Share 10 PSM108

Psychological Testing and Assessment

• Focuses on the evaluation of psychological characteristics and abilities in individuals.

• Includes various types of tests and assessments applied in educational settings to measure student performance and learning outcomes.

Intended Learning Outcomes

• Examine the role of testing and assessment in education, including scrutiny of educational testing in schools.

  • Focus on the Common Core State Standards.

• Analyze different types of educational tests:

  • Achievement tests

  • Aptitude tests

  • Diagnostic tests and psychoeducational test batteries.

• Evaluate the relevance and effectiveness of different assessment tools in educational settings.

The Case For and Against Standardized Testing

• Many stakeholders view standardized tests as detrimental to education.

  • Concerns arise from legislation that forced improvements in reading and math scores.

  • Resulted in increased pressure on teachers to ensure satisfactory student performance.

• Counterarguments emphasize the importance of standardized assessments:

  • They can serve vital needs in education.

  • Essential for delivering challenging and intellectually stimulating subject matter.

  • Facilitate comparisons across student performance for effective pedagogical strategies.

• When implemented carefully, standardized testing can provide more educational benefits than downsides.

The Common Core State Standards

• No Child Left Behind (NCLB) legislation required all children to perform at grade-level in reading and math by 2014.

• States defined proficiency variably, leading to inconsistencies.

• Created a need for uniform standards across state education systems.

  • Resulted in comprehensive standards affecting about 50 million K-12 students.

  • Standards outline what students should know by the end of the school year, with aligned testing programs to ensure consistency in teaching and learning.

Achievement Tests

• Designed to measure student accomplishment and the degree of learning from specific educational experiences.

• Used for:

  • Gauging progress towards educational objectives.

  • Comparing individual accomplishments to peers.

  • Determining effective instructional strategies.

Measures of General Achievement

• Achievement Batteries: Assess multiple academic areas, divided into subtests.

  • Can be individually or group administered.

• Examples:

  • Wide Range Achievement Test-4 (WRAT-4): Measures reading, spelling, arithmetic, and reading comprehension.

  • Sequential Tests of Educational Progress (STEP): Encompasses various achievement subtests across subjects and includes behavioral assessments.

  • Wechsler Individual Achievement Test-Third Edition (WIAT-III): Includes 16 subtests for diverse educational settings.

Measures of Specific Achievement

• Typically teacher-made tests, including quizzes and exams in subject areas.

  • Emphasis on fundamental skills in elementary education (reading, writing, math).

• Notable examples at other levels:

  • Cooperative Achievement Test: Series of tests across subjects in secondary education.

  • State legislatures increasingly mandating end-of-major assessments in colleges.

Aptitude Tests

• Used to predict future performance in educational contexts.

  • Examples:

    • Entry into preschool programs, elementary schools, and high schools.

    • Success in college and graduate-level education.

• Differentiation from achievement tests:

  • Aptitude tests focus on informal learning and life experiences, while achievement tests measure structured school-based learning.

Readiness and Aptitude Assessments

• At preschool and elementary levels, readiness assessments evaluate factors necessary for learning, while aptitude refers to potential.

• Common assessment tools:

  • Checklists: Track presence of specific behaviors.

  • Rating Scales: Evaluate performance against specific variables.

Preschool and Elementary Levels

• Assess cognitive, emotional, and social development using various assessment tools.

  • Use of the Metropolitan Readiness Tests (MRT) to evaluate reading and math skills critical for school readiness.

Secondary School Level

• Example of widely used aptitude test: Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT).

  • Aids in college admission and student advisement regarding career paths.

College Level and Beyond

• Graduate Record Examination (GRE): Includes general and subject-specific tests.

• Miller Analogies Test (MAT): Assesses general intelligence and academic abilities through analogy tasks.

Diagnostic Tests

• Historically used for more than measuring cognitive abilities.

  • Concept of "mental orthopedics" established by Binet and Simon to improve learning through intelligence test data.

• Distinction in test usage:

  • Evaluative Information: Used for judgment such as pass-fail and admit reject decisions.

  • Diagnostic Information: Pinpoints individual learning difficulties for remedial purposes.

Psychological Testing and Assessment Overview

• Evaluates psychological characteristics and abilities.

• Encompasses various tests in educational settings to measure performance.

Intended Learning Outcomes:

1. Understand the role of testing in education.

2. Analyze different educational tests:

   • Achievement Test: Measures learning completion.

   • Aptitude Test: Predicts future performance.

   • Diagnostic Test: Identifies learning difficulties.

3. Assess the effectiveness of various educational tools.

Standardized Testing Debate:

• Critics argue testing harms education by pressuring performance.

• Supporters contend tests provide essential educational benefits when implemented thoughtfully.