Standardized Testing and Assessment for Special Education

Every school in North America administers a form of Standardized Testing. Testing is a measuring tool to determine academic progress and potential. Though there is much debate about 'Standardized Testing' and its appropriate use, testing has and will continue to improve educational expectations, accountability and performance results at both the student, teacher, school, state, and provincial levels.

Testing helps the teacher and other IEP team members determine potential strengths and weaknesses, current performance levels and therefore provides insight for appropriate programming. There are many types of assessments used in schools today.

Examples of commonly used assessments:

Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test

Tests language, expressive communication and auditory processing and comprehension in individuals from preschool to late adult ages.

Peabody Developmental Motor Scale

Tests gross and fine motor skills in individuals from birth to 8 years of age.

Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scale

Measures general intelligence, basic cognitive processing and memory retention in individuals from 2 to 23 years of age.

Battelle Developmental Inventory

Measures cognitive, motor, language, self help and social skills in individuals from preschool to primary grade levels.

Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scale

Assess children from early preschool to 18 years of age on social abilities in areas of communication, daily living, motor and socialization skills.

Child Behavior Check List

A checklist for parents and teachers to assess children from early preschool to young adulthood with behaviors associated with learning disabilities. Commonly used with children diagnosed with ADD and ADHD.

It is important to remember that testing alone cannot determine the area of strengths or needs. Test scores can vary due to many factor:

Was the child nervous, stressed, anxious about being tested?

Were the directions clear and easily understood?

Was the testing environment free from interruptions, visual and auditory or physical distractions?

Was the test administered in the student's native language?

As a parent you must give consent before your child can be tested, before giving consent you may want to find out from the teacher:

What test is being administered and ask to review that test.

What will the results be used for, how will the results affect your child's academic program?

What can you do to prepare your child for the test?

Talk to your child's teacher, testing can be an appropriate and useful tool to benefit your childs academic growth.