Woodcock-Johnson ® IV Woodcock-Johnson® IV Tests of Achievement Tests of Achievement Nancy Mather • Barbara J. Wendling

Examiner’s Manual

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Examiner’s Manual Standard & Extended Batteries Mather • Wendling Mather Woodcock-Johnson® IV Tests of Achievement Examiner’s Manual

Nancy Mather ◆ Barbara J. Wendling Reference Citations

■■ To cite the entire WJ IV battery, use: Schrank, F. A., McGrew, K. S., & Mather, N. (2014). Woodcock-Johnson IV. Rolling Meadows, IL: Riverside Publishing.

■■ To cite the WJ IV Tests of Achievement, use: Schrank, F. A., Mather, N., & McGrew, K. S. (2014). Woodcock-Johnson IV Tests of Achievement. Rolling Meadows, IL: Riverside Publishing.

■■ To cite this manual, use: Mather, N., & Wendling, B. J. (2014). Examiner’s Manual. Woodcock-Johnson IV Tests of Achievement. Rolling Meadows, IL: Riverside Publishing.

■■ To cite the online scoring and reporting program, use: Schrank, F. A., & Dailey, D. (2014). Woodcock-Johnson Online Scoring and Reporting [Online format]. Rolling Meadows, IL: Riverside Publishing.

Copyright © 2014 by Riverside Assessments, LLC. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording or by any information storage or retrieval system, without the prior written permission of Riverside Assessments, LLC, unless such copying is expressly permitted by federal copyright law. Requests for permission to make copies of any part of the work should be addressed to Riverside Insights, Attention: Permissions, One Pierce Place, Suite 900W, Itasca, Illinois 60143. Batería III Woodcock-Muñoz, WJ III, WJ-R, Woodcock-Johnson, the Woodcock-Johnson IV logo, and Woodcock-Muñoz Language Survey are registered trademarks of Riverside Assessments, LLC. WIIIP, WJ IV Interpretation and Instructional Interventions Program, Woodcock Interpretation and Instructional Interventions Program, and WJ IV are trademarks of Riverside Assessments, LLC. The MindHub is a registered trademark of the Institute for Applied Psychometrics (IAP) and Interactive Metronome. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. The WJ IV tests are not to be used in any program operating under statutes or regulations that require disclosure of specific item content and/or correct responses to the public, including subjects or their parents. Any unauthorized distribution of the specific item content and/or correct responses is prohibited by copyright law. For technical information, please visit www.riversideinsights.com or call Riverside Insights Customer Service at 800.323.9540. About the Authors of the WJ IV

Fredrick A. Schrank

Fredrick A. (Fred) Schrank guided the development of the Woodcock-Johnson® IV (WJ IV™) as the author team leader. He managed the test development company Measurement Learning Consultants (MLC) and provided stewardship to the Woodcock-Muñoz Foundation. Dr. Schrank is a licensed psychologist (Washington) and a board certified specialist in school psychology from the American Board of Professional Psychology (ABPP). He worked in the Dodgeville, North Fond du Lac, and De Forest (Wisconsin) school districts before earning a PhD from the University of Wisconsin–Madison. Dr. Schrank then taught at Truman State University (Missouri) and the University of Puget Sound (Washington) prior to a 25-year career devoted almost exclusively to the development and publication of the Woodcock-Johnson family of tests. In service to professional psychology, he has been an oral examiner for the American Board of School Psychology (ABSP) and president of the American Academy of School Psychology (AASP). Fred was instrumental in the development of the organizational and interpretive plan for the WJ IV, including the Woodcock-Johnson online scoring and reporting program.

Nancy Mather

Nancy Mather is a Professor at the University of Arizona in the Department of Disability and Psychoeducational Studies. She holds an MA in Behavior Disorders and a PhD from the University of Arizona in Special Education and Learning Disabilities. She completed a postdoctoral fellowship under the mentorship of Dr. Samuel Kirk at the University of Arizona. Dr. Mather assisted Dr. Richard Woodcock with several aspects of test development for the Woodcock-Johnson Psycho-Educational Battery–Revised (WJ-R®), including coauthoring the Examiner’s Manuals for the WJ-R Tests of Cognitive Ability and Achievement. She has been a coauthor of both the Woodcock-Johnson III (WJ III®) and the WJ IV and has coauthored two books on the interpretation and application of the WJ III—Essentials of WJ III Tests of Achievement Assessment and Woodcock-Johnson III: Reports, Recommendations, and Strategies. She has served as a learning disabilities teacher, a diagnostician, a university professor, and an educational consultant. Dr. Mather conducts research in the areas of reading and writing development. She has published numerous articles, conducts workshops on assessment and instruction both nationally and internationally, and has coauthored several books linking assessment and intervention, including Learning Disabilities and Challenging Behaviors: A Guide to Intervention and Classroom Management, Evidence-Based Interventions for Students

iii with Learning and Behavioral Challenges, Essentials of Assessment Report Writing, Essentials of Evidence-Based Academic Interventions, Writing Assessment and Instruction for Students with Learning Disabilities, and most recently, Essentials of Dyslexia: Assessment and Intervention.

Kevin S. McGrew

Kevin S. McGrew is Director of the Institute for Applied Psychometrics (IAP), LLC, a private research and consulting organization he established in 1998. He was an Associate Director of Measurement Learning Consultants and Research Director of the Woodcock-Muñoz Foundation. He also is a Visiting Lecturer in Educational Psychology (School Psychology Program) at the University of Minnesota and Director of Research for Interactive Metronome, a neurotechnology and rehabilitation company. He holds a PhD in Educational Psychology (Special Education) from the University of Minnesota and an MS in School Psychology and a BA in Psychology from Minnesota State University–Moorhead. Dr. McGrew was a practicing school psychologist for 12 years in Iowa and Minnesota. From 1989 to 2000, he was a Professor in the Department of Applied Psychology at St. Cloud State University, St. Cloud, Minnesota. He has served as a measurement consultant to a number of psychological test publishers, national research studies, and organizations. He has authored numerous publications and made state, national, and international presentations in his primary areas of research interest in human intelligence, intellectual assessment, human competence, applied psychometrics, and the Cattell-Horn-Carroll (CHC) theory of cognitive abilities. He is an active distributor of theoretical and research information via three professional blogs and The MindHub® web portal. Dr. McGrew was the primary measurement consultant for the WJ-R and served in the same capacity as coauthor of the Mini-Battery of Achievement (MBA), Sharpe-McNear-McGrew Braille Assessment Inventory (BAI), WJ III, Woodcock-Johnson Diagnostic Supplement to the Tests of Cognitive Abilities, Batería III Woodcock-Muñoz® (Batería III), Woodcock-Johnson III Normative Update, Woodcock-Johnson III–Australian Adaptation, and WJ IV. He was the psychometric and statistical consultant for the development of the Children’s Psychological Processes Scale.

Contributing Author

Barbara J. Wendling coauthored the WJ IV Examiner’s Manuals with Nancy Mather. Barbara is an educational consultant with expertise in assessment, test interpretation, and academic interventions. She holds an MA in Learning Disabilities, and she has over 17 years of experience as an educator and diagnostician in Illinois public schools and 11 years of experience in educational and assessment publishing. Currently she is the Education Director of the Woodcock-Muñoz Foundation. Barbara has coauthored several books on assessment and intervention, including Essentials of Evidence-Based Academic Interventions, Writing Assessment and Instruction for Students with Learning Disabilities, and Essentials of Dyslexia: Assessment and Intervention. In addition, she has coauthored the following books on the use and interpretation of the Woodcock-Johnson: Essentials of the WJ III Tests of Achievement Assessment; Essentials of the WJ III Tests of Cognitive Abilities Assessment, Second Edition; and Essentials of the WJ IV Tests of Achievement Assessment. She is also coauthor of the WJ III and WJ IV versions of the Woodcock Interpretation and Instructional Interventions Program™, WJ IV Interpretation and Instructional Interventions Program™ (WIIIP™).

iv Acknowledgments

The Woodcock-Johnson IV was developed from the contributions of thousands of individuals, spanning time and distance, each motivated by a desire or a call to make a valuable contribution to the future of contemporary assessment practice. Although it is impossible to acknowledge everyone individually, a few key people have made such significant contributions that even special mention seems inadequate as an expression of their impact. When author team meetings were scheduled, Barbara Wendling was deemed to be so invaluable that she was always invited to participate. Her experience as an educator and diagnostician, her work in educational and test publishing, and the insights she has gleaned from developing and delivering trainings on learning disabilities and assessment over many years are reflected in the examiner’s manuals and all of the WJ IV materials. From the Measurement Learning Consultants project center offices on the beautiful Oregon coast, Mary Ruef fostered and supervised a staff of highly qualified employees who prepared standardization materials and scored the test results from the standardization and validity studies. In addition, she helped prepare the final data for analysis, including the preparation of preliminary data reports from which publication items were selected. Extensive expertise in test publishing dedicated to the Woodcock-Johnson family of tests made Melanie Bartels Graw an indispensable asset to the quality of the published materials. Her painstaking attention to detail is evidenced throughout the battery, from the item keys to the user-friendliness of the examiner instructions. She single-handedly managed the monumental coordination effort of submitting and reviewing multiple iterations of all of the tests, test records, response booklets, and manuals to Riverside. The critical task of converting standardization data to norms was accomplished through the superior craftsmanship of David Dailey, who not only trained and managed a staff of norms construction technicians, but also was instrumental in managing all of the nuances of the WJ IV blueprint so that each successive iteration of the battery plan could be reviewed and improved by the authors. A professional statistician, he played a key consulting role for a variety of statistical analyses reported in the Woodcock-Johnson IV Technical Manual. Based on his years of experience creating the software programs for the Woodcock- Johnson family of tests, both in the United States and internationally, Todd Simmons expertly programmed the Woodcock-Johnson online scoring and reporting program, offering the perspective of ease-of-use in software design. He was ably assisted in his efforts by Melanie Pammer Maerz who assured that the software program worked as intended. Joining the team in the latter years of the project, Erica LaForte brought a wealth of Rasch measurement expertise to the development effort. She completed a number of statistical analyses and helped write the Woodcock-Johnson IV Technical Manual. Throughout the half- decade-long developmental effort, the technical quality of the data analyses has been ensured by the contributions of Dr. Jack McArdle and Dr. Mark Davison.

v Under the thoughtful guidance of Dr. Ana Muñoz-Sandoval, three Spanish oral language tests were adapted from parallel English oral language tests for use with Spanish-speaking bilingual individuals. Dr. Lynne Jaffe and Dr. Criselda Alvarado assisted with sections of the examiner’s manuals, providing expertise for accommodations for students with specific disabilities, Spanish oral language assessment, and English language learners. Dr. Kathleen Donalson provided expertise in item content analysis for several of the reading and spelling tests. Finally, sincere appreciation is expressed to the more than 8,000 standardization and validity study participants who contributed their time and invaluable test-taking efforts to this project. FAS NM KSM

vi Table of Contents

About the Authors of the WJ IV iii Acknowledgments v

Chapter 1: Overview 1 Comparison to the WJ III Tests of Achievement 2 Organization of the WJ IV Tests of Achievement 3 Components of the WJ IV Tests of Achievement 3 Test Books 5 Examiner’s Manual 5 Technical Manual 5 Woodcock-Johnson Online Scoring and Reporting 6 Test Record 6 Response Booklet 6 Audio Recording 6 Relationship of the WJ IV to the CHC Theory of Cognitive Abilities 6 Uses of the WJ IV Tests of Achievement 7 Use With the WJ IV COG 7 Use With the WJ IV OL 7 Diagnosis 7 Determination of Variations and Comparisons 8 Educational Programming 8 Planning Individual Programs 8 Guidance 9 Assessing Growth 9 Program Evaluation 9 Research 9 Psychometric Training 10 Examiner Qualifications 10 Confidentiality of Test Materials and Content 11

Chapter 2: Descriptions of the WJ IV ACH Tests and Clusters 13 WJ IV ACH Tests 13 Test 1: Letter-Word Identification 14 Test 2: Applied Problems 14 Test 3: Spelling 15 Test 4: Passage Comprehension 15 Test 5: Calculation 15 Test 6: Writing Samples 15 Test 7: Word Attack 15

vii Test 8: Oral Reading 16 Test 9: Sentence Reading Fluency 16 Test 10: Math Facts Fluency 16 Test 11: Sentence Writing Fluency 16 Test 12: Reading Recall 16 Test 13: Number Matrices 16 Test 14: Editing 16 Test 15: Word Reading Fluency 17 Test 16: Spelling of Sounds 17 Test 17: Reading Vocabulary 17 Test 18: Science 17 Test 19: Social Studies 17 Test 20: Humanities 17 WJ IV ACH Clusters 18 Reading Clusters 18 Math Clusters 19 Written Language Clusters 20 Cross-Domain Clusters 20

Chapter 3: General Administration and Scoring Procedures 23 Practice Administration 23 Exact Administration 23 Brisk Administration 24 Preparation for Testing 24 Arranging the Test Setting 24 Setting Up the Testing Materials 25 Establishing Rapport 25 Completing the “Identifying Information” Section of the Test Record 25 Administration and Scoring 26 Test Selection 26 Order of Administration 26 Time Requirements 27 Suggested Starting Points 27 Basals and Ceilings 27 Meeting Basal and Ceiling Criteria 28 Tests Requiring the Response Booklet 32 Timed Tests 32 Audio-Recorded Tests 32 Examinee Requests for Information 33 Examiner Queries 33 Evaluating Test Behavior 33 Test Session Observations Checklist 33 “Qualitative Observation” Checklists 34 Scoring 35 Item Scoring 35 Use of Judgment in Scoring Responses 36

viii Additional Notations for Recording Responses 36 Scoring Multiple Responses 36 Computing Raw Scores 37 Obtaining Age- and Grade-Equivalent Scores 37 Using the Woodcock-Johnson Online Scoring and Reporting Program 37 Accommodations 38 Recommended Accommodations 38 Young Children 39 English Language Learners 41 Individuals With Learning and/or Reading Difficulties 42 Individuals With Attentional and Behavioral Difficulties 42 Individuals With Hearing Impairments 44 Individuals With Visual Impairments 48 Individuals With Physical Impairments 51 Interpretive Cautions 52 Use of Derived Scores 52

Chapter 4: Administering and Scoring the WJ IV ACH Tests 53 Standard Battery Tests 53 Test 1: Letter-Word Identification 53 Test 2: Applied Problems 54 Test 3: Spelling 55 Test 4: Passage Comprehension 56 Test 5: Calculation 57 Test 6: Writing Samples 57 Test 7: Word Attack 61 Test 8: Oral Reading 62 Test 9: Sentence Reading Fluency 63 Test 10: Math Facts Fluency 64 Test 11: Sentence Writing Fluency 65 Extended Battery Tests 66 Test 12: Reading Recall 66 Test 13: Number Matrices 67 Test 14: Editing 68 Test 15: Word Reading Fluency 69 Test 16: Spelling of Sounds 69 Test 17: Reading Vocabulary 71 Test 18: Science 72 Test 19: Social Studies 72 Test 20: Humanities 73

Chapter 5: Scores and Interpretation 75 Levels of Interpretive Information 75 Age- and Grade-Based Norms 77 Types of Scores 78 Raw Score 78

ix W Score 79 Grade Equivalent 79 Age Equivalent 80 W Difference Score 80 Relative Proficiency Index 80 Instructional Zone 81 CALP Levels 81 Percentile Rank 83 Standard Score 83 Standard Error of Measurement 84 Interpreting Tests 84 Interpreting the Reading Tests 85 Interpreting the Math Tests 91 Interpreting the Written Language Tests 94 Interpreting the Academic Knowledge Tests 99 Interpreting Variations and Comparisons 99 Intra-Ability Variations 100 Intra-Achievement Variations 100 Academic Skills/Academic Fluency/Academic Applications Variations 102 Intra-Cognitive Variations 103 Intra-Oral Language Variations 104 Ability/Achievement Comparisons 104 Academic Knowledge/Achievement Comparisons 104 Three Cognitive Ability/Achievement Comparisons 106 Oral Language/Achievement Comparisons 107 Discrepancy Scores 107 Implications Derived From Test Results 107

References 109

Appendix A: Norming Site States and Cities 113

Appendix B: Test 6: Writing Samples Scoring Guide 129 Form A Scoring Guide 129 Form B Scoring Guide 150 Form C Scoring Guide 171

Appendix C: WJ IV Tests of Achievement Examiner Training Checklist 193

Appendix D: WJ IV General Test Observations Checklist 203

x List of Tables Table 1-1 Organization of the WJ IV ACH Tests 4 Table 1-2 Organization of the WJ IV ACH Clusters 4 Table 1-3 Examiner Qualification Standards From the Standards for Educational and Psychological Testing 10 Table 1-4 Test Security Standards From the Standards for Educational and Psychological Testing 11 Table 2-1 WJ IV ACH Selective Testing Table 14 Table 3-1 Standards Regarding Examinee Accommodations From the Standards for Educational and Psychological Testing 39 Table 3-2 WJ IV ACH Tests Useful for Individuals With Hearing Impairments 46 Table 3-3 WJ IV ACH Tests Useful for Individuals With Visual Impairments 51 Table 5-1 Hierarchy of WJ IV ACH Test Information 76 Table 5-2 ACH Clusters That Yield a CALP Level 81 Table 5-3 CALP Levels and Corresponding Implications 82 Table 5-4 Classification of Standard Score and Percentile Rank Ranges 84 Table 5-5 Percentage by Age of Occurrence of Qualitative Observations for Test 1: Letter-Word Identification 87 Table 5-6 Percentage by Age of Occurrence of Qualitative Observations for Test 4: Passage Comprehension 89 Table 5-7 Percentage by Age of Occurrence of Qualitative Observations for Test 9: Sentence Reading Fluency 90 Table 5-8 Percentage by Age of Occurrence of Qualitative Observations for Test 2: Applied Problems 92 Table 5-9 Percentage by Age of Occurrence of Qualitative Observations for Test 5: Calculation 93 Table 5-10 Percentage by Age of Occurrence of Qualitative Observations for Test 10: Math Facts Fluency 94 Table 5-11 Percentage by Age of Occurrence of Qualitative Observations for Test 3: Spelling 96 Table 5-12 Percentage by Age of Occurrence of Qualitative Observations for Test 6: Writing Samples 97 Table 5-13 Percentage by Age of Occurrence of Qualitative Observations for Test 11: Sentence Writing Fluency 98 Table 5-14 WJ IV Intra-Ability Variation and Ability/Achievement Comparison Procedures 99 Table 5-15 WJ IV Intra-Achievement Variations 102 Table 5-16 WJ IV Academic Skills/Academic Fluency/Academic Applications Variations 103 Table 5-17 WJ IV Academic Knowledge/Achievement Comparisons 106 Table 5-18 Responsible Test Interpretation Standards From the Standards for Educational and Psychological Testing 108

xi List of Figures Figure 1-1 Components of the WJ IV ACH. 5 Figure 3-1 Recommended arrangement for administering the test. 25 Figure 3-2 Suggested Starting Points table for Test 2: Applied Problems from the WJ IV ACH Form A Test Book. 27 Figure 3-3 Example of Item 1 used as the basal on Test 1: Letter-Word Identification. 29 Figure 3-4 Determination of basal and ceiling with two apparent basals and two apparent ceilings. 31 Figure 3-5 The “Test Session Observations Checklist” from the Test Record. 33 Figure 3-6 “Qualitative Observation” checklist for Test 1: Letter-Word Identification. 35 Figure 4-1 Reading error types in Test 8: Oral Reading. 63 Figure 4-2 Example of completed Test Record and “Qualitative Observation Tally” for Test 8: Oral Reading. 63 Figure 5-1 Comparison of the traditional and extended percentile rank scales with the standard score scale (M = 100, SD = 15). 83 Figure 5-2 Various skills measured by the WJ IV ACH reading tests. 85 Figure 5-3 Various skills measured by the WJ IV ACH math tests. 91 Figure 5-4 Various skills measured by the WJ IV ACH writing tests. 95 Figure 5-5 Four types of intra-ability variation models in the WJ IV. 101 Figure 5-6 Five types of ability/achievement comparison models in the WJ IV. 105

xii Chapter 1 Overview

The Woodcock-Johnson® IV (WJ IV™) (Schrank, McGrew, & Mather, 2014a) is composed of three assessment instruments: the Woodcock-Johnson IV Tests of Cognitive Abilities (WJ IV COG) (Schrank, McGrew, & Mather, 2014b), the Woodcock-Johnson IV Tests of Oral Language (WJ IV OL) (Schrank, Mather, & McGrew, 2014b), and the Woodcock-Johnson IV Tests of Achievement (WJ IV ACH) (Schrank, Mather, & McGrew, 2014a). Together these instruments provide a comprehensive set of individually administered, norm-referenced tests for measuring intellectual abilities, academic achievement, and oral language abilities. This revision represents a significant advance in the measurement of cognitive, linguistic, and achievement abilities. The WJ IV revision blueprint was guided by multiple goals. First, this comprehensive assessment system is designed to be on the cutting edge of practice. It facilitates exploring individual strengths and weaknesses across cognitive, linguistic, and academic abilities; complements response to intervention (RTI) models; and reframes variations and ability/achievement comparisons. Second, the blueprint pushes the tests beyond CHC theory as it was conceived in the Woodcock-Johnson III (WJ III®) (Woodcock, McGrew, & Mather, 2001). Whereas the WJ III focused primarily on broad CHC abilities, the WJ IV focuses on the most important broad and narrow CHC abilities for contemporary assessment needs—describing cognitive performance and understanding the nature of learning problems (McGrew, 2012; McGrew & Wendling, 2010; Schneider & McGrew, 2012). Some WJ IV tests and clusters emphasize narrow CHC abilities, and others were designed to reflect the importance of cognitive complexity through the influence of two or more narrow abilities on task requirements. Additional goals address ease and flexibility of use. New features allow novice examiners to use the tests with confidence while providing experienced examiners with a rich array of interpretive options to customize and enhance their evaluations. The structure of the WJ IV system also facilitates examiner use by creating comprehensive cognitive, achievement, and oral language batteries that can be used in conjunction with one another or as standalone batteries. WJ IV normative data are based on a single sample that was administered the cognitive, oral language, and achievement tests. The national standardization included over 7,000 individuals ranging in age from 2 to over 90 years, including college and university undergraduate and graduate students. The demographic and community characteristics closely match those of the general U.S. population. Further information about the norming sample is provided in the Woodcock-Johnson IV Technical Manual (McGrew, LaForte, & Schrank, 2014). The WJ IV interpretation plan includes a full array of derived scores for reporting results. The accompanying Woodcock-Johnson online scoring and reporting program (Schrank & Dailey, 2014) quickly calculates and reports all derived scores. This manual describes the WJ IV ACH, which can be used independently or in conjunction with the WJ IV OL or WJ IV COG batteries.

Overview 1 Comparison to the WJ III Tests of Achievement The WJ IV ACH is a revised and expanded version of the Woodcock-Johnson III Tests of Achievement (WJ III ACH) (Woodcock, McGrew, & Mather, 2001). Extensive renorming and the addition of several new tests, clusters, and interpretive procedures, improve and increase the diagnostic power of this instrument while retaining many of the features of the WJ III ACH. Following is a summary of the major differences between the WJ III ACH and the WJ IV ACH. ■■ The WJ IV has three parallel forms of the Standard Battery (Forms A, B, and C) and one form of the Extended Battery, which is designed to be used with any form of the Standard Battery. ■■ The WJ IV ACH includes a core set of tests (Tests 1 through 6) that are used for calculating the Reading, Mathematics, Written Language, Academic Skills, Academic Applications, and Brief Achievement clusters and that provide the basis for the intra- achievement variations procedure. Additional tests may be added to the core variations procedure on a selective testing basis, and any derived clusters are also evaluated in a pattern of strengths and weaknesses (PSW) analysis. ■■ There are 20 tests, 11 in the Standard Battery and 9 in the Extended Battery. ■■ There are 7 new tests in the WJ IV ACH: Test 8: Oral Reading, Test 12: Reading Recall, and Test 15: Word Reading Fluency are new tests; Test 13: Number Matrices is new to the WJ IV ACH battery; and Test 18: Science, Test 19: Social Studies, and Test 20: Humanities are now full-length tests rather than subtests. As a result of this increased coverage, more interpretive options are available. ■■ There are 22 clusters, including 8 new clusters: Reading Comprehension–Extended, Reading Fluency, and Reading Rate are new clusters; Reading, Written Language, Mathematics, Brief Achievement, and Broad Achievement were only available in WJ III ACH Form C (Woodcock, Schrank, Mather, & McGrew, 2007) and are now included in all forms of the WJ IV ACH battery. ■■ Fifteen clusters are available from the Standard Battery tests; 7 additional clusters are available when using the Extended Battery. ■■ The oral language tests (Picture Vocabulary, Oral Comprehension, Understanding Directions, and Sound Awareness) are now in the WJ IV OL. Story Recall is now in the WJ IV COG. ■■ Three test names were changed to more accurately reflect the task: Writing Fluency is now Test 11: Sentence Writing Fluency; Math Fluency is now Test 10: Math Facts Fluency; and Reading Fluency is now Test 9: Sentence Reading Fluency. ■■ The procedures for evaluating ability/achievement comparisons and intra-ability variations have been simplified and offer increased flexibility for the examiner. ∘∘ Four types of intra-ability variations are available: intra-cognitive, intra- achievement, intra-oral language, and academic skills/academic fluency/academic applications. ∘∘ Five types of ability/achievement comparisons are available: general intellectual ability (GIA), Gf-Gc composite, scholastic aptitude, oral language ability, and academic knowledge. ■■ The WJ III predicted achievement/achievement discrepancy procedure has been replaced with the scholastic aptitude/achievement comparison procedure. There are six specific aptitude clusters: two for reading, two for math, and two for writing. Each of these six aptitude clusters contains four cognitive tests that best predict the specific achievement area.

2 Overview Organization of the WJ IV Tests of Achievement The WJ IV ACH is available in three forms (Forms A, B, and C) that are parallel in content. An examiner can alternate use of these three forms to reduce an examinee’s familiarity with specific item content. Some school districts may designate one or more of the forms for a specific purpose or for use by specific professionals. Each form contains 11 tests in the Standard Battery (Tests 1 through 11). There is one form of the Extended Battery (Tests 12 through 20) that can be used with any of the Standard Battery forms (Forms A, B, or C). Depending on the purpose and extent of the assessment, an examiner can use the Standard Battery alone or in conjunction with the Extended Battery. Using the Standard Battery provides a broad set of scores, while the Extended Battery allows more in-depth diagnostic assessment of specific academic strengths and/or weaknesses. This feature allows examiners to be more focused and selective in testing by only administering the specific tests relevant to the referral question(s). One goal of the revision was to increase ease of use and flexibility of the WJ IV ACH, and the organization of the tests within the Standard and Extended Batteries reflects this goal. For example, Tests 1 through 6 represent a core set of tests that yields clusters in Reading, Written Language, Mathematics, Academic Skills, Academic Applications, and Brief Achievement and serve as the basis for the intra-achievement variations procedure. Additional tests can be selected to address the individual’s specific referral questions. An examiner seldom needs to administer all of the tests or complete all of the interpretive options for a single person. The importance of selective testing becomes apparent as the examiner gains familiarity with the WJ IV ACH. An analogy to craftsmanship is appropriate: The WJ IV ACH provides an extensive tool chest that can be used selectively by a variety of skilled assessment professionals. Different assessments require different combinations of tools. Table 1-1 lists the tests included in the WJ IV ACH. Icons following several tests indicate tests that are administered using an audio recording ( ), tests that are administered using the Response Booklet ( ), and tests that are timed ( ). The table groups the tests by content area rather than by order of appearance in the Test Book. Table 1-2 illustrates the 22 clusters, or groupings of tests, that are available from the WJ IV ACH. These clusters are the primary source of interpretive information to help identify performance levels, determine educational progress, and identify an individual’s strengths and weaknesses.

Components of the WJ IV Tests of Achievement The WJ IV ACH contains two easel Test Books, this Examiner’s Manual, the Technical Manual on CD, a scoring program, a package of Test Records and examinee Response Booklets, an audio recording on CD, scoring guides, and an optional carrying case. Figure 1-1 shows the components of the WJ IV ACH.

Overview 3 Table 1-1. STANDARD BATTERY Organization of the ACADEMIC AREA (FORMS A, B, AND C) EXTENDED BATTERY WJ IV ACH Tests Reading Test 1: Letter-Word Identification Test 12: Reading Recall Test 4: Passage Comprehension Test 15: Word Reading Fluency Test 7: Word Attack Test 17: Reading Vocabulary Test 8: Oral Reading Test 9: Sentence Reading Fluency Mathematics Test 2: Applied Problems Test 13: Number Matrices Test 5: Calculation Test 10: Math Facts Fluency Writing Test 3: Spelling Test 14: Editing Test 6: Writing Samples Test 16: Spelling of Sounds Test 11: Sentence Writing Fluency Academic Test 18: Science Knowledge Test 19: Social Studies Test 20: Humanities

= test in the Response Booklet = timed test = audio-recorded test

Table 1-2. CURRICULAR CLUSTERS REQUIRING TEST FROM Organization of the WJ IV AREA CLUSTERS IN STANDARD BATTERY EXTENDED BATTERY ACH Clusters Reading Reading Reading Comprehension Broad Reading Reading Comprehension–Extended Basic Reading Skills Reading Rate Reading Fluency

Mathematics Mathematics Math Problem Solving Broad Mathematics Math Calculation Skills Writing Written Language Basic Writing Skills Broad Written Language Written Expression Cross Domain Academic Skills Academic Knowledge Clusters Academic Fluency Phoneme-Grapheme Knowledge Academic Applications Brief Achievement Broad Achievement

4 Overview Figure 1-1. Components of the WJ IV ACH.

Test Books The Standard Battery and the Extended Battery Test Books are in an easel format positioned so the stimulus pictures or words face the examinee and the directions face the examiner. The ring-binder format allows the examiner to rearrange the order of the tests to facilitate selective testing. Specific administration directions are provided page by page for all tests.

Examiner’s Manual The Examiner’s Manual includes detailed information for using the WJ IV ACH. Chapter 1 is an overview. Chapter 2 provides descriptions of the 20 tests and the 22 clusters. General administration and scoring procedures and accommodations for special populations are discussed in Chapter 3. Chapter 4 provides specific administration and scoring instructions for each test. Chapter 5 provides a discussion of the scores and levels of interpretive information that are available. This manual also includes several appendices. Appendix A contains a list of norming sites. Appendix B contains the Scoring Guide with scoring criteria for Test 6: Writing Samples (Forms A, B, and C). Appendices C and D contain reproducible checklists to assist examiners in building competency with the WJ IV ACH. Appendix C is the “WJ IV Tests of Achievement Examiner Training Checklist,” a test-by-test form that may be used as an observation or self- study tool. Appendix D is the “WJ IV General Test Observations Checklist,” which covers general testing procedures and may be used by an experienced examiner when observing a new examiner.

Technical Manual The Technical Manual is an e-book on CD and provides a summary of the development, standardization, and technical characteristics of the WJ IV, including summary statistics.

Overview 5 Woodcock-Johnson Online Scoring and Reporting The Woodcock-Johnson online scoring and reporting program (Schrank & Dailey, 2014) eliminates the time-consuming norm table searches required when scoring a test by hand and reduces the possibility of clerical errors. The automated online scoring quickly and accurately provides all derived scores for the tests and clusters and computes variations and comparisons.

Test Record The Test Record includes guidelines for examiner scoring and is used to record identifying information, observations of behavior, examinee responses, raw scores, and other information that may be helpful in interpreting test results. Built-in scoring tables for each test enable the examiner to immediately obtain estimated age- and grade-equivalent scores.

Response Booklet The Response Booklet provides space for the examinee to respond to items requiring written responses or mathematical calculations. Tests 3: Spelling, Test 5: Calculation, Test 6: Writing Samples, Test 9: Sentence Reading Fluency, Test 10: Math Facts Fluency, Test 11: Sentence Writing Fluency, Test 15: Word Reading Fluency, and Test 16: Spelling of Sounds all require the Response Booklet. In addition, a worksheet is provided in the Response Booklet for Test 2: Applied Problems and Test 13: Number Matrices.

Audio Recording The audio recording is provided for standardized administration of Test 16: Spelling of Sounds.

Relationship of the WJ IV to the CHC Theory of Cognitive Abilities

The WJ IV ACH, WJ IV COG, and WJ IV OL are three parts of a comprehensive diagnostic system. Interpretation of the WJ IV tests and clusters is based on the Cattell-Horn-Carroll (CHC) theory of cognitive abilities. Additional information on CHC theory can be found in the Woodcock-Johnson IV Tests of Cognitive Abilities Examiner’s Manual (Mather & Wendling, 2014a), as well as in the Technical Manual. The WJ IV COG has seven CHC factors. Two of the CHC factors, fluid reasoning (Gf ) and comprehension-knowledge (Gc), can be traced to Cattell (1941, 1943, 1950) and his work on Gf-Gc, or fluid and crystallized intelligence. Later, Horn (1965) identified short-term memory (Gsm), long-term retrieval (Glr), processing speed (Gs), and visual-spatial thinking (Gv) as distinct abilities. Auditory processing (Ga) was identified by Horn and Stankov (1982). The CHC abilities have been refined and integrated by Woodcock (McArdle & Woodcock, 1998; Woodcock, 1988, 1990, 1993, 1994, 1998) and McGrew (1997, 2005, 2009) and recently revised by Schneider and McGrew (2012). The WJ IV ACH contains tests that tap two other identified cognitive abilities: quantitative knowledge (Gq) (identified by Horn, 1988, 1989) and reading-writing ability (Grw) (identified by Carroll and Maxwell, 1979 and Woodcock, 1998). The WJ IV ACH also includes additional measures of comprehension-knowledge (Gc), long-term retrieval (Glr), and auditory processing (Ga). Because most achievement tests require the integration of multiple cognitive abilities, information about processing can be obtained by a skilled examiner. For example, processing speed (Gs) is involved in all speeded or timed tasks, including Test 9: Sentence Reading Fluency, Test 10: Math Facts Fluency, Test 11: Sentence Writing Fluency, and Test 15: Word Reading Fluency.

6 Overview Gq is represented by Test 2: Applied Problems, Test 5: Calculation, Test 10: Math Facts Fluency, and Test 13: Number Matrices. Grw is represented by Test 1: Letter-Word Identification, Test 3: Spelling, Test 4: Passage Comprehension, Test 6: Writing Samples, Test 8: Oral Reading, Test 9: Sentence Reading Fluency, Test 11: Sentence Writing Fluency, Test 12: Reading Recall, Test 14: Editing, Test 15: Word Reading Fluency, and Test 17: Reading Vocabulary. Gc is measured by the Academic Knowledge cluster composed of Test 18: Science, Test 19: Social Studies, and Test 20: Humanities. Glr, especially the narrow ability of meaningful memory, is required in Test 12: Reading Recall, Test 18: Science, Test 19: Social Studies, and Test 20: Humanities. Associative memory, another narrow Glr ability, is required in many of the tests that measure decoding, encoding, or recall of math facts. Ga, in particular the narrow ability of phonetic coding, is required in Test 7: Word Attack and Test 16: Spelling of Sounds.

Uses of the WJ IV Tests of Achievement The procedures followed in developing and standardizing the WJ IV ACH have produced an instrument that can be used with confidence in a variety of settings. The wide age range and breadth of coverage allow the WJ IV ACH tests to be used for educational, clinical, or research purposes from the preschool to the geriatric level. Because the WJ IV ACH is co-normed with both the WJ IV COG and the WJ IV OL, accurate predictions and comparisons can be made among the batteries.

Use With the WJ IV COG When the WJ IV ACH is used with the WJ IV COG, the relationships between cognitive abilities and achievement can be explored and strengths and weaknesses can be documented. Further, in cases where an ability/achievement discrepancy is desired, actual discrepancy norms are available.

Use With the WJ IV OL When the WJ IV ACH is used with the WJ IV OL, the relationship between oral language ability and academic achievement can be explored using the oral language/achievement comparison procedure. Understanding the role of oral language in academic performance is often an important component of an evaluation for a specific learning disability.

Diagnosis An examiner can use the WJ IV ACH to determine and describe a profile of an individual’s academic strengths and weaknesses. Additionally, test results help determine how certain factors affect related aspects of development. For example, a weakness in phoneme/grapheme knowledge may interfere with overall development in reading and spelling. Similarly, a weakness in spelling may help explain an individual’s difficulties on school assignments requiring writing. An examiner also can use the WJ IV ACH for a more in-depth evaluation after an individual has failed a screening procedure (e.g., a kindergarten screening) or to substantiate the results of other tests or prior evaluations.

Overview 7 Determination of Variations and Comparisons The information provided by the WJ IV ACH, WJ IV OL, and the WJ IV COG is particularly appropriate for documenting the nature of, and differentiating between, intra-ability (intra- achievement, academic skills/academic fluency/academic applications, intra-cognitive, intra- oral language) variations and ability/achievement discrepancies or comparisons (academic knowledge/achievement, general intellectual ability/achievement, Gf-Gc/other ability, scholastic aptitude/achievement, oral language ability/achievement). The WJ IV intra-ability variations are useful for understanding an individual’s strengths and weaknesses, diagnosing and documenting the existence of specific abilities and disabilities, and acquiring the most relevant information for educational and vocational planning. Analysis of this in-depth assessment data, which goes well beyond the historical and traditional singular focus on ability/achievement discrepancy data, can be linked more directly to recommendations for service delivery and the design of an appropriate educational program. Although many unresolved issues characterize the appropriate determination and application of discrepancy information in the field of learning disabilities, an ability/ achievement discrepancy may be used as part of the selection criteria for learning disability (LD) programs. Even though a discrepancy may be statistically significant, this type of comparison is rarely appropriate as the sole criterion for determining the existence or nonexistence of a learning disability or for determining eligibility for special services. Analyses of other abilities and an understanding of the relationships and interactions among various abilities and skills are needed to determine whether a person does or does not have a learning disability. Given the problems inherent in employing and interpreting ability/achievement discrepancies, multiple sources of information, including background information (e.g., educational history, classroom performance), as well as clinical experience, are needed to make an accurate diagnosis.

Educational Programming When combined with behavioral observations, work samples, and other pertinent information, WJ IV ACH results will help the skilled clinician make decisions regarding educational programming. The test results demonstrate a student’s most appropriate instructional level and the types of services that may be needed. The WJ IV ACH also can assist in vocational planning, particularly when successful job performance depends on specific types of skills, such as reading, writing, or mathematics performance.

Planning Individual Programs The WJ IV ACH reliability and validity characteristics meet basic technical requirements for use as a basis for planning individual programs (McGrew et al., 2014). In schools, WJ IV ACH results can be useful in setting broad instructional goals when developing an Individualized Education Program (IEP) or in recommending accommodations or curricular adjustments for an individual. WJ IV ACH results can be helpful in determining the instructional needs of individuals working toward a General Equivalency Diploma (GED) or preparing to take a minimum competency examination. In a rehabilitation setting, the WJ IV ACH can provide information to help establish an appropriate service delivery program. To develop an individualized program, the examiner can use information regarding the examinee’s strengths and weaknesses among the various achievement areas. The data may indicate the need for a more in-depth assessment within a specific achievement area, such as mathematics, using criterion-referenced, curriculum-based measurements or informal assessments.

8 Overview Guidance The WJ IV ACH can provide guidance in educational and clinical settings. The results of the evaluation can help teachers, counselors, social workers, and other personnel understand the nature of an individual’s academic strengths and weaknesses and determine the necessary levels of assistance. The WJ IV ACH also can provide valuable information to help parents understand their child’s particular academic problems or needs.

Assessing Growth The WJ IV ACH can provide a record of functioning and growth throughout an individual’s lifetime. The availability of three forms—Forms A, B, and C—reduces an examinee’s familiarity with specific item content and makes it possible to administer the achievement tests more frequently, if needed. The WJ IV ACH also can be used to assess changes in a person’s performance following a specific time interval, such as after a year of receiving special educational services.

Program Evaluation The WJ IV ACH can provide information about program effectiveness at all levels of education, from preschool through adult. For example, WJ IV ACH tests can be administered to evaluate the effects of specific school programs or the relative performance levels (in a certain skill) of students in a class or school. The continuous-year feature of the WJ IV school-age norms meets the reporting requirements for educational programs. This feature is especially useful because it provides norms based on data gathered continuously throughout the school year as opposed to norms based on data gathered at, perhaps, two points in the school year and then presented as fall and spring norms.

Research The possibilities for using the WJ IV ACH in research are unlimited. The wide age range and breadth of coverage are important advantages underlying its use for research at all age levels, from preschool through geriatric. Computer scoring allows easy storage of clinical data. Because the WJ IV ACH tests are individually administered, the researcher has more control over the quality of the data obtained. The WJ IV ACH provides predictor or criterion measures that can be used in studies investigating a variety of experimental effects. Additionally, the wide age range allows longitudinal or cohort research data to be gathered using the same set of tests and test content. In educational research, the WJ IV ACH provides a comprehensive set of related measures for evaluating the comparative efficacy of several programs or services or for evaluating the effectiveness of curricular interventions. The WJ IV ACH also is useful for describing the characteristics of examinees included in a sample or experimental condition and for pairing students in certain experimental designs. The range of interpretive information available for each test and cluster includes error analysis, description of developmental status (age and grade equivalents), description of quality of performance (RPIs and instructional zones), and comparison with grade or age mates to determine group standing (percentile ranks and standard scores). The W score and standard score scales (discussed in Chapter 5) are both equal-interval scales that can be used in statistical analyses based on the assumption of equal-interval metrics. As described in the Technical Manual, the W score is the preferred metric for most statistical analyses.

Overview 9 Psychometric Training This manual contains the basic principles of individual clinical assessment and specific administration, scoring, and interpretive information for the WJ IV ACH, which makes the WJ IV ACH an ideal instrument for introducing individualized assessment in college and university courses. The WJ IV ACH provides new examiners with a broad foundation in the administration, scoring, and interpretation of individualized assessments. Experience in clinical assessment with the WJ IV ACH provides a solid foundation for learning to administer and interpret other test instruments.

Examiner Qualifications

The examiner qualifications for the WJ IV ACH have been informed by the joint Standards for Educational and Psychological Testing (American Educational Research Association [AERA], American Psychological Association [APA], & National Council on Measurement in Education [NCME], 2014). Table 1-3 includes three applicable standards from this publication. This section includes a discussion of these standards as they apply to the WJ IV ACH.

Table 1-3. Standard Criterion Examiner Qualification Standards From the 9.1 Responsibility for test use should be assumed by or delegated to only those individuals who have the Standards for Educational training, professional credentials, and/or experience necessary to handle this responsibility. Any special and Psychological Testing qualifications for test administration or interpretation specified in the test manual should be met. (p. 142) 12.15 Those responsible for educational testing programs should take appropriate steps to verify that the individuals who interpret the test results to make decisions within the school context are qualified to do so or are assisted by and consult with persons who are so qualified. (p. 199)

12.16 Those responsible for educational testing programs should provide appropriate training, documentation, and oversight so that the individuals who administer and score the test(s) are proficient in the appropriate test administration and scoring procedures and understand the importance of adhering to the directions provided by the test developer. (p. 200)

Any person administering the WJ IV ACH needs thorough knowledge of the exact administration and scoring procedures and an understanding of the importance of adhering to standardized procedures. To become proficient in administering the WJ IV ACH, examiners need to study the administration and scoring procedures carefully and follow the procedures precisely. This Examiner’s Manual provides guidelines for examiner training and includes specific instructions for administering and scoring each test. Competent interpretation of the WJ IV ACH requires a higher degree of knowledge and experience than is required for administering and scoring the tests. Graduate-level training in educational assessment and a background in diagnostic decision-making are recommended for individuals who will interpret WJ IV ACH results. Only trained and knowledgeable professionals who are sensitive to the conditions that may compromise, or even invalidate, standardized test results should make interpretations and decisions. The level of formal education recommended to interpret the WJ IV ACH is typically documented by successful completion of an applicable graduate-level program of study that includes, at a minimum, a practicum-type course covering administration and interpretation of standardized tests of academic achievement. In addition, many qualified examiners possess state, provincial, or professional certification, registration, or licensure in a field or profession that includes as part of its formal training and code of ethics the responsibility for rendering educational assessment and interpretation services.

10 Overview Because professional titles, roles, and responsibilities vary among states (or provinces), or even from one school district to another, it is impossible to equate competency to professional titles. Consequently, the Standards for Educational and Psychological Testing (AERA, APA, & NCME, 2014) suggest that it is the responsibility of each school district to be informed by this statement of examiner qualifications and subsequently determine who, under its aegis, is qualified to administer and interpret the WJ IV ACH.

Confidentiality of Test Materials and Content

Professionals who use the WJ IV ACH (including examiners, program administrators, and others) are responsible not only for maintaining the integrity of the test by following proper administration, scoring, and interpretation procedures but also for maintaining test security. Test security has two aspects: (a) carefully storing the test materials and (b) protecting test content. Table 1-4 includes applicable standards from the Standards for Educational and Psychological Testing (AERA, APA, & NCME, 2014). This section includes a discussion of these standards as applied to the WJ IV ACH.

Table 1-4. Standard Criterion Test Security Standards From the Standards 6.7 Test users have the responsibility of protecting the security of test materials at all times. (p. 64) for Educational and 10.18 Professionals and others who have access to test materials and test results should maintain the Psychological Testing confidentiality of the test results and testing materials consistent with scientific, professional, legal, and ethical requirements. (p. 168)

If the WJ IV test materials are stored in an area accessible to people with a nonprofessional interest in the tests, the materials should be kept in locked cabinets. Also, the test materials should not be left unattended in a classroom where students can see the materials and look at the test items. The issue of test confidentiality is important. Test content should not be shared with curious nonprofessionals or made available for public inspection. Disclosing specific test content invalidates future administrations. As noted on the copyright page of this manual and the Test Books, the WJ IV is not to be used in programs that require disclosure of test items or answers. An examiner should not inform examinees of the correct answers to any of the questions during or after testing. When discussing test results, examiners may describe the nature of the items included in a test, but they should not review specific test content. Examiners should use examples similar to the test items without revealing actual items. Questions often arise about the federal requirement that families be given access to certain educational records. To comply with this requirement, a school or school district may be required to permit “access” to test protocols; however, “access” does not include the right to make copies of the materials provided. The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) provides that parents are to be given the right to “inspect and review” the educational records of their children (U.S. Department of Education. Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act. [1974]. 20 U.S.C. § 1232g; 34 CFR §99.10). The right to inspect and review is defined as including the right to a response from the participating agency “to reasonable requests for explanations and interpretations of the records” (34 CFR §99.10(c)) and, if circumstances prevent inspection or review, the agency may either (a) provide a copy or (b) make other arrangements that allow for inspection and review (34 CFR §99.10(d)).

Overview 11 So long as the test protocols are made available to the parent, or the parent’s representative, for review, all requirements of the law are met without violating the publisher’s rights or the obligations of the educational institution to keep the test materials confidential. There is, therefore, no obligation to provide copies or to permit the parent, or the legal representative of the parent, to make copies. Similar concerns arise when a party seeks to introduce testing materials in a trial or other legal proceeding. In such cases, it is important that the court take steps to protect the confidentiality of the test and to prevent further copying or dissemination of any of the test materials. Such steps include: (a) issuing a protective order prohibiting parties from copying the materials, (b) requiring the return of the materials to the qualified professional upon the conclusion of the proceedings, and (c) ensuring that the materials and all references to the content of the materials will not become part of the public record of the proceedings. To ensure that these protections are obtained, Riverside Insights™ should be contacted whenever it appears likely that testing materials will be introduced as evidence in a legal proceeding. Examiners or school districts with questions about copyright ownership or confidentiality obligations should contact Riverside Insights at the toll-free telephone number listed on the copyright page of this manual.

12 Overview Chapter 2 Descriptions of the WJ IV ACH Tests and Clusters

The Woodcock-Johnson IV Tests of Achievement (WJ IV ACH) (Schrank, Mather, & McGrew, 2014a) contains 20 tests measuring four curricular areas—reading, mathematics, written language, and academic knowledge. Specific combinations, or groupings, of these 20 tests form clusters for interpretive purposes. (For administration and scoring procedures, see Chapters 3 and 4 of this manual.) There are three alternate and parallel forms of the 11 tests in the WJ IV ACH Standard Battery—Forms A, B, and C. There is only one version of the 9 tests in the WJ IV ACH Extended Battery. The Extended Battery tests are designed to supplement all three forms of the Standard Battery. The tests in the Standard Battery (Form A, B, or C) combine to form 15 cluster scores, including a Brief Achievement score and a Broad Achievement score. When the Standard Battery tests are used in conjunction with the Extended Battery tests, 7 additional cluster scores may be derived. Although tests are the basic administration components of the WJ IV ACH, clusters of tests provide the primary basis for test interpretation. Cluster interpretation minimizes the danger of generalizing from the score for a single narrow ability to a broad, multifaceted ability or skill. Cluster interpretation results in higher validity because more than one component of a broad ability comprises the score that serves as the basis for interpretation. For example, broad ability cluster interpretation results in higher validity when more than one component of a broad ability comprises the score that serves as the basis for the interpretation. In some situations, however, the narrow abilities and skills that are measured by the individual tests should be considered. This is particularly important when significant differences exist between or among the tests in a cluster. In these cases, more information is obtained by analyzing performance on each test, which may indicate the need for further testing. Occasions exist when it is more meaningful to describe a narrow ability than it is to report performance on a broad ability. To increase the validity of narrow ability interpretation, the WJ IV provides clusters for a number of important narrow abilities. These narrow abilities often have more relevance for informing instruction and intervention (McGrew & Wendling, 2010).

WJ IV ACH Tests

The selective testing table, presented in Table 2-1, illustrates the scope of the WJ IV ACH interpretive information via the combinations of tests that form various clusters. Note that Tests 1 through 6, the core set of tests, provide a number of important interpretive options, including Reading, Written Language, Mathematics, Academic Skills, Academic Applications, and Brief Achievement clusters and are required for calculating the intra-achievement variations procedure (see Chapter 5 for a description of the variation procedures).

Descriptions of the WJ IV ACH Tests and Clusters 13 Table 2-1. Reading Mathematics Writing Cross-Domain Clusters WJ IV ACH Selective Testing Table

Reading Broad ReadingBasic ReadingReading Skills ComprehensionReading FluencyReading RateMathematicsBroad MathematicsMath Calculation Math ProblemSkills Written Solving LanguageBroad WrittenBasic Language WritingWritten Skills ExpressionAcademic SkillsAcademic FluencyAcademic ApplicationsAcademic KnowledgePhoneme-GraphemeBrief (or Broad)Knowledge Achievement ACH 1 Letter-Word Identification ACH 2 Applied Problems ACH 3 Spelling ACH 4 Passage Comprehension ACH 5 Calculation ACH 6 Writing Samples ACH 7 Word Attack ACH 8 Oral Reading Standard Battery ACH 9 Sentence Reading Fluency ACH 10 Math Facts Fluency ACH 11 Sentence Writing Fluency ACH 12 Reading Recall ACH 13 Number Matrices ACH 14 Editing ACH 15 Word Reading Fluency ACH 16 Spelling of Sounds ACH 17 Reading Vocabulary ACH 18 Science Extended Battery ACH 19 Social Studies ACH 20 Humanities

Tests required to create the cluster listed. Additional test required to create an extended version of the cluster listed. Additional tests required to create the Broad Achievement cluster.

Test 1: Letter-Word Identification Letter-Word Identification measures the examinee’s word identification skills, a reading- writing (Grw) ability. The initial items require the individual to identify letters that appear in large type on the examinee’s side of the Test Book. The remaining items require the person to read aloud individual words correctly. The examinee is not required to know the meaning of any word. The items become increasingly difficult as the selected words appear less frequently in written English. Letter-Word Identification has a median reliability of .92 in the 5 to 19 age range and .94 in the adult age range.

Test 2: Applied Problems Applied Problems requires the person to analyze and solve math problems, a quantitative knowledge (Gq) ability. To solve the problems, the person must listen to the problem, recognize the procedure to be followed, and then perform relatively simple calculations. Because many of the problems include extraneous information, the individual must decide not only the appropriate mathematical operations to use but also which numbers to include in the calculation. Item difficulty increases with more complex calculations. This test has a median reliability of .91 in the 5 to 19 age range and .92 in the adult age range.

14 Descriptions of the WJ IV ACH Tests and Clusters Test 3: Spelling Spelling, a reading-writing (Grw) ability, requires the person to write words that are presented orally. The initial items measure prewriting skills, such as drawing lines and tracing letters. The next set of items requires the person to produce uppercase and lowercase letters. The remaining items measure the person’s ability to spell words correctly. The items become increasingly difficult as the words become more difficult. This test has a median reliability of .91 in the 5 to 19 age range and .93 in the adult age range.

Test 4: Passage Comprehension Passage Comprehension measures the ability to use syntactic and semantic cues to identify a missing word in text, a reading-writing (Grw) ability. The initial Passage Comprehension items involve symbolic learning, or the ability to match a rebus (pictographic representation of a word) with an actual picture of the object. The next items are presented in a multiple- choice format and require the person to point to the picture represented by a phrase. The remaining items require the person to read a short passage and identify a missing key word that makes sense in the context of that passage (a cloze approach to reading comprehension assessment). The items become increasingly difficult by removing pictorial stimuli and by increasing passage length, level of vocabulary, and complexity of syntax. Passage Comprehension has a median reliability of .89 in the 5 to 19 age range and .91 in the adult age range.

Test 5: Calculation Calculation is a test of math achievement measuring the ability to perform mathematical computations, a quantitative knowledge (Gq) ability. The initial items in Calculation require the individual to write single numbers. The remaining items require the person to perform addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, and combinations of these basic operations, as well as some geometric, trigonometric, logarithmic, and calculus operations. The calculations involve negative numbers, percentages, decimals, fractions, and whole numbers. Because the calculations are presented in a traditional problem format in the Response Booklet, the person is not required to make any decisions about what operations to use or what data to include. Calculation has a median reliability of .93 in the 5 to 19 age range and .93 in the adult age range.

Test 6: Writing Samples Writing Samples measures the examinee’s skill in writing responses to a variety of demands, a reading-writing (Grw) ability. The person must write sentences that are evaluated for their quality of expression. Item difficulty increases by increasing passage length, the level of vocabulary, and the sophistication of the content. The individual is not penalized for errors in basic writing skills, such as spelling or punctuation. Writing Samples has a median reliability of .90 in the 5 to 19 age range and .89 in the adult age range.

Test 7: Word Attack Word Attack measures a person’s ability to apply phonic and structural analysis skills to the pronunciation of unfamiliar printed words, a reading-writing (Grw) ability. The initial items require the individual to produce the sounds for single letters. The remaining items require the person to read aloud letter combinations that are phonically consistent or are regular patterns in English orthography but are nonsense or low-frequency words. The items become more difficult as the complexity of the nonsense words increases. Word Attack has a median reliability of .90 in the 5 to 19 age range and .93 in the adult age range.

Descriptions of the WJ IV ACH Tests and Clusters 15 Test 8: Oral Reading Oral Reading is a measure of story reading accuracy and prosody, a reading-writing (Grw) ability. The individual reads aloud sentences that gradually increase in difficulty. Performance is scored for both accuracy and fluency of expression. Oral Reading has a median reliability of .97 in the 5 to 19 age range and .95 in the adult age range.

Test 9: Sentence Reading Fluency Sentence Reading Fluency measures reading rate, requiring both reading-writing (Grw) and cognitive processing speed (Gs) abilities. The task involves reading simple sentences silently and quickly in the Response Booklet, deciding if the statement is true or false, and then circling Yes or No. The difficulty level of the sentences gradually increases to a moderate level. The individual attempts to complete as many items as possible within a 3-minute time limit. Sentence Reading Fluency has test-retest reliabilities of .95 in the 7 to 11 age range, .93 in the 14 to 17 age range, and .93 in the adult age range.

Test 10: Math Facts Fluency Math Facts Fluency measures speed of computation or the ability to solve simple addition, subtraction, and multiplication facts quickly, requiring both quantitative knowledge (Gq) and cognitive processing speed (Gs) abilities. The person is presented with a series of simple arithmetic problems in the Response Booklet. This test has a 3-minute time limit. Math Facts Fluency has test-retest reliabilities of .95 in the 7 to 11 age range, .97 in the 14 to 17 age range, and .95 in the adult age range.

Test 11: Sentence Writing Fluency Sentence Writing Fluency measures an individual’s skill in formulating and writing simple sentences quickly, requiring both reading-writing (Grw) and cognitive processing speed (Gs) abilities. Each sentence must relate to a given stimulus picture in the Response Booklet and must include a given set of three words. The words gradually require the formulation of more complex sentence structures. This test has a 5-minute time limit. It has test-retest reliabilities of .83 in the 7 to 11 age range, .76 in the 14 to 17 age range, and .88 in the adult age range.

Test 12: Reading Recall Reading Recall is a measure of reading comprehension (a reading-writing [Grw] ability) and meaningful memory (a long-term retrieval [Glr] ability). The individual reads a short story silently and then retells as much of the story as he or she can recall. This test has a median reliability of .97 in the 5 to 19 age range and .86 in the adult age range.

Test 13: Number Matrices Number Matrices is a measure of quantitative reasoning, requiring both quantitative knowledge (Gq) and fluid reasoning (Gf ) abilities. A matrix is presented and the individual must identify the missing number. Although the test is not timed, there is a general guideline of either 30 seconds or 1 minute per problem. It has a median reliability of .91 in the 5 to 19 age range and .93 in the adult age range.

Test 14: Editing Editing measures the examinee’s skill in identifying and correcting errors in a written passage, a reading-writing (Grw) ability. The error in the passage may be incorrect punctuation or capitalization, inappropriate word usage, or a misspelled word. Items increase in difficulty by

16 Descriptions of the WJ IV ACH Tests and Clusters increasing passage length, complexity of vocabulary, and the use of less common or irregular words. This test has a median reliability of .90 in the 5 to 19 age range and .92 in the adult age range.

Test 15: Word Reading Fluency Word Reading Fluency is a measure of vocabulary knowledge and semantic fluency, requiring both reading-writing (Grw) and cognitive processing speed (Gs) abilities. The individual has 3 minutes to mark the two words that go together in each row. The correct matches are words that share some relationship (e.g., synonyms, antonyms, members of the same category). Word Reading Fluency has test-retest reliabilities of .92 in the 7 to 11 age range, .91 in the 14 to 17 age range, and .93 in the adult age range.

Test 16: Spelling of Sounds Spelling of Sounds is a measure of spelling ability (a reading-writing [Grw] ability), particularly phonological and orthographic coding skills. The initial items require the individual to write single letters that represent one sound. The remaining items require the person to listen to the audio recording and then spell nonsense words or low-frequency words that are regular patterns in English spelling. The items become more difficult as the words involve more complex spelling rules and patterns. Spelling of Sounds has a median reliability of .88 in the 5 to 19 age range and .92 in the adult age range.

Test 17: Reading Vocabulary Reading Vocabulary includes two subtests: Synonyms and Antonyms. This test is a mixed measure of reading-writing (Grw) and comprehension-knowledge (Gc) abilities. The first subtest requires reading a word and providing an appropriate synonym. The second subtest requires reading a word and providing an accurate antonym. Items become increasingly difficult within each subtest as the words become more complex. This test has a median reliability of .85 in the 5 to 19 age range and .92 in the adult age range.

Test 18: Science Science contains items testing an individual’s knowledge of the sciences (comprehension- knowledge [Gc] abilities), including anatomy, biology, chemistry, geology, medicine, and physics. The initial items require only a pointing response, but the remaining items require the person to respond orally. Science has a median reliability of .76 in the 5 to 19 age range and .86 in the adult age range.

Test 19: Social Studies The Social Studies test measures an individual’s knowledge of history, economics, geography, government, and psychology (comprehension-knowledge [Gc] abilities). The early items require only a pointing response, but the remaining items require the person to respond orally. Social Studies has a median reliability of .80 in the 5 to 19 age range and .89 in the adult age range.

Test 20: Humanities The Humanities test measures an individual’s knowledge of art, music, and literature, (comprehension-knowledge [Gc] abilities). The early items require only a pointing response, whereas for the remaining items, the person responds orally. It has a median reliability of .85 in the 5 to 19 age range and .94 in the adult age range.

Descriptions of the WJ IV ACH Tests and Clusters 17 WJ IV ACH Clusters

There are 22 clusters available for interpretation (see Table 2-1). Fifteen are based on tests in the Standard Battery only and 7 additional clusters require tests from the Extended Battery.

Reading Clusters Seven reading clusters are available, four that use tests from the Standard Battery and three that require additional tests from the Extended Battery.

Reading The Reading cluster is a measure of reading achievement (a reading-writing [Grw] ability), including reading decoding and the ability to comprehend connected text while reading. This cluster is a combination of Test 1: Letter-Word Identification and Test 4: Passage Comprehension. It has a median reliability of .94 in the 5 to 19 age range and .96 in the adult age range.

Broad Reading The Broad Reading cluster provides a comprehensive measure of reading achievement (a reading-writing [Grw] ability) including reading decoding, reading speed, and the ability to comprehend connected text while reading. This cluster is a combination of Test 1: Letter- Word Identification, Test 4: Passage Comprehension, and Test 9: Sentence Reading Fluency. It has a median reliability of .96 in the 5 to 19 age range and .97 in the adult age range.

Basic Reading Skills The Basic Reading Skills cluster is an aggregate measure of sight vocabulary, phonics, and structural analysis that provides a measure of basic reading skills (a reading-writing [Grw] ability). This cluster is a combination of Test 1: Letter-Word Identification and Test 7: Word Attack. It has a median reliability of .95 in the 5 to 19 age range and .96 in the adult age range.

Reading Comprehension The Reading Comprehension cluster is an aggregate measure of comprehension and reasoning (reading-writing [Grw] and, to a lesser extent, long-term retrieval [Glr] abilities). It is a combination of Test 4: Passage Comprehension and Test 12: Reading Recall from the Extended Battery. This cluster has a median reliability of .93 in the 5 to 19 age range and .93 in the adult age range.

Reading Comprehension–Extended The Reading Comprehension–Extended cluster provides a broad measure of reading comprehension skills and is an aggregate measure of comprehension, vocabulary, and reasoning (reading-writing [Grw] and, to a lesser extent, long-term retrieval [Glr] abilities). This cluster is a combination of Test 4: Passage Comprehension and Test 12: Reading Recall and Test 17: Reading Vocabulary from the Extended Battery. It has a median reliability of .96 in the 5 to 19 age range and .94 in the adult age range.

18 Descriptions of the WJ IV ACH Tests and Clusters Reading Fluency The Reading Fluency cluster provides a measure of several aspects of reading fluency, including prosody, automaticity, and accuracy (reading-writing [Grw] and cognitive processing speed [Gs] abilities). It is a combination of Test 8: Oral Reading and Test 9: Sentence Reading Fluency. This cluster has a median reliability of .96 in the 5 to 19 age range and .96 in the adult age range.

Reading Rate The Reading Rate cluster provides a measure of automaticity with reading at the single word and sentence levels (reading-writing [Grw] and cognitive processing speed [Gs] abilities). It is a combination of Test 9: Sentence Reading Fluency and Test 15: Word Reading Fluency from the Extended Battery. This cluster has a median reliability of .96 in the 5 to 19 age range and .96 in the adult age range.

Math Clusters Four math clusters are available. Three clusters are formed from tests in the Standard Battery, and the remaining cluster requires a test from the Extended Battery.

Mathematics The Mathematics cluster provides a measure of math achievement (quantitative knowledge [Gq] ability) including problem solving and computational skills. This cluster includes Test 2: Applied Problems and Test 5: Calculation. It has a median reliability of .96 in the 5 to 19 age range and .96 in the adult age range.

Broad Mathematics The Broad Mathematics cluster provides a comprehensive measure of math achievement, including problem solving, number facility, automaticity, and reasoning (quantitative knowledge [Gq] and cognitive processing speed [Gs] abilities). This cluster includes Test 2: Applied Problems, Test 5: Calculation, and Test 10: Math Facts Fluency. It has a median reliability of .97 in the 5 to 19 age range and .97 in the adult age range.

Math Calculation Skills The Math Calculation Skills cluster is an aggregate measure of computational skills and automaticity with basic math facts, and it provides a measure of basic mathematical skills (quantitative knowledge [Gq] and cognitive processing speed [Gs] abilities). This cluster includes Test 5: Calculation and Test 10: Math Facts Fluency. It has a median reliability of .96 in the 5 to 19 age range and .97 in the adult age range.

Math Problem Solving The Math Problem Solving cluster provides a measure of mathematical knowledge and reasoning (quantitative knowledge [Gq] and fluid reasoning [Gf] abilities). It is an aggregate measure of problem solving, analysis, and reasoning. This cluster is a combination of Test 2: Applied Problems and Test 13: Number Matrices from the Extended Battery. It has a median reliability of .95 in the 5 to 19 age range and .96 in the adult age range.

Descriptions of the WJ IV ACH Tests and Clusters 19 Written Language Clusters The WJ IV ACH has four written language clusters. Three of the clusters are composed of tests from the Standard Battery and the fourth cluster requires a test from the Extended Battery.

Written Language The Written Language cluster provides a comprehensive measure of written language achievement, including spelling of single-word responses and quality of expression (reading- writing [Grw] ability). This cluster includes Test 3: Spelling and Test 6: Writing Samples. It has a median reliability of .94 in the 5 to 19 age range and .95 in the adult age range.

Broad Written Language The Broad Written Language cluster provides a comprehensive measure of written language achievement, including spelling of single-word responses, fluency of production, and quality of expression (reading-writing [Grw] and cognitive processing speed [Gs] abilities). It includes Test 3: Spelling, Test 6: Writing Samples, and Test 11: Sentence Writing Fluency. This cluster has a median reliability of .95 in the 5 to 19 age range and .96 in the adult age range.

Basic Writing Skills The Basic Writing Skills cluster provides a measure of basic writing skills in both isolated and contextually based formats. It is an aggregate measure of spelling single-word responses and identifying and correcting errors in spelling, punctuation, capitalization, and word usage (reading-writing [Grw] ability). It is a combination of Test 3: Spelling and Test 14: Editing from the Extended Battery. This cluster has a median reliability of .95 in the 5 to 19 age range and .96 in the adult age range.

Written Expression The Written Expression cluster is an aggregate measure of meaningful written expression and fluency (reading-writing [Grw] and cognitive processing speed [Gs] abilities). This cluster is a combination of Test 6: Writing Samples and Test 11: Sentence Writing Fluency. It has a median reliability of .91 in the 5 to 19 age range and .92 in the adult age range.

Cross-Domain Clusters Seven cross-domain clusters are available. Two general academic proficiency cluster scores, Brief Achievement and Broad Achievement, are based on tests in the Standard Battery. Various combinations of tests in the Standard and Extended Batteries are used to form five additional cluster scores: Academic Skills, Academic Fluency, Academic Applications, Academic Knowledge, and Phoneme-Grapheme Knowledge. The three academic clusters (skills, fluency, and applications) contain tests of reading, math, and written language and can be used to determine whether the person exhibits significant strengths and/or weaknesses among these three types of tasks across academic areas. The Academic Knowledge cluster provides specific information about an individual’s content knowledge of science, social studies, and humanities. The Phoneme-Grapheme Knowledge cluster provides in-depth diagnostic information about the person’s basic understanding of sound/symbol relationships.

20 Descriptions of the WJ IV ACH Tests and Clusters Brief Achievement The Brief Achievement cluster is a combination of three tests: Test 1: Letter-Word Identification, Test 2: Applied Problems, and Test 3: Spelling. This cluster represents a screening of the person’s performance across reading, writing, and math. It has a median reliability of .96 in the 5 to 19 age range and .97 in the adult age range.

Broad Achievement The Broad Achievement cluster is a combination of the nine tests (Tests 1 through 6 and Tests 9 through 11) included in the Broad Reading, Broad Mathematics, and Broad Written Language clusters. The Broad Achievement cluster represents a person’s overall performance across the various achievement domains. It has a median reliability of .99 in the 5 to 19 age range and .99 in the adult age range.

Academic Skills The Academic Skills cluster is an aggregate measure of reading decoding, math calculation, and spelling of single-word responses, providing an overall score of basic achievement skills. It is a combination of Test 1: Letter-Word Identification, Test 3: Spelling, and Test 5: Calculation. This cluster has a median reliability of .97 in the 5 to 19 age range and .97 in the adult age range.

Academic Fluency The Academic Fluency cluster provides an overall index of academic fluency. It is a combination of Test 9: Sentence Reading Fluency, Test 10: Math Facts Fluency, and Test 11: Sentence Writing Fluency. This cluster has a median reliability of .97 in the 5 to 19 age range and .97 in the adult age range.

Academic Applications The Academic Applications cluster is a combination of Test 2: Applied Problems, Test 4: Passage Comprehension, and Test 6: Writing Samples. These three tests require the individual to apply academic skills to academic problems. This cluster has a median reliability of .95 in the 5 to 19 age range and .96 in the adult age range.

Academic Knowledge The Academic Knowledge cluster is comprised of three tests from the Extended Battery: Test 18: Science, Test 19: Social Studies, and Test 20: Humanities. These tests provide a broad sample of the individual’s range of scientific knowledge, social studies knowledge, and cultural knowledge (comprehension-knowledge [Gc]). The Academic Knowledge cluster has a median reliability of .92 in the 5 to 19 age range and .96 in the adult age range.

Phoneme-Grapheme Knowledge The Phoneme-Grapheme Knowledge cluster is a combination of Test 7: Word Attack and Test 16: Spelling of Sounds from the Extended Battery, requiring both reading-writing (Grw) and auditory processing (Ga) abilities. It may be used to evaluate an individual’s proficiency with phonic (sound) generalizations and his or her knowledge of common orthographic patterns (frequently occurring letter clusters) in both decoding (word reading) and encoding (spelling). It has a median reliability of .93 in the 5 to 19 age range and .94 in the adult age range.

Descriptions of the WJ IV ACH Tests and Clusters 21

Chapter 3 General Administration and Scoring Procedures

To become proficient in administering and scoring the Woodcock-Johnson IV Tests of Achievement (Schrank, Mather, & McGrew, 2014a) (WJ IV ACH), examiners should carefully study the general administration and scoring procedures in this chapter and the specific procedures for each test in Chapter 4 and in the Test Books. Additionally, two appendices of this manual provide reproducible checklists to help examiners build competency administering and scoring the tests. Appendix C, the “WJ IV Tests of Achievement Examiner Training Checklist,” is a test-by-test form that may be used as a self-study or observation tool. Appendix D is the “WJ IV General Test Observations Checklist,” which may be used by an experienced examiner when observing a new examiner.

Practice Administration

After thoroughly studying this Examiner’s Manual, the Test Books, the Test Record, and the Response Booklet, both experienced and novice examiners should administer several practice tests. When administering practice tests, try to replicate an actual testing situation, pretending that the practice session is an actual administration. Do not discuss the test or the answers to specific items. After completing each practice administration, record any questions that arose during the practice session. Before administering another practice test, answer the questions by reviewing the Examiner’s Manual or consulting an experienced examiner. While administering practice tests, strive for these two goals: exact administration and brief administration.

Exact Administration The goal of standardized testing is to see how well a person can respond when given instructions identical to those presented to individuals in the norming sample. When learning to administer the WJ IV ACH tests, study the contents of the Test Book, paying particular attention to the information on the introductory page of each test, the specific instructions on the test pages, and the boxes with special instructions. The first page after the tab in each test provides general information and instructions specific to that test. Review this information frequently. This page usually includes administration information, scoring information, suggested starting points, basal and ceiling requirements, and information about materials required to administer the test. The directions for administering each item are located on the examiner’s side of the pages in the Test Book. The directions include the script to be read to the examinee (printed in bold blue type) and, if applicable, specific pointing instructions. Always use the exact

General Administration and Scoring Procedures 23 wording. Do not change, reword, or modify the instructions in any way or the results will be compromised. The Test Book examiner pages frequently include boxes containing supplemental administration and scoring information. This information outlines procedures to follow if an individual responds incorrectly to a sample item or if he or she responds incorrectly or does not respond to a test item. During the first couple practice administrations, be certain to administer the tests correctly, regardless of how long it takes. At this beginning stage, testing may proceed quite slowly.

Brisk Administration After the initial practice sessions, strive for a brisk testing pace. Inefficient testing procedures bore the examinee, invite distraction, and increase testing time. It is not appropriate to stop testing and visit with the examinee during the testing session. When the person has finished responding to an item, immediately begin the next item. In most instances, an examinee does not need a break before beginning the next test. Each test begins with easy questions presented in a different format, thus providing a built- in change of pace from one test to the next. Using a brisk testing pace enhances rapport and helps an examinee maintain attention. Continue to practice administering the tests until the two goals of exact and brisk administration have been met.

Preparation for Testing

Before actual test administration, arrange the test setting, set up the test materials, and establish rapport with the examinee.

Arranging the Test Setting As recommended in the Standards for Educational and Psychological Testing (AERA, APA, & NCME, 2014, p. 116), the testing environment should furnish reasonable comfort with minimal distractions to avoid construct-irrelevant variance. If possible, the only two people in the room should be the examiner and the examinee. To avoid interruptions, post a sign such as the following on the door:

Testing—Please Do Not Disturb—Thank You

The room should have a table (or other flat working space of adequate size) and two chairs, one being an appropriate size for the examinee. A suitable seating arrangement allows the examiner to view both sides of the easel Test Book, point to all parts of the examinee’s page and the Response Booklet, regulate the audio equipment, and record responses on the Test Record out of the examinee’s view. The examinee should be able to view only the examinee’s test pages. When the Test Book easel is set up for administration, it becomes a screen allowing the examiner to record responses on the Test Record out of the examinee’s view. The best seating arrangement is one in which the examiner and the examinee sit diagonally across from each other at the corner of a table. This arrangement is illustrated in Figure 3-1 for a right-handed examiner. The arrangement (seating and setup of materials) should be reversed for a left-handed examiner.

24 General Administration and Scoring Procedures Figure 3-1. Recommended arrangement for administering the test.

Another possible seating arrangement is for the examiner and the examinee to sit directly across the table from each other. With this arrangement, the table must be narrow and low enough so that the examiner can see over the upright Test Book easel and accurately point to the examinee’s page when necessary.

Setting Up the Testing Materials The materials necessary for administering the WJ IV ACH are the Test Books, the accompanying Test Record and Response Booklet, and at least two sharpened pencils with erasers. For Test 16: Spelling of Sounds, which requires an audio presentation, audio equipment, preferably with headphones, and the audio recording also are needed. For timed tests, a stopwatch or a watch or clock with a second hand is necessary.

Establishing Rapport In most instances, the examiner will have little difficulty establishing a good relationship with the examinee. Do not begin testing unless the person seems relatively at ease. If he or she does not feel well or will not respond appropriately, do not attempt testing. Often examiners begin the testing session with a short period of conversation while completing the “Identifying Information” portion of the Test Record. A brief explanation of the test is provided in the “Introduction” section in the front of each Test Book. To help put the individual at ease, smile frequently throughout the testing session and call the person by name. Between tests, let the examinee know that he or she is doing a good job, using such comments as “fine” and “good.” Encourage a response even when items are difficult. It is fine to say, “Would you like to take a guess on that one?” but the comments should not reveal whether answers are correct or incorrect. Do not say, “Good” only after correct responses or pause longer after incorrect responses before proceeding to the next item.

Completing the “Identifying Information” Section of the Test Record For the most part, the “Identifying Information” section on the first page of the Test Record is self-explanatory. For younger examinees, verify the date of birth using school records or with a parent. Prior to testing, check to see if the person should be wearing glasses or a hearing aid.

General Administration and Scoring Procedures 25 If an examinee is not attending school (i.e., kindergarten through college), it is not necessary to record a grade placement unless it would be useful to compare the examinee’s performance with the average performance of students at some specified grade placement. For example, if an adult is applying for admission to a college, that adult’s performance might be compared with the average performance of students starting college (13.0). Or, if a child is being considered for early entrance into the first grade, that child’s performance might be compared with the average performance of students beginning grade 1 (1.0). If the person is tested during the summer months, record the grade that he or she has just completed. If an individual is enrolled in some type of nongraded program, record the normal grade placement for students of this person’s age at that time of the school year; this may provide the most appropriate grade level for test interpretation. Another option is to record the exact starting and stopping dates of the examinee’s school year. This option may be appropriate for students enrolled in year-round schools or in schools with starting and stopping dates that fall more than 2 weeks before or after the default dates of August 16 and June 15. When the exact starting and ending dates are entered into the Woodcock-Johnson online scoring and reporting program (Schrank & Dailey, 2014), the program automatically calculates the exact grade placement in tenths of the school year.

Administration and Scoring

This section contains general procedures for administering and scoring the WJ IV ACH.

Test Selection It is important to select tests that are appropriate for the individuals being evaluated. Consider the individual’s age, developmental level, and achievement levels as part of this test selection process. For example, it would be inappropriate to give a test that requires reading ability to a young child with limited reading experience. Whereas some tests, like Test 1: Letter-Word Identification or Test 4: Passage Comprehension have a number of prereading items, other tests like Test 9: Sentence Reading Fluency or Test 15: Word Reading Fluency do not. Do not administer these reading fluency measures to an individual who has not developed basic reading skills because the results would not reflect reading fluency, but rather the person’s limited reading skill. For example, on Test 9: Sentence Reading Fluency, the individual is asked to read each sentence, decide whether it is true or false, and circle yes or no. If this test is administered to a person who cannot read, the individual may randomly mark yes or no without reading the sentences at all and obtain a score that would not be a valid indicator of his or her reading skill. Examiners are encouraged to use selective testing principles for choosing the most appropriate set of tests for each individual. To help examiners determine whether or not a test is appropriate for an individual, many of the WJ IV ACH tests provide sample items and practice exercises. Examiners are directed to discontinue a test without administering the test items if the examinee does not get a specified number of sample items correct. Other tests provide early cut-offs if an individual’s performance is limited.

Order of Administration In most cases, administer the first six tests in the order that they appear in the Standard Battery. These are the core tests (Tests 1 through 6) and they have been organized to alternate between different tasks and achievement areas (e.g., reading versus math) to facilitate optimal attention and interest. However, testing may begin with the Extended Battery and the tests may be administered in any order. For example, testing may begin with Test 5: Calculation,

26 General Administration and Scoring Procedures rather than with Test 1: Letter-Word Identification. Furthermore, testing may be discontinued between the administration of any two tests. The decision to administer any of the remaining tests should be based upon the referral question(s) and the examinee’s age and interests. These additional tests may be administered in any order with one or two exceptions. If an examinee struggles with a certain type of task, as a general rule, do not administer two such tests in a row (e.g., timed tests, reading tests, or tests involving sustained writing, such as Test 6: Writing Samples or Test 11: Sentence Writing Fluency). Additionally, if planning to administer Test 9: Sentence Reading Fluency, Test 10: Math Facts Fluency, and Test 11: Sentence Writing Fluency, these timed tests should be interspersed in the administration sequence rather than administered consecutively.

Time Requirements Always schedule adequate time for testing. Generally, experienced examiners will require approximately 40 minutes to administer the core set of tests (Tests 1 through 6) in the Standard Battery. Administration of Test 6: Writing Samples requires about 15 to 20 minutes, whereas the other tests require about 5 to 10 minutes each. Allow a reasonable amount of time for a person to respond and then suggest moving on to the next item. Also allow more time for a specific item if the person requests it or if more time is allowed under the specific test directions. Very young individuals or those who have unique characteristics that may impact test administration may require additional testing time. These individuals may produce a scattering of correct responses requiring administration of a greater number of items. Some people may respond more slowly, change their answers more frequently, or require more prompting and querying. In addition, an examiner may inadvertently begin at an inappropriate starting point, which extends the testing time.

Suggested Starting Points On most of the WJ IV ACH tests, the first page after the tab provides special instructions or procedures to be followed and indicates where to begin. For example, the instructions may say that all examinees should take the sample items or that certain examinees should go to a specific starting point in the test. The starting points located on the Suggested Starting Points table are determined by an estimate of the individual’s present achievement level rather than by the age or grade placement (see Figure 3-2). Using suggested starting points with basal and ceiling levels (discussed in the following section) reduces unnecessary testing time. It is usually apparent whether the person performs markedly above or below the estimated achievement level after completing the first few tests. After determining how an examinee will perform, use the starting point that seems most appropriate.

Figure 3-2. Suggested Starting Points Suggested Starting Points Subject’s Estimated Preschool to Grades Grades Grade 10 to College and Achievement Kindergarten Grade 1 Grade 2 Grade 3 4 to 6 7 to 9 Average Adult Above Average Adult table for Test 2: Applied Problems from the WJ IV Begin With Item 1 Item 9 Item 12 Item 16 Item 21 Item 25 Item 29 Item 33 ACH Form A Test Book. Page 39 Page 45 Page 47 Page 49 Page 51 Page 53 Page 55 Page 57

Basals and Ceilings Many of the WJ IV ACH tests require the examiner to establish a basal and a ceiling. Exceptions are timed tests, such as Test 9: Sentence Reading Fluency, and tests that require

General Administration and Scoring Procedures 27 the administration of a preselected block of items, such as Test 6: Writing Samples. Not administering items that are extremely easy or difficult minimizes the number of items administered and maximizes the individual’s tolerance for the testing situation. The purpose of basal and ceiling requirements is to limit the number of items administered but still be able to estimate, with high probability, the score that the examinee would have obtained if all items were administered.

Meeting Basal and Ceiling Criteria When required, the basal and ceiling criteria are included in each test in the Test Book and are stated briefly at the top of each test on the Test Record. Because the basal and ceiling criteria are not the same for each test, review the criteria before testing. For example, in Test 1: Letter-Word Identification, the basal criterion is met when the examinee responds correctly to the 6 lowest-numbered items administered or when Item 1 has been administered. If the basal is not obtained, test backward until the examinee has met the basal criterion or until the page with Item 1 has been administered. Then return to the point at which testing was interrupted and continue testing. Using the same example of Test 1: Letter-Word Identification, the ceiling criterion is met when the examinee responds incorrectly to the last 6 consecutive items administered or when the page with the last test item has been administered. The best practice is to test by complete pages when stimulus material appears on the examinee’s side of the Test Book. If an examinee reaches a ceiling in the middle of a test page and there is no stimulus material on the examinee’s side, the examiner may discontinue testing. Because examinees do not see any of the pages that fall below the basal level or above the ceiling level, they are essentially unaware that the test has additional items. No Apparent Basal or No Apparent Ceiling Sometimes, upon completing a test, an individual may not show a consecutive set of correctly answered items at the beginning of the test (i.e., a basal level). This is expected for a young child or an individual who is performing at a low level of ability on that test. Figure 3-3 shows an example of an examinee who began Test 1: Letter-Word Identification with Item 1. The person missed Item 1. The examiner continued testing to establish the ceiling. Although the examinee answered 6 consecutive items correctly (Items 2 through 7), they are not the lowest-numbered items administered. In this case, with no apparent basal, Item 1 is used as the basal. The examinee would not receive credit for Item 1. In situations where the testing begins with Item 1, give credit only for the items the person answers correctly. Testing continued by complete pages until the ceiling was reached (6 consecutive items incorrect). In this example, the total Number Correct for this test is six. In other instances, an individual with a high level of ability may not reach a ceiling level at the end of a test. In cases with no apparent ceiling, the last test item is used as the ceiling.

28 General Administration and Scoring Procedures Figure 3-3. STANDARD BATTERY Example of Item 1 used as Test 1 the basal on Test 1: Letter- Basal: 6 lowest Letter-Word correct Identification Word Identification. Ceiling: 6 highest incorrect Score 1, 0 1 0 L 54 veteran 55 sphere 2 1 A 56 accustomed 57 contrary 3 1 S 58 cologne 4 1 W 59 stamina 60 ferocious 5 1 k 61 breathes 6 1 y 62 silhouette 7 R 1 63 thoroughfare 8 F 0 64 staunchest 9 p 0 65 millinery 10 J 0 66 heuristic 11 0 car 67 scepter 12 sun 0 68 municipality 13 dog 0 69 idiosyncrasy 14 the 70 minuend 15 at 71 rhetoric 16 and 72 aggrandizement 17 no 73 milieu 18 man 74 tertiary 19 she 75 septuagenarian 20 cup 76 echelon 21 fi sh 77 coiffure 22 have 78 macaque 23 into Number 24 keep 6 Correct (0–78) 25 them 26 must 27 going 28 people 29 light 30 morning 31 animal 32 could 33 garden 34 become 35 knew 36 library 37 point 38 often 39 special 40 however 41 brought 42 jewel 43 whose 44 natural 45 distance 46 overwhelm 47 signal 48 imagine 49 investigate 50 reverse 51 doubtful 52 guarantee 53 knead

2 Form A

General Administration and Scoring Procedures 29 Two Apparent Basals or Two Apparent Ceilings When scoring an individual’s responses, a pattern of two apparent basals may appear. When this occurs, use the lowest-numbered set of consecutive correct responses as the true basal. In the same respect, a pattern may exist with two apparent ceilings. In this case, use the highest- numbered set of consecutive incorrect responses as the true ceiling. These guidelines will ensure that the examinee’s ability is more accurately estimated. An examiner should continue testing if there is a clinically informed reason (other than chance) to believe that a person may fail an item below an apparent basal or may correctly answer an item above an apparent ceiling. The basal and ceiling criteria are simply guides to minimize testing time and reduce examinee frustration. When calculating the raw score for a test, take into account all the items the person passed and all the items he or she missed. Figure 3-4 illustrates how a basal and a ceiling were determined on Test 1: Letter-Word Identification for a sixth-grade boy referred for reading difficulties. The examiner initially estimated that this boy’s reading ability was similar to that of students in grade 3. Step 1. After referring to the Suggested Starting Points table for Test 1: Letter-Word Identification, the examiner began this test with Item 30, the suggested starting point for an individual whose reading ability was estimated at grade 3. The entire page of items (Items 30 through 37) was administered. The basal level was not established because the person missed Item 33 (as well as Items 36 and 37). Step 2. The examiner then turned back one page and presented Items 22 through 29. The examinee missed Item 26. Although 6 consecutive items (Items 27 through 32) were answered correctly, the basal level was still not established because the person did not answer the 6 lowest-numbered items administered (Items 22 through 27) correctly. Step 3. The examiner went back one more page and administered Items 14 through 21, all of which the examinee answered correctly. The basal level for Test 1: Letter-Word Identification was then established because the person answered the 6 lowest-numbered items administered (Items 14 through 19) correctly. Step 4. The examiner then returned to the point at which testing was interrupted and resumed testing with Item 38. Because there is stimulus material on the examinee’s side of the Test Book, the examiner administered all of the items on that page (Items 38 through 45). The examinee missed seven consecutive items (Items 38 through 44); however, a ceiling was not yet established because the individual answered the last item on the page (Item 45) correctly. Because the examiner could not be confident that this examinee’s true ceiling level had been reached, testing continued. Step 5. The examiner administered all the items on the next page (Items 46 through 53) and obtained a ceiling when the examinee answered all of them incorrectly. Step 6. The examiner stopped testing with Item 53 because the ceiling level had been reached and the page was completed. The examiner then totaled the number of correct responses and included a point for each item below the basal to obtain the raw score of 34. The total of 34 was entered in the Number Correct box on the Test Record.

30 General Administration and Scoring Procedures Figure 3-4. STANDARD BATTERY Determination of basal and Test 1 ceiling with two apparent Basal: 6 lowest Letter-Word correct Identification basals and two apparent Ceiling: 6 highest incorrect ceilings. Score 1, 0 1 L 54 veteran 55 sphere 2 A 56 accustomed 57 contrary 3 S 58 cologne 4 W 59 stamina 60 ferocious 5 k 61 breathes 6 y 62 silhouette 7 R 63 thoroughfare 8 F 64 staunchest 9 p 65 millinery 10 J 66 heuristic 11 car 67 scepter 12 sun 68 municipality 13 dog 69 idiosyncrasy 14 1 the 70 minuend 15 1 at 71 rhetoric 16 1 and 72 aggrandizement 17 1 no 73 milieu 18 man 1 74 tertiary 19 she 1 75 septuagenarian 20 cup 1 76 echelon 21 fi sh 1 77 coiffure 22 1 have 78 macaque 23 into 1 Number 24 1 keep 34 Correct (0–78) 25 1 them 26 0 must STEP 3: 27 1 going 28 1 people Tested backward one more page and administered Items 14–21. The 29 1 light basal is established because the examinee answered all correctly. 30 1 morning The 6 lowest-numbered consecutive items administered were correct 31 1 animal (Items 14–19) and form the basal. 32 1 could 33 0 garden 34 1 become STEP 2: 35 1 knew Tested backward one page and administered Items 22–29. No basal 36 0 library 37 0 point was established because the examinee missed Item 26. (The 6 lowest- numbered items [Items 22–27] administered were not all correct.) 38 0 often 39 0 special 40 0 however STEP 1: 41 0 brought Testing began with Item 30. After completing the page, no basal 42 0 jewel 43 0 whose was established because the 6 lowest-numbered consecutive items 44 0 natural administered (Items 30–35) were not all correct. The examinee 45 1 distance missed Item 33 (as well as Items 36 and 37). 46 0 overwhelm 47 0 signal STEP 4: 48 0 imagine 49 0 investigate Resumed testing with Item 38 and administered the complete page 50 0 reverse (Items 38–45). No ceiling was established because the examinee 51 0 doubtful 52 0 guarantee answered Item 45 correctly. 53 0 knead STEP 5: STEP 6: The examiner continued testing and administered Items 46–53. The Discontinued testing and calculated the ceiling is established because the examinee missed the 6 highest- Number Correct (34). numbered items answered (Items 48–53) and completed a page. 2 Form A

General Administration and Scoring Procedures 31 Tests Requiring the Response Booklet The WJ IV ACH Response Booklet includes test material that the examinee uses to complete any test requiring writing or calculating. The Response Booklet is needed when administering Test 3: Spelling, Test 5: Calculation, Test 6: Writing Samples, Test 9: Sentence Reading Fluency, Test 10: Math Facts Fluency, Test 11: Sentence Writing Fluency, Test 15: Word Reading Fluency, and Test 16: Spelling of Sounds. In addition, the front cover of the Response Booklet is designed as a worksheet that the examinee can use with Test 2: Applied Problems and Test 13: Number Matrices. Provide the examinee with the Response Booklet and a sharpened pencil with an eraser when directed to do so by the Test Book instructions. At the completion of each test, collect the Response Booklet and pencil.

Timed Tests Test 9: Sentence Reading Fluency, Test 10: Math Facts Fluency, Test 11: Sentence Writing Fluency, and Test 15: Word Reading Fluency are timed tests. The following tests each have a 3-minute time limit: Test 9: Sentence Reading Fluency, Test 10: Math Facts Fluency, and Test 15: Word Reading Fluency. Test 11: Sentence Writing Fluency has a 5-minute time limit. Although Tests 9 through 11 are in a numeric sequence, it is recommended that these three timed tests not be administered consecutively. The time limits are noted in both the Test Book and the Test Record. Administer these tests using a stopwatch. If not using a stopwatch, write the exact starting and finishing times in minutes and seconds in the space provided on the Test Record. For example, 17:23 would indicate that the test started at 17 minutes and 23 seconds after the hour. The test then would end exactly 3 minutes later at 20 minutes and 23 seconds (20:23) after the hour. A watch or clock with a second hand is also useful for administering tests with the instruction to proceed to the next item if an examinee has not responded to an item within a specified period of time.

Audio-Recorded Tests Use the standardized audio recording to present Test 16: Spelling of Sounds. Use a good quality CD player and headphones or earbuds to administer the audio test. Make sure that the audio equipment has a good speaker; is in good working order; and produces a faithful, clear reproduction of the test items. During the standardization, all audio-recorded tests were administered using good-quality equipment. Using a computer to administer the audio tests is not recommended because the sound quality varies greatly and may distort the audio stimuli. If a computer is used, it must have good quality external speakers or a good quality headset. It is the examiner’s responsibility to ensure that the audio equipment used for testing presents the audio stimuli accurately so that an examinee’s performance is not affected by poor sound quality. Although Test 16: Spelling of Sounds may be presented orally, use of the audio recording and headphones is recommended unless the person resists wearing headphones or has difficulty attending to an audio-recorded presentation. If a test must be presented orally, attempt to say each item in the same manner that it is presented on the audio recording. Because the audio test is presented on a CD, the tracks are identified for each starting point. Consult the Test Book or the CD’s table of contents to locate the appropriate track number and starting point for this test. Adjust the volume on the audio equipment before the examinee puts on the headphones. The examiner can wear a monaural earphone or wear only one headphone over one ear.

32 General Administration and Scoring Procedures Generally, when administering an audio-recorded test, look away from the examinee while a test item is being presented. Immediately after the double beep, look at the examinee expectantly to encourage a response. Adequate time between items is provided for most people to respond. However, the pause control button on the audio equipment may be used if the individual needs additional time on Test 16: Spelling of Sounds. Additionally, if the person requests it, items may be repeated for this test.

Examinee Requests for Information Occasionally examinees will request other information, and it will generally be easy to recognize at once whether it is appropriate to supply the requested information. Even after testing has been completed, never tell the person whether specific answers are correct or incorrect. If an individual requests information that cannot be supplied, respond with a comment such as, “I’m not supposed to help you with that.”

Examiner Queries For certain responses, the Query keys in the Test Book provide prompts designed to elicit another answer from the examinee. For example, a few items on Test 5: Calculation require the examinee to reduce fractions to obtain credit. A query on these items is a reminder to ask the examinee to simplify his or her answer. Use professional judgment when querying responses that are not listed in the Query key. For example, if an individual provides a response that seems to be partially correct, it is permissible to query with a comment such as, “Tell me more about that.”

Evaluating Test Behavior Good testing practice requires careful observation and documentation of the examinee’s behaviors under standardized test administration conditions.

Test Session Observations Checklist The “Test Session Observations Checklist” is a brief, seven-category behavior rating scale intended to systematize and document a number of salient examiner observations. The categories include levels of conversational proficiency, cooperation, and activity; attention and concentration; self-confidence; care in responding; and response to difficult tasks. As noted in Figure 3-5, a range of possible responses is provided for each category.

Figure 3-5. Test Session Observations Checklist The “Test Session Check only one category for each item. Level of conversational proficienc Self-confidenc Observations Checklist” ❑ 1. Very advanced ❑ 1. Appeared confident and self-assured from the Test Record. ❑ 2. Advanced ❑ 2. Appeared at ease and comfortable (typical for age/grade) ❑ 3. Typical for age/grade ❑ 3. Appeared tense or worried at times ❑ 4. Limited ❑ 4. Appeared overly anxious ❑ 5. Very limited Care in responding Level of cooperation ❑ 1. Very slow and hesitant in responding ❑ 1. Exceptionally cooperative throughout the examination ❑ 2. Slow and careful in responding ❑ 2. Cooperative (typical for age/grade) ❑ 3. Prompt but careful in responding (typical for age/grade) ❑ 3. Uncooperative at times ❑ 4. At times responded too quickly ❑ 4. Uncooperative throughout the examination ❑ 5. Impulsive and careless in responding Level of activity Response to difficult tasks ❑ 1. Seemed lethargic ❑ 1. Noticeably increased level of effort for difficult tasks ❑ 2. Typical for age/grade ❑ 2. Generally persisted with difficult tasks (typical for age/grade) ❑ 3. Appeared fidgety or restless at times ❑ 3. Attempted but gave up easily ❑ 4. Overly active for age/grade; resulted in difficulty attending to tasks ❑ 4. Would not try difficult tasks at all Attention and concentration ❑ 1. Unusually absorbed by the tasks ❑ 2. Attentive to the tasks (typical for age/grade) ❑ 3. Distracted often ❑ 4. Consistently inattentive and distracted

General Administration and Scoring Procedures 33 When using this checklist, it is necessary to possess knowledge of the behaviors that can be considered both typical and atypical for the age or grade level of the individual who is being assessed. A wide range of behaviors may be considered typical within any age or grade level. The checklist is designed so that a “typical” rating in each category is easily identified. For example, typical examinees are cooperative during the examination, seem at ease and comfortable, are attentive to the tasks, respond promptly but carefully, and generally persist with difficult tasks. These behaviors are indicated as “Typical for age/grade” on the checklist. For other categories, particularly those that reveal marked differences from age to age, examiners will need to apply a finer knowledge of age- or grade-appropriate behaviors. For example, “typical” levels of activity or conversational proficiency would be quite different for a 5-year-old than for a 9-year-old child. For some age or grade levels, ratings such as “Appeared fidgety or restless at times” could be included within the range of behaviors that is “Typical for age/grade” rather than a separate category. In such instances, it would be more accurate to check “Typical for age/grade” than “Appeared fidgety or restless at times” because the former conveys the concept of age- or grade-appropriate behavior. Use the “Test Session Observations Checklist,” located on the Test Record, immediately after test administration. Each of the items describes a category of observations. For each item, place a check mark in the box corresponding to the quality that best describes the behavior of the individual who was assessed. Only one category should be checked for each item. If any item does not apply to the individual, or if the categories do not convey an adequate description of the examinee’s test session behaviors, leave the item blank. Also note any other behaviors of clinical interest. This type of qualitative information may affect interpretation of test results. Be sure to respond to the question “Do you have any reason to believe this testing session may not represent a fair sample of the examinee’s abilities?” located on the Test Record cover. If Yes is checked in response to this question, complete the sentence “These results may not be a fair estimate because… ______.” Examples of reasons for questioning the validity of the test results may include suspected or known problems with an examinee’s hearing or vision, emotional problems of a nature that interfere with the person’s ability to concentrate, and certain background factors (e.g., English not being a well-established second language). The seven scales included in the “Test Session Observations Checklist” were derived from a review of related scales and research on test session observations. The checklist can help to qualitatively describe behaviors that may facilitate or inhibit cognitive, linguistic, and academic performance. Additionally, certain responses to one or more of the categories may impact the interpretation of an examinee’s scores. For example, an individual’s test performance may have been impaired by distractibility during testing. Another person’s performance may have been facilitated by an increase in effort when difficult tasks were presented. In summary, the examinee’s observed behavior can provide valuable clinical information, especially when the behavior in the test session can be compared with his or her behavior in the classroom and other settings.

“Qualitative Observation” Checklists The 11 tests in the Standard Batteries (Forms A, B, C) each have a “Qualitative Observation” checklist on the Test Record. The purpose of these checklists is to document examinee performance on the test through qualitative observations, or in the case of Test 8: Oral Reading, a quantitative observation. Although these checklists are optional, important insights can be gained about the person’s performance from documented observations about how the individual completed the task. For example, on Test 1: Letter-Word Identification, the examiner may observe that the examinee read the words accurately but quite slowly,

34 General Administration and Scoring Procedures indicating a lack of automaticity. Or the examiner may observe that the examinee did not apply phoneme-grapheme relationships. Figure 3-6 illustrates the possible observations for Test 1: Letter-Word Identification.

Figure 3-6. Qualitative Observation “Qualitative Observation” On Letter-Word Identification, checklist for Test 1: Letter- which of the following best Word Identification. describes the ease with which the individual identified words? (Mark only one response.) ❏ 1. Identified words rapidly and accurately with little effort (automatic word identification skills) ❏ 2. Identified initial items rapidly and accurately and identified more difficult items through increased application of phoneme-grapheme relationships (typical) ❏ 3. Identified initial items rapidly and accurately but had difficulty applying phoneme- grapheme relationships to latter items ❏ 4. Required increased time and greater attention to phoneme- grapheme relationships to determine the correct response (nonautomatic word identification skills) ❏ 5. Was not able to apply phoneme-grapheme relationships ❏ 6. None of the above, not observed, or does not apply

Scoring

Because the examinee’s pattern of correct and incorrect responses is needed to determine basal and ceiling levels, complete the item scoring during test administration (except for the timed tests and Test 6: Writing Samples). Some raw scores (number correct or number of points) can be calculated between tests, while others are calculated after all testing is completed. After the raw scores are totaled, estimated age- and grade-equivalent scores are readily available from the “Scoring Tables” on the Test Record. Use the online scoring program to complete all other scoring.

Item Scoring With the exception of three tests (Test 6: Writing Samples, Test 8: Oral Reading, and Test 12: Reading Recall), score each item administered by placing a 1 or a 0 in the appropriate space on the Test Record: 1 = correct response, 0 = incorrect or no response. (Detailed scoring procedures for Test 6: Writing Samples, Test 8: Oral Reading, and Test 12: Reading Recall are included in Chapter 4.) For items not administered, leave the corresponding spaces on the Test Record blank. After a test has been administered and completely scored, the only blank spaces should be items below the basal and above the ceiling levels or items not included in the assigned block of items.

General Administration and Scoring Procedures 35 The Correct and Incorrect keys accompanying many of the items in the Test Book are guides that demonstrate how certain responses are scored. Not all possible Correct and Incorrect answers are listed. Judgment is required when scoring some responses. In the Correct keys, the first response listed is the answer given most frequently during the standardization. All other correct responses are listed alphabetically.

Use of Judgment in Scoring Responses Occasionally, an examinee’s response does not fall clearly into the correct or incorrect category or it is difficult to decide if the item should be scored correct or incorrect on the basis of the key. In this case, record the actual response on the Test Record and then score it later upon completion of testing. Until a decision has been made, do not use the item(s) to determine a basal or ceiling. Continue testing until the basal or ceiling criterion is met without including the unscored item(s). If, after further consideration, it is still not clear how to score several responses, balance the scores (1s and 0s). For example, if two questionable responses remain, score one item 1 and the other 0.

Additional Notations for Recording Responses In addition to using 1s and 0s to score items, writing the following abbreviations on the Test Record margins may be helpful when recording an examinee’s responses. These supplementary symbols can provide additional information about the person’s testing behavior. Q: Query—indicates a question was asked to clarify the response DK: Don’t Know—indicates the examinee responded, “I don’t know.” NR: No Response—indicates the examinee did not respond to the item SC: Self Correction—indicates the examinee correctly changed a response When possible, incorrect responses should be recorded verbatim on the Test Record for diagnostic purposes. In addition to providing data for error analysis, recording actual responses allows comparison of an individual’s current responses with future responses if the test is administered again.

Scoring Multiple Responses If a person gives more than one answer to an item, score the last answer given as correct or incorrect. Do not base the score on the initial response. This procedure should be used even if an examinee changes a response given much earlier in the testing session. The new response, whether correct or incorrect, is used as the final basis for scoring that item. For example, when shown a picture of a kangaroo in Test 18: Science, a girl initially responded that she knew the animal but could not remember the name. During a later test in the session, she informed the examiner that the animal she saw earlier was a kangaroo. The examiner went back to the Test 18: Science portion of the Test Record and correctly credited the response with a 1. If an examinee provides both a correct and an incorrect response to an item, query the response by saying, “Which is it?” For example, if the person responds “a fish or a frog” to an item about tadpoles in Test 18: Science, say, “Tell me one answer.” Score the final response.

36 General Administration and Scoring Procedures Computing Raw Scores For Test 6: Writing Samples, Test 8: Oral Reading, and Test 12: Reading Recall, the raw score is the number of points or number correct in the given block or group of items. For all other tests, the raw score is the number of correct responses or the number of points plus every item in the test below the basal. Do not include points for sample items in the calculation of raw scores. Although responses to the sample items are recorded on the Test Record, they are indented and appear in screened boxes and are clearly distinct from the actual test items. Record the raw score in the screened Number Correct or Number of Points box at the end of each test on the Test Record. The scoring for each test can be completed before moving to the next test or as the examinee is working on a timed test, such as Test 11: Sentence Writing Fluency.

Obtaining Age- and Grade-Equivalent Scores Receive immediate feedback regarding the examinee’s level of performance during the testing session by computing the raw score and checking the estimated age- or grade-equivalent score. These results may suggest the possible need for further testing, perhaps in the same test session. To obtain estimated age- and grade-equivalent scores, calculate the examinee’s raw score, locate that score in the first column of the “Scoring Table” provided for each test on the Test Record, and encircle the entire row including the raw score. The circled row will include the number correct or number of points, the estimated age equivalent (AE), and the estimated grade equivalent (GE). The “Scoring Tables” on the Test Record provide estimates of the actual AE or GE. In some cases, these scores will be the same as those produced by the online scoring program. In other cases, however, differences will exist between the estimated AE/GE and the actual AE/GE. For example, timed tests or tests with subtests may have differences between the estimated and actual scores. When discussing AEs or GEs or including these scores in reports, use the actual scores from the online scoring program, rather than the estimated ones from the Test Record.

Using the Woodcock-Johnson Online Scoring and Reporting Program The Woodcock-Johnson online scoring and reporting program (Schrank & Dailey, 2014) calculates derived scores, variations, comparisons, and discrepancies. Enter identifying information, raw scores, “Test Session Observations Checklist” information, and “Qualitative Observation” information directly from the Test Record into the online scoring program. The online scoring program automatically calculates the examinee’s chronological age and tenth-of-school-year grade placement (based on a standard school year). If the student is enrolled in a year-round school or a school with starting or ending dates that fall more than 2 weeks before or after the default range (i.e., August 16 through June 15), use the option for entering exact starting and ending dates of the school year. Due to the wide variation in starting and ending dates for schools and districts, use this option regularly to increase the precision of the grade norms accessed by the scoring program. After entering the starting and ending dates into the scoring program, it automatically calculates the exact grade placement, in tenths of the school year. The program includes separate data entry fields for the Woodcock-Johnson IV Tests of Cognitive Abilities (WJ IV COG) (Schrank, McGrew, & Mather, 2014b), the Woodcock-Johnson IV Tests of Oral Language (WJ IV OL) (Schrank, Mather, & McGrew, 2014b) and the WJ IV Tests of Achievement (Schrank,

General Administration and Scoring Procedures 37 Mather, & McGrew, 2014a) to allow for different dates of testing and different examiners. Similarly, examiner observations can be entered in the scoring program. Certain changes can be made to the table of scores. For example, electing a larger standard score confidence band (68% is recommended), changing the variation and comparison cut-score criteria (1.5 is recommended), or electing to include an additional score for reporting purposes are possible changes.

Accommodations

The WJ IV is ideally suited to increase the participation of students with disabilities in assessment and accountability systems. This section identifies several administration features of the WJ IV that allow individuals with disabilities to participate more fully in the evaluation process. Setting The individual administration format of the WJ IV ACH provides the opportunity for standardized assessment on a one-to-one basis. Use of a separate location for testing minimizes the distractions inherent in a classroom group-testing environment. If needed, use noise buffers such as earplugs or headphones to mask external sounds. Also, incorporate special lighting, special acoustics, or adaptive or special furniture if needed. Timing Use of basal and ceiling rules focuses the assessment on the examinee’s level of ability and minimizes testing time. In addition, frequent breaks can be taken between tests, if needed. With the exception of the timed tests, individuals can have extended time to complete tasks, if required. Presentation All instructions are presented orally to the examinee, and the language of the instructions is at a sufficiently simple level of linguistic complexity to minimize language comprehension barriers. The instructions may be repeated or signed, if necessary. Special sample items on many of the tests help clarify the person’s understanding. Use of large print, fewer items per page, and increased space between items allows examinees to focus better on individual items without being overwhelmed by simultaneous presentation of multiple items as would occur during a group-administered assessment. Audio presentation of certain tests helps ensure standardized item presentation and allows adjustment of the volume to a comfortable level for each individual. Visual magnification devices and templates that reduce glare also may be incorporated into the assessment without affecting validity. Scheduling Administration of the WJ IV ACH tests can be scheduled at a specific time of day to accommodate individual examinee needs. The tests may be presented in any order to maximize interest and performance. When an individual cannot sustain peak performance for long periods of time, the test may be administered over several days.

Recommended Accommodations As a general rule, the examiner should adhere to standard administration and scoring procedures. However, at times, an examinee’s special attributes need to be accommodated. “An appropriate accommodation is one that responds to specific individual characteristics but does so in a way that does not change the construct the test is measuring or the meaning of the scores” (AERA, APA, NCME, 2014, p. 67). In providing accommodations and interpreting test results for individuals with disabilities, be sensitive to the limitations different impairments may impose on a person’s abilities and behavior.

38 General Administration and Scoring Procedures A modification means that the content of the test has been altered. It is important to recognize that modifications may have a compromising effect on the validity of the test results. Modifications are usually inappropriate because “an adaptation for a particular disability is inappropriate when the purpose of a test is to diagnose the presence and degree of that disability. For example, allowing extra time on a timed test to determine distractability and speed-of-processing difficulties associated with attention deficit disorder would make it impossible to determine the extent to which the attention and processing-speed difficulties actually exist” (AERA, APA, & NCME, 2014, p. 62). For example, no accommodation is appropriate for an individual with limited reading skill if the test being administered is designed to measure reading ability. In this instance, the modification would fundamentally alter the construct being measured. Table 3-1 includes two applicable standards from the Standards for Educational and Psychological Testing (AERA, APA, & NCME, 2014).

Table 3-1. Standard Criterion Standards Regarding Examinee Accommodations 6.1 Test administrators should follow carefully the standardized procedures for administration and scoring From the Standards specified by the test developer and any instructions from the test user. (p. 114) for Educational and 3.10 When test accommodations are permitted, test developers and/or test users are responsible for Psychological Testing documenting standard provisions for using the accommodation and for monitoring the appropriate implementation of the accommodation. (p. 67)

Generally, the examiner should select and administer tests that do not require modifications. The broad classes of examinees often requiring some level of accommodation in the assessment process are: young children; English language learners; individuals with attentional or learning difficulties; and individuals with hearing, visual, and physical impairments. Prior to making accommodations, the examiner should be trained in the specific area or should consult with a professional who has such expertise. Selected portions of the WJ IV ACH may be used for individuals with sensory impairments if their physical or sensory limitations interfere with performance, or make performance impossible, on certain other tests.

Young Children Assessing young children in their preschool and early school years requires an examiner who is trained and knowledgeable in this type of assessment. Examiners must select tests that are appropriate for the age and functional level of the examinee. Some tests may not have an adequate floor for young or low-functioning individuals, and other tests are designed for use with school-age children or older individuals. For example, few individuals below age 6 would be expected to perform adequately on tests such as Test 9: Sentence Reading Fluency, Test 13: Number Matrices, or Test 14: Editing. On the other hand, examinees as young as age 2 generally can perform beginning tasks on Test 18: Science, Test 19: Social Studies, and Test 20: Humanities. Preparation for Testing Some young children may be uncomfortable with unfamiliar adults and may have difficulty separating from their caregiver or teacher. It may be necessary to spend additional time with such a child with a familiar adult nearby prior to accompanying the child to the testing situation. Let the young child know that the caregiver is nearby and will be around when testing is completed. In extreme circumstances, it may be necessary to have the familiar adult stay with the child during testing. However, under these circumstances, the caregiver must understand the standardized conditions under which the testing must occur. Every effort

General Administration and Scoring Procedures 39 should be made to minimize the caregiver’s involvement in the test situation. If a parent must be present during the testing session, carefully explain the testing process, including the establishment of test basals and ceilings (i.e., that some items may be very easy for the child and that other items may be difficult), before the actual testing begins. Also, explain to the parent that it is important he or she not assist the child in any way during the testing session. The parent should be asked to sit to one side behind the child so that it is not too easy for the child to interact with the parent during the test administration. General Guidelines Several early development tests require the child to respond verbally. Initially, some children may be shy and refuse to speak with an unfamiliar adult. If the child persists in not speaking, even after several rapport-building activities between the examiner and the child, such as playing with a preferred toy and spending some time together outside of the testing situation, it may be best to discontinue testing and try again at a later date. It also may be beneficial to administer tests in a different order. For example, the assessment could begin with tests that require only a pointing response and then continue with tests that require verbal responses. Intelligibility also is often an issue when testing young children. Instructions on many of the tests indicate to not penalize examinees for articulation errors, dialect variations, or regional speech patterns. Additional time conversing with or observing the child prior to the testing situation may be necessary to discern such variations. Follow-up conversation after testing also may be informative. Do not ask the child to repeat responses frequently, but instead note the difficulty with intelligibility in the report. Young children typically need more frequent breaks during the testing session than do older students and adults. Short breaks are particularly helpful if the child has a short attention span or high activity level, both of which are common in young children. Be careful to provide break activities that are enjoyable but not so engaging that the child does not want to return to the test situation. Quiet break-time activities, such as rolling a ball, working a puzzle, walking to get a drink of water, having a short snack, or other activities with a clear beginning and end, are typically most desirable. Many children will respond positively if given reinforcements, such as verbal praise, smiles, stickers, or snacks, between tests. Use of a friendly and engaging voice during the test administration may help involve the child better in the test situation. Praise the child’s efforts but do not indicate whether responses are correct or incorrect. Conduct testing at a table of appropriate height for the child. It is important that the child be able to sit independently and upright in a chair without adult assistance. Consider the visual perspective of the young child. The child should not sit too low (e.g., on a small chair at a big table), sit on the floor, or sit on a parent’s lap looking down on the test materials. This is especially important on items where the child receives visual information from the Test Book easel. Attempt to eliminate distractions in the environment. While this is true for all examinees, it is particularly important with young children who may be much more easily distracted. Colorful pictures on the wall, open window blinds, and toys around the room may make it difficult for the child to attend to the test. When testing young children, attempt to make the testing situation engaging, interesting, and fun. Adjusting the pace of testing to meet the needs of the child is important. While many young children will respond best to a brisk pace with frequent verbal praise, some young children prefer a quieter, slower pace with limited verbalization, especially when they are starting out in a new situation.

40 General Administration and Scoring Procedures English Language Learners The most important accommodation for students who are English language learners (ELLs) is having an examiner who is knowledgeable about important issues relevant to second language acquisition, the assessment process, and the interpretation of test results for students who are ELLs. To this end, the examiner must be familiar with the second language acquisition process, native language attrition, language shift in dominance, cross linguistic transfer of learning, and the impact of special language programming and socioeconomic factors on language learning (August & Shanahan, 2006; Cummins & Hornberger, 2008; de Leeuw, 2008; Flege, Schirru, & MacKay, 2003; Grosjean, 2001; Thomas & Collier, 2002). The examiner must know about the availability and limitations of tests in the student’s native language, as well as how to interpret the test performance of individuals who are ELLs. Preparation for Testing If not knowledgeable about the second language acquisition process, the examiner must consult a teacher or specialist who is well-versed in this area before, during, and after the assessment. The examiner must investigate and document the examinee’s educational history and current educational placements (e.g., bilingual education, English-as-a-second-language programs, schooling in foreign countries, interventions, peer tutoring, therapy, attendance history). Be aware of sociological, cultural, and economic influences in test selection and interpretation. In addition, knowledge and understanding of the examinee’s linguistic history and environment is critical prior to test administration for accurate assessment and interpretation. In considering language background, explore the individual’s language use at home, at school, and in the community. The examiner also must know the extent of the examinee’s knowledge of his or her first language(s) and the examinee’s number of years of exposure to the English language. Other issues that should be recognized and taken into consideration are that students who are ELLs can vary greatly in cultural factors, such as values, beliefs, aspirations, learning styles, lifestyles, mores, and attitudes and that poverty is a very significant sociocultural factor limiting language development (Burney & Beilke, 2008; Walker-Dalhouse & Risko, 2008). General Guidelines Make certain the examinee understands the task required for each test administered. With some English language learners, the vocabulary and syntax used in the test instructions may be too complex. Although the test instructions are controlled for complexity, it may be necessary to provide further explanation of the task using English words that are more familiar to the examinee. In some cases, an examiner may enhance a person’s understanding by reviewing the test instructions or providing opportunities for supplementary practice before test administration. This additional practice can help an individual who may lack familiarity with the content of test items or test-taking strategies. These adaptations constitute modifications of standardized testing procedures and should be documented. However, keep in mind that if a specific test is intended to measure an aspect of an individual’s English language ability, such as listening, speaking, reading, or writing, modifying the standardized procedures of the item content is inappropriate. If an examinee responds to a test item in his or her first language instead of in English, ask the individual for a response in English. If the person cannot answer an item in English but can answer in his or her first language, make a note on the Test Record even though the response will not receive credit. This information can be useful when interpreting the test results and determining the appropriateness of the testing. For a more complete, accurate, and equitable measurement of individuals who are ELLs, an assessment may need to be administered in the examinee’s native language. The Woodcock tests provide a variety of assessment measures that can be used in bilingual evaluations. To

General Administration and Scoring Procedures 41 ensure appropriate selection and use of tests, be familiar with the available tests and their general functions, the language(s) of the tests, the age ranges they cover, and the specific assessment features they contain for testing individuals from bilingual backgrounds. For example, if an examinee has had academic instruction in Spanish, consider administering the Batería III Woodcock-Muñoz® Normative Update: Pruebas de aprovechamiento (Batería III ACH NU) (Muñoz-Sandoval, Woodcock, McGrew, & Mather, 2007) in combination with, or instead of, the WJ IV ACH for a standardized measure of achievement. If an individual is bilingual in English and Spanish, administration of the three oral language tests available in English and Spanish located in the WJ IV Tests of Oral Language (Schrank, Mather, & McGrew, 2014b) is informative to investigate oral language proficiency and dominance. This information will help when making a determination if cognitive and achievement testing should be completed in English, Spanish, or both languages. If the person has had academic instruction in a language other than English and Spanish, informal assessment techniques in the individual’s native language can provide useful and qualitative information about his or her present functioning levels. Some examples of informal assessment techniques include asking the individual to: (a) relate an event or tell a story; (b) read a passage in a grade-level school book, newspaper, or magazine; or (c) write sentences, a paragraph, or a story.

Individuals With Learning and/or Reading Difficulties In certain instances, it may be necessary to provide certain accommodations for examinees with learning and/or reading problems. Often the appropriateness of an accommodation can be determined by the reason for the referral. For example, it is not appropriate to read the reading tests to an individual who is struggling with reading because the purpose of the evaluation is to determine the extent and severity of the reading impairment. By reading the test, the construct being measured is altered and the test of reading ability becomes a measure of oral comprehension. While not appropriate in the testing situation, this type of accommodation may be entirely appropriate when the student encounters unmanageable reading tasks in the classroom setting. Similarly, an examinee may complete tasks at a very slow rate. Although most of the WJ IV tests do not have a time limit, allowing additional time is not appropriate on timed tests. The purpose of the timed tests is to ascertain how quickly the person can perform tasks within a specified amount of time. Some people may take an undue amount of time on items that are too difficult for them to complete; for example, an individual may rework math problems several times in different ways to come up with solutions. In these cases, attempt to keep the process moving so that the pace of testing is not monotonous. For some examinees with severe perceptual impairments, use of a card or piece of paper to highlight or draw attention to specific items is appropriate. Individuals with poor fine motor control may need to type responses rather than write them in the Response Booklet. Others who are easily frustrated by tasks that become too difficult may respond better to several short testing sessions rather than one lengthy session. Examinees with weaknesses in specific abilities often require more encouragement and reinforcement during the testing process than those who learn easily. Provide specific praise and positive comments as needed to keep the individual engaged and to reinforce his or her effort.

Individuals With Attentional and Behavioral Difficulties Clinical expertise is needed when assessing individuals with severe behavioral or attentional difficulties. Examiners should have specific training in this area or should consult with a professional who has such expertise.

42 General Administration and Scoring Procedures Preparation for Testing It is desirable to become familiar with an examinee’s typical classroom behavior prior to conducting the assessment. If possible, develop rapport with the person before engaging in formal assessment procedures. Depending on the age of the individual, this could include classroom or playground visits or an informal interview prior to the assessment. It is often beneficial to identify specific activities that the examinee enjoys (e.g., playing a computer game, shooting baskets on the playground). These activities can sometimes be used as reinforcers during break times. General Guidelines When testing individuals with attentional and behavioral difficulties, implementing behavioral management techniques may help avoid or reduce problem behavior and increase the likelihood of compliance. The following, adapted from several sources (Herschell, Greco, Filcheck, & McNeil, 2002; Prifitera, Saklofske, & Weiss, 2008; Sattler & Hoge, 2005), are suggested techniques for managing examinee behavior. Schedule the testing session when the person is most likely to perform at his or her best. To ensure a more positive reaction, testing can be done in several short sessions. Short breaks should be quiet and structured. To help the individual stay on task, remove all distractions from the testing environment and keep test materials that are not in use out of the examinee’s reach. Attempt to keep full attention on the examinee and maintain a brisk testing pace. This is most easily accomplished by knowing the test procedures thoroughly prior to the test administration and by having all test materials set up prior to the testing session. When setting up the testing materials, consider the examinee’s distractibility. Sitting next to, rather than across from, the person will allow redirection of the individual’s attention to the testing task. At the beginning of the testing situation, establish the expectations for the examinee’s behavior; for example, the individual should remain in his or her seat, follow directions, and sit still. During the testing session, it is important to provide reinforcement (e.g., verbal praise) for appropriate examinee behavior and effort. Redirect or ignore inappropriate behavior. It is also important to remind the examinee to work carefully and slowly if he or she responds carelessly or impulsively, except on tests designed to measure those behaviors, such as timed tests. If an individual appears frustrated, offer this reminder: “Some questions and problems will seem very easy, while others will seem hard. Please do your best.” Make sure the examinee is ready to start each test before beginning administration. Use commands that describe appropriate behavior rather than inappropriate behavior. For example, say, “Tom, please hand me that pencil.” rather than “Tom, stop playing with that pencil.” Using statements that limit the person’s choices is also helpful. For example, “When you sit in your chair, then I’ll show you our next activity.” “If you sit up straight, then we can move on.” “You have two choices. You can either listen to some questions next or solve some math problems.” One of the examiner’s responsibilities is to determine whether the test results provide a valid representation of the examinee’s present performance level. When evaluating individuals with challenging behaviors, attempt to ascertain the effects of the problem behavior on the assessment process and determine how the behavior affects performance. In some situations the problem behavior produces test results that are not representative of the person’s true performance or capabilities. For example, during an evaluation, an examinee refused to respond to the examiner’s oral questions. The examiner realized that the results of the assessment were more a reflection of the noncompliant behavior than the person’s knowledge of the subject matter. In this case, an examiner should not report the test scores, but instead should reschedule the assessment for another time when the person is more willing to cooperate. In other situations, it is apparent through behavioral observation that the test

General Administration and Scoring Procedures 43 results reflect something different from the intended construct. For example, on a timed task, if the examinee’s attention needs to be redirected to the task many times, the low performance may be indicative of attentional difficulties rather than a slow processing rate. On rare occasions, it may be necessary to discontinue testing if an examinee shows acute signs of frustration or anxiety or is unable to maintain attention. If the person exhibits behavior that suggests the possibility of verbal or physical aggression, discontinue testing and wait until a time when he or she is less volatile. Be sure to complete the “Test Session Observations Checklist” on the cover of the Test Record. If needed, make a note of any additional observations and include them in the written report.

Individuals With Hearing Impairments When testing examinees who are deaf or hard of hearing, the evaluator must consider the usefulness of the normative scores, the types of accommodations that must be made in administering the tests, and the factors that may influence interpretation. In these cases, the person’s primary mode of communication is more important than the degree or type of hearing impairment. Communication modes range from American Sign Language to aural/ oral English with multiple gradations between. For discussion purposes, communication modes have been grouped into four categories: ■■ American Sign Language (ASL): A complete visual-spatial language with its own semantics, syntax, and pragmatics, using the hands, body, and facial expressions. ■■ Manually Coded English (MCE): The use of signs, mainly in English word order, and sometimes including English parts of speech that do not exist in ASL. MCE includes Signed Exact English and Pidgin Signed English. ■■ Sign-Supported speech: The use of spoken English with sign used simultaneously all or most of the time. People using this form of communication are not able to adequately comprehend spoken English without sign accompaniment. ■■ Aural/Oral English: The use of spoken English without sign, usually aided by some form of auditory amplification. General Guidelines Primary Communication Mode and Use of an Interpreter. The evaluator must administer instructions and verbal tests through the examinee’s primary communication mode. To establish the primary communication mode, consult a professional (e.g., teacher, certified interpreter) who is familiar with the person and who has expertise in communication modes used by people who are deaf or hard of hearing. Ideally, the qualified examiner would be fluent in the person’s communication mode. If an interpreter must be used, however, he or she must be a certified ASL interpreter and must be sufficiently skilled and flexible to adapt to the examinee’s primary mode of communication. Although necessary in many cases, problems can arise in using an interpreter for testing. Young children may not have learned yet how to use an interpreter. In addition, the presence of another person in the room may alter the examinee’s performance and affect the validity of the test results. To minimize this possibility, use an interpreter with whom the examinee is already familiar or allow time for him or her to become familiar with the interpreter before beginning the evaluation. In many cases, the signs that should be used to convey test instructions depend more on the intent of the task than on the English sentences being translated. For example, in Test 4: Passage Comprehension, the early items instruct the examinee to point to a rebus that “tells about” the larger picture. Tells about could be signed as related or as same as. However, related conveys the wrong concept. To avoid this type of problem, it is important to work with the interpreter prior to the assessment to familiarize him or her with the test instructions,

44 General Administration and Scoring Procedures procedures, items, unfamiliar concepts or terminology, and the type of skill being assessed. Testing Environment and Amplification. Testing of examinees who are hard of hearing should be conducted in a room with no background noise and few visual distractions. Often hearing aids do not filter out background noise, thus making it harder for the examinee to hear the evaluator’s voice or the audio recording. Check the person’s hearing aid or cochlear implant immediately before testing to ensure that it is working correctly, turned on, and positioned properly. When available, use a room with an amplification system, and ensure that the microphone is turned on and that the examinee’s amplification device is switched to the proper channel to receive the examiner’s voice. Audio Recording or Live Voice. If the examinee benefits from speech reading, administer most audio-recorded tests orally rather than using the recording. Prior to testing, practice repeating the audio-recorded instructions and items until the items can be reproduced accurately. Position the examinee so that the examiner’s face can be seen easily. Articulate the instructions and items clearly but without exaggeration. When use of the audio recording is deemed appropriate, be aware that special amplification systems are available that allow the sound to be fed directly into the individual’s hearing aids or cochlear implant. If it is unclear which mode would be best, choose an introductory clip of the recording, present it via both the recording and live voice, and let the person decide which is easier to understand. Speech Intelligibility. Before administering tests requiring a verbal response, confirm that the examinee’s speech is intelligible. If an oral response is unintelligible, the person should be asked to explain further to determine whether or not the intended response is correct. Do not penalize examinees for articulation errors, dialect variations, or regional or unusual speech patterns but make note of them on the Test Record for later analysis. Unless it makes the person uncomfortable, a voice recorder could be used so responses can be verified later by a professional (e.g., speech-language pathologist, teacher) who is familiar with the individual’s speech patterns. Scoring and Interpretation Generally, examinees whose amplified hearing and speech discrimination is normal should be able to take all of the tests following the standardized procedures, in which case, the scores should be valid. However, in each situation, use judgment concerning the validity of the scores based on the number and degree of adaptations made. For interpretation purposes, however, the age at which the hearing loss was diagnosed and the amplification provided should be considered as indications of the number of years the person has had an opportunity to gain undistorted information through hearing. Hearing loss over an extended period of time can negatively affect an individual’s vocabulary development and acquisition of information usually learned incidentally. Consider the examinee’s audiogram when scoring responses. Apparent errors might be related to the accuracy of an examinee’s speech discrimination or to the frequencies that are impaired. For example, an individual with a hearing loss in the high frequencies may omit certain word endings (e.g., /s/ or -ed voiced as /t/) because he or she does not hear them. For examinees using sign-supported speech, the examiner must make judgments concerning the degree of the examinee’s dependence on sign rather than voice. A strong reliance on sign may suggest that even those tests marked in Table 3-2 as useful for sign- supported speech communicators should not be administered or that increased caution should be used when interpreting the scores. Instructions given in ASL will almost always deviate from standardized instructions due to the linguistic differences between ASL and spoken English, although this will not necessarily invalidate the usefulness of the test. Given these cautions, it is advisable to interpret the performance of examinees who are hard of hearing in consultation with a professional in the field of hearing impairment who

General Administration and Scoring Procedures 45 is familiar with the examinee. Knowledge of the differences between spoken English and signed communication and in the life experiences of people with hearing impairments (e.g., activities of daily living, limitations on incidental learning) may influence interpretation of the scores. Documentation of Deviations From Standardized Administration. Note any deviation from the standardized administration on the WJ IV ACH Test Record as well as in the evaluation report. During testing, note any prompts provided to the examinee as well as the examinee’s incorrect and questionable responses on individual items so they can be considered in interpreting the test results. The report should state how the examinee’s hearing impairment or the altering of standardized administration procedures may have affected the person’s scores, possibly underestimating or overestimating actual achievement levels. Accommodations and Cautions Specific to the WJ IV ACH Table 3-2 indicates which tests might be useful for each of the four communication groups as well as the validity of the scores. The numbers in the table refer to accommodations and cautions specific to each test that are explained below the table. All accommodations must be specific to each individual. The notations accorded to the Aural/Oral column assume that, with all of the needed accommodations provided, the examinee has normal or near normal hearing. The more severe the hearing impairment, the more caution is called for in using the scores. Be sure to document all accommodations and modifications clearly in the evaluation report. The symbols represent the following recommendations: ◆ This test is useful and allows the use of scores. □ This test may be useful but requires cautious interpretation of the scores. ×□ This test should be used for qualitative information only.

Table 3-2. Manually WJ IV ACH Tests Useful for American Sign Coded English Sign-Supported Aural/Oral Individuals With Hearing Test Language (ASL) (MCE) Speech English Impairments 1: Letter-Word Identification 1 1 □1, 2 ◆2 2: Applied Problems □3 □3 □3 ◆ 3: Spelling 4 4 □4 □4 4: Passage Comprehension ×□5, 6 ×□5, 6 □7 ◆7 5: Calculation ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ 6: Writing Samples ×□8, 9 ×□8, 9 □9 ◆ 7: Word Attack □2 □2 8: Oral Reading 10 10 □10 ◆ 9: Sentence Reading Fluency □5, 6 □5, 6 □7 ◆7 10: Math Facts Fluency ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ 11: Sentence Writing Fluency ×□9 ×□9 □9 ◆ 12: Reading Recall ×□11 ×□11 □7 ◆7 13: Number Matrices □12 □12 □12 ◆ 14: Editing ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ 15: Word Reading Fluency ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆

46 General Administration and Scoring Procedures Table 3-2. (cont.) Manually WJ IV ACH Tests Useful for American Sign Coded English Sign-Supported Aural/Oral Individuals With Hearing Test Language (ASL) (MCE) Speech English Impairments 16: Spelling of Sounds □13 17: Reading Vocabulary 14 14 ◆14 ◆ 18: Science ×□15 ×□15 □15 □15 19: Social Studies ×□15 ×□15 □15 □15 20: Humanities ×□15 ×□15 □15 □15

1 Test 1: Letter-Word Identification—This is a test of word identification for hearing examinees, but it is a reading vocabulary test for sign communicators because the sign for a word represents its meaning rather than its sound. Additionally, for some of the stimulus words, one sign can refer to multiple items (e.g., cup, glass, can), some are routinely fingerspelled, and some have no meaning out of context. Examinees using sign-supported speech must be able to read the words orally. 2 Test 1: Letter-Word Identification, Test 7: Word Attack—An examinee’s pronunciation will indicate how well he or she is able to apply phonics skills and knowledge of English orthography; however, the examinee’s internal pronunciation may be more accurate than his or her voiced pronunciation. Additionally, pronunciation errors may be secondary to the hearing impairment (articulation) rather than indications of limited word attack skill. 3 Test 2: Applied Problems—In some of the earlier items, the question incorporates a sign that gives the answer (e.g., “two fingers” is signed with two fingers). In some later items, signing the problem depicts the method of solution (e.g., which operation is needed). Fewer of these problems occur after Item 25. At this point, the items are more complex, the examiner cannot assume that the examinee will be able to read them, and the interpreter’s accuracy is critical. Consequently, prior to the test session, it is essential that the interpreter has ample time to read all of the items the examinee is likely to take so that he or she can develop a well-reasoned approach to signing them. When deciding whether or not to use the scores, take into account the level of the items administered, the extent to which the signing provided clues to the answer, and, for later items, whether or not the examinee appeared to understand the signed interpretation. 4 Test 3: Spelling—The examinee who uses sign-supported speech or aural/oral English may misunderstand a stimulus word due to sound distortion. If this happens, provide additional sentences to clarify the word. Test 3: Spelling should not be administered in sign. Many of the stimulus words do not have a specific sign or are fingerspelled, and a few do not exist in ASL (e.g., is, am). Additionally, some of the stimulus words are represented by signs that have multiple meanings (e.g., the same sign can mean already, finished, complete, and done). 5 Test 4: Passage Comprehension, Test 9: Sentence Reading Fluency—The examinee may miss some specific items that are biased toward hearing (e.g., completing a rhyme) or English syntax (e.g., “Bird flying” is a complete ASL sentence; is does not exist in ASL). 6 Test 4: Passage Comprehension, Test 9: Sentence Reading Fluency—If an examinee’s comprehension is weak or his or her reading speed is slow, consider that English is a second (foreign) language for most people who are deaf and who use ASL as their primary mode of communication. The norms, however, represent the performance of people who use English as their primary language and who, for the most part, have a wider reading vocabulary and an innate sense of English syntax. 7 Test 4: Passage Comprehension, Test 9: Sentence Reading Fluency, Test 12: Reading Recall—People who are hard of hearing often have a more limited oral vocabulary than their hearing peers because they do not have the same access to spoken language. Rather than demonstrating difficulty with reading speed or recall, the examinee may not know the meaning of some of the words. 8 Test 6: Writing Samples—Explain the directions carefully and possibly change the wording if the examinee does not appear to understand. 9 Test 6: Writing Samples, Test 11: Sentence Writing Fluency—Spelling errors made by individuals whose primary communication mode is manual often have little phonetic relationship to the intended word. Allow time to review the responses and, if the response word is not understandable due to a nonphonetic misspelling, ask the examinee to sign it. Even if no credit is awarded, knowing what word the examinee intended will help with interpretation. 10 Test 8: Oral Reading—Because a person must know the meaning of a word to sign it, for sign communicators, this test assesses reading vocabulary and comprehension instead of oral reading. Consequently, responses cannot be compared with the performance of hearing/speaking peers in the norm sample. For examinees who use speech, consider that errors in pronunciation may be secondary to the hearing impairment (articulation) rather than indications of weak decoding skills. 11 Test 12: Reading Recall—For examinees who use ASL and MCE, this test might indicate their comprehension and recall of written English; however, they will have to fingerspell names and other words that do not have signs. The interpreter must be alerted to the importance of the bolded words so that he or she will voice those particular words if the examinee’s signed response appropriately represents them. 12 Test 13: Number Matrices—Because of the complexity, signed instructions may have to deviate significantly from the standardized instructions to ensure that the examinee understands the task. 13 Test 16: Spelling of Sounds—Responses to this test will be affected by the level of an examinee’s speech discrimination. 14 Test 17: Reading Vocabulary—Most signs do not have synonyms, which rules out subtest 17A: Synonyms for examinees who use ASL or MCE. Because scoring of the test requires both subtests (synonyms and antonyms), a score cannot be obtained for Reading Vocabulary for these examinees. An examinee who uses sign-supported speech will have to respond in oral English. 15 Test 18: Science, Test 19: Social Studies, Test 20: Humanities—When signed, many of the items in these tests are so modified so as to disallow use of the norms. The modifications include: (a) items that require fingerspelling in either the question or the response and thus introduce an unintended reading/spelling component (e.g., V-E-T is the sign for veterinarian); (b) signs in the question that give the answer; (c) names of pictured objects that are signed by gesturing their use (e.g., guitar) or image (e.g., Red Cross); and (d) signs that represent two words, one of which is the correct response and the other an incorrect response (e.g., ocean, river). To avoid these problems for examinees who use sign- supported English, some of the items will have to be administered without sign. For these examinees and those who use aural/oral English, consider the impact of the examinee’s hearing loss on incidental learning.

General Administration and Scoring Procedures 47 Individuals With Visual Impairments The types of visual impairment and the extent of visual functioning (i.e., the ability to use available vision to complete activities) experienced by individuals with visual impairments are extremely varied and person-specific; thus, the combination of accommodations necessary for administering any particular test requires case-by-case consideration. For discussion purposes, individuals with visual impairments have been grouped into two categories: Low Vision: “A person who has measurable vision but has difficulty accomplishing or cannot accomplish visual tasks, even with prescribed corrective lenses, but who can enhance his or her ability to accomplish these tasks with the use of compensatory visual strategies, low vision devices, and environmental modifications” (Corn & Lusk, 2010, p. 3). Low vision is the category that contains the greatest variation in visual impairment. Blind: A person with sufficiently limited vision so as to need braille and/or auditory materials for learning. It is not recommended that the WJ IV ACH be administered to individuals who are blind. The required adaptations to the battery would be too extensive. The problems inherent in having multiple versions of a test produced by multiple people are myriad and are likely to render the resulting scores useless. Tests specifically designed for people who are blind, informal tests, criterion-referenced tests, and diagnostic teaching would be more accurate measures of academic skills and knowledge. The progression of instruction of braille characters, decoding and spelling skills, and math are often not comparable to the progression of the same skills taught to sighted individuals and represented in the WJ IV. Additionally, many of the WJ IV ACH tests include items with picture prompts that are inaccessible to individuals who are blind and/or that assume a foundation of knowledge and concepts that may be unfamiliar to these individuals. Instead, consider using the Woodcock- Johnson III Normative Update Tests of Achievement–Braille Adaptation (Jaffe & Henderson, 2009) available from the American Printing House for the Blind. Preparation for Testing In preparing to test any individual with low vision, consider the findings of the most recent reports regarding the examinee’s visual impairment, including: (a) the effect it has on his or her functional vision, (b) optical devices prescribed, (c) adaptations to print and graphic materials, and (d) recommended environmental accommodations. This information must be based on the integrated findings of an ophthalmologic or optometric examination and assessments of both functional vision and low vision devices. Corn and Lusk (2010) indicated that “clinical measures of vision (such as visual acuity and peripheral field) do not directly correlate with how a person uses vision or is able to function visually” (p. 3). A functional vision assessment (FVA) is needed to assess the examinee’s visual acuity, visual fields, motility, neurological functions (e.g., visual fixation, perception), and light and color perception. The FVA report includes recommendations for optimizing the person’s functioning in educational and daily activities. Accordingly, optimizing an examinee’s visual functioning for the purpose of testing academic achievement will involve consideration of a variety of environmental factors (e.g., optical devices, lighting, color of materials, print/picture-to-background contrast, and the distance between the examinee and the materials) and physical factors (e.g., rate of visual fatigue). Consequently, well in advance of testing, the examiner should consult a vision specialist who is familiar with both the examinee and the results of his or her most recent FVA. Decisions as to the appropriateness of any of the cautions, accommodations, and suggestions regarding interpretation provided here will depend entirely upon the type and severity of the individual’s visual condition and history. Therefore, collaboration with the vision specialist or

48 General Administration and Scoring Procedures (if the examinee is a student) the teacher of visual impairments (TVI) is critical to minimize the effect of the visual impairment on test performance and to interpret test results accurately. General Guidelines Orienting the Examinee to the Testing Environment. Verbally greet the examinee upon arrival and then, according to the extent of the person’s visual limitations, help him or her become familiar with the testing environment. For example, for people who have extremely poor acuity or who have a very restricted visual field, describe the layout of the room. Guide the examinee to explore the area in which he or she will be working—the physical arrangement of the testing area, the seating arrangement, the table, and any materials on the table. Devices and Equipment. If the examinee uses an optical device (e.g., glasses, hand magnifier, telescopic device, video magnifier), ask the vision specialist or TVI to determine whether the examinee is proficient in its use. Check to make sure that the device is clean and in good condition. Do not make substitutions such as enlarging test print because a video magnifier is not available or relying on overhead lighting because a focused light is not available. Alert the examinee prior to using any equipment (e.g., the audio recording) and before handing any objects to him or her (e.g., saying, “The next test uses a recording and we’re going to wear headphones. Here are your headphones.”). Instructions. During testing, give verbal guidance as needed to supplement verbal instructions. This may include clarifying the position of the target stimulus (e.g., “on the left side, about half-way down the page”), pointing to where the examinee is to start reading or writing a response, or pointing to a specific picture to help an examinee focus on the target. Environment. Check with the examinee to ensure that the environmental conditions are optimal. This may include providing an appropriate light source (e.g., incandescent, fluorescent, and/or natural), moving the table in relationship to windows or other light sources, adjusting light intensity or focus on the test materials, and/or providing a darkened room. Materials. Test materials may need to be adapted, such as providing black-lined response sheets or a black felt-tip pen instead of a pencil or enlarging print or graphics. The examinee may require the use of matte-finish acetate—either transparent acetate to reduce glare or colored acetate to increase the contrast between the stimulus and background. Physical Considerations. Seating should be arranged so that the examinee can move easily to position his or her head at a comfortable distance from the stimulus and achieve the most stable visual focus, the widest visual field, or the least interference from blind spots. Altered Test Conditions. The examiner may need to mask parts of a page to reduce visual clutter, increase the duration of test item exposure, and increase overall test time. The examinee may need shorter test sessions to avoid visual fatigue and/or may need to use the optical devices that he or she uses in the classroom and/or in daily living situations. Increasing time limits for tests that were standardized with particular time limits is not recommended. These tests are Test 9: Sentence Reading Fluency, Test 10: Math Facts Fluency, Test 11: Sentence Writing Fluency, and Test 15: Word Reading Fluency. Altering the standardized administration procedures invalidates the scores. Results indicating how much slower an examinee is than age or grade peers when reading, writing, or recalling math facts establishes documentation for accommodations of extended time. If the person’s visual limitations will have an obvious negative effect on his or her performance on a test, omit the test or use the results solely for qualitative purposes.

General Administration and Scoring Procedures 49 Guidelines for Interpreting Test Performance and Results The validity and usefulness of test interpretation for examinees with visual impairments may be increased by adhering to the following guidelines and suggestions: 1. Interpret test findings and their educational relevance in consultation with a vision specialist or, if the examinee is in school, the TVI who is familiar with the examinee’s visual functioning and with the most recent FVA. 2. If an examinee performs poorly relative to age- or grade-peers on tests that incorporate reading comprehension, consider the limiting effect of a visual impairment on life experiences and related vocabulary and concept development. Individuals with visual impairments may have little or no experience with certain information that typically is learned incidentally and through vision (e.g., a skull and crossbones indicate poison, what Abraham Lincoln looks like). 3. When analyzing error patterns, ask the examinee to explain the thinking process used on incorrect items. This explanation will help to determine whether the factors contributing to the error are related to the examinee’s visual functioning or to his or her grasp of the academic skill/concept. The vision professional can help determine the error patterns to probe. 4. On items that the examiner reads aloud and that have the same text on the examinee’s page, be aware that the examinee may not be able to adequately see the text or pictures meant as prompts. If an individual has to hold the oral information in mind, it may add to the burden on working memory and may interfere with problem solving. 5. Look for the possible relationship between the examinee’s visual impairment and the type of academic errors made. For example, a restricted visual field may make it difficult for the person to maintain his or her place on a line of print, resulting in word repetitions or omissions. Thus, the instructional implications would relate to more efficient visual scanning, a change in position of the eyes relative to the stimulus, or different use of the optical device (Smith, 1999). 6. Despite the previous guidelines, remember that it is possible for a person with a visual impairment to have comorbid disabilities, such as learning disabilities. Making this type of determination may require further assessment and must result from a collaborative effort among a psychologist, vision specialist or TVI, learning disabilities specialist, general education teacher, and/or others who know the examinee well. Accommodations and Cautions Specific to the WJ IV ACH Many of the WJ IV ACH tests may be used with individuals with low vision as long as the appropriate guidelines for testing are followed and optimal accommodations are made. Table 3-3 indicates which tests might be useful when testing an individual with low vision and the validity of the scores. The numbers in the table refer to accommodations, cautions, and/ or suggestions for interpretation that are specific to each test and that are explained below the table. An examinee’s performance may be analyzed for instructional purposes and scores may be used to indicate the examinee’s academic achievement in relation to normally sighted peers. The more severe the visual impairment, the more caution is called for in using the scores. All accommodations and modifications must be documented clearly in the evaluation report. The symbols represent the following recommendations: ◆ This test is useful and allows the use of scores. □ This test may be useful but requires cautious interpretation of the scores. ×□ This test should be used for qualitative information only.

50 General Administration and Scoring Procedures Table 3-3. Test Low Vision WJ IV ACH Tests Useful for Individuals With Visual 1: Letter-Word Identification □1, 5 Impairments 2: Applied Problems □2

3: Spelling ◆3

4: Passage Comprehension □4

5: Calculation ◆

6: Writing Samples □2

7: Word Attack ◆

8: Oral Reading □4

9: Sentence Reading Fluency □6

10: Math Facts Fluency □6

11: Sentence Writing Fluency □6

12: Reading Recall □5

13: Number Matrices ◆7

14: Editing □4

15: Word Reading Fluency □6

16: Spelling of Sounds ◆3

17: Reading Vocabulary □5

18: Science □5

19: Social Studies □5

20: Humanities □5

1 Test 1: Letter-Word Identification—Extend or dispense with 5-second response guideline. 2 Test 2: Applied Problems, Test 6: Writing Samples—Point to the picture prompt(s) and text on the examinee’s page, regardless of the test instructions. 3 Test 3: Spelling, Test 16: Spelling of Sounds—Provide whatever type of writing utensil and paper (e.g., black lined) the student normally uses in the classroom. 4 Test 4: Passage Comprehension, Test 8: Oral Reading, Test 14: Editing—If the examinee has a visual impairment that interferes with his or her ability to scan smoothly across a line of print, errors and repetitions may be due to the visual impairment rather than to a deficiency in the examinee’s academic skill. 5 Test 1: Letter-Word Identification, Test 12: Reading Recall, Test 17: Reading Vocabulary, Test 18: Science, Test 19: Social Studies, Test 20: Humanities—Poor performance may be due to limited vocabulary and concepts secondary to the examinee’s limited visually based incidental learning and experiences. 6 Test 9: Sentence Reading Fluency, Test 10: Math Facts Fluency, Test 11: Sentence Writing Fluency, Test 15: Word Reading Fluency—If the examinee’s responses are correct but the score is low compared to similar tests without time limits, consider that the visual impairment may be interfering with rapid symbol and/or picture recognition. Thus, the results may indicate a need for extra time for visual work but may not indicate a weakness in the underlying language or academic skills. 7 Test 13: Number Matrices—If the examinee is trying to mask parts of the matrix with a hand, provide a blank, unlined index card.

Individuals With Physical Impairments Several accommodations are appropriate when testing individuals who have physical or multiple disabilities. Be sensitive to the limits of the examinee’s physical condition and how it may influence or limit his or her ability to perform on the test and interact with the testing materials.

General Administration and Scoring Procedures 51 Preparation for Testing Make appropriate physical accommodations, such as using a table of appropriate height for a person using a wheelchair. The seating arrangement should allow the person ease of movement and comfortable visual access to the testing materials. Consult a specialist who is familiar with the needs of the examinee and is an expert in the use of any special equipment or assistive technology the examinee requires. General Guidelines Be sensitive to the examinee’s fatigue level. Depending on the type of disability, some people may perform better when given several rest periods or breaks during test administration. Allow modified response modes. For example, if a person is unable to write, some responses may be given orally (dictated) or by pointing. If an individual is unable to speak, he or she may write, type, or sign responses to appropriate tests. If signed responses will be used, the examiner should have expertise in the examinee’s communication mode or should use a skilled, certified interpreter. Test materials may need to be adapted to accommodate the examinee. For example, if the person has poor motor control but is able to write, the Response Booklet may need to be taped to the table and/or enlarged.

Interpretive Cautions Many test modifications, such as altering administration procedures by providing additional cues, are appropriate in specific circumstances. Modifying test procedures requires understanding the examinee’s condition or English-speaking limitations, as well as the nature and purpose of each test. Keep in mind that, in many instances, the purpose of an evaluation is to determine an individual’s unique pattern of strengths and weaknesses and then to use this assessment data to suggest appropriate classroom accommodations and to recommend possible teaching strategies and interventions. Although a modification may improve test performance, the resulting score may not be an accurate reflection of an examinee’s capabilities. Note any deviation from the standardized administration on the Test Record and always include a statement of the modified testing conditions in the written report.

Use of Derived Scores Valid use of the broad population normative information will depend on the extent to which the assessment varied from standard conditions (e.g., simplification of instructions, supplemental practice, review of test instructions, etc.). Derived scores may not be valid for tests in which the administration deviated more than minimally from the standardized administration. The examiner must determine whether the procedures have been altered to the extent that the published norms must be interpreted with caution. In addition to the statement of modified testing conditions, in some cases, the examiner should include a statement indicating that the obtained scores are likely to be too high or too low.

52 General Administration and Scoring Procedures Chapter 4 Administering and Scoring the WJ IV ACH Tests

This chapter contains detailed administration procedures for each of the tests in the WJ IV Tests of Achievement (WJ IV ACH) (Schrank, Mather, & McGrew, 2014a). Comparing the information in this chapter with the actual instructions in the Test Book will help examiners learn both administration and scoring procedures. In addition, the test-by-test “WJ IV Tests of Achievement Examiner Training Checklist” in Appendix C of this manual can be a helpful tool for examiners learning to administer the WJ IV ACH. It is recommended that examiners first learn and practice administering the tests of the Standard Battery and then the tests of the Extended Battery. The one form of the Extended Battery is designed for use with any of the three Standard Battery forms (A, B, or C).

Standard Battery Tests

Because the Standard Battery Forms A, B, and C are parallel in content and administration, once an examiner has mastered the 11 Standard Battery tests in any form, the other alternate forms will be easy to administer.

Test 1: Letter-Word Identification This test does not require additional materials for administration.

Starting Point Select a starting point based on an estimate of the examinee’s present level of reading achievement. Consult the Suggested Starting Points table in the Test Book, on the page after the Letter-Word Identification tab, to determine an appropriate starting point for the examinee.

Basal Test by complete pages until the 6 lowest-numbered items administered are correct, or until the page with Item 1 has been administered.

Administering and Scoring the WJ IV ACH Tests 53 Ceiling Test by complete pages until the 6 highest-numbered items administered are incorrect, or until the page with Item 78 has been administered.

Scoring Score each correct response 1 and each incorrect response 0. Score words that are not read fluently (smoothly) on the last attempt 0. Do not penalize an examinee for mispronunciations resulting from articulation errors, dialect variations, or regional speech patterns. Record the total number of all items answered correctly and all items below the basal in the Number Correct box after the last Letter-Word Identification item on the Test Record.

Administration Procedures Know the exact pronunciation of each item before administering the test. The correct pronunciation is in parentheses following more difficult items. For additional help with pronunciation, refer to a standard dictionary. Do not tell or help the examinee with any letters or words during this test. If the examinee’s response to a specific item is unclear, do not ask him or her to repeat the specific item. Instead, allow the examinee to complete the entire page and then ask him or her to repeat all of the items on that page. Score only the item in question; do not rescore the other items. If the examinee pronounces words letter by letter or syllable by syllable instead of reading them fluently, tell the examinee, “First read the word silently and then say the whole word smoothly.” Give this instruction only once during administration of this test. If the examinee gives more than one response, score the last response. Examiners may wish to record incorrect responses for later error analysis. In addition, examiners may wish to complete the “Qualitative Observation” checklist on the Test Record to document how the person performed the task.

Test 2: Applied Problems When prompted, give the examinee the worksheet in the Response Booklet and a pencil with an eraser.

Starting Point Select a starting point based on an estimate of the examinee’s present level of math achievement. Consult the Suggested Starting Points table in the Test Book, on the page after the Applied Problems tab, to determine an appropriate starting point for the individual.

Basal Test by complete pages until the 5 lowest-numbered items administered are correct, or until the page with Item 1 has been administered.

Ceiling Test by complete pages until the 5 highest-numbered items administered are incorrect, or until the page with Item 56 has been administered.

54 Administering and Scoring the WJ IV ACH Tests Scoring Score each correct response 1 and each incorrect response 0. Unit labels (e.g., hours, inches, dollars) are not required unless specified in the correct key. If a unit label is required, both the answer and the label must be correct to receive credit. If a unit label is not required and the examinee provides a correct answer and a correct label, score the item as correct. However, if the examinee provides an incorrect unit label, required or not, score the item as incorrect. Record the total number of all items answered correctly and all items below the basal in the Number Correct box after the last Applied Problems item on the Test Record.

Administration Procedures If the examinee requests or appears to need it, provide the worksheet in the Response Booklet and a pencil with eraser prior to being prompted to do so. In all cases, provide the Response Booklet and a pencil as directed at Item 25. Any question may be repeated during the test whenever the examinee requests. Because the focal construct of this test is not the person’s reading ability, read all items to the examinee. Completing the “Qualitative Observation” checklist on the Test Record can help characterize the examinee’s performance on this task.

Test 3: Spelling When prompted, give the examinee the Response Booklet and a pencil with an eraser.

Starting Point Select a starting point based on an estimate of the examinee’s present level of spelling skill. Consult the Suggested Starting Points table in the Test Book, on the page after the Spelling tab, to determine an appropriate starting point for the person.

Basal Test until the 6 lowest-numbered items administered are correct, or until Item 1 has been administered.

Ceiling Test until the 6 highest-numbered items administered are incorrect, or until Item 60 has been administered.

Scoring Score each correct response 1 and each incorrect response 0. Do not penalize for poor handwriting or reversed letters as long as the letter does not form a different letter. For example, a reversed lowercase c would not be penalized, but a reversed lowercase b would be penalized because it becomes the letter d. Accept upper- or lowercase responses as correct unless a case is specified. Record the total number of all items answered correctly and all items below the basal in the Number Correct box after the last Spelling item on the Test Record.

Administration Procedures Know the exact pronunciation of each test item before administering the test. The correct pronunciation is in parentheses following more difficult items. For additional help with pronunciation, refer to a standard dictionary. Request printed responses; however, accept cursive responses. Completing the “Qualitative Observation” checklist on the Test Record can help describe the examinee’s automaticity on this task.

Administering and Scoring the WJ IV ACH Tests 55 Test 4: Passage Comprehension This test does not require additional materials for administration.

Starting Point Begin with the Introduction for examinees functioning at the preschool to kindergarten level. Begin with Item 5 for all examinees functioning at the grade 1 level. For all other examinees, administer Sample Item B and then select a starting point based on an estimate of the examinee’s present level of reading achievement. Consult the Suggested Starting Points table following Sample Item B in the Test Book to determine an appropriate starting point for the individual.

Basal Test by complete pages until the 6 lowest-numbered items administered are correct, or until the page with Item 1 has been administered.

Ceiling Test by complete pages until the 6 highest-numbered items administered are incorrect, or until the page with Item 52 has been administered.

Scoring Score each correct response 1 and each incorrect response 0. Unless noted, accept only one- word responses as correct. If an examinee gives a two-word or longer response, ask for a one- word answer. Score a response correct if it differs from the correct response(s) listed only in verb tense or number (singular/plural), unless otherwise indicated by the scoring key. Score a response incorrect if the person substitutes a different part of speech, such as a noun for a verb, unless otherwise indicated by the scoring key. Do not penalize for mispronunciations resulting from articulation errors, dialect variations, or regional speech patterns. Record the total number of all items answered correctly and all items below the basal in the Number Correct box after the last Passage Comprehension item on the Test Record. Do not include points for the introduction or sample items.

Administration Procedures Examinees should read the passages silently; however, some individuals, especially younger children, may read aloud. If this happens, ask the person to read silently. If the individual continues to read aloud, do not insist on silent reading. Do not tell the examinee any words on this test. The examinee needs to identify the specific word that goes in the blank. If he or she reads the sentence aloud with a correct answer, say, “Tell me one word that goes in the blank space.” If the examinee cannot provide the word, score the item incorrect. For Items 12 and higher, if the examinee does not respond to an item in about 30 seconds, encourage a response. If the person still does not respond, score the item 0, point to the next item and say “Try this one.” The 30 seconds is a guideline and not a time limit. If an examinee requires more time to complete an item, more time may be given. For example, if a response is encouraged after 30 seconds and the examinee indicates he or she is still reading or needs more time, it is permissible to give more time. Mark the one description on the “Qualitative Observation” checklist on the Test Record that best describes the person’s performance on this task.

56 Administering and Scoring the WJ IV ACH Tests Test 5: Calculation When prompted, give the examinee the Response Booklet and a pencil with an eraser.

Starting Point Select a starting point based on an estimate of the examinee’s present level of computational skill. Consult the Suggested Starting Points table in the Test Book, on the page after the Calculation tab, to determine an appropriate starting point for the person.

Basal Test until the 6 lowest-numbered items administered are correct, or until Item 1 has been administered.

Ceiling Test until the 6 highest-numbered items administered are incorrect, or until Item 57 has been administered.

Scoring Score every item on this test before moving to another test to verify the basal and ceiling and to complete any queries. Score each correct response 1 and each incorrect response 0. If the examinee skips an item before the last completed item, score the item 0. Score poorly formed or reversed numbers correct on this test. Score transposed numbers (e.g., 12 for 21) incorrect. Record the total number of all items answered correctly and all items below the basal in the Number Correct box after the last Calculation item on the Test Record. Do not include points for sample items.

Administration Procedures If testing begins with Sample Item A and the examinee responds incorrectly to one or both of the sample items, discontinue testing and record a score of 0 for this test. Make sure to complete any queries listed in the Test Book, such as the items involving reducing fractions. Do not point to the signs or remind the examinee to pay attention to the signs during this test. Use the “Qualitative Observation” checklist on the Test Record to help describe the person’s rate and automaticity on this task.

Test 6: Writing Samples When prompted, give the examinee the Response Booklet and a pencil with an eraser.

Starting Point Select a starting point based on an estimate of the examinee’s present level of writing ability. Administer the appropriate block of items as indicated in the Suggested Starting Points table in the Test Book, on the page after the Writing Samples tab.

Scoring Score Writing Samples after testing is completed. Unlike other WJ IV ACH tests, Writing Samples uses a modified holistic procedure that requires the use of examiner judgment when scoring responses. Because scoring Writing Samples is more involved and subjective than scoring other WJ IV ACH tests, special rating and scoring procedures are provided. If the examinee’s score on the block of items administered falls within one of the shaded areas on

Administering and Scoring the WJ IV ACH Tests 57 the “Scoring Table” on the Test Record, refer to the Adjusted Item Blocks chart on the Test Record to determine which additional items should be administered. The examinee’s score is based on just one block of items even if more than one block was administered. The block of items that falls more in the middle of the range of scores (unshaded areas) provides the most accurate estimate of the individual’s writing ability. Scoring Guide The “Test 6: Writing Samples Scoring Guide” in Appendix B provides scoring criteria for the Writing Samples test. The general criteria for each level of credit are described for each item and several example responses are provided to illustrate the various response levels. Because it is impossible to include all potential written responses, the general criteria are provided to assist in making scoring judgments. Be sure to use the Writing Samples Scoring Guide that corresponds to the form of the WJ IV ACH administered, either Form A, B, or C. Scoring Responses Relative to each item’s difficulty level, apply the following general guidelines when evaluating the written responses. Items 1 through 6 are scored 1 or 0. Items 7 through 28 may be scored 2, (1.5), 1, (.5), or 0. Items 1 through 6: 1 Point. A 1-point response is a standard response that meets task requirements. 0 Points. A 0-point response is an inadequate response that does not meet task requirements. Items 7 through 28: 2 Points. A 2-point response is a superior response. It is a complete sentence that satisfies the task demands and includes additional descriptive words or embellishments. 1.5 Points. A 1.5-point response is a borderline response that does not fit the exact pattern of the Writing Samples Scoring Guide. If it is not clear whether a response is superior (2 points) or standard (1 point), credit the response with a score of 1.5 points. 1 Point. A 1-point response is a standard response. It is a complete sentence with adequate content. 0.5 Point. A 0.5-point response is a borderline response that does not fit the exact pattern of the Writing Samples Scoring Guide. If it is not clear whether a response is standard (1 point) or inadequate (0 points), credit the response with a score of 0.5 point. 0 Points. A 0-point response is an inadequate response. It may be an incomplete sentence, a sentence with minimal content, an illegible response, or a sentence that does not follow the task demands. Because judgment is required, it is not always possible to know if a specific item is scored correctly. To ensure that the score is not inflated, attempt to balance the scores when uncertain of what score to assign a response. For example, if an examiner is unsure whether a response should be scored 2 or 1.5, he or she may decide to assign the higher score of 2. On the next response in question, if the examiner is unsure whether it should be scored 1.5 or 1, he or she would assign the lower score of 1. The goal is to obtain a valid total score, not to always give the examinee the benefit of doubt. Always giving the examinee the benefit of the doubt will produce a Writing Samples score that overestimates the individual’s level of writing skill. Sometimes an examinee will produce a response that does not directly fulfill the specifications provided in the general criteria of the Writing Samples Scoring Guide for a superior (2-point) response. If the writing is clearly superior, meets the task requirements, and is similar in quality to the samples provided, score the item 2 points. The important

58 Administering and Scoring the WJ IV ACH Tests scoring principle is that the quality of writing being rated and the criteria illustrate the features of typical responses. To illustrate this rule, consider the sample response and scoring for Item 15 in Form A. Directions: Write a good sentence that tells about the picture and uses the word and. General Criteria for a 2-Point Response: Uses the word and and refers to the children and the action in some detail. Examinee’s Response: It was a beautiful summer day at the town park and the weather couldn’t be more perfect for tossing a ball leisurely back and forth. Although this response does not meet the general criteria for identifying the children, the sentence is sufficiently embellished to demonstrate superior writing. Thus, this response would be scored as 2 points. Likewise, an examinee may produce writing that does not meet the general criteria for a 1-point response but is of the same quality as the examples in the guide. General Criteria for a 1-Point Response: Uses the word and, refers to the boy and girl, and tells that they are playing with the ball. Examinee’s Response: The boy and girl were having a fun time at the park. Although this response does not mention that the boy and girl are playing with a ball, it most closely resembles the quality of the 1-point standard samples, so the response would be scored 1 point. The “Test 6: Writing Samples Scoring Guide” in Appendix B includes several examples of 2-, 1-, and 0-point responses that occurred frequently in the standardization. To facilitate entering scores in the online scoring program, record the Number of Points corresponding to the block of items administered in the Score Entry box at the end of the test on the Test Record. When entering the score in the Woodcock-Johnson online scoring and reporting program (Schrank & Dailey, 2014), also enter the letter (A, B, C, D, or E) assigned to the block of items. Record the sum of points for each item in the administered block in the Number of Points box after the last Writing Samples item on the Test Record. The number of points is based only on the administered items in one block, even if more than one block was administered. Do not give credit for items below or above this block. Total scores that result in fractions of one half are rounded to the nearest even number. For example, a score of 15.5 rounds to 16, and a score of 16.5 also rounds to 16. To obtain an estimated age and grade equivalent from the Writing Samples “Scoring Table” on the Test Record, use the appropriate column that corresponds to the block of items administered. Punctuation, Capitalization, Spelling, Usage, and Handwriting A few items require a specific construction or the use of correct punctuation to receive full credit. These items are identified in the scoring criteria in the “Test 6: Writing Samples Scoring Guide” in Appendix B. In general, incorrect punctuation, capitalization, and spelling, as well as minor grammatical or usage errors and poor handwriting are not penalized when scoring Writing Samples responses. Test 3: Spelling and Test 14: Editing are designed to evaluate these basic writing skills. However, a few exceptions exist to this generalization. Poor spelling, poor handwriting, or reversed letters are not penalized except for a few items at the beginning of the test or if items are illegible and cannot be read and evaluated. Generally, the sentence must be legible enough to allow an average adult to read the response without knowledge of the item content. With the exception of the first several test items that require very short responses, do not penalize minor usage errors. In items presented later, grammatical errors such as the omission of articles (e.g., the or a), substitution of incorrect words (e.g., this for his), addition

Administering and Scoring the WJ IV ACH Tests 59 or insertion of an incorrect word, inconsistent or incorrect verb tense, and word-ending errors (verb tense, formation of plurals) should not reduce the credit allowed for an item. In general, such minor usage errors do not significantly alter sentence meaning and often involve only part of a word. It is sometimes difficult to differentiate such errors from spelling errors. Do not penalize the examinee for common, acceptable colloquial expressions or patterns of usage that vary on the basis of geographic or cultural differences. However, more severe grammatical or usage errors reduce the score of an item by 1 point. These errors consist primarily of the omission of critical words that are essential to sentence meaning or syntactic errors that result in extremely awkward sentences. Severe usage errors typically alter sentence meaning and usually involve a whole word. If, for example, the examinee omits the main subject or verb from the sentence, reduce the credit for the item by 1 point. For example, on Item 12, Form A (dog burying a bone), an examinee wrote, “The burying a bone.” Omitting the subject of the sentence reduces the item score from 1 point to 0 points. Multiple Sentences Most Writing Samples items require the examinee to write only one sentence. If a person writes more than one sentence, select and score the one sentence that most closely satisfies the task demands. The intent of this scoring guideline is not to give unfair advantage to examinees who write multiple sentence responses. Sometimes an examinee may include an extraneous sentence that is irrelevant to the task demands. For example, on Form A, Item 17, when asked to write a sentence that tells what a rainbow looks like, an individual responded, “A rainbow is a beautiful arch of colors. I saw a rainbow yesterday.” In scoring such a response, ignore the additional sentence and score only the main response. Inappropriate Content One important aspect of writing skill measured by the Writing Samples test is the ability to produce writing that fulfills specific requirements. Sometimes, an examinee may write a response that has little to do with the requested task. Although the sentence may represent adequate writing, the content is irrelevant and, consequently, the item is scored 0 points. If an examinee produces several irrelevant or inappropriate responses to items on this test, it may be indicative of the individual’s difficulty following directions, lack of attention to detail, or present emotional status, and the obtained score is unlikely to be an accurate estimate of the person’s writing ability. Misinterpretation of a Picture If an examinee misinterprets a picture or mislabels a pictured object, ignore the misinterpretation or the incorrect label, unless the response is totally inaccurate. For example, on Form A, Item 3 (tree), a person wrote, bush. This response would be scored 1 point. In general, attempt to locate the word or sentence pattern in the Writing Samples Scoring Guide that is most similar in form to the examinee’s response and score the response accordingly. Two Raters When possible, the most desirable procedure for scoring Writing Samples is to have two individuals score the test. After independent scoring, the two individuals should resolve any score differences of more than 1 point. Average the two Number Correct scores to obtain the final Number Correct. This is particularly helpful for examiners who are just learning to score this test. After practice and experience with scoring, two raters are typically no longer needed.

60 Administering and Scoring the WJ IV ACH Tests Administration Procedures If an examinee’s response to an item is illegible or difficult to read, ask him or her to write as neatly as possible. The examiner may read any words to the examinee during this test or repeat the instructions, if necessary. When an examinee asks if spelling is important or how to spell a word, encourage the individual to just do the best he or she can. Do not spell any words for the examinee. The overall quality of the individual’s written sentences can be described by completing the “Qualitative Observation” checklist on the Test Record. This test may be administered simultaneously to a small group of two or three individuals if, in the examiner’s judgment, this procedure will not affect any examinee’s performance.

Test 7: Word Attack This test does not require additional materials for administration.

Starting Point Select a starting point based on an estimate of the examinee’s present level of reading skill. The table in the Test Book, on the page after the Word Attack tab, presents suggested starting points.

Basal Test by complete pages until the 6 lowest-numbered items administered are correct, or until the page with Item 1 has been administered.

Ceiling Test by complete pages until the 6 highest-numbered items administered are incorrect, or until the page with Item 32 has been administered.

Scoring Score each correct response 1 and each incorrect response 0. Score words that are not read fluently (smoothly) on the last attempt 0. Do not penalize an examinee for mispronunciations resulting from articulation errors, dialect variations, or regional speech patterns. Record the total number of all items answered correctly and all items below the basal in the Number Correct box after the last Word Attack item on the Test Record. Do not include points for sample items.

Administration Procedures It is essential to know the exact pronunciation of each test item before administering the test. The correct pronunciation is in parentheses following more difficult items. For additional help with pronunciation, refer to a standard dictionary. Say the phoneme (the most common sound of the letter), not the letter name, when letters are printed within slashes, such as /p/. If the examinee has any special speech characteristics resulting from articulation errors or dialect variations, become familiar with the examinee’s speech pattern before administering this test. If the examinee’s response to a specific item is unclear, do not ask him or her to repeat the specific item. Instead, allow the person to complete the entire page and then ask him or her to repeat all of the items on that page. Score only the item in question; do not rescore the other items.

Administering and Scoring the WJ IV ACH Tests 61 If the examinee pronounces words letter by letter or syllable by syllable instead of reading them fluently, tell the individual, “First read the word silently and then say the whole word smoothly.” Give this instruction only once during the administration of this test. Score the examinee’s last response. The examiner may wish to record incorrect responses for later error analysis. In addition, the examiner may wish to complete the “Qualitative Observation” checklist on the Test Record to document how the person performed the task.

Test 8: Oral Reading This test does not require additional materials for administration

Starting Point Select a starting point based on an estimate of the examinee’s present level of reading skill. Consult the Suggested Starting Points table in the Test Book, on the page after the Oral Reading tab, to determine an appropriate starting point for the individual.

Continuation Instructions This test uses continuation instructions instead of basal and ceiling rules. Follow the continuation instructions to determine which additional sentences should be administered and when to discontinue testing. The continuation instructions are located at the bottom of the examiner pages in the Test Book and on the Test Record.

Scoring When the examinee reads a sentence with no errors, score the item 2. If the examinee makes one error on the sentence, score the item 1. When the examinee makes two or more errors, score the item 0. Types of reading errors include: mispronunciations, omissions, insertions, substitutions, hesitations of more than 3 seconds, repetitions, transpositions, or ignores punctuation. If the examinee self-corrects within 3 seconds, do not count the word as an error. Do not penalize the examinee for mispronunciations resulting from articulation errors, dialect variations, or regional speech patterns. Record the number of points earned in the Number of Points box after the last Oral Reading item on the Test Record.

Administration Procedures It is essential to know the exact pronunciation of each test item. The correct pronunciation is in parentheses following more difficult words. For additional help with pronunciation, refer to a standard dictionary. Become familiar with the types of reading mistakes that count as errors on this test. Figure 4-1 lists the types of reading errors that are shown in the Test Book. Sentences are reproduced on the Test Record to facilitate scoring. During the test, follow along on the Test Record as the examinee reads each sentence and mark each error with a slash (/) at the point in the sentence where the error occurs. In most cases, the slash will be placed on the printed word that was the error (i.e., mispronunciation, omission, substitution, transposition, hesitation, or repetition). For an inserted word, place the slash between the two printed words where the insertion occurred. If the examinee ignores punctuation (e.g., does not pause at a comma or raise his or her voice for a question mark), place the slash on the punctuation mark that was ignored. The examiner can also record and total each type of error in the “Qualitative Observation Tally” on the Test Record. Figure 4-2 illustrates a portion of a completed Test Record and tally.

62 Administering and Scoring the WJ IV ACH Tests Figure 4-1. Mispronunciation—Pronounces the word incorrectly Reading error types in Omission—Leaves out a word Test 8: Oral Reading. Insertion—Adds a word or words Substitution—Says a word that is incorrect but that maintains the sentence meaning (e.g., “house” for home) Hesitation—Does not pronounce the word within 3 seconds. If this happens, say: Go on to the next word. Repetition—Repeats a word or words Transposition—Reads words in the wrong order (e.g., “bright and sunny” instead of sunny and bright) Ignores Punctuation—Does not observe punctuation (e.g., fails to pause for a comma or fails to raise voice for a question mark)

Figure 4-2. Example of completed Test Test 8 Qualitative Observation Tally Note: Basal and Oral ceiling rulesReading do not apply to this test. Record and “Qualitative Scoring is based on the administration of specific groups of items. Observation Tally” for Test 8: Oral Reading.

Score 2, 1, 0 Mispronunciation Omission Insertion Substitution Hesitation Repetition Transposition Ignores Punctuation

1 1 A Story About Bees A-boat l

2 2 Bees are little.

3 2 They are bugs.

4 1 Bees can make wax. l

5 1 Bees have lots of jobs. different l

Items 1–5 8A: Number of Number of Errors 7 Points (0–10) Items 1–5 lll 5 or fewer points: Discontinue testing 6 or more points: Administer Items 6–10 unless already administered

6 Here is more about bees.

7 They live in most parts of the world.

8 They have two pairs of wings.

9 There are three kinds of bees.

10 The queen is the only bee that is able to lay eggs.

Items 6–10 8B: Number of Number of Errors Points (0–10) Items 6–10 5 or fewer points: Administer Items 1–5 unless already administered 6 or more points: Administer Items 11–15 unless already administered

11 The largest and most important bee is the queen.

12 The worker bees and drones are smaller than the queen.

13 Like other bugs, bees have three pairs of legs.

14 Bees are aggressive only if they are disturbed.

15 Sometimes a teacher may ask, “Do you know how long bees live?”

Items 11–15 8C: Number of Number of Errors Points (0–10) Items 11–15 5 or fewer points: Administer Items 6–10 unless already administered 6 or more points: Administer Items 16–20

Test 9: Sentence Reading Fluency When prompted, give the examinee the Response Booklet and a pencil with an eraser. This test requires a stopwatch or a watch or clock with a second hand.

Form A 9

Administering and Scoring the WJ IV ACH Tests 63 Starting Point All examinees complete the sample items and practice exercise and then begin with Item 1.

Time Limit Discontinue testing after exactly 3 minutes and collect the examinee’s pencil and Response Booklet. Record the exact finishing time in minutes and seconds on the Test Record. It is important to record the exact finishing time because examinees who do well and finish in less than 3 minutes will receive a higher score than individuals who continue to work for the full 3 minutes.

Scoring Score each correct response 1 and each incorrect response 0. Ignore skipped items. Use the scoring guide overlay to score this test. Record both the total number of items answered correctly and the total number of items answered incorrectly within the 3-minute time limit in the Sentence Reading Fluency Number Correct and Number Incorrect boxes on the Test Record. To obtain the estimated age and grade equivalents on the Test Record, subtract the Number Incorrect from the Number Correct. Enter both the Number Correct and the Number Incorrect into the online scoring program. Do not include points for sample items or practice exercises.

Administration Procedures If the examinee has 2 or fewer correct on Practice Exercise C through F, discontinue testing and record a score of 0 in the Sentence Reading Fluency Number Correct box on the Test Record. The sentences are intended to be read silently. Remind the examinee to read silently if he or she begins reading aloud. If the person appears to be answering items without reading the sentences, remind him or her to read each sentence. If the individual stops at the bottom of a page, remind him or her to continue to the top of the next column or to the next page. If the examinee starts to erase a response, provide a reminder to cross out the answer he or she does not want. This test may be administered simultaneously to a small group of two or three individuals if, in the examiner’s judgment, this procedure will not affect any person’s performance. However, do not administer this test to individuals who cannot read.

Test 10: Math Facts Fluency When prompted, give the examinee the Response Booklet and a pencil with an eraser. This test requires a stopwatch or a watch or clock with a second hand.

Starting Point All examinees begin with Item 1.

Time Limit Discontinue testing after exactly 3 minutes and collect the examinee’s pencil and Response Booklet. Record the exact finishing time in minutes and seconds on the Test Record. It is important to record the exact finishing time because examinees who do well and finish in less than 3 minutes will receive a higher score than individuals who continue to work for the full 3 minutes.

64 Administering and Scoring the WJ IV ACH Tests If the examinee has 3 or fewer correct after 1 minute, discontinue testing, and record a time of 1 minute and the Number Correct (0 to 3) on the Test Record.

Scoring Score each correct response 1 and each incorrect response 0. Use the scoring guide overlay to score this test. Do not penalize for poorly formed or reversed numbers. However, score transposed numbers (e.g., 12 for 21) incorrect. Record the total number of calculations answered correctly within the 3-minute time limit in the Math Facts Fluency Number Correct box on the Test Record.

Administration Procedures Do not point to the signs or remind the examinee to pay attention to the signs during testing. Watch to make sure the examinee is going from left to right, row by row, down the page. Some examinees may choose to work left to right on the first row, right to left on the second row, and so on, which is acceptable. However, if the examinee starts skipping around, remind him or her to proceed across the page, one row at a time. If the examinee stops at the bottom of the page, remind him or her to continue to the top of the next page. If the examinee starts to erase a response, remind the examinee to cross out the answer he or she does not want. This test may be administered simultaneously to a small group of two or three individuals if, in the examiner’s judgment, this procedure will not affect any person’s performance.

Test 11: Sentence Writing Fluency When prompted, give the examinee the Response Booklet and a pencil with an eraser. This test requires a stopwatch or a watch or clock with a second hand.

Starting Point All examinees complete the sample items and then begin with Item 1.

Time Limit Discontinue testing after exactly 5 minutes and collect the examinee’s pencil and Response Booklet. Record the exact finishing time in minutes and seconds on the Test Record. It is important to record the exact finishing time because examinees who do well and finish in less than 5 minutes will receive a higher score than individuals who continue to work for the full 5 minutes. If an examinee has 3 or fewer correct responses within the first 2 minutes, discontinue testing. Record a time of 2 minutes and the Number Correct (0 to 3) on the Test Record.

Scoring Score each correct response 1 and each incorrect response 0. Score any skipped items incorrect. Do not penalize an examinee for errors in punctuation, capitalization, or spelling or for poor handwriting unless the response is illegible. Score illegible items incorrect. Sometimes it may not be immediately apparent whether to score an item correct or incorrect. A few general guidelines will assist in scoring the Sentence Writing Fluency test. To receive credit for an item, the examinee must use all three stimulus words in a complete sentence. As noted in the Test Book instructions, the examinee may not change the stimulus word in any way. If, for example, the examinee alters the tense of a verb or changes a noun from singular to plural, score the item incorrect. A minor change in a word may make it

Administering and Scoring the WJ IV ACH Tests 65 easier for the examinee to write a sentence, thus altering the difficulty level of the item. However, if a stimulus word is miscopied or misspelled, the item can still receive credit as long as the miscopying did not result in a change in tense, part of speech, or number. To receive credit, the response must be a reasonable sentence. Some examinees may produce awkward sentences. If the meaning is clear, score the response correct. Score sentences with the understood subject you, such as “Dress the pretty doll,” correct. If the examinee uses a symbol for a word, such as an ampersand (&) or plus sign (+) for the word and, or an abbreviation like w/ instead of the full word with, give credit if the response meets all other criteria. If a word that is critical to the sentence meaning is omitted, score the response incorrect. The omission of a critical word often makes the response an incomplete sentence. However, do not penalize an examinee for the accidental omission of a less meaningful word in a sentence, such as the articles a, the, or an. If, after reviewing these guidelines, it is still unclear how to score two or more items, balance the scores given to these responses. For example, if two responses are unclear, score one item 1 and the other item 0. Do not always give the examinee the benefit of the doubt when scoring questionable responses. Record the total number of sentences written correctly within the 2-minute cutoff or 5-minute time limit in the Sentence Writing Fluency Number Correct box on the Test Record. Do not include points for sample items.

Administration Procedures If the examinee receives a 0 on Sample Items B through D after the error correction procedure, discontinue testing and record a score of 0 in the Sentence Writing Fluency Number Correct box on the Test Record. If the examinee stops at the bottom of a page, remind him or her to continue to the top of the next page. In this test, the examiner may read any of the stimulus words to the examinee if the examinee requests. This test may be administered simultaneously to a small group of two or three individuals if, in the examiner’s judgment, this procedure will not affect any person’s performance.

Extended Battery Tests

This section presents specific information regarding the administration and scoring of the nine tests in the Extended Battery. Because there is just one Extended Battery, once mastered, the examiner will be able to use it to supplement the tests in the Standard Battery Forms A, B, or C.

Test 12: Reading Recall This test does not require additional materials for administration.

Starting Point Select a starting point based on an estimate of the examinee’s present level of reading ability. Consult the Suggested Starting Points table in the Test Book, on the page after the Reading Recall tab, to determine an appropriate starting point for the examinee.

66 Administering and Scoring the WJ IV ACH Tests Continuation Instructions This test uses continuation instructions instead of basal and ceiling rules. Follow the continuation instructions in the Test Book to determine which additional stories should be administered and when to discontinue testing. Because the continuation instructions on the Test Record are abbreviated, consult the complete continuation instructions in the Test Book.

Scoring On the Test Record, the elements to be scored are separated by slash marks (/). Place a check mark above each element that the examinee recalls correctly during the retelling. Score each correctly recalled element 1 and each incorrectly recalled element 0. Score elements not recalled at all (correctly or incorrectly) 0. Scoring is based on a key word (shown in bold type) in each element. The examinee must recall the specific element, a synonym, or a word that preserves the meaning to receive credit. For example, if the element to be recalled is “dad” and, when retelling the story, the examinee says “father,” score the element correct. However, if the element is “three months” and the examinee says, “four months,” score the response incorrect. The examinee may recall the elements in any order. Record the number of elements the examinee recalls correctly for each set of two stories and enter the total in the Number of Points box for each set on the Test Record. Enter these numbers in the online scoring program and enter an X if a set of stories was not administered. Use the Number of Points for each set of stories administered to obtain an estimated age and grade equivalent from the “Scoring Table” on the Test Record. If more than two sets of stories are administered, use the column corresponding to the last two sets administered to obtain the estimated age and grade equivalents.

Administration Procedures Direct the examinee to read the story once silently. If necessary, remind the examinee of this rule. Turn the page after the examinee has finished reading the story once. Prompt the examinee as directed to retell the story. Do not tell the examinee any words on this test. It is important to be familiar with the stories and required elements before administering this test. This will facilitate scoring elements, particularly if the examinee retells them out of sequence.

Test 13: Number Matrices When prompted, give the examinee the Response Booklet and a pencil with an eraser. While this test is not a timed test, each item has either a 30-second or 1-minute guideline. Therefore, it is recommended that the examiner use a stopwatch or a watch or clock with a second hand to monitor response times.

Starting Point Select the appropriate sample item based on an estimate of the person’s present achievement level. Begin with Sample Item A for examinees functioning at the Kindergarten to grade 8 level. For all other examinees, administer Sample Item B and then select a starting point based on an estimate of the examinee’s present level of ability. Consult the Suggested Starting Points table following Sample Item B in the Test Book to determine an appropriate starting point for the individual.

Basal Test by complete pages until the 6 lowest-numbered items administered are correct, or until the page with Item 1 has been administered.

Administering and Scoring the WJ IV ACH Tests 67 Ceiling Test by complete pages until the 6 highest-numbered items administered are incorrect, or until the page with Item 30 has been administered.

Scoring Score each correct response 1 and each incorrect response 0. To be correct, an answer must solve the problem both horizontally and vertically. Record the total number of all items answered correctly and all items below the basal in the Number Correct box after the last Number Matrices item on the Test Record. Do not include points for sample items.

Administration Procedures Follow all verbal and pointing directions carefully when administering the sample items, including the error or no response corrections. For each item, follow the time guideline. If the examinee is actively engaged in trying to solve the problem, the examiner may allow more time. However, if the examinee does not appear to be trying to solve the problem, encourage a response. If the examinee does not give a response, score the item 0 and ask him or her to move on to the next item. If the examinee provides a response that is not a whole number, ask him or her to solve the problem using whole numbers only. Very young or low-functioning examinees may be confused by more than one matrix per page. In these cases, it is permissible to use a piece of paper to present one matrix at a time.

Test 14: Editing This test does not require additional materials for administration.

Starting Point Administer Sample Items A through D to all examinees and then select a starting point based on an estimate of the examinee’s present level of writing ability. Consult the Suggested Starting Points table following Sample Item D in the Test Book to determine an appropriate starting point for the individual.

Basal Test by complete pages until the 6 lowest-numbered items administered are correct, or until the page with Item 1 has been administered.

Ceiling Test by complete pages until the 6 highest-numbered items administered are incorrect, or until the page with Item 36 has been administered.

Scoring Score each correct response 1 and each incorrect response 0. For a response to be correct, the examinee must clearly indicate where the error is located and how the error should be corrected. Record the total number of all items answered correctly and all items below the basal in the Number Correct box after the last Editing item on the Test Record. Do not include points for sample items.

68 Administering and Scoring the WJ IV ACH Tests Administration Procedures If the examinee has a score of 0 correct on Sample Items A through D, discontinue testing and record a score of 0 without administering any test items. If the examinee has 0 correct on Items 1 through 4, discontinue testing and record a score of 0 in the Number Correct box after the last Editing item on the Test Record. Do not administer this test to examinees with very limited reading skill. Do not tell the examinee any words during this test. If the person reads the sentence aloud and inadvertently corrects the error in context, say, “Tell me how to correct the error.” If the individual indicates the error without telling how to correct it, say, “How would you correct that mistake?” Unless the examinee can both identify and correct the error, score the item incorrect.

Test 15: Word Reading Fluency When prompted, give the examinee the Response Booklet and a pencil with an eraser. This test requires a stopwatch or a watch or clock with a second hand.

Starting Point All examinees complete the sample items and practice exercise and then begin with Item 1.

Time Limit Discontinue testing after exactly 3 minutes and collect the examinee’s pencil and Response Booklet. Record the exact finishing time in minutes and seconds on the Test Record. It is important to record the exact finishing time because examinees who do well and finish in less than 3 minutes will receive a higher score than individuals who continue to work for the full 3 minutes.

Scoring Score each correct response 1 and each incorrect response 0. Use the scoring guide overlay to score this test. Record the total number of items answered correctly within the 3-minute time limit in the Word Reading Fluency Number Correct box on the Test Record. Do not include points for sample items or the practice exercise.

Administration Procedures Follow all directions for error correction or no response during the administration of the sample items and practice test to ensure the examinee understands the task. If the examinee has 1 or 0 correct on the practice exercise, discontinue testing and record a score of 0 without administering any test items. In addition, do not administer this test to examinees who cannot read. If the examinee stops at the bottom of a page, remind him or her to continue to the top of the next column or to the next page. Do not tell the examinee any words during this test. If the examinee has trouble reading the words or finding the two words that go together, tell him or her to skip that item and move on to the next one.

Test 16: Spelling of Sounds When prompted, give the examinee the Response Booklet and a pencil with an eraser. This test requires the audio recording and audio equipment.

Administering and Scoring the WJ IV ACH Tests 69 Starting Point Select a starting point based on an estimate of the examinee’s present achievement level. Consult the Suggested Starting Points table in the Test Book, on the page after the Spelling of Sounds tab, to determine an appropriate starting point for the individual.

Basal Test until the 6 lowest-numbered items administered are correct, or until Item 1 has been administered.

Ceiling Test until the 6 highest-numbered items administered are incorrect, or until Item 30 has been administered.

Scoring Score each correct written response 1 and each incorrect written response 0. The responses listed in the Test Book are the only acceptable correct answers. Although a response may seem like a reasonable spelling, the intent of this test is to measure both phonological coding skills, as well as sensitivity to the most commonly occurring orthographic patterns (visual sequences of letters) in the English language. The directions tell the examinee to spell the nonsense words as they would most likely be spelled if they were real English words. Consequently, only the most frequently occurring English spelling patterns are scored as correct. For example, the nonsense word cridge needs to be spelled as cridge rather than kridge. Although kridge may be considered a correct sound spelling, the /kr/ sound is most commonly spelled using the letters cr in the English language. Similarly, the dge pattern is most commonly used with a short vowel sound, so ge would not be considered correct after a short vowel sound. For the same reason, klow would not be considered a correct spelling of the nonsense word clow, because the /kl/ sound is almost always spelled using the letters cl. But, clough would be scored as correct because the ough pattern also represents a common English spelling, such as in the word plough. For the nonsense word ket, cet would not be considered correct because typically the letter c before the letter e makes a soft /s/ sound, rather than a hard /k/ sound. Generally, correct sound spellings that do not represent the most common and frequent orthographic patterns are scored as incorrect. For example, the nonsense word hoak could be spelled as hoak or hoke, but a correctly sequenced sound spelling, such as hoack or hoake would be scored as incorrect. Analysis of errors can help determine if the examinee is able to sequence sounds correctly but has difficulty assimilating or recalling common orthographic patterns. Do not penalize an examinee for poor handwriting or reversed letters as long as the letter does not form a different letter. For example, a reversed lowercase c would not be penalized, but a reversed lowercase b would be penalized because it becomes the letter d. Record the total number of all items answered correctly and all items below the basal in the Number Correct box after the last Spelling of Sounds item on the Test Record. Do not include points for sample items.

Administration Procedures Before testing, locate the track for Item 6 on the audio recording and adjust the volume to a comfortably loud level on the examinee’s headphones or the speaker. Present Sample Items A through D and Items 1 through 5 orally. When a letter is printed within slashes, such as /p/,

70 Administering and Scoring the WJ IV ACH Tests say the phoneme (the most common sound of the letter), not the letter name. Present the remaining items using the audio recording. Although the audio recording provides adequate time between items for most examinees to respond, pause the audio recording if the examinee needs additional time. Replay items whenever the examinee requests. In rare cases, if an individual, such as a young child, demonstrates difficulty with the audio equipment, present all items orally. If items are presented orally, say the words exactly as presented on the audio recording. For each item, ask examinees to repeat the sound or the nonsense word before writing their response. This oral repetition is not used for scoring purposes but does provide qualitative information. If the examinee mispronounces the sound or nonsense word, do not repeat the item or ask him or her to say it again. Note the pronunciation error and later compare it to the written response for instructional insights.

Test 17: Reading Vocabulary This test does not require additional materials for administration. Both subtests (Synonyms and Antonyms) must be administered to obtain derived scores for this test.

Starting Point Administer sample items to all examinees and then select a starting point based on an estimate of the examinee’s present level of reading ability. Consult the Suggested Starting Points table following Sample Item B in the Test Book to determine appropriate starting points for each subtest.

Basal Test by complete pages until the 5 lowest-numbered items administered are correct, or until Item 1 has been administered for each subtest.

Ceiling Test by complete pages until the 5 highest-numbered items administered are incorrect, or until the last item has been administered for each subtest.

Scoring Score each correct response 1 and each incorrect response 0. Unless noted, accept only one- word responses as correct. If an examinee gives a two-word or longer response, ask for a one-word answer. Score a response correct if it differs from the correct response(s) listed only in verb tense or number (singular/plural), unless otherwise indicated by the scoring key. For example, on Item 4 of the Synonyms subtest (stone), the responses rock or rocks would be correct. Score a response incorrect if the examinee substitutes a different part of speech, such as a noun for a verb, unless otherwise indicated by the scoring key. For example, on Item 7 of the Antonyms subtest (ugly, an adjective) the response beauty (a noun) is incorrect. If an examinee responds to an Antonyms item by giving the stimulus word preceded by non or un, ask for another answer, unless otherwise indicated by the scoring key. Do not penalize an examinee for mispronunciations resulting from articulation errors, dialect variations, or regional speech patterns. Record the total number of all items answered correctly and all items below the basal in the Number Correct box after the last Reading Vocabulary item on the Test Record for each subtest. Do not include points for sample items.

Administering and Scoring the WJ IV ACH Tests 71 Administration Procedures Ask the examinee to read the stimulus word aloud and then provide a response. If an error is made when the stimulus word is read aloud, it does not impact the score for the item. As long as the examinee produces a correct synonym or antonym, score the response correct. The examiner may wish to record oral reading errors as well as any incorrect responses for later error analysis. Complete all queries as indicated in the Test Book. Do not tell the examinee any words during this test.

Test 18: Science This test does not require additional materials for administration.

Starting Point Select a starting point based on an estimate of the examinee’s present achievement level. Consult the Suggested Starting Points table in the Test Book, on the page after the Science tab, to determine an appropriate starting point for the individual.

Basal Test by complete pages until the 6 lowest-numbered items administered are correct, or until the page with Item 1 has been administered.

Ceiling Test by complete pages until the 6 highest-numbered items administered are incorrect, or until the page with Item 40 has been administered.

Scoring Score each correct response 1 and each incorrect response 0. Do not penalize an examinee for mispronunciations resulting from articulation errors, dialect variations, or regional speech patterns. Record the total number of all items answered correctly and all items below the basal in the Number Correct box after the last Science item on the Test Record.

Administration Procedures Know the exact pronunciation of each test item before administering this test. The correct pronunciation is in parentheses following more difficult items. For additional help with pronunciation, refer to a standard dictionary. Repeat items during the test whenever the examinee requests.

Test 19: Social Studies This test does not require additional materials for administration.

Starting Point Select a starting point based on an estimate of the examinee’s present achievement level. Consult the Suggested Starting Points table in the Test Book, on the page after the Social Studies tab, to determine an appropriate starting point for the examinee.

Basal Test by complete pages until the 6 lowest-numbered items administered are correct, or until the page with Item 1 has been administered.

72 Administering and Scoring the WJ IV ACH Tests Ceiling Test by complete pages until the 6 highest-numbered items administered are incorrect, or until Item 40 has been administered.

Scoring Score each correct response 1 and each incorrect response 0. Do not penalize an examinee for mispronunciations resulting from articulation errors, dialect variations, or regional speech patterns. Record the total number of all items answered correctly and all items below the basal in the Number Correct box after the last Social Studies item on the Test Record.

Administration Procedures Know the exact pronunciation of each test item before administering this test. The correct pronunciation is in parentheses following more difficult items. For additional help with pronunciation, refer to a standard dictionary. Repeat items during the test whenever the examinee requests.

Test 20: Humanities This test does not require additional materials for administration.

Starting Point Select a starting point based on an estimate of the examinee’s present achievement level. Consult the Suggested Starting Points table in the Test Book, on the page after the Humanities tab, to determine an appropriate starting point for the individual.

Basal Test by complete pages until the 6 lowest-numbered items administered are correct, or until the page with Item 1 has been administered.

Ceiling Test by complete pages until the 6 highest-numbered items administered are incorrect, or until the page with Item 40 has been administered.

Scoring Score each correct response 1 and each incorrect response 0. Do not penalize an examinee for mispronunciations resulting from articulation errors, dialect variations, or regional speech patterns. Record the total number of all items answered correctly and all items below the basal in the Number Correct box after the last Humanities item on the Test Record.

Administration Procedures Know the exact pronunciation of each item before administering this test. The correct pronunciation is in parentheses following more difficult items. For additional help with pronunciation, refer to a standard dictionary. Repeat items during the test whenever the examinee requests.

Administering and Scoring the WJ IV ACH Tests 73

Chapter 5 Scores and Interpretation

Calculating an examinee’s raw scores is only the beginning of the interpretation process for the Woodcock-Johnson IV Tests of Achievement (WJ IV ACH) (Schrank, Mather, & McGrew, 2014a). Raw scores have little meaning until they have been converted into other scores, such as grade equivalents (GE) or percentile ranks (PR). A wide array of interpretative options and scores is available. Depending upon the purpose of the assessment, one type of score may be more useful than another. For some situations and purposes, determining grade equivalent scores and relative proficiency indexes (RPI) may be all that is necessary. In other situations, percentile ranks may provide a more useful description of the individual’s test performance. This chapter begins with a brief description of the levels of interpretive information and various types of scores that are available for interpreting an examinee’s performance on the WJ IV ACH. Next the chapter describes procedures for interpreting the tests, and then the types of ability/achievement comparisons, discrepancies, and variation procedures available and how to interpret them. The chapter concludes with a discussion of the implications of the test results, relevant cautions, and recommendations for follow-up testing.

Levels of Interpretive Information

The range of interpretive information available for each test and cluster in the WJ IV ACH includes information regarding testing behavior and examinee errors, developmental status, degree of proficiency, and comparison with grade or age peers. In contrast to many other test batteries, the interpretive design of the WJ IV ACH enables the clinician to capitalize on the full range of information. Table 5-1 presents the range of available interpretive information in four hierarchical levels (theoretically available with any test, not just the WJ IV ACH). A central principle inherent in the hierarchy presented in Table 5-1 is that each of the four levels provides unique information about a person’s test performance. Information from one level cannot be used interchangeably with information from another. For example, standard scores (SS) cannot be used in place of age or grade equivalents, or vice versa. Each level reports different information about the individual’s test performance.

Scores and Interpretation 75 Table 5-1. Level Type of Information Basis Information and Scores Uses Hierarchy of WJ IV ACH 1 Qualitative Observations during testing Description of examinee’s ■ Appreciation of the Test Information (Criterion-Referenced) and analysis of responses reaction to the test examinee’s behavior situation underlying obtained test score Performance on finely defined skills at the item ■ Prediction of the examinee’s content level behavior and reactions in instructional situations

■ Specific skill instructional recommendations 2 Level of Development Sum of items scores Raw score ■ Reporting an examinee’s (Norm-Referenced) level of development Age or grade level in the *Rasch Ability score norming sample at which (Example: Test or cluster ■ Basis for describing the average is the same as W score) the implications of the examinee’s score developmental strengths Age Equivalent (AE) and weaknesses Grade Equivalent (GE) ■ Basis for initial recommendations regarding instructional level and materials

■ Placement decisions based on a criterion of significantly advanced or delayed development 3 Proficiency Examinee’s distance on a Quality of performance on ■ Proficiency on tasks of (Criterion-Referenced) Rasch scale from an age or reference tasks average difficulty for peers grade reference point *Rasch Difference score ■ Developmental level at (Example: Test or cluster which typical tasks will be W DIFF) perceived as easy by the examinee Relative Proficiency Index (RPI) ■ Developmental level at which typical tasks will be CALP Level perceived as very difficult Instructional or by the examinee Developmental Zone ■ Placement decisions based on a criterion of significantly good or poor proficiency 4 Relative Standing in a Relative position Rank order ■ Communication of an Group examinee’s competitive (A transformation of a *Standard Score (SS) (Norm-Referenced) position among peers difference score, such as (Including T score, z score, dividing by the standard NCE, Discrepancy SD ■ Placement decisions deviation of the reference DIFF) based on a criterion of group) significantly high or low Percentile Rank (PR) standing (Including Discrepancy PR)

*Equal interval units; preferred metric for statistical analyses The four levels of test information are cumulative; that is, each successive level builds on information from the previous level. Information from all four levels is necessary to describe a person’s performance completely. Level 1 provides qualitative data that are often used to support a clinical hypothesis. Levels 2, 3, and 4 include a variety of score options from which to select. Level 1 information is obtained through behavioral observations during testing and through analysis of erroneous responses to individual items. Observation of an examinee’s

76 Scores and Interpretation behavior and analysis of specific errors can assist in understanding an individual’s test performance and can be an important source of information when writing reports and planning instructional or treatment programs. An example of level 1 information is the “Test Session Observations Checklist” located on the Test Record. Level 2 information is derived directly from the raw scores and is used to indicate an individual’s stage of development. For most tests, raw scores are transformed into metrics that more meaningfully convey level of development, such as age or grade equivalents. Level 3 information indicates the quality of a person’s performance on criterion tasks of a given difficulty level. The relative proficiency index (RPI), used throughout the WJ IV is an example of level 3 information. An RPI of 60/90 indicates that an examinee was 60% successful on tasks that average persons in a reference group (either an age or a grade group) perform with 90% success. The instructional zone (developmental zone on the Woodcock- Johnson IV Tests of Cognitive Abilities [WJ IV COG] [Schrank, McGrew, & Mather, 2014b] and the Woodcock-Johnson IV Tests of Oral Language [WJ IV OL] [Schrank, Mather, & McGrew 2014b]) is another example of level 3 information. This zone defines the range of tasks from those that a person would perceive as quite easy (96% successful) to those that he or she would perceive as quite difficult (75% successful). Level 4 information provides a basis for making peer comparisons. In educational and clinical settings, percentile ranks and standard scores are the metrics most commonly used to describe an individual’s relative standing in comparison to grade or age peers. Although the information within each level is interchangeable, some of these metrics are more easily interpreted than others. The scores listed within each level in Table 5-1 are presented in order from the least to the most meaningful for most test users. For example, in level 4, knowing the simple rank order of an individual’s score (e.g., 17th in a group of unknown size) is not as meaningful as knowing the corresponding standard score. The standard score, in turn, is not as meaningful as knowing the corresponding percentile rank. In fact, standard scores are usually explained to lay persons in terms of the percentage of individuals who fall at or below a given standard score—in other words, the percentile rank. When selecting the scores to report, some metrics are more easily explained to parents, teachers, and examinees than others are. Certain scores in some levels have the characteristic of equal interval units (Stevens, 1951) and are generally considered more appropriate for statistical analyses (see Woodcock-Johnson IV Technical Manual [McGrew, LaForte, & Schrank, 2014] for more information). These scores are the preferred metric in that level for most statistical calculations and are identified with an asterisk (*) in Table 5-1. In level 3 the W difference score (W DIFF) is preferred because it is based on the equal-interval W scale. In level 4 the standard score, rather than the percentile rank, is preferred for statistical analyses. At any level, the statistically preferred metric may be used for calculation and statistical purposes. The results of these procedures, such as a mean (M) or standard deviation (SD), can then be converted into another more meaningful metric from that level for reporting purposes.

Age- and Grade-Based Norms

Most interpretive scores are based on procedures that compare an examinee’s performance to the performance of some well-defined group—a segment of the norming sample. The Technical Manual provides further details about the norming sample and the procedures used to gather data.

Scores and Interpretation 77 A special feature of the WJ IV ACH is the option to use either grade- or age-based norms. That is, the examinee’s test performance is compared to the average performance of grade or age peers. Grade norms are available for kindergarten through grade 12; students in 2-year colleges, as an extension of the K through 12 educational system; and students in 4-year colleges, including the first year of graduate school. Age norms are based on ages 2 through 90+ years. Age and grade equivalents are not affected by selection of age or grade norms; however, the standard scores, percentile ranks, and relative proficiency index scores will be affected by the selection of the basis for the norms. Generally, grade norms are preferable for school-based decisions, whereas age norms may be more applicable in clinical settings. For example, if a 30-year-old adult who was applying to graduate school was being evaluated, the most relevant comparison group would be others at the same grade or level of academic completion (e.g., grade 17.0). A comparison to an age cohort would not be as meaningful because this group would include many people who did not attend or complete a 4-year college. If WJ IV ACH results will be compared to results from another test that only provides age norms, age norms should be used. The option to report age comparisons or grade comparisons is available when using the Woodcock- Johnson online scoring and reporting program (Schrank & Dailey, 2014).

Types of Scores

This section discusses the variety of scores available for test interpretation. Included among these scores are grade equivalents (GE), age equivalents (AE), relative proficiency indexes (RPI), cognitive-academic language proficiency (CALP) levels, percentile ranks (PR), and standard scores (SS). Most of these scores will be familiar to examiners who have used the Woodcock-Johnson III Tests of Achievement (WJ III ACH) (Woodcock, McGrew, & Mather, 2001) or the Woodcock Reading Mastery Tests–Third Edition (Woodcock, 2011). Several optional standard score scales, including the normal curve equivalents (NCE) scale, also are discussed.

Raw Score For most tests, the raw score is the number of correct responses, each receiving 1 raw score point. The three exceptions in the WJ IV ACH are Test 6: Writing Samples in which responses to Items 7 and higher can receive 2, 1, or 0 points; Test 8: Oral Reading in which responses can receive 2, 1, or 0 points; and Test 12: Reading Recall in which the raw score is based on the number of elements recalled correctly on the stories administered. Number Correct or Number of Points is listed in the left column of the “Scoring Table” that appears for each test on the Test Record. Procedures for calculating the raw score are presented in Chapter 3 of this manual. When an examinee receives a score of 0 on any test, the examiner needs to judge whether that score is a true assessment of the examinee’s ability or whether it reflects the individual’s inability to perform the task. If it is the latter, it may be more appropriate to assume that the examinee has no score for the test rather than using the score of 0 in further calculation and interpretation. For example, if a third-grade student had a score of 0 on the Test 14: Editing, the score may be an accurate representation of the child’s ability. However, if a kindergarten student obtained a 0 on Test 14: Editing, the score may indicate that the child has not yet learned to read.

78 Scores and Interpretation W Score The online scoring program converts raw scores into W scores (Woodcock, 1978; Woodcock & Dahl, 1971), which are a special transformation of the Rasch ability scale (Rasch, 1960; Wright & Stone, 1979). The W scale has mathematical properties that make it well suited for use as an intermediate step in the interpretation of test performance. Among these properties are the interpretation advantages of Rasch-based measurement (Woodcock, 1978, 1982, 1999) and the equal-interval measurement characteristic of the scale (Stevens, 1951). The W scale for each test is centered on a value of 500, which has been set to approximate the average performance of 10-year-old individuals. Any cluster score from the WJ IV ACH is the average (arithmetic mean) W score of the tests included in that cluster. For example, the cluster score for Broad Reading is the average W score of Test 1: Letter-Word Identification, Test 4: Passage Comprehension, and Test 9: Sentence Reading Fluency.

Grade Equivalent A grade equivalent (GE), or grade score, reflects the examinee’s performance in terms of the grade level in the norming sample at which the median score is the same as the examinee’s score. In other words, if the median W score on a test for students in the sixth month of the second grade is 488, then an examinee who scored 488 would receive 2.6 as a grade equivalent score. At the ends of the grade scale, when using the online scoring program, less than (<) signs are used for grade scores falling below the median score obtained by children beginning kindergarten (K.0) and greater than (>) signs are used for grade scores higher than the median score obtained by graduate students finishing the first year of graduate school (17.9), or, if scored by 2-year college norms, at the end of the final year of a 2-year program (14.9). For example, a student who scored above the median for students finishing the first year of graduate school would receive a grade equivalent of >17.9, whereas a student who scored below the median of students entering kindergarten would receive a score of

Scores and Interpretation 79 centered on their level of ability, and when the test has been normed on an appropriately selected sample of students across a wide grade range. With the WJ IV ACH and many other individually administered tests, grade and age equivalent scores reflect the actual level of task difficulty a student can perform and thus are useful for instructional planning.

Age Equivalent An age equivalent (AE), or age score, is similar to a grade equivalent, except that it reflects performance in terms of the age level in the norming sample at which the median score is the same as the examinee’s score. Age equivalents may be more useful in some applications than grade equivalents, especially as they relate to the abilities of young children or adults not attending school. At the ends of the age scale, less than (<) signs are used for levels of performance that fall below the median of the specified age. Greater than (>) signs are used for levels above the median of the specified age. When hand scoring, age equivalents can only be closely approximated. Thus, the age equivalents located in the second column of the “Scoring Table” for each test on the Test Record are estimates (Est). The online scoring program reports the precise age equivalents for tests and age-equivalent scores for clusters.

W Difference Score Level 3 scores (RPIs) and level 4 scores (standard scores, percentile ranks) are based on test or cluster W difference scores. The W difference scores are the difference between an examinee’s test or cluster W score and the median test or cluster W score for the reference group in the norming sample (same age or same grade) with which the comparison is being made.

Relative Proficiency Index The relative proficiency index (RPI) is a variation of the relative mastery index (RMI) score first used in the Woodcock Reading Mastery Tests (Woodcock, 1973). The RPI allows statements to be generated about an examinee’s predicted quality of performance on tasks similar to the ones tested. The RPI is similar to the index used with Snellen charts to describe visual acuity. For example, 20/20 vision indicates that a person can distinguish at 20 feet what a person with normal vision can discern at 20 feet. A person with 20/200 vision has to be at 20 feet to see what people with normal vision can see at 200 feet. Although the constant term in the Snellen Index is the numerator rather than the denominator, the procedure of representing a comparative score is similar to the procedure used for presenting the RPI. RPIs are based on the distance along the W scale that an examinee’s score falls above or below the average score for the reference group. This distance is the difference scale. An RPI of 90/90 means that the examinee would be predicted to demonstrate 90% proficiency with similar tasks that average individuals in the comparison group (age or grade) would also perform with 90% proficiency. As an example, when used with the Broad Reading cluster, the RPI predicts the percentage of success for a person when given a variety of reading tasks that the reference group (individuals of the same age or same grade) would perform with 90% success (the denominator of the index). An RPI of 71/90 is interpreted to mean that when others at the examinee’s age or grade show 90% success on reading tasks, the examinee is predicted to show only 71% success on the same tasks. On the other hand, if the examinee’s RPI is 98/90,

80 Scores and Interpretation the examinee is predicted to perform with 98% success those tasks that average age or grade mates perform with 90% success.

Instructional Zone The instructional zone (called developmental zone in the WJ IV COG and the WJ IV OL) is a special application of the RPI. An examinee will perceive tasks that fall at an RPI of 96/90 as easy, whereas he or she will perceive tasks that fall at an RPI of 75/90 as difficult. Thus, the instructional zone identifies a range along a developmental scale that encompasses an examinee’s present level of functioning from easy (the independent level) to difficult (the frustration level). The lower and higher points of this zone are labeled EASY and DIFF in the “Table of Scores” generated when using the online scoring program.

CALP Levels Cummins (1984) formalized a distinction between two types of language proficiency: basic interpersonal communication skill (BICS) and cognitive-academic language proficiency (CALP). BICS is defined as language proficiency in everyday communicative contexts, or those aspects of language proficiency that seem to be acquired naturally and without formal schooling. CALP is defined as language proficiency in academic situations, or those aspects of language proficiency that emerge and become distinctive with formal schooling. Classroom- appropriate academic proficiency is further defined by literacy skills involving conceptual- linguistic knowledge that occur in a context of semantics, abstractions, and context-reduced linguistic forms. The online scoring program includes the option to report CALP levels to help describe the examinee’s language proficiency in English. If the option is selected, CALP levels can be reported for several clusters in the WJ IV ACH (see Table 5-2). Clusters in the WJ IV COG and WJ IV OL that measure comprehension-knowledge (Gc), oral language, or acquired knowledge also yield CALP levels, if selected. See the Woodcock-Johnson IV Tests of Cognitive Abilities Examiner’s Manual (Mather & Wendling, 2014a) and the Woodcock- Johnson IV Tests of Oral Language Examiner’s Manual (Mather & Wendling, 2014b) for more information. Table 5-3 illustrates the six CALP levels as well as two regions of uncertainty and corresponding implications. The CALP levels are based on W difference scores, and the RPIs corresponding to these W difference scores provide meaningful interpretations regarding the individual’s language proficiency.

Table 5-2. Reading Clusters Writing Clusters Cross-Domain Clusters ACH Clusters That Yield a Reading Written Language Academic Skills CALP Level Basic Reading Skills Basic Writing Skills Academic Applications Reading Comprehension Written Expression Academic Knowledge Reading Comprehension–Extended Brief Achievement

Scores and Interpretation 81 Table 5-3. Instructional CALP Levels and CALP Level W Difference RPI Implications Corresponding Implications 6 Very Advanced +31 and above 100/90 Extremely easy 5 Advanced +14 to +30 98/90 to 100/90 Very easy 4–5 (4.5) Fluent to Advanced +7 to +13 95/90 to 98/90 Easy 4 Fluent –6 to +6 82/90 to 95/90 Manageable 3–4 (3.5) Limited to Fluent –13 to –7 67/90 to 82/90 Difficult 3 Limited –30 to –14 24/90 to 67/90 Very difficult 2 Very Limited –50 to –31 3/90 to 24/90 Extremely difficult 1 Extremely Limited –51 and below 0/90 to 3/90 Nearly impossible

Level 6, Very Advanced English CALP When compared with others of the same age or grade, an individual at level 6 demonstrates very advanced cognitive-academic language proficiency. If provided with instruction at the examinee’s chronological age or corresponding grade level, it is expected that an individual at level 6 will find the language demands of the learning task extremely easy.

Level 5, Advanced English CALP When compared with others of the same age or grade, an individual at level 5 demonstrates advanced cognitive-academic language proficiency. If provided with English instruction at the examinee’s chronological age or corresponding grade level, it is expected that an individual at level 5 will find the language demands of the learning task very easy.

Level 4, Fluent English CALP When compared with others of the same age or grade, an individual at level 4 demonstrates fluent cognitive-academic language proficiency. If provided with English instruction at the examinee’s chronological age or corresponding grade level, it is expected that an individual at level 4 will find the language demands of the learning task manageable.

Level 3, Limited English CALP When compared with others of the same age or grade, an individual at level 3 demonstrates limited cognitive-academic language proficiency. If provided with English instruction at the examinee’s chronological age or corresponding grade level, it is expected that an individual at level 3 will find the language demands of the learning task very difficult.

Level 2, Very Limited English CALP When compared with others of the same age or grade, an individual at level 2 demonstrates very limited cognitive-academic language proficiency. If provided with English instruction at the examinee’s chronological age or corresponding grade level, it is expected that an individual at level 2 will find the language demands of the learning task extremely difficult.

Level 1, Extremely Limited English CALP When compared with others of the same age or grade, an individual at level 1 demonstrates extremely limited cognitive-academic language proficiency. If provided with English instruction at the examinee’s chronological age or corresponding grade level, it is expected that an individual at level 1 will find the language demands of the learning task nearly impossible to manage.

82 Scores and Interpretation Percentile Rank A percentile rank describes performance on a scale from 1 to 99 relative to the performance of some segment of the norming sample that is at a specific age or grade level. The examinee’s percentile rank indicates the percentage of individuals in the selected segment of the norming sample who had scores the same as or lower than the examinee’s score. Percentile ranks are particularly useful for describing a person’s relative standing in the population. Extended percentile ranks (Woodcock, 1987, 1998) provide scores that extend down to a percentile rank of one tenth (0.1) and up to a percentile rank of ninety-nine and nine tenths (99.9). Figure 5-1 includes a comparison of the traditional and extended percentile rank scales. If an examinee’s percentile rank is 0.2, for example, this indicates not only that the score is below the first percentile (1.0) but, furthermore, that only 2 people out of 1,000 (0.2%) would have a score as low or lower. If an individual’s percentile rank is determined to be 99.8, this indicates that the person’s performance is as good as or better than that of 998 persons out of 1,000 (99.8%) in the reference group, or that only 2 out of 1,000 people would have a score as high or higher. Extending the percentile rank scale adds approximately one and one half standard deviations of discriminating measurement to the range of a traditional percentile rank scale—three-fourths of a standard deviation at the top and three-fourths of a standard deviation at the bottom of the scale.

Standard Score The standard score scale used in the WJ IV ACH is based on a mean (M) of 100 and a standard deviation (SD) of 15. This scale is the same as most deviation-IQ scales and may be used to relate standard scores from the WJ IV to other test scores based on the same mean and standard deviation. The WJ IV also includes extended standard scores, providing a greater range of standard scores (0 to over 200) than do other tests. Standard scores sometimes present a disadvantage to inexperienced users and others, such as parents or the examinee, because the scores lack objective meaning. Consequently, the interpretation of a standard score is often explained using its equivalent percentile rank. Figure 5-1 illustrates the relationship between selected standard scores and the extended percentile rank scale.

Figure 5-1. Extended Percentile Rank Scale Comparison of the traditional and extended 99.9 146 99.8 143 percentile rank scales with 99.7 141 the standard score scale 99.6 140 (M = 100, SD = 15). 99.5 139 99 99 (99.0) 135 98 98 131 95 95 125 90 90 119 80 80 113 Traditional 70 70 108 Standard Percentile 60 60 104 Score Rank Score 50 50 100 Scale 40 40 96 30 30 92 20 20 87 10 10 81 5 5 75 2 2 69 1 1 (1.0) 65 0.5 61 0.4 60 0.3 59 0.2 57 0.1 54

Scores and Interpretation 83 In writing reports or communicating test results to parents and others, an examiner may prefer to use verbal labels rather than numbers to describe test performance. A classification of standard score and percentile rank ranges is provided in Table 5-4 as a guideline for describing an individual’s relative standing among age or grade peers. The third column provides a set of verbal labels for the score ranges. Examiners should use caution and professional judgment in the selection and application of verbal labels to describe a range of scores. Although labels may assist in communicating test results, the terminology is at times ambiguous or the meaning of the labels is misunderstood.

Table 5-4. Standard Score Range Percentile Rank Range WJ IV Classification Classification of Standard 131 and above 98 to 99.9 Very Superior Score and Percentile Rank Ranges 121 to 130 92 to 97 Superior 111 to 120 76 to 91 High Average 90 to 110 25 to 75 Average 80 to 89 9 to 24 Low Average 70 to 79 3 to 8 Low 69 and below 0.1 to 2 Very Low

The online scoring program provides the option to report an additional standard score from a selection of four other types of standard scores: z scores, T scores, stanines, and normal curve equivalents (NCEs). The basic standard score is the z score with a mean of 0 and a standard deviation of 1. The T score has a mean of 50 and a standard deviation of 10. Although T scores have been frequently used in education and industry, they have been replaced by the deviation-IQ scale (M = 100, SD = 15) for most clinical applications. Another standard score scale is the traditional stanine scale. Stanines have a mean of 5 and a standard deviation of 2 and are most useful in applications in which a single-digit gross scale of measurement is desired. The normal curve equivalent scale (Tallmadge & Wood, 1976) has a mean of 50 and a standard deviation of 21.06 and has been used most often for evaluating student performance in certain federally funded programs.

Standard Error of Measurement To provide a more accurate depiction of performance, a statistical estimate can be made of the amount of error inherent in a score. This score, called the standard error of measurement (SEM), is used to determine ranges of scores and provides an indication of the degree of confidence professionals can have in an obtained score. One advantage derived from the Rasch scaling of test data is that a unique calculation of the SEM is provided for each possible test score. This is in contrast to other test development procedures that may provide only the average SEM for the group of individuals studied.

Interpreting Tests

This section contains details on interpretation of the tests in each of the curricular areas. Chapter 2 contains functional definitions of the abilities measured by each test. In evaluating the practical significance of differences among test performance, consider any extenuating circumstances that may explain these differences, as well as any unusual behaviors or responses obtained on those tests. This information may have useful diagnostic implications. Both the “Test Session Observations Checklist” and the “Qualitative Observation” checklists

84 Scores and Interpretation available for Tests 1 through 11 can provide additional information about the examinee’s test performance. One interpretive plan is to consider each test in terms of task complexity within a continuum. Some tasks are measures of isolated units; others require connected text, reasoning, or motoric output. This requires an analysis of the test in terms of stimulus material, task demands, and the expressive and receptive language requirements needed to complete the task. The WJ IV ACH tests may also be interpreted with respect to a well-accepted theory of cognitive ability—the Cattell-Horn-Carroll (CHC) theory of cognitive abilities (Carroll, 1993; Cattell, 1963; Horn, 1988, 1991; Horn & Cattell, 1966; McGrew, 2005, 2009; Schneider & McGrew, 2012; Woodcock, 1990). The WJ IV COG Examiner’s Manual and the Technical Manual contain more information on CHC theory.

Interpreting the Reading Tests When interpreting the reading tests, consider the relative complexity of task demands in each. Figure 5-2 is an interpretive model of the various skills measured by the WJ IV reading tests. In terms of complexity, the skills measured in these eight tests range from the lower-level ability to recognize isolated letters (the beginning items in Test 1: Letter-Word Identification) to the higher-level ability to comprehend vocabulary (Test 17: Reading Vocabulary) and connected text (Test 4: Passage Comprehension and Test 12: Reading Recall).

Figure 5-2. MORE COMPLEX Various skills measured WJ IV Test Stimulus Task by the WJ IV ACH reading tests. Connected Discourse Test 4: Passage Printed passages Understanding a written passage (Translexical Level) Comprehension and completing the passage with a single word

Test 12: Reading Recall Printed passages Reading and recalling elements of a passage

Test 8: Oral Reading Printed sentences Oral reading of sentences

Rate/Automaticity Test 9: Sentence Printed sentences Reading and understanding Reading Fluency short sentences quickly

Isolated Words Test 15: Word Printed words Reading and matching the two (Lexical Level) Reading Fluency words that go together quickly

Test 17: Reading Vocabulary Printed words Reading and producing synonyms and antonyms Test 1: Letter-Word Printed words Pronouncing real words Identification (word items)

Phono/Orthographic Test 7: Word Attack Printed words Applying phonic and structural analysis Coding (nonsense) skills to pronouncing nonsense words

Test 7: Word Attack Printed letters Identifying single phonemes Isolated Letters (Sublexical Level) Test 1: Letter-Word Printed letters Identifying single letters Identification (letter items)

LESS COMPLEX

Scores and Interpretation 85 Although the WJ IV ACH reading tests are primarily measures of reading ability (Grw), these tests require other cognitive abilities as well, such as auditory processing (Ga), comprehension-knowledge (Gc), processing speed (Gs), or long-term retrieval (Glr).

Test 1: Letter-Word Identification This test is a measure of reading decoding (Grw), including the ability to identify the names of several uppercase and lowercase letters and the ability to identify words. An individual with good sight-word recognition skills demonstrates a pattern of recognizing many words rapidly with little effort. Low performance on Letter-Word Identification may be a function of inefficient strategies for word identification or response style. In most cases, low scores mean that the person has not developed automatic word identification skills. An examinee with nonautomatic word identification skills may identify several words accurately but may require increased time and greater attention to phonological and orthographical analysis to determine the correct response. In some cases, however, an examinee may have developed some word identification skill but is unwilling to try, is frustrated, or is afraid to risk making an error. The “Qualitative Observation” checklist for this test helps document how the examinee approached the task. Data were collected during standardization on checklists that were completed by examiners. Table 5-5 provides information about the percentage of age mates who were assigned each rating. For example, at age 9, 4% were rated as being able to identify words rapidly and accurately, 7% were rated as having nonautomatic word identification skills, and 1% did not apply phoneme-grapheme relationships. The majority of 9-year-olds (75%) were rated as identifying initial words rapidly and accurately and then identifying more difficult items with increased application of phoneme-grapheme relationships. Thus, this would be considered typical performance for 9-year-olds. Using this information can help determine how typical or atypical the examinee’s performance is compared to age mates.

Test 4: Passage Comprehension This test is a measure of reading comprehension (Grw) and lexical knowledge (Gc). This modified cloze task requires the ability to use syntactic and semantic cues. Low performance on Test 4: Passage Comprehension may be a function of limited basic reading skills, comprehension difficulties, or both. The essence of passage comprehension ability, as an independent skill, is how well an individual understands written discourse as it is being read. The requirement that passage comprehension be defined and measured as an independent skill is no different from good measurement in any other area of achievement or cognitive ability. Scores from measures that are not independent (confounded) are difficult to interpret. For a measure of passage comprehension to meet the assumption that it is an independent measure requires a reasonable expectation that examinees have prior familiarity with the words used in the passages and have knowledge of any concepts that are prerequisite for processing the passage contents. If these conditions are not met, the so-called passage comprehension test score is confounded with word recognition skill and knowledge. For many examinees, a test passage concerned with the spectrographic analysis of white light would be more a measure of knowledge, or ignorance, of physics vocabulary and concepts than of the capability to understand written discourse. Some tests of reading comprehension are actually tests of information processing that happen to use reading as the medium of communication. Asking an individual to study a passage and then answer questions about the content, such as to state the author’s purpose or to predict what may happen next, does not tap skills specific to reading. It taps language processing and cognitive skills. These are valid skills to assess in their own right, regardless

86 Scores and Interpretation of the medium of communication (for example, printed text, an audio recording, a television excerpt, or a mime performance). However, scores from such tests do not measure the essence of reading comprehension, but instead reflect performance on a confounded language-processing task with indeterminate diagnostic results. A program of remedial instruction planned for an individual may be ineffective if it is assumed that the problem is with the person’s reading skill when the problem is actually a symptom of a broader language processing skill. In fact, such problems might be remediated more effectively using materials and procedures that do not require reading. For example, if a person has an information processing weakness that interferes with appreciating the main purpose of a passage or anticipating what may happen next, the remediation might best be approached using a variety of media including listening, watching television, and reading. Broadening the language base of instruction makes it more likely that the training will generalize to all areas of communication and thinking, including reading.

Table 5-5. Rating 1 Rating 2 Rating 3 Rating 4 Rating 5 Rating 6 Percentage by Age of Identified Identified initial Identified Required Was not able to None of the Occurrence of Qualitative words rapidly items rapidly initial items increased time apply phoneme- above, not Observations for Test 1: and accurately and accurately rapidly and and greater grapheme observed, does Letter-Word Identification with little effort and identified accurately but attention to relationships not apply (automatic word more difficult had difficulty phoneme- identification items through applying grapheme skills) increased phoneme- relationships application grapheme to determine of phoneme- relationships to the correct grapheme latter items response relationships (nonautomatic (typical) word identification skills) Age Percentage of Occurrence in Norming Sample 2 NA 3 4 4 26 63 3 1 19 5 3 19 54 4 1 27 10 3 9 50 5 4 40 11 7 18 21 6 9 60 10 14 6 1 7 5 68 22 2 1 1 8 15 65 13 4 2 NA 9 4 75 13 7 1 NA 10 5 74 11 6 4 1 11 1 73 16 8 1 1 12 3 71 16 9 1 NA 13 1 68 19 9 3 1 14 6 56 18 15 3 1 15 3 62 27 8 NA NA 16 8 61 20 7 2 2 17 4 65 20 10 NA NA 18 6 60 22 12 1 NA 19 7 60 18 13 1 NA

NA = Not observed or not rated

Scores and Interpretation 87 The modified cloze procedure used in Test 4: Passage Comprehension requires an examinee to dynamically apply a variety of vocabulary and comprehension skills in the process of arriving at the point where the missing word can be supplied in a passage. It should be noted that with good modified cloze items an examinee should be unable to provide the answer based on local context in the passage. Consider the following three cloze examples. Provide the missing word: “...do something about ______it.” Now, read the entire sentence and attempt to provide the missing word: “It is another thing to do something about ______it.” Finally, read and answer the entire item: “It is one thing to demonstrate that modern war is harmful to the species. It is another thing to do something about ______it.” Note that the solution to this item (for example, the word preventing) required understanding of not only the sentence containing the blank, but also the preceding sentence, thus requiring the use of a variety of reading, language processing, and vocabulary skills. Such a task more likely measures an examinee’s ability to understand written discourse as it is being read than many other reading comprehension test formats. The question is sometimes asked whether Test 4: Passage Comprehension is a measure of literal or inferential comprehension. During the process of completing a typical item, the examinee likely draws on both types of comprehension. However, the process of providing the missing word may be a result of inferential comprehension because the examinee must infer an acceptable word from the total context of the passage. A useful comparison is performance on this reading task with performance on the WJ IV OL Test 2: Oral Comprehension, a parallel task that does not require reading. The “Qualitative Observation” checklist for this test helps document how the examinee approached the task. Table 5-6 provides information about the percentage of age mates who were assigned each rating in the norming sample. For example, of the 10-year-olds whose performance was rated, 83% appeared to have typical passage comprehension, 7% appeared to read with no observed difficulties, and 9% read slowly and had difficulty identifying the correct word. Using this information can help determine how typical or atypical the examinee’s performance is compared to age mates.

Test 7: Word Attack This test measures an examinee’s ability to apply phonic and structural analysis skills in pronouncing phonically and orthographically regular nonsense or nonwords (Grw, Ga). The individual must recall the phoneme associated with each grapheme and then blend or synthesize the phonemes into a word. Knowledge of word structure is required for the multisyllabic nonsense words. The “Qualitative Observation” checklist for this test helps document how the examinee approached the task. In most cases, poor performance on Test 7: Word Attack means that the examinee has not developed or mastered phonetic decoding skills. In some cases, however, an examinee may have developed some phonic and structural analysis skills but is unwilling to try, is frustrated, or is afraid to risk making an error. A useful comparison is performance on this reading task with performance on WJ IV OL Test 7: Sound Blending.

88 Scores and Interpretation Test 8: Oral Reading This test measures an examinee’s ability to apply important aspects of reading fluency, such as accuracy and prosody, when reading sentences aloud (Grw). Low performance on Test 8: Oral Reading may be a function of limited decoding skills, comprehension difficulties, or both, resulting in a lack of reading fluency. Individuals with expressive language impairments may struggle with the oral demands of this task. The “Qualitative Observation Tally” for this test helps document the number of each error type the examinee made while reading. This information can help with planning an appropriate intervention.

Table 5-6. Rating 1 Rating 2 Rating 3 Rating 4 Percentage by Age of Appeared to read Appeared to Appeared to None of the Occurrence of Qualitative passages with read initial read passages above, not Observations for Test 4: no observed passages easily very slowly and observed, or Passage Comprehension difficulties (good but appeared had difficulty does not apply use of syntactic to struggle identifying a and semantic as reading correct word cues) increased (struggled with in difficulty application of (typical) syntactic and semantic cues) Age Percentage of Occurrence in Norming Sample 2 NA 11 11 78 3 NA 20 6 74 4 1 29 6 64 5 3 40 17 39 6 5 69 21 6 7 9 82 9 NA 8 12 78 9 NA 9 3 87 9 1 10 7 83 9 1 11 12 83 5 NA 12 6 84 9 1 13 7 84 7 3 14 15 75 9 1 15 9 82 8 1 16 16 75 8 2 17 16 74 9 1 18 7 83 10 NA 19 15 73 11 1

NA = Not observed or not rated

Test 9: Sentence Reading Fluency This test is a measure of reading speed and rate (Grw, Gs). The task requires the ability to read and comprehend simple sentences quickly. Low performance on this test may be a function of limited basic reading skills, comprehension difficulties, slow processing speed, and/or an inability to sustain concentration. The “Qualitative Observation” checklist for this test helps document how the examinee approached the task. Table 5-7 provides information about the percentage of age mates who were assigned each rating in the norming sample. For example, of the 9-year-olds whose performance was rated, 15% appeared to read the

Scores and Interpretation 89 sentences slowly and 7% appeared to read them rapidly. The majority of 9-year-olds (78%) appeared to read at a rate typical for their age. Using this information can help determine how typical or atypical the examinee’s performance is compared to age mates.

Table 5-7. Rating 1 Rating 2 Rating 3 Rating 4 Percentage by Age of Appeared to Appeared to Appeared to None of the Occurrence of Qualitative read sentences read sentences read sentences above, not Observations for Test 9: rapidly at a rate typical slowly observed, or Sentence Reading Fluency for peers does not apply Age Percentage of Occurrence in Norming Sample 5 4 12 8 77 6 4 46 14 36 7 8 65 18 10 8 11 76 13 NA 9 7 78 15 NA 10 17 68 15 NA 11 20 72 8 NA 12 17 76 6 NA 13 17 75 8 NA 14 23 67 11 NA 15 21 79 NA NA 16 17 78 5 NA 17 30 66 5 NA 18 18 73 7 2 19 29 58 11 2

NA = Not observed or not rated

Test 12: Reading Recall This test is a measure of reading comprehension (Grw) and meaningful memory (Glr). Low performance may result from a variety of factors, including attention, limited basic reading skills, comprehension difficulties, or weaknesses in memory. Additionally, weaknesses in oral language also can impact performance. For example, individuals with expressive language difficulties may struggle with the oral retelling of the details in a reading passage.

Test 15: Word Reading Fluency This test is a measure of vocabulary knowledge (Gc) and semantic fluency (Grw). Low performance may result from limited word knowledge, decoding difficulties, limited speed, attentional difficulties, or a combination of factors. Comparing performance on this reading task to WJ IV COG measures of processing speed or to WJ IV OL Test 4: Rapid Picture Naming may be helpful. It is helpful also to consider the depth and breadth of a person’s vocabulary knowledge. In addition, examining the individual’s performance on untimed measures of reading, such as Test 1: Letter-Word Identification, Test 7: Word Attack, or Test 17: Reading Vocabulary, may provide insights into the reasons for low performance on Test 15: Word Reading Fluency.

Test 17: Reading Vocabulary This test measures an aspect of reading comprehension at the isolated word level. This allows evaluation of word comprehension skill apart from passage comprehension skill. The

90 Scores and Interpretation task requires the ability to read words and supply words similar in meaning in Test 17A: Synonyms and to supply words opposite in meaning in Test 17B: Antonyms. Performance on Test 17: Reading Vocabulary is related to basic reading skills (Grw) and vocabulary knowledge (Gc). Low performance on Test 17: Reading Vocabulary may be a function of limited basic reading skills, limited word comprehension, or both. A useful comparison is performance on this reading task with the WJ IV COG Test 1: Oral Vocabulary, a parallel task that does not require reading.

Interpreting the Math Tests When interpreting the math tests, consider the relative complexity of task demands in each. Figure 5-3 provides an interpretive model of the various skills measured by the WJ IV ACH math tests.

Figure 5-3. MORE COMPLEX Various skills measured by WJ IV Test Stimulus Task the WJ IV ACH math tests. Problem Solving Test 2: Applied Problems Printed problems Analyzing and solving and Concepts presented orally practical problems

Test 13: Number Matrices Rectangular array Analyzing numerical of numbers relationships

Skills Test 5: Calculation Printed items for Performing simple to computation complex computations

Automaticity Test 10: Math Facts Fluency Printed math facts Quickly calculating single-digit math facts (addition, subtraction, and multiplication)

Basic Math Facts Test 5: Calculation Single-digit computations Calculating single-digit facts

Motoric Output Test 5: Calculation Orally presented numbers Writing numbers

LESS COMPLEX

In terms of complexity, the skills measured in the four WJ IV math tests range from the lower-level ability of recognizing math symbols and vocabulary to the higher-level ability of mathematical reasoning and problem solving. Based on CHC theory, the math tests are primarily measures of quantitative knowledge (Gq), although some math tests measure other aspects of processing, particularly fluid reasoning (Gf ) or processing speed (Gs).

Test 2: Applied Problems This test is a measure of quantitative reasoning, math achievement, and math knowledge (Gq). The task requires the ability to analyze and solve math problems. This test also measures an aspect of fluid reasoning (Gf ). Low performance on Test 2: Applied Problems may be a function of limited math skills, comprehension difficulties, or poor mathematical reasoning ability. The “Qualitative Observation” checklist for this test helps document how the examinee approached the task. Table 5-8 provides information about the percentage of age mates who were assigned each rating in the norming sample. For example, of the

Scores and Interpretation 91 14-year-olds whose performance was rated, 17% appeared to have limited understanding of age-appropriate math applications, while 10% solved the problems with no observed difficulties. Using this information can help determine how typical or atypical the examinee’s performance is compared to age mates.

Table 5-8. Rating 1 Rating 2 Rating 3 Rating 4 Percentage by Age of Solved Solved initial Appeared to None of the Occurrence of Qualitative problems with problems with have limited above, not Observations for Test 2: no observed no observed understanding observed, or Applied Problems difficulties difficulty but of grade- or does not apply (good demonstrated age-appropriate comprehension increasing math and analytical difficulties application abilities) solving the tasks latter items (typical) Age Percentage of Occurrence in Norming Sample 2 1 26 30 44 3 5 55 21 19 4 4 80 9 7 5 6 85 9 NA 6 9 85 5 1 7 10 86 4 NA 8 14 79 7 NA 9 9 82 8 1 10 5 87 9 NA 11 7 84 8 1 12 6 86 9 NA 13 7 82 10 1 14 10 71 17 2 15 5 77 18 1 16 5 67 26 2 17 7 66 25 3 18 5 60 35 NA 19 4 66 28 2

NA = Not observed or not rated

Test 5: Calculation This test of math achievement measures the ability to perform mathematical computations (Gq). The task requires the examinee to perform a variety of calculations ranging from simple addition to calculus. Low performance may be a function of limited basic math skills, limited instruction, or lack of attention. The “Qualitative Observation” checklist for this test helps document how the examinee approached the task. Table 5-9 provides information about the percentage of age mates who were assigned each rating in the norming sample. For example, of the 12-year-olds whose performance was rated, 8% worked very slowly and relied on inefficient strategies, 8% solved the problems quickly and with no observed difficulties, and 2% appeared to work too quickly. Using this information can help determine how typical or atypical the examinee’s performance is compared to age mates.

92 Scores and Interpretation Table 5-9. Rating 1 Rating 2 Rating 3 Rating 4 Rating 5 Rating 6 Percentage by Age of Worked too Solved Solved initial Solved Worked very None of the Occurrence of Qualitative quickly problems problems problems slowly and above, not Observations for Test 5: quickly with quickly with slowly and relied on use observed, or Calculation no observed no observed demonstrated of strategies does not apply difficulties difficulties but less that appeared (fluent and demonstrated automaticity to be inefficient automatic) less with the latter for age or automaticity items grade level with the latter (nonautomatic) items (typical) Age Percentage of Occurrence in Norming Sample 4 NA NA 17 8 8 67 5 2 5 24 16 7 46 6 1 4 52 21 9 12 7 1 5 68 16 9 NA 8 NA 6 60 27 6 1 9 1 3 63 25 7 1 10 NA 2 75 14 8 1 11 2 4 76 13 5 NA 12 2 8 66 16 8 1 13 1 8 65 18 5 3 14 1 9 57 18 9 5 15 2 8 56 24 9 2 16 1 8 65 19 5 3 17 NA 8 51 31 7 3 18 NA 9 44 32 14 2 19 1 7 56 22 13 2

NA = Not observed or not rated

Test 10: Math Facts Fluency This test is a measure of math achievement and number facility requiring the examinee to solve simple addition, subtraction, and multiplication problems rapidly (Gq, Gs). Low performance on Math Facts Fluency may be a function of limited knowledge of basic math facts or lack of automaticity. The “Qualitative Observation” checklist for this test helps document how the examinee approached the task. Table 5-10 provides information about the percentage of age mates who were assigned each rating in the norming sample. For example, while 17% of the 8-year-olds whose performance was rated solved the problems slowly, only 6% of the 11-year-olds had that same rating. Using this information can help determine how typical or atypical the examinee’s performance is compared to age mates.

Scores and Interpretation 93 Table 5-10. Rating 1 Rating 2 Rating 3 Rating 4 Percentage by Age of Solved Solved Solved None of the Occurrence of Qualitative problems problems at a problems slowly above, not Observations for Test 10: quickly rate typical for observed, or Math Facts Fluency peers does not apply Age Percentage of Occurrence in Norming Sample 5 6 29 19 45 6 8 49 30 13 7 3 77 19 NA 8 10 72 17 NA 9 5 83 12 NA 10 12 72 14 2 11 23 71 6 NA 12 18 70 11 NA 13 22 70 8 NA 14 23 64 12 NA 15 21 74 6 NA 16 33 60 7 NA 17 25 68 7 NA 18 29 59 13 NA 19 35 55 8 2

NA = Not observed or not rated

Test 13: Number Matrices This test is a measure of quantitative reasoning, an aspect of fluid reasoning (Gf ). The task requires the ability to inductively and deductively reason with numbers to determine a missing number in a matrix. Low performance may be a function of limited quantitative reasoning. It may be helpful to compare an individual’s performance on this test to his or her performance on WJ IV COG tests that require reasoning: Test 2: Number Series, Test 9: Concept Formation, and Test 15: Analysis-Synthesis.

Interpreting the Written Language Tests When interpreting the written language tests, consider the relative complexity of written language skills in each. Figure 5-4 is an interpretive model of the skills measured in the WJ IV ACH written language tests. The WJ IV measures five aspects of writing skill: punctuation and capitalization, spelling, usage, writing fluency, and quality of written expression. Additionally, the quality of an individual’s handwriting can be observed informally on Test 3: Spelling, Test 6: Writing Samples, and Test 11: Sentence Writing Fluency. In terms of relative complexity, the skills measured in these tests range from the production of legible handwritten output to the generative writing for quality expression requiring ideas, organization, task adherence, and reasoning in Test 6: Writing Samples.

94 Scores and Interpretation Figure 5-4. MORE COMPLEX Various skills measured WJ IV Test Stimulus Task by the WJ IV ACH writing tests. Connected Discourse Test 6: Writing Samples Various sentence Writing for the quality of (Translexical Level) prompts with differing expression task demands

Test 14: Editing Typewritten passages Identifying and correcting with errors spelling, usage, and punctuation in written text

Rate/Automaticity Test 11: Sentence A picture and three Writing short sentences Writing Fluency words to form into quickly—requires correct a sentence syntax and automaticity

Phono/Orthographic Test 3: Spelling Orally dictated words Producing correct spellings Coding Test 16: Spelling of Sounds Orally dictated Producing written, phonically nonsense words regular nonsense words that conform to English spelling rules

Isolated Letters Test 3: Spelling Orally presented letters Writing letter names (Sublexical Level) Test 16: Spelling of Sounds Orally presented Writing letters corresponding phonemes to phonemes

Motoric Output Handwriting Test 6: Writing Samples Writing legibly responses

LESS COMPLEX

Test 3: Spelling This test measures knowledge of prewriting skills and spelling (Grw). The task requires the production of single letters or words in response to oral prompts. Performance on Test 3: Spelling may be related to several factors, including handwriting. If an examinee is unable to complete Items 1 through 3, he or she may not have developed the muscular control or visual-motor skill needed in beginning handwriting. A closer analysis of Test 3: Spelling items will help examiners differentiate between phonetically accurate and phonetically inaccurate spelling errors. In analyzing an examinee’s responses, an examiner may determine whether a difference exists in the individual’s ability to spell words that have regular phoneme-grapheme correspondence and those that require the memorization of visual features. In addition, the following specific error patterns may be present in an examinee’s misspellings: (a) addition of unnecessary letters, (b) omissions of needed letters, (c) mispronunciations or dialectal speech patterns, (d) reversals of letters, (e) transpositions of whole words (e.g., was for saw) or of consonants and/or vowels (e.g., brithday), (f) phonetic spellings of nonphonetic words (e.g., they as thay), and (g) incorrect associations of sounds with letters (e.g., efry for every). The “Qualitative Observation” checklist for this test helps document how the examinee approached the task. Table 5-11 provides information about the percentage of age mates who were assigned each rating in the norming sample. For example, of the 13-year-olds whose performance was rated, 2% spelled words easily and accurately and 27% spelled words in a laborious, nonautomatic manner. Using this information can help determine how typical or atypical the examinee’s performance is compared to age mates.

Scores and Interpretation 95 Table 5-11. Rating 1 Rating 2 Rating 3 Rating 4 Percentage by Age of Spelled words Spelled initial Spelled words None of the Occurrence of Qualitative easily and items easily in a laborious above, not Observations for Test 3: accurately and accurately; manner observed, or Spelling spelling of (nonautomatic) does not apply latter items reflected a need for further skill development (typical) Age Percentage of Occurrence in Norming Sample 2 NA 7 6 86 3 NA 18 10 72 4 2 39 8 51 5 2 56 16 25 6 6 76 16 3 7 15 82 3 NA 8 18 77 5 NA 9 11 78 10 1 10 4 81 14 1 11 8 80 12 1 12 6 74 19 1 13 2 65 27 7 14 2 67 26 4 15 3 76 16 5 16 5 74 19 2 17 3 77 18 2 18 3 73 24 NA 19 7 64 27 3

NA = Not observed or not rated

Test 6: Writing Samples This test measures the ability to convey ideas in writing (Grw). The task requires the production of meaningful written sentences in response to a variety of task criteria. Performance on Test 6: Writing Samples may be related to several factors, including an examinee’s attitude toward writing, oral language performance, vocabulary, and organizational ability. Some individuals are highly resistant to writing and produce only short, simple sentences. In rare cases, the person may refuse to write. In many cases, such people have experienced failure in attempting to write. In addition, an individual’s oral language performance may affect his or her Test 6: Writing Samples scores. Dialects and cultural influences may affect not only the way people pronounce words, but also how they spell the words. Many individuals with low oral vocabulary abilities will have low written vocabulary abilities. Finally, organizational abilities may be related to performance on Test 6: Writing Samples. One item type on this test requires the examinee to fill in a missing middle sentence in a paragraph. Sequencing and organizational abilities, or the ability to arrange thoughts logically in writing, may be a contributing factor. The “Qualitative Observation” checklist for this test helps document how the examinee approached the task. Table 5-12 provides information about the percentage of age mates who were assigned each rating in the norming sample. For example, of the 9-year-olds

96 Scores and Interpretation whose performance was rated, 4% wrote sentences that were both complex and detailed and 19% wrote inadequate sentences. Using this information can help determine how typical or atypical the examinee’s performance is compared to age mates.

Table 5-12. Rating 1 Rating 2 Rating 3 Rating 4 Percentage by Age of Sentences were Sentences Sentences were None of the Occurrence of Qualitative both complex were simple inadequate (for above, not Observations for Test 6: and detailed but adequate example, run- observed, or Writing Samples (typical) ons, incomplete does not apply sentences, awkward syntax, or limited content) Age Percentage of Occurrence in Norming Sample 4 NA 6 6 89 5 1 17 16 66 6 1 47 28 25 7 6 68 20 7 8 10 71 18 1 9 4 77 19 1 10 5 79 14 1 11 10 77 13 1 12 14 74 12 NA 13 9 71 19 1 14 11 67 19 2 15 13 64 20 2 16 20 64 12 3 17 17 70 13 1 18 12 73 14 1 19 20 67 11 2

NA = Not observed or not rated

Test 11: Sentence Writing Fluency This test measures the examinee’s ability to write rapidly with ease (automaticity) (Grw, Gs). The task requires the production of legible, simple sentences with acceptable English syntax. Minimal analytic attention or problem solving is necessary. Performance on Test 11: Sentence Writing Fluency may be related to several factors, including muscular or motor control, response style, ability to sustain concentration, and reading or spelling skills. When an examinee’s attention is focused on the mechanics of writing rather than on the formulation or expression of ideas, writing is not automatic. Poor muscular control may contribute to a concentration on the mechanics of the writing task and contribute to low scores. In addition, an examinee’s response to timed tasks can influence the quality of automaticity. A range of different response styles to this task has been observed. Some examinees complete all tasks at a slow, consistent pace, regardless of imposed time constraints. Other examinees work very rapidly but tend to make a lot of careless errors. In an interpretation of the examinee’s response style, an examiner may want to define whether the examinee worked (a) slowly but inaccurately, (b) slowly and accurately, (c) rapidly but inaccurately, or (d) rapidly and accurately. Also, low scores on Test 11: Sentence Writing

Scores and Interpretation 97 Fluency may be related to an observed difficulty in sustaining concentration for the 5-minute time period of the test. For example, some examinees write a few words and then look around the room. They need to be redirected to the task. Others ask the examiner how much time has elapsed. However, difficulty sustaining attention could be related to frustration with writing tasks. Word recognition and spelling skill also may affect performance on this task, especially for younger children or older students with limited skill. Although the stimulus words are controlled in terms of reading difficulty, and the examiner is allowed to read any requested word, some examinees may misread a word or may not ask for a pronunciation of an unrecognized word. Some examinees with spelling difficulties will need to glance at each stimulus word several times to copy it correctly, thus affecting writing speed. The “Qualitative Observation” checklist for this test helps document how the examinee approached the task. Table 5-13 provides information about the percentage of age mates who were assigned each rating in the norming sample. For example, of the 10-year-olds whose performance was rated, 19% had difficulty formulating or writing sentences quickly and 26% wrote appropriate sentences at a slow pace. Using this information can help determine how typical or atypical the examinee’s performance is compared to age mates.

Table 5-13. Rating 1 Rating 2 Rating 3 Rating 4 Rating 5 Percentage by Age of Wrote sentences Wrote Wrote Had trouble None of the Occurrence of Qualitative with remarkable appropriate appropriate formulating above, not Observations for Test 11: ease and sentences at an sentences at a or writing observed, or Sentence Writing Fluency accuracy adequate pace slow pace sentences does not apply (typical) quickly Age Percentage of Occurrence in Norming Sample 5 NA 11 NA 26 63 6 NA 22 22 44 13 7 NA 27 35 35 3 8 6 48 23 23 NA 9 NA 66 22 12 NA 10 3 52 26 19 NA 11 13 60 18 10 NA 12 5 81 10 5 NA 13 5 77 16 2 2 14 5 79 5 9 2 15 17 72 11 NA NA 16 12 75 8 2 3 17 NA 91 7 2 NA 18 13 65 16 6 NA 19 19 66 7 7 NA

NA = Not observed or not rated

Test 14: Editing This test measures language development by assessing the examinee’s ability to detect and correct errors in written work (Grw). The task requires the ability to identify and correct errors in punctuation, capitalization, spelling, and usage in short written passages. In most cases, low performance on Test 14: Editing is due to a lack of knowledge, but it also may be related to a lack of error-monitoring skill and/or poor reading performance. For example, an individual may understand how to use question marks but may not notice that

98 Scores and Interpretation they are missing. In addition, because this test requires reading skill, low word recognition may negatively affect performance.

Test 16: Spelling of Sounds This test measures phonological (an aspect of auditory processing [Ga]) and orthographic coding. The task requires spelling nonsense words that conform to conventional phonics and spelling rules (Grw). Low performance may be a result of poor phonological processing, poor phoneme/grapheme knowledge, poor orthographic awareness (lack of familiarity with visual spelling patterns), or lack of attention. As with Test 3: Spelling, an error analysis can help reveal certain types of confusions an examinee has regarding the sequencing of sounds and letters.

Interpreting the Academic Knowledge Tests These three tests (Test 18: Science, Test 19: Social Studies, Test 20: Humanities) are primarily measures of acquired content or curricular knowledge, an aspect of crystallized intelligence (Gc), in various areas of science (biological and physical sciences), social studies (history, geography, government, psychology, and economics), and humanities (art, music, and literature). Low performance may be due to limited vocabulary, limited exposure to the curricular area, limited life experiences, or any combination of factors.

Interpreting Variations and Comparisons

As stated in the Standards for Educational and Psychological Testing (AERA, APA, & NCME, 2014): Standard 10.15: The interpretation of test or test battery results for diagnostic purposes should be based on multiple sources of test and collateral information and on an understanding of the normative, empirical, and theoretical foundations, as well as the limitations, of such tests and data (p. 167). The WJ IV provides a procedure for norm-based evaluation of the presence and significance of strengths and weaknesses among an individual’s cognitive, linguistic, and achievement abilities. This information is especially appropriate for documenting the nature of and differentiating between intra-ability variations and ability/achievement comparisons. Table 5-14 depicts the various variation and ability/achievement comparison or discrepancy procedures available in the WJ IV.

Table 5-14. Intra-Ability Variation Models WJ IV Intra-Ability Variation Intra-Cognitive and Ability/Achievement Comparison Procedures Intra-Oral Language Intra-Achievement Academic Skills/Academic Fluency/Academic Applications Ability/Achievement Comparison Models General Intellectual Ability/Achievement Gf-Gc Composite/Other Abilities Scholastic Aptitude/Achievement Oral Language/Achievement Academic Knowledge/Achievement

Scores and Interpretation 99 Intra-Ability Variations Intra-ability variation models are bidirectional comparisons (as represented by the two- headed arrows in Figure 5-5) that allow comparison of performance among skills and abilities. There are four types of intra-ability variations in the WJ IV: intra-achievement (determined with the WJ IV ACH), academic skills/academic fluency/academic applications (determined with the WJ IV ACH), intra-oral language (determined with the WJ IV OL), and intra-cognitive (determined with the WJ IV COG). The two variation procedures discussed are the ones available when using the WJ IV ACH. While a summary is presented here, consult the WJ IV COG Examiner’s Manual and the WJ IV OL Examiner’s Manual for further information about the other variation procedures.

Intra-Achievement Variations This variation procedure allows comparison of one area of academic achievement to the examinee’s expected or predicted performance as determined by his or her average performance on other achievement areas. An intra-achievement variation is present within individuals who have specific achievement strengths or weaknesses, such as superior math skills relative to their expected achievement based on their average performance in other areas of achievement. Individuals with a significant intra-achievement variation exhibit specific strengths or weaknesses in one or more areas of achievement. This type of information is an invaluable aid in instructional planning and can be used, for example, to support the hypothesis of a specific difficulty as compared to generally low academic performance across achievement domains. For example, a student may perform poorly in mathematics but may have average abilities on tasks involving reading. As indicated in Table 5-15, intra-achievement variations can be calculated if WJ IV ACH Tests 1 through 6 are administered. Each test is compared to the examinee’s predicted or expected test score based on his or her average performance on the other five tests. For example, when considering Test 1: Letter-Word Identification, the individual’s average performance on the remaining five tests (Tests 2 through 6) is used as the predictor to determine his or her expected score on Test 1: Letter-Word Identification. This expected score is then compared to the person’s obtained Test 1: Letter-Word Identification score. If the individual’s expected score is higher than his or her actual score, a relative weakness is identified. If the expected score is lower than the actual score, a relative strength is identified.

100 Scores and Interpretation Figure 5-5. Intra-Ability Variation Procedures Four types of intra-ability BIDIRECTIONAL COMPARISONS variation models in the Intra-Cognitive Variations

WJ IV. Cognitive Abilities Oral Language Achievement

Intra-Oral Language Variations Cognitive Abilities Oral Language Achievement

Intra-Achievement Variations Cognitive Abilities Oral Language Achievement

Academic Skills/Academic Fluency/ Academic Applications Cognitive Abilities Oral Language Achievement

As an option, other tests can be included in the variation procedure. When including any additional tests, the corresponding cluster or clusters that are created also are included in the variation procedure. For example, if Test 7: Word Attack is administered, the Basic Reading Skills cluster is available when combined with Test 1: Letter-Word Identification. Therefore, both Test 7: Word Attack and the Basic Reading Skills cluster are compared to the same expected score based on the same predictor as Test 1: Letter-Word Identification in the variation procedure. No matter how many tests are administered, the predictor score is always based on five tests from WJ IV ACH Tests 1 through 6. An intra-achievement variation is present within individuals who have specific academic strengths or weaknesses, such as superior Basic Reading Skills (Grw) relative to their expected performance based on their average performance on the remaining five tests. If any of the optional additional tests are included in the variation procedure, the variation is labeled Intra-Achievement (Extended).

Scores and Interpretation 101 Table 5-15. Intra-Achievement Variations WJ IV Intra-Achievement Required From WJ IV ACH (Tests 1–6) Optional From WJ IV ACH Variations Test 1: Letter-Word Identification Uses same predictor as Letter-Word Identification Test 7: Word Attack Test 8: Oral Reading Basic Reading Skills Reading Fluency (also requires Test 9: Sentence Reading Fluency)

Test 2: Applied Problems Uses same predictor as Applied Problems Test 13: Number Matrices Math Problem Solving

Test 3: Spelling Uses same predictor as Spelling Test 14: Editing Test 16: Spelling of Sounds Basic Writing Skills

Test 4: Passage Comprehension Uses same predictor as Passage Comprehension Test 9: Sentence Reading Fluency Test 12: Reading Recall Test 15: Word Reading Fluency Test 17: Reading Vocabulary Reading Comprehension Reading Comprehension–Extended Reading Rate

Test 5: Calculation Uses same predictor as Calculation Test 10: Math Facts Fluency Math Calculation Skills

Test 6: Writing Samples Uses same predictor as Writing Samples Test 11: Sentence Writing Fluency Written Expression

Academic Skills/Academic Fluency/Academic Applications Variations This variation procedure allows comparison of the examinee’s performance in skills, fluency, and applications across the academic areas of reading, written language, and mathematics. Nine WJ IV ACH tests are required: three in reading (Test 1: Letter-Word Identification, Test 4: Passage Comprehension, Test 9: Sentence Reading Fluency), three in mathematics (Test 2: Applied Problems, Test 5: Calculation, Test 10: Math Facts Fluency), and three in written language (Test 3: Spelling, Test 6: Writing Samples, Test 11: Sentence Writing Fluency). The Academic Skills cluster is composed of Test 1: Letter-Word Identification, Test 3: Spelling, and Test 5: Calculation. The Academic Fluency cluster is composed of Test 9: Sentence Reading Fluency, Test 10: Math Facts Fluency, and Test 11: Sentence Writing Fluency. The Academic Applications cluster is composed of Test 2: Applied Problems, Test 4: Passage Comprehension, and Test 6: Writing Samples. Individuals with a significant variation exhibit a specific strength or a weakness, such as limited academic skills relative to their expected performance based on their average performance on the other two cross-academic areas.

102 Scores and Interpretation This information is helpful in documenting the need for an accommodation or modification of instruction. For example, if the individual has a significant weakness in fluency, this may indicate he or she needs extended time or shortened assignments. There are additional options for this variation procedure that include two cognitive areas (cognitive processing speed, perceptual speed) and one additional achievement cluster (Reading Rate). These additional options are compared to the same expected score based on the same predictor as the Academic Fluency cluster. If any of the optional additional tests are included in the variation procedure, the variation is labeled Academic Skills/Academic Fluency/Academic Applications (Extended). Table 5-16 identifies the tests required for the various options in the procedure.

Table 5-16. Academic Skills/Academic Fluency/Academic Applications Variations WJ IV Academic Skills/ Required From WJ IV ACH Optional From WJ IV ACH and WJ IV COG Academic Fluency/ (Tests 1–6, 9–11) Academic Applications Academic Skills Variations Test 1: Letter-Word Identification Test 3: Spelling Test 5: Calculation

Academic Fluency Uses same predictor as Academic Fluency Test 9: Sentence Reading Fluency Reading Rate (add ACH Test 15: Word Reading Fluency) Test 10: Math Facts Fluency Cognitive Processing Speed (COG Test 4: Letter-Pattern Matching Test 11: Sentence Writing Fluency & COG Test 17: Pair Cancellation) Perceptual Speed (COG Test 4: Letter-Pattern Matching & COG Test 11: Number-Pattern Matching) Academic Applications Test 2: Applied Problems Test 4: Passage Comprehension Test 6: Writing Samples

Intra-Cognitive Variations This variation is present within individuals who have specific cognitive strengths or weaknesses, such as high fluid reasoning (Gf ) or poor short-term working memory (Gwm). Equal interest exists in either a strength or a weakness in one ability relative to an individual’s average performance in other cognitive abilities. This profile of variations can document areas of relative strength and weakness, provide insights for program planning, and contribute to a deeper understanding of the types of tasks that will be especially easy or difficult for an individual compared to his or her other abilities. Based on WJ IV COG Tests 1 through 7, this variation procedure allows comparison of one area of cognitive ability to the examinee’s expected or predicted score based on his or her average performance on six of the first seven cognitive tests, each measuring some aspect of a different CHC cognitive ability (Gc, Gf, Gwm, Gs, Ga, Glr, Gv). For example, when considering Test 1: Oral Vocabulary, the individual’s average performance on the remaining six tests (Test 2: Number Series, Test 3: Verbal Attention, Test 4: Letter-Pattern Matching, Test 5: Phonological Processing, Test 6: Story Recall, and Test 7: Visualization) is used as the predictor to determine the person’s expected Test 1: Oral Vocabulary score. This expected score is then compared to the person’s obtained Test 1: Oral Vocabulary score. An intra-cognitive variation is present within individuals who have specific cognitive strengths

Scores and Interpretation 103 or weaknesses, such as superior comprehension-knowledge (Gc) relative to their expected performance based on their average performance in other areas of cognitive ability.

Intra-Oral Language Variations This variation allows comparison of one area of oral language to the examinee’s expected or predicted performance as determined by his or her average performance in other oral language areas. An intra-oral language variation is present within individuals who have specific language strengths or weaknesses, such as superior listening comprehension relative to their expected performance based on their average performance in other areas of oral language. The intra-oral language variations can be calculated when WJ IV OL Tests 1 through 4 (Test 1: Picture Vocabulary, Test 2: Oral Comprehension, Test 3: Segmentation, and Test 4: Rapid Picture Naming) have been administered.

Ability/Achievement Comparisons Ability/achievement comparison models are unidirectional comparisons (as represented by the single-headed arrows in Figure 5-6) that use certain intellectual or linguistic abilities to predict academic performance. The ability/achievement comparison models are procedures for comparing an individual’s current academic performance to the performance of others of the same age or grade with the same ability score (based upon general intellectual ability, scholastic aptitude, Gf-Gc composite, oral language, or academic knowledge). These five models are not intended to gauge an individual’s potential for future success. They are, however, valid methods for evaluating the presence and significance of discrepancies between current levels of ability and achievement. All WJ IV ability/achievement comparisons account for regression to the mean and provide actual or real discrepancy norms (for more information, see the Technical Manual). Five alternatives may be used for the ability measure. The Academic Knowledge cluster from the WJ IV ACH may be used as the predictor for clusters in reading, writing, math, and cross-academic areas. The General Intellectual Ability, Scholastic Aptitude, or Gf-Gc composites may be used from the WJ IV COG as predictors or measures of ability. The Broad Oral Language (or Amplio lenguaje oral) cluster from the WJ IV OL may be used to predict level of achievement based upon the individual’s level of oral language development. Each of these procedures fulfills a different purpose. The one alternative available in the WJ IV ACH is discussed in detail. A summary of the other four alternatives—GIA, Scholastic Aptitude, and Gf-Gc Composite from the WJ IV COG and the Broad Oral Language cluster from the WJ IV OL—are presented. The WJ IV COG Examiner’s Manual and the WJ IV OL Examiner’s Manual provide further information about these comparison procedures.

Academic Knowledge/Achievement Comparisons The only ability/achievement comparison procedure available within the WJ IV ACH is the academic knowledge comparison procedure. Because Academic Knowledge is a strong measure of acquired knowledge, or Gc, and does not require reading, writing, or math, it serves as a good predictor of academic ability. This procedure allows the examiner to determine if current achievement levels are commensurate with the individual’s store of acquired knowledge.

104 Scores and Interpretation Figure 5-6. Ability/Achievement Comparison Models Five types of ability/ UNIDIRECTIONAL COMPARISONS achievement comparison Intellectual Ability/Achievement Comparisons models in the WJ IV. Cognitive Abilities Oral Language Achievement General Intellectual Ability Scholastic Aptitudes

Gf-Gc Comparisons

Cognitive Abilities Oral Language Achievement Gf-Gc

Oral Language Ability/Achievement Comparisons

Cognitive Abilities Oral Language Achievement

Academic Knowledge/Achievement Comparisons

Cognitive Abilities Oral Language Achievement Academic Knowledge

The Academic Knowledge cluster is comprised of Test 18: Science, Test 19: Social Studies, and Test 20: Humanities. The standard score for this cluster is used as the predictor of expected achievement. The individual’s expected achievement is then compared to his or her actual achievement. Examinees with expected scores significantly higher than their actual achievement scores exhibit a relative strength in academic knowledge with weaknesses in one or more areas of achievement. If expected scores are significantly lower than actual achievement, the individual exhibits a relative weakness in academic knowledge with strengths in one or more areas of achievement. Additionally, three clusters from the WJ IV OL can be included in this comparison procedure. Table 5-17 lists the various clusters that can be included in this ability/achievement comparison procedure.

Scores and Interpretation 105 Table 5-17. Achievement Clusters Oral Language Clusters WJ IV Academic Predictor That May Be Compared That May Be Compared Knowledge/Achievement Academic Knowledge Brief Achievement (Tests 1–3) Phonetic Coding (Tests 3, 7) Comparisons (Tests 18, 19, 20) Broad Achievement (Tests 1–6, 9–11) Speed of Lexical Access (Tests 4, 8)

Reading (Tests 1, 4) Broad Reading (Tests 1, 4, 9) Basic Reading Skills (Tests 1, 7) Reading Comprehension (Tests 4, 12) Reading Comprehension–Extended (Tests 4, 12, 17) Reading Fluency (Tests 8, 9) Reading Rate (Tests 9, 15)

Mathematics (Tests 2, 5) Broad Mathematics (Tests 2, 5, 10) Math Calculation Skills (Tests 5, 10) Math Problem Solving (Tests 2, 13)

Written Language (Tests 3, 6) Broad Written Language (Tests 3, 6, 11) Basic Writing Skills (Tests 3, 14) Written Expression (Tests 6, 11)

Academic Skills (Tests 1, 3, 5) Academic Fluency (Tests 9, 10, 11) Academic Applications (Tests 2, 4, 6)

Three Cognitive Ability/Achievement Comparisons In each academic area, the scholastic aptitude/achievement comparison procedure can be used to determine if an examinee is achieving commensurate with his or her current levels of associated cognitive abilities. The four cognitive tests that compose each aptitude provide the most relevant theoretical and research-based predictors of present achievement levels. Unlike a discrepancy procedure, the comparison procedure is looking for consistency between scores. In other words, a person with low reading aptitude would be expected to have low reading skills, whereas a person with high reading aptitude would be expected to have more advanced skills. The general intellectual ability/achievement discrepancy procedure can be used to determine the presence and severity of a discrepancy between general intellectual ability (g) and any particular area of achievement or oral language. This ability/achievement discrepancy procedure may be used as part of the selection criteria for learning disability (LD) programs. When the Gf-Gc composite is the predictor, it can be used to determine the presence of strengths and weaknesses in any area of achievement, as well as oral language and other cognitive abilities. The Gf-Gc composite is a high g index reflecting the individual’s fluid and crystallized intellectual abilities. This type of comparison is particularly helpful in cases where a processing deficit (e.g., slow processing speed) attenuates the GIA estimate of potential. More information about these procedures can be found in the WJ IV COG Examiner’s Manual.

106 Scores and Interpretation Oral Language/Achievement Comparisons Some professionals, especially those in the area of reading, prefer to use the oral language score as an ability measure. In many cases, a significant discrepancy between oral language ability and expected or predicted academic performance may be used to help substantiate the existence of a specific reading, math, or writing disability. Oral language ability/achievement comparisons use standard scores from the Broad Oral Language cluster to predict achievement on any of the broad, basic skills, or applied cluster scores. If the individual is tested in Spanish, the score from the Amplio lenguaje oral cluster may be used in this comparison. Examinees with a significant negative discrepancy between oral language ability and achievement exhibit relative strengths in oral language with weaknesses in one or more areas of achievement. Consult the WJ IV OL Examiner’s Manual for more information about this procedure.

Discrepancy Scores

The online scoring program includes two scores for use in interpreting the presence and severity of any variation, comparison, or discrepancy. These are called the discrepancy percentile rank (discrepancy PR) and the discrepancy standard deviation (discrepancy SD). These scores are based on actual difference scores computed for each individual in the norming sample. (See the Technical Manual for more information.) The discrepancy percentile rank indicates the percentage of the examinee’s peer group (same age or grade and same predicted score) with a difference score that is the same as or larger than the examinee’s difference score. For example, a discrepancy percentile rank of 1 on Basic Reading Skills indicates that only 1% of the examinee’s peer group had the same or larger negative difference score on this cluster. On the other hand, a discrepancy percentile rank of 97 on Math Problem Solving indicates that only 3% of the examinee’s peer group had the same or larger positive difference score on this cluster. The WJ IV discrepancy PR values provide the identical information typically referred to as the “base rate” in the population. The discrepancy SD score is a standardized z score that reports (in standard deviation units) the difference between an individual’s difference score and the average difference score for individuals at the same age or grade level in the norming sample who had the same predictor score. A negative value indicates the examinee’s actual ability is lower than predicted. A positive value indicates the examinee’s actual ability is higher than predicted. This statement of significance can be used, instead of the percentile rank, in programs with selection criteria based on such criteria as “a difference equal to or greater than one and one- half times the standard deviation.”

Implications Derived From Test Results

Use care when interpreting test scores and remember that norms are not standards of performance. Norms simply report how scores are distributed in a representative sample of the population. By statistical definition, one half of the individuals at any grade or age level must be at or below that grade or age score and one half of the individuals must be at or above that grade or age score. Careful consideration of the information recorded for individual tests on the Test Record, and observations of unusual responses and test behavior will result in varying implications for different examinees. One implication is that further testing should be completed using the WJ IV COG, WJ IV OL, or other tests. Another implication relates to planning programs

Scores and Interpretation 107 or treatments. Professionals with appropriate background information about the individual and knowledge of instructional or vocational alternatives will be able to use the obtained information to assist in both decision making and program planning. Test patterns will provide information about an individual’s strengths and weaknesses and, in some cases, will provide insights relevant to necessary accommodations or appropriate instructional recommendations. Finally, testing is only one part of the total assessment process. Evaluators will want to compare and integrate test results with information from many sources, including reports from parents, teachers, employers, or medical personnel; first-hand observations of the individual performing at home, in the classroom, in a rehabilitation clinic, or on the job; and informal assessments and work samples. Table 5-18 includes two applicable standards from the Standards for Educational and Psychological Testing (AERA, APA, & NCME, 2014).

Table 5-18. Standard Criterion Responsible Test Interpretation Standards 3.18 In testing individuals for diagnostic and/or special program placement purposes, test users From the Standards should not use test scores as the sole indicators to characterize an individual’s functioning, for Educational and competence, attitudes, and/or predispositions. Instead, multiple sources of information should Psychological Testing be used, alternative explanations for test performance should be considered, and the professional judgment of someone familiar with the test should be brought to bear on the decision. (p. 71)

9.13 In educational, clinical, and counseling settings, a test taker’s score should not be interpreted in isolation; other relevant information that may lead to alternative explanations for the examinee’s test performance should be considered. (p. 145)

108 Scores and Interpretation References

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112 References Appendix A

Norming Site States and Cities

The authors wish to thank the more than 8,000 individuals who participated in the Woodcock-Johnson IV (Schrank, McGrew, & Mather, 2014a) national standardization and related studies as well as the professionals and schools who assisted in obtaining the data. The following is a list of states and cities where data were collected.

Alabama Alaska Sahuarita Alabaster Anchor Point San Simon Bessemer Homer Scottsdale Birmingham Nikolaevsk Sierra Vista Center Point Surprise Clay Arizona Tempe Crestline Avondale Tolleson Cullman Benson Tucson Fairfield Bisbee Vail Florence Bouse Willcox Forestdale Bowie Arkansas Gardendale Buckeye Arkadelphia Hamilton Chandler Blytheville Helena Douglas Lowell Homewood El Mirage Pine Bluff Hoover Gilbert Redfield Huntsville Glendale Springdale Moody Goodyear Mountain Brook Hereford California Pelham Laveen Acton Riverchase Mesa Alameda Roebuck Plaza Oro Valley Alhambra Scottsboro Parker Aliso Viejo Selma Peoria Alpine Tarrant Phoenix Alta Loma Trussville Pima Altadena Vestavia Hills Pirtleville Anaheim Portal Anderson

Appendix A 113 Baldwin Park Igo Pacoima Beverly Hills Imperial Beach Palo Alto Biggs Indio Palo Cedro Bonita Inglewood Paradise Brea Irvine Pasadena Buena Park Isleton Perris Burbank Jamul Pico Rivera Camarillo La Canada Playa Del Ray Canyon Lake La Habra Pomona Carlsbad La Mesa Rancho Cucamonga Ceres La Mirada Red Bluff Cerritos La Verne Redding Chico Lake Elsinore Reseda Chula Vista Lakeside Riverside Claremont Lathrop Rosemead Colton Lemon Grove San Diego Compton Linden San Dimas Corning Long Beach San Francisco Cotati Los Angeles San Gabriel Cottonwood Los Molinos San Jacinto Covina Magalia San Jose Davis Malibu San Marcos Del Mar Manteca San Mateo Durham Marysville San Rafael El Cajon Menifee San Ramon Encino Millville Santa Clarita Escondido Modesto Santa Cruz Fontana Monrovia Santa Maria Forest Ranch Montebello Santa Monica Foster City Moreno Valley Santa Rosa Fountain Valley Mount Shasta Santee Garden Grove Murrieta Scotts Valley Gardena National City Shasta Goleta North Hollywood Shasta Lake Gridley Northridge Sherman Oaks Hacienda Heights Oak Run South San Francisco Half Moon Bay Oak View Spring Valley Hawthorne Oakdale Stockton Hayward Oceanside Studio City Holiday Orland Sun City Huntington Beach Oroville Sylmar

114 Appendix A Tarzana Connecticut Clearwater Beach Temecula Chester Clermont Temple City Clinton Coconut Creek Thousand Oaks Durham Cooper City Tiburon East Haven Coral Gables Turlock Essex Coral Springs Tustin Groton Crystal River Upland Ivoryton Davie Valencia Litchfield Deerfield Beach Van Nuys Middlefield Dunedin Venice New Britain Fruitland Park Ventura New Haven Fort Lauderdale Vista New London Fort Myers West Hollywood Oakdale Glen Saint Mary Willows Oakville Green Cove Springs Winchester Southington Greenacres Windsor Stratford Hallandale Woodland Torrington Hallandale Beach Woodland Hills Waterford Hernando Yorba Linda Watertown Hialeah Yreka West Granby Holiday West Haven Hollywood Colorado Westport Hudson Aurora Windsor Jacksonville Boulder Winsted Jensen Beach Castle Pines Woodbury Kenneth City Castle Rock Lady Lake Centennial Delaware Lakewood Ranch Colorado Springs Bear Land O Lakes Denver Largo Englewood District of Columbia Lauderdale Lakes Evans Washington Lauderhill Greeley Leesburg Greenwood Village Florida Lutz Highlands Ranch Apopka Margate Larkspur Boca Raton Miami Littleton Boynton Beach Middleburg Loveland Bradenton Miramar Parker Brandon Myakka City Thornton Brooksville New Port Richey Westminster Clearwater Newport

Appendix A 115 Nokomis Trinity Helena North Lauderdale Valrico Kennesaw North Miami Beach Wellington LaGrange Oakland Park Wesley Chapel Lawrenceville Ocala West Palm Beach Lilburn Ocklawaha Weston Lincolnton Ocoee Lithonia Odessa Georgia Loganville Oldsmar Alpharetta Lula Orange Park Athens Marietta Palm Beach Atlanta McDonough Palm Beach Gardens Blakely Meansville Palm City Bogart Milton Palm Coast Bonaire Monroe Palm Harbor Brooks Morganton Palmetto Buford Morris Parkland Calhoun Norcross Pembroke Pines Canon Oxford Plant City Carlton Ringgold Plantation Chamblee Riverdale Pompano Beach College Park Rock Springs Ponte Vedra Beach Columbus Rossville Port Orange Comer Rydal Port Richey Conyers Sandy Springs Port Saint Lucie Cordele Smyrna Redington Shores Cumming Snellville Riverview Cuthbert Social Circle Safety Harbor Dacula Stockbridge Saint Augustine Decatur Stone Mountain Saint Petersburg Doraville Summerville Sarasota Douglasville Suwanee Seffner Duluth Sylvester Southwest Ranches Dunwoody Smyrna Stuart Ellenwood Trenton Sunrise Fayetteville Tucker Tallahassee Flintstone Union City Tamarac Flowery Branch Warner Robins Tampa Fort Gaines Watkinsville Tarpon Springs Fort Oglethorpe Winder Temple Terrace Gainesville Woodstock The Villages Grayson

116 Appendix A Hawaii Buffalo Grove Matteson Hauula Cary McHenry Honokaa Chicago Midlothian Honolulu Chicago Heights Mokena Kaaawa Chicago Ridge Mundelein Kailua Country Club Hills Naperville Kaneohe Crest Hill New Lenox Kapolei Crestwood Oak Forest Laupahoehoe Crystal Lake Oak Lawn Pearl City DeKalb Orland Hills Wahiawa Des Plaines Orland Park Waimanalo Dixon Palatine Dolton Palos Heights Idaho Downers Grove Palos Hills Ammon East Hazel Crest Park Ridge Boise East Saint Louis Plainfield Bonners Ferry Elk Grove Village Prospect Heights Caldwell Evanston Richton Park Eagle Evergreen Park River Grove Idaho Falls Fairview Heights Riverdale Kuna Frankfort Robbins Meridian Geneva Rockton Nampa Glendale Heights Rolling Meadows Rexburg Glenview Sauk Village Rigby Hampshire Schaumburg Saint Anthony Hanover Park Shirland Star Harwood Heights Skokie Teton Hazel Crest South Beloit Twin Falls Highwood South Holland Hinsdale Stickney Illinois Hoffman Estates Streamwood Addison Hometown Tinley Park Alsip Joliet Vernon Hills Arlington Heights LaGrange Park Waukegan Aurora Lansing Westmont Bartlett Libertyville Wheeling Batavia Lisle Woodridge Bensenville Lockport Woodstock Berwyn Lynwood Worth Blue Island Lyons Bolingbrook Mahomet

Appendix A 117 Indiana Maine Pasadena East Chicago Bucksport Perry Hall Fishers Cape Elizabeth Pomfret Hammond Kennebunk Rockville Monticello Limington Salisbury Westfield Naples Severn Whiting Orland Silver Springs Orrs Island Stevensville Iowa Portland Sykesville Fort Dodge Rockland West Friendship South Portland Woodbine Kansas Spruce Head Woodstock Bonner Springs Tenants Harbor Massachusetts Chanute Thomaston Ashland De Soto Westbrook Edwardsville Auburn Frontenac Maryland Barnstable Gardner Baltimore Bellingham Girard Bel Air Belmont Gypsum Bethesda Boston Kansas City Brandywine Brewster Lawrence Catonsville Brighton Leavenworth Clinton Carver Leawood Columbia Centerville Lenexa Cumberland Chatham Linn Valley Darlington Chelmsford Merriam Dayton Cotuit Olathe Edgewood Cummaquid Overland Park Elkridge Dennis Pittsburg Elkton Dennis Port Prairie Village Ellicott Dorchester Salina Ellicott City East Boston Scammon Essex East Dennis Shawnee Forest Hill East Harwich Weir Fork East Sandwich Gaithersburg Falmouth Kentucky Glenwood Framingham London Hampstead Hanover Havre de Grace Harwich La Plata Holliston Laurel Hull

118 Appendix A Hyannis West Harwich Hamtramck Kingston West Yarmouth Harrison Lancaster Weymouth Harrison Township Lawrence Winchester Hastings Leominster Worcester Hazel Park Lexington Yarmouth Port Inkster Malden Kalkaska Manchester Michigan Kentwood Manomet Ann Arbor Kewadin Marion Auburn Hills Kingsford Marlborough Battle Creek Kingsley Marstons Mills Berkley Lake Orion Medway Birmingham Lambertville Mendon Bloomfield Hills Lathrup Village Methuen Brighton Lawrence Nantucket Brown City Lincoln Park Natick Canton Livonia Needham Cedar Luna Pier Newton Center Line Macomb North Andover Central Lake Madison Heights North Chatham Chesterfield Mancelona North Falmouth Clawson Manton Northbridge Clinton Township Marysville Orleans Coldwater Melvindale Osterville Colon Mesick Plymouth Commerce Milford Quincy Dearborn New Baltimore Roxbury Dearborn Heights Northville Rutland Delton Norway Sandwich Detroit Oak Park Shrewsbury Eastpointe Oakland Somerville Ecorse Ottawa Lake South Attleboro Elk Rapids Petoskey South Chatham Farmington Plainwell South Dennis Farmington Hills Plymouth Sterling Fenton Pontiac Wakefield Ferndale Redford Wareham Fife Lake River Rouge Wayland Freeport Rochester Wellfleet Garden City Rochester Hills West Barnstable Grand Rapids Romulus

Appendix A 119 Roseville Duluth Woodbury Royal Oak Forest Lake Wyoming Saint Clair Shores Fridley Sault Sainte Marie Golden Valley Mississippi Shelby Ham Lake Bay Springs South Boardman Hopkins Brandon Southfield Hugo Decatur Spring Lake Hutchinson Forest Springfield Lexington Hickory Sterling Heights Lindstrom Lawrence Taylor Lino Lakes Little Rock Temperance Mahtomedi Meridian Traverse City Maple Grove Newton Troy Maple Lake Pearl Twin Lake Mapleton Richland Walled Lake Minneapolis Union Warren Minnetonka Waterford Mounds View Missouri Wayland New Brighton Arnold Wayne New London Ballwin West Bloomfield North Mankato Barnhart Westland Norwood Young America Battlefield White Lake Oakdale Belton Williamsburg Owatonna Bonne Terre Wixom Plymouth Buffalo Ypsilanti Rochester Chesterfield Rockford Clarksville Minnesota Roseville Fair Grove Andover Saint Clair Ferguson Big Lake Saint Cloud Florissant Blaine Saint Francis Foley Brooklyn Center Saint Paul Garden City Buffalo Shakopee Hazelwood Cambridge Shoreview High Ridge Centerville Spring Lake Park Hollister Champlin Stacy Imperial Chaska Stillwater Independence Chisago City Vadnais Heights Joplin Circle Pines Wayzata Kansas City Coon Rapids Wells Labadie Delano White Bear Lake Lake Saint Louis

120 Appendix A Lebanon Montana Portsmouth Lee’s Summit Billings Rye Lowry City Livingston Swanzey Manchester Missoula Maplewood New Jersey Marshfield Nebraska Allendale Nixa Firth Bloomfield O’Fallon Lincoln Carlstadt Olivette Omaha Cliffside Park Oronogo Roca Closter Osceola Seward Dumont Ozark Valparaiso East Orange Pacific East Rutherford Park Hills Nevada Elmwood Park Peculiar Reno Englewood Pleasant Hope Fair Lawn Raytown New Hampshire Fairview Republic Allenstown Fort Lee Richmond Ashland Franklin Riverview Atkinson Garfield Rogersville Bedford Hackensack Saint Ann Chichester Haledon Saint Charles Claremont Hamilton Saint Clair Concord Jersey City Saint John Derry Landing Saint Louis Dover Lincroft Saint Peters Epsom Linden Springfield Goffstown Lodi Strafford Hampstead Mahwah Troy Henniker Midland Park Villa Ridge Hooksett Newark Walnut Shade Hudson North Arlington Warsaw Laconia North Bergen Webster Groves Londonderry Northvale Wentzville Manchester Oradell Willard Merrimack Palisades Park Wright City Milford Paramus Nashua Paterson New Boston Pequannock Pembroke Ridgefield Park Plaistow Ridgewood

Appendix A 121 River Vale Boiceville Irvington Riverdale Brewster Jamaica Rochelle Park Brownville Jewett Rutherford Canandaigua Kenmore Saddle Brook Castleton Lake Peekskill Secaucus Castleton on Hudson Lakeville Sewell Churchville Lancaster South Orange Clifton Park Lexington Springfield Clifton Springs Lima Succasunna Clyde Liverpool Teaneck Cohoes Lowville Titusville Cortland Lyons Union Beach Croghan Macedon Wallington Croton on Hudson Malverne Wanaque Dansville Manchester Wayne Dexter Maplecrest Wenonah Dix Hills Marathon West New York East Jewett Marion Westville East Northport Maspeth Westwood East Rochester Massapequa Woodland Park Eastchester Merrick Wyckoff Elmsford Middlesex Fairport Miller Place New Mexico Farmington Mineola Espanola Freedom Monroe Las Cruces Gansevoort Mount Vernon Los Alamos Garden City Naples Santa Fe Garden City South New Hyde Park Geneseo New Rochelle New York Geneva New York Acra Glen Park Newark Albany Glenmont Niagara Falls Ardsley Glenville Niskayuna Arkville Harrison North Rose Ashland Hemlock North Syracuse Astoria Hempstead Nunda Auburn Hensonville Ontario Ballston Lake Homer Orchard Park Beaver Falls Honeoye Falls Ossining Bethpage Huntington Station Palmyra Bloomfield Hurley Pelham

122 Appendix A Penfield Westbury Southern Shores Phelps White Plains Stanley Pittsford Whitestone Statesville Plainfield Williamson Sylva Port Gibson Windham Vale Prattsville Wolcott Wake Forest Rensselaer Woodhaven Waxhaw Rexford Woodstock Wilmington Ridgewood Yonkers Youngsville Rochester Yorktown Heights Rockville Centre Ohio Romulus North Carolina Akron Rotterdam Apex Baltimore Rye Brook Asheville Bay Village Saugerties Brevard Bedford Savannah Cary Brookfield Scarsdale Catawba Canal Winchester Schenectady Chapel Hill Canfield Scotia Charlotte Chagrin Falls Seneca Falls Cornelius Cleveland Shandaken Cullowhee Columbus Shortsville Davidson Elyria Sleepy Hollow Denver Fredericksburg Smithtown Durham Fremont Sodus Franklin Guysville Somers Garner Highland Heights Sparkill Gastonia Hudson Spencerport Grover Ironton Stillwater Hendersonville Jefferson Tappan Huntersville Kent Truxton Indian Trail Kitts Hill Uniondale Kitty Hawk Lakewood Verplanck Louisburg Lithopolis Victor Matthews Logan Walworth Mint Hill Mentor Waterloo Mount Holly Miamisburg Watertown Otto Painesville Watkins Glen Raleigh Pedro Webster Roanoke Rapids Solon West Hempstead Salisbury Strongsville West Henrietta Shelby Tiffin

Appendix A 123 Toledo Brockway Souderton Twinsburg Brookville Trumbauersville Westerville Claysburg Upper Darby Wickliffe Conshohocken Wallingford Wooster Dallas Warminster Everson Warrington Oklahoma Fort Washington West Chester Drumright Forty Fort West Pittston Sallisaw Freeport Wexford Stillwater Furlong Wilkes-Barre Gettysburg Williamsport Oregon Homer City Williamstown Aloha Hummelstown Wynnewood Astoria Indiana Yardley Beaverton Irwin Bend Johnstown Rhode Island Cannon Beach Kingston Pawtucket Clackamas Langhorne Providence Cornelius Lititz Eugene Malvern South Carolina Grants Pass Media Aiken Gresham Milton Anderson Happy Valley Montgomery Boiling Springs Lake Oswego Montoursville Camden Manzanita Mount Pleasant Cassatt Nehalem Nesquehoning Charleston Oregon City Newton Clover Portland North Wales Columbia Sandy Oakmont Easley Seaside Oreland Elgin Tillamook Palmerton Florence Tolovana Park Perkasie Fort Mill Troutdale Philadelphia Fountain Inn Warrenton Pittsburgh Goose Creek Pittston Greenville Pennsylvania Pottstown Greer Allison Park Quakertown Hanahan Bechtelsville Richeyville Hartsville Bensalem Scranton Kershaw Blairsville Shavertown Landrum Bradford Shelocta Leesville

124 Appendix A Lexington McDonald Crosby Lugoff Murfreesboro Dallas Mauldin New Tazewell Dayton McBee Oliver Springs Denton McCormick Oneida DeSoto Moore Ooltewah Elgin Mount Pleasant Pigeon Forge Euless Myrtle Beach Pioneer Farmers Branch Rock Hill Powell Farmersville Saluda Sevierville Fort Worth Simpsonville Seymour Fredericksburg Summerville Signal Mountain Frisco Wellford Soddy Daisy Garland West Columbia Sunbright Georgetown Tellico Plains Gonzales Tennessee Ten Mile Grand Prairie Alcoa Walland Helotes Apison Woodbury Hereford Blaine Highlands Caryville Texas Holliday Chattanooga Addison Houston Cleveland Allen Huffman Corryton Austin Humble Dandridge Balch Springs Iowa Park Dayton Baytown Irving Dunlap Bellaire Katy East Ridge Belton Keller Georgetown Blue Ridge Killeen Graysville Boerne Kingwood Harrison Bryan Lake Dallas Helenwood Bulverde Lancaster Hixson Burkburnett La Porte Huntland Burke Leander Huntsville Burleson Lewisville Jacksboro Carrollton Liberty Hill Knoxville Cedar Hill Live Oak Kodak Cedar Park Llano La Follette Channelview Longview Louisville Cleveland Louisville Luttrell Coppell Lucas Maryville Corinth McKinney

Appendix A 125 Mesquite Utah Daleville Missouri City Clarkston Falls Church Murphy Clearfield Ferrum New Braunfels Ephraim Forest New Ulm Layton Fredericksburg Odessa Lehi Glade Hill Olney Logan Hampton Pasadena Midvale Hardy Pearland Murray Lynchburg Pflugerville Orem New Castle Pinehurst Pleasant Grove Newport Plano Provo Newport News Porter Salt Lake City North Tazewell Princeton Sandy Oak Hill Richardson Santaquin Reston Rosharon Saratoga Springs Roanoke Round Rock Spanish Fork Rocky Mount Rowlett Springville Salem Sachse Taylorsville Springfield San Antonio West Jordan Sterling San Saba West Valley City Troutville Schertz Warrenton Seguin Vermont Winchester Selma Essex Junction Woodbridge Spring Highgate Washington Spring Branch Lyndonville Stafford Passumpsic Auburn Stephenville Rochester Bellevue Sterling City South Burlington Bellingham Sugar Land Swanton Blaine Sunnyvale White River Junction Brush Prairie Taylor Burien Weatherford Virginia Camano Island Wichita Falls Alexandria Centralia Wolfe City Barboursville Clinton Wylie Boones Mill Coupeville Bristow Des Moines Callaway Dupont Charlottesville Duvall Christiansburg Eatonville Cumberland Edmonds

126 Appendix A Everett West Virginia Hartford Federal Way Anmoore Lake Geneva Ferndale Bridgeport Lakewood Freeland Buckhannon Manawa Gig Harbor Charleston Marathon Kenmore Clarksburg Milwaukee Kennewick Fairmont Muskego Kent Fort Ashby New Berlin Lacey Franklin Oak Creek Lake Tapps Grafton Oconomowoc Lakewood Harpers Ferry Racine Langley Hedgesville Saint Francis Liberty Lake Huntington Salem Lynnwood Keyser South Milwaukee Milton Lost Creek Superior Moses Lake Mineral Wells Townsend Mountlake Terrace Monongah Union Grove Newcastle Morgantown Wabeno Oak Harbor Nutter Fort Waterford Okanogan Ona Wauwatosa Olympia Parkersburg West Allis Packwood Ridgeley Winneconne Port Angeles Shinnston Port Hadlock Springfield Port Townsend West Milford Puyallup Redmond Wisconsin Renton Bonduel Seattle Burlington Sequim Cecil Shelton Cedarburg Shoreline Cudahy Snoqualmie Delavan Spokane Eagle River Steilacoom Elkhorn Tacoma Fontana Tukwila Franklin University Place Germantown Glendale Greenfield Hales Corners

Appendix A 127

Appendix B

Test 6: Writing Samples Scoring Guide

Use this Scoring Guide to Score Test 6: Writing Samples. This guide provides sample responses to each item arranged by the number of points that should be scored (1 or 0 points for Items 1 through 6 and 2, 1, or 0 points for Items 7 through 28). Although examples are not provided, items also may be scored .5 points or 1.5 points if the quality of the response falls between the examples given for the other scores. A description of the criteria to be used in scoring the examinee’s responses is also included. Turn to the correct guide for Form A, Form B, or Form C.

General Scoring Guidelines

■■ Do not penalize the examinee for punctuation, capitalization, spelling, or usage errors unless otherwise indicated in the item scoring criteria. ■■ Do not penalize the examinee for poor handwriting unless the response is illegible. Items 1–6 ■■ A 1-point response is a standard response (meets task requirements).

■■ A 0-point response is an inadequate response (does not meet task requirements). Items 7–28 ■■ A 2-point response is a superior response (meets or exceeds all task requirements and includes additional words or embellishments). ■■ A 1-point response is a standard response (meets task requirements). ■■ A 0-point response is an inadequate response (does not meet task requirements).

Form A Scoring Guide Note: Items 1 through 6 are scored 1 or 0 points.

1. My name is ______. (name)

EXAMPLE RESPONSES SCORING CRITERIA 1 point ■■ initial letter of the first or last name with at least one other correct letter

■■ letter reversals acceptable

■■ upper- or lowercase letters

0 points ■■ a single letter ■■ illegible scribbles

Appendix B 129 2. This is a ______. (car)

EXAMPLE RESPONSES SCORING CRITERIA 1 point

car ■■ must begin with c or k and have the letter r

kar ■■ letter reversals acceptable ker cr, kr

cra, kra ■■ has all three letters but out of sequence; must begin with c or k

0 points

krk ■■ includes a letter representing an incorrect sound crg

ar ■■ missing the letters c, k, or r ca

c ■■ one or no correct letters a r

3. This is a ______. (tree)

EXAMPLE RESPONSES SCORING CRITERIA 1 point

tree ■■ must begin with t and have three of the four letters tre tee

ter ■■ letter transpositions acceptable

three ■■ ignore added letters trer

0 points

t ■■ two or fewer correct letters tr

130 Appendix B 4. This girl is very sad. This girl is very ______. (happy)

EXAMPLE RESPONSES SCORING CRITERIA 1 point

happy ■■ must represent all sounds in happy (/h/, /a/, /p/, /e/) or in glad glad (/g/, /l/, /a/, /d/) in the correct sound sequence hape happe hapy

0 points

hpy ■■ missing one or more sounds hpe hpee gad gla

hpae ■■ letters are not in correct sound sequence gald

5. This is a white hat. This is a ______. (black hat)

EXAMPLE RESPONSES SCORING CRITERIA 1 point

black hat ■■ includes two words, one indicating the color (any dark blue hat color) of the hat and the other indicating that the object black cap is a hat or cap dark hat blu cap blak hat ■■ the spelling of both words must be recognizable

dlu hat ■■ letter reversals acceptable

0 points

hat ■■ one word black

white hat ■■ writes about the first picture

bg ht ■■ only one or two letters in each of the two words

Appendix B 131 6. Write a good sentence that tells what is happening in the picture. (boy skating)

EXAMPLE RESPONSES SCORING CRITERIA 1 point

He is skating. ■■ a complete sentence that describes what the boy is doing The boy is skating. ■■ correct spelling, capitalization, and punctuation he is roler scating not required

0 points

The boy is funny. ■■ does not describe the action

is skating ■■ an incomplete sentence skating boy

Note: Items 7 through 28 are scored 2, 1, or 0 points. Credit on most items requires a complete sentence. Do not penalize the examinee for punctuation, capitalization, spelling, or usage errors unless otherwise indicated in the item scoring criteria.

7. Write a good sentence that tells what is happening in the picture. (bird feeding babies)

EXAMPLE RESPONSES SCORING CRITERIA 2 points

The mother (father) bird is feeding her (his) baby birds. ■■ mentions the bird, the babies, and describes the action A mother bird is giving her babies a worm. (feeding) with some detail A mother bird is feeding her young. A bird is feeding her babies a worm. The mother bird is feeding her babies.

1 point

A bird is feeding its babies. ■■ provides a simple description with no additional detail The bird has a worm. The mom is feeding the babies. She is feeding her babies.

A mother bird feeding her babies. ■■ omits the verb is

0 points

This is a bird. ■■ limited content The bird is feeding. It is eating.

132 Appendix B 8. Write a good sentence that tells what the girl is doing. (girl swinging)

EXAMPLE RESPONSES SCORING CRITERIA 2 points

The (This, That) girl is swinging (playing). ■■ tells that the girl is swinging, playing, etc. The girl is swinging on a swing. The girl is on a swing.

The girl is playing on her swing set. ■■ describes the picture in some detail The girl is swinging on the swing in the park. She is swinging at the playground.

1 point

She is swinging (playing). ■■ uses a pronoun in place of the word girl

The (This, That) girl is swing. ■■ refers to the girl but incorrectly uses the verb phrase is swinging

Girl is swinging. ■■ omits the initial article, such as The or A

The girl is going high. ■■ does not mention swinging

0 points

The girl is nice. ■■ does not describe the action

is swinging ■■ limited content girl swinging swing

9. A woman cannot find her car keys. Write one good sentence that tells about this and uses the words by the car.

EXAMPLE RESPONSES SCORING CRITERIA 2 points

A woman is looking for her keys by the car. ■■ uses the phrase by the car and mentions the woman The woman’s keys are by the car but she can’t find them. and the keys The woman found (lost) her keys by the car. When the woman lost her keys, she dropped them by the car. She left her keys by the car and walked off without them. She lost (found) her keys by the car.

1 point

The woman could look by the car. ■■ does not mention the keys She is looking by the car. Maybe I should look by the car.

Appendix B 133 She lost (finds, left) them by the car. ■■ uses pronouns in place of the words woman and keys

The (My) keys are by the car. ■■ does not mention the woman

The woman cannot find her car keys. They are by the car. ■■ uses two sentences Note: Punctuation is not required between the two sentences.

0 points

Her keys are in her pocket. ■■ does not use the phrase by the car

by the car ■■ limited content

10. Write one good sentence that tells what is happening in this picture and what could happen next. (cat and fishbowl)

EXAMPLE RESPONSES SCORING CRITERIA 2 points

The cat is trying to catch the fish and next he may eat it. ■■ describes both the action (cat is trying to get the fish) The cat is reaching in the fishbowl to grab the fish and eat and a possible outcome it. The cat is watching the fish and he may catch it for his dinner. The cat is trying to catch the fish and then he might eat it.

1 point

He is trying to catch and eat the fish. ■■ simply describes both the action and a possible outcome The cat is trying to get the fish and eat it.

The cat will (might, could, is going to, is trying to) eat (get) ■■ describes only the action or a possible outcome the fish. The cat is reaching in the fishbowl for a fish.

A cat is trying to eat the fish. He will get the fish with his ■■ uses two sentences to describe the action and a paw. possible outcome Note: Punctuation is not required between the two sentences.

0 Points

Cats like fish. ■■ limited content The cat ate the fish.

134 Appendix B 11. Write a good sentence that tells what a flashlight does.

EXAMPLE RESPONSES SCORING CRITERIA 2 points

A flashlight illuminates the area around you, making it ■■ refers to a flashlight and tells one characteristic of possible to see in the dark. a flashlight (see in the dark, lights the way, hold in When camping, a flashlight is good to have so you can see your hand) where you are going at night. A flashlight helps you see in dark places. A flashlight helps people in the dark. A flashlight lights up when you turn it on. A flashlight is a light that you can hold in your hand.

1 point

It shines so you can see. ■■ uses a pronoun in place of the word flashlight It lights up for you. It shines bright at night.

A flashlight shines (lights up, makes light, gives light). ■■ refers to a flashlight but has limited content A flashlight helps you see.

0 points

A flashlight is good to have. ■■ does not describe what a flashlight does This flashlight is on. This is a flashlight. It is glowing.

It shines. ■■ limited content It flashes. It is bright. Makes light. Helps you see. Lights up the house.

12. Write a good sentence that tells what is happening in the picture. (dog burying bone)

EXAMPLE RESPONSES SCORING CRITERIA 2 points

The dog is digging a hole to bury his bone. ■■ includes a description of the dog’s action (digging, The dog is burying his bone in the ground. burying), mentions the hole or ground and the bone The dog is digging a hole in the ground so he can bury his bone. He is digging a hole to bury his bone for a future occasion.

The dog is digging up bones for his dinner. ■■ includes a description of the dog’s action in some detail

Appendix B 135 1 point

The dog is going to bury his bone. ■■ describes the dog’s action and mentions the hole, the The dog is digging a hole. ground, or the bone The dog is burying a bone. The dog is digging in the ground.

He (She, It) is digging a hole for his (her, its) bone. ■■ uses a pronoun in place of the word dog or bone The dog is burying it in the ground.

0 points

The dog is burying. ■■ limited content The dog is digging. the dog digging

13. Write a good sentence that tells about the picture and uses the word because. (boy on crutches)

EXAMPLE RESPONSES SCORING CRITERIA 2 points

Because his leg is broken, the boy cannot play with the ■■ uses the word because and refers to both the boy on other children. crutches and the children running by The children knew that the boy could not race today because he had injured his leg. The boy can’t run with the other children because he had injured his leg (ankle). Michael could not play with the other children because of his broken leg. Sam is sad because he can’t run and play with his friends. As the kids run past the boy, they notice him because he broke his leg.

Javier broke his leg because he jumped off the barn last ■■ uses the word because and refers to either the boy on Saturday. crutches or the children running by with some detail The boy and girl are running laps because they need to get ready for the district track meet. The boy is wearing a cast because he broke his ankle in the high jump.

1 point

A boy and girl are looking at someone because he has a ■■ uses the word because, and refers to the boy and the broken leg. children in a simple sentence

136 Appendix B The boy broke his leg because he fell down. ■■ uses the word because but only refers to the boy or the The boy is using the crutch because he hurt his foot. other children The boy is sad because he broke his leg. Because he broke his foot, he needs crutches. He broke his leg because he fell out of a tree. The other children can run because they did not get hurt.

0 points

He is not having fun. ■■ does not use the word because

Because he can’t play. ■■ incomplete sentence Because he has a broken leg.

a broken foot and a crutch ■■ limited content

14. Write one sentence that tells three things you like to do on weekends. Remember, three things.

Note: This item is partially scored for punctuation.

EXAMPLE RESPONSES SCORING CRITERIA 2 points

I like playing my radio, watching TV, and going to my ■■ includes three weekend activities that are described in friend’s house. some detail and are punctuated correctly with commas I like to swim, to dance, or to ride horses on the weekend. Note: The commas may separate the activities in the On the weekends I like to make money, go to the library, series—A, B, and C—or the comma may be omitted and read good books. before the conjunction—A, B and C. I like to visit with my family, watch football games and go shopping at the mall.

1 point

On the weekends, I like to eat, sleep, and play. ■■ includes three simple weekend activities that are I like to play, run, and listen to my radio. correctly punctuated with commas I like to sleep, eat, and read.

I like to fish and swim and dance. ■■ includes three activities connected by and or I like to swim dance and sleep. with no commas

I like to ride my bike. I like to watch cartoons. I like to go ■■ uses two or three complete sentences that include three swimming. activities and end with periods, are connected with I like to go places, I like to swim, and I like to go to my commas, or are not punctuated friends. I like to play with my friends then I swing then I get mail.

Watch TV, ride bikes, and go to the movies. ■■ three verb phrases that are correctly punctuated

Appendix B 137 0 points

play, eat, and run ■■ three simple verbs

I eat. I play. I run. ■■ three simple sentences

I like to ride my bike and paint. ■■ only one or two activities I like swimming.

15. Write a good sentence that tells about the picture and uses the word and. (playing catch)

EXAMPLE RESPONSES SCORING CRITERIA 2 points

He tossed the ball and expected her to catch it. ■■ uses the word and and refers to the children and the The boy and the girl are tossing the ball to each other. action in some detail The boy and girl are in the park playing catch. The boy and girl are playing catch with a little ball. The children are throwing the ball and catching it. Tom and Amy were playing ball in their yard.

1 point

The boy and girl are playing with the ball. ■■ uses the word and, refers to the boy and girl, and tells The boy and girl are playing ball (tossing the ball, throwing that they are playing with the ball the ball, catching the ball). The boy and girl play (are playing) catch. Ann and Bob are playing catch. The boy and girl are throwing it to each other. They’re having fun and playing ball. We threw the ball to each other and caught it. He and she are catching the ball.

0 points

The boy and girl play. ■■ mentions the boy and girl but not the ball He and she play.

They are playing catch and with a big ball. ■■ uses the word and incorrectly The people are playing with and ball.

The boy is playing catch. ■■ does not use the word and

the boy and girl ■■ limited content and a girl is playing with a boy two people playing catch

138 Appendix B 16. Write a good sentence that tells why it is dangerous to wear headphones when you ride a bicycle down a busy street.

EXAMPLE RESPONSES SCORING CRITERIA 2 points

It is dangerous to wear headphones when riding a bike ■■ states that it is dangerous to wear headphones while because you may not hear oncoming traffic. riding a bicycle and provides or implies a reason why It is dangerous to wear headphones when riding your (can’t hear, won’t pay attention) bicycle because you cannot hear cars. It is dangerous to wear headphones when you ride down a busy street because you might be unaware of other vehicles approaching and could cause an accident. Because you cannot hear approaching traffic, it is dangerous to wear headphones while riding a bicycle. When you wear headphones you put your life in jeopardy because you cannot hear pedestrians and other vehicles. It is very dangerous to wear headphones when riding a bike down a busy street because your attention is taken away from the traffic.

Headphones block out street and traffic noises that may be ■■ explains in detail a reason why it may be dangerous important for your safety and the safety of others. Headphones are hazards for bicyclists because they drown out the sounds of approaching vehicles. It is dangerous because you can’t hear a car or bus if an emergency were to occur. You might not hear a car honking at you and you could get hit.

1 point

You might not hear a car honking at you. ■■ states that you might not hear traffic You cannot hear what is happening around you. A car may honk its horn and you may not hear it. You might not hear the traffic coming.

It is dangerous because you couldn’t hear the cars. ■■ simply states that it is dangerous and provides a It is dangerous because you can’t hear traffic. reason why It is dangerous because you could get hurt. It is dangerous because you might get hit by a car. Wearing headphones can cause a crash while riding a bike.

It is dangerous to wear headphones because you may fall ■■ states that it is dangerous but expresses unlikely down and poke out your eardrum. concerns (poke out eardrum, hurt bicycle, break headphones)

0 points

It can cause an accident. ■■ does not clearly specify or suggest an obvious danger A man might say “watch out.”

The cord may get tangled in the tire (spokes). ■■ expresses concern over the headphones, bicycle, or the If you fall it may poke in your ear. person’s ear

Appendix B 139 You cannot hear cars. ■■ limited content You may crash. You might get hurt. Because you can’t hear a car. Because you can crash into a car.

17. Write one sentence that tells what a rainbow looks like.

EXAMPLE RESPONSES SCORING CRITERIA 2 points

A rainbow is a beautiful spectrum of light with many colors. ■■ describes a rainbow with some detail A rainbow is shaped like a half-moon colored with brilliant colors.

A rainbow looks like a gigantic arc painted with many ■■ compares a rainbow in detail with something that is colors. similar in appearance A rainbow is a prism of colors floating free for only a short time. A rainbow looks like a bouquet of wildflowers thrown into the sky.

1 point

A rainbow has many colors like red, blue, green, and ■■ provides a simple description yellow. A rainbow has pretty colors and it’s beautiful. A rainbow has all different colors.

A rainbow is shaped like an arc. ■■ compares a rainbow with something similar in It has different colors and goes in an arch. appearance

0 points

I saw a rainbow. ■■ does not describe a rainbow

A rainbow looks pretty. ■■ limited content It has lots of colors and is long. lots of pretty colors

140 Appendix B 18. This information will be included in a paragraph about sports. Write a good main or topic sentence for the paragraph.

tennis swimming baseball soccer

EXAMPLE RESPONSES SCORING CRITERIA 2 points

Four major sports all require total body fitness. ■■ provides a basis for writing a paragraph by pointing One can participate in many sports—both individual and out some type of similarity, difference, or generalization team. about the four sports Tennis, swimming, baseball, and soccer are four popular outdoor sports being offered this summer by the Parks and Recreation Department. Tennis, swimming, baseball, and soccer are all popular sports. Tennis, swimming, baseball, and soccer are very good sources of exercise. Some sports in Arizona that can be played all year are tennis, swimming, baseball, and soccer.

1 point

This is a report on sports. ■■ provides only a simple fact or statement Some sports are tennis, swimming, baseball, and soccer. I like tennis, swimming, baseball, and soccer. My favorite sports are tennis, swimming, baseball, and soccer.

0 points

Most of these sports are fun. ■■ refers to the list of sports in a general way All of these sports take energy.

All About Sports ■■ provides a title instead of a main or topic sentence Fun Sports to Play

I like to go swimming. ■■ does not refer to or include all four sports I like to play soccer and tennis.

I play soccer and tennis and then swimming and baseball. ■■ uses all of the listed words but does not write a topic sentence

Different things can be fun. ■■ limited content This is on some sports. These are all sports.

Appendix B 141 19. The second sentence is missing from this paragraph. Write one good sentence that goes with the other two sentences.

(1) Whenever you buy a present, you should consider the interests of the receiver. (2) ______. (3) If, on the other hand, you are selecting a gift for your little cousin, you might choose a caboose for his new electric train set.

EXAMPLE RESPONSES SCORING CRITERIA 2 points

If you are buying a present for your mother, you may ■■ refers to a receiver, describes the gift, and maintains the surprise her with a flower arrangement. writer’s style (similar to sentences 1 and 3) If you were shopping for your 16-year-old brother, you might buy him a CD. For your girlfriend, you could buy a new bracelet or a necklace. If you are choosing a present for your best friend, you might buy a special book. If it were your uncle, you could buy him a bottle of cologne. For example, if you are buying a gift for your grandmother, a nice scarf or bottle of perfume might be the right choice.

1 point

If your dad wants a new sweater, buy it. ■■ refers to a receiver and describes the gift but does not Your mom would like a tennis racket. maintain the writer’s style Your best friend may like a T-shirt.

You should consider whom it’s for and what he or she likes. ■■ provides a general statement about buying presents Find something in the person’s age range. for people Think of something practical for the person.

0 points

You can’t always tell. ■■ limited content Go ahead and ask them. Buy a book.

142 Appendix B 20. Write one good sentence that uses the words despite his effort.

EXAMPLE RESPONSES SCORING CRITERIA 2 points

Despite his effort, Bill was not able to redecorate his house ■■ uses despite his effort in a specific situation or context so without the aid of a professional. that the meaning of the phrase is clear Max, despite his effort, could not finish the 10-page report by the deadline. Despite his effort, the prisoner was unable to loosen the tight ropes around his wrist. Despite his effort to control his steering, the car swerved off the road. Despite his effort, the legendary writer could not keep up with the flurry of questions.

1 point

Despite his effort, he could not climb over the fence. ■■ demonstrates an understanding of the phrase and may Despite his effort, the team still lost. suggest the person’s effort but does not describe a Despite his effort, he didn’t make the team. specific situation or context Despite his effort, he still failed the test.

0 points

His writing was good despite his effort. ■■ uses despite his effort but contradicts the meaning of the Despite his effort, he got an “A” on the test. phrase or uses it incorrectly He will despite his effort go to work.

21. The second sentence is missing from this paragraph. Write a good sentence that will fit.

(1) That year we moved from the quiet, peaceful countryside to the fast-paced city. (2) ______. (3) That was the one activity I missed most.

EXAMPLE RESPONSES SCORING CRITERIA 2 points

In the country, we used to take quiet walks at night. ■■ describes in some detail an activity left behind in We used to sit on the porch and look at the stars. the country While we lived in the country, we used to listen to the birds.

1 point

We sat on the porch swing. ■■ simply describes an activity We could listen to the birds. I used to play with our animals.

Appendix B 143 0 points

I really missed the tranquility and quietness. ■■ refers to the country but does not mention an activity

There were too many cars. ■■ refers to an activity in the city

It was fun. ■■ does not refer to an activity

22. Write one good sentence that tells how a library and a forest are alike.

EXAMPLE RESPONSES SCORING CRITERIA 2 points

A library is a gathering of people’s information as a forest is ■■ explains how a library and forest are alike stating a a gathering of nature’s information. specific similarity in a detailed sentence A library and a forest are alike in that they are both conducive to thought. Both a library and a forest are quiet, peaceful places where one can think without interruption. A library and a forest both offer the visitor a wealth of resources. A library and forest are alike in that you can spend a lifetime in both and still not experience all of the beauty. A library and forest are similar in that they each possess indispensable resource. A library and forest hold within their confines a wealth of unexplored and intriguing knowledge.

1 point

Both libraries and forests are alike because they are quiet. ■■ explains how a library and a forest are alike stating a Paper is made of wood and wood comes from trees in a specific similarity in a simple sentence forest. A forest has lots of trees and a library has a lot of books. Peaceful moments can be found in a library and a forest. A library and a forest are alike because they both have wood in them. A library and forest are alike because a library has books about the forest. A library and a forest are alike because a library is full of books that are made of wood, and a forest contains trees made of wood.

They are both quiet places where you can spend a peaceful ■■ does not mention a library and a forest but gives a afternoon. detailed reason of how they are alike

0 points

They both are in cities. ■■ does not express an obvious or correct similarity

They both are quiet. ■■ limited content They both have wood. A library is like a forest.

144 Appendix B 23. The second sentence is missing from this paragraph. Write one good sentence that the writer may have used.

(1) In one of the black vinyl booths off to the left, a middle-aged woman and man were hunched over an immaculate table. (2) ______. (3) The man was round from every aspect; a small round potbelly, meaty forearms with black hair, a chubby face with a mouth too small, and a puggish nose that ended in a little round ball.

EXAMPLE RESPONSES SCORING CRITERIA 2 points

The woman was very thin and frail with jet black hair and ■■ describes the woman or the couple and maintains the beady, furtive eyes. writer’s style (similar to sentences 1 and 3) The woman was unkempt; her hair was dirty, her clothes were too big, and her face revealed the strains of a long, difficult life. The woman was thin as a pole, with long wiry arms ending in bony fingers and small beady eyes framing an aquiline nose. The woman appeared to be made of granite, with veins of white etched into her hard face. The woman was sharp from every angle: a pointed hawk nose, jutting cheekbones, spiky hair, knife-edged elbows, and size 12 shoes of black patent leather. The couple was as disparate in appearance as a poodle and a dachshund.

1 point

The woman was tall and thin with curly hair and a pointed ■■ describes the woman or the couple with simple nose. vocabulary (tends to use common nouns, verbs, and The woman had beautiful sleek, black hair and oval eyes. adjectives); does not maintain the writer’s style The thin woman did not seem to belong with her date. The woman was staring at the unusual-looking man. The woman was very thin and frail-looking. They were a very odd couple and sat in the booth very quietly. They both had an extremely unique appearance.

0 points

The woman wore a red hat. ■■ limited content They looked old. They were eating the food. The tables were very close.

Appendix B 145 24. Finish the sentence.

Few people understood the extent of his disappointment, the loss of his desire, or ______.

EXAMPLE RESPONSES SCORING CRITERIA 2 points

…the devastation of his lifelong plans. ■■ maintains the sentence meaning and the parallel …the shattering of his ideals. structure of the sentence; repeats the ___ of his ___ …the magnitude of his depression.

1 point

…how he would recover from this bitter experience. ■■ maintains sentence meaning but does not maintain the …his inspiration to carry on the fight. parallel structure of the sentence …his helpless feelings. …the name of his company. …lack of initiative.

…the loss of his ambitions. ■■ uses parallel structure but repeats the word loss

0 points

…his mother ■■ inconsistent with sentence meaning

…his feelings. ■■ limited content …him. …his accident.

25. The second sentence is missing from this paragraph. Write one good sentence that the writer may have used.

(1) Two mountain chains traverse the country roughly from east to west forming between them a number of verdant valleys and plateaus. (2) ______. (3) The walls of the town, which is built on a hill, are high, the streets and lanes tortuous and broken, the roads winding and narrow.

EXAMPLE RESPONSES SCORING CRITERIA 2 points

Among this diverse and contorted quiet of greens and ■■ refers to a town and maintains the writer’s style (similar browns, a tiny town is nestled. to sentences 1 and 3) One town, nestled on the valley’s hillside, had been built out of necessity, not from choice. Rama, a walled town in the North, contrasts with the sleepy village of Sienna. The capital is an historic monument shielded from the view of the casual tourist.

146 Appendix B 1 point

My hometown lies on the northernmost chain of the ■■ refers to a town and describes the setting or town with mountains. simple vocabulary (tends to use common nouns, verbs, Hidden among the two mountain chains is a small town of and adjectives); does not maintain the writer’s style natives. A small group of travelers stopped here and built a small town. There lies the sleepy little town of Borna. In the valleys on one plateau is a town. One town is found between two mountains.

0 points

So many towns were built in these valleys. ■■ does not refer to one town Located in these valleys are quaint little towns.

Many hot air balloonists survey the land. ■■ does not mention a town The area can be dangerous because of all the steep ranges.

The town is very beautiful. ■■ limited content There was a town.

26. Write a sentence about being hired for a job. Include the word thus in your sentence.

EXAMPLE RESPONSES SCORING CRITERIA 2 points

I had all the qualifications for the job; thus, I was hired. ■■ uses thus correctly in a detailed sentence I had all the qualifications for the job and, thus, was hired. Note: Punctuation is not required. They told me that I had the job; thus, I could begin immediately. Being employed means receiving a salary, thus making one capable of spending money. I had all the qualifications for the job, but thus far had not been hired. The applicant should dress neatly, thus creating a good impression.

1 point

I was the only one who applied thus I was hired. ■■ uses the word thus correctly in a simple sentence I had a lot of experience thus, I got the job. Note: Punctuation is not required.

I was the only one who had training. Thus, I got the job. ■■ provides two sentences that use thus correctly Note: Punctuation is not required.

0 points

Thus I got the job. ■■ begins with thus Thus, I was hired for the job.

I wanted to get a job; thus, I was too young. ■■ uses thus incorrectly

Appendix B 147 27. The topic sentence is missing from this paragraph. Using the expressive style that the writer used, compose a good topic sentence that communicates the paragraph’s main idea.

______. Metal, wood, glass, stone, plant fiber, animal hide, plastic (natural or synthetic)—there just aren’t that many raw materials from which the things of the world are made. Because there are so few substances, when we touch an object, tactile clues can be quickly assessed: Does it feel warm or cold, hard or soft, dry or moist? How quickly does the surface warm to the touch? Does it push back? For example, plastic can be made to look convincingly like either wood or leather, but we learn to discriminate between these substances by feel. The things of the world are composed of only a few material substances, and our sense of touch guides us to accurate judgment.

EXAMPLE RESPONSES SCORING CRITERIA 2 points

Though we live surrounded by a myriad of objects in a ■■ a superior topic sentence that communicates the world of complexity, there are actually relatively few paragraph’s main idea and goes beyond an adequate material substances of which all objects are composed. response by including additional descriptive words One may find one’s sense of touch to be among the best guides in determining the material makeup of an object. There are only a few materials out of which all objects in this world are made, and they can be most readily distinguished from one another by our sense of touch. The number of raw materials that we interact with on a regular basis is surprisingly limited, especially in light of the thousands of objects we encounter. Only a few raw materials exist in the world and our sense of touch can help guide us to the true identity of the substance and its properties. Objects are made from only a few elements that often imitate one another in appearance; therefore, touch becomes an important indicator of the type of material.

1 point

We can gather a lot of information by touching things ■■ an adequate topic sentence that communicates the because there just aren’t that many substances things can paragraph’s main idea but does not include additional be made from. descriptive words With just the touch of an object you can usually tell if it is a natural or synthetic substance. All objects are made of only a few substances. The sense of touch can be relied on to give truthful information about the composition of our surroundings. Through our sense of touch, we can judge what things are made of.

0 points

What is everything made out of? ■■ a topic sentence that doesn’t capture the scope of the paragraph

Our sense of touch is an amazing utility. ■■ a sentence that does not introduce the main idea of We know what it looks like, but what is it really made of? the paragraph

148 Appendix B 28. The concluding sentence is missing from this paragraph. Using the expressive style that the writer used, compose a good final sentence that summarizes the content of this paragraph.

Artistic expressions of the world we inhabit go back much farther in time than the well-known art of the ancient Egyptians and Greeks. Carefully realized, well-rendered images of animals and people, created thirty thousand years ago, have been found in ancient caverns in France and elsewhere. Cave paintings, with a variety of colored pigments, depict subjects running or standing still and cleverly placed shading creates the believable illusion of three dimensions on flat or mildly contoured sections of cave walls. These paintings were made more than twenty-seven millennia before the sculptures decorating the Parthenon in Athens. ______.

EXAMPLE RESPONSES SCORING CRITERIA 2 points

A cursory reading of art history might convince us that ■■ a superior concluding sentence that summarizes the pictorial expression is a relatively recent phenomenon, paragraph’s main idea and goes beyond an adequate but the truth is that humans have been making art for a response by including additional descriptive words very long time. The use of three dimensional techniques in such early art may change our understanding of the timeline of the development of artistic concepts. These dimensional subjects wrought by human hands long ages before the development of Greek and Egyptian art are surprisingly sophisticated and cause a re-evaluation of the definition of “ancient” art. From these Paleolithic examples, we learn that our ancestors were much more sophisticated in relation to art than we may have once assumed.

1 point

People might think Greek art is the oldest there is, but some ■■ an adequate concluding sentence that summarizes the well-done cave paintings are far older. paragraph’s main idea but does not include additional This ancient art work proves to us that artistic expression descriptive words has always been valued throughout human history. Art has been an important part of human society since its inception. Cave paintings show us that art has been important to humans for a long period of time.

0 points

Cave paintings are very old. ■■ a concluding sentence that doesn’t capture the scope of 3-D imagery was in existence even then. the paragraph

Ancient three-dimensional art has evolved to 3-D movies ■■ a sentence that introduces new content and television shows.

Appendix B 149 General Scoring Guidelines

■■ Do not penalize the examinee for punctuation, capitalization, spelling, or usage errors unless otherwise indicated in the item scoring criteria.

■■ Do not penalize the examinee for poor handwriting unless the response is illegible. Items 1–6 ■■ A 1-point response is a standard response (meets task requirements).

■■ A 0-point response is an inadequate response (does not meet task requirements). Items 7–28 ■■ A 2-point response is a superior response (meets or exceeds all task requirements and includes additional words or embellishments). ■■ A 1-point response is a standard response (meets task requirements).

■■ A 0-point response is an inadequate response (does not meet task requirements).

Form B Scoring Guide Note: Items 1 through 6 are scored 1 or 0 points.

1. My name is ______. (name)

EXAMPLE RESPONSES SCORING CRITERIA 1 point ■■ initial letter of the first or last name with at least one other correct letter

■■ letter reversals acceptable

■■ upper- or lowercase letters

0 points ■■ a single letter ■■ illegible scribbles

2. This is a ______. (hat, cap)

EXAMPLE RESPONSES SCORING CRITERIA 1 point

hat ■■ must begin with h, c, or k and have two of the three cap letters in hat or cap kap ■■ letter reversals acceptable hot ha ht hatt

hta ■■ has all three letters but out of sequence; must begin with h, c, or k

150 Appendix B 0 points

hr ■■ includes a letter representing an incorrect sound

at ■■ missing h, c, or k

h ■■ one or no correct letters a t

3. This man is short. This man is ______. (tall, big)

EXAMPLE RESPONSES SCORING CRITERIA 1 point

tall ■■ must begin with t or b and include a vowel big tale tolr toll tol tal beg

tla ■■ letter transpositions acceptable

0 points

t ■■ one or no correct letters or does not include a vowel tl

4. This is little box. This is a ______. (big box)

EXAMPLE RESPONSES SCORING CRITERIA 1 point

big box ■■ includes two words, one indicating that the box is big bigger box and the other indicating that the object is a box large box big bx ■■ the spelling of both words must be recognizable bg box larg box

dig box ■■ letter reversals acceptable

Appendix B 151 0 points

big ■■ one word box

little box ■■ writes about the first picture

bg bx ■■ only one or two letters in each of the two words

5. This is a new shoe. This is an ______. (old shoe)

EXAMPLE RESPONSES SCORING CRITERIA 1 point

old shoe ■■ includes two words, one indicating that the shoe is old oll shoe and the other indicating that the object is a shoe ole sho ■■ the spelling of both words must be recognizable dirty shuw ■■ letter reversals acceptable birty shu

0 points

old ■■ one word shoe

new shoe ■■ writes about the first picture

ol su ■■ only one or two letters in each of the two words

6. This animal is a cow. Write a sentence that tells what this animal is. (fish)

EXAMPLE RESPONSES SCORING CRITERIA 1 point

It (This, That, He, She) is a fish. ■■ a complete sentence that identifies the animal as a fish

This animal is fish. ■■ omits an article, such as the, a, or an

the anaml is a fesh. ■■ correct spelling, capitalization, and punctuation not required

0 points

the fish ■■ limited content fish

152 Appendix B Note: Items 7 through 28 are scored 2, 1, or 0 points. Credit on most items requires a complete sentence. Do not penalize the examinee for punctuation, capitalization, spelling, or usage errors unless otherwise indicated in the item scoring criteria.

7. This woman is a queen. Write a sentence that tells what this man is. (king)

EXAMPLE RESPONSES SCORING CRITERIA 2 points

This (That, The) man is a king (prince, ruler). ■■ identifies the man as a king or a prince

The man is a king and wears a crown. ■■ identifies the king or prince and adds a detail He is the king of a faraway land. This is a king who rules a country.

1 point

This (That, He) is a king (prince, ruler). ■■ omits the word man

A king rules a country. ■■ does not directly state that the man is a king or a prince A king is married to a queen. A prince will turn into a king.

The man is king. ■■ omits an article, such as a or the Man is king.

0 points

the king ■■ limited content king

8. The man is showing the woman some shoes. Write a question that tells what the man may have asked.

Note: This item is partially scored for punctuation.

EXAMPLE RESPONSES SCORING CRITERIA 2 points

Would you like to try this pair of shoes? ■■ a possible question that a salesperson might ask a Are these the shoes you wanted to try? customer; must end with a question mark The man might have asked, “What size do you wear?” Do you like this new style from California? Are you looking for something casual or dressy? What size do you wear? Are these the shoes you wanted? How is your sister doing after her fall the other day? ■■ superior question unrelated to buying shoes; must end with a question mark

Appendix B 153 1 point

What size? ■■ an abbreviated question with a question mark How about these? Like these shoes? Will these be OK?

How much do these cost? ■■ a question that the woman might have asked Do you have these shoes in size 11?

He is asking her if this one is the right color. ■■ a statement explaining what the salesperson may The man asked the woman what size she wears. have asked

Are these the shoes you want to try. ■■ a question without a question mark Do you like these new red shoes. What size do you wear.

0 points

What size. ■■ an abbreviated question without a question mark How about these.

These cost thirty dollars. ■■ a simple statement Here are the shoes. These are the ones you want.

9. Write a good sentence that tells about this toy. (toy truck)

EXAMPLE RESPONSES SCORING CRITERIA 2 points

This is a toy truck that is fun to play with. ■■ identifies the picture as a toy or truck and describes one This toy is a dump truck. characteristic or adds another detail This toy is a brand new red truck. That toy truck has six wheels. You could push that truck across the floor.

1 point

This (The) toy is a truck. ■■ identifies the picture as a truck This (It) is a truck.

The toy is fun to play with. ■■ simply describes one characteristic of a toy truck This is a big truck. It is the boy’s truck. It is my favorite toy. It is fun to play with.

154 Appendix B 0 points

It is pretty. ■■ does not describe the truck It is small.

a truck ■■ limited content

10. Write one good sentence that tells what is happening in the picture. (present)

EXAMPLE RESPONSES SCORING CRITERIA 2 points

The boy is happy because he is opening a birthday present. ■■ describes the action (opening a present) and the boy’s He was excited to open his special birthday present from reaction (happy, excited) his parents.

The joyous little boy received a toy airplane on his birthday. ■■ describes the action (opening a present) and the As he opened the package, he found a toy plane. outcome (got a plane, toy)

He is excited about the new toy airplane that he got on his ■■ describes the boy’s reaction (happy, excited) and the birthday. outcome (got a plane) The boy is very happy about the new model plane he received.

1 point

The boy was happy to get his own toy. ■■ provides a simple description of the picture The boy is opening a toy airplane. The boy got an airplane. The boy got a new toy plane. He is opening a birthday present. The boy is opening a package.

0 points

He is opening something. ■■ limited content He got a plane. He is very excited. It’s an airplane. He got something. He is playing.

Appendix B 155 11. Write one good sentence that tells what is happening in the picture. (boy and girl under an umbrella in the rain)

EXAMPLE RESPONSES SCORING CRITERIA 2 points

A boy and a girl are walking under an umbrella in the rain. ■■ mentions the children, the umbrella, and the rain Leon and Lisa had to share an umbrella because it was raining. It’s raining so the children are walking under an umbrella. Two children are walking under an umbrella in the rain.

1 point

The children (A boy and girl) are sharing an umbrella. ■■ mentions only two of the three elements—the children, Sara and Chris are sharing an umbrella. the umbrella, the rain Two people are under an umbrella. A boy and girl (two kids) are walking in the rain.

It is raining and they are sharing an umbrella. ■■ uses a pronoun in place of the word children They are walking and holding an umbrella.

0 points

It is raining. ■■ mentions only one element They are walking. They have an umbrella.

12. The second sentence is missing from the paragraph. Write one good sentence that goes with the other two sentences.

(1) Before I go out into a winter storm, I do several things. (2) ______. (3) Next, I put a woolen hat on my head and pull it down over my ears.

EXAMPLE RESPONSES SCORING CRITERIA 2 points

First, I put on warm clothing. ■■ provides an appropriate first step that is introduced as a First, I put my rubber snow boots on. first step First I put on a coat and gloves.

I put on my scarf and then my jacket. ■■ provides a detailed first step I put on my scarf to keep my neck warm.

1 point

I put on a warm coat (jacket, scarf, boots). ■■ provides an appropriate first step I get my soft coat on.

156 Appendix B 0 points

Put on a jacket. ■■ limited content And I get a jacket Like put on a coat. a jacket and scarf

13. Write a good sentence that tells what is happening in this picture and what could happen next. (blindfolded boy about to trip over a chair)

EXAMPLE RESPONSES SCORING CRITERIA 2 points

The boy is wearing a blindfold and if he keeps walking ■■ describes the action or implies that the boy cannot see forward, he may trip. and describes a possible outcome (may trip over chair, The boy is blindfolded, so therefore, is unable to see, and fall down, hurt himself) most likely, will run into the chair, and maybe even fall. Since Jack is blindfolded, he may trip over the chair. The boy is blindfolded and may trip over the chair. A boy is blindfolded and he could fall over the chair. He is walking blindfolded toward a chair and he might get hurt. A boy is about to walk into a chair and then he will fall. Little Bobby is trying to sit down but he will fall soon.

1 point

He can’t see and may trip. ■■ simply describes both the action and an outcome He has a blindfold and will fall.

The boy is going to trip over (is walking into) the chair. ■■ describes only the action or an outcome The boy could fall and get hurt. The boy is walking with a blindfold on.

He is walking blindfolded. He is going to trip over the chair. ■■ uses two sentences to describe the action and A boy is walking into a chair. He might fall. an outcome Note: Punctuation is not required between the two sentences.

0 points

He’s going to trip. ■■ simply describes only the action or the outcome He will fall down. He is blindfolded. He can’t see where he is going. The boy is going to sit down.

A boy is walking. ■■ limited content

Appendix B 157 14. Write one sentence that tells three things you would like to do on a sunny day.

Note: This item is partially scored for punctuation.

EXAMPLE RESPONSES SCORING CRITERIA 2 points

On a sunny day I would like to fish, swim in the ocean, and ■■ includes three activities to do on a sunny day that are play volleyball on the beach. described in some detail and are punctuated correctly On a sunny day, I like to go swimming in cold water, take with commas walks through open fields, and visit a zoo. Note: The commas may separate the activities in the I like to swim, play tennis with friends, and get a tan on a series—A, B, and C—or the comma may be omitted sunny day. before the conjunction—A, B and C. I would like to go swimming, play tennis, and then have a picnic with my friends. On a sunny day I would like to sleep till noon, read a book, and eat my favorite foods.

1 point

I would like to swim, play baseball, and go hiking. ■■ includes three simple activities that are correctly punctuated with commas

I would like to swim and run and sleep. ■■ includes three simple activities connected by and or I like to hike swim and go on a picnic. with no commas

First I’d play basketball. Then I’d take a shower. Last I’d ■■ uses two or three complete sentences that include three walk to my friend’s house. activities and end with periods, are connected with I would like to go swimming. I’d like to go to the mall. I’d commas, or are not punctuated like to sail in the ocean.

Play video games, play with friends, and play with my pet ■■ three verb phrases that are correctly punctuated snake.

0 points

swim, fish, run ■■ three simple verbs

I run. I hike. I bike. ■■ three simple sentences

I’d like to swim. ■■ only one or two activities I like to fish and swim.

158 Appendix B 15. Write a good sentence that tells what a balloon looks like.

EXAMPLE RESPONSES SCORING CRITERIA 2 points

A balloon is a round sphere and often has a dangling string ■■ describes a balloon with some detail tied at the bottom. A balloon is just a bunch of air with plastic wrapped around it. A balloon is filled with air and may be all the different colors of the rainbow. A balloon is made of latex material; once air is put in it, it becomes full and round.

A balloon is like a big floating colored circle. ■■ compares a balloon in detail with something that is A balloon is a delicate ball that floats in the air. similar in appearance A balloon looks like a semi-transparent sphere.

1 point

A balloon is round and pretty. ■■ provides a simple description A balloon is large, round and very light. A balloon looks like a round ball with a string. Balloons are round and come in a variety of colors. A balloon is filled with air and may be any color.

A balloon looks like a round ball. ■■ simply compares a balloon to a round object like a ball, A balloon looks like a circle. circle, bubble, or the letter o A balloon looks like a bubble.

It looks like a big ball. ■■ uses a pronoun in place of the word balloon It is round and pretty.

0 points

I see a balloon. ■■ does not describe a balloon I have a big balloon.

A balloon is round. ■■ limited content A balloon has a string. It floats in the air. It is pretty.

Appendix B 159 16. The second sentence is missing from this paragraph. Write a good sentence that will fit.

(1) When my father agrees to build a house, he follows several steps. (2) ______. (3) Next, he determines the exact plan his customer has in mind.

EXAMPLE RESPONSES SCORING CRITERIA 2 points

First of all he draws a sketch of the house. ■■ provides an appropriate first step that is introduced as a Initially, he views the building site for the house. first step The first thing he does is to determine his customer’s needs. First he determines how much the people want to spend. To begin, he helps his customers locate a lot for their house.

1 point

He sets up a meeting with the people. ■■ provides an appropriate first step He makes sure the house will fit the building code. He checks out the location. He needs to draw a plan.

0 points ■■ the step is out of sequence He builds a house. Some of the steps don’t work. Then he built the roof.

He plans something. ■■ limited content

17. Write one sentence that tells two ways that a bus and a train are alike.

EXAMPLE RESPONSES SCORING CRITERIA 2 points

A bus and a train both have motors and both carry people. ■■ explains two ways a bus and a train are alike (modes A bus and a train both have wheels and both need fuel. of transportation, carry people, have wheels, drive fast, A bus and a train transport people and require fuel. a way to enjoy the countryside, go somewhere, move, require reservations, require fuel)

1 point

Both get you somewhere and have wheels. ■■ explains two ways a bus and a train are alike using They both are long and carry many people. simple vocabulary They are both methods of transportation and require fuel.

A bus and a train both take people places and they are both ■■ explains two ways a bus and a train are alike but the means of transportation. ways are similar in meaning

160 Appendix B A bus and a train both have wheels. They both go fast. ■■ uses two sentences Note: Punctuation is not required between the two sentences.

A bus and train are able to move many people at one time. ■■ explains one way a bus and train are alike in detail A bus and train are alike because they both carry people around town. A bus and a train are both popular means of transportation.

0 points

They drive and make noise. ■■ does not express an obvious or correct similarity They both have engineers and tires.

They both have motors. ■■ tells one way a bus and train are alike but has They both carry people. limited content People ride in them.

18. Finish the sentence.

The ski lodge is popular because of its easy accessibility, because of its large swimming pool, and ______.

EXAMPLE RESPONSES SCORING CRITERIA 2 points

…because of the luxurious rooms. ■■ maintains the sentence meaning and the parallel …because of its low rates. structure of the sentence; repeats because of its or its …because of its inviting slopes. …its huge copper fireplace. …its bubbly whirlpools.

1 point

…view of the ski resort. ■■ maintains sentence meaning but does not maintain the …nice, warm, comfortable rooms. parallel structure of the sentence …challenging ski slopes. …the white fluffy snow. …warm hot tub.

…because of its popularity. ■■ maintains parallel structure but repeats information

0 points

…long lines ■■ inconsistent with sentence meaning

…snow ■■ limited content …restaurant …pretty views …hot tubs

Appendix B 161 19. You have been asked to write an adventure story about a stormy trip on a boat. Write an exciting first sentence.

EXAMPLE RESPONSES SCORING CRITERIA 2 points

Thick, dark clouds loomed overhead as the small boat ■■ provides an engaging opening sentence tossed and turned in the foreboding ocean waters. As we left the small marina, the colorful flags on the boat were rippling ominously in the wind. The turbulent, icy-cold blue waters of the North Atlantic were all that filled Captain Polanski’s sight. When I got aboard the Queen Sarah, I had no idea of what was ahead. The wind whistled and the waves pounded as our tiny boat was tossed back and forth in the raging sea. Ensnared in the anchor line, I stared helplessly as Raul crashed through the rail. Being stranded on a desert island seemed like something that would happen to people in the movies.

1 point

It was a dark, stormy night at sea. ■■ provides a simple opening sentence (tends to use The thunder roared as the waves crashed against the boat. common verbs, nouns, and adjectives) The boat was rocking furiously and water came into the boat. The huge waves crashed into the side of our boat. We were out at sea and the weather started to turn. It was a stormy day and I was in a boat with my friend.

0 points

The Bad Trip ■■ provides a title instead of first sentence

John and Julie loved the trip on a boat. ■■ limited content We went on a stormy trip. The weather is bad in a bad storm.

162 Appendix B 20. Write a good sentence using the words despite her anger.

EXAMPLE RESPONSES SCORING CRITERIA 2 points

Despite her anger at the student, she talked rationally about ■■ uses despite her anger in a specific situation or context so the problem. that the meaning of the phrase is clear Despite her anger over the mistake, she agreed to come to the meeting. The mother spoke softly to the unruly children despite her anger. Despite her anger over the accident, she agreed to fix the car. Despite her anger over the call, Shelly continued to participate in the tennis match.

1 point

Despite her anger, she didn’t yell at him. ■■ demonstrates understanding of the phrase and may Despite her anger, she bit her tongue. suggest the person’s restraint but does not describe a Despite her anger, she participated reluctantly. specific situation or context Despite her anger, Lucy didn’t lose her temper. She finished the job despite her anger. Despite her anger, he still worked with her.

0 points

She was very mad, despite her anger. ■■ uses despite her anger but contradicts the meaning of the Despite her anger, she slammed the door. phrase or uses it incorrectly Despite her anger, she is nice. She will despite her anger today. She likes to despite her anger on me.

Appendix B 163 21. The second sentence is missing from this paragraph. Write one good sentence that goes with the other two sentences.

(1) The drama is set in an industrial factory in a small community. (2) ______. (3) Her offer to help him evolves into a lasting friendship.

EXAMPLE RESPONSES SCORING CRITERIA 2 points

A young girl befriends an unhappy factory worker. ■■ introduces two people with some detail The owner of a small factory will go bankrupt if not helped by a wealthy woman. A secretary tries to acquaint the new owner with the company operations. John Smith is told by his boss, Joann, that he is going to lose his job. A homeless immigrant is offered assistance by the factory owner. Billy Bob was struggling when Mary Sue stepped into his life.

1 point

A woman tries to help a man. ■■ introduces two people in a simple sentence A man is having trouble and a woman comes to help. The main characters are Bart and Mary. Two people met while working there.

A man is injured by an explosion at the factory. ■■ describes the man’s problems Billy loses his job at the factory.

0 points

All the important characters were in the factory. ■■ does not unite the first and third sentences Where people get to know each other.

He was fired. ■■ limited content

164 Appendix B 22. You have been asked to write an essay about the importance of world peace. Write a good first sentence.

EXAMPLE RESPONSES SCORING CRITERIA 2 points

World peace is essential for the survival of humans on this ■■ provides an interesting topic sentence or question planet. Throughout time, greed for land, power, and money has led to wars that left people hurt, powerless, and poor. Over the years, society’s perception of what constitutes world peace has changed. The world is one big family and a family cannot survive with constant internal strife. With so much violence in the world, do you wonder if world peace will ever be attained?

1 point

World peace is an important factor in our everyday lives. ■■ provides a simple sentence or question There are many important things in this world, but to me and many other people, world peace is the most important. World peace is very important for future generations. Peace in our world is the only thing that really matters. Wouldn’t it be nice if all the nations could come together? What can we do to achieve world peace?

0 points

The Importance of World Peace ■■ provides a title instead of a first sentence

World peace is important. ■■ limited content I want a peaceful world.

Appendix B 165 23. The second sentence is missing from this paragraph. Write a good sentence that the writer may have used.

(1) The slope on the left was densely wooded, and the somber shadow that fell from the hillside lay like an amber rope on the morning mist. (2) ______. (3) Between these diverse ridges, a long, ruffled trail wound sinuously up the precipitous incline, carving a path like a charmed snake.

EXAMPLE RESPONSES SCORING CRITERIA 2 points

The slope on the right was somewhat different; it had a lush ■■ describes the slope on the right or the diverse ridges and green meadow directly in the center of the wooded area. maintains the writer’s style (similar to sentences 1 and 3) On the right slope many large rocks jutted from the hillside like ferocious teeth warning trespassers. The slope on the right led to a glistening, crystal clear, blue lake, full of feisty fish swimming around. The slope on the right contained tall grass that swayed in the soft, gentle wind. Ridges of all sizes rose from the edge as if the very ground they stood on threatened to collapse and send them falling into oblivion. Beneath this glorious hillside were enormous ridges whose shadows were scattered across the smooth plateau.

1 point

The other slope was not densely wooded, but had more ■■ refers to the slope on the right or the diverse ridges with rocks. simple vocabulary (tends to use common verbs, nouns, The slope on the right was clear and very open. and adjectives); does not maintain the writer’s style The slope on the right was even denser than the other slope. The slope on the right had a very steep incline. On the other side of this rocky hillside were tall, steep ridges. At the bottom of the slope there were several diverse ridges.

The warm wind rustled through the pine trees and seemed ■■ does not refer to the slope on the right or the diverse to be whispering a song to us. ridges, but maintains the writer’s style

0 points

It was a beautiful day. ■■ limited content Also, the snow was thick. We didn’t go down that slope. Both sides looked bad. The ridges looked very challenging

166 Appendix B 24. The second sentence is missing from this paragraph. Write one good sentence that the writer may have used.

(1) The first creatures, gigantic earthworms with trifurcated tongues ending in suction cups, are capable of rapid subterranean transit. (2) ______. (3) These great special effects, modeled after the mutant-monster tradition of 1950s’ horror movies, satirize that tradition in a delicate way.

EXAMPLE RESPONSES SCORING CRITERIA 2 points

The next creatures designed were large skeletal birds with ■■ describes the other creatures, special effects, or the red, lava-like eyes. earthworms and maintains the writer’s style (similar to The second creatures were iridescent scorpions with laser- sentences 1 and 3) tipped tails who could scale skyscrapers in seconds. These earthworms do combat with monstrous arachnids who spew forth laser beams from their fiery eyes.

1 point

They also created great dinosaur-like creatures with huge ■■ describes the other creatures, special effects, or fangs and claws. earthworms with simple vocabulary (tends to use These creatures also had saliva dripping from their mouths. common nouns, verbs, and adjectives); does not They attack entire towns, crushing cars and houses on their maintain the writer’s style way. These ugly creatures seemed real but were only make- believe models. The second creatures were not as big but they were more monstrous.

0 points

Hollywood made them. ■■ limited content They were made by filmmakers. The next creatures were from a movie. The earthworms were ugly.

25. Finish the sentence.

The president and the press disliked the demonstrators because of their youthful arrogance, because of their seeming disdain for traditional values, and ______.

EXAMPLE RESPONSES SCORING CRITERIA 2 points

…because of their lack of tolerance. ■■ maintains sentence meaning and the parallel structure …because of their physical appearance. of the sentence; repeats because of their followed by an …because of their loud, disruptive behavior. appropriate characteristic of the demonstrators

Appendix B 167 1 point

…their destruction of property. ■■ maintains sentence meaning but does not maintain the …their obvious lack of respect. parallel structure of the sentence …the damage they were doing to the park. …because they disrupted the meeting. …because they were causing too much publicity.

…because of their hair. ■■ maintains parallel structure but has imprecise content …because of their dogs. …because of their stupid ideas.

0 points

…their simple respect for their fellow Americans. ■■ inconsistent with sentence meaning …because of their nice manners.

…their laws. ■■ limited content …their old ways. …their funny shoes.

26. Write a sentence that tells about the picture and uses the word nevertheless.

EXAMPLE RESPONSES SCORING CRITERIA 2 points

These words sound the same; nevertheless, they are spelled ■■ tells about the picture and uses nevertheless correctly in a differently. detailed sentence These words sound the same; they are, nevertheless, Note: Punctuation is not required. spelled differently. All of these words sound alike; they are spelled differently, nevertheless.

1 point

A lot of words are the same, nevertheless they can differ. ■■ uses nevertheless correctly in a simple sentence These words sound the same, nevertheless they are Note: Punctuation is not required. different.

Even though the words sound alike they are different. ■■ two sentences that use nevertheless correctly Nevertheless, the boy will get them correct. Note: Punctuation is not required.

The man was looking in the dictionary, but could not find ■■ uses the word nevertheless in a sentence, but doesn’t the word nevertheless. illustrate the meaning of the word At the spelling bee one of the words was “nevertheless.” The boy wrote the words there, their, hear, here, so, sow, sew, and nevertheless.

168 Appendix B 0 points

Nevertheless there are words that sound alike but are ■■ begins with nevertheless spelled differently. Nevertheless, these words are all spelled the same way. Nevertheless, all of these words sound the same.

The words all sound the same, nevertheless they are. ■■ uses nevertheless incorrectly

27. The topic sentence is missing from this paragraph. Using the expressive style that the writer used, compose a good topic sentence that communicates the paragraph’s main idea.

______. When you walk into a room that contains fresh-cut lilies in a vase, the scent can be quite strong at first; you can’t help but notice. In a few minutes, that novel input fades. Even in a noisy urban background, a voice suddenly calling out promptly grabs our attention while we may be inured to ongoing traffic noises or construction sounds. The mind is tuned to attend to new input from our senses, and it quickly begins to downplay sensory data that awareness has already considered.

EXAMPLE RESPONSES SCORING CRITERIA 2 points

The senses interact with the mind and our awareness in ■■ a superior topic sentence that communicates the such a way that new input is highlighted. paragraph’s main idea and goes beyond an adequate The human mind has developed filters that give priority to response by including additional descriptive words new or novel sensory input. Our reticular activating system is used to filter out stimuli that are repetitive and of subsequent or lesser interest. Human senses regulate themselves to minimize unimportant continuous impressions and highlight novel ones.

1 point

Novelty catches our attention, but quickly ceases to be ■■ an adequate topic sentence that communicates the important to our awareness. paragraph’s main idea but does not include additional Our senses are strongest when we are first introduced to descriptive words new stimuli. After entering an environment, the senses that seemed strong begin to die down.

0 points

You notice smells more to begin with. ■■ a topic sentence that doesn’t capture the scope of We can control the sensitivity of our senses. the paragraph Our mind is busy processing data all the time. ■■ a sentence that does not introduce the main idea of the paragraph

Appendix B 169 28. The concluding sentence is missing from this paragraph. Using the expressive style that the writer used, compose a good final sentence that summarizes the content of this paragraph.

When applied properly, glue can hold wood together with great strength, even without mechanical attachments such as screws, bolts, or nails. The surface of wood may look and feel very smooth; but at microscopic scales, the wood is shown to be quite rough, even porous. That rough surface gives glue tiny cavities to flow into and grip. In an hour or a day, when the glue hardens, that grip is locked in place and may actually form a bond stronger than the wood itself. ______.

EXAMPLE RESPONSES SCORING CRITERIA 2 points

Glue soaks into the surfaces of boards to be joined together, ■■ a superior concluding sentence that summarizes the gripping the wood to hold it permanently in place. paragraph’s main idea and goes beyond an adequate Certain types of wood glue are able to bind pieces of wood response by including additional descriptive words together with a bond that may even surpass the strength of the wood.

1 point

Wood glue holds boards together because it dries in the ■■ an adequate concluding sentence that summarizes the porous surfaces. paragraph’s main idea but does not include additional Glue is a powerful tool when used correctly. descriptive words Due to the nature of wood, gluing wood can make a surprisingly strong bond.

0 points

The wood now is strongly glued with cavities that flow into ■■ a concluding sentence that doesn’t capture the scope of a grip. the paragraph

Glue can be much more useful than just making paper ■■ a sentence that is not a concluding sentence crafts. This is how large wooden models are constructed.

This wood comes from many different types of trees. ■■ a sentence that introduces new content

170 Appendix B General Scoring Guidelines

■■ Do not penalize the examinee for punctuation, capitalization, spelling, or usage errors unless otherwise indicated in the item scoring criteria.

■■ Do not penalize the examinee for poor handwriting unless the response is illegible. Items 1–6 ■■ A 1-point response is a standard response (meets task requirements).

■■ A 0-point response is an inadequate response (does not meet task requirements). Items 7–28 ■■ A 2-point response is a superior response (meets or exceeds all task requirements and includes additional words or embellishments). ■■ A 1-point response is a standard response (meets task requirements). ■■ A 0-point response is an inadequate response (does not meet task requirements).

Form C Scoring Guide Note: Items 1 through 6 are scored 1 or 0.

1. My name is ______. (name)

EXAMPLE RESPONSES SCORING CRITERIA 1 point ■■ initial letter of the first or last name with at least one other correct letter

■■ letter reversals acceptable

■■ upper- or lowercase letters

0 points ■■ a single letter ■■ illegible scribbles

2. This is a ______. (cat)

EXAMPLE RESPONSES SCORING CRITERIA 1 point

cat ■■ must begin with c or k and have two of the three kat letters in cat cot ■■ letter reversals acceptable ca ct

catt ■■ ignore extra letters

cta ■■ has all three letters but out of sequence; must begin with c or k

Appendix B 171 0 points

cr ■■ includes an incorrect sound

at ■■ missing c or k

c ■■ one or no correct letters a t

3. This is an ______. (apple)

EXAMPLE RESPONSES SCORING CRITERIA 1 point

apple ■■ must represent all sounds in apple (/a/, /p/, /l/) in the apl correct sound sequence aple appl

0 points

ap ■■ missing letter representing one or more sounds al

alpe ■■ letters are not in correct sound sequence

4. This is a little ball. This is a ______. (big ball)

EXAMPLE RESPONSES SCORING CRITERIA 1 point

big ball ■■ includes two words, one indicating that the ball is big bigger ball and the other indicating that the object is a ball large ball bg ball

big boll ■■ the spelling of both words must be recognizable big bal beg bol

dig dall ■■ letter reversals acceptable big doll

172 Appendix B 0 points

big ■■ one word ball

little ball ■■ writes about the first picture

bg bl ■■ only one or two letters in each of the two words

5. This boy is standing. Write a second sentence on the line that tells what the other boy is doing. (sitting)

EXAMPLE RESPONSES SCORING CRITERIA 1 point

He is sitting. ■■ a complete sentence that describes what the boy is doing

the boy is in the char ■■ correct spelling, capitalization, and punctuation not required

0 points

This boy is standing. ■■ copies first sentence

This boy sitting. ■■ limited content sitting

6. This animal is a horse. Write a sentence that tells what this animal is. (cow)

EXAMPLE RESPONSES SCORING CRITERIA 1 point

It is a cow. ■■ a complete sentence that identifies the animal as a cow

the amaml is a caw ■■ correct spelling, capitalization, and punctuation not required

0 points

the cow ■■ limited content cow

Appendix B 173 Note: Items 7 through 28 are scored 2, 1, or 0. Credit on most items requires a complete sentence. Do not penalize the examinee for punctuation, capitalization, spelling, or usage errors unless otherwise indicated in the item scoring criteria.

7. Write one good sentence that tells what is happening in the picture. (boy/man talking on phone)

EXAMPLE RESPONSES SCORING CRITERIA 2 points

The (That, This, A) boy is talking on the telephone. ■■ mentions the person and talking on the phone The boy is calling a person on the phone. Someone is talking on their cell.

1 point

A boy is on the phone. ■■ mentions the person and the phone or talking A boy (He) is calling his friend. The boy is talking.

A boy talking on the phone. ■■ omits the verb is

0 points

Talking on the phone. ■■ limited content boy talking

8. Write a good sentence that tells what is happening in the picture. (chick hatching)

EXAMPLE RESPONSES SCORING CRITERIA 2 points

The chick is hatching from its egg. ■■ tells what the chick is doing and adds a detail A chick is hatching out of an egg. The little bird came out of the egg. What happened was an egg cracked, and a little chick came out. A little yellow chick just popped its head out of an egg.

An egg is cracking and a baby will emerge. ■■ describes what happens to the egg and adds a detail

1 point

The chick is hatching. ■■ tells what the chick is doing A baby bird is hatching. The chick popped out.

The (This, An) egg is hatching. ■■ describes what happens to the egg The egg is breaking (cracking). That is a cracked egg.

It is hatching from the egg. ■■ uses a pronoun in place of the word chick

174 Appendix B The egg is hatching. ■■ uses a simple sentence to describe the picture She is hatching.

0 points

The chick is a baby. ■■ does not describe the action

It came out. ■■ does not mention either the chick or the egg

egg breaking ■■ limited content hatching

9. Write a good sentence that tells what the seal is doing. (balancing a ball)

EXAMPLE RESPONSES SCORING CRITERIA 2 points

The seal is balancing (bouncing, spinning, twirling) the ball ■■ tells what the seal is doing (balancing a ball, doing a on his (her, its) nose (head). trick) and adds a detail about the location of the ball The seal is doing a trick with a ball on his nose.

The seal is performing at the circus for children from the ■■ tells what the seal is doing and adds a good detail homeless shelter.

1 point

The seal is doing a trick. ■■ tells what the seal is doing but does not mention the The seal is balancing a ball. location of the ball The seal is playing with the ball. The seal is playing ball. The seal is holding the ball.

The seal hit the ball into the air. ■■ describes what the seal is doing

He (She, It) is playing with a ball. ■■ uses a simple sentence to describe the picture

He is playing with a balloon. ■■ uses pronouns in place of seal or ball The seal has it on his nose.

0 points

The seal has a ball. ■■ limited content The seal (He, She, It) is playing. Balancing a ball. Playing ball.

Appendix B 175 10. A sentence is missing from this paragraph. Write one good sentence that goes with the other three sentences.

(1) When Jean packs her lunch, she takes three things. (2) First, she packs an apple. (3) ______. (4) Finally, she puts in a carton of milk.

EXAMPLE RESPONSES SCORING CRITERIA 2 points

Then she packs a sandwich. ■■ provides an appropriate lunch item with a Next she puts in a cookie. transition word Second she packs some cheese.

1 point

She packs a sandwich. ■■ provides an appropriate item She puts in a sandwich and cookies.

Then a sandwich. ■■ writes an incomplete sentence but includes a transition word 0 points

And a drink. ■■ limited content A sandwich. Some candy.

11. Write a good sentence that tells something about this toy. (drum)

EXAMPLE RESPONSES SCORING CRITERIA 2 points

This toy is a musical instrument. ■■ identifies the picture as a toy, a drum, or an instrument You play a drum with drumsticks. and describes one characteristic or adds another detail The drum is an instrument used for percussion. This is a drum used in parades. This toy is a drum with drumsticks lying on it. In the right hands this instrument can be music to your ears.

1 point

This (The) toy is a drum. ■■ identifies the picture as a toy drum This is a toy drum. It (This) is a drum.

You can bang on it. ■■ simply describes one characteristic of a drum It is something you hit. You can play it. The drum is loud. The drum is loud when you hit it.

There are 2 sticks and they are making an X. ■■ describes the picture with detail but does not mention the drum

176 Appendix B 0 points

It is big. ■■ limited content It is round. a drum

12. The girl is going to a movie. The man is asking her a question. Write a question that the man may have asked.

Note: This item is partially scored for punctuation.

EXAMPLE RESPONSES SCORING CRITERIA 2 points

What movie are you going to see this evening? ■■ a possible question that the man might ask; must end Would you like to buy a ticket for the movie? with a question mark Do you have exact change for this movie please? Which movie would you like to see? “Which movie do you want?” Would you like to donate to the children’s hospital? ■■ a superior question not related to the movie; must end Are you going to math class tonight? with a question mark

1 point

Which movie? ■■ an abbreviated question with a question mark For how many people? How many tickets?

Where can I buy candy? ■■ a question the woman might have asked How much are the tickets? Which way is the movie?

He probably asked what movie would she like to see. ■■ a statement explaining what the man may have asked

Would you like a ticket to the movie. ■■ a question without a question mark What movie do you want this afternoon.

0 points

What movie do you want. ■■ an abbreviated question without a question mark How many tickets.

The ticket costs $8.00. ■■ a simple statement The movie is down the hall. Give me your ticket please.

Appendix B 177 13. Write one good sentence that tells how a car and a bus are alike.

EXAMPLE RESPONSES SCORING CRITERIA 2 points

A car and a bus are alike because they both transport ■■ explains how a car and bus are alike (vehicles, modes of (carry) people. transportation, have engines, carry people, require fuel) A car and bus are alike because they both have engines. A car and bus are alike because they are both vehicles. A car and a bus are alike because they both pollute the air. A car and a bus both are forms of transportation.

1 point

Both a car and a bus have wheels (tires, motors). ■■ explains how a car and a bus are alike using simple A bus carries people and a car carries people. vocabulary People ride in both. They both move and people ride in them. Both have motors, tires, and windows. They both are transportation (vehicles).

A car has a motor. A bus has a motor. ■■ uses two sentences Note: Punctuation is not required between the two sentences.

0 points

They both are yellow. ■■ does not express an obvious or correct similarity

They both drive ■■ limited content They both run.

14. Write a good sentence that tells why it is dangerous to dive into a pool when you do not know how deep it is.

EXAMPLE RESPONSES SCORING CRITERIA 2 points

It is dangerous to dive into a pool when you don’t know ■■ states that it is dangerous to dive into a pool of unknown how deep it is because you could hit bottom. depth and provides or implies a reason why (may hit It is dangerous to dive in a pool if you don’t know how deep your head, break your neck, get a concussion, drown if it is because it may be shallow and you could get hurt. you are a poor swimmer)

If you dive in a pool without knowing how deep it is, you ■■ explains in detail a reason why it is dangerous could hit your head and drown. If you do not know how deep a pool is, and it is shallow when you dive in, you could hit your head on the bottom of the pool. If you don’t know how deep a pool is and you don’t swim well, you might drown in deep water. When you dive into a pool and you don’t know the depth, you are taking a chance with your life.

178 Appendix B 1 point

You may hit your head and drown. ■■ simply states a reason why it may be dangerous You might hit the bottom hard. You could hit your head on the bottom of the pool. You may dive too shallow and break your neck. It’s dangerous because you might hit your head on the bottom.

It is very dangerous because you can drown. ■■ simply states that it is dangerous and tells a reason why It is dangerous because you might get hurt. It is dangerous because you could end up paralyzed.

It is dangerous to dive into a pool when you don’t know the ■■ states that it is dangerous but expresses unlikely depth, because you could crack the pool. concerns (it would hurt the pool)

0 points

It can cause an accident. ■■ does not clearly specify or suggest an obvious danger It is fun to swim in a pool.

You may hurt the pool. ■■ expresses an unlikely concern; does not state that it is dangerous

You might crack your head. ■■ limited content You might hit the bottom. You may drown. Because you might hit your head. Because you can drown. Because you might get hurt.

Appendix B 179 15. Once upon a time in a land far away, there lived a dinosaur. Write one good sentence that tells what this dinosaur looked like.

EXAMPLE RESPONSES SCORING CRITERIA 2 points

This dinosaur had long, sharp teeth, huge claws, and big ■■ describes a dinosaur with some detail feet. The dinosaur had a long neck, scaly green skin, and razor sharp teeth. The dinosaur was pink with big blue spots the size of an apple. The dinosaur was gigantic, a nasty green, and had a row of spikes down his back. The big gray dinosaur had large teeth and big claws.

1 point

The dinosaur was blue with purple spots. ■■ provides a simple description He was tall and gray with blue eyes. It was big and black with big teeth. He was green with spikes down his back. He looked like an overgrown lizard. The dinosaur was tall and green.

0 points

He was big. ■■ limited content It looked ugly. green with red dots

16. Write one sentence that tells three things you would like to do on a vacation. Remember, three things.

Note: This item is partially scored for punctuation.

EXAMPLE RESPONSES SCORING CRITERIA 2 points

On vacation I would like to go fishing, swimming in the ■■ includes three vacation activities or three places to visit ocean, and camping on the beach. on a vacation that are described in some detail and are On my vacation I would like to go to the movies, shop in punctuated correctly with commas the stores, and relax at the swimming pool. Note: The commas may separate the activities in the I would like to go to Las Vegas for gambling, New York for series—A, B, and C—or the comma may be omitted sightseeing and Hawaii for the beaches. before the conjunction—A, B and C.

1 point

I like to fish, hunt, and visit relatives in Ohio. ■■ includes three simple vacation activities that are correctly On vacation, I would like to swim, eat and fish. punctuated with commas I’d go to Europe, Canada, or Mexico. I like skiing, snorkeling and diving.

180 Appendix B I would like to see the President. I would like to go to ■■ uses two or three compete sentences that include three Disney World. I would like to go to the ocean. activities and end with periods, are connected with commas, or are not punctuated

I would like to go camping and hiking and skiing. ■■ includes three activities connected by and I would like to go to Disneyland and Mexico and New York.

I would like to eat watch TV and go swimming. ■■ incorrect use of comma

Go to the beach, camp in the mountains, and relax at home. ■■ three verb phrases that are correctly punctuated

0 points

relax, swim, and read ■■ three simple verbs ski, hike, relax

I go hiking. I swim. I ride motorcycles. ■■ three simple sentences I fish. I read. I canoe.

I’d like to go to Europe and to Mexico. ■■ only one or two activities I like to snow board.

17. The second sentence is missing from this paragraph. Write one good sentence that goes with the other two sentences.

(1) I had always wanted to go on a camping trip. (2) ______. (3) I can’t wait to go back to the mountains again.

EXAMPLE RESPONSES SCORING CRITERIA 2 points

When I finally got to go, I had lots of fun. ■■ refers to the trip with some detail and unites the first and So last Saturday I went camping in the mountains. third sentences Last summer I finally went to the Rocky Mountains. We camped in the mountains last week.

1 point

Then I finally went. ■■ refers to the trip with a simple sentence Finally I got to go. I liked hearing the coyotes howl. I loved that camping trip. We went to the mountains.

0 points

We were planning a trip. ■■ doesn’t indicate that the trip has already occurred I would like to go. People say it’s fun.

Appendix B 181 18. Write one sentence about a boy finding a lost dog. Include the words who found the in the middle of your sentence.

EXAMPLE RESPONSES SCORING CRITERIA 2 points

The freckle-faced boy who found the puppy was overjoyed ■■ uses who found the in the middle of a detailed sentence at his luck. The lucky boy who found the millionaire’s dog received a handsome reward. The little boy, Chris, who found the lost dog, was as happy as he could be. The responsible boy who found the stray dog called the city animal shelter. Robert is the little boy who found the lost dog Saturday.

Mother said, “That is the boy who found the lost dog last ■■ uses who found the in the middle of a detailed sentence in Saturday at the circus.” a dialogue or question format The boy asked, Who found the little, stray dog in the Note: Punctuation is not required. woods? The boy asked, “Who found the lost puppy?”

1 point

He (That, There, This) is the boy who found the dog. ■■ uses who found the in the middle of a simple sentence The boy who found the dog was very happy. or question The boy who found the large dog got a reward. The little boy who found the lost dog was nice. Can I ask who found the little lost dog? I am the one who found the lost dog. My mom asked, Who found the dog?

0 points

Who found the dog? ■■ begins with who found the Who found the lost dog?

Once a boy found a dog. ■■ does not use who found the

The boy asked the girl who found the ball. ■■ does not refer to the lost dog

182 Appendix B 19. The second sentence is missing from this paragraph. Write a good sentence that will fit.

(1) When doing the laundry, always separate the light clothes from the dark clothes. (2) ______. (3) My white tennis shorts were covered with blue spots!

EXAMPLE RESPONSES SCORING CRITERIA 2 points

Once I put a new pair of jeans in the same load as my white ■■ describes a past situation in which the person put in clothes. dark clothes with a load of light clothes, or gives an Once I neglected to do so, and my new blue jeans colored after-the-fact recognition of this laundry rule the other articles of clothing. I only remembered this laundry lesson when I went to fetch my clean clothes from the dryer. I forgot to follow this rule when I did my laundry on Monday.

My husband forgot this simple rule when it was his turn to ■■ describes a past situation when someone else forgot to do the laundry. separate the clothes One time my mother forgot to separate the clothes.

1 point

If you don’t, the colors will mix. ■■ explains a consequence of mixing light and dark clothes The light clothes will become dark. but does not refer to a past situation If you don’t, the light clothes may get stained by the dark clothes.

Last time I didn’t. ■■ simply refers to a past situation I forgot to do that. I did not do that.

My jeans were covered with white spots. ■■ provides another example of colors running in clothes My blue pants were covered with white streaks.

I put tennis shorts in with my blue jeans. ■■ refers to a present experience with this laundry rule I put a blue sweater in.

0 points

…because the colors will run together. ■■ adds information to the first or last sentence …and do not put bleach. I didn’t and when I removed them from the washer… I forgot to do that and…

Don’t put too much soap in the machine. ■■ provides another laundry tip Put them in at a different temperature. You should put in bleach with light not dark clothes.

Then I wash them. ■■ provides the next step

Appendix B 183 20. This information will be included in a report about insects. Write a main or topic sentence for the report.

mosquitos bees black flies butterflies lady bugs beetles

EXAMPLE RESPONSES SCORING CRITERIA 2 points

During different seasons of the year, different insects ■■ provides a basis for writing a report by pointing out appear. some type of similarity, difference, or generalization Some insects are pesky; others are beneficial. about the insects Our summer camping trip introduced us to a lot of insects. Insects come in many shapes, sizes and colors. There are many varieties of insects that serve a purpose in nature’s plan. Insects such as mosquitos, bees, black flies, butterflies, lady bugs, and beetles possess remarkable flight characteristics and abilities.

1 point

There are many kinds of insects. ■■ provides only a simple fact or statement Mosquitoes, bees, black flies, butterflies, lady bugs, and beetles are all insects. I hate mosquitoes, bees, and black flies but I like butterflies, lady bugs, and beetles. Most insects are harmless. A lot of insects have wings. This is a report on bugs. My report is about insects.

0 points

Most of the following insects can fly. ■■ refers to the list of insects in a general way

All About Bugs. ■■ provides a title instead of a main or topic sentence Why I Like Bugs.

I hate bees. ■■ does not refer to or include all of the insects Mosquitoes bite you in the summer. I like lady bugs. Bugs hurt people.

The mosquitoes bit the bees, black flies, butterflies, ■■ uses all of the listed words but does not write a lady bugs, and beetles. topic sentence

They are all bugs. ■■ limited content They all fly. They are mean. Bugs are yucky. Insects are usually flying.

184 Appendix B 21. The second sentence is missing from this paragraph. Write one good sentence that goes with the other two sentences.

(1) Enough food was packed to feed the group for several months. (2) ______. (3) Because of these careful preparations, the expedition would be able to cope with any emergency.

EXAMPLE RESPONSES SCORING CRITERIA 2 points

They also packed safety equipment and medical supplies. ■■ provides a specific example of another preparation and The equipment was checked carefully before the trip. maintains the writer’s style (similar to sentences 1 and 3) The people selected for leaders were highly trained. We had several first aid kits and plenty of camping gear. Everyone in the group carried a first aid kit.

1 point

The food was packed in waterproof containers. ■■ provides a detail about the food

The medical supplies were ready. ■■ provides a general example of the preparations They had prepared all the supplies they needed. There was also plenty of medicine around. They had a lot of first aid kits.

0 points

We packed enough food. ■■ does not refer to an additional preparation We were stopped by weather. The group was climbing Mt. Everest. We planned to be gone for several months.

We got matches. ■■ limited content

22. Write a good sentence using the words in spite of his success.

EXAMPLE RESPONSES SCORING CRITERIA 2 points

In spite of his success, Mike did not feel good about the ■■ uses in spite of his success in a specific situation or illegal deal. context so that the meaning of the phrase is clear In spite of his success in baseball, he continued to talk with his loyal fans. In spite of his success at the preliminary polls, White was sure he would lose the final election. Jerry, in spite of his success, returned to the ghetto to live. The corporate president, in spite of his success, gives back to the community. In spite of his success, the pop star still comes home for the holidays. Mike Tyson declared bankruptcy, in spite of his success.

Appendix B 185 1 point

In spite of his success, he still did not make the team. ■■ demonstrates an understanding of the phrase and may In spite of his success, he was not happy. suggest the person’s success but does not describe a In spite of his success, he still had some problems. specific situation or context In spite of his success, Mark was not pleased.

0 points

Everyone was jealous in spite of his success. ■■ uses in spite of his success but contradicts the meaning of Joe did that just in spite of his success. the phrase or uses it incorrectly In spite of his success, he’s okay. Note: Uses in spite of to mean because of. He will play in spite of his success. He goes in spite of his success.

23. Write a good sentence about several activities you like. Include the words for example in your sentence.

EXAMPLE RESPONSES SCORING CRITERIA 2 points

Sewing, cooking, and reading, for example, are some of my ■■ uses for example correctly in a detailed sentence that favorite activities. includes two or more activities I enjoy exercise, for example, jogging, swimming, and Note: Punctuation is not required. running. I enjoy many different kinds of activities; for example, tennis, horseback riding and sailing. I enjoy working with my hands—for example, carving wood figures and making ornamental objects from iron. I sing and play music; for example, I play an instrument in a band and I sing in a choir. I like many activities; for example, I like to ride my bike, go rock climbing, and go water skiing.

1 point

My favorite activities for example are reading and cooking. ■■ uses for example correctly in a simple sentence I like several activities, for example, I like swimming, and Note: Punctuation is not required. running. There are many activities I like, for example: tennis and hiking.

I enjoy many outdoor activities. For example, boating, ■■ includes two sentences that use for example correctly skiing, and golf are three of my favorites. Note: Punctuation is not required.

0 points

For example, I like cooking and writing. ■■ begins with for example

I like to do yard work, golf, and running for example, all the ■■ uses for example incorrectly races I have run.

I like lots of things for example horseback riding. ■■ only names one specific activity

186 Appendix B 24. The second sentence is missing from this paragraph. Write a good sentence that the writer might have used.

(1) The feathered pair assembled by the picturesque fountain formed as unlikely a duet as a fiddle and a bassoon. (2) ______. (3) The tall, long-legged bird, whose close-fitting wings were draped across his body like the tails of a dress coat, was preposterously uncomely.

EXAMPLE RESPONSES SCORING CRITERIA 2 points

The short, corpulent bird was set apart by its beautiful ■■ describes the other bird or pair of birds and maintains resplendence. the writer’s style (similar to sentences 1 and 3) The small, colorful bird’s wings were spread gracefully, revealing their ornate beauty. The small bird’s feathers scattered the light into thousands of particles of light that danced and shimmered across the water. The short bird with loose-fitting wings whirled like a young kid at a backstreet dance. The short dumpy bird with short feathers looked like a 30-year-old down pillow. The short fluffy bird squawked at his companion like a parent scolding a child. The small quick-footed wren was enchantingly beautiful and full of grace. As the smaller of the two birds dipped his golden beak into the shimmering water, the tall bird immediately pecked him. The pair were drinking from the fountain as cautiously as two truants in a police station.

1 point

The short, ugly bird had bright green feathers. ■■ describes the other bird or pair of birds with simple One was a small bird with loose-fitting feathers and wings. vocabulary (tends to use common nouns, verbs, and The short, fat bird had a black beak and was very colorful. adjectives) but does not maintain the writer’s style The short-legged, fat bird had drooping wings. They both looked strange, as if they were trying to outdo one another. The two birds were very unusual looking, one short and the other tall. The birds seemed as if they were made for each other. When one of the pair flew off, the other was left standing by himself.

0 points

It was a sight to behold. ■■ limited content They were beautiful birds. They were very strange birds. The feathered pair were ugly. The short bird was drinking water.

Appendix B 187 25. The second sentence is missing from this paragraph. Write a good sentence that the writer might have used.

(1) Although plainly in view, the car, a black, battered, hearselike automobile, continued to approach slowly, as if the two occupants were reticent to greet the inquisitive group waiting on the embankment. (2) ______. (3) The passenger was wearing a blue sweatshirt with golden stars embossed on the front; the front brim of his baseball cap stood up at a jaunty angle, revealing a tousle of blonde hair.

EXAMPLE RESPONSES SCORING CRITERIA 2 points

The driver wore a large overcoat over a three-piece suit and ■■ describes the driver and maintains the writer’s style a broad Stetson hat that was tilted to the left. (similar to sentences 1 and 3) The driver was wearing a black jacket with the collar standing up; sunglasses shielded his eyes, and strands of black hair emerged from under his round hat. The driver was a woman with long brown hair, a sallow face, and stylish clothes. The driver was wearing a black baseball cap and a black sweatshirt that had a little horse embroidered on the right shoulder. The driver was wearing a black muscle shirt, blue jeans, and a blue beret that covered his bald head.

After the sudden arrival, a man dressed like a chauffeur got ■■ refers to the stopping of the car and the emerging or out and moved to the rear door from which the passenger examination of the passenger(s), and maintains the emerged. writer’s style (similar to sentences 1 and 3)

The people on the embankment peered curiously into the ■■ describes the group on the embankment, introduces the car, trying to discern the identity of the passenger in the passenger(s), and maintains the writer’s style (similar to back seat. sentences 1 and 3)

1 point

The driver was wearing blue jeans, a black sweater, and ■■ describes the driver or the passenger with simple blue boots. vocabulary (tends to use common nouns, verbs, and The driver had red hair and was wearing a cowboy hat and adjectives); does not maintain the writer’s style an orange shirt. The driver was fat and had a brown mustache and sunglasses. We then realized it was a baseball star doing a guest appearance at the beach. When the passenger got out of the car, he was wearing an odd outfit.

The car stopped and two men opened the doors. ■■ refers to the stopping of the car or the emerging or The car came closer and then the driver pushed out the examination of the passengers(s) with simple vocabulary passenger. (tends to use common nouns, verbs, and adjectives); All eyes were on the old automobile to see who was does not maintain the writers style arriving.

188 Appendix B The crowd on the embankment was very anxious to meet ■■ describes the group on the embankment with simple the occupants in the car. vocabulary (tends to use common nouns, verbs, and The group was a bunch of native women wearing hula adjectives) but does not maintain the writer’s style skirts.

0 points

So we hid. ■■ does not directly refer to the driver, the occupants of the It was warm and the sun was hot. car, or the group on the embankment Have you ever seen anything like it? The car rolled across the hill.

They were waiting for a baseball player so they could see ■■ does not unite the first and third sentences in him play. the paragraph One passenger protested about the car.

They were sitting in the car. ■■ limited content The car stopped and the door opened. The group was quiet and calm. The passenger was funny looking.

26. Write a sentence that tells about the picture and uses the word consequently.

EXAMPLE RESPONSES SCORING CRITERIA 2 points

The young boy broke the window and, consequently, he ■■ tells about the picture and uses consequently correctly in must pay for it. the interior of a detailed sentence The boy has broken the window; consequently, he must Note: Punctuation is not required. replace it. The boy has broken the window and, consequently, must use his allowance to pay for it. He threw the baseball through the window of his house, consequently interrupting his father’s work. After breaking the window for a second time, Billy, consequently, wasn’t allowed to play baseball. The boy broke the glass with a ball therefore, he was, consequently, punished. Since the boy broke the window, consequently, he will be punished.

1 point

The window is broken and consequently the boy will buy a ■■ uses consequently correctly but the sentence lacks detail new one. Note: Punctuation is not required. He broke the window and consequently he has to get a new one. He broke the window and will consequently get in trouble.

Appendix B 189 The boy broke the window with his ball. Consequently, he ■■ two sentences that use consequently correctly must repair it. Note: Punctuation is not required.

0 points

Consequently, you can’t play anymore. ■■ begins the sentence with consequently

Tom broke the window but consequently, his Dad was a ■■ uses consequently awkwardly or incorrectly carpenter and could fix it.

27. The topic sentence is missing from this paragraph. Using the expressive style that the writer used, compose a good topic sentence that communicates the paragraph’s main idea.

______. In the open field, an oak tree has access to light from all sides and extends its branches with their light-gathering leaves toward that light, forming a profile wide and round in all directions. The forest oak grows tall and thin as it seeks to reach higher for light, beyond the cluster and canopy of older, taller trees nearby. The clustering of forest trees also adds a measure of protection from high winds—one tree in the open has to bear alone the brunt of the wind’s pummeling and may display more evidence of wind damage. If we take two seeds from the same tree and plant one in a field and one in a forest, the trees may develop very different shapes from one another as they grow.

EXAMPLE RESPONSES SCORING CRITERIA 2 points

A tree that grows alone in an open field will develop a ■■ a superior topic sentence that communicates the radically different form from the same species of tree paragraph’s main idea and goes beyond an adequate growing in a forest among other trees. response by including additional descriptive words The conditions in which trees grow drastically affect the features which the trees develop when they are fully grown. A tree’s growth and appearance are a result not simply of species alone, but also of the environment in which it must survive. Depending on exposure to the elements, identical oak trees may develop contrasting profiles and dissimilar shapes in the process of maturation. The forces of nature can have dramatic influences on the development and growth of vegetation.

1 point

Trees grown in fields and forests will develop different ■■ an adequate topic sentence that communicates the shapes. paragraph’s main idea but does not include additional The environment that surrounds an oak tree has the most descriptive words influence on how well and how high it will grow. There are many elements that can affect the manner in which trees grow. Differing environments can produce considerable variation between trees of the same genus. Trees can grow in a variety of ways depending on their environment.

190 Appendix B 0 points

Trees grown in open fields look better. ■■ a topic sentence that doesn’t capture the scope of the paragraph

The environment in which a tree grows can have an effect ■■ a sentence that does not introduce the main idea of on how weak or strong its seeds may be. the paragraph An oak tree has many great characteristics.

28. The concluding sentence is missing from this paragraph. Using the expressive style that the writer used, compose a good final sentence that summarizes the content of this paragraph.

When a frozen, five-thousand-year-old human body (later nicknamed “the Iceman”) was found high in the Alps, we gathered a wealth of clues about living long ago in the landscape that is now Italy. The Iceman’s clothing, tools, and weapons were frozen with him when he died and remained undisturbed through all that time. The many implements he carried were made from a wide variety of different species of wood and several metals. A series of tattoos on his back may indicate that he had received some sort of medical treatment, possibly a form of acupuncture. ______.

EXAMPLE RESPONSES SCORING CRITERIA 2 points

Scientists who have studied the Iceman and his ■■ a superior concluding sentence that summarizes the accoutrements have learned many surprising things paragraph’s main idea and goes beyond an adequate about the people who lived near the Alps fifty centuries response by including additional descriptive words ago. Much medical, sociological, and cultural information about ice age life has been gleaned from the frozen corpse of a five thousand year old human. Many aspects of this man’s ancient culture, to which we might otherwise remain oblivious, could be gleaned because of the preserving ability of the ice. The discovery of an ancient human can provide us with valuable insights into the living conditions and customs that existed in prehistoric times.

1 point

A five thousand year old frozen body found high in the ■■ an adequate concluding sentence that summarizes the mountains of Italy taught scientists a lot about that time. paragraph’s main idea but does not include additional From these clues we can construct a fuller picture of the descriptive words Iceman’s civilization. The preservation of “Iceman” provides a wealth of information about his existence. By looking at the Iceman’s clothes and tools, we can conclude a lot about his life.

0 points

Iceman are totally different than we are. ■■ a concluding sentence that doesn’t capture the scope of We may not know much about the iceman, but we are one the paragraph step closer.

Appendix B 191 Freezing preserves people a long time. ■■ a sentence that is not a concluding sentence

He also had scars on his feet which may have been caused ■■ a sentence that introduces new content by sharp rocks.

192 Appendix B Appendix C

WJ IV Tests of Achievement Examiner Training Checklist

Name of Examiner:______Date:______

Name of Examinee:______Name of Observer:______

Y = Yes N = No N/O = Not Observed

Test 1: Letter-Word Identification (circle one) Y N N/O 1. Knows exact pronunciation of each item. Y N N/O 2. Uses suggested starting points. Y N N/O 3. Asks examinee to reread all items on page if response is unclear and then scores only item in question.

Y N N/O 4. Does not tell examinee any letters or words during test. Y N N/O 5. Gives reminder to pronounce words smoothly only once during test. Y N N/O 6. Tests by complete pages. Y N N/O 7. Encourages examinee to try next word after 5 seconds unless examinee is still actively engaged in trying to pronounce word.

Y N N/O 8. Counts all items below basal as correct.

Test 2: Applied Problems Y N N/O 1. Uses worksheet in Response Booklet. Y N N/O 2. Uses suggested starting points. Y N N/O 3. Reads all items to examinee. Y N N/O 4. Provides Response Booklet and pencil at any time if examinee requests it or appears to need it (e.g., uses finger to write on table or in air).

Y N N/O 5. Gives examinee pencil and Response Booklet at Item 25. Y N N/O 6. Repeats any questions if requested by examinee. Y N N/O 7. Does not require examinee responses to contain unit labels unless specified in Test Book correct keys.

Y N N/O 8. Scores item incorrect if numeric response is wrong or if examinee provides incorrect label (required or not).

Appendix C 193 Y N N/O 9. Tests by complete pages. Y N N/O 10. Counts all items below basal as correct.

Test 3: Spelling Y N N/O 1. Uses Response Booklet and pencil. Y N N/O 2. Uses suggested starting points. Y N N/O 3. Knows correct pronunciation of all items. Y N N/O 4. Does not penalize for poor handwriting or reversed letters as long as letter does not form different letter (e.g., reversed b becomes d and would be an error). Y N N/O 5. Requests printed (manuscript) responses but accepts cursive responses. Y N N/O 6. Accepts upper- or lowercase responses unless case is specified. Y N N/O 7. Counts all items below basal as correct.

Test 4: Passage Comprehension Y N N/O 1. Begins with Introduction for examinees at preschool or kindergarten level. Y N N/O 2. Begins with Item 5 for examinees at grade 1 level. Y N N/O 3. Begins with Sample Item B for all other examinees and then selects appropriate starting point.

Y N N/O 4. Does not insist on silent reading if examinee persists in reading aloud.

Y N N/O 5. Does not tell examinee any words. Y N N/O 6. Accepts only one-word responses as correct unless indicated otherwise by scoring key. Y N N/O 7. Asks examinee to provide one word that goes in blank when he or she reads item aloud and provides answer in context.

Y N N/O 8. Scores responses correct if they differ in verb tense or number, unless otherwise indicated. Y N N/O 9. Scores responses incorrect if examinee substitutes different part of speech, unless otherwise indicated.

Y N N/O 10. Tests by complete pages. Y N N/O 11. Counts all items below basal as correct.

Test 5: Calculation Y N N/O 1. Uses Response Booklet and pencil. Y N N/O 2. Uses suggested starting points. Y N N/O 3. Discontinues testing and records score of 0 if examinee responds incorrectly to both sample items.

Y N N/O 4. Accepts poorly formed or reversed numbers. Y N N/O 5. Scores transposed numbers (e.g., “14” for 41) as incorrect.

194 Appendix C Y N N/O 6. Scores items skipped by examinee as incorrect. Y N N/O 7. Completes any applicable queries as listed in Test Book. Y N N/O 8. Does not point out mathematical signs or operands to examinee. Y N N/O 9. Counts all items below basal as correct.

Test 6: Writing Samples Y N N/O 1. Uses Response Booklet and pencil. Y N N/O 2. Uses suggested starting points. Y N N/O 3. Administers prescribed block of items. Y N N/O 4. Reads any word to examinee upon request. Y N N/O 5. Uses “Writing Samples Scoring Guide” in Appendix B of Examiner’s Manual to score items after testing.

Y N N/O 6. Does not penalize for spelling, punctuation, capitalization, or usage errors unless otherwise indicated in “Writing Samples Scoring Guide.”

Y N N/O 7. Asks examinee to write as neatly as possible if responses are illegible or difficult to read. Y N N/O 8. Consults Writing Samples “Scoring Table” on Test Record to determine when additional items need to be administered (score falls in shaded area).

Y N N/O 9. Scores Items 1–6 as 1 or 0 points as indicated in “Writing Samples Scoring Guide.” Y N N/O 10. Scores Items 7–28 as 2, 1, or 0 points as indicated in “Writing Samples Scoring Guide.” Y N N/O 11. Knows that .5 and 1.5 can be used to score responses that fall between 0-, 1-, and 2-point examples.

Y N N/O 12. Does not penalize for spelling or handwriting errors unless words are illegible. Y N N/O 13. Scores sentences that are illegible as 0. Y N N/O 14. Does not ask examinee to read his or her response to score item. Y N N/O 15. Alternates between assigning higher and lower scores when unsure of how to score certain items.

Y N N/O 16. Scores items based on examinee’s interpretation of picture. Y N N/O 17. If examinee writes more than one sentence for item, selects and scores one sentence that best satisfies task demands.

Y N N/O 18. Reduces score by 1 point for severe grammatical or usage errors or if a significant word is illegible.

Y N N/O 19. Does not penalize minor grammatical or usage errors.

Y N N/O 20. Rounds scores ending in .5 to nearest even number. Y N N/O 21. Enters score for only one block of items (even if more than one block was administered) into scoring program.

Appendix C 195 Test 7: Word Attack Y N N/O 1. Uses suggested starting points. Y N N/O 2. Knows correct pronunciation of each item. Y N N/O 3. Says most common sound (phoneme) for letters printed within slashes (e.g., /p/), not letter name.

Y N N/O 4. Reminds examinee to say words smoothly only once during test if examinee pronounces nonword phoneme by phoneme or syllable by syllable.

Y N N/O 5. Asks examinee to reread all items on page if response is unclear and then scores only item in question.

Y N N/O 6. Does not tell examinee any letters or words during test. Y N N/O 7. Tests by complete pages. Y N N/O 8. Counts all items below basal as correct.

Y N N/O 9. Records errors for further analysis.

Test 8: Oral Reading Y N N/O 1. Uses suggested starting points. Y N N/O 2. Follows Continuation Instructions to determine what to administer or when to discontinue testing.

Y N N/O 3. Has examinee read sentences aloud. Y N N/O 4. Knows correct pronunciation of each item. Y N N/O 5. Scores as incorrect mispronunciations, omissions, insertions, substitutions, hesitations of 3 seconds, repetitions, transpositions, and ignoring punctuation.

Y N N/O 6. Marks slash (/) at each point on Test Record where error occurs. Y N N/O 7. After hesitation of 3 seconds, marks word as incorrect and tells examinee to go on to next word.

Y N N/O 8. Knows that self-corrections within 3 seconds are not counted as errors. Y N N/O 9. Scores each sentence as 2 (no errors), 1 (one error), or 0 (two or more errors). Y N N/O 10. Records Number of Points earned on items administered.

Test 9: Sentence Reading Fluency Y N N/O 1. Uses stopwatch. Y N N/O 2. Uses Response Booklet and pencil. Y N N/O 3. Begins with sample items and practice exercise for all examinees. Y N N/O 4. Discontinues testing if examinee has 2 or fewer items correct on Practice Exercises C–F and records score of 0 on Test Record.

Y N N/O 5. Adheres to 3-minute time limit.

196 Appendix C Y N N/O 6. Records exact starting and stopping times if stopwatch is unavailable. Y N N/O 7. Records exact finishing time in minutes and seconds on Test Record. Y N N/O 8. Reminds examinee to read each sentence if he or she appears to be answering items without reading.

Y N N/O 9. Does not tell examinee any letters or words. Y N N/O 10. Reminds examinee to continue if he or she stops at bottom of page or column. Y N N/O 11. Counts number of correct responses and number of errors. Y N N/O 12. Does not count skipped items as incorrect. Y N N/O 13. Enters both Number Correct and Number Incorrect into scoring program. Y N N/O 14. Subtracts Number Incorrect from Number Correct when obtaining estimated AE/GE from Test Record.

Y N N/O 15. Uses scoring guide overlay to facilitate scoring.

Test 10: Math Facts Fluency Y N N/O 1. Uses stopwatch. Y N N/O 2. Uses Response Booklet and pencil. Y N N/O 3. Begins with Item 1 for all examinees. Y N N/O 4. Discontinues testing if examinee has 3 or fewer items correct after 1 minute and records time of 1 minute and Number Correct (0 to 3) on Test Record.

Y N N/O 5. Adheres to 3-minute time limit. Y N N/O 6. Records exact starting and stopping times if stopwatch is unavailable. Y N N/O 7. Records exact finishing time in minutes and seconds on Test Record. Y N N/O 8. Does not draw attention to mathematical signs or remind examinee to pay attention to signs during test.

Y N N/O 9. Does not penalize for poorly formed or reversed numbers. Y N N/O 10. Reminds examinee to proceed across page from left to right, row by row, if he or she starts skipping around.

Y N N/O 11. Reminds examinee to continue if he or she stops at bottom of first page. Y N N/O 12. Uses scoring guide overlay to facilitate scoring.

Test 11: Sentence Writing Fluency Y N N/O 1. Uses stopwatch. Y N N/O 2. Uses Response Booklet and pencil. Y N N/O 3. Begins with sample items for all examinees.

Y N N/O 4. Discontinues testing if examinee has score of 0 on Sample Items B–D after error correction and records score of 0 on Test Record.

Appendix C 197 Y N N/O 5. Discontinues testing if examinee has 3 or fewer correct after 2 minutes and records time of 2 minutes and Number Correct (0 to 3) on Test Record.

Y N N/O 6. Adheres to 5-minute time limit. Y N N/O 7. Records exact starting and stopping times if stopwatch is unavailable. Y N N/O 8. Records exact finishing time in minutes and seconds on Test Record. Y N N/O 9. Reads stimulus word to examinee upon request. Y N N/O 10. Reminds examinee to continue if he or she stops at bottom of page. Y N N/O 11. Scores as correct all responses that are complete, reasonable sentences using all target words. Y N N/O 12. Knows target words may not be changed in any way (e.g., verb tense or nouns changed from singular to plural).

Y N N/O 13. Does not penalize for spelling, punctuation, or capitalization errors. Y N N/O 14. Does not penalize for poor handwriting or spelling unless response is illegible.

Y N N/O 15. Scores skipped items as incorrect. Y N N/O 16. Scores responses that omit critical words as incorrect.

Y N N/O 17. Scores responses that omit less meaningful words (e.g., the or a) as correct if all other criteria are met.

Y N N/O 18. Accepts abbreviations (e.g., w/ for with) or symbols (e.g., & for and) if all other criteria are met.

Test 12: Reading Recall Y N N/O 1. Uses suggested starting points. Y N N/O 2. Follows Continuation Instructions to determine when to continue testing or when to stop.

Y N N/O 3. Does not tell examinee any words during test. Y N N/O 4. Allows examinee to read each story silently only once. Y N N/O 5. Knows elements to be scored are listed on Test Record. Y N N/O 6. Scores element as correct if examinee uses key word (in bold) or close synonym during retelling.

Y N N/O 7. Does not penalize for mispronunciations resulting from articulation errors, dialect variations, or regional speech patterns.

Y N N/O 8. Scores response correct if it differs from correct response listed only in possessive case, verb tense, or number (singular/plural), unless otherwise indicated in scoring key.

Y N N/O 9. Knows that any number that is a key word (in bold), must be recalled exactly. Y N N/O 10. Scores derivations of names as correct (e.g., Annie for Ann).

198 Appendix C Test 13: Number Matrices Y N N/O 1. Gives examinee worksheet in Response Booklet and pencil when directed. Y N N/O 2. Uses suggested starting points. Y N N/O 3. Provides corrective feedback as indicated for Sample Items A and B. Y N N/O 4. Tests by complete pages. Y N N/O 5. Allows 30 seconds for Items 1–6 and 1 minute for Items 12–30 before moving to next item. Y N N/O 6. Allows more time if examinee is actively engaged in solving problem. Y N N/O 7. Counts all items below basal as correct. Y N N/O 8. Records total Number Correct.

Test 14: Editing Y N N/O 1. Begins with Sample Items A–D for all examinees and then uses suggested starting points. Y N N/O 2. Discontinues testing if examinee has score of 0 on Sample Items A–D or on Items 1–4 and records score of 0 on Test Record.

Y N N/O 3. Requires examinee to clearly indicate both where error is and how to correct it to receive credit.

Y N N/O 4. Does not tell examinee any words on this test. Y N N/O 5. Asks examinee how to correct error if he or she reads item aloud and inadvertently corrects error in context.

Y N N/O 6. Asks examinee how to correct mistake if he or she indicates error without explaining how to correct it.

Y N N/O 7. Tests by complete pages. Y N N/O 8. Counts all items below basal as correct.

Test 15: Word Reading Fluency Y N N/O 1. Uses stopwatch. Y N N/O 2. Uses Response Booklet and pencil. Y N N/O 3. Administers sample items and practice exercise to all examinees. Y N N/O 4. Discontinues testing if examinee has 1 or 0 correct on practice exercise and records score of 0 on Test Record.

Y N N/O 5. Adheres to 3-minute time limit. Y N N/O 6. Records exact starting and stopping times if stopwatch is unavailable. Y N N/O 7. Records exact finishing time in minutes and seconds on Test Record.

Y N N/O 8. Does not tell examinee any words during test. Y N N/O 9. Uses scoring guide overlay to facilitate scoring.

Appendix C 199 Test 16: Spelling of Sounds Y N N/O 1. Follows standardized procedures for audio recorded tests. Y N N/O 2. Uses Response Booklet and pencil. Y N N/O 3. Uses suggested starting points. Y N N/O 4. Presents Sample Items A–D and Items 1–5 orally and presents remaining items from audio recording.

Y N N/O 5. Says most common sound (phoneme) for letters printed within slashes (e.g., /m/), not letter name.

Y N N/O 6. Knows that responses listed in Test Book are only correct answers. Y N N/O 7. Does not penalize for reversed letters as long as letter does not form different letter (e.g., reversed b becomes d and would be an error). Y N N/O 8. Scores items 1 if they are spelled correctly or 0 if they are spelled incorrectly.

Y N N/O 9. Does not penalize if examinee does not repeat stimulus word or pronounces it incorrectly. Scores only written response.

Y N N/O 10. Pauses or stops audio recording if examinee requires additional response time. Y N N/O 11. Replays items examinee requests. Y N N/O 12. Presents items orally if examinee is not responsive to audio recording. Y N N/O 13. Counts all items below basal as correct.

Test 17: Reading Vocabulary Y N N/O 1. Administers both subtests (17A: Synonyms, 17B: Antonyms). Y N N/O 2. Begins with sample items for all examinees on each subtest. Y N N/O 3. Uses suggested starting points for each subtest. Y N N/O 4. Applies basal and ceiling rules correctly to each subtest. Y N N/O 5. Knows correct pronunciation of each item. Y N N/O 6. Does not read any words or items to examinee after administering sample items. Y N N/O 7. Accepts only one-word responses as correct, unless otherwise noted. Y N N/O 8. Asks for one-word answer if examinee provides two-word or longer response. Y N N/O 9. Scores responses correct if they differ in verb tense or number, unless otherwise indicated. Y N N/O 10. Scores responses incorrect if they substitute different part of speech, unless otherwise indicated.

Y N N/O 11. Does not penalize if examinee reads stimulus word incorrectly. Scores only synonym or antonym produced.

Y N N/O 12. Tests by complete pages. Y N N/O 13. Counts all items below basal on each subtest as correct.

200 Appendix C Y N N/O 14. Records errors for further analysis. Y N N/O 15. Records Number Correct for each subtest. Y N N/O 16. Enters Number Correct from each subtest into scoring program. Y N N/O 17. Sums scores from two subtests when obtaining estimated AE/GE from Test Record.

Test 18: Science Y N N/O 1. Uses suggested starting points. Y N N/O 2. Knows correct pronunciation of each item. Y N N/O 3. Repeats any item upon examinee’s request. Y N N/O 4. Tests by complete pages. Y N N/O 5. Counts all items below basal as correct.

Test 19: Social Studies Y N N/O 1. Uses suggested starting points. Y N N/O 2. Knows correct pronunciation of each item. Y N N/O 3. Repeats any item upon examinee’s request. Y N N/O 4. Tests by complete pages. Y N N/O 5. Counts all items below basal as correct.

Test 20: Humanities Y N N/O 1. Uses suggested starting points. Y N N/O 2. Knows correct pronunciation of each item. Y N N/O 3. Repeats any item upon examinee’s request. Y N N/O 4. Tests by complete pages. Y N N/O 5. Counts all items below basal as correct.

Appendix C 201

Appendix D

WJ IV General Test Observations Checklist

Name of Examiner:______Date:______

Name of Examinee:______Name of Observer:______

Y = Yes N = No N/O = Not Observed

Beginning the Test Session (circle one) Y N N/O 1. Records examinee’s identifying information correctly, including age and grade level. Y N N/O 2. Develops seating arrangement in which examiner can see both sides of Test Book but examinee can see only examinee pages.

Administration Y N N/O 3. Keeps Test Record behind Test Book and out of examinee’s view. Y N N/O 4. Begins each test by turning to tabbed page. Y N N/O 5. Points with left hand while recording responses with right hand (reversed for left-handed examiner).

Y N N/O 6. Watches where and how he or she points on examinee’s page. Y N N/O 7. Uses exact wording for examiner page instructions. Y N N/O 8. Knows correct pronunciation of all words in test. Y N N/O 9. Communicates to examinee that test session is enjoyable. Y N N/O 10. Moves smoothly from one test to another. Y N N/O 11. Administers test fluidly. Y N N/O 12. Moves to next item after allowing examinee appropriate, but not excessive, amount of time to respond.

Y N N/O 13. Is familiar with contents of all examiner page boxes containing supplementary instructions. Y N N/O 14. Follows all basal and ceiling rules. Y N N/O 15. When testing backward to obtain basal, starts with first item on preceding page and presents all items on page if stimuli are visible to examinee.

Y N N/O 16. Administers all items on page when stimuli are visible to examinee rather than stopping in middle of page when ceiling is reached.

Appendix D 203 Y N N/O 17. Smoothly locates correct starting track on CD for audio tests. Y N N/O 18. Looks away from examinee when audio test item is presented and then looks back at examinee when prompt is heard.

Y N N/O 19. Presses pause button on audio equipment if examinee needs additional time. Y N N/O 20. Encourages effort and praises examinee for putting forth his or her best effort. Y N N/O 21. Queries whenever needed and allowed to clarify examinee’s response. Y N N/O 22. Uses stopwatch for all timed tests. Y N N/O 23. Presents Response Booklet as directed in Test Book.

Scoring Y N N/O 24. Does not penalize examinee for mispronunciations resulting from articulation, speech, or dialectical differences.

Y N N/O 25. Uses item-scoring procedures specified in manual (e.g., 1 = correct response, 0 = incorrect response, and blanks for items not administered).

Y N N/O 26. Scores last response examinee gives. Y N N/O 27. Calculates raw scores correctly. Y N N/O 28. Completes “Test Session Observations Checklist.” Y N N/O 29. Uses optional “Qualitative Observation” checklists for Tests 1–11, as appropriate. Y N N/O 30. Enters all identifying information and scores correctly into scoring program.

Comments:

Suggestions for improvement and further study:

204 Appendix D Woodcock-Johnson® IV Tests of Achievement | Examiner’s Manual Mather • Wendling 800.323.9540 www.wj-iv.com