Standardized Assessment Analysis
The Wechsler Individual Assessment Test Third Edition is one of the most commonly used individually administered tests that allow assessing students’ performance and achievement in a wide range of academic skills. The skills evaluated include Reading, Written Communication, Math, and Oral Language (Parkin, 2016).
The WIAT-III allows educators to identify the academic strengths and weaknesses of a student and is used to assist in the decision-making process concerning eligibility for educational services or educational placement. In addition, the test can be used as a diagnostic tool to detect any learning disabilities. The sub-tests used include Listening Comprehension, Early Reading Skills, Reading Comprehension, Maths Problem Solving, Alphabet Writing Fluency, Sentence Composition, Word Reading, Essay Composition, Oral Reading Fluency, Maths Fluency, and some others. (Parkin, 2016) The rankings are given according to the student’s age and overall test standards. This report will focus on the skills demonstrated by six subtests to assess the academic achievements of eleven-year-old Scott Bailey.
The test was administered online, with an individual, face-to-face approach, and the tasks were prepared considering the age, education, and background knowledge of the student, which ensured the test flexibility.
Listening Comprehension
The first subtest, listening comprehension, measured Scott’s ability to perceive and comprehend the information presented orally (Parkin, 2016). The subtest also included measuring Scott’s receptive vocabulary: this activity involves the student choosing the image that illustrates the meaning of the word they have heard. As a result, Scott received a standard score of 92, which is within the Average range, ranked at the 30th percentile when compared to the results of the children of the same age. Age equivalent for this subtest was 9:10, which shows that Scott’s listening skills may not be as well-developed as those of his peers.
Reading Comprehension
The reading comprehension subtest measured Scott’s fluency with reading, as well as his ability to process the material read and answer the questions based on it. Scott’s reading comprehension subtest has shown the score of 90, which is also within the Average range and ranked at the 25th percentile. Although the score received is within the Average range, it is at the lowest end of the range and is not one of Scott’s strongest skills. Age equivalent for this subtest was 8:0, which means that he may be experiencing problems while doing tasks that are not as challenging for his peers.
Mathematics
Math problem solving subtest measured Scott’s performance at math, which included his abilities to calculate and solve a range of math tasks. Addition, subtraction, time, and graphing were measured under timed circumstances as the main areas of this subtest (Parkin, 2016). Scott’s standard score in math problem solving subtest was 98, which is within the Average range, ranked at the 45th percentile. Age equivalent for this subtest was 11:0, which means that his math skills are standard for his age. This result allows the conclusion that mathematics and calculations are some of Scott’s well-developed skills.
Sentence Composition
Sentence composition subtest measured Scott’s ability to compose grammatically and logically correct sentences. It was administered as a part of the Written Expression composite and consisted of two main elements: sentence combining and sentence building. The student was asked to combine several sentences into one and compose a sentence that uses a given target word. Scott’s standard score was 84, which is considered to be within Below Average range, at the 14th percentile. The age equivalent of 10:2 also shows that sentence composition is one of Scott’s less developed skills.
Word Reading
Word reading subtest was conducted as a part of the Total Reading composite and measured Scott’s ability to recognize words and read them. The student was asked to read decontextualized words from the list of words with increased difficulty. As a result, the subtest assessed the speed and accuracy of Scott’s reading skills. His standard score at this subtest was 72, which is within Below Average range, ranked at the percentile of 3. The age equivalent for this subtest was 7:8, which also shows that word reading is one of Scott’s less developed skills.
Essay Composition
Essay composition subtest was conducted with a time limit and measured the student’s spontaneous, compositional writing skills. These skills included the ability to develop a theme, organize the text, and count the words in the essay. Scott has earned a standard score of 49, placing these skills in the Low Average range with a percentile rank of <0.1. Age equivalent for this subtest was <8:0, which means that, compared to his peers, Scott is likely to struggle with the tasks that require writing skills.
Strengths and Weaknesses
Scott was administered the following six subtests of the Wechsler Individual Assessment Test: Listening Comprehension, Reading Comprehension, Math Problem Solving, Sentence Composition, Word Reading, and Essay Composition. Most of the subtests discussed showed that his skills are placed in the Average range. However, the scores were at the low end of the range, almost at the borderline point. Sentence composition and word reading skills have appeared to be in the Below Average range, and essay composition skills were in the Low Average range. It can be concluded that these skills are Scott’s notable weaknesses, as his scores on these subtests have appeared to be lower compared to his mean score on the rest of the subtests. At the same time, math problem solving has appeared to be one of his strongest skills when compared to other subtests.
Reference
Parkin, J. R. (2016). Wechsler individual achievement test–third edition oral language and reading measures effects on reading comprehension in a referred sample. Journal of Psychoeducational Assessment, 36(3), 203-218. Web.