Woodcock-Johnson test results HELP!

This a good article that explains the standard score and percentile rank. Also look under LD In Depth under assessment, that has an article as well. I had to read it myself when I got my first copy of the Woodcock Johnson.

http://www.ldonline.org/bulletin_boards/pld.html

I am not sure I could explain it better than the article. I would probably end up confusing you.

K.

Was he only given the reading mastery test? I thought even this test had more scores then that?

There were 11 scores: I was giving an example.

Try www.wrightslaw.com; also ask whomever did the testing, they need to be accountable to you for the results; remember that the achievement testing needs to be viewed in the context of IQ, and other factors.

From Pete Wrght’s “Understanding Test and Measurement”

In standard scores, the average score or mean is 100, with a standard deviation of 15. The average child will earn a standard score of 100. If a child scores 1 standard deviation above the mean, the standard score is 100 plus 15; i.e. 100 + 15 = 115. If the child scores 1 standard deviation below the mean, this is 100 minus 15, i.e. 100 - 15 = 85.

Since a standard score of 115 is 1 standard deviation above the mean, it is always at the 84 percent level. Since a standard score of 85 is 1 standard deviation below the mean, it is always at the 16 percent level. A standard score of 130 (+2 SD) is always at the 98 percent level. A standard score of 70 (-2 SD) is always at the 2 percent level.

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The 13 percentile states that out of 100 children of the same age only 12 scored less then he did. The standard score of 83 is more than 1 SD below the mean. If your child had an IQ of a 100 he would be ability wise in this area be 1 SD below what you would expect. If the child had an IQ of 115 the child would be 2 SD below what you would expect.

Helen

With all due respect, what the heck does that mean, “achievement testing needs to be viewed in the context of IQ, and other factors.” How would a parent go about doing this? Help please!

This means that you must look at capability which is approximated by IQ scores in viewing achievement testing. Basically, a child with a low IQ score would be expected to perform lower on an achievement test than one with a high IQ. However, LDs can keep a high IQ (high capability) child from scoring high in achievement. In most states LDs are defined legally by a child having an IQ score some amount higher than his achievement testing.

My son at age 5 tested as having an 84 IQ. All I heard was that my expectations were unreasonable. When he was retested at age 7 after doing Fast Forward for auditory processing problems, he scored a 99. Suddenly, his below average reading was a cause for attention because he had an average IQ. Before the school explained his below average reading ability by his below average IQ.

Clearly, as my example shows, IQ does not equal capability but that is how it is used in a school setting.

I hope I helped rather than confused.

Beth

Standard scores and percentile ranks are numerical ways to compare your son’s performance on this particuar test to other students his age. The mean is the average score- in the group that the test was normed on the number geeks- statisticians- analysed the responses of a given age group. The raw score (# of items correct) on a given test that is the average for that group becomes 100 or 50 percentile. Generally average range is defined as 90-110. Standard Deviation is a statistical term to describe how far away from the mean a given standard score is. 1 standard deviation is worthy of a look and indicative of a relative strength or weakness- 1.5 SD is the definition of a significant discrepency for eligibility under the law. Grade levels/Age levels are NOT the scores that have a lot of meaning on a normed test because of the way they are determined.

Does this help? It might put the more technical infor from the Wrightslaw article in perspective???
Robin

So, I’m still somewhat confused…is a Standard Score that everyone keeps talking about the same that the school keeps refering to as a “Full Scale Score”?? I really keep trying to understand what all of this really means…and it seems as though my paperwork just has different terminoloy.

The words standard score refer to units of measure that test results are reported in, like a FS(full scale) IQ score of 100 is an average IQ. The FS IQ is made up of the verbal and performance scales of the IQ. So an full scale IQ score can be reported as the standard score of 100, or even as a percentile score of 50th percentile…try looking at www.wrightslaw.com for a better explanation than this!

No- your terminology is the same- Full Scale Score is a term usually specific to the Weschler Intelligence Scale for Children (and one or two others I think)- an IQ test. On the Woodcock Johnson Cognitive Abilities test it is call the General Intellectual Ability Score. Tha DAS calls it a composite score I think.

Standard scores- which the Full Scale Score is one of- are a statisitical way to make the numbers equivalent so that they can be compared to each other and describe how an individual performs in relation to their age peers. You get them from IQ tests and from normed achievement tests. Each subtest will generate a standard score. These will be combined into composite or cluster scores. The full scale score is just a larger cluster. Same for Broad Reading or any of the other clusters on the achievement battery. The more similar (yuck..) the scores are, the better the large cluster scores function as a way to describe a particular child. If there is a lot of variation between the subtests and clusters that comprise a particular large cluster score, then the broad scores tend to be less descriptive.

Robin