Cognitive Assessments for Academic Achievement: The Importance of Evaluation/Reevaluation Planning Sheets
- spedgearbox
- Mar 23
- 5 min read
Updated: Mar 30
Cognitive assessments are a fundamental tool in special education, providing critical insights into a student’s cognitive abilities and how they correlate with academic performance. Diagnosticians, psychometrists, and special education professionals rely on tests such as the WJ-IV Cognitive, WJ-V Cognitive, KABC-II, WISC-V, KTEA-3, and CTOPP-2 to measure both broad and narrow cognitive abilities.
These tests, grounded in the Cattell-Horn-Carroll (CHC) theory of intelligence, allow evaluators to create a detailed cognitive profile of the student.
However, a thoughtful and strategic approach is required to ensure these assessments yield meaningful and actionable data, especially when it comes to selecting subtests that focus on narrow abilities critical to academic achievement.
Understanding Broad and Narrow Cognitive Abilities
Cognitive assessments generally measure a combination of broad and narrow abilities. Broad abilities, such as fluid reasoning, crystallized intelligence, and processing speed, provide a high-level overview of a student’s cognitive function. However, it is the narrow abilities—specific cognitive skills tied directly to academic performance—that require focused attention.
Narrow 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 essential to understanding how a student’s cognitive profile influences their academic performance.
Cattell-Horn-Carroll (CHC) Theory of Cognitive Abilities
General Intelligence (g)
⬇️
Broad Abilities (Stratum II)
Fluid Intelligence (Gf) – Problem-solving, novel reasoning
Crystallized Intelligence (Gc) – Knowledge, vocabulary, comprehension
Processing Speed (Gs) – Quick cognitive processing
Short-Term Memory (Gsm) – Working memory, recall
Long-Term Retrieval (Glr) – Ability to store and retrieve information
Visual Processing (Gv) – Spatial reasoning, visualization
Auditory Processing (Ga) – Sound awareness, phonological processing
Quantitative Knowledge (Gq) – Mathematical reasoning
Reading & Writing (Grw) – Literacy skills
Decision/Reaction Time (Gt) – Speed of decision-making
⬇️
Narrow Abilities (Stratum I)
Each broad ability includes more specific skills, such as:
Fluid Intelligence (Gf) → Inductive reasoning, deductive reasoning
Crystallized Intelligence (Gc) → Vocabulary knowledge, general information
Processing Speed (Gs) → Rapid symbol matching, number facility
Short-Term Memory (Gsm) → Digit span, object memory
Visual Processing (Gv) → Mental rotation, spatial scanning
Auditory Processing (Ga) → Phonetic coding, pitch discrimination
Long-Term Retrieval (Glr) → Associative memory, free recall
Quantitative Knowledge (Gq) → Number series, estimation
Reading & Writing (Grw) → Decoding, spelling
Decision/Reaction Time (Gt) → Simple reaction time, inspection time
Key Cognitive Assessment Tools and Their Role in Measuring Abilities
Several commonly used cognitive assessment tools are designed to measure both broad and narrow cognitive abilities.
Here's a brief overview of how these tests assess cognitive skills:
WJ-IV Cognitive & WJ V Cognitive: These tools assess a range of broad abilities, including verbal comprehension, fluid reasoning, and processing speed. They also measure narrow abilities such as auditory processing and working memory, which are critical for reading and mathematical tasks.
KABC-II: This test is grounded in the CHC theory and evaluates cognitive abilities such as fluid reasoning, sequential processing, and short-term memory. It also includes subtests related to auditory and visual processing, which directly influence academic tasks such as reading and math problem solving.
WISC-V: The Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC-V) assesses verbal comprehension, working memory, processing speed, and fluid reasoning. It includes subtests that help identify narrow abilities, such as those related to visual-spatial processing and attention, which affect both reading comprehension and math calculation.
KTEA-3: While primarily an academic achievement test, the KTEA-3 evaluates reading, written language, math, and oral language. Its subtests are vital for identifying specific cognitive deficits, such as difficulties with spelling or written expression, that impact academic success.
CTOPP-2: This tool assesses phonological processing abilities, which are crucial for reading and spelling. It provides valuable data on a student’s auditory processing speed and phonemic awareness, helping to diagnose reading disabilities such as dyslexia.
The Role of Evaluation Planning Sheets in Selecting Cognitive Subtests
For diagnosticians and special education professionals, the use of evaluation planning sheets is an essential strategy to ensure a targeted and effective cognitive assessment. An evaluation planning sheet allows professionals to strategically select the most relevant subtests that will provide insights into a student’s cognitive abilities and how they relate to academic performance.
This tool is indispensable for organizing the assessment process and ensuring that it aligns with the student’s academic needs.
Why Evaluation Planning Sheets Are Essential
Targeted Selection of Subtests: An evaluation planning sheet helps diagnosticians focus on the narrow abilities that are most relevant to the student’s academic challenges. For example, if a student struggles with Basic Reading Skills (BRS), an evaluation planning sheet can ensure that subtests measuring phonological processing and auditory discrimination are included, offering a clearer understanding of the root causes of reading difficulties.
Correlated Standard Scores: By carefully selecting cognitive subtests that align with the student’s academic performance, evaluation planning ensures that the results produce standard scores that directly correlate with both cognitive abilities and academic achievement. These scores are critical in determining eligibility for special education services and guiding intervention planning
A Comprehensive Cognitive Profile: Using an evaluation planning sheet ensures that the assessment includes both broad and narrow abilities, creating a well-rounded cognitive profile. This profile is invaluable for understanding the specific areas of cognitive strength and weakness that impact a student’s academic performance, such as math problem solving (MPS) or reading comprehension (RDC).
Informed Intervention Planning: A targeted approach allows for the creation of individualized educational plans that address the student's unique needs. With accurate, focused data from cognitive assessments, educators and interventionists can develop strategies tailored to the student’s cognitive profile, improving academic outcomes.
Encouraging Organized and Effective FIIE Planning
As special education professionals, it is essential to be organized and deliberate when planning a comprehensive Functional Individualized Educational Evaluation (FIIE). An evaluation planning sheet serves as a roadmap for ensuring that the assessment process is efficient, focused, and aligned with the student’s academic needs.
By prioritizing the measurement of narrow abilities, such as Reading Fluency (RDF), Written Expression (WE), and Listening Comprehension (LC), evaluators can obtain precise data that directly informs intervention and educational planning.
Cognitive assessments are vital for understanding the relationship between a student’s cognitive abilities and their academic performance. By using tools such as the WJ-IV, WJ V Cognitive, KABC-II, WISC-V, KTEA-3, and CTOPP-2, special education professionals can assess both broad and narrow cognitive abilities.
However, the use of evaluation planning sheets is crucial for ensuring that the assessment process is targeted, organized, and aligned with the student’s academic needs. By selecting specific cognitive subtests that measure narrow abilities linked to academic performance, professionals can obtain standard scores that reflect the student’s cognitive functioning and academic achievement.
This structured, strategic approach not only informs diagnosis but also enhances the development of individualized educational plans, ensuring that students receive the support they need to succeed.
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