Academic functioning is determined through a standardized achievement assessment that compares a student’s academic functioning with other students of the same age. The test usually focuses on Reading, Writing, Math, and Oral Language. It looks at several areas within each major area. For example, in reading there will be a subtest measuring comprehension, recognizing sight words, and speed of reading. This test focuses on broad skills that a student should know, rather than testing exactly what is taught in class. For example, in class, a teacher will give a list of spelling words to study before the test. A class spelling test will measure the student’s ability to spell and their ability to memorize those specific words. There is no way to study for an Educational Test, as it only measures the specific skill being tested.
Current Academic Assessment results must contain an introductory paragraph that describes the standardized battery administered, contains a statement summarizing overall academic functioning, includes cluster and subtest standard scores with a summary of explanation in understanding academic functioning, and contains a statement addressing the validity of the assessment results as well as a qualifying statement based on the measures used.
The academic functioning area must include more than just achievement testing. It should include scores and other information gathered from a variety of sources including informal measures and data. These informal measures might include: work samples, benchmark assessments, observations, grades, progress in general education curriculum, and state and district testing scores. You should report standard scores in age, not grade equivalent. Also, present levels statements must include how the student is performing compared to same-aged peers.
A summary outlining the performance in both measures (formal and informal) must be included in the present levels and summary of student performance.
Woodcock-Johnson Test of Achievement – Fourth Edition (WJ-IV): Mindy Murphy, Special Education Teacher
The WJ-IV is an individually administered, broad-based, nationally normed achievement test. It provides information about reading, math, and written language. Scores are reported as standard scores with a mean of 100 and standard deviation of 15. Scores between 85 and 115 are considered average.
Interpretation: Mikayla's overall academic skills are in the low average to very low range. Her reading and writing skills are in the low average to low range, while her math skills are in the low to very low range.
Mikayla’s reading skills, as shown in her Reading and Broad Reading scores, are in the low range. These scores are based on the subtests measuring her ability to make sense of words in the context of passages (Passage Comprehension standard score of 77) and her ability to read a list of unrelated words (Letter-Word Identification standard score of 83).
Mikayla's basic reading skills are in the low average range. This score is based on her performance on the LetterWord Identification subtest (83) and the Word Attack subtest which measures her phonics skills (Word Attack standard score of 81). Both subtest scores are in the low average range. Mikayla struggled with reading phonetically spelled single and multiple syllable nonsense words.
Mikayla's reading comprehension skills are in the low range. This score is based on her performance on the Passage Comprehension (77), Reading Recall (69), and Reading Vocabulary (72) subtests. Her ability to make sense of words in the context of passages, understand what she has read, and her vocabulary skills all fell in the low range. Mikayla would oftentimes say "I don't get it" or "I'm confused" before she would attempt to provide an answer.
Mikayla also scores low in the area of reading fluency as measured by the Oral Reading (73) and Sentence Reading Fluency (77) subtests.
Mikayla's math skills are in the low to very low range. Her ability to perform basic math computations (Calculation standard score of 69) and her ability to solve a variety of story problems (Applied Problems standard score of 78) gave her a Mathematics Cluster score of 73, in the low range.
Mikayla’s Broad Mathematics score is a combination of the Applied Problems score (78) and her performance on the Math Facts Fluency subtest. Her ability to solve simple addition and subtraction facts quickly (Math Facts Fluency standard score of 72) fell in the low range. Her overall Broad Mathematics score is in the low range.
Mikayla also struggled with her math calculation skills and was unable to multiply 1-2 digit numbers and subtract fractions with like denominators. Mikayla struggled with knowing the difference between the multiplication and division symbol. She was given a timed test with simple addition and subtraction problems and performed in the low average range in this area. Her Math Calculation Skills score, a combination of the Calculation subtest (69) and the Math Facts Fluency subtest (72), came out to 69, which is in the very low range.
In the area of Math Problem Solving, Mikayla's Applied Problems standard score of 78 and Number Matrices standard score of 68 combine to give her a cluster score of 70, which is in the low range. She also struggled with multiple step story problems having to do with the concepts of money, time, and measurement.
In the area of written language, Mikayla demonstrates low ability. Her ability to produce sentences that are evaluated with respect to quality of expression (Writing Samples standard score of 72) fell in the low range. Mikayla's spelling skills (Spelling standard score of 75) also fell in the low range.
Her Broad Written Language score of 74 is in the low range. This score is a combination of the Spelling and Writing Samples subtest in addition to the Writing Fluency subtest which measures her ability to formulate and write simple sentences quickly in response to word and picture prompts. On this subtest she scored 75, in the low range. Mikayla's sentences lacked capitalization and punctuation as well as complete thoughts and correct grammar.
The Written Expression cluster score is based on the Writing Samples subtest, score of 72, and the Writing Fluency subtest, score of 75. Her overall score of 73 places her in the low range in this area.
To obtain a cluster score on the Woodcock Johnson Tests of Achievement - Fourth Edition, you must administer each of the required subtests that make up that cluster (e.g., for Basic Reading Skills, you must administer subtest #1 Letter-Word Identification and subtest #7 Word Attack). For both SRBI and the Discrepancy model, the following cluster scores are needed for SLD qualification*:
Written Expression
Basic Reading Skills
Reading Comprehension
Reading Fluency
Math Calculation
Math Problem Solving
*Subtests should only be administered in areas of suspected need. (i.e. If a student does not have needs/concerns in math, you do not need to administer subtests for Math Calculation and/or Math Problem Solving.)
The recent release of the WJ-V moves from paper-pencil format to a digital platform utilizing I-Pads (or other approved devices). As more information is made available regarding procedures, trainings, and sub-tests this section of the RIST site will be updated.