Assessing the educational and cognitive needs of individuals with mental retardation is a very complex process. An appropriately chosen assessment can be a highly effective tool that can be used to measure the progress of our students. The teacher must select assessment procedures carefully and make judgments regarding the main areas to assess and then determine which areas of performance need to be tested further. Effective use of the results will allow teachers to design instruction and lessons specifically to fit the needs of their students. Where does the teacher start? A starting point is to gather and then organize information from previous teacher reports, achievement test results, and, most importantly, psychologist reports on the severity of the disorder.
Theories regarding the components of intelligence and their measurement have been proposed and debated for over 100 years (Taylor, Richards, & Brady, 2005). Currently, most intelligence tests are made up of subtests that measure various qualities, such as factual knowledge, short-term memory, abstract reasoning, visual-spatial abilities, and common sense (Rich, n.d.). IQ tests are considered good predictors of academic success. They are not good at, nor should be used to measure interpersonal skill or creativity. Although IQ scores tend to be fairly stable, IQ will vary over time. The Stanford-Binet and the Wechsler Scales for children are the most common individually administered IQ tests. A detailed description of each test is summarized in Table 1.
Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC)
The Wechsler Intelligence Scale assessment helps schools make better accommodations and develop learning plans to meet specific needs of individual students...
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... scale for… (2011). Retrieved on 04/01/11 from http://libraryassu.edu/guides/1_3_20_1.htm
Rich, J. (n.d.). Intelligence Testing. In Psychological Testing: A Guide to Psychological Testing and Assessment. Retrieved from http://www.psychologicaltesting.com/
Stanford-Binet intelligence scales (2011). Retrieved on 03/31/11 from http://medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/Stanford-Binet+Intelligence+Scales
Stanford-Binet intelligence test (2011). Retrieved on 03/31/11 from http://www.minddisorders.com/Py-Z/Standford-Intelligence-Scale.html
Taylor, R., Richards, S., & Brady, M. (2005). Mental Retardation: Historical Perspectives, current practices, and future directions. Boston: Allyn and Bacon.
Wechsler intelligence scale for children (2010). Retrieved on 04/01/11 from http://wwww.schoolpsychologyblog.com/Wechsler-intelligence-scale-fot-children-wis-ivl
Labeling theory is an issue that has been raised that deserves a closer look. Labeling theory, the impression that the public labels certain people as different from the normal conduct. (Popple and Leighninger, 2011) Everyone labels in society. An actor can be labeled into a certain part thought out his/her career. A boss is labeled horrible for firing one individual. Society uses labels and it defines people. The book brought up two points of labeling that should be explored. The first point is the label of developmental disabilities will give a diagnosis. People who have developmental disabilities have it, and they cannot change the situation. It can be manageable, but there will always be the label. The second point is that the society label and perception of the label. There is a stigma in the public about developmental disabilities. Although more accepted than mental illness, developmental disability has a label of individuals being stupid and slow. Labeling theory can be seen throughout history. Chapter thirteen points out that history can shape individual’s label of developmentally disabilities.
Before answering the questions let find out what intelligence test is. It is a test consisting of a series of tasks requiring people to use various verbal and non verbal skills to measure the individual’s intellectual ability. Now that we know what an intelligence test is we can now answer the question better. Three important short comings of intelligence test that have nothing to do with intelligence are: having low motivation or high anxiety which can greatly influence the performance on the test, also IQ test may contain cultural biases in their language and or tasks that may place people of one background above people of another back ground, and members of minority groups may have little experience with this kind of test or may be uncomfortable with examiners of a different ethnic back ground than them (Comer, 2013, pp.107).
General intelligence tends to relate to various degrees with each other (Cohen 2012). An example of this is that if an individual is good in math, they may also be good in spelling. In this weeks reading we reviewed several different models of measurement of intelligence. In regard to these theories and general intelligence (g), the theories are various but have commonality and overlap. The Spearman's two-factor theory is if a test has high correlation with other test than the measurement of g is highly saturated (Cohen, 2012). The greater the importance of g on a test, the better the test is believed to predict intelligence
Terman, L. M. (1916). The measurement of intelligence: an explanation of and a complete guide for the use of the Stanford revision and extension of the Binet-Simon Intelligence Scale. Massachusetts: The Riverside Press.
In the society of today, there are various educators who believe in assessment as proper method to measure the performance of a child in school as well as the overall achievement of a specific school system. The assessment may be presented in the form of verbal, written, or multiple choice, and it usually pertains to certain academic subjects in the school curriculum. Recently, many educators began to issue standardized tests to measure the intelligence of a common student body. (Rudner, 1989) These standardized tests were initially created to reveal the success in institutional school programs, and exhibit the abilities of students today. The standardized tests can reveal the strengths and weaknesses of a student as well as the admission into certain programs. The test results also assist various schools in determining the proper curriculum, evaluate a specific school system, or a particular school related program.
Intelligence tests have been developed by scientists as a tool to categorize army recruits or analyze school children. But still discussing what intelligence is, academics have a difficult time defining what intelligence tests should measure. According to the American researcher Thorndike, intelligence is only that what intelligence tests claim it is (Comer, Gould, & Furnham, 2013). Thus, depending on what is being researched in the test and depending on the scientist’s definition of intelligence the meaning of the word intelligence may vary a lot. This essay will discuss what intelligence is in order to be able to understand the intelligence theories and aims of intelligence tests.
Education is an essential priority for all children which are guaranteed in the United States through the legislature of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) (Feuerborn & Tyre, 2009). Problems arise when students with disabilities have been disparaged from appropriate education due to disproportionate assessments, or teachers that are misinformed concerning the recognition of disabilities. Across America a plethora of students with disabilities are found to be eligible for special education services and receive services under subjective eligibility categories such as emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD) (Thorsen, Koven, Pattee, Watson, & Collier, 2011). The purpose of this paper is to explain in detail what an effective program for students with EBD should include. Additionally, written within this paper is the perspective of a special educator who assures that procedural due process is being honored and legal issues are being addressed in a strong program for students with EBD by implementing the following components: development of Individualized Education Program (IEP), procedures for developing least restrictive environment assignments, processes for conducting a Functional Behavioral Assessment (FBA), what to include in a Behavior Intervention Plan (BIP), examples of potential positive behavior interventions, re-evaluation procedures and timeline once students are identified for services, student self-evaluation procedures, and a transition plan (as is required from ages 14-16).
In spite of the fact that intelligence quotient tests have been around for decades, many professionals are attempting to determine the factors and causes behind aptitude. Several options exist to explain or disprove the reasons why some attain above average intellect, while others manage varying degrees less. Some of these alternatives, along with arguments in the general and human intelligence topics, will be found inside the following pages of discussion.
Throughout psychological research there are many psychometric theorists with a range of significant theories for intelligence, examples include; Charles Spearman and his theory of ‘g’ in 1927, Cattell’s 1963 theory of fluid ‘Gf’ and crystallized intelligence ‘Gc’, John Carroll’s 1997 three tiered model of intelligence, Sternberg’s layperson’s definition, Howard Gardner’s 1983 theory of multiple intelligence and Salovey and Mayer’s 1990 theory of emotional intelligence.
Response to Intervention is a valuable tool in addresses students achievement and identifying those individuals that are in need of intervention early in the academic process to prevent them from become discouraged. National Intelligence and academic test are important for academic institutions to safe guards that their curriculum is keeping up with current standards and that students are achieving at the appropriate levels. These national tests provide a national norm, which can be compared to the local norm of achievement for institutions to measure their performance by.
In this world, there are many different individuals who are not only different in demographics but also different neurologically. Due to an immense amount of people it is important to first understand each individual, in order, to better understand them and to help them when it comes to certain areas such as education, the work force, and etc…. For this reason psychologists have aimed to further understand individuals through the use of psychological assessments. This paper aims to examine a particular assessment tool, the Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scales (Fifth Edition), which measures both intelligence and cognitive abilities (Roid, 2003). This assessment is usually administered by psychologists and the scores are most often used to determine placement in academics and services allotted to children and adolescents (despite their compatibility for adults) (Wilson & Gilmore, 2012). Furthermore before the investigation dives into the particulars of the test, such as its strengths and weakness’, it is best to first learn more about the intelligence scales general characteristics.
Kamphaus, R. W., Winsor, A. P., Rowe, E. W., & Kim, S. (2005). A history of intelligence test
One of the most definitive things ever said regarding the nature of intelligence was that intelligence is whatever IQ tests measure. The IQ test has been in use throughout the 20th century and serves as an accepted measure of a person’s intelligence. It is used by institutions such as schools and the army to screen people’s level of intelligence and decisions are made based on that. The IQ test consists of a series of questions regarding certain skills such as vocabulary, mathematics, spatial relations. The scores that a person gets on these tests depend on the amount of questions that a person answers correctly. The actual score that a person gets is dependant on how others in that age group do on those particular questions.
The Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scale is a standardized test that assesses intelligence and cognitive abilities. Intelligence is "a concept intended to explain why some people perform better than others on cognitive tasks. Intelligence is defined as "the mental abilities needed to select, adapt to, and shape environments. It involves the ability to profit from experience, solve problems, reason, and successfully meet challenges and achievement goals. Intelligence tests began as a psychologist's solution to a problem faced by Paris schools at the beginning of the century.
As with any program within the school system, these assessment and intervention services are used for the purpose of being improved. One of the strongest strengths is that they are tailored to the needs of the children. Children with developmental delays learn at a slower and uneven rate and there are certain skills that must be taught by direct instruction. There is no skill that can be taken for granted by parents and teachers. These programs help the students learn and be in the right developmental stages. Additionally, students have Individualized Educational Plan, commonly referred to as an IEP. IEPs have their special needs, along with recommendations, concerns, and goals for their future. As good as IEPS are, there are some major weaknesses with it. Primarily the stigma it brings students being labeled by their disability as if it is one size fits all. Because of this many feels like the IEPS are outdated and don't work towards inclusion. There has to be a way around these feelings for students which can label their strengths and weaknesses within the school without labeling the students by a condition. It is necessary to have a clear understanding of all parties so that the child can have adequate services and support. But it should not leave a stigma on their for their entire educational