NCED Evaluation Techniques 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: An evaluator wants to determine whether a student's academic performance is consistent with intellectual ability. Which evaluation approach is MOST aligned with IDEA 2004?
- IQ-achievement discrepancy model
- Response to Intervention (RTI) data analysis (Correct answer)
- Portfolio assessment comparison
- Adaptive behavior rating scales
Correct answer: Response to Intervention (RTI) data analysis
IDEA 2004 explicitly permits the use of RTI data as an alternative to the IQ-achievement discrepancy model for identifying learning disabilities.
Question 2: Which of the following measures BEST captures a student's phonological awareness skills?
- Rapid Automatized Naming (RAN)
- Phoneme segmentation fluency (Correct answer)
- Oral reading fluency
- Maze reading comprehension
Correct answer: Phoneme segmentation fluency
Phoneme segmentation fluency directly measures a student's ability to isolate and identify individual sounds, a core phonological awareness skill.
Question 3: A test's standard error of measurement (SEM) is used to:
- Compare a student's score to the norm group
- Construct a confidence interval around an obtained score (Correct answer)
- Calculate the reliability coefficient
- Determine whether a discrepancy is educationally significant
Correct answer: Construct a confidence interval around an obtained score
The SEM is used to build confidence intervals that reflect the range within which a student's true score likely falls.
Question 4: Which of the following is an example of a dynamic assessment approach?
- Administering a standardized achievement test under standard conditions
- Providing graduated cues during testing to observe learning potential (Correct answer)
- Comparing a student's scores across multiple norm-referenced tests
- Rating a student's behavior using a teacher checklist
Correct answer: Providing graduated cues during testing to observe learning potential
Dynamic assessment involves a test-intervene-retest model that examines a student's ability to learn with mediated support.
Question 5: When assessing a bilingual student, the diagnostician should PRIMARILY ensure that:
- All assessments are administered in English to maintain standardization
- The evaluation includes measures in both languages to gain a complete profile (Correct answer)
- Scores are compared only to English-speaking norm groups
- The student's dominant language is avoided to prevent cultural bias
Correct answer: The evaluation includes measures in both languages to gain a complete profile
Comprehensive bilingual assessment requires evaluation in both languages to distinguish language difference from language disorder or disability.
Question 6: Which score type indicates how many standard deviations above or below the mean a student's performance falls?
- Percentile rank
- Age equivalent
- Standard score (z-score) (Correct answer)
- Stanine
Correct answer: Standard score (z-score)
A standard score (z-score) directly expresses performance in standard deviation units relative to the mean of the reference group.
Question 7: Observations conducted across multiple settings (classroom, hallway, cafeteria) during a special education evaluation serve to:
- Replace the need for standardized testing
- Determine eligibility solely based on behavioral frequency
- Assess the generalizability and pervasiveness of identified concerns (Correct answer)
- Establish the student's instructional reading level
Correct answer: Assess the generalizability and pervasiveness of identified concerns
Multi-setting observations help determine whether behaviors or academic difficulties are pervasive across environments, which is critical for eligibility and programming.
NCED Evaluation Techniques 3
An evaluator wants to determine whether a student's academic performance is consistent with intellectual ability.
Which evaluation approach is MOST aligned with IDEA 2004?