Professional Documents
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Background Information
Behavioral Observations
During testing, Michael was friendly and cooperative. Michael is familiar with the examiner and
rapport was established before any testing took place. He was talkative throughout both testing
sessions and continued to engage the examiner in conversation about his family and the games
he likes to play. Michael lives with his father, his mother, and one of his older sisters (18 years
old). He also has another older sister and two older brothers, all over the age of 18.
Michael was generally able to maintain attention throughout testing. He followed directions well
and did not require repetition of item instructions. He continued to try his best with difficult
items and appeared to enjoy many of the subtests given. The examiner believes that the results
from the DAS-II are reliable and valid given Michael’s interest and participation during that
session. However, during administration of the KTEA-3 Michael seemed to get tired and
appeared uninterested. This happened near the end of the assessment when he began asking how
much more he had to do. It appears that the results from this session are generally reliable and
valid, but the examiner would recommend cautious interpretation of his performance on the last
few subtests given.
Cognitive Measures
The Differential Ability Scales, Second Edition, (DAS-II) is a standardized measure of cognitive
abilities. This is an individually administered assessment for children and adolescents between
the ages of 2 years 6 months to 17 years 11 months. The test examines cognitive functioning in
several areas including: language, abstract reasoning and visual/spatial ability. The scores
obtained in these abilities can be combined into a General Conceptual Ability Score (GCA) that
gives an overall look at the child’s reasoning and conceptual ability. The scores for the different
areas can also be grouped to represent specific areas of functioning, such as the Verbal Ability
Cluster, Nonverbal Ability Cluster, and the Spatial Ability Cluster.
Cluster scores are given as standard scores with a mean of 100 and standard deviation of 15.
Scores that fall between 85 and 115 are considered average. Standard scores are reported with a
confidence band. This band shows a range of scores within which the individual’s true score is
likely to be. Subtest scores are given as T scores with a mean of 50 and standard deviation of 10.
Scores that fall between 40 and 60 are considered average. There are percentile ranks associated
with each of these scores. The percentile ranks represent how many people in the norming group
scored at or below that particular score and show the individual’s placement in that distribution.
Sixty-eight percent of the population would be expected to score within the average range.
Michael earned the following scores:
Differential Ability Scales, Second Edition (DAS-II)
Michael’s overall cognitive ability fell within the average range with a standard score of 109.
There is a 95% chance that his true score lies between 102 and 115.
The Kaufman Test of Educational Achievement, Third Edition (KTEA-3) was used to assess
Michael’s academic achievement. The KTEA-3 is a measure of academic achievement given to
students on an individual basis. It can be used for grades Prekindergarten to 12 th grade, or with
ages 4 years through 25 years. There are two equivalent forms of the KTEA-3, Form A and Form
B. It covers subject areas such as Reading, Math, Written Language and Oral Language. This test
appears to be valid for measuring academic achievement because it aligns with academic
success. The content covered in the KTEA-3 follows the standards being taught in schools across
the United States. The KTEA-3 has good reliability, as it produces consistent scores across
administrations.
Scores from the KTEA-3 are reported as standard scores and have a mean, or average, of 100
and a standard deviation of 15. This means that average scores lie within the range of 85-115.
There are also percentile ranks associated with these scores which represent how many people in
the norming group scored at or below that particular score and show the individual’s placement
in the distribution. Test scores are not perfectly reliable because they reflect behavior at a
particular time in a particular setting. For this reason, confidence intervals are used. A
confidence interval is a range of scores within which the true score is likely to be. Michael
earned the following scores:
Mathematics
Mathematics can be separated into the two skill areas of math calculation and math reasoning.
Math calculation refers to performing tasks such as addition and subtraction. Math reasoning
involves applying those skills as well as knowledge of math concepts to solve problems. Michael
scored within the upper average range in the area of mathematics.
Written Expression
Written Expression refers to the task of writing clear sentences and the skill of expressing ideas
through writing. Michael scored within the average range in the area of written expression.
Oral Language
Oral Language involves both receptive language and expressive language. Receptive language
refers to one’s skill of receiving language while expressive language refers to one’s skill of
producing language. Michael scored within the average range in the area of oral expression.
However, he scored below average in the area of listening comprehension. While it is
unexpectedly low, no academic concerns have been reported in relation to this area. This was
also one of the last subtests given during the testing session, at which point Michael was
apparently fatigued. The scores from this assessment were obtained seven months before the
scores for the cognitive assessment. The examiner recommends cautious interpretation of this
score.
Summary
Michael is a nice and friendly seven year old. His scores show that he has overall average ability
with some personal strengths and weaknesses. His achievement scores reflect his overall ability
with the exception of a below average score in Listening Comprehension. However, that score
should be interpreted cautiously. At this point there are no concerns about Michael and his ability
to achieve normally.
Recommendations
Although the results of this assessment show that Michael is not achieving as expected in the
area of listening comprehension, it has not been reported that Michael is struggling academically
or behaviorally. If concerns arise about Michael’s listening comprehension, the examiner
recommends further assessment in that academic area.
I have enjoyed the opportunity to work with Michael. If I can be of further assistance please
contact me at cgutierrez22@mail.csuchico.edu.
_____________________________
Carina Gutierrez