Assessment and How is It Used in School Counselling - Assignment Example

Assessment and Testing in School Counseling Question What is Assessment and how is it used in school counseling? A. Drummond and Jones (2006) describe assessment as a process by which information is collected so that traits about an individual can be inferred or discussed. Ideally this information is harvested from a number of relevant sources (Drummond and Jones 2006). B. In school counseling, assessments provide counselors with a more complete picture of the student and therefor a “more comprehensive view of” the student (Whiston 2009, p. 3). In this regard, assessments are used by school counselors for screening, identifying potential clients. Assessments are also used by school counselors for the purpose of planning interventions and evaluating progress. School counselors therefor use assessment methods such as structured interviews, standardized testing, inventories, observation, projective techniques, check test, questionnaires and anecdotal reports. Question 2: What are reliability and validity? Why are these variables important in assessment? A. Drummond and Jones (2006) define reliability as the extent to which a test score is consistent with other test scores, are reliable and can be replicated. According to Miller, Linn, and Gronlund (2009) validity “refers to the appropriateness of the interpretation and the use of the assessment results” (p.99). However, Drummond and Jones (2006) caution that validity requires that the assessment technique to correspond with situation that it is used for. In other words, in order to be valid, an assessment is required to meet the specifications of a particular group or purpose. B. Variables of reliability and validity are very important because while an assessment might be reliable, it does not automatically mean that it is valid (Drummond and Jones, 2006). However, school counselors are required to bear in mind that an assessment with low reliability has low validity but an assessment might have high reliability in that it measures an irrelevant item correctly or measures a relevant item inadequately (Drummond and Jones, 2006). Question 3: How are assessment instruments administered, scored and interpreted? A. The administering of an assessment instrument requires strategic and meticulous planning. School counselors are required to revise material, forms, answer sheets and other relevant items prior to administering assessment instruments (Drummond and Jones, 2006). School counselors are also required to ensure that they are familiar with assessment contents, types of items and directions. Moreover, school counselors are required to be able to identify management tasks and must obtain informed consent prior to administrating assessments (Drummond and Jones, 2006). B. During assessments school counselors provide directions that are consistent with the test manuals and ensure that they comply with prescribed sequences and timeframes (Drummond and Jones, 2006). In addition school counselors are required to be cognizant of any manifestations of bias (Drummond and Jones, 2006). C. After the assessment instrument, school counselors gather material and make note of any factors that could render the scores unreliable (Drummond and Jones, 2006). D. Assessments can be scored by virtue of a number of methods. For example, assessments may be scored manually or by computers or by virtue of performance assessments. Manual scoring is conducted via templates, instruction, conversion charts and scoring keys. The conversion charts are used for translating the scores to standard scores (Drummond and Jones, 2006). E. When assessment scores are generated by computers, input or scanning into computer software programs is required (Drummond and Jones, 2006). This ensures that the scan results are immediately observed (Drummond and Jones, 2006). F. Finally, upon interpreting assessment results, the school counselor is required to determine if the scores are “norm reference or criterion-reference” (Drummond and Jones, 2006). Inter-individual and intra-individual models must also be taken into account when the school counselor is interpreting assessment results (Drummond and Jones, 2006). The school counselor is also required to be remain cognizant of the normative group as well as those who are actually taking the assessment” (Drummond and Jones, 2006). Question 4: How are tests constructed? A. A test is described by Drummond and Jones (2006) as “a measuring device or procedure” (p. 24). B. An overall or general assessment will typically include test data. However, multiple sources are preferred (Drummond and Jones, 2006). C. The purposes of test data are assessments: screening, classify, select, or placing, diagnosing intervention and treatment planning. D. Types of Test are: a. Format i. True or False ii. Multiply choice iii. Matching iv. Fill-in-the -bank Question 5: What constitutes the different areas of assessment? Clinical, personality, behavioral, intelligence, aptitude, achievement, curriculum-based, career, and school climate? Clinical assessments usually refer to measuring the student’s cognitive and academic functioning as a means of predicting how the student can perform if counselors intervene (Bracken and Brown 2008, p. 403). Personality assessments are designed to identify those traits that are significant for the individual’s “interpersonal behavior” (Lanyon and Goodstein 1998, p. 45). Essentially personality assessment are used to determine what the individual “really is” and it therefore involves “what is most typical and deeply characteristic of the individual” (Lanyon and Coodstein 1998, p. 45). Behavioral assessments refer to the observable manner in which the individual responds to his or her environment. This might include an assessment of both biological and mental responses and interactions (Frick et al 2007, p. 5). Intelligence assessments measures the mental capacity that is required for adapting to “as well as selection and shaping of, any environmental context” (Sternberg 1997, p. 1030). Aptitude assessments are used to ascertain “any attribute or individual differences variable” that can be applied to predict the likelihood of the individual succeeding in specific environments (Brown and Lent 2005, p. 331). Achievement assessments not only measure a student’s academic achievement or progress but also the student’s cognition, the ability to strategize, self-regulate and to formulate explanations and interpretations (Pellegrino et al 1999, p. 13). Curriculum-based assessments measures the student’s performance within the parameters of the curriculum as a means of determining what lesson adjustments should be made (Jones 2008, p. 8). Career assessments are used to determine the ability of the student with a view to helping that individual identify career possibilities (Brown and Lent 2005, p. 331). School climate assessment refers to the school’s common attributes and unity of “mind and expression” (Freiberg 1999, p. 18). Question 6 What is Response to Intervention and Curriculum-Based Assessment? Response to Intervention is a model by which educators and administrators can identify students with learning disabilities. It has as its goal the enhancement of the overall performance of all students (Wedl 2005, 2). Curriculum-based assessments are methods for measuring the student’s performance in relation to the school’s curriculum. It therefore provides a method by which adjustments can be made to accommodate the student (Jones 2008, p. 8). Question 7 What are the diverse techniques used in school-based consultation? A standard school-based consultation uses diverse techniques such as “mental health, behavioral and process models” (Conoley 1988, p. 614). Increasingly, schools are integrating more diverse techniques in consultations to accommodate cultural, ethnic and gender distinctions among the student body (Conoley 1988, p. 614). Question 8 List some of the best practices used in communicating assessment results. Assessment results should be communicated confidentially, ensuring that the results are only communicated to the student and his/her caregivers. Moreover, communications should be accompanied be explanations detailing what the results mean in terms of the student’s ability and prognosis. Care should be given to advise the student and the caregivers of the steps that are necessary to improve the student’s abilities and prognosis where necessary. In this regard, assessment results should be communicated in counseling or conferences so that caregivers and students can express their own concerns (Harris 2008, p. 84). Question 9 How can equity and access be promoted in testing? Equity and access can be promoted in testing by ensuring that all students have access to the same curriculum and the same quality of instructions. If all things are equal in terms of teaching, curriculum and quality of instruction, testing standards and testing results will reflect more equitable results (Firestone et al 2005, p. 9). References Bracken, B. and Brown, E. (Summer 2008) “Early Identification of High-Ability Students: Clinical Assessment of Behavior.” Journal for the Education of the Gifted. Vol. 31(4): 403-426. Brown, S. and Lent, R. (2005) Career Development and Counseling. Wiley Blackwell. Conoley, J. (Nov/Dec. 1988) “Useful Theories in School-Based Consultation.” Remedial and Special Education, Vol. 9(6): 614-620. Drummond, R.J. (2010). Assessments procedures for counselors and helping professionals. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Merrill/Prestice Hall. Firestone, W. et al. (2005) The Ambiguity of Teaching to the Test. Psychology Press. Freiberg, H. (1999) School Climate. Psychology Press. Frick, P. et al. (2007) Clinical Assessment of Child and Adolescent Personality and Behavior. Springer Publications. Harris, S. (2008) Best Practices of Award-Wining Secondary School Principals. Crowin Publications. Jones, C. (2008) Curriculum-Based Assessment. Charles C. Thorpe Publisher. Lanyon, R. and Goodstein, L. (1998) Personality Assessment. Wiley Blackwell. Pellegrino, J. et al (1999) Grading the Nation’s Report Card. National Academies Press. Sternberg, R. (October 1997) “The Concept of Intelligence and its Role in Lifelong Learning and Success.” American Psychologist, Vol. 52(4): 1030-1037. Wedl, R. (2005) “Response to Intervention: An Alternative Eligibility Criteria for Students with Disabilities.” Education Evolving A Joint Venture for the Center for Policy Studies and Hamline University, 1-24. Whiston, S. (2009) Principles and Applications of Assessment in Counseling. Cengage Learning. Read More