Academic Achievement Assessments in Special Education: The Importance of Evaluation/Reevaluation Planning Sheets
- spedgearbox
- Mar 23
- 6 min read
Updated: Mar 30
Achievement assessments are an integral part of the evaluation process in special education, providing valuable insights into a student's academic capabilities and their alignment with grade-level standards.
Evaluators, including diagnosticians, psychometrists, and psychologists, rely on tools such as the WJ-IV Test of Achievement, WJ-IV Test of Oral language, WJ-V Test of Achievement, WJ-V Test of Oral Language, KTEA-3, WIAT-4, GORT-5, W-J Bateria IV, and TOWL-4 to measure various academic domains.
These tests offer a comprehensive view of students' academic performance in areas such as reading, writing, mathematics, and oral expression. However, ensuring that the assessment process is both targeted and effective requires careful planning and the use of evaluation planning sheets.
Understanding Achievement Assessments and Their Role in Academic Evaluation
Achievement assessments are designed to evaluate a student's current academic performance relative to grade-level expectations.
These assessments are particularly valuable for identifying areas of strength and weakness, which can be critical in diagnosing learning disabilities or determining eligibility for special education services. Here is a brief overview of some commonly used achievement tests:
The Woodcock-Johnson Tests of Achievement (WJ-IV ACH and WJ-V ACH)
are comprehensive assessment tools designed to measure a student’s academic abilities across a wide range of subjects. These batteries assess key areas of academic achievement, including reading, mathematics, written language, and academic skills. They help evaluators identify strengths and weaknesses in specific academic domains, providing valuable insight into a student’s current academic performance relative to grade-level standards. The WJ-IV and WJ-V ACH are frequently used in educational and psychological evaluations to measure a student’s academic achievement and guide intervention planning.
The Woodcock-Johnson Tests of Oral Language (WJ-IV ORAL and WJ-V ORAL)
batteries, on the other hand, are specifically designed to assess oral language abilities. These tests evaluate a student's ability to comprehend and express language verbally, which is crucial for academic success, especially in areas such as reading comprehension and oral communication. The WJ-IV and WJ-V ORAL batteries assess skills like listening comprehension, oral expression, and fluency.
KTEA-3: The Kaufman Test of Educational Achievement (KTEA-3) is widely used to assess academic skills in reading, writing, and mathematics. It provides valuable information on areas like Basic Reading Skills (BRS), Reading Comprehension (RDC), Math Calculation (MC), and Math Problem Solving (MPS).
WIAT-4: The Wechsler Individual Achievement Test (WIAT-4) evaluates academic skills such as reading, mathematics, written expression, and oral language. It includes subtests related to Listening Comprehension (LC) and Written Expression (WE), allowing for a deeper understanding of a student’s academic performance.
GORT-5: The Gray Oral Reading Test (GORT-5) is specifically designed to assess fluency and comprehension in reading. It focuses on a student's ability to decode text and understand it at an appropriate grade level.
WJ Bateria IV: The Spanish version of the WJ-IV, this test evaluates academic achievement in Spanish-speaking students, assessing areas like reading fluency, math problem solving, and oral expression.
TOWL-4: The Test of Written Language (TOWL-4) assesses a student’s ability to express themselves in writing. It evaluates various aspects of written expression, including spelling, grammar, and story construction.
The Importance of Measuring Specific Academic Achievement Areas
While broad achievement measures provide a general understanding of a student’s academic level, it is the measurement of specific academic subtests that gives a deeper insight into a student's learning needs.
Narrow academic abilities such as Basic Reading Skills (BRS), Reading Comprehension (RDC), Reading Fluency (RDF), Written Expression (WE), Math Calculation (MC), Math Problem Solving (MPS), Oral Expression (OE), Listening Comprehension (LC), and Spelling are crucial to understanding a student's challenges or strengths in relation to their academic performance.
For example, if a student demonstrates difficulty with Basic Reading Skills (BRS), it may indicate issues with phonological processing or decoding, which can affect their overall academic achievement. Measuring these specific areas helps diagnosticians identify whether the issue lies within a specific cognitive function or if it is related to broader academic skills.
Academic Achievement Areas and Relevant Subtests
Academic Achievement Area | Relevant Subtests | Focus/Importance During Assessment |
BRS (Basic Reading Skills) | - Word recognition - Reading fluency - Vocabulary knowledge | Focus: Essential for assessing the ability to decode and understand written words, which is foundational for all literacy skills and academic performance. |
RDC (Reading Comprehension) | - Passage reading - Answering comprehension questions - Inference making | Focus: Measures understanding of written content, critical for academic success in subjects requiring interpretation of texts, like literature and social studies. |
RDF (Reading Fluency) | - Timed reading exercises - Speed and accuracy in reading - Word recall | Focus: Evaluates the speed and accuracy of reading, indicating a student’s ability to process information quickly, which is crucial for efficient learning and test-taking. |
RDM (Mathematics) | - Number operations (addition, subtraction, multiplication, division) - Word problems - Fractions and decimals | Focus: Assesses mathematical reasoning and the ability to apply math concepts to solve real-world problems, crucial for quantitative reasoning in many disciplines. |
RDI (Math Problem Solving) | - Complex problem-solving tasks - Critical thinking in math scenarios - Logical reasoning | Focus: Tests the ability to solve complex math problems, requiring abstract thinking, critical analysis, and the application of mathematical principles. |
RDE (Educational Skills) | - Study habits - Test-taking strategies - Organizational skills | Focus: Helps evaluate a student's approach to academic tasks, which affects overall performance in various subjects through self-regulation and time management. |
RDI (Investigative Tasks) | - Research projects - Data analysis - Hypothesis testing | Focus: Measures the ability to conduct investigations and draw conclusions, important for subjects requiring research skills, such as science, history, and even writing. |
The Role of Evaluation Planning Sheets in Selecting Achievement Subtests
To ensure that achievement assessments are comprehensive, focused, and yield meaningful results, evaluation planning sheets are an essential tool. These planning sheets guide diagnosticians, psychometrists, and special education professionals in selecting the appropriate subtests to measure specific academic abilities, based on the student's academic profile.
The planning sheet helps to:
Ensure Focused and Targeted Assessment: By using an evaluation planning sheet, evaluators can carefully select subtests that align with a student's areas of concern. For example, a student struggling with reading comprehension may benefit from subtests within the WJ-IV or WIAT-4 that specifically measure reading fluency and comprehension.
Obtain Relevant Standard Scores: Evaluation planning sheets help align the selected subtests with the student’s academic needs. This ensures that the results of the assessment provide standard scores that reflect the student's current academic performance and identify specific areas that require intervention.
Promote a Comprehensive Assessment: The use of evaluation planning sheets ensures that all relevant academic areas—such as Math Calculation (MC), Written Expression (WE), and Oral Expression (OE)—are thoroughly assessed. This approach provides a clear and holistic picture of a student's academic abilities.
Sample Evaluation Planning Sheet Template
Student Name: ___________ | Grade Level: ___________ | Date: ___________ |
Academic Area | Subtest Name | Assessment Tool | Score/Performance Level | Comments |
Reading Fluency | Oral Reading Fluency | DIBELS | ___ | ___ |
Reading Comprehension | Passage Comprehension | Woodcock-Johnson IV | ___ | ___ |
Math Calculation | Addition/Subtraction | KeyMath-3 | ___ | ___ |
Math Problem Solving | Word Problems | WIAT-4 | ___ | ___ |
Writing | Sentence Composition | WJ IV | ___ | ___ |
Spelling | Word Spelling | WIAT-4 | ___ | ___ |
Benefits of Using Evaluation Planning Sheets in Comprehensive FIIE Planning
The Functional Individualized Educational Evaluation (FIIE) is a critical process for determining a student’s academic needs and eligibility for special education services.
By utilizing evaluation planning sheets, professionals can:
Organize the Evaluation Process: Planning sheets allow for a clear and organized approach to selecting relevant achievement subtests, ensuring that no important areas are overlooked. This improves the efficiency and accuracy of the FIIE process.
Focus on Specific Academic Domains: Evaluation planning sheets help prioritize subtests that are directly related to the student's academic struggles. This allows for a more focused evaluation and enables professionals to gather precise information about the student’s academic performance.
Ensure Actionable Results: With a well-organized plan in place, evaluators can generate results that are both meaningful and actionable. These results can guide intervention planning and provide a basis for developing targeted academic goals for the student.
Achievement assessments are essential tools for understanding a student's academic strengths and weaknesses, particularly when measuring grade-level standards.
Tools such as the WJ-IV Test of Achievement, WJ-IV Test of Oral language, WJ-V Test of Achievement, WJ-V Test of Oral Language, KTEA-3, WIAT-4, GORT-5, W-J Batería IV, and TOWL-4 provide critical data that can inform the development of personalized educational plans. However, to ensure that these assessments yield the most relevant and actionable information, it is essential to use evaluation planning sheets.
By selecting the appropriate achievement subtests that measure specific academic abilities—such as Reading Comprehension (RDC), Written Expression (WE), and Math Problem Solving (MPS)—evaluators can obtain standard scores that correlate with the student's present academic levels. This approach not only improves the quality of the evaluation process but also enhances the ability to design effective, individualized educational interventions that support student success.
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