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Transcript of EVALUATION FOR DYSLEXIA: HOW TO GET BEYOND THE NUMBERS Helen Macik, M.Ed., Educational...
1
EVALUATION FOR DYSLEXIA:
HOW TO GET BEYOND THE NUMBERS
Helen Macik, M.Ed.,
Educational Diagnostician, CALT, QI
Council of Educators for
Students with Disabilities
October 19, 2015
2
Evaluation of Dyslexia
An evaluation is the process of gathering information to identify the factors contributing to a student’s difficulty with learning to read, spell, and write.
3
Evaluation for Dyslexia
Information gathering—informal/qualitative data
ScreeningWork samples
Testing—formal/quantitative dataIndividualized evaluationConducted through
§ 504 procedures or Individuals of Disabilities Education Act (IDEA 2004)
4
Evaluation Outcomes
Identification/diagnosisBringing everything together and may
result in the identification of a disability, specifically dyslexia
InterventionInstruction can be more prescriptive
Documentation forInstruction Accommodations
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Tests do not IdentifyPeople Do
The test(s) are not magic
The testing process provides valuable information and allows the examiner to observe HOW students work and process information
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Tests do not IdentifyPeople Do
The knowledge of the evaluator(s) is/are as important as the tools used.
Both 504 & IDEA require a committee
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Components of an EvaluationBased on the Characteristics of Dyslexia
Early Childhood/Primary Grades
Difficulty with • rhyming, blending sounds, learning the
alphabet, linking letters with sounds • Pronouncing words/adding new words to
vocabulary• learning rules for spelling—• remembering “little” words—
Listening comprehension is usually better than reading comprehension
Dyslexia Handbook Pg. 9-10
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Components of an EvaluationBased on the Characteristics of Dyslexia
Early Childhood/Primary Grades
Difficulty with Recalling the right word (word retrieval) Manipulating sounds/parts of words Reading words isolation Remembering letter sequences in common
words, seen often Reading fluently and reading aloud Written expression
• Avoidance of reading
Dyslexia Handbook Pg. 9-10
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Components of an EvaluationBased on the Characteristics of Dyslexia
Middle and Secondary School Reluctant readers Slow, word-by-word readers Mispronounce common words Very poor spellers Non-fluent writers—slow, poor quality &
quantity Weak vocabulary knowledge and use,
especially in written workDyslexia Handbook Pg. 10 & 11
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Components of an EvaluationBased on the Characteristics of Dyslexia
Middle and Secondary School Difficulty using or comprehending
complex grammatical structures Listening comprehension is usually much
stronger than performance on timed reading and writing tasks
Difficulty learning a foreign language Difficulty with keeping up the
pace/demands of coursework
Dyslexia Handbook Pg. 10 & 11
12
What Areas are Evaluated
Academic Areas Letter knowledge Reading words in
isolation Decoding unfamiliar
words Reading fluency
Single words & in context
both rate & accuracy
Reading comprehension
Spelling
Cognitive Processes Phonological/phonemic awareness Rapid naming of
symbols or objects
Dyslexia Handbook Pg. 21
13
Additional Academic Areas
Vocabulary Listening comprehension Verbal expression Written expression Handwriting Mathematical
calculation/reasoningDyslexia Handbook Pg. 21
14
Additional Cognitive Areas
Working memory Short-term memory Visual processing Auditory processing Processing speed Thinking & reasoning skills
Dyslexia Handbook Pg. 21
Terms 15
Progress monitoring Response to Intervention (RTI) Assessment Evaluation
Terms16
Progress Monitoring -- A scientifically based practice used to assess students’ academic progress and/or performance and evaluate the effectiveness of instruction. Progress monitoring can be implemented with individual students or an entire class. Progress monitoring is a quick probe (less than 5 minutes) that is done frequently (weekly or biweekly) in order to make instructional changes in a timely fashion.
Terms 17
Response to Intervention (RtI) The RTI process is a multistep or tiered
approach to providing services and interventions at increasing levels of intensity to students who struggle with learning.
Student progress at each stage of intervention is closely monitored.
Results of monitoring are used to make decisions about the need for further researched-based instruction and/or intervention in general education, in specialized instructional settings, or both.
Terms 18
Assessment -- The general process of on-going inquiry, using both formal and informal data to determine a students’ learning.
Evaluation--Used to characterize an event The formal process of gathering
information on background and on response to classroom instruction, to formulate hypotheses, choosing and administering tests to measure potential and mastery of academic skills.
Types of Tests
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Screening Criterion-Referenced Standardized
Screening
A step taken by school personnel to determine which students are at risk for not meeting grade level standards.
Universal screening can be accomplished by administering an academic screening to all students in a given grade level. Students whose scores fall below a certain cut-off point are identified as needing closer monitoring or intervention. (K-2 assessments)
20
Criterion-Referenced Test21
A test that allows its users to make score interpretations in relation to a functional performance level, as distinguished from those interpretations that are made in relation to the performance of others. Examples of criterion-referenced interpretations include comparison to cut scores, interpretations based on expectancy tables, and domain-referenced score interpretations. (TAKS/STARR tests are criterion referenced.) STAAR program measures the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) curriculum standards.
Standardized Test22
In test development, establishing scoring norms based on the test performance of a representative sample of individuals with which the test is intended to be used.
In test administration, maintaining a constant testing environment and conducting the test according to detailed rules and specifications, so that testing conditions are the same for all test takers.
In statistical analysis, transforming a variable so that its standard deviation is 1.0 for some specified population or sample.
Testing Terms23
Age and Grade Equivalent Scores Standard Scores, Scaled Scores Percentiles Reliability Validity Basal Ceiling
Age and Grade Equivalent Scores24
Age EquivalentReflects the student’s performance in terms of the age group in the norming sample in which the median raw score is the same as the student’s raw score.
Grade EquivalentReflects the student’s performance in terms of the grade level in the norming sample at which the median raw score is the same as the student’s raw score.
**A grade equivalent score does not equate to performance in the classroom.**
Standard Scores & Scaled Scores
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A type of derived score that describes a student’s performance relative to the average performance of the comparison group.
The distribution of these scores for a specified population has convenient, known values for the mean and standard deviation.
The range of standard scores is 0 to over 200 with a mean of 100 with a standard deviation of 15
The range of scaled scores is 0 to 20 with a mean of 10 with a deviation of 3.
Percentiles26
The percentage is defined to include scores in a specified distribution that fall below the point at which a given score lies. Sometimes the percentage is defined to include scores that fall at the point; sometimes the percentage is defined to include half of the scores at the point.
Percentile ranks indicate the status or relative standing of a pupil in comparison to other pupils.
The percentile rank tells the percent of pupils in a particular norm group who obtain lower scores; thus, for example, if Ann earns a percentile rank of 70 on a particular test it means she scored better than 70 percent of the pupils in the norm group and 30 percent scored as well or better than she. The scale goes from 1 to 99 percent. The mean is 50.
Reliability and Validity 27
Reliability -- refers to the measurement consistency of a test. A reliable test is one that yields similar results upon repetition of the test. The closer a test’s reliability is to +1.00 the more reliable the test.
Validity refers to the ability of a test to measure what it was designed to measure.
Basal & Ceiling
Basal--at or forming the bottom of something
Ceiling—The top or highest limits.
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The purpose of establishing a basal and ceiling is to • Limit the number of items administered
• But be able to estimate, with high probability, the score that would have been obtained if all items had been administered
• By eliminating the items that would be too easy or too difficult
• Minimizes testing time
• Maximizing the individuals tolerance for the testing situation
Basal & Ceiling
Basal--at or forming the bottom of something
Ceiling—The top or highest limits.
29
• Some tests begin with item 1 and continue testing until a ceiling is reached. These test do not require a basal.
• When a tests has items arranged in groups or sets, the publisher determines a start point based on age and/or grade.
• The basal criterion is met when the subject correctly responds to the number determined by the publisher to be the lowest-numbered items in a group.
Basal & Ceiling
Basal--at or forming the bottom of something
Ceiling—The top or highest limits.
30
• If a subject fails to meet the basal criterion, directions are provided by the publisher how to proceed.
• Sometimes you continue to test backward until a basal is established or until you have administered item 1.
• On some tests the directions are to continue testing to obtain a ceiling.
• Then go back to starting point and test backwards to establish the basal.
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Testing Basics
Know examiner qualifications of tests used
Administer ONLY tests you are qualified and trained to give
Know administration and scoring requirements of test
Adhere to requirements for testing as per test publisher
Practice giving and scoring tests prior to giving for identification
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Testing Basics
Take on role of evaluator
Read instructions as written by the publisher
Never help, coax, explain or re-phrase questions
Sometimes you can repeat questions—directions will state what you can and cannot do
Some tests allow you to Query responses—know when this is allowed— “tell me more, explain more what you mean”
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Testing Basics
Be encouraging to the student but Do Not acknowledge correctness or incorrectness of responses
Let them know you will be writing notes about their responses to look at later
Let them know it is okay to say they don’t know or have not learned that yet
Respect confidentiality of student and test
34
Testing Basics Always use latest version/revision of test
Old version should be used no longer than 1 year after revised test is published
Adhere to time requirements, testing conditions, as directed by publisher
Adhere to copyright requirements—do not copy test protocols, manuals etc.
Parents can view tests but cannot copy them
Only the score page can be copied for parent, school, etc
Questions to Consider35
Is there a “Dyslexia” test or battery of tests?
When is testing done?
How long does the testing take?
Who does the testing?
What should an evaluation include? What should be tested?
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Identification Process
Team of knowledgeable persons determines dyslexia
Team is knowledgeable about The student being assessed The reading process Dyslexia and related disorders Dyslexia instruction District or charter school, state, and federal
guidelines for assessment The assessments used The meaning of the data collected
Dyslexia Handbook pg. 21-25
3737
Identification Process
Knowledgeable persons identify dyslexia after reviewing all accumulate data including:
Observations of teacher, school staff, parents
Samples of student work and classroom measures, data from student’s cumulative folder
Documentation of student progress
Results of administered assessments
Language Assessment Proficiency Committee (LPAC) when applicable Dyslexia Handbook pg. 21-25
3838
Identification Process
Unexpectedly low performance for student’s age and educational level in one or more of the primary characteristics of dyslexia
Reading real words in isolation
Decoding nonsense words
Reading fluency (both accuracy and rate)
Written spelling (an isolated difficulty in spelling would not be sufficient to identify dyslexia
Dyslexia Handbook pg. 13-25
3939
Identification Process
Unexpected low reading will result in a deficit in phonological processing including: Phonological awareness Rapid naming Phonological memory
Difficulty with secondary characteristics Reading comprehension Written composition Dyslexia Handbook pg. 13-25
4040
Identification Process & Special Education (The Dyslexia Handbook pg. 23)
Student should be considered at any point of the assessment process for special education if needed
Students display additional factors/areas complicating their dyslexia and requiring more support than is available through dyslexia instruction
Student is not making adequate progress in the dyslexia program
4141
Identification Process & Special Education
If a student with dyslexia is determined eligible for special education in the area of reading—the ARD committee MUST include appropriate reading instruction on the student’s IEP which includes descriptor listed in Chapter III in Dyslexia Procedures pg. 75, Q&A #52.
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The Profile of Dyslexia
Involves making comparison of scores in the areas evaluated
UNEXPECTED for child in relation to other cognitive abilities
Discrepancies between decoding and comprehension (weak word reading vs comprehension)
Listening comprehension stronger than reading comprehension
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The Profile of Dyslexia
Involves making comparison of scores in the areas evaluated
Accuracy vs rate Readers with dyslexia are more reliant on
context than proficient readers Real vs non-word reading Poor spelling
44
The Profile of Dyslexia
Spelling / nonsense word reading
< decoding words in lists
< decoding words in text
< reading comprehension
< listening comprehension / IQ
Phonological awareness Phonological Memory Rapid naming / fluency Language
Clark, D., & Uhry, J.K.; 2005
45
The Profile of Dyslexia
Listening comprehension / IQ
Reading comprehension
Decoding words in text
Decoding words in lists
Spelling / nonsense word reading
Phonological awareness Phonological Memory
Rapid naming / fluency Language
Clark, D., & Uhry, J.K.; 2005
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Resources
Clark, D., & Uhry, J. (Eds.). 2005 Dyslexia: Theory and practice of instruction (3rd edition.). Baltimore, MD.: York Press.
Farrall, M. L., 2012 Reading Assessment Linking Language, Literacy, and Cognition. Hoboken, New Jersey, John Wiley & Sons, Inc
Farrall, M. L., Wright, P. D., Wright, P. W. D., 2014 All About Tests & Assessments. Hartfiled, Virginia,: Harbor House Law Press, Inc.
Mather, N., Welding, B. J., 2012Essentials of Dyslexia Assessment & Intervention. Hoboken, New Jersey; John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Texas Education Agency, 2014 The Dyslexia Handbook. Austin, Texas, The Texas Education Agency.
The International Dyslexia Association, (2009) Testing And Evaluation Fact Sheet Retrieved from http://eida.org/testing-and-evaluation/
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Cognitive Information
What We know phonological and phoneme awareness
necessary for the development of reading skills.
Also , the influence of Rapid Automatized Naming (RAN), processing speed,
48
Other Cognitive Areas
Other Cognitive areas that should be considered Orthographic coding Morphological awareness Memory span Working memory
Orthographic Coding---Using letter and word patterns to aid in pronunciation
Phonological coding---using knowledge of letter-sound correspondences to read words
49
Symptoms of Poor Orthographic Awareness
Difficulty learning how to form symbols Confusion of symbols similar in
appearance (e.g. b for d, n for u, says tan for ton)
Trouble with near- & far-point copying Tendency to reverse or transpose letters &
numbers Trouble remembering how words look
50
Symptoms of Poor Orthographic Awareness
Trouble reading exception or irregular words
Trouble with accurate and rapid word recognition; slow reading speed
Tendency to use different spellings for the same word
Tendency to omit endings—when reading or writing
Overreliance on the phonological rather than the visual features of words
51
Symptoms of Poor Orthographic Awareness
Trouble learning and retaining basic math facts
Difficulty counting in a sequence (e.g. by 2, 3, etc.)
Trouble with multistep problems Difficulty switching back and forth with
different processes (e.g. watching the signs in math)
52
Other Cognitive Areas
Memory Span—involves the ability to listen to information and then repeat it verbatim in a short time period, usually seconds
Also, difficulty to make associations between verbal and visual information (verbal-paired-associate learning)
53
Other Cognitive Areas
Working Memory—involves the capacity to hold information in immediate awareness while manipulating or transforming the information in some way.
Examples: Listen to a sequence of digits and then
say the digits back but in reversed order.
Informal Measures of Memory Span & Working Memory
Span Tasks Create a set of items
that increase in number or span.
Present items verbally to student to repeat in sequence (e.g. three items with 2 digits, three items with 3 digits, three items with 4 digits, and so on.)
Working Memory An intervening activity or
transformation must occur before the individual is asked to recall the information. (e.g. wait for a signal before responding)
Present items and ask the student to recall them in reverse order.
You can use digits, words, pictures, or objects.—note it is interesting to do auditory and visual tasks.) 54
55
Evaluation for Dyslexia
Information gathering—informal/qualitative data
ScreeningWork samples
Testing—formal/quantitative dataIndividualized evaluationConducted through
§ 504 procedures or Individuals of Disabilities Education Act (IDEA 2004)
56
Considerations & Cautions—P A Scores Are in the Average Range!!
Must ask WHY? And What about Phonological Memory and RAN
Examine the student’s history--determine if evidence of previous difficulty with phonological/phonemic awareness.
Has student received intervention--effective instruction--this may remediate phonological awareness skills in isolation, average phonological awareness scores alone DO NOT rule out dyslexia
Ongoing phonological processing deficits can be exhibited in word reading and/or spelling—thus need for evaluation of written expression.
57
Considerations & Cautions-- Unexpectedness
Students with above average skills are more difficult to identify because skills look average when compared to peers. However, must consider “intra” individual differences.
The Twice-Exceptional student is the most under identified and underserved students.
See pg. 38 of Dyslexia Handbook
58
Considerations & Cautions-- Fluency & Accuracy
Reading rate should not be reported without consideration of Accuracy
Fluency training is about practice---that is reading words repeatedly so that skills become automatic to free up attentional resources for higher-level skills. (strong memory skills can mask inaccurate reading)
Inaccuracy interrupts the fluency and attention to higher-level skills
59
Fluency & Accuracy
Inaccuracies cause repetition and self-corrections
Both increase the amount of time needed to read and comprehend passages
60
Considerations & Cautions-
Identification should NOT be based on ONE score
Must consider differences among scores Academic--clustering of scores related to reading
and writing being lower than other academic areas as well as cognitive areas
Cognitive—clustering of scores related to processing speed, memory, retrieval, Efficiency lower than other cognitive areas
Know what is a significant difference among scores. (Standard Scores 12-15 points, Scaled Scores 3 or more, Percentiles at or below 30th percentile)
61
Considerations & Cautions-
Looking at Standard Error of Measurement gives a range for helping to understand how a student’s performance can fluctuate from one time/day to another.
Handbook or any other assessment information do not identify a formula that should be used. Everything says identification is based on “Formal” and “Informal” data.
62
Resources
Clark, D., & Uhry, J. (Eds.). 2005 Dyslexia: Theory and practice of instruction (3rd edition.). Baltimore, MD.: York Press.
Farrall, M. L., 2012 Reading Assessment Linking Language, Literacy, and Cognition. Hoboken, New Jersey, John Wiley & Sons, Inc
Farrall, M. L., Wright, P. D., Wright, P. W. D., 2014 All About Tests & Assessments. Hartfiled, Virginia,: Harbor House Law Press, Inc.
Mather, N., Welding, B. J., 2012Essentials of Dyslexia Assessment & Intervention. Hoboken, New Jersey; John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Texas Education Agency, 2014 The Dyslexia Handbook. Austin, Texas, The Texas Education Agency.
The International Dyslexia Association, (2009) Testing And Evaluation Fact Sheet Retrieved from http://eida.org/testing-and-evaluation/