text.
       

     
     
    The Wilson Assessment of Decoding and Encoding (WADE)
    A criterion-referenced assessment that can be used for pre and post testing purposes, as well as a placement and pacing guide. The WADE measures sound production of graphemes in isolation, fluent decoding (sounding out words) and encoding (spelling) of phonetically regular words and high frequency irregular words.  Wilson states that the WADE must be used as well as a formal reading test. Either the Woodcock Reading Mastery Test, Woodcock Johnson III, or Woodcock Diagnostic Reading Battery is recommended. A similar, individualized reading assessment may be substituted if it provides information regarding decoding, comprehension and total reading.  Publisher:
    Pro-Ed

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    Stanford Diagnostic Tests
    There two separate test, one for reading and mathematics.  The Stanford Diagnostic Reading (SDRT) and Mathematics Test (SDMT). Both tests a student's reading and mathematics strengths and weaknesses.  Both the Stanford Diagnostic tests are for Grades: 2 - 12, The test are colored coded, Red=Grade 2, Orange=Grade 3, Green=Grade 4, Purple=Grade 5- 6, Brown=Grade 7-8, Blue=Grade 9-12. There is only one form for the Red, Orange and Green levels - Form J. There are two forms for the Purple, Brown and Blue levels - Forms J and K.
     
    Publisher: Pearson

    STANFORD DIAGNOSTIC READING TEST (SDRT) - 4th edition
    The test SDRT is a group administered, norm-referenced multiple-choice test, and has 3 subtests.

    Administration time:

    The test SDRT is 85 minute test may be given in one sitting or each section may be given on different days or different times.  Each section must be given in one sitting.

    Score:

    The Total Reading score is not an average of the three scores on the subtests--weighted, unweighted, or otherwise. It is based on the total number of questions answered correctly on all portions of the test and is derived by comparing how the student performed on the whole test with how students from different grade levels at different times of the year have typically performed on the same test.  

    Subtest:
    Reading Vocabulary measures the range of words your child knows, based on grade-level expectations;
    Reading Comprehension measures how well your child understands and analyzes various types of reading material; and Scanning Skills measures your child’s ability to skim through reading material to find information.

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    Reading Levels Chart - This table that cross reference the various common reading levels used in different reading programs. It includes a 8 column table: Grade level (Basal level), Fountas/Pinnell (FP), DRA Levels, EIL Levels, PM Levels, Rigby Levels, and Sails. Created by Harcourt Achieve’s Educational Support Services Department (Aug. 2005).

    As part of No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act, and the “Reading First” Initiative (2001), The Florida Center for Reading Research (FCRR) has two tables: Core and Intervention reading program that are on the market.  FCRR reports Rating of Reading programs, by the five critical components areas of reading:

    1. Phonemic Awareness
    2. Phonics
    3. Fluency
    4. Vocabulary
    5. Comprehension strategies


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    Stanford Diagnostic Mathematics Test

    Test Purpose: Designed to identify specific mathematical concepts in which a student is lacking.

    Population: Grades 1.5 to 6.5.

    Scoring: Covering the mathematical content of grades 1 through 8, the test is divided into four levels, (two grades per level).
    Has both norm-referenced and content-referenced interpretations.  The three subtests produce raw scores that can be converted into percentile ranks, stanines, grade equivalents, and scaled scores for each of the three subtests and for the total score.

    Subtest:  Three areas: Number System and Numeration, Computation, and Applications. It may be administered to single individuals or to groups, and permits both norm-referenced and content-referenced interpretations.

    Time: (95-110) minutes, it may be administered to single individuals or to groups.

    Description: The Stanford Diagnostic Mathematics Test (SDMT) was designed to identify those specific mathematical concepts and skills on which a student is making less than satisfactory progress. 

    Publisher: Pearson
     
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    Analytical Reading Inventory (ARI)

    Informal Reading Inventory (IRI)

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      Writing

      Test of Early Written Language (TEWL) - There are two forms of this test (form A and B, so the test can be repeated with it being contaminated by memory.)  Two subtest: Basic Writing and a Contextual writing.   For students ages: 4 to 10 years, 11 months.  Publisher: AGS Publishing

      Writing Process Test (WPT) - This norm-referenced test is a direct measure of writing that requires the student to plan, write, and revise an original composition. The WPT assesses both written product and writing process. The student’s analysis is elicited via a checklist of quick, easy questions about the composition. The examiner can also gain insight into the student’s awareness of having used metacognitive strategies when planning and recursive behaviors when composing and revising.   The test can be administered individually or in groups for people 8 through 19 years of age (or in Grades 2 through 12), and administration usually takes 45 minutes.  Publisher: Pro-Ed
      Test of Written Language (TOWL) - There are two forms of this test (form A and B, so the test can be repeated with it being contaminated by memory.)  Examiners can evaluate student growth in writing using pretesting and post testing that is not contaminated by memory. Composite quotients are available for overall writing, contrived writing, and spontaneous writing.  Eight subtest: Contextual conventions, Contextual language, Story construction, Vocabulary, Spelling, Style, Logical sentences, and Sentence combining.   Details on three of the subtests: Contextual Conventions-measures capitalization, punctuation, and spelling; Contextual Language-measures vocabulary, syntax, and grammar; and Story Construction-measures plot, character development, and general composition.  For students in grade 2 - 12.  Publisher: Pearson Assessments

      Test of Written Expression (TOWE)  - Uses two assessment methods to evaluate a student's writing skills. The first method involves administering a series of 76 items that tap different skills associated with writing. The second method requires students to read or hear a prepared story starter and use it as a stimulus for writing an essay (i.e., the beginning of the story is provided, and the writer continues the story to its conclusion).  For students between 6 years, 6 months to 14 years, 11 months.  Publisher: Pearson Assessments

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      Spelling

      Kaufman Test of Educational Achievement (KTEA) - Accesses the student's ability to spell 50 isolated real words that are organized on order of difficulty.  This test provides standard scores, percentiles  and grade equivalents.

      Test of Written Spelling Fourth Edition (TWS-4) - Is a norm-referenced test of spelling administered using a dictated word format. The TWS-4 now has two alternate or equivalent forms (A and B) which make it more useful in test-teach-test situations. The TWS-4 is appropriate for students in Grades 1 through 12 as well as for those in remedial programs. The TWS was developed after a review of 2,000 spelling rules. The words to be spelled are drawn from 10 basal spelling programs and popular graded word lists.   The results of the TWS-4 may be used for four specific purposes: to identify students whose scores are significantly below those of their peers and who might need interventions designed to improve spelling proficiency, to determine areas of relative strength and weakness in spelling, to document overall progress in spelling as a consequence of intervention programs, and to serve as a measure for research efforts designed to investigate spelling.  Can be administered in 20 minutes to either groups or individuals and yields the following educationally relevant information: standard scores, percentiles, spelling ages, and grade equivalents.
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      Math

    Key Math Diagnostic Arithmetic Test - Revised (Key Math-R) - The student "points-to" and uses "paper and pencil".  Takes 30-45 minutes, for ages preschool to grade 6.  There are three major areas consisting of 14 subtest.   Basic concepts -investigates basic Mathematical concepts and knowledge (Numeration, rational numbers and Geometry), Operations -of basic computation process (addition, subtraction, multiplication, division and mental computations), and Applications- Functional application using mathematics necessary to daily life (Measurement, time, money, estimation, interpretation of data, problem solving).  Publisher: Pearson Publishing.  

    Test of Mathematical Abilities (TOMA) - The TOMA-2 was developed for use in grades 3 through 12. It measures math performance on the two traditional major skill areas in math (i.e., story problems and computation) as well as attitude, vocabulary, and general application of mathematics concepts in real life.  The TOMA-2 has five subtests, four in the core battery (Vocabulary, Computation, General Information, and Story Problems) and one supplemental subtest (Attitude Toward Math).  Publisher: AGS Publishing 

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    Speech and Language

    CELF -  Clinical Evaluation of Language Fundamentals
    This is a comprehensive diagnostic tool to measure the (oral) language skills of learning-disabled students in the areas of semantics, syntax, and memory.
    The 11 Subtests include:
    Sentence Structure (Receptive), Concepts and Directions (Receptive),  Semantic Relationships (Receptive), Listening to Paragraphs (Receptive), Word Classes (Receptive), Recalling Sentences (Expressive),  Word Structure (Expressive), Formulated Sentences (Expressive), Sentence Assembly (Expressive),  Word Associations (Expressive),  Rapid Automatic Naming (Expressive).  Pragmatics Profile is not administered as a standardized test, it is a profile used to gain information about the student's social performance in the classroom.

    Receptive Language:
    1. Sentence structure: points to 1 of 4 pictures in response to an orally presented stimulus.
    2. Concepts and directions: identifies pictures of geometric shapes in response to orally presented direction.  This subtest evaluates a student's ability to interpret, recall and carry out oral commend as of increasing length and complexity containing specific linguistic concepts.
    3. Semantic relations: listen to 4 facts, then select 2 of 4 visually presented options.
    4. Word classes: picks 2 out of 3 or 4 words orally presented that go together.
    5. Recalling sentences: imitation of orally presented sentence. This subtest evaluates a student's ability to recall and repeat spoken sentences of increasing length and complexity with out changing the words or word meaning and no visual stimuli.
    Expressive  Language:
    1. Sentence assembly: produces 2 semantically and syntactically intact sentences from visually and orally presented words or word clusters.
    2. Word structure: completes orally presented sentences with picture stimuli.
    3. Formulated sentences: given target word and picture stimulus and asked to form sentence.
    4. Recalling sentences: imitate orally presented sentences.
    5. Word associations: lists as many words within given category as possible in 1 minute.

    The whole battery need not be administered to obtain a norm referenced language score.  Three subtests can be administered to obtain an Expressive Language score, and 3 subtests can be administered to obtain an receptive language score. 

    Age Range: 6 - 21 years.
    Time to administer: individual, 30-45 minutes depending on client.
    View a
    CELF-4 Scoring Assistant Sample Report
    Publisher: Harcourt
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    Test of Language Competence (TLC)

    Test Measure:
    Listening Comprehension and Oral Expression part of metalinguistic higher-level language functions.

    Subtests include:
    1. Ambiguous Sentences - assesses a student's ability to comprehend and accurately interpret sentences that contain ambiguities arising from multiple-meaning words or syntactic structure.

    2. Listening Comprehension: Making Inferences - assesses a student's ability to listen and understand description of situations presented orally in order to generate two plausible inferences.  (This is different from TOPS subtest, also called making inferences where the student needs to give a logical explanation about a situation combing what they know or able to use their own previous experiences and background information.)
     
    3. Oral Expression: Recreating Speech Acts -
    assesses a student's ability to formulate sentences related to a given situation using correct syntax and semantic content.

    4. Figurative Language - assesses a student's ability to comprehend and interpret figurative expressions.
     and a supplemental memory subtest.


    Age Range: Level 1 -   ages  5 - 9 years old, or

                            Level 2 - ages 10 - 18 years old

    Time to administer: individual, less than 60 minutes depending on client.

    Publisher: Harcourt

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    Oral and Written Language Scales (OWLS)

    Test measure:
    Language tasks, there are 3 sections: Written Expression, Oral Expression, and Listening Comprehension.

    Purpose:
    Written Expression - measures the use of conventions (handwriting, spelling, punctuation), the use of syntactical forms (modifiers, phrases, sentence structures), and the ability to communicate meaningfully (relevance, cohesiveness, organization). The examiner presents oral, written, and pictorial prompts, and examinees write their responses in a booklet.
    Oral Expression - requires no reading on the student's part. The examiner reads a stimulus word printed on one side of the convenient easel, and the examinees responds by indicating one of four pictures on the other side.
    Listening Comprehension - requires the examinee to answer questions, complete sentences, or generate sentences in response to oral or verbal stimuli.

    Ages Range: 3- 21 years  for Oral Expression, and Listening Comprehension.
    ages 5 - 21 for Written Expression

    Administration time:
    Written Expression - 15 to 25 minutes, Oral Expression - 10 to 25 minutes, and Listening Comprehension - 5 to 15 minutes.

    Score:
    Provides both age-based and grade-based standard scores, grade and test-age equivalents, percentile ranks, normal curve equivalents, and stanines

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    Test of Narrative Language (TNL)
    by Ronald B. Gillam, Nils A. Pearson

    The
    test measures the child's use of proper nouns, actions verbs, temporal adverbs, and causal adverbs within well-formed simple and complex sentences that are contained in script-like stories and fictional stories.

    Ages: 5 - 11 yrs.11 mos. , grade K-6


    The Narrative Comprehension subtest assesses children's ability to recall and understand information in stories produced by others. It also assesses the ability to make inferences about information that was not explicitly stated in stories.


    The Oral Narration subtest assesses children's ability to weave words and sentences into stories that contain characters who engage in goal-directed actions, complicating events, and solutions.

    Publisher: Lingui Systems

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    Test of Problem Solving - Elementary (TOPS-E)


    Test measure: Responses show performance in these areas:  problem solving,  determining solutions,  drawing inferences,  empathizing, predicting outcomes,  using context clues and  vocabulary comprehension.

    Ages:  6 - 11 years

    Purpose: Assess ability to organize thoughts and express ideas clearly.  To measure a students use language to think and problem solve. Students are asked questions about a series of photographs.

    Subtests:
    1. Making Inferences - Requires the student to give a logical explanation about a situation combing what he knows or can see to previous experiences and background information.
    2. Sequencing  - Requires the student to determine and explain logical, everyday sequences of events, such as what one needs to know or do before taking action in a situation or what one should do first in a given situation.
    3. Negative Question - Requires the student to explain why something would not occur or why one should not take a particular action in a specific situation.
    4. Problem Solving - Requires the student to recognize the problem, think of an alternative solution, evaluate the options and state an appropriate solution to a given situation.  It also requires him to sate ways to avoid specific problems.
    5. Predicting - Requires the student to demonstrate understanding of a presented situation and make a reasonable prediction about what will happen of what would happen if a certain action were taken in the situation.
    6. Determine Causes - Requires the student to give a logical reason for some aspect of the situation presented.

    Admin. Time: 35 minutes - Individual
    Norms: standard score, percentile rank, and age equivalency for total test

    Publisher: Lingui Systems

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    Test of Problem Solving - Adolescent (TOPS-A)
    Test Measure: There are 13 problem solving passage and open ended questions to reveal abilities in these areas: clarifying, evaluating, fair-mindedness, analyzing, thinking independently, affect.

    Ages: 12 - 18 years

    Purpose: Assess expressive language, thinking, and problem solving skills.
    An older students thinking disorders.  As student get older their thinking become more obvious. Evaluate teens' thinking and language skills with TOPS - Adolescent and let the results help you design therapy programs

    For a description of the subtests (see the TOPS-E above)


    Admin. Time: 40 minutes - Individual
    Norms: standard score, percentile rank, and age equivalency for total test

    Publisher:
    Lingui Systems 


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    Test of Auditory Processing Skills (TAPS)

    The TAPS-3 measures what a person does with what is heard, and is intended to be used along with other tests.

    Ages: 4-18 and Grades PreK-adult
    Testing Time: one hour

    Subtests: Word Discrimination, Word Memory, Phonological Segmentation,  Sentence Memory, Phonological Blending, Auditory Comprehension, Numbers Forward, Auditory Reasoning and Numbers Reversed.  In addition to one overall score, individual subtest scores are combined to derive three cluster scores: Basic Auditory Skills (Word Discrimination, Phonological Segmentation, and Phonological Blending subtests), Auditory Memory (Number Memory Forward, Number Memory Reversed, Word Memory, and Sentence Memory), and Auditory Cohesion (Auditory Comprehension and Auditory Reasoning subtests).

    Publisher: Lingui Systems
     

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    Arizona Articulation Proficiency Scale, Third Revision (Arizona-3)

    The test covers all the major speech sounds in the English language, including initial and final consonants and blends, vowels, and diphthongs.

    Ages: 1 - 18 years.


    Purpose: A clinical measure of articulatory competence in children and adolescents.

    Qualifications to Administer: Completion of graduate training as a speech language pathologist.
    The test still uses a simple picture-presentation format that offers complete administration to most children in less than 3 minutes. Scoring involves the easy-to-understand "Total Score" that expresses the child's successful speech production on a scale from 1 to 100.

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    The Test of Pragmatic Language (TOPL)


    Purpose: The student's ability to effectively use pragmatic language. Pragmatic language is language that is used socially to achieve goals, involving not only what is said but also why and for what purpose something is said.   The assessment is derived from the operational framework of the Model of Pragmatic Language.  The TOPL tests the student's knowledge of what pragmatic language is not their level of the skill.

    Ages: kindergarten, age 5 to age 13,
     criterion-referenced assessment for junior high school (age 17-18)


    Test Measure: 
    6 core subcomponents of pragmatic language:
    Subtests:
    1. Physical setting - Refers to the setting and event.  The setting is the place where the conversation takes place and the event is the context for the a communication exchange.
    2. Audience - Refer to the relationship that is developed within a conversation.
    3. Topic - Is related to the cohesive and logical sequence of ideas and sentences which relate to the topic.  It also refers to topic maintenance and content.
    4. Purpose (speech acts) of a communication exchange is the objective of the conversation and the plan to achieve that objective.  These objectives include requesting, informing, regulating, expressing, ritualizing and organizing.
    5. Visual ­gestural cue - section relates to nonverbal language.
    6. Abstraction - refer to figurative or metophors in which the message is carried.
    Admin. Time: 45 minutes - Individual
    Norms: standard score, percentile rank, and age equivalency for total test

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    Occupational Therapy

    Miller Assessment for Preschoolers (MAP) - For the identification of preschool children with mild to moderate developmental delays across a broad range of content domains, including behavioral, motor, and cognitive. MAP is a short and comprehensive screening instrument for ages 2 years, 9 months -  5 years, 8 months. It requires 20 to 30 minutes administration time and provides data on co-ordination, verbal, nonverbal, and complex tasks.

    Peabody Developmental Motor Scales (PDMS)  -  early childhood motor development program that provides both in-depth assessment and training or remediation of gross and fine motor skills.  The assessment is composed of six subtests that measure the interrelated motor abilities that develop early in life from birth through 5 years of age. Reliability and validity have been determined empirically.  

    PDMS-2 has 6 Subtests:

    1. Reflexes - 8 items measure a child's ability to automatically react to environmental events.
    2. Stationary - 30 items measure a child's ability to sustain control of his or her body within its center of gravity and retain equilibrium.
    3. Locomotion - 89 items measure a child's ability to move from one place to another by crawling, walking, running, hopping, and jumping forward.
    4. Object Manipulation - 24 items measure a child's ability to manipulate balls by catching, throwing, and kicking. Because these skills are not apparent until a child has reached the age of 11 months, this subtest is only given to children ages 12 months and older.
    5. Grasping - 26 items measure a child's ability to use his or her hands. It begins with the ability to hold an object with one hand and progresses to actions involving the controlled use of the fingers of both hands.
    6. Visual-Motor Integration - 72 items measure a child's ability to use his or her visual-perceptual skills to perform complex eye-hand coordination tasks such as reaching and grasping for an object, building with blocks, and copying designs.    

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    Gardner Test of Visual-Perceptual Skills - non-motor (NM) - (TVPS): There are two levels of this test.  Standard  and Upper Level (UL).  Both tests assesses seven areas of visual perception not requiring motor responses. Visual discrimination, visual memory, visual spatial relationships, visual form consistency, visual sequential memory, visual figure ground and visual closure.
    The Upper level of the Test of Visual-Perceptual Skills (non-motor) - (TVPS-UL), used for students ages 12 to 18 years.  There are seven areas of visual perception: 1. Visual Discrimination, 2. Visual-Spatial Relationships, 3. Visual Form Constancy, 4. Visual Sequential Memory, 5. Visual Memory, 6. Visual Closure and 7. Visual Figure-Ground.  Testing time is 10 to 20 minutes.
    Test of Visual-Perceptual Skills (non-motor) - Lower level TVPS, used for Ages 4 Through 13 Years. Testing Time and seven subtests are the same.  Publisher:
    Pro-Ed, 1999

    Motor Free Visual Perceptual Test (MVPT)- An individually administered test designed to assess overall visual perceptual ability. Perceptual tasks include spatial relationships, visual discrimination, figure-ground, visual closure, and visual memory. Performance in these areas provides a single score that represents the individual's general visual perceptual ability. Ages: 4 - 95, MVPT-3 includes additional test items that permit the assessment of visual perception in adults and adolescents.

    Test of Visual Motor Skills (TVMS) - This test assesses visual motor integration skills.  Helps assess the extent to which individuals can integrate their visual and motor abilities.  Two forms the short and long.  Short form is for ages 2 - 8 years old and full form: Ages 2-18 years old.  Each test takes as little as 5 mins (Motor Coordination) and as much as 15 mins. (Visual Perceptual).


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    PreSchool Visual Motor Integration Assessment (PVMIA) This test specifically devoted to the perceptual abilities of the preschooler. The PVMIA was developed to identify visual motor integration deficits of children 3-1/2 to 5-1/2 years old.
    Specific skills addressed: perception of position in space, awareness of spatial relationships, color and shape discrimination, matching two attributes simultaneously, and the ability to reproduce what is seen and what is interpreted.
    Consists of 2 subtests: a Drawing subtest (8 items), which examines the ability to recognize and reproduce lines and shapes on paper, and a Block Patterns subtest (25 items), which examines the abilities to recognize color and shape using three-dimensional blocks and to recognize and reproduce patterns created by assembling the same blocks. The drawings used in the Drawing subtest are novel to children and developmental in nature. The Block Pattern Subtest uses parquetry blocks that fit small hands rather than the one inch cubes typically used in other tests. The test items are presented in order of increasing difficulty. In addition, there are two Behavioral Observation Checklists which assist in the interpretation of the test results. Raw scores are converted to Standard Scores and Percentile Ranges for each of the Subtests and for the Total Test.  It can be administered in approximately 20 minutes and scored in approximately 25-30 minutes.

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    Beery-Buktenica Development Test of Visual Motor Integration (Beery VMI) - Helps assess the extent to which individuals can integrate their visual and motor abilities. The Short Format and Full Format tests present drawings of geometric forms arranged in order of increasing difficulty that the individual is asked to copy. The Short Format is often used with children ages 2-8 years.  Full Form with children 2-18 years old.  Publisher: Psychological Assessment Resources, Inc.(PAR)

    Bruininks-Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency - This test assesses gross motor and fine motor skills.  Assesses the motor proficiency of able-bodied students, as well as students with serious motor dysfunctions and developmental handicaps. The test can also be useful in developing and evaluating motor training programs.  For ages 4 years, 6 months - 14 years, 5 months.  Takes 45-60 minutes, Short Form: 15-20 minutes.  The test does provide scores reported by age based standard Scores, percentile ranks, and stanines. Publisher: AGS Publishing 
    There are
    three catalogeries and eight subtests:
    1.
    Gross Motor Development: Running speed and agility,
    Balance, Bilateral coordination, Strength (arm, shoulder, abdominal, and leg).
    2.
    Gross and Fine Motor Development: Upper-limb coordination.
    3.
    Fine Motor Development: Response speed (catching a stick), Visual-motor control, Upper-limb speed and dexterity.

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    Test of Handwriting Skills-Revised (THS-R) - This is an un-timed standardized assessment of handwriting skills, both manuscript and cursive. It can be used with any of the popular handwriting programs. It is newly revised, January, 2007. The changes to the new edition include: norms are extended through age 18 (manuscript and cursive), nationally stratified norms, a simplified scoring procedure, handwriting exemplars that reflect current styles including D'Nealian, Handwriting Without Tears, Universal and Zaner-Bloser.  For children ages 5 - age 18, 11 months.

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    Sensory Integration

    Sensory Profile - Is comprised of a parent/caregiver and teacher questionnaire that is used to identify typical performance, probable difference or definite difference in a child's behavioral responses to sensory information in their environment.  For Ages 3 to 10 years process sensory information in everyday situations. You can also profile the sensory system's effect on functional performance.  Nine factor groupings characterize children by their responsiveness to sensory input including, Sensory seeking, Emotional reactive, Low endurance/tone, Oral sensory sensitivity, Inattention/distractibility, Poor registration, Sensory sensitivity, Sedentary, and Fine motor/perceptual.  Publisher: Harcourt or  www.sensoryprofile.com
     

    Sensory Integration and Praxis Test (SIPT): measures aspects of sensory processing and praxis, the ability to form an idea, plan the action and execute it. This test evaluates specifically delineate processing challenges which may be contributing to difficulties in learning or behavior. The SIPT measures visual, tactile, and kinesthetic perception as well as motor performance. A child's performance on each of these tests is compared with the average performance of other children in his or her age group. In addition to these tests, clinical observations are made of muscle tone, postural responses, coordination and hand skill development.  It is composed of 17 brief tests and provides standardized scores.  Must be given by OT who is SIPT certified.  The cost runs between $800-1500.

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    Social Skills

    School Social Behavior Scales (SSBS) - Used to identify possible at risk students, determine student eligibility for intervention programs, and examine social competence and antisocial behavior patterns of children and adolescents in grades K - 12 or ages 5-18.  The assessment is designed to be completed by educators and in school settings.  There are 65 items in two major scales (Scale A, Social Competence, 32 items; and Scale B, Antisocial Behavior, 33 items). Scale A, Social Competence, contains three subscales: Interpersonal Skills, Self-management Skills, and Academic Skills. Scale B, Antisocial Behavior, also contains three subscales: Hostile-irritable, Antisocial-aggressive, and Demanding-disruptive.

    Social Skills Rating System (SSRS) - A nationally standardized series of questionnaires that obtain information on the social behaviors of children and adolescents from teachers, parents, and the students themselves.  Assess children who have problems with behavior and interpersonal skills.  Detect the problems behind shyness, trouble initiating conversation, and difficulty making friends.   Select behaviors for treatment and assist in planning intervention.
    Ages: 3-18; A Student Self Report can be used in Grades 3-12. 
    Administration Time: 10-25 minutes for each questionnaire.
    Scores: Social Skills, Problem Behaviors, and Academic Competence scales—Standard scores and percentile ranks; Scales and subscales—Behavior Levels (fewer, average, and more); Items—Frequency and Importance ratings point to behaviors that may require intervention.  Publisher: Parson
     

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    Walker-McConnell Scale - WMS (K-6 / 7-12) -  Has two versions:
    ELEMENTARY VERSION is appropriate for use with students in grades K-6. It consists of three, analytically derived, sub-scales (Teacher-Preferred Social Behavior, Peer-Preferred Social Behavior, and School Adjustment) totaling 43 items across the three sub-scales. The Scale relies on teacher ratings of the frequency with which social skills are estimated to occur for each student rated. The 43 items of the Elementary Scale typically require no more than 10 minutes to complete for each student.

    ADOLESCENT VERSION is appropriate for use with students in grades 7-12. It contains four, analytically derived, sub-scales (Self Control, Peer Relations, School Adjustment, and Empathy) totaling 53 items across the four sub-scales. The Scale relies on teacher ratings of the frequency with which social skills are estimated to occur for each student rated. The 53 items of the Adolescent Scale typically require no more than 10 minutes to complete for each student.

    Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scale (VABS) - Used from birth to adulthood in their personal and social functioning. Following Edgar Doll's original conceptualization of adaptive behavior as multidimensional in structure and his measurement of the behaviors by areas, the VABS is organized around four Behavior Domains: Communication, Daily Living Skills, Socialization, and Motor Skills.  The assessment has 13 scores.

    Scales of Independent Behavior (SIB) -  comprehensive, norm-referenced assessment of adaptive and maladaptive behavior.  It may be administered in a structured interview or by a checklist procedure.  There are 33 items give users a broader measure of the adaptive behavior skills required in everyday living. Simplified scoring: Age-equivalent scoring tables are included in the response booklets for each subscale, allowing examiners to get immediate developmental information.

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    Executive Functioning:

    Delis-Kaplan Executive Function System™ (D–KEFS) - This is the Executive function test is used by Neuropsychologist  or psychologist to evaluate executive function skills.   This test can be given to anyone ages 8 to 89 Years old.    This test assess key components of executive functions within verbal and spatial modalities. Comprehensively assess with 9 tests, the key components of executive functions believed to be mediated primarily by the frontal lobe. The Delis-Kaplan Executive Function System'" (D-KEFS) is the first nationally standardized set of tests to evaluate higher-level cognitive functions in both children and adults. The tests assess vital executive functions such as flexibility of thinking, inhibition, problem solving, planning, impulse control, concept formation, abstract thinking, and creativity in both verbal and spatial modalities. D-KEFS' nine stand-alone tests evaluate the following executive-function domains:

     D-KEFS

    9 Sub-tests

     

    Key Executive Functions Assessed

    Sorting Test (ST)
    Problem-solving, verbal and spatial concept formation, flexibility of thinking on a conceptual task.   Asseses the individual's ability to initation, creativity in forming responces, congnitive flexiblity, and transfer of conceptual knowledge into behavior that is goal directed (formerly called the California Sorting Test).
    Trail Making Test (TMT) Flexibility of thinking on a visual-motor task.  This subtest indicates an ability to execute and modify a plan of action.  Higher level processes: visual scanning, visual sequencing, number sequencing, letter sequencing, number-letter switching and motor speed. 
    Verbal Fluency Test (VFT) 

    Fluent productivity in the verbal domain.  Asseses the individual's ability to produce verbal responses in accordance with a set of rules within one minute (components: Letter fluency, Category Fluency, and Category-Switching).

    Design Fluency Test (DFT)    Fluent productivity in the spatial domain.  Requires the production of as many different designs using a series of dots and rules as a guide within a time period.  The skills required for these tasks include: Initation of problem solving behaviors, fluency in generating visual designs, creativity and simultaneous processing by drawing and observing the rules at the same time. 
    Color-Word Interference Test (CWIT)  Verbal inhibition, simultaneous processing and congnitive flexblity (components: Basic color naming, Word Reading, Inhibition, and inhibition/switching).  Inhibit the natural responce and exert mental flexibility to switch sets of rules for response as necessary. 
    Tower Test (TT)     

    Planning and reasoning in the spatial modality, impulsivity - Visual attention, visual-spatial skills, spatial planning, rule learning, inhibition and the establishment and maintenance of cognitive set.

    Twenty (20) Questions Test (TQT)

    Logical thingk, hypothesis testing and deduction.  An adaptation of a popular game played by children and adults, this test assesses the ability to identify the various categories and subcategories represented. Presented with a stimulus page depicting pictures of 30 common objects, and tries to ask the fewest number of yes/no questions in order to identify the unknown target object. 

    Word Context Test (WCT) Verbal modality and assesses deductive reasoning, integration of multiple bits of information, hypothesis teating, and flexibility in thinking.
    Proverb Test (PT) Metaphorical thinking; generating versus comprehending abstract thought.  The ability to form novel verbal abstractions (formerly called the California Proverb Test).
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    Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function (BRIEF) - Designed to assess impairment of executive function behaviors in the home and school environments for ages 5-18.

    BRIEF-SR,  Self-Report Version™ is designed to assess children's and adolescents', for age 13 - 18 views of their own executive functions, or self-regulation, in their everyday environment.

    The BRIEF consists of two rating forms: a parent questionnaire and a teacher questionnaire, (84 questions) are designed to assess executive functioning in the home and school environments.

    Behavioral Regulation that measures inhibit: Control impulses; stop behavior, Shift: Move freely from one activity / situation to another; transition; problem-solve flexibly.

    Emotional control: Modulate emotional responses appropriately. 

    Metacognition area that measures Initiate: Begin activity, generate ideas; Working Memory, Hold information in mind for purpose of completing a task.  Plan/Organize: Anticipate future events, set goals, develop steps, and graps main ideas.  Psychological Assessment Resources, Inc. (PAR)

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    Related Resources

    Educational Testing is the the major area of testing it will serve as a baseline against which future progress can be measured.  There are two types of educational testing Achievement testing and Diagnostic testing.
    Some of the most frequently administered test by our schools are:

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    One of our original webpages, created December, 2003, by Melody Orfei
    Webpage last modified on Decemeber 28, 2011 - V38, by Melody Orfei
    mel3sons@gmail.com