CHAPTER 3 How Standardized Tests Are Used, Designed, and
Selected
Benjamin LaFramboise/Pearson
Chapter Objectives
As a result of reading this chapter, you will be able to:
1. Discuss how standardized tests are used with infants and you
ng children.
2. Describe the steps in standardized test design.
3. Explain the differences between test validity and test reliabili
ty.
4. Describe considerations for selecting and evaluating standard
ized tests.
Various methods and purposes for measuring and evaluating inf
ants and young children were discussed in Chapter 02. In this ch
apter, wewill look at some ways that standardized tests are used
with infants and young children. Specific examples of standardi
zed tests and theirpurposes will be discussed.
How are standardized tests different from other kinds of measur
es? We will discuss how standardized tests are designed and the
n verifiedto make sure they measure the desired characteristics.
Test validity and reliability are explained, as well as their effect
s on the dependabilityof the test.
Previous section
Next section
3.1 How Standardized Tests Are Used with Infants and Young C
hildren
Types of Standardized Tests
Many types of standardized tests are available for use with infa
nts and young children. All are psychological tests, whether the
y measureabilities, achievements, aptitudes, interests, values, or
personality characteristics. In the following sections, we will di
scuss each of these types oftests.
Ability refers to the current level of knowledge or skill in a part
icular area. Three types of psychological tests—
intelligence tests, achievementtests, and aptitude tests—
are categorized as ability tests because they measure facets of a
bility. Young children are often measured todetermine the progr
ess of their development. This type of measure may assess abilit
y in motor, language, social, or cognitive skills. Bayley’sScales
of Infant Development, Third Edition (BSID-
III) (Bayley, 2005), for example, is used to diagnose delays in d
evelopment. More recently, theBSID-
III was designed to learn about overall development. Children w
ith intellectual disabilities might be assessed for adaptive functi
oning.Instruments such as the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scal
es, Second Edition (Vineland™ II) (Sparrow, Cicchetti, & Balla
, 2005) are administeredthrough parent and primary caregiver re
ports to determine communication, social, and daily living skills
.
Achievement is the extent to which a person has acquired certai
n information or has mastered identified skills. An achievement
test measuresability in that it evaluates the child’s achievement
related to specific prior instruction. The Peabody Individual Ac
hievement Test—Revised-Normative Update (PIAT-
R/NU) (Markwardt, 1997) is a measure of achievement in mathe
matics, reading recognition, reading comprehension,spelling, an
d general information.
Aptitude is the potential to learn or develop proficiency in some
area, provided that certain conditions exist or training is availa
ble. Anindividual may have a high aptitude for music or art, for
example. Like achievement tests, aptitude tests also measure lea
rned abilities. Anaptitude test measures the results of both gener
al and incidental learning and predicts future learning.
Intelligence tests are ability tests in that they assess overall inte
llectual functioning. They are also aptitude tests because they as
sess aptitudefor learning and problem solving. The Stanford–
Binet Intelligence Scales (SB5), Fifth Edition (Roid, 2003) is an
example of an intelligence scalethat also measures individual a
ptitude.
Personality tests measure a person’s tendency to behave in a par
ticular way. Such tests are used to diagnose children’s emotiona
l strengthsand needs. Because an inventory is used to assess per
sonality characteristics, the test is quite lengthy, usually contain
ing several hundred itemsin a true–
false format. Test items are answered by the parent or child or b
y both together and are analyzed to determine whether the child
hascertain personality traits.
Teachers use standardized test results to design instruction for i
ndividual needs.
Suzanne Clouzeau/Pearson
Interest inventories are used to determine a person’s interest in
a certain area or vocation and are not used with very young chil
dren. Aschool-
age child may be given a reading interest inventory to provide t
he teacher with information that will serve as a guide when help
ing thechild select reading material.
Tests for Infants
Various psychological tests have been constructed for infants an
d young children. Examples that have been discussed previously
are the Neonatal Behavioral Assessment Scale (NBAS), Third E
dition (Brazelton & Nugent, 1995) and the Communication and
Symbolic Behavior ScalesDevelopmental Profile (CSBS DP) (Pr
izant & Wetherby, 2002). They are examples of tests that have b
een normed. Such tests are challengingbecause of the child’s de
velopmental limitations. Babies are particularly difficult to eval
uate because of their short attention span. Their periodsof alertn
ess are brief, and they have their own schedules of opportune m
oments for testing. In addition, developmental changes occur ra
pidly,making test results unreliable for more than a short time.
Generally, because of these limitations, the validity and reliabili
ty of infant scales arequestionable. The tests are difficult to ad
minister and interpret. Nevertheless, they are useful in evaluatin
g the status of newborns and infants(Campbell et al., 1995; Hac
k et al., 2005; Wodrich, 1997). To better understand the types of
infant and toddler measures, the following section isorganized i
nto neonatal status, infant and toddler development, and diagnos
tic tests.
Neonatal Status
The status of a newborn can be determined using various measur
es. The Apgar Scale (Apgar, 1975), administered 1 minute and 5
minutes afterbirth, assesses the health of the newborn by evalua
ting the heart rate, respiratory effort, muscle tone, body color, a
nd reflex irritability. Eachcharacteristic is scored on a scale of 0
to 2 for a maximum score of 10 points. A score of 7 to 10 indic
ates the infant is in good condition; ascore of 5 may indicate de
velopmental difficulties. A score of 3 or below is very serious a
nd indicates an emergency concerning the infant’ssurvival. The
Brazelton Neonatal Behavioral Assessment Scale, another neona
tal test (Als et al., 1979), measures temperamental differences,n
ervous system functions, and the capacity of the neonate to inter
act. Its purpose is to locate mild neurological dysfunctions and
variations intemperament. A newer scale, the Neonatal Behavior
al Assessment Scale, Fourth Edition (NBAS) (Brazelton & Nuge
nt, 2011), is used withnewborns from the first day of life throug
h the end of the first month. In this test, the infant’s competence
is measured through behavioralitems. In addition to identifying
the infant’s performance, if administered with the parents prese
nt, it can be used to help parents understandtheir infant’s signal
s and skills. This knowledge of child development generally and
their baby’s competence specifically can facilitateimprovement
in parenting skills (Widerstrom, Mowder, & Sandall, 1991). An
adaptation of the NBAS to assess preterm infants came through
the design of the Assessment of Preterm Infants’ Behavior (API
B) (Als, Butler, Kosta, & McAnulty, 2005). It includes many of
the items in the NBAS,but refined them to be able to observe th
e preterm infant’s functioning. The Ounce Scale (Meisels et al.,
2008) is another developmental scalesuitable for parents, child-
care personnel, and Early Head Start teachers to administer. Use
d with children from birth to 3.6 years old, TheOunce Scale is o
rganized around six developmental domains and helps parents o
bserve developmental milestones.
Watch this video to learn about how the APGAR is administered
and what it means. (www.youtube.com/watch?v=zY87wohJl9I)
Infant and toddler development
Infant development scales go beyond measuring neonatal status
to focusing on development from 1 month to 2 years. The Gesell
DevelopmentalSchedules (Ball, 1977) were the first scales devi
sed to measure infant development. Gesell designed them to det
ect infants who were delayed indevelopment and might need spe
cial services. More recently, the Bayley Scales of Infant Develo
pment, Third Edition (BSID-
III) (Bayley, 2005)were designed to learn about infants’ overall
development, while the Communication and Symbolic Behavior
Scales Developmental Profile (CSBSDP™) (Prizant & Wetherby
, 2002) are used to assess communicative and symbolic develop
ment, including symbolic play and constructive play.The Mullen
Scales of Early Learning (Mullen, 1995) measure cognitive fun
ctioning in infants, toddlers, and young children from birth to 6
8months. The assessment measures intellectual development thr
ough the child’s response to prepared activities. The Gesell and
Bayleyinstruments are challenging to administer because of thei
r length; however, because they are used to diagnose children w
ith special needs, it isimportant to examine developmental miles
tones thoroughly.
The Devereux Early Childhood Assessment for Infants and Todd
lers (DECA-
I/T) (Powell, MacKrain, & LeBuffe, 2007) is an assessment desi
gned tosupport the social and emotional development of infants
and toddlers. There are two forms, the Infant Form for children
1–18 months old, andthe Toddler Form for children 18–
36 months old.
The Denver II (Frankenburg et al., 1992) is a simple screening i
nstrument designed to identify children who are likely to have s
ignificant delaysand need early identification and intervention,
while the Adaptive Behavior Assessment System, Second Editio
n (ABAS-
2) (Harrison & Oakland, 2003) assesses the strengths and weakn
esses in adaptive skills. The Early Coping Inventory (ECI) (Zeit
lin et al., 1988) assesses how well infantsand toddlers 4–
36 months of age react and cope with different situations; in add
ition, the Infant/Toddler Symptom Checklist: A Screening Tool
forParents (DeGangi et al., 1995) screens infants and toddlers w
ho show disturbances in sleep, feeding, and self-
calming. Used with children from7 to 30 months old, it can be a
dministered by a parent or caregiver.
Diagnostic Tests
There are diagnostic tests for infants to identify developmental
or physical disorders. As with developmental and screening test
s for infants andtoddlers, it is very difficult to accurately acquir
e the needed information. The strategies for measuring lung fun
ction, for example, can beconsidered to be intrusive for infants (
Panitch, 2004). Likewise, babies who have experienced a life-
threatening event (ALTE) presentchallenges in what tests shoul
d be used, how to interpret the results, and how well the tests or
assessment procedures will contribute to themany factors that c
an cause ALTE (Brand et al., 2005). Observational measures to
assess children with spinal cord injury can result in lack ofagree
ment among the observers (Calhoun et al., 2009). Regardless, sp
ecialists in infant screening and diagnosis continue to research
methodsthat provide the desired testing with minimal invasive
methods and more dependable results. Figure 3-
1 describes neonatal and infant tests.
FIGURE 3-1 Neonatal and infant tests
Tests for Preschool Children
Professionals have designed a variety of tests to evaluate develo
pment and to detect developmental problems during the prescho
ol years. Justas the testing of infants and toddlers presents chall
enges to test administrators because of the children’s developme
ntal circumstances, theevaluation of preschool children under ag
e 6 must also be conducted with their developmental characteris
tics in mind. Instruments that assesscharacteristics used to ident
ify developmental delays or to diagnose sources of disabilities t
hat affect the child’s potential for learning areadministered to o
ne child at a time. Test items are concrete tasks or activities tha
t match the child’s ability to respond; nevertheless, validity and
reliability are affected by such factors as the child’s limited atte
ntion span. As children enter the preschool years, more instrume
nts areavailable for examining development and identifying pote
ntial developmental delays. To better understand the various typ
es of measures,preschool tests are organized into screening, dia
gnostic, language, and achievement tests.
Screening Tests
Screening tests are administered to detect indicators that a child
might have a developmental problem that needs to be further in
vestigated.Screening tests can be contrasted with assessments th
at examine development in more depth and help determine stren
gths and possibledifficulties, as well as to determine what strate
gies need to be taken to address the child’s needs.
The Denver II (Frankenburg et al., 1992) was discussed earlier a
s a screening tool that can be used with infants and older childre
n. It isadministered by a professional such as a pediatrician or e
ducator. In contrast, the Ages and Stages Questionnaires, Third
Edition (ASQ-
3™)(Squires & Bricker, 2009) uses parental reporting. The pare
nt can complete the questionnaire or participate in an interview
with a professional.It is administered for children ages 1 month
to 66 months.
The AGS Early Screening Profiles can be administered from age
s 2 years to 6 years 11 months. They include parent–
teacher questionnaires aswell as profiles in cognitive language,
motor, and social development. The Developmental Indicators f
or the Assessment of Learning™, FourthEdition (DIAL™-
4) (Mardell & Goldenberg, 2011) is also used to flag potential d
evelopmental delays. Administered to children ages 2 years 6mo
nths to 5 years 11 months, it includes direct observation and tas
ks presented to the child. The Early Screening Inventory—
Revised (ESI-
R),2008 edition (Meisels et al., 2008) has two forms: the ESI-
P for ages 3 to 4.4 years, and the ESI-
K for ages 4.5 to 6 years. It is used to screendevelopmental dom
ains and uses cutoff scores to determine whether the child needs
to be referred for further evaluation. A parentalquestionnaire is
used to provide supplementary information. The Brigance Early
Childhood Screens III (Brigance, 2013) include three screening
tools to examine development in the domains of physical develo
pment, language, academic/cognitive, self-help, and social-
emotional. The threetools are: an Infant & Toddler Screen for c
hildren 0–
35 months; an Early Preschool, Preschool Screen for children 3–
5 years old; and a K & 1Screen for children in kindergarten and
first grade. Finally, the FirstSTEp™: Screening Test for Evaluat
ing Preschoolers (Miller, 1993) has 12subtests grouped into cog
nitive, communicative, and motor categories. There is also an o
ptional social-
emotional scale and adaptive behaviorchecklist. First Step has t
hree levels: Level 1 is administered to children from ages 2 year
s 9 months to 3 years 8 months; Level II is for children3 years 9
months to 4 years 8 months; and Level III is administered to ch
ildren 4 years 9 months to 6 years 2 months. A new Gesell Instit
uteinstrument, the Gesell Developmental Observation—
Revised (2011), is used with 2½- to 6-year-
old children. It measures child growth, academicachievement, a
nd social and emotional development.
Baker School for Early Learning
Baker School is a community school that targets services for tod
dlers and preschool children from a nearby public housing devel
opment.The children in the housing development represent a var
iety of ethnic groups and languages. Some are from families tha
t recentlyemigrated from another country. Teachers in the progr
am need input from parents on their child’s current stage of dev
elopment prior toentering the program. Parents can fill out the
Ages and Stages Questionnaire with information about their chil
d. The form includesquestions about behaviors, speaking abilitie
s, and physical skills, as well as other indicators of development
. Because the teachers aresensitive to possible language and lite
racy limitations, they are available if the parents need help filli
ng in the information. In many casesthey read the questions to t
he parents and record their responses on the test form.
The screening tests just discussed cover various domains of dev
elopment. The screening tools discussed next focus solely on so
cial-
emotionaldevelopment. These screening instruments look at soci
al behaviors and require sensitive and careful collaboration bet
ween the home andschool because children’s behaviors are affec
ted by environmental differences. While this type of screening i
s difficult to do accurately, social-
emotional competence is very important and should be monitore
d (Meisels & Atkins-Burnett, 2005).
The Early Screening Project (ESP) (Walker, Severson, & Feil, 1
995) is administered to children ages 3 to 6 years and is adminis
tered in threestages. Children are ranked in social interaction, a
daptive behavior, maladaption behaviors, aggressive behaviors,
and reactions to criticalevents. A parent questionnaire looks at h
ow the child plays with other children, how the child interacts w
ith caregivers, and social problemssuch as difficulties with self-
esteem or social avoidance. An instrument that uses parent ratin
gs is the PKBS–
2: Preschool and KindergartenBehavior Scales, Second Edition (
Merrell, 2003). Administered to children ages 3 to 6 years, it ex
amines positive and problem behaviors. (Figure3-
2 provides examples of items on screening tests.)
Diagnostic Tests
After a child has been screened and there are indicators that furt
her evaluation is needed, tests for diagnostic assessment can be
administered.Adaptive behavior instruments attempt to measure
how well the young child has mastered everyday living tasks su
ch as toileting and feeding. Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales,
2nd Edition (Vineland™-
II) (Sparrow, Cicchetti, & Balla, 2005) assesses the everyday be
haviors of the childthat indicate level of development. The scale
determines areas of strengths and needs in communication, dail
y living, socialization, and motorskills. Another instrument, the
ABS-S:2™ Adaptive Behavior Scale–
School 2nd Edition™ (Lambert, Nihira, & Leland, 2008), assess
es adaptivebehavior for children 3–
16 years old in 16 domains for social competence and independe
nce. Figure 3-3 describes categories of adaptivebehaviors.
Preschool intelligence tests and adaptive behavior scales are use
d to diagnose children with intellectual disabilities. Although in
telligencemeasures during the preschool years are generally unr
eliable because children’s IQs can change enormously between
early childhood andadolescence, they are used with young child
ren to measure learning potential.
FIGURE 3-2 Examples of items on screening tests
FIGURE 3-3 Some categories assessed in adaptive behaviors
The Stanford–
Binet Intelligence Scales (SB5), Fifth Edition (Roid, 2003), the
original IQ test, was designed to assess general thinking or prob
lem-
solving ability. It is valuable in answering questions about deve
lopmental delay and retardation. Another instrument, the Wechs
ler Preschool andPrimary Scale of Intelligence™, Third Edition
(WPPSI™-
III) (Wechsler, 2002), is useful in identifying signs of uneven d
evelopment for childrenages 2 years 6 months to 7 years 3 mont
hs.
Other instruments address all domains of development. The Kau
fman Assessment Battery for Children, Second Edition (KABC
™-
II) (Kaufman &Kaufman, 2004), Battelle Developmental Invent
ory™, Second Edition (BDI-
2™) (Newborg, 2004), and Bracken Basic Concept Scale, Third
Edition:Receptive (BBCS-
3:R) (Bracken, 2006) have comprehensive assessments of devel
opment. Additionally, the Brigance Inventory of EarlyDevelopm
ent III (IED III) (Brigance, 2013) is an assessment used with chi
ldren from birth through developmental age 7 years. There are t
woversions of the IED III, which is criterion-
referenced, and the IED III-Standardized, which is norm-
referenced.
The Devereux Early Childhood Assessment Preschool Program,
Second Edition (DECA P-
2) (Le Buffe & Naglieri, 2012) is a strengths-
basedassessment system designed to promote resilience and posi
tive social/emotional development for children ages 3–
5 years. It can beadministered through classroom observations. I
t has items that examine positive and negative behaviors such as
attention problems,aggression, depression, and emotional contr
ol.
Language Tests
The category of language tests for preschool children is very im
portant because many children are at risk for school readiness b
ecause theyhave language deficits or their first language is not
English. While some language tests for at-
risk children are in English, others are available inboth English
and Spanish, and occasionally other languages. The Preschool L
anguage Scale, Fourth Edition (PLS-
4) (Zimmerman, Steiner, & Pond, 2007) and Peabody Picture Vo
cabulary Test, Fourth Edition (PPVT-
4) (Dunn & Dunn, 2007) provide information on a child’s langu
age ability,which can help determine whether a child will benefi
t from a language enrichment program.
With the expanding numbers of English Language Learners (EL
L) who are living in many states, language assessment tests are
growing inimportance. Children who have limited English profi
ciency may be served in a bilingual program or ELL program. T
he Pre-LAS, Pre-IPT, and Woodcock-
Muñoz Language Survey (discussed next) are available in Engli
sh and Spanish editions. There are also forms of these tests for s
chool-age children.
The preLAS Observational Assessment™ measures oral languag
e proficiency for 3-year-olds and the preLAS (CTB/McGraw-
Hill, 2000) measureslanguage proficiency and literacy skills for
children in kindergarten through first grade. It is also used to m
ake language placement decisions,monitor progress over time, a
nd identify learner needs. The IDEA Proficiency Tests (Pre-
IPT), Fourth Edition (Ballard & Tighe, 2006) aredesigned to eva
luate language, reading, and writing skills in Spanish and Englis
h for children in pre-K to 12th grade. The Pre-
IPT isadministered to 3- to 5-year-
olds and can be used to determine when children are ready to be
released from ELL programs. The Woodcock-
Muñoz Language Survey®—
Revised Normative Update (WMLS®-
R NU) (Schrank et al., 2010) can be administered to children as
young as age 2. Figure 3-
4 lists different categories of preschool tests.
There are distinct phases of second language acquisition, as illu
strated in this video. How might a child’s test results be affecte
d during eachstage of second language acquisition? (www.youtu
be.com/watch?v=Eoca1Ou_6TE)
Tests for School-Age Children
For the child old enough to attend preschool and elementary sch
ool, many tests are available for use by teachers, school psychol
ogists,program evaluators, and other personnel with responsibili
ties for students and the early childhood curriculum. In addition
to preschoolprograms for children with disabilities, many states
conduct programs for 4-year-
old and kindergarten children as well. Descriptions of someof th
ese assessments were included in the previous section on presch
ool tests. Likewise, some of the assessments in this section incl
udeprekindergarten and kindergarten children. Although individ
ual tests are available for some purposes in school-
age programs, group testing isalso used. Group tests require the
child to use paper and pencil; therefore, test results may be affe
cted by the child’s ability to respond in thismanner. Test validit
y and reliability may be affected by the child’s ability both to re
spond in a group setting and to use a pencil to find and markres
ponses on the test. As students move into the primary grades, th
ese factors become less important. The tests discussed in this se
ction do notinclude the many tests designed by individual states
to meet the grade testing requirements of NCLB. Instead, they
address tests forunderstanding strengths and possible delays in l
anguage, cognitive, and motor development as children move int
o the primary grades.
FIGURE 3-4 Categories and characteristics of preschool tests
Many public school programs are designed for children at high r
isk for disabilities. A number of programs are available, includi
ng bilingual andEnglish language programs for children whose f
irst language is not English, intervention programs for children
with a physical or intellectualdisability, and preschool programs
for children from low-
income homes who lack the early childhood experiences that pre
dict successfullearning. These programs may include a screenin
g instrument to determine which children are eligible for special
services. The WechslerIntelligence Scale for Children®, Fourth
Edition (WISC®-IV) (Wechsler, 2003) and the Bender Visual-
Motor Gestalt Test, Second Edition (Bender-Gestalt-
II) (Bender, 2003) may be administered to a preschool or school
-
age child by a school psychologist or school diagnostician todet
ermine whether the child needs educational services for children
with disabilities. Poor performance on the Bender-Gestalt-
II by a school-
age child indicates the need for further study of the child. The B
eery-Buktenica Developmental Test of Visual-
Motor Integration, Sixth Edition(BEERY™ VMI) (Beery, Bukte
nica, & Beery, 2010) is a similar test.
St. Pius Preschool
Areas of southwest Arkansas are experiencing an influx of peop
le from Mexico and Central America who work at a large local p
aperfactory. Many of these families in one community attend St.
Pius Catholic Church, and parishioners have seen the need to pr
ovide Englishclasses and other services for the parents as they a
djust to a new country and language. As the parents found work,
church members alsorecognized a need for child care. They dec
ided to include a concentrated English language development pr
ogram when they added a child-
care center to their outreach activities.
As they began the program, the parishioners realized they neede
d to find a test that would indicate the children’s progress in lea
rningEnglish as well as provide a language assessment to send t
o local Head Start, preschool, and kindergarten programs when t
he childrenwere transitioning out of the St. Pius school. They le
arned about the Pre-Language Assessment Survey (Pre-
LAS) from public schoolcolleagues. After learning how to use t
he instrument, they were ready to start implementing the test to
better help their very youngstudents learn English.
Achievement tests are useful when making decisions about instr
uction. If a child is exhibiting learning difficulties, a psychologi
st mightadminister the Peabody Individual Achievement Test—
Revised Normative Update (PIAT-
R/NU) (Markwardt, 1997) or the Wide Range AchievementTest
4 (WRAT 4) (Wilkinson & Robertson, 2006) to gain information
about children’s math, reading, and spelling skills. The teacher
mightadminister the Boehm Test of Basic Concepts, Third Editi
on (Boehm-
3) (Boehm, 2000) to young children to determine their need for
instructionin basic concepts or to assess successful learning of c
oncepts previously taught.
Primary-
grade teachers may also need specific information about a child
having difficulties in the classroom. Diagnostic tests such as the
Spache Diagnostic Reading Scales (Spache, 1981) can be admin
istered by classroom teachers to pinpoint skills in which student
s need additionalinstruction. The Preschool Child Observation R
ecord, Second Edition (COR) developed by the HighScope Educ
ational Research Foundation(High/scope Educatonal Research F
oundation, 2010) can be used in preschool through fifth grade in
six developmental domains, includingsocial development. The I
nfant & Toddler Child Observation Record (High/Scope Educati
onal Research Foundation, 2003) measuresdevelopmental domai
ns and correlates with the Preschool COR.Figure 3-
5 (on the next page) includes examples of initiative items relati
ng toadults, other children, and social problem solving. The che
cklists can also be used in Head Start programs and child-
care centers and withchildren who speak English as a second lan
guage.
FIGURE 3-
5 Examples from the Preschool Child Observation Record
Source: Preschool Child Observation Record (COR). (2003). Yp
silanti, MI: High/Scope Educational Research Foundation, 2003,
used with permission.
Group achievement tests are used to evaluate individual achieve
ment, group achievement, and program effectiveness. All of the
new testsdeveloped by individual states to provide accountabilit
y for student achievement are group achievement tests. A school
district may administerachievement tests every year to determi
ne each student’s progress, as well as to gain diagnostic informa
tion on the child’s need for futureinstruction. The same test resu
lts can be used at the district level to give information on studen
t’s progress between and within schools and todetermine the eff
ectiveness of the district’s instructional program.
Instructional effectiveness may also be evaluated at the state or
national level. A state agency may administer statewide achieve
ment tests towork toward establishing a standard of instructiona
l effectiveness in all schools within the state. Test results can id
entify school districts thatboth exceed and fall below the set sta
ndard. Indicators of poor instructional areas in many school dist
ricts pinpoint weaknesses in the state’sinstructional program an
d facilitate specific types of improvement. As was discussed in
Chapter 01, the No Child Left Behind Act, passed in2001, requi
red all states to develop and administer tests to measure achieve
ment in public schools. More recently, the Common Core of Stat
eStandards was developed in an effort to measure achievement i
n all states (NAEYC, 2012). National assessments are made peri
odically topinpoint strengths and weaknesses in the educational
progress of U.S. children in different subject areas. These findin
gs are frequentlycompared with achievement results of students
in other countries. Figure 3-6 lists tests for school-age children.
Though standardized achievement tests help educators and pare
nts better understand the strengths and needs of school-
age children, it isimportant to remember how they affect childre
n’s self-
esteem. In this video a student reflects on his experience with te
sts and calls attention tohis interests and characteristics that ma
y not be measured on standardized tests. (https://www.youtube.c
om/watch?v=nA-y0Txmw8Y)
FIGURE 3-6 School-age tests
In this section, we discussed how standardized tests are used. Al
though the tests described include various types with different p
urposes, theprocess used for their development is essentially the
same. The next part of the chapter will focus on how standardiz
ed tests are designed; thatis, the steps followed in the developm
ent of all standardized tests.
3.2 Steps in Standardized Test Design
Test designers follow a series of steps when constructing a new
test. These steps ensure that the test achieves its goals and purp
oses. Inplanning a test, the developers first specify the purpose
of the test. Next, they determine the test format. As actual test d
esign begins, theyformulate objectives; write, try out, and analy
ze test items; and assemble the final test form. After the final te
st form is administered, thedevelopers establish norms and deter
mine the validity and reliability of the test. As a final step, they
develop a test manual containingprocedures for administering t
he test and statistical information on standardization results.
Specifying the Purpose of the Test
Every standardized test should have a clearly defined purpose.
The description of the test’s purpose is the framework for the co
nstructionof the test. It also allows evaluation of the instrument
when design and construction steps are completed. The Standard
s for Educational andPsychological Testing (American Psycholo
gical Association [APA], 1999) has established guidelines for in
cluding the test’s purpose in thetest manual. In 2013 the standar
ds were under revision. The 1999 standards are as follows:
B2. The test manual should state explicitly the purpose and appl
ications for which the test is recommended.
B3. The test manual should describe clearly the psychological, e
ducational and other reasoning underlying the test and the natur
eof the characteristic it is intended to measure. (p. 15)
Test designers should be able to explain what construct or chara
cteristics the test will measure, how the test results will be used
, and whowill take the test or to whom it will be administered.
The population for whom the test is intended is a major factor i
n test design. Tests constructed for infants and young children a
re verydifferent from tests designed for adults. As test develope
rs consider the composition and characteristics of the children f
or whom they aredesigning the test, they must include variables
such as age, intellectual or educational level, socioeconomic ba
ckground, language andcultural background, and whether the yo
ung child can read.
Determining Test Format
Test format decisions are based on determinations made about t
he purpose of the test and the characteristics of the test takers.
The testformat results from the developer’s decision on how test
items will be presented and how the test taker will respond (Ka
plan & Saccuzzo, 2013). One consideration is whether the test w
ill be verbal or written. Although adults are most familiar with
written tests, infants andyoung children are unable to read or wr
ite. Tests designed for very young children are usually presente
d orally by a test administrator. Analternative is to use a psycho
motor response; the child is given an object to manipulate or is
asked to perform a physical task. A morerecent approach is to c
onduct assessments during play or daily routines (Linder, 2008).
For older children, high school students, and adults, other test f
ormats are possible. Test takers may respond to an alternative-
choicewritten test such as one with true–false, multiple-
choice, or matching items. The test may be given as a group test
rather thanadministered as an individual test to one person at a
time. Short-answer and essay items are also possibilities.
After the test designers have selected the format most appropria
te for the test’s purpose and for the group to be tested, actual te
stconstruction begins. Experimental test forms are assembled aft
er defining test objectives and writing test items for each object
ive.
Developing Experimental Forms
In preparing preliminary test forms, developers use the test purp
ose description as their guide. Test content is then delimited. If
anachievement test for schoolchildren is to be written, for exam
ple, curriculum is analyzed to ensure that the test will reflect th
e instructionalprogram. If the achievement test is to be designed
for national use, then textbook series, syllabi, and curricular m
aterials are studied tocheck that test objectives accurately reflec
t curriculum trends. Teachers and curriculum experts are consult
ed to review the content outlinesand behavioral objectives that s
erve as reference points for test items.
The process of developing good test items involves writing, edit
ing, trying out, and rewriting or revising test items. Before bein
g tried out,each item for an achievement test may be reviewed a
nd rewritten by test writers, teachers, and other experts in the fi
eld. Many more itemsthan will be used are written because man
y will be eliminated in the editing and rewriting stages (Mehren
s & Lehman, 1991).
A preliminary test is assembled so that the selected test items ca
n be tried out with a sample of students. The experimental test f
ormsresemble the final form. Instructions are written for admini
stering the test. The test may have more questions than will be u
sed in the finalform because many questions will be revised or e
liminated after the tryout. The sample of people selected to take
the preliminary test issimilar to the population that will take th
e final form of the test.
The tryout of the preliminary test form is described as item tryo
ut and analysis. Item analysis involves studying three characteri
stics of eachtest question: difficulty level, discrimination, and g
rade progression of difficulty (McMillan, 2013). The difficulty l
evel of a question refers tohow many test takers in the tryout gr
oup answered the question correctly. Discrimination of each que
stion involves the extent to which thequestion distinguishes bet
ween test takers who did well or poorly on the test. Test takers
who did well should have been more successful inresponding to
an item than test takers who did poorly. The item differentiates
between people who have more or less knowledge or ability.The
grade progression of difficulty refers to tests that are taken by s
tudents in different grades in school. If a test question has good
gradeprogression of difficulty, a greater percentage of students
should answer it correctly in each successively higher grade (M
ehrens & Lehman, 1991; McMillan, 2013).
Assembling the Test
After item analysis is completed, the final form of the test is ass
embled. As a result of item analysis, test items have been reexa
mined,rewritten, or eliminated. Test questions or required behav
iors to measure each test objective are selected for the test. If m
ore than one testform is to be used, developers must ensure that
alternative forms are equivalent in content and difficulty. Test d
irections are made finalwith instructions for both test takers and
test administrators. In addition, information for test administrat
ors includes details about thetesting environment and testing pr
ocedures.
Purpose of and Rationale for Selected Tests
The statement of purpose of a test describes the framework that
will be used in designing the test. Two examples follow.
The Neonatal Behavioral Assessment Scale ((NBAS) represents
a guide that helps parents, health care providers, and researcher
sunderstand the newborn’s language. The Scale looks at a wide
range of behaviors and is suitable for examining newborns and i
nfantsup to 2 months old. By the end of the assessment, the exa
miner has a behavioral “portrait” of the infant, describing the ba
by’sstrengths, adaptive responses, and possible vulnerabilities.
The examiner shares this portrait with parents to develop approp
riatecaregiving strategies aimed at enhancing the earliest relatio
nship between babies and parents (Brazelton & Nugent, 2011, p.
1).
The Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales, Second Edition (Pearso
n, 2008) is an individually administered, norm-
referenced measure ofadaptive behavior or “personal and social
self-sufficiency” for individuals ages birth–
90 years. It is appropriate for educational, socialservices, health
care, criminal justice, or military settings. The Vineland II help
s measure adaptive behavior of individuals withintellectual disa
bility, autism spectrum disorders (ASDs), attention deficit/hype
ractivity disorder (ADHD), post-
traumatic brain injury,hearing impairment, dementia, Alzheimer
’s disease, and other conditions (Sparrow, Cicchettim, & Balla,
2006, p.1)
Standardizing the Test
Although test construction is complete when the final form is as
sembled and printed, the test has not yet been standardized. The
final testform must be administered to another, larger sample of
test takers to standardize each item. There are two types of stan
dardized tests:criterion referenced and normed referenced. Nor
ms provide the tool whereby children’s test performance can be
compared with theperformance of a reference group. Criterion-
referenced tests provide a description of mastery for each item.
A reference group that represents the children for whom the test
has been designed is selected to take the test for the purpose of
establishing norms or criterion mastery. The performance of the
reference or sample group on the final test form during thestan
dardization process will be used to evaluate the test scores of in
dividuals or groups who take the test in the future.
The norming group is chosen to reflect the makeup of the popul
ation for whom the test is designed. If a national school achieve
ment test isbeing developed, the standardization sample consists
of children from all sections of the country to include such vari
ables as gender, age,community size, geographic area, socioeco
nomic status, and ethnic factors. For other types of tests, differe
nt characteristics may be used tomatch the norming sample with
future populations to be tested.
Various kinds of norms can be established during the standardiz
ation process. Raw scores of sample test takers are converted int
o derivedscores or standard scores for purposes of comparison.
Standard scores are achieved by calculating the raw score, or th
e number of itemsanswered correctly, into a score that can be us
ed to establish a norm. Various types of standard scores can be
used to compare the peopleselected to standardize the test with f
uture populations that will be given the test. Each type of grade
norm allows test users to interpret achild’s test scores in compar
ison with the scores of children used to norm the test (Miller, Li
nn, & Gronlund, 2012; Payne, 2002). Forexample, an age score i
s established by determining the norms for age groups when the
test is given to the norming sample. The age normsdescribe the
average performance of children of various ages. Likewise, grad
e norms or grade-
equivalent norms are established bydetermining the average sco
res made by children at different grade levels in the norming gr
oup (Kaplan & Saccuzzo, 2013; McMillan, 2013).
Developing the Test Manual
The final step in test design is development of the test manual.
The test developer describes the purpose of the test, the develop
ment of thetest, and the standardization procedures. Information
on test validity and reliability is also included to give test users
information on thedependability of the test. When explaining st
andardization information in the user’s manual, test developers
describe the method used toselect the norming group. The numb
er of individuals included in standardizing the test is reported, a
s well as the geographic areas, types ofcommunities, socioecono
mic groups, and ethnic groups that they represent.
3.3 Differences Between Test Validity and Test Reliability
Norm information is important for establishing confidence in an
alyzing and interpreting the significance of test scores. Test use
rs also needinformation demonstrating that the test will be valua
ble for the intended purposes. Therefore, the test manual must p
rovide information onvalidity and reliability. Both types of depe
ndability indicators are equally important in determining the qu
ality of the test. Validity is thedegree to which the test serves th
e purpose for which it will be used; reliability is the extent to w
hich a test is stable or consistent. Testvalidity can be determine
d through content validity, criterion-
related validity, or construct validity.
When first designing a test, the developers describe its purpose.
Test objectives or the test outlines provide the framework for t
he contentof the test. When a manual provides information on c
ontent validity, the test developers are defining the degree to wh
ich the test itemsmeasured the test objectives and fulfilled the p
urpose of the test. Thus, for example, on an achievement test, co
ntent validity is the extent towhich the content of the test repres
ents an adequate sampling of the instructional program it is inte
nded to cover. The content validity of areading test would be ba
sed on how well the test items measured the reading skills exam
ined in the test. The content validity of amathematics test would
look at the content of the objectives on the test and assess how
well the test items measured that content.
Criterion-
related validity is concerned with the validity of an aptitude test
. Rather than analyzing course content, test items focus on skills
or tasks that predict future success in some area. The estimates
of predictive validity are concerned with stability over time. For
example, an intelligence quotient (IQ) test might be predictive
of school achievement. Likewise, Scholastic Aptitude Test score
s may predict whetherhigh school students will be successful in
college. Validity is predictive because the criteria for success ar
e the future grades the student willearn in college or the student
’s future grade-point average.
Criterion-
related validity may be concurrent validity, rather than predictiv
e validity. Instead of using a future measure to determinevalidit
y, current measures are used. The outside criterion is assessed w
hen the test is standardized. The developer of an intelligence tes
tmay cite an existing intelligence test as the criterion to measur
e validity. The developer administers both intelligence tests to t
he samplegroup. If the new test scores correlate highly with sco
res on the existing test, they may be used to establish concurren
t validity.
If a test measures an abstract psychological trait, the user’s man
ual will describe how the sample group was tested to establish c
onstructvalidity. Construct validity is the extent to which a test
measures a relatively abstract psychological trait such as person
ality, verbal ability,or mechanical aptitude (Miller, Linn, & Gro
nlund, 2012). Rather than examining test items developed from t
est objectives, one examinesconstruct validity by comparing test
results with the variables that explain the behaviors. For examp
le, suppose the construct is believed toinclude certain behaviora
l characteristics, such as sociability or honesty. An instrument’s
construct validity can be checked by analyzing howthe trait is a
ffected by changing conditions. Alternatively, an instrument ma
y measure level of anxiety; its construct validity is determined b
ycreating experiments to find out what conditions affect anxiety
(Miller, Linn, & Gronlund, 2012).
The validity of a test is the extent to which the test measures wh
at it is designed to measure. Test users, however, are also intere
sted in atest’s dependability or stability in measuring behaviors.
Test developers, therefore, also establish and report on the relia
bility of theinstrument as part of the standardization process.
Test reliability is related to test item discrimination. When test i
tems are analyzed after the initial item tryout, they are examine
d fordiscrimination power. After the final test form is administe
red to a norming sample, the items are analyzed again to ensure
that theinstrument is fairly reliable. The whole test is analyzed,
rather than individual test items. The test manual reports the tes
t’s reliability asdetermined by using alternative-form, split-
half, or test–
retest reliability measures. A test’s reliability coefficient descri
bes the degree towhich a test is free from error of measurement.
If alternative-
form reliability strategies are used, test developers construct tw
o equivalentforms of the final test. Both forms are administered
to the norming group within a short period. The correlation bet
ween the results on thetwo different forms measures the coeffici
ent of reliability. For example, standardized achievement tests a
re published using severaldifferent forms of the test. To measur
e reliability, the norming group takes two forms of the test and t
hen the results are compared to see ifthe performance on each of
the tests was the same or very similar.
If a split-
half reliability coefficient is used to establish reliability, the no
rming group is administered a single test, and scores on half of t
hetest are correlated with scores on the other half of the test. Sp
lit-
half reliability is determined from the contents of a single test.
A test withsplit-
half reliability is also considered to have internal consistency; t
hat is, the items on each half of the test are positively correlated
inmeasuring the same characteristics.
Test–
retest reliability is also derived from the administration of a sin
gle test form. In this case, however, the test is administered to t
henorming group and then is administered again after a short int
erval. The two sets of scores are compared to determine whether
they wereconsistent in measuring the test objectives.
Factors that Affect Validity and Reliability
Despite the measures and procedures that are used to ensure vali
dity and reliability in standardized tests, other factors can affect
testoutcomes. Some common factors are reading ability, the ph
ysical condition of the testing room, memory, and the physical c
ondition of theindividual taking the test. Thus, if the testing roo
m is uncomfortably warm or a student had inadequate rest the ni
ght before the test, scoreswill be affected.
Lack of adherence to time limits and lack of consistency in test
instructions affect test scores. Other factors are inconsistency in
the rating ofessays from individual to individual and student gu
essing of test answers (Payne, 1997).
Validity is affected by such factors as unclear directions, difficu
lty of reading vocabulary on the test, and test items that are not
appropriatefor the test objectives (Miller, Linn, & Gronlund, 20
12). Reliability is affected by the number of test items or the le
ngth of the test, lack ofinter-
rater reliability, and extraneous events that affect the testing sit
uation (Miller, Linn, & Gronlund, 2012; McMillan, 2013).
These and other factors affect the possible errors on a test and t
he quality of the test. This variation in testing quality is account
ed for in the standard error of measurement, discussed next.
Standard Error of Measurement
No matter how well designed, no test is completely free from er
ror. Although there is a hypothetical true score, in reality it doe
s not exist.The reliability of the test depends on how large the st
andard error of measurement is after analysis of the chosen met
hod of determiningreliability. If the reliability correlations are p
oor, the standard error of measurement will be large. The larger
the standard error ofmeasurement, the less reliable the test. Stan
dard error of measurement is the estimate of the amount of varia
tion that can be expected intest scores as a result of reliability c
orrelations.
Several variables that are present during standardization affect t
est reliability, as discussed earlier. First is the size of the popul
ation sample.Generally, the larger the population sample, the m
ore reliable the test will be. Second is the length of the test. Lon
ger tests are usually morereliable than shorter tests. Longer test
s have more test items, resulting in a better sample of behaviors
. The more items that measure abehavior, the better the estimate
of the true score and the greater the reliability. Strict adherence
to test directions by test administratorscontributes to higher rel
iability, whereas variations in test instructions or the coaching o
f students can distort the reliability of test results.
The third variable that can affect standard error of measurement
is the range of test scores obtained from the norming group. Th
e widerthe spread of scores, the more reliably the test can distin
guish among them. Thus, the range of scores demonstrates how
well the testdiscriminates between good and poor students (Mill
er, Linn, & Gronlund, 2012). The spread of test scores can be re
lated to the number ofstudents taking the test. The larger the tes
ting sample, the more likely there will be a wider spread of test
scores.
3.4 Considerations in Selecting and Evaluating Standardized Te
sts
Whenever a private school, public school district, preschool, or
child-
care center decides to use a test to evaluate children, educators
mustdecide how to select the best test for that purpose. Those w
ho select the test must determine the relevant questions to ask a
bout the test.Brown (1983) identifies various factors that test us
ers must consider: (1) the purpose of the testing, (2) the charact
eristics to be measured,(3) how the test results will be used, (4)
the qualifications of the people who will interpret the scores an
d use the results, and (5) anypractical constraints. All these fact
ors are important in selecting tests for young children. Because
of the developmental limitations of youngtest takers, test format
s must be compatible with their ability to respond. Development
al limitations include short attention span,undeveloped fine-
motor skills, inability to use reading skills for test responses, an
d poor performance on group tests. Limitations in trainingand e
xperience in those who administer the test are also factors in tes
t selection.
Other relevant concerns, particularly in selecting tests for young
children, are the costs involved, testing time, and ease of scorin
g and usingtest results (Kaplan & Saccuzzo, 2013). The test mus
t be reasonable in cost, and the time needed to administer the te
st should be suitablefor young children.
A major issue is whether the test has quality. Is it a good test to
use with the children? The person searching for an appropriate t
est willwant to examine the test manual for indications of how
well the test was designed and normed. The test manual should i
nclude informationon the following:
1.
Purpose of the test. The statement of purpose should include the
rationale for the test, the characteristics the test is designed to
measure,and the uses for the test.
2.
Test design. The procedures and rationale for selecting test item
s and the development and trial of test forms should be explaine
d.
3.
Establishment of validity and reliability. The description should
describe the procedures used to establish validity and reliabilit
y toinclude sufficient data on validity, reliability, and norms.
4.
Test administration and scoring. Specific information should be
given on how to administer and score the test and to interpret te
stresults. Information should be adequate for users to determine
whether the test is practical and suitable for their purposes. Pote
ntialproblems should be pointed out that can be encountered wh
en administering and scoring the test (Kaplan & Saccuzzo, 2013
). See Figure 3-
7 for questions that should be answered in a test manual, includi
ng an acceptable coefficient of reliability.
FIGURE 3-
7 Questions for test manuals about the quality of tests
Test users need extensive training in tests and measurements to
interpret a test manual adequately. For many users, the explanat
ions anddata reported in test manuals are complex and difficult t
o understand. A reader may have difficulty in deciding whether
the reliabilitycoefficient is adequate, whether the size and demo
graphic characteristics of the norming population are appropriat
e, or whether testcontent and format are suitable for the intende
d uses. To obtain additional help in understanding the suitabilit
y of the test, test users willwant to consult resources for test sta
ndards and reviews. The Standards for Educational and Psychol
ogical Testing (APA, 1999) includesstandards for tests, manuals
, and reports. It also includes standards for reliability and validi
ty, as well as information that should beincluded on the use of t
ests.
The Buros Institute of Mental Measurements is perhaps the most
important source in identifying, describing, and evaluating publ
ished tests.The series of Tests in Print is a comprehensive biblio
graphy of thousands of tests in five volumes. The most recent, T
ests in Print VII(Murphy, Spies, & Plake, 2006), consists of two
volumes. The tests are listed by type, and basic information is
given about each test.
The Mental Measurements Yearbooks include descriptive infor
mation about tests, plus professional reviews. The content also i
ncludessources of information about test construction, validatio
n, and use. Critical reviews of the tests are included. For examp
le, the Stanford–
Binet Intelligence Scale (Terman & Merrill, 1973) is the oldest
and most highly regarded IQ test used in the United States. How
ever, thefourth edition of the test (Thorndike, Hagen, & Sattler,
1986) was found to be significantly different from the earlier ed
itions. Reviewerspointed out that users are given poor informati
on on the accuracy of reliability scores, the test is less game-
like and therefore likely to beless appealing to children, and it o
verrepresents parents from high occupational and educational le
vels in the sample of children used fornorming (Anastasi, 1989;
Cronbach, 1989). The most recent edition is the Stanford-
Binet Intelligence Scales (SB5), Fifth Edition (Roid, 2003).Edu
cators choosing a test need to be informed of the quality of the t
est being considered for selection. The most recent yearbook is t
he Eighteenth Mental Measurements Yearbook (Spies, Carlson,
& Geisinger, 2010).
A resource that is particularly helpful to people without a backg
round in test design at a technical level is Test Critiques, Volum
es I–X (Keyser& Sweetland, 1984–
1994). It includes information about test design and use, as well
as a critique of the tests. Other resources for testevaluation and
selection are particularly suitable for users of early childhood t
ests.
Test reviews can be accessed online. The Buros Center for Testi
ng provides search engines for Test Reviews Online (unl.edu/bu
ros). Anotheronline source is Psychware Sourcebook (Krug, 199
3). It identifies and describes computer products available for as
sessment in education,psychology, and business.
Brown (1983) summarized the steps in selecting and evaluating
tests as follows:
1.
Outline your general requirements: the purpose of testing, the c
haracteristics to be measured, and the nature of the group to be t
ested.Consider also the qualifications of test users and practical
considerations.
2.
Identify what tests are available that appear to meet your needs.
Here sources such as Tests in Print, the Mental Measurement Y
earbooks,test publishers’ catalogs, and test compilations will be
most helpful.
3.
Obtain further information about these tests from texts, journals
, reference books, and consultation with people who have used t
histype of test.
4.
Select the most promising tests. Obtain samples (specimen sets)
of these tests.
5.
Make a detailed evaluation of these tests, keeping in mind the u
nique requirements of your situation. On the basis of these eval
uations,select the test(s) to be used.
6.
If possible, conduct an experimental tryout of the test before put
ting it to use.
7.
Use the test. Constantly monitor and evaluate its usefulness and
effectiveness. (p. 463)
Summary
Psychological tests are administered to children of all ages
beginning in infancy. The tests can be organized to measure
abilities such as achievement, aptitudes, and intelligence. There
are also measures to understand interests, attitudes, values, and
personality characteristics. These types of psychological tests
have been organized in this chapter according to age level.
Thus, there are charts for tests for infants and toddlers,
preschool children, and school-age children. Some of the
measures, such as interest and attitude tests, are only
appropriate for school-age children. The tests vary in quality
depending on how they were designed and evaluated for validity
and reliability. As a result, the choice of tests for a particular
purpose should be examined for established quality indicators.
Despite their shortcomings, standardized tests are useful for test
users. Because they have been carefully developed through a
series of steps that ensure their dependability, educational
institutions, in particular, use them to measure students’
characteristics. Good standardized tests are normed by using
many individuals from various backgrounds who live in
different parts of the United States. As a result, the tests also
accurately measure the population to whom the tests are given.
Although the process of developing a standardized test may
seem to be unnecessarily tedious, good test design requires
careful planning and attention to each step. The ultimate
validity and reliability of the test depend on the attention paid
to design details, beginning with the definition of the test’s
purpose and ending with the description of technical data about
the test’s construction in the users’ manual.
Key Terms
achievement test 55
alternative-form reliability 72
aptitude test 55
concurrent validity 72
construct validity 72
content validity 71
criterion-referenced test 70
criterion-related validity 72
equivalent forms 70
grade norm 71
group test 69
individual test 69
intelligence quotient (IQ) 72
intelligence test 55
interest inventory 56
internal consistency 73
item analysis 69
multiple choice 69
norm 70
personality test 55
raw score 71
reliability 71
split-half reliability 72
standard error of measurement 73
test–retest reliability 73
true score 73
validity 71
Selected Organizations
Search for the following organizations online:
Child Care Exchange
Buros Institute of Mental Measurements
Test Reviews Online
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CHAPTER 3 How Standardized Tests Are Used, Designed, and Selected.docx

  • 1.
    CHAPTER 3 HowStandardized Tests Are Used, Designed, and Selected Benjamin LaFramboise/Pearson Chapter Objectives As a result of reading this chapter, you will be able to: 1. Discuss how standardized tests are used with infants and you ng children. 2. Describe the steps in standardized test design. 3. Explain the differences between test validity and test reliabili ty. 4. Describe considerations for selecting and evaluating standard ized tests. Various methods and purposes for measuring and evaluating inf ants and young children were discussed in Chapter 02. In this ch apter, wewill look at some ways that standardized tests are used with infants and young children. Specific examples of standardi zed tests and theirpurposes will be discussed. How are standardized tests different from other kinds of measur es? We will discuss how standardized tests are designed and the n verifiedto make sure they measure the desired characteristics. Test validity and reliability are explained, as well as their effect s on the dependabilityof the test. Previous section Next section 3.1 How Standardized Tests Are Used with Infants and Young C hildren Types of Standardized Tests
  • 2.
    Many types ofstandardized tests are available for use with infa nts and young children. All are psychological tests, whether the y measureabilities, achievements, aptitudes, interests, values, or personality characteristics. In the following sections, we will di scuss each of these types oftests. Ability refers to the current level of knowledge or skill in a part icular area. Three types of psychological tests— intelligence tests, achievementtests, and aptitude tests— are categorized as ability tests because they measure facets of a bility. Young children are often measured todetermine the progr ess of their development. This type of measure may assess abilit y in motor, language, social, or cognitive skills. Bayley’sScales of Infant Development, Third Edition (BSID- III) (Bayley, 2005), for example, is used to diagnose delays in d evelopment. More recently, theBSID- III was designed to learn about overall development. Children w ith intellectual disabilities might be assessed for adaptive functi oning.Instruments such as the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scal es, Second Edition (Vineland™ II) (Sparrow, Cicchetti, & Balla , 2005) are administeredthrough parent and primary caregiver re ports to determine communication, social, and daily living skills . Achievement is the extent to which a person has acquired certai n information or has mastered identified skills. An achievement test measuresability in that it evaluates the child’s achievement related to specific prior instruction. The Peabody Individual Ac hievement Test—Revised-Normative Update (PIAT- R/NU) (Markwardt, 1997) is a measure of achievement in mathe matics, reading recognition, reading comprehension,spelling, an d general information. Aptitude is the potential to learn or develop proficiency in some area, provided that certain conditions exist or training is availa ble. Anindividual may have a high aptitude for music or art, for example. Like achievement tests, aptitude tests also measure lea rned abilities. Anaptitude test measures the results of both gener al and incidental learning and predicts future learning.
  • 3.
    Intelligence tests areability tests in that they assess overall inte llectual functioning. They are also aptitude tests because they as sess aptitudefor learning and problem solving. The Stanford– Binet Intelligence Scales (SB5), Fifth Edition (Roid, 2003) is an example of an intelligence scalethat also measures individual a ptitude. Personality tests measure a person’s tendency to behave in a par ticular way. Such tests are used to diagnose children’s emotiona l strengthsand needs. Because an inventory is used to assess per sonality characteristics, the test is quite lengthy, usually contain ing several hundred itemsin a true– false format. Test items are answered by the parent or child or b y both together and are analyzed to determine whether the child hascertain personality traits. Teachers use standardized test results to design instruction for i ndividual needs. Suzanne Clouzeau/Pearson Interest inventories are used to determine a person’s interest in a certain area or vocation and are not used with very young chil dren. Aschool- age child may be given a reading interest inventory to provide t he teacher with information that will serve as a guide when help ing thechild select reading material. Tests for Infants Various psychological tests have been constructed for infants an d young children. Examples that have been discussed previously are the Neonatal Behavioral Assessment Scale (NBAS), Third E dition (Brazelton & Nugent, 1995) and the Communication and Symbolic Behavior ScalesDevelopmental Profile (CSBS DP) (Pr izant & Wetherby, 2002). They are examples of tests that have b een normed. Such tests are challengingbecause of the child’s de velopmental limitations. Babies are particularly difficult to eval uate because of their short attention span. Their periodsof alertn ess are brief, and they have their own schedules of opportune m oments for testing. In addition, developmental changes occur ra
  • 4.
    pidly,making test resultsunreliable for more than a short time. Generally, because of these limitations, the validity and reliabili ty of infant scales arequestionable. The tests are difficult to ad minister and interpret. Nevertheless, they are useful in evaluatin g the status of newborns and infants(Campbell et al., 1995; Hac k et al., 2005; Wodrich, 1997). To better understand the types of infant and toddler measures, the following section isorganized i nto neonatal status, infant and toddler development, and diagnos tic tests. Neonatal Status The status of a newborn can be determined using various measur es. The Apgar Scale (Apgar, 1975), administered 1 minute and 5 minutes afterbirth, assesses the health of the newborn by evalua ting the heart rate, respiratory effort, muscle tone, body color, a nd reflex irritability. Eachcharacteristic is scored on a scale of 0 to 2 for a maximum score of 10 points. A score of 7 to 10 indic ates the infant is in good condition; ascore of 5 may indicate de velopmental difficulties. A score of 3 or below is very serious a nd indicates an emergency concerning the infant’ssurvival. The Brazelton Neonatal Behavioral Assessment Scale, another neona tal test (Als et al., 1979), measures temperamental differences,n ervous system functions, and the capacity of the neonate to inter act. Its purpose is to locate mild neurological dysfunctions and variations intemperament. A newer scale, the Neonatal Behavior al Assessment Scale, Fourth Edition (NBAS) (Brazelton & Nuge nt, 2011), is used withnewborns from the first day of life throug h the end of the first month. In this test, the infant’s competence is measured through behavioralitems. In addition to identifying the infant’s performance, if administered with the parents prese nt, it can be used to help parents understandtheir infant’s signal s and skills. This knowledge of child development generally and their baby’s competence specifically can facilitateimprovement in parenting skills (Widerstrom, Mowder, & Sandall, 1991). An adaptation of the NBAS to assess preterm infants came through the design of the Assessment of Preterm Infants’ Behavior (API B) (Als, Butler, Kosta, & McAnulty, 2005). It includes many of
  • 5.
    the items inthe NBAS,but refined them to be able to observe th e preterm infant’s functioning. The Ounce Scale (Meisels et al., 2008) is another developmental scalesuitable for parents, child- care personnel, and Early Head Start teachers to administer. Use d with children from birth to 3.6 years old, TheOunce Scale is o rganized around six developmental domains and helps parents o bserve developmental milestones. Watch this video to learn about how the APGAR is administered and what it means. (www.youtube.com/watch?v=zY87wohJl9I) Infant and toddler development Infant development scales go beyond measuring neonatal status to focusing on development from 1 month to 2 years. The Gesell DevelopmentalSchedules (Ball, 1977) were the first scales devi sed to measure infant development. Gesell designed them to det ect infants who were delayed indevelopment and might need spe cial services. More recently, the Bayley Scales of Infant Develo pment, Third Edition (BSID- III) (Bayley, 2005)were designed to learn about infants’ overall development, while the Communication and Symbolic Behavior Scales Developmental Profile (CSBSDP™) (Prizant & Wetherby , 2002) are used to assess communicative and symbolic develop ment, including symbolic play and constructive play.The Mullen Scales of Early Learning (Mullen, 1995) measure cognitive fun ctioning in infants, toddlers, and young children from birth to 6 8months. The assessment measures intellectual development thr ough the child’s response to prepared activities. The Gesell and Bayleyinstruments are challenging to administer because of thei r length; however, because they are used to diagnose children w ith special needs, it isimportant to examine developmental miles tones thoroughly. The Devereux Early Childhood Assessment for Infants and Todd lers (DECA- I/T) (Powell, MacKrain, & LeBuffe, 2007) is an assessment desi gned tosupport the social and emotional development of infants and toddlers. There are two forms, the Infant Form for children
  • 6.
    1–18 months old,andthe Toddler Form for children 18– 36 months old. The Denver II (Frankenburg et al., 1992) is a simple screening i nstrument designed to identify children who are likely to have s ignificant delaysand need early identification and intervention, while the Adaptive Behavior Assessment System, Second Editio n (ABAS- 2) (Harrison & Oakland, 2003) assesses the strengths and weakn esses in adaptive skills. The Early Coping Inventory (ECI) (Zeit lin et al., 1988) assesses how well infantsand toddlers 4– 36 months of age react and cope with different situations; in add ition, the Infant/Toddler Symptom Checklist: A Screening Tool forParents (DeGangi et al., 1995) screens infants and toddlers w ho show disturbances in sleep, feeding, and self- calming. Used with children from7 to 30 months old, it can be a dministered by a parent or caregiver. Diagnostic Tests There are diagnostic tests for infants to identify developmental or physical disorders. As with developmental and screening test s for infants andtoddlers, it is very difficult to accurately acquir e the needed information. The strategies for measuring lung fun ction, for example, can beconsidered to be intrusive for infants ( Panitch, 2004). Likewise, babies who have experienced a life- threatening event (ALTE) presentchallenges in what tests shoul d be used, how to interpret the results, and how well the tests or assessment procedures will contribute to themany factors that c an cause ALTE (Brand et al., 2005). Observational measures to assess children with spinal cord injury can result in lack ofagree ment among the observers (Calhoun et al., 2009). Regardless, sp ecialists in infant screening and diagnosis continue to research methodsthat provide the desired testing with minimal invasive methods and more dependable results. Figure 3- 1 describes neonatal and infant tests. FIGURE 3-1 Neonatal and infant tests Tests for Preschool Children
  • 7.
    Professionals have designeda variety of tests to evaluate develo pment and to detect developmental problems during the prescho ol years. Justas the testing of infants and toddlers presents chall enges to test administrators because of the children’s developme ntal circumstances, theevaluation of preschool children under ag e 6 must also be conducted with their developmental characteris tics in mind. Instruments that assesscharacteristics used to ident ify developmental delays or to diagnose sources of disabilities t hat affect the child’s potential for learning areadministered to o ne child at a time. Test items are concrete tasks or activities tha t match the child’s ability to respond; nevertheless, validity and reliability are affected by such factors as the child’s limited atte ntion span. As children enter the preschool years, more instrume nts areavailable for examining development and identifying pote ntial developmental delays. To better understand the various typ es of measures,preschool tests are organized into screening, dia gnostic, language, and achievement tests. Screening Tests Screening tests are administered to detect indicators that a child might have a developmental problem that needs to be further in vestigated.Screening tests can be contrasted with assessments th at examine development in more depth and help determine stren gths and possibledifficulties, as well as to determine what strate gies need to be taken to address the child’s needs. The Denver II (Frankenburg et al., 1992) was discussed earlier a s a screening tool that can be used with infants and older childre n. It isadministered by a professional such as a pediatrician or e ducator. In contrast, the Ages and Stages Questionnaires, Third Edition (ASQ- 3™)(Squires & Bricker, 2009) uses parental reporting. The pare nt can complete the questionnaire or participate in an interview with a professional.It is administered for children ages 1 month to 66 months. The AGS Early Screening Profiles can be administered from age s 2 years to 6 years 11 months. They include parent– teacher questionnaires aswell as profiles in cognitive language,
  • 8.
    motor, and socialdevelopment. The Developmental Indicators f or the Assessment of Learning™, FourthEdition (DIAL™- 4) (Mardell & Goldenberg, 2011) is also used to flag potential d evelopmental delays. Administered to children ages 2 years 6mo nths to 5 years 11 months, it includes direct observation and tas ks presented to the child. The Early Screening Inventory— Revised (ESI- R),2008 edition (Meisels et al., 2008) has two forms: the ESI- P for ages 3 to 4.4 years, and the ESI- K for ages 4.5 to 6 years. It is used to screendevelopmental dom ains and uses cutoff scores to determine whether the child needs to be referred for further evaluation. A parentalquestionnaire is used to provide supplementary information. The Brigance Early Childhood Screens III (Brigance, 2013) include three screening tools to examine development in the domains of physical develo pment, language, academic/cognitive, self-help, and social- emotional. The threetools are: an Infant & Toddler Screen for c hildren 0– 35 months; an Early Preschool, Preschool Screen for children 3– 5 years old; and a K & 1Screen for children in kindergarten and first grade. Finally, the FirstSTEp™: Screening Test for Evaluat ing Preschoolers (Miller, 1993) has 12subtests grouped into cog nitive, communicative, and motor categories. There is also an o ptional social- emotional scale and adaptive behaviorchecklist. First Step has t hree levels: Level 1 is administered to children from ages 2 year s 9 months to 3 years 8 months; Level II is for children3 years 9 months to 4 years 8 months; and Level III is administered to ch ildren 4 years 9 months to 6 years 2 months. A new Gesell Instit uteinstrument, the Gesell Developmental Observation— Revised (2011), is used with 2½- to 6-year- old children. It measures child growth, academicachievement, a nd social and emotional development. Baker School for Early Learning Baker School is a community school that targets services for tod dlers and preschool children from a nearby public housing devel
  • 9.
    opment.The children inthe housing development represent a var iety of ethnic groups and languages. Some are from families tha t recentlyemigrated from another country. Teachers in the progr am need input from parents on their child’s current stage of dev elopment prior toentering the program. Parents can fill out the Ages and Stages Questionnaire with information about their chil d. The form includesquestions about behaviors, speaking abilitie s, and physical skills, as well as other indicators of development . Because the teachers aresensitive to possible language and lite racy limitations, they are available if the parents need help filli ng in the information. In many casesthey read the questions to t he parents and record their responses on the test form. The screening tests just discussed cover various domains of dev elopment. The screening tools discussed next focus solely on so cial- emotionaldevelopment. These screening instruments look at soci al behaviors and require sensitive and careful collaboration bet ween the home andschool because children’s behaviors are affec ted by environmental differences. While this type of screening i s difficult to do accurately, social- emotional competence is very important and should be monitore d (Meisels & Atkins-Burnett, 2005). The Early Screening Project (ESP) (Walker, Severson, & Feil, 1 995) is administered to children ages 3 to 6 years and is adminis tered in threestages. Children are ranked in social interaction, a daptive behavior, maladaption behaviors, aggressive behaviors, and reactions to criticalevents. A parent questionnaire looks at h ow the child plays with other children, how the child interacts w ith caregivers, and social problemssuch as difficulties with self- esteem or social avoidance. An instrument that uses parent ratin gs is the PKBS– 2: Preschool and KindergartenBehavior Scales, Second Edition ( Merrell, 2003). Administered to children ages 3 to 6 years, it ex amines positive and problem behaviors. (Figure3- 2 provides examples of items on screening tests.) Diagnostic Tests
  • 10.
    After a childhas been screened and there are indicators that furt her evaluation is needed, tests for diagnostic assessment can be administered.Adaptive behavior instruments attempt to measure how well the young child has mastered everyday living tasks su ch as toileting and feeding. Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales, 2nd Edition (Vineland™- II) (Sparrow, Cicchetti, & Balla, 2005) assesses the everyday be haviors of the childthat indicate level of development. The scale determines areas of strengths and needs in communication, dail y living, socialization, and motorskills. Another instrument, the ABS-S:2™ Adaptive Behavior Scale– School 2nd Edition™ (Lambert, Nihira, & Leland, 2008), assess es adaptivebehavior for children 3– 16 years old in 16 domains for social competence and independe nce. Figure 3-3 describes categories of adaptivebehaviors. Preschool intelligence tests and adaptive behavior scales are use d to diagnose children with intellectual disabilities. Although in telligencemeasures during the preschool years are generally unr eliable because children’s IQs can change enormously between early childhood andadolescence, they are used with young child ren to measure learning potential. FIGURE 3-2 Examples of items on screening tests FIGURE 3-3 Some categories assessed in adaptive behaviors The Stanford– Binet Intelligence Scales (SB5), Fifth Edition (Roid, 2003), the original IQ test, was designed to assess general thinking or prob lem- solving ability. It is valuable in answering questions about deve lopmental delay and retardation. Another instrument, the Wechs ler Preschool andPrimary Scale of Intelligence™, Third Edition (WPPSI™- III) (Wechsler, 2002), is useful in identifying signs of uneven d evelopment for childrenages 2 years 6 months to 7 years 3 mont hs.
  • 11.
    Other instruments addressall domains of development. The Kau fman Assessment Battery for Children, Second Edition (KABC ™- II) (Kaufman &Kaufman, 2004), Battelle Developmental Invent ory™, Second Edition (BDI- 2™) (Newborg, 2004), and Bracken Basic Concept Scale, Third Edition:Receptive (BBCS- 3:R) (Bracken, 2006) have comprehensive assessments of devel opment. Additionally, the Brigance Inventory of EarlyDevelopm ent III (IED III) (Brigance, 2013) is an assessment used with chi ldren from birth through developmental age 7 years. There are t woversions of the IED III, which is criterion- referenced, and the IED III-Standardized, which is norm- referenced. The Devereux Early Childhood Assessment Preschool Program, Second Edition (DECA P- 2) (Le Buffe & Naglieri, 2012) is a strengths- basedassessment system designed to promote resilience and posi tive social/emotional development for children ages 3– 5 years. It can beadministered through classroom observations. I t has items that examine positive and negative behaviors such as attention problems,aggression, depression, and emotional contr ol. Language Tests The category of language tests for preschool children is very im portant because many children are at risk for school readiness b ecause theyhave language deficits or their first language is not English. While some language tests for at- risk children are in English, others are available inboth English and Spanish, and occasionally other languages. The Preschool L anguage Scale, Fourth Edition (PLS- 4) (Zimmerman, Steiner, & Pond, 2007) and Peabody Picture Vo cabulary Test, Fourth Edition (PPVT- 4) (Dunn & Dunn, 2007) provide information on a child’s langu age ability,which can help determine whether a child will benefi t from a language enrichment program.
  • 12.
    With the expandingnumbers of English Language Learners (EL L) who are living in many states, language assessment tests are growing inimportance. Children who have limited English profi ciency may be served in a bilingual program or ELL program. T he Pre-LAS, Pre-IPT, and Woodcock- Muñoz Language Survey (discussed next) are available in Engli sh and Spanish editions. There are also forms of these tests for s chool-age children. The preLAS Observational Assessment™ measures oral languag e proficiency for 3-year-olds and the preLAS (CTB/McGraw- Hill, 2000) measureslanguage proficiency and literacy skills for children in kindergarten through first grade. It is also used to m ake language placement decisions,monitor progress over time, a nd identify learner needs. The IDEA Proficiency Tests (Pre- IPT), Fourth Edition (Ballard & Tighe, 2006) aredesigned to eva luate language, reading, and writing skills in Spanish and Englis h for children in pre-K to 12th grade. The Pre- IPT isadministered to 3- to 5-year- olds and can be used to determine when children are ready to be released from ELL programs. The Woodcock- Muñoz Language Survey®— Revised Normative Update (WMLS®- R NU) (Schrank et al., 2010) can be administered to children as young as age 2. Figure 3- 4 lists different categories of preschool tests. There are distinct phases of second language acquisition, as illu strated in this video. How might a child’s test results be affecte d during eachstage of second language acquisition? (www.youtu be.com/watch?v=Eoca1Ou_6TE) Tests for School-Age Children For the child old enough to attend preschool and elementary sch ool, many tests are available for use by teachers, school psychol ogists,program evaluators, and other personnel with responsibili ties for students and the early childhood curriculum. In addition to preschoolprograms for children with disabilities, many states
  • 13.
    conduct programs for4-year- old and kindergarten children as well. Descriptions of someof th ese assessments were included in the previous section on presch ool tests. Likewise, some of the assessments in this section incl udeprekindergarten and kindergarten children. Although individ ual tests are available for some purposes in school- age programs, group testing isalso used. Group tests require the child to use paper and pencil; therefore, test results may be affe cted by the child’s ability to respond in thismanner. Test validit y and reliability may be affected by the child’s ability both to re spond in a group setting and to use a pencil to find and markres ponses on the test. As students move into the primary grades, th ese factors become less important. The tests discussed in this se ction do notinclude the many tests designed by individual states to meet the grade testing requirements of NCLB. Instead, they address tests forunderstanding strengths and possible delays in l anguage, cognitive, and motor development as children move int o the primary grades. FIGURE 3-4 Categories and characteristics of preschool tests Many public school programs are designed for children at high r isk for disabilities. A number of programs are available, includi ng bilingual andEnglish language programs for children whose f irst language is not English, intervention programs for children with a physical or intellectualdisability, and preschool programs for children from low- income homes who lack the early childhood experiences that pre dict successfullearning. These programs may include a screenin g instrument to determine which children are eligible for special services. The WechslerIntelligence Scale for Children®, Fourth Edition (WISC®-IV) (Wechsler, 2003) and the Bender Visual- Motor Gestalt Test, Second Edition (Bender-Gestalt- II) (Bender, 2003) may be administered to a preschool or school - age child by a school psychologist or school diagnostician todet
  • 14.
    ermine whether thechild needs educational services for children with disabilities. Poor performance on the Bender-Gestalt- II by a school- age child indicates the need for further study of the child. The B eery-Buktenica Developmental Test of Visual- Motor Integration, Sixth Edition(BEERY™ VMI) (Beery, Bukte nica, & Beery, 2010) is a similar test. St. Pius Preschool Areas of southwest Arkansas are experiencing an influx of peop le from Mexico and Central America who work at a large local p aperfactory. Many of these families in one community attend St. Pius Catholic Church, and parishioners have seen the need to pr ovide Englishclasses and other services for the parents as they a djust to a new country and language. As the parents found work, church members alsorecognized a need for child care. They dec ided to include a concentrated English language development pr ogram when they added a child- care center to their outreach activities. As they began the program, the parishioners realized they neede d to find a test that would indicate the children’s progress in lea rningEnglish as well as provide a language assessment to send t o local Head Start, preschool, and kindergarten programs when t he childrenwere transitioning out of the St. Pius school. They le arned about the Pre-Language Assessment Survey (Pre- LAS) from public schoolcolleagues. After learning how to use t he instrument, they were ready to start implementing the test to better help their very youngstudents learn English. Achievement tests are useful when making decisions about instr uction. If a child is exhibiting learning difficulties, a psychologi st mightadminister the Peabody Individual Achievement Test— Revised Normative Update (PIAT- R/NU) (Markwardt, 1997) or the Wide Range AchievementTest 4 (WRAT 4) (Wilkinson & Robertson, 2006) to gain information about children’s math, reading, and spelling skills. The teacher mightadminister the Boehm Test of Basic Concepts, Third Editi on (Boehm-
  • 15.
    3) (Boehm, 2000)to young children to determine their need for instructionin basic concepts or to assess successful learning of c oncepts previously taught. Primary- grade teachers may also need specific information about a child having difficulties in the classroom. Diagnostic tests such as the Spache Diagnostic Reading Scales (Spache, 1981) can be admin istered by classroom teachers to pinpoint skills in which student s need additionalinstruction. The Preschool Child Observation R ecord, Second Edition (COR) developed by the HighScope Educ ational Research Foundation(High/scope Educatonal Research F oundation, 2010) can be used in preschool through fifth grade in six developmental domains, includingsocial development. The I nfant & Toddler Child Observation Record (High/Scope Educati onal Research Foundation, 2003) measuresdevelopmental domai ns and correlates with the Preschool COR.Figure 3- 5 (on the next page) includes examples of initiative items relati ng toadults, other children, and social problem solving. The che cklists can also be used in Head Start programs and child- care centers and withchildren who speak English as a second lan guage. FIGURE 3- 5 Examples from the Preschool Child Observation Record Source: Preschool Child Observation Record (COR). (2003). Yp silanti, MI: High/Scope Educational Research Foundation, 2003, used with permission. Group achievement tests are used to evaluate individual achieve ment, group achievement, and program effectiveness. All of the new testsdeveloped by individual states to provide accountabilit y for student achievement are group achievement tests. A school district may administerachievement tests every year to determi ne each student’s progress, as well as to gain diagnostic informa tion on the child’s need for futureinstruction. The same test resu lts can be used at the district level to give information on studen t’s progress between and within schools and todetermine the eff
  • 16.
    ectiveness of thedistrict’s instructional program. Instructional effectiveness may also be evaluated at the state or national level. A state agency may administer statewide achieve ment tests towork toward establishing a standard of instructiona l effectiveness in all schools within the state. Test results can id entify school districts thatboth exceed and fall below the set sta ndard. Indicators of poor instructional areas in many school dist ricts pinpoint weaknesses in the state’sinstructional program an d facilitate specific types of improvement. As was discussed in Chapter 01, the No Child Left Behind Act, passed in2001, requi red all states to develop and administer tests to measure achieve ment in public schools. More recently, the Common Core of Stat eStandards was developed in an effort to measure achievement i n all states (NAEYC, 2012). National assessments are made peri odically topinpoint strengths and weaknesses in the educational progress of U.S. children in different subject areas. These findin gs are frequentlycompared with achievement results of students in other countries. Figure 3-6 lists tests for school-age children. Though standardized achievement tests help educators and pare nts better understand the strengths and needs of school- age children, it isimportant to remember how they affect childre n’s self- esteem. In this video a student reflects on his experience with te sts and calls attention tohis interests and characteristics that ma y not be measured on standardized tests. (https://www.youtube.c om/watch?v=nA-y0Txmw8Y) FIGURE 3-6 School-age tests In this section, we discussed how standardized tests are used. Al though the tests described include various types with different p urposes, theprocess used for their development is essentially the same. The next part of the chapter will focus on how standardiz ed tests are designed; thatis, the steps followed in the developm ent of all standardized tests.
  • 17.
    3.2 Steps inStandardized Test Design Test designers follow a series of steps when constructing a new test. These steps ensure that the test achieves its goals and purp oses. Inplanning a test, the developers first specify the purpose of the test. Next, they determine the test format. As actual test d esign begins, theyformulate objectives; write, try out, and analy ze test items; and assemble the final test form. After the final te st form is administered, thedevelopers establish norms and deter mine the validity and reliability of the test. As a final step, they develop a test manual containingprocedures for administering t he test and statistical information on standardization results. Specifying the Purpose of the Test Every standardized test should have a clearly defined purpose. The description of the test’s purpose is the framework for the co nstructionof the test. It also allows evaluation of the instrument when design and construction steps are completed. The Standard s for Educational andPsychological Testing (American Psycholo gical Association [APA], 1999) has established guidelines for in cluding the test’s purpose in thetest manual. In 2013 the standar ds were under revision. The 1999 standards are as follows: B2. The test manual should state explicitly the purpose and appl ications for which the test is recommended. B3. The test manual should describe clearly the psychological, e ducational and other reasoning underlying the test and the natur eof the characteristic it is intended to measure. (p. 15) Test designers should be able to explain what construct or chara
  • 18.
    cteristics the testwill measure, how the test results will be used , and whowill take the test or to whom it will be administered. The population for whom the test is intended is a major factor i n test design. Tests constructed for infants and young children a re verydifferent from tests designed for adults. As test develope rs consider the composition and characteristics of the children f or whom they aredesigning the test, they must include variables such as age, intellectual or educational level, socioeconomic ba ckground, language andcultural background, and whether the yo ung child can read. Determining Test Format Test format decisions are based on determinations made about t he purpose of the test and the characteristics of the test takers. The testformat results from the developer’s decision on how test items will be presented and how the test taker will respond (Ka plan & Saccuzzo, 2013). One consideration is whether the test w ill be verbal or written. Although adults are most familiar with written tests, infants andyoung children are unable to read or wr ite. Tests designed for very young children are usually presente d orally by a test administrator. Analternative is to use a psycho motor response; the child is given an object to manipulate or is asked to perform a physical task. A morerecent approach is to c onduct assessments during play or daily routines (Linder, 2008). For older children, high school students, and adults, other test f ormats are possible. Test takers may respond to an alternative- choicewritten test such as one with true–false, multiple- choice, or matching items. The test may be given as a group test rather thanadministered as an individual test to one person at a time. Short-answer and essay items are also possibilities. After the test designers have selected the format most appropria te for the test’s purpose and for the group to be tested, actual te stconstruction begins. Experimental test forms are assembled aft er defining test objectives and writing test items for each object ive. Developing Experimental Forms In preparing preliminary test forms, developers use the test purp
  • 19.
    ose description astheir guide. Test content is then delimited. If anachievement test for schoolchildren is to be written, for exam ple, curriculum is analyzed to ensure that the test will reflect th e instructionalprogram. If the achievement test is to be designed for national use, then textbook series, syllabi, and curricular m aterials are studied tocheck that test objectives accurately reflec t curriculum trends. Teachers and curriculum experts are consult ed to review the content outlinesand behavioral objectives that s erve as reference points for test items. The process of developing good test items involves writing, edit ing, trying out, and rewriting or revising test items. Before bein g tried out,each item for an achievement test may be reviewed a nd rewritten by test writers, teachers, and other experts in the fi eld. Many more itemsthan will be used are written because man y will be eliminated in the editing and rewriting stages (Mehren s & Lehman, 1991). A preliminary test is assembled so that the selected test items ca n be tried out with a sample of students. The experimental test f ormsresemble the final form. Instructions are written for admini stering the test. The test may have more questions than will be u sed in the finalform because many questions will be revised or e liminated after the tryout. The sample of people selected to take the preliminary test issimilar to the population that will take th e final form of the test. The tryout of the preliminary test form is described as item tryo ut and analysis. Item analysis involves studying three characteri stics of eachtest question: difficulty level, discrimination, and g rade progression of difficulty (McMillan, 2013). The difficulty l evel of a question refers tohow many test takers in the tryout gr oup answered the question correctly. Discrimination of each que stion involves the extent to which thequestion distinguishes bet ween test takers who did well or poorly on the test. Test takers who did well should have been more successful inresponding to an item than test takers who did poorly. The item differentiates between people who have more or less knowledge or ability.The grade progression of difficulty refers to tests that are taken by s
  • 20.
    tudents in differentgrades in school. If a test question has good gradeprogression of difficulty, a greater percentage of students should answer it correctly in each successively higher grade (M ehrens & Lehman, 1991; McMillan, 2013). Assembling the Test After item analysis is completed, the final form of the test is ass embled. As a result of item analysis, test items have been reexa mined,rewritten, or eliminated. Test questions or required behav iors to measure each test objective are selected for the test. If m ore than one testform is to be used, developers must ensure that alternative forms are equivalent in content and difficulty. Test d irections are made finalwith instructions for both test takers and test administrators. In addition, information for test administrat ors includes details about thetesting environment and testing pr ocedures. Purpose of and Rationale for Selected Tests The statement of purpose of a test describes the framework that will be used in designing the test. Two examples follow. The Neonatal Behavioral Assessment Scale ((NBAS) represents a guide that helps parents, health care providers, and researcher sunderstand the newborn’s language. The Scale looks at a wide range of behaviors and is suitable for examining newborns and i nfantsup to 2 months old. By the end of the assessment, the exa miner has a behavioral “portrait” of the infant, describing the ba by’sstrengths, adaptive responses, and possible vulnerabilities. The examiner shares this portrait with parents to develop approp riatecaregiving strategies aimed at enhancing the earliest relatio nship between babies and parents (Brazelton & Nugent, 2011, p. 1). The Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales, Second Edition (Pearso n, 2008) is an individually administered, norm- referenced measure ofadaptive behavior or “personal and social self-sufficiency” for individuals ages birth– 90 years. It is appropriate for educational, socialservices, health care, criminal justice, or military settings. The Vineland II help s measure adaptive behavior of individuals withintellectual disa
  • 21.
    bility, autism spectrumdisorders (ASDs), attention deficit/hype ractivity disorder (ADHD), post- traumatic brain injury,hearing impairment, dementia, Alzheimer ’s disease, and other conditions (Sparrow, Cicchettim, & Balla, 2006, p.1) Standardizing the Test Although test construction is complete when the final form is as sembled and printed, the test has not yet been standardized. The final testform must be administered to another, larger sample of test takers to standardize each item. There are two types of stan dardized tests:criterion referenced and normed referenced. Nor ms provide the tool whereby children’s test performance can be compared with theperformance of a reference group. Criterion- referenced tests provide a description of mastery for each item. A reference group that represents the children for whom the test has been designed is selected to take the test for the purpose of establishing norms or criterion mastery. The performance of the reference or sample group on the final test form during thestan dardization process will be used to evaluate the test scores of in dividuals or groups who take the test in the future. The norming group is chosen to reflect the makeup of the popul ation for whom the test is designed. If a national school achieve ment test isbeing developed, the standardization sample consists of children from all sections of the country to include such vari ables as gender, age,community size, geographic area, socioeco nomic status, and ethnic factors. For other types of tests, differe nt characteristics may be used tomatch the norming sample with future populations to be tested. Various kinds of norms can be established during the standardiz ation process. Raw scores of sample test takers are converted int o derivedscores or standard scores for purposes of comparison. Standard scores are achieved by calculating the raw score, or th e number of itemsanswered correctly, into a score that can be us ed to establish a norm. Various types of standard scores can be used to compare the peopleselected to standardize the test with f uture populations that will be given the test. Each type of grade
  • 22.
    norm allows testusers to interpret achild’s test scores in compar ison with the scores of children used to norm the test (Miller, Li nn, & Gronlund, 2012; Payne, 2002). Forexample, an age score i s established by determining the norms for age groups when the test is given to the norming sample. The age normsdescribe the average performance of children of various ages. Likewise, grad e norms or grade- equivalent norms are established bydetermining the average sco res made by children at different grade levels in the norming gr oup (Kaplan & Saccuzzo, 2013; McMillan, 2013). Developing the Test Manual The final step in test design is development of the test manual. The test developer describes the purpose of the test, the develop ment of thetest, and the standardization procedures. Information on test validity and reliability is also included to give test users information on thedependability of the test. When explaining st andardization information in the user’s manual, test developers describe the method used toselect the norming group. The numb er of individuals included in standardizing the test is reported, a s well as the geographic areas, types ofcommunities, socioecono mic groups, and ethnic groups that they represent. 3.3 Differences Between Test Validity and Test Reliability Norm information is important for establishing confidence in an alyzing and interpreting the significance of test scores. Test use rs also needinformation demonstrating that the test will be valua ble for the intended purposes. Therefore, the test manual must p rovide information onvalidity and reliability. Both types of depe ndability indicators are equally important in determining the qu ality of the test. Validity is thedegree to which the test serves th e purpose for which it will be used; reliability is the extent to w hich a test is stable or consistent. Testvalidity can be determine d through content validity, criterion- related validity, or construct validity. When first designing a test, the developers describe its purpose. Test objectives or the test outlines provide the framework for t
  • 23.
    he contentof thetest. When a manual provides information on c ontent validity, the test developers are defining the degree to wh ich the test itemsmeasured the test objectives and fulfilled the p urpose of the test. Thus, for example, on an achievement test, co ntent validity is the extent towhich the content of the test repres ents an adequate sampling of the instructional program it is inte nded to cover. The content validity of areading test would be ba sed on how well the test items measured the reading skills exam ined in the test. The content validity of amathematics test would look at the content of the objectives on the test and assess how well the test items measured that content. Criterion- related validity is concerned with the validity of an aptitude test . Rather than analyzing course content, test items focus on skills or tasks that predict future success in some area. The estimates of predictive validity are concerned with stability over time. For example, an intelligence quotient (IQ) test might be predictive of school achievement. Likewise, Scholastic Aptitude Test score s may predict whetherhigh school students will be successful in college. Validity is predictive because the criteria for success ar e the future grades the student willearn in college or the student ’s future grade-point average. Criterion- related validity may be concurrent validity, rather than predictiv e validity. Instead of using a future measure to determinevalidit y, current measures are used. The outside criterion is assessed w hen the test is standardized. The developer of an intelligence tes tmay cite an existing intelligence test as the criterion to measur e validity. The developer administers both intelligence tests to t he samplegroup. If the new test scores correlate highly with sco res on the existing test, they may be used to establish concurren t validity. If a test measures an abstract psychological trait, the user’s man ual will describe how the sample group was tested to establish c onstructvalidity. Construct validity is the extent to which a test measures a relatively abstract psychological trait such as person
  • 24.
    ality, verbal ability,ormechanical aptitude (Miller, Linn, & Gro nlund, 2012). Rather than examining test items developed from t est objectives, one examinesconstruct validity by comparing test results with the variables that explain the behaviors. For examp le, suppose the construct is believed toinclude certain behaviora l characteristics, such as sociability or honesty. An instrument’s construct validity can be checked by analyzing howthe trait is a ffected by changing conditions. Alternatively, an instrument ma y measure level of anxiety; its construct validity is determined b ycreating experiments to find out what conditions affect anxiety (Miller, Linn, & Gronlund, 2012). The validity of a test is the extent to which the test measures wh at it is designed to measure. Test users, however, are also intere sted in atest’s dependability or stability in measuring behaviors. Test developers, therefore, also establish and report on the relia bility of theinstrument as part of the standardization process. Test reliability is related to test item discrimination. When test i tems are analyzed after the initial item tryout, they are examine d fordiscrimination power. After the final test form is administe red to a norming sample, the items are analyzed again to ensure that theinstrument is fairly reliable. The whole test is analyzed, rather than individual test items. The test manual reports the tes t’s reliability asdetermined by using alternative-form, split- half, or test– retest reliability measures. A test’s reliability coefficient descri bes the degree towhich a test is free from error of measurement. If alternative- form reliability strategies are used, test developers construct tw o equivalentforms of the final test. Both forms are administered to the norming group within a short period. The correlation bet ween the results on thetwo different forms measures the coeffici ent of reliability. For example, standardized achievement tests a re published using severaldifferent forms of the test. To measur e reliability, the norming group takes two forms of the test and t hen the results are compared to see ifthe performance on each of the tests was the same or very similar.
  • 25.
    If a split- halfreliability coefficient is used to establish reliability, the no rming group is administered a single test, and scores on half of t hetest are correlated with scores on the other half of the test. Sp lit- half reliability is determined from the contents of a single test. A test withsplit- half reliability is also considered to have internal consistency; t hat is, the items on each half of the test are positively correlated inmeasuring the same characteristics. Test– retest reliability is also derived from the administration of a sin gle test form. In this case, however, the test is administered to t henorming group and then is administered again after a short int erval. The two sets of scores are compared to determine whether they wereconsistent in measuring the test objectives. Factors that Affect Validity and Reliability Despite the measures and procedures that are used to ensure vali dity and reliability in standardized tests, other factors can affect testoutcomes. Some common factors are reading ability, the ph ysical condition of the testing room, memory, and the physical c ondition of theindividual taking the test. Thus, if the testing roo m is uncomfortably warm or a student had inadequate rest the ni ght before the test, scoreswill be affected. Lack of adherence to time limits and lack of consistency in test instructions affect test scores. Other factors are inconsistency in the rating ofessays from individual to individual and student gu essing of test answers (Payne, 1997). Validity is affected by such factors as unclear directions, difficu lty of reading vocabulary on the test, and test items that are not appropriatefor the test objectives (Miller, Linn, & Gronlund, 20 12). Reliability is affected by the number of test items or the le ngth of the test, lack ofinter- rater reliability, and extraneous events that affect the testing sit uation (Miller, Linn, & Gronlund, 2012; McMillan, 2013). These and other factors affect the possible errors on a test and t
  • 26.
    he quality ofthe test. This variation in testing quality is account ed for in the standard error of measurement, discussed next. Standard Error of Measurement No matter how well designed, no test is completely free from er ror. Although there is a hypothetical true score, in reality it doe s not exist.The reliability of the test depends on how large the st andard error of measurement is after analysis of the chosen met hod of determiningreliability. If the reliability correlations are p oor, the standard error of measurement will be large. The larger the standard error ofmeasurement, the less reliable the test. Stan dard error of measurement is the estimate of the amount of varia tion that can be expected intest scores as a result of reliability c orrelations. Several variables that are present during standardization affect t est reliability, as discussed earlier. First is the size of the popul ation sample.Generally, the larger the population sample, the m ore reliable the test will be. Second is the length of the test. Lon ger tests are usually morereliable than shorter tests. Longer test s have more test items, resulting in a better sample of behaviors . The more items that measure abehavior, the better the estimate of the true score and the greater the reliability. Strict adherence to test directions by test administratorscontributes to higher rel iability, whereas variations in test instructions or the coaching o f students can distort the reliability of test results. The third variable that can affect standard error of measurement is the range of test scores obtained from the norming group. Th e widerthe spread of scores, the more reliably the test can distin guish among them. Thus, the range of scores demonstrates how well the testdiscriminates between good and poor students (Mill er, Linn, & Gronlund, 2012). The spread of test scores can be re lated to the number ofstudents taking the test. The larger the tes ting sample, the more likely there will be a wider spread of test scores. 3.4 Considerations in Selecting and Evaluating Standardized Te
  • 27.
    sts Whenever a privateschool, public school district, preschool, or child- care center decides to use a test to evaluate children, educators mustdecide how to select the best test for that purpose. Those w ho select the test must determine the relevant questions to ask a bout the test.Brown (1983) identifies various factors that test us ers must consider: (1) the purpose of the testing, (2) the charact eristics to be measured,(3) how the test results will be used, (4) the qualifications of the people who will interpret the scores an d use the results, and (5) anypractical constraints. All these fact ors are important in selecting tests for young children. Because of the developmental limitations of youngtest takers, test format s must be compatible with their ability to respond. Development al limitations include short attention span,undeveloped fine- motor skills, inability to use reading skills for test responses, an d poor performance on group tests. Limitations in trainingand e xperience in those who administer the test are also factors in tes t selection. Other relevant concerns, particularly in selecting tests for young children, are the costs involved, testing time, and ease of scorin g and usingtest results (Kaplan & Saccuzzo, 2013). The test mus t be reasonable in cost, and the time needed to administer the te st should be suitablefor young children. A major issue is whether the test has quality. Is it a good test to use with the children? The person searching for an appropriate t est willwant to examine the test manual for indications of how well the test was designed and normed. The test manual should i nclude informationon the following: 1. Purpose of the test. The statement of purpose should include the rationale for the test, the characteristics the test is designed to measure,and the uses for the test. 2. Test design. The procedures and rationale for selecting test item s and the development and trial of test forms should be explaine
  • 28.
    d. 3. Establishment of validityand reliability. The description should describe the procedures used to establish validity and reliabilit y toinclude sufficient data on validity, reliability, and norms. 4. Test administration and scoring. Specific information should be given on how to administer and score the test and to interpret te stresults. Information should be adequate for users to determine whether the test is practical and suitable for their purposes. Pote ntialproblems should be pointed out that can be encountered wh en administering and scoring the test (Kaplan & Saccuzzo, 2013 ). See Figure 3- 7 for questions that should be answered in a test manual, includi ng an acceptable coefficient of reliability. FIGURE 3- 7 Questions for test manuals about the quality of tests Test users need extensive training in tests and measurements to interpret a test manual adequately. For many users, the explanat ions anddata reported in test manuals are complex and difficult t o understand. A reader may have difficulty in deciding whether the reliabilitycoefficient is adequate, whether the size and demo graphic characteristics of the norming population are appropriat e, or whether testcontent and format are suitable for the intende d uses. To obtain additional help in understanding the suitabilit y of the test, test users willwant to consult resources for test sta ndards and reviews. The Standards for Educational and Psychol ogical Testing (APA, 1999) includesstandards for tests, manuals , and reports. It also includes standards for reliability and validi ty, as well as information that should beincluded on the use of t ests. The Buros Institute of Mental Measurements is perhaps the most important source in identifying, describing, and evaluating publ ished tests.The series of Tests in Print is a comprehensive biblio graphy of thousands of tests in five volumes. The most recent, T
  • 29.
    ests in PrintVII(Murphy, Spies, & Plake, 2006), consists of two volumes. The tests are listed by type, and basic information is given about each test. The Mental Measurements Yearbooks include descriptive infor mation about tests, plus professional reviews. The content also i ncludessources of information about test construction, validatio n, and use. Critical reviews of the tests are included. For examp le, the Stanford– Binet Intelligence Scale (Terman & Merrill, 1973) is the oldest and most highly regarded IQ test used in the United States. How ever, thefourth edition of the test (Thorndike, Hagen, & Sattler, 1986) was found to be significantly different from the earlier ed itions. Reviewerspointed out that users are given poor informati on on the accuracy of reliability scores, the test is less game- like and therefore likely to beless appealing to children, and it o verrepresents parents from high occupational and educational le vels in the sample of children used fornorming (Anastasi, 1989; Cronbach, 1989). The most recent edition is the Stanford- Binet Intelligence Scales (SB5), Fifth Edition (Roid, 2003).Edu cators choosing a test need to be informed of the quality of the t est being considered for selection. The most recent yearbook is t he Eighteenth Mental Measurements Yearbook (Spies, Carlson, & Geisinger, 2010). A resource that is particularly helpful to people without a backg round in test design at a technical level is Test Critiques, Volum es I–X (Keyser& Sweetland, 1984– 1994). It includes information about test design and use, as well as a critique of the tests. Other resources for testevaluation and selection are particularly suitable for users of early childhood t ests. Test reviews can be accessed online. The Buros Center for Testi ng provides search engines for Test Reviews Online (unl.edu/bu ros). Anotheronline source is Psychware Sourcebook (Krug, 199 3). It identifies and describes computer products available for as sessment in education,psychology, and business. Brown (1983) summarized the steps in selecting and evaluating
  • 30.
    tests as follows: 1. Outlineyour general requirements: the purpose of testing, the c haracteristics to be measured, and the nature of the group to be t ested.Consider also the qualifications of test users and practical considerations. 2. Identify what tests are available that appear to meet your needs. Here sources such as Tests in Print, the Mental Measurement Y earbooks,test publishers’ catalogs, and test compilations will be most helpful. 3. Obtain further information about these tests from texts, journals , reference books, and consultation with people who have used t histype of test. 4. Select the most promising tests. Obtain samples (specimen sets) of these tests. 5. Make a detailed evaluation of these tests, keeping in mind the u nique requirements of your situation. On the basis of these eval uations,select the test(s) to be used. 6. If possible, conduct an experimental tryout of the test before put ting it to use. 7. Use the test. Constantly monitor and evaluate its usefulness and effectiveness. (p. 463) Summary Psychological tests are administered to children of all ages beginning in infancy. The tests can be organized to measure abilities such as achievement, aptitudes, and intelligence. There are also measures to understand interests, attitudes, values, and personality characteristics. These types of psychological tests have been organized in this chapter according to age level. Thus, there are charts for tests for infants and toddlers,
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    preschool children, andschool-age children. Some of the measures, such as interest and attitude tests, are only appropriate for school-age children. The tests vary in quality depending on how they were designed and evaluated for validity and reliability. As a result, the choice of tests for a particular purpose should be examined for established quality indicators. Despite their shortcomings, standardized tests are useful for test users. Because they have been carefully developed through a series of steps that ensure their dependability, educational institutions, in particular, use them to measure students’ characteristics. Good standardized tests are normed by using many individuals from various backgrounds who live in different parts of the United States. As a result, the tests also accurately measure the population to whom the tests are given. Although the process of developing a standardized test may seem to be unnecessarily tedious, good test design requires careful planning and attention to each step. The ultimate validity and reliability of the test depend on the attention paid to design details, beginning with the definition of the test’s purpose and ending with the description of technical data about the test’s construction in the users’ manual. Key Terms achievement test 55 alternative-form reliability 72 aptitude test 55 concurrent validity 72 construct validity 72 content validity 71
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    criterion-referenced test 70 criterion-relatedvalidity 72 equivalent forms 70 grade norm 71 group test 69 individual test 69 intelligence quotient (IQ) 72 intelligence test 55 interest inventory 56 internal consistency 73 item analysis 69 multiple choice 69 norm 70 personality test 55 raw score 71 reliability 71 split-half reliability 72 standard error of measurement 73
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    test–retest reliability 73 truescore 73 validity 71 Selected Organizations Search for the following organizations online: Child Care Exchange Buros Institute of Mental Measurements Test Reviews Online References Als, H., Butler, S., Kosta, S., & McAmulty, G. (2005). The assessment of preterm infants’ behavior (APIB): Furthering the understanding and measurement of neurodevelopmental competence in preterm and full-term infants. Mental Retardation and Developmental/Disabilities Research Reviews, 11, 94–102. Als, H., Lester, B. M., Tronick, E., & Brazelton, T. B. (1982). Towards a research for the assessment of preterm infants’ behavior (APIB). In H. E. Fitzgerald, B. M. Lester, & M. W. Yogman (Eds.), Theory and research in behavioral pediatrics (Vol. 1, pp. 1–35). New York, NY: Plenum Press. Als, H., Tronick, E., Lester, B. M., & Brazelton, T. B. (1979). Specific neonatal measures: The Brazelton Neonatal Behavioral Assessment Scale. In J. D. Osofsky (Ed.), Handbook of infant development (pp. 185–215). New York, NY: Wiley. American Psychological Association. (1999). Standards for educational and psychological testing. Washington, DC: Author.
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    Anastasi, A. (1989).Review of the Stanford–Binet Intelligence Scale, Fourth Edition. In J. C. Conoley & J. J. Kramer (Eds.), The tenth Mental Measurements Yearbook (pp. 771–772). Lincoln, NE: University of Nebraska Press. Apgar, V. (1975). A proposal for a new method of evaluation of a newborn infant. Anesthesia and Analgesia, 32, 260–267. Ball, R. S. (1977). The Gesell Developmental Schedules. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 5, 233–239. Ballard, W., & Tighe, P. (2006). IDEA Proficiency Tests (Pre- IPT), Fourth Edition. Brea, CA: Author. Bayley, N. (2005). Bayley Scales of Infant Development, Third Edition (BSID-III). San Antonio, TX: Pearson Assessments. Beery, K. E., Buktenica, H., & Beery, N. (2010). Beery- Buktenica Developmental Test of Motor Integration, Sixth Edition. San Antonio, TX: Pearson Assessments. Bender, L. (2003). Bender Visual Motor Gestalt Test for Children, Second Edition (Bender-Gestalt-II). San Antonio, TX: Pearson Assessments. Boehm, A. E. (2000). Boehm Test of Basic Concepts, Third Edition. San Antonio, TX: Pearson Assessments. Bracken, B. A. (1998). Bracken Basic Concept Scale—Revised (BBCS-R). San Antonio, TX: Pearson Assessments. Brand, D. A., Altman, R. L., Puttill, K., & Edwards, K. S. (2005, April). Yield of diagnostic testing in infants who have had an apparent life-threatening event. Pediatrics, 115, 885– 893.
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