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PSYCHOLOGICAL SERVICESABC PUBLIC SCHOOLSPrivileged and Confidential ReportPsychoeducational Evaluation Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Evaluation FrameworkName of student: Anna Smith Date of birth: 10/10/2007Chronological age: 10-2 Grade: 4th School: ABC ElementaryReferral Type: ReevaluationParent(s): Ms. SmithProgram: ICTAddress: 12 AvenueRelated Services: Speech Therapy & OT NY, NY 11111ELL: YesHome Language: Spanish NYSESLAT (2017): ExpandingDates of evaluation: 12/6 & 12/8/2017 Examiner: Jadwiga Cutrone, NCSPLanguages used during assessment: English & Spanish REASON FOR REFERRALAnna is a 10-year, 2-month old youngster attending fourth grade at ABC Elementary School in Farmingdale. Anna was seen for a three-year mandated Reevaluation which is given to each child receiving Special Education services in order to determine their educational needs and continued eligibility for services. According to the current Individualized Education Program (IEP), Anna is classified with a Speech and Language Impairment and attends an Integrated Co-Teaching class program. She also receives Speech and Language Therapy (2x30x5:1) and Occupational Therapy (1x30x5:1) at school. The purpose of this evaluation is to measure Anna’s language proficiency in English and Spanish, cognitive abilities, academic skills, and social-emotional functioning. Results will be used to determine the progress she has made in the last three years, and to modify, where needed, her Special Education Program.EVALUATION PROCEDURES AND TESTS ADMINISTEREDInformal language samples in English and SpanishUnderstanding Spoken Paragraphs-English and SpanishLang. Elicitation Cards: SLAM (School-age Language Assessment Measures) - English and SpanishWechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Fifth Edition (WISC-V) - selected subtests Woodcock-Johnson IV Tests of Achievement (WJ-IV ACH) Form A (selected subtests)Behavior Assessment System for Children – Third Edition (BASC 3) - Teacher Rating ScaleStudent interviewParent Interview/Social History Input from the classroom teacherReview of RecordsBehavioral ObservationsDISCLOSURE STATEMENTConsistent with the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and NYSED guidelines and field recommended practices for psychological, speech and language, and educational evaluations, test scores should not be reported for students for whom the normative sample is not representative. Standardized scores are also invalidated when cultural and linguistic variables prevent the static assessment in measuring what it intended to measure (AAE, APA, NCME, 2014; Geva & Wiener, 2015; ASHA; 2016). Legal requirements are to provide an evaluation “in the form most likely to yield accurate information on what the student knows and can do academically, developmentally and functionally” (200.4(b)(6)(i)(a)) and that the tools and procedures used provide measures that are valid and reliable (200.4(b)(6)(i)(b)). Therefore, any tool, subtest, material or procedure is used with the intention to provide qualitative and descriptive information about the student’s ability to determine if they are performing within typical or atypical means. Atypical performance given adequate exposure would be an indicator of a disability. Being below academic standard is not an indicator of a disability alone (Cobin, Templeton, & Burner, 2010). Therefore, the evaluation must be done in a way to “ensure that they measure the extent to which the student has a disability and needs special education, rather than measure the student's English language skills” (200.4(b)(6)(xvi)). As such, selected tools were used during this assessment solely to elicit performance with specific tasks. RELEVANT BACKGROUND INFORMATIONBirth/developmental history and present health status: Ms. Smith, Anna’s mother, was interviewed to obtain background information and a developmental history. Accordingly, Anna was the product of an unremarkable pregnancy and natural delivery, weighing 5 lbs. and 3 ounces. There were no complications after birth and Anna was discharged from the hospital after two days. In terms of developmental milestones, Ms. Smith noted that Anna crawled at 12 months, walked at 16 months, and was toilet trained at 18 months. Ms. Smith did not recall when Anna began speaking in words but noted that she began speaking in sentences at around 1.5 years-old. Anna did not present with developmental delays. Currently, Anna is a healthy youngster who does not present with any medical conditions. There were no reports of surgery of hospitalization. Anna wears glasses. She does not currently take medication. Immigration experience and present housing accommodations:Anna was born in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. Her parents were also born in Santo Domingo. Anna moved to New York when she was around three-years-old. Presently, Anna resides with her mother, Ms. J. Smith (age 26), step-father B. Smith, as well as her brother Luke (age 11) and sister Mia (age 5). In addition, Anna’s uncle also resides at home. Anna’s biological father, John Smith (age 29), lives in the Dominican Republic. Anna gets along well with siblings but they fight occasionally. In her free time, Anna enjoys watching television shows in English, drawing, playing on the phone and playing with her siblings. Anna completes her homework and does not present with any behavior concerns at home.School experience:Anna received all formal schooling in English in the United States and was never schooled in Spanish. She did not go to preschool but attended kindergarten. Anna has been receiving instruction in English with the support of ENL services. Currently, Anna receives ENL instruction one period per day. Language use: According to the information provided by Ms. Smith, Spanish is Anna’s first language as it was the language she was initially exposed to from birth. Spanish and English are both spoken at home at this time. Specifically, Ms. Smith, as well as Anna’s step-father and uncle speak to Anna in Spanish and she responds in Spanish. Anna speaks in English with her brother and sister, as well as with friends. Ms. Smith noted that Anna prefers to speak in English. According to self-report of language use, in school, Anna stated that she communicates in English with her teachers and classmates. When asked about language preference, Anna indicated that she feels more comfortable speaking in English but that she sometimes thinks in both English and Spanish. She also noted that she never learned to read or write in Spanish. Anna watches television programs in English. Furthermore, according to results from the NYSESLAT administered in the Spring of 2017, Anna performed at the Expanding level, indicating that she has not attained English language proficiency and continues to be eligible for ENL supports. Parent concerns:Ms. Smith reported that Anna is forgetful at times and has learning difficulties in reading and math. BEHAVIORAL OBSERVATIONSAnna presents as a socially engaging and amiable youngster with a pleasant interpersonal disposition. She willingly participated in the evaluation process, which was completed over two days at school. During both sessions, Anna was eager to follow the examiner to the testing room and was highly motivated to participate in test activities. Anna is average in height and weight. She was dressed for school in casual attire, demonstrated appropriate hygiene and a kempt appearance. Anna wears glasses and utilized them throughout the assessment. She is right hand dominant. Anna was able to navigate school stairs and maintained an upright posture while seated. Furthermore, rapport was easily established and maintained throughout the evaluation as Anna exhibited spontaneous speech, shared information about her experiences and interests, and provided extended responses. In addition, Anna was able to sustain attention and exhibited a typical level of activity. She complied with directives and demonstrated a good tolerance for frustration and impulse control. Anna attempted all tasks and was persistent on challenging items. She was motivated and responded positively to praise and encouragement.In terms of interpersonal communication and language skills, Anna’s speech was clear and coherent, without articulation or pronunciation concerns in English and Spanish. She was able to understand and answer basic questions in both languages. Anna provided responses in both languages and communicated in simple sentences. Please refer to the “Language skills in English and Spanish” section below for detailed information about observations pertaining to Anna’s language skills. Overall, as Anna attempted all tasks, the present results are considered to be a valid and reliable measure of her current functioning.TEST RESULTSThe present evaluation was conducted in English and Spanish. Informal procedures were used to assess language proficiency and formal tests were used to assess cognitive and academic functioning. Consistent with regulations for the assessment of English Language Learners, and since the formal instruments are not without cultural bias, qualitative descriptors of the student’s functioning, rather than actual scores are presented. The qualitative descriptors of Anna’s functioning are considered better indicators of her performance than individual test scores, which are not valid due to the limitations in the norms as appropriate for this bilingual population. Language skills in English and Spanish Results from informal language samples, assessments and observationsLanguage samples, observations, and a variety of informal assessments including Understanding of Spoken Paragraphs and the School-age Language Assessment Measure (SLAM), were utilized to elicit language and assess Anna’s skills in English and Spanish. Receptive language skills include the ability to understand spoken information. Language samples reveal that Anna was able to consistently understand basic interpersonal Yes/No questions, as well as WH-questions (who, what, where, when, why) in English and Spanish. Moreover, Anna was administered the Understanding of Spoken Paragraphs task to further assess her receptive language skills. When presented with short stories/passages read aloud, Anna had difficulty retelling the story and recalling story details. She answered 4/7 questions in English and 4/7 questions in Spanish. Nonetheless, she was able to grasp the overall idea of each story and make simple inferences about the events in the story. In terms of expressive skills, language samples reveal that Anna is able to respond to basic interpersonal questions in English and Spanish. When questions were presented in Spanish, Anna consistently replied in Spanish and when questions were stated in English, she replied in English. Anna did not have difficulty transitioning between languages during the interview. Occasionally, when providing a response in Spanish, Anna would code-mix and incorporate words in English within a sentence. For example, when asked about what she likes to do in the summer, Anna replied, “Yo voy para playa. Yo juego afuera y mucha veces voy para parties.” (I go to the beach. I play outside and many times I go to parties.). Moreover, Anna tended to communicate in short sentences. She benefited from prompts at times to expand on her responses and offer more information. Anna’s speech was clear and coherent in both languages. To further assess expressive language skills, Anna was administered the School-age Language Assessment Measure (SLAM). Accordingly, she was presented with sequencing cards depicting colorful pictures and asked to arrange the cards in sequence to tell a story. The first set of cards was presented with directions delivered in English, while the second set was given with Spanish directions. Anna was generally able to arrange the cards in correct sequence and was able to use her imagination to narrate a short story in English and Spanish. Accordingly, Anna was able to describe pictures and use sequencing terms (e.g., then/despues) to describe and organize story events. She was able to utilize visual information from the cards and her background knowledge of causal relationships to take on a character’s perspective and make basic predictions of what may happen next. In addition, Anna was able to answer basic WH questions about the pictures, as well as generate ideas about what the characters may be thinking (theory of mind) and what she may do if she was in a similar situation. She at times restated the question when providing a response. Anna’s first narrative was in English and her response included several verbal fillers (e.g., like, um) as she attempted to organize her thoughts. Once she came up with an idea, she was able to tell the story and her response was more fluent and without verbal fillers.In terms of pragmatic language skills, Anna was able to maintain eye contact when speaking, ask relevant questions, share an opinion, and take turns in conversation.Overall, Anna is exposed to Spanish at home through her mother, step-father and uncle. She is able to participate in interpersonal exchanges in both Spanish and English. According to self-report of language preference, Anna prefers to communicate in English. Academically, Anna has never been schooled in Spanish and the academic knowledge and skills she has acquired (reading, writing, math problem-solving, science vocabulary), are in English. Anna is unable to read in Spanish. Overall, Anna’s receptive and expressive language skills are comparable in English and Spanish (BICS), while her content knowledge is more developed in English, the language of instruction. Cognitive abilitiesResults from the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Fifth Edition (WISC-V)Anna’s cognitive abilities were assessed through administration of selected subtests from the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Fifth Edition (WISC-V). The WISC-V is an individually administered clinical instrument designed to measure the cognitive ability of children aged 6 years 0 months through 16 years 11 months. It is a standardized measure of cognitive abilities and is comprised of a variety of tasks including working with blocks, defining words/concepts, and interpreting and scanning visual images. The WISC-V offers the Nonverbal Index (NVI), which is useful as a measure of general intellectual ability with English Language Learners (ELLs). The NVI is considered a “language reduced” measure as it minimizes expressive language demands for children. It is derived from six subtests which are drawn from four of the five primary cognitive domains (i.e., Visual Spatial, Fluid Reasoning, Working Memory, and Processing Speed). As mentioned above, results are presented in a qualitative manner due limitations in the norms as appropriate for English Language Learners (ELLs).Accordingly, results reveal that Anna’s performance on the subtests contributing to the Nonverbal Index (NVI) is typical when compared to other children her age. An analysis of Anna’s variable performance on the individual scales/subtests offers information about her unique cognitive strengths and weaknesses. The Visual Spatial Index (VSI) measured Anna's ability to evaluate visual details and understand visual spatial relationships in order to construct geometric designs from a model. This skill requires visual spatial reasoning, integration and synthesis of part-whole relationships, attentiveness to visual detail, and visual-motor integration. The VSI is derived from two subtests. During Block Design (BD), Anna viewed a model and/or picture and used two-colored blocks to re-create the design. Visual Puzzles (VP) required her to view a completed puzzle and select three response options that would reconstruct the puzzle. Anna’s performance was variable on the two subtests. While Anna showed typical performance when assembling puzzle pieces in her mind, she showed greater difficulty using her hands to put together multicolored blocks to match pictures. This pattern of scores may indicate that her visuomotor skills may be less-well developed relative to her overall visual-perceptual and spatial reasoning ability.The Fluid Reasoning Index (FRI) measured Anna's ability to detect the underlying conceptual relationship among visual objects and use reasoning to identify and apply rules. This requires inductive and quantitative reasoning, broad visual intelligence, simultaneous processing, and abstract thinking. The FRI is derived from two subtests: Matrix Reasoning (MR) and Figure Weights (FW). Matrix Reasoning required Anna to view an incomplete matrix or series and select the response option that completed the matrix or series. On Figure Weights, she viewed a scale with a missing weight(s) and identified the response option that would keep the scale balanced. Anna’s performance was variable. She was able to identify the missing pieces of patterns but struggled with using reasoning processes that can be expressed mathematically. This suggests that her inductive reasoning skills are more developed relative to her quantitative reasoning skills. She may have difficulty with mathematical reasoning tasks.The Working Memory Index (WMI) measured Anna's ability to register, maintain, and manipulate visual and auditory information in conscious awareness, which requires attention and concentration, as well as visual and auditory discrimination. Anna exhibited diverse performance on the WMI, but her overall performance was typical relative to peers her age. Within the WMI, Picture Span (PS) required Anna to memorize one or more pictures presented on a stimulus page and then identify the correct pictures (in sequential order, if possible) from options on a response page. On Digit Span (DS), she listened to sequences of numbers read aloud and recalled them in the same order, reverse order, and ascending order. Anna showed uneven performance on these tasks. While she showed age-appropriate performance when recalling series of pictures in the correct order, she showed greater difficulty recalling and sequencing strings of numbers read aloud. This pattern of strengths and weaknesses suggests that Anna best utilizes working memory in problem solving when a visual, rather than a verbal, stimulus is used. Further, she performs better when a recognition paradigm is used, rather than a free recall paradigm. Anna may have an easier time holding information in her mind when she can put that information into words. The Processing Speed Index (PSI) measured Anna's speed and accuracy of visual identification, decision making, and decision implementation. It also assessed her ability to rapidly identify, register, and implement decisions about visual stimuli. The PSI is derived from two timed subtests. Symbol Search required Anna to scan a group of symbols and indicate if the target symbol was present. On Coding, she used a key to copy symbols that corresponded with simple geometric shapes. Anna demonstrated uneven performance across subtests within the PSI. Anna performed well on the Coding task but had great difficulty on Symbol Search. Her variable performance suggests that she has strengths in paired associate learning and/or fine-motor speed relative to visual scanning and discrimination.Academic SkillsAnna’s academic skills were assessed through the administration of selected subtests from the Woodcock-Johnson IV Tests of Achievement (WJ-IV ACH) Form A. The WJ-IV ACH is a standardized, individually administered clinical instrument which measures the achievement of students in grades Prekindergarten through 12th grade. Areas of achievement assessed include reading, mathematics, language, and written expression. Reading SkillsAnna’s reading skills were assessed in the areas of sight-word recognition, word decoding and reading comprehension. Anna’s overall reading skills, as reflected by her obtained Reading Cluster score, fall in the Very Low range and she presents with significant weaknesses in this area. Anna’s letter and word recognition skills were assessed by the Letter-Word Identification task in which she had to identify common sight words. Her performance fell in the Very Low range, indicating delays in sight word recognition skills. Anna was able to identify the initial words accurately but did not recognize words she is expected to know. Although Anna made attempts to decode the unfamiliar words, she had difficulty applying phoneme-grapheme relationships in a proficient manner. Furthermore, Anna’s decoding skills and phonemic awareness were assessed by the Word Attack task in which she had to identify letter sounds and read from a list of nonsense words. She was able to produce letter sounds when presented with letters and letter groups. Anna was able to sound out several of the initial two and three-letter words on the list but struggled as the words increased in length. Her performance fell in the Low Average range, revealing delays in this area. Anna may have difficulty decoding unknown words in text. Anna was also administered the Passage Comprehension task in which she was asked to read short passages and identify a missing key word that makes sense in the context of the passage (a cloze approach to reading comprehension assessment). Accordingly, Anna performed well on the initial test items which included picture cues or consisted of a single sentence. She struggled as the text increased in length and complexity. Anna’s performance fell in the Low range and below grade expectancy. She is likely to have difficulty with independently reading and processing grade-level text. According to the information provided by Ms. Westerman, the special education classroom teacher, classroom reading assessments indicate that Anna is currently reading on a level J. The reading level expected of students at this point in time in fourth grade is around level Q/R. Anna has difficulty with sight word recognition and decoding. ?She is able to understand text at her independent reading level. Anna is functioning below grade level in all areas. She often has difficulty completing her homework, which is modified. Anna completes her classwork with support. Writing SkillsAnna is right hand dominant and her handwriting is characterized by good letter formation and spacing of words. Anna’s writing skills, as reflected by her performance on the Written Language Cluster, fall in the Very Low range. Specifically, on the Spelling subtest, Anna was able to accurately spell several simple words (e.g., fun, got, is) but had difficulty spelling common words she is expected to know. Anna’s performance fell in the Very Low range, revealing delays in the ability to translate the sounds of orally presented/spoken words into written words. Moreover, on the Writing Samples task, Anna was asked to compose sentences in response to picture cues and verbal prompts. She performed in the Low Average range. Qualitative analysis of her performance reveals that Anna was able to generate ideas for writing. However, she composed responses that were characterized by poor sentence structure, errors in grammar and spelling. She did not follow capitalization rules but punctuated each sentence with a period. According to the information provided by the teacher, Anna requires support when writing and has difficulty with organization, capitalization, punctuation, and spelling. ?Math SkillsAnna’s overall math skills, as reflected by the Mathematics Cluster score, fall in the Low Average range and she presents with strengths in this area relative to her reading and writing skills. On the math calculation subtest, Anna performed in the Low Average range. She was able to add one, two and three-digit numbers and subtract up to two-digit numbers. She was inconsistent with subtracting three-digit numerals. Anna was able to multiply single digits and was inconsistent with two-digit items. She did not attempt division items. Moreover, Anna’s knowledge and application of math concepts and vocabulary was also assessed using the Applied Problems subtest. She was presented with math word problems which were read aloud and the initial items also included picture cues. Anna performed in the Low Average range, indicating delays in math problem-solving skills. Anna was able to able to apply basic addition and subtraction facts to solve one-step word problems. She was also able to identify quantities, identify time on an analog clock and solve items involving money concepts (e.g., value of coins, adding coins). Anna began to struggle as the word problems increased in length, involved deciphering salient information and selecting an operational procedure based on the question. She performed better on items that included picture cues. She also often drew pictures when multiplying. According to the information provided by the teacher, Anna does not know her number facts and her understanding of math concepts is limited. ?Social-Emotional FunctioningBehavioral observations, student and parent interviews, as well as a teacher rating scale were used to assess Anna’s social, behavioral and emotional functioning. Anna presents as a respectful, cooperative and friendly youngster who demonstrates great social-interpersonal skills. She is able to engage in conversation, take turns and maintain eye contact. According to self-report, Anna has a positive attitude toward school and noted that she has friends in class. Her favorite subjects include reading and math. When asked about her least favorite subject, she noted that she likes all classes. In her free time, Anna enjoys playing with her brother, playing outside and attending parties. According to Ms. Smith, Anna does not present with any behavior concerns at home. According to the information provided by the classroom teacher, Anna is well liked by peers and has friends in her classroom. She puts forth great effort into her schoolwork and comes to school eager to learn. Furthermore, the Behavior Assessment System for Children, Third Edition-Teacher Rating Scales-Child (BASC-3) was completed by Ms. Johnson, one of Anna’s classroom teacher, to obtain information about Anna’s functioning in school. The BASC-3 is a questionnaire designed to aid in the identification of emotional and behavioral problems in children. Results reveal that Anna does not present with any behavioral, emotional or social concerns in the classroom. Ms. Johnson reported that Anna has learning difficulties. Specifically, she has difficulty keeping up with peers on academic tasks, receives failing grades, struggles with reading, spelling, and math and has difficulty completing assignments. SUMMARYAnna is a 10-year, 2-month old youngster attending fourth grade at ABC Elementary School in ABC, NY. Anna was seen for a Reevaluation in order to assess her current levels of performance. Anna is classified with a Speech and Language Impairment and attends an Integrated Co-Teaching class program. She also receives Speech and Language Therapy (2x30x5:1) and Occupational Therapy (1x30x5:1) at school. Anna is an English Language Learner (ELL) and her native language is Spanish. Currently both Spanish and English are spoken at home. Results from the NYSESLAT administered in the Spring of 2017, revealed that Anna performed at the Expanding level, indicating that she has not attained English language proficiency and continues to be eligible for ENL supports. Results from informal measures of language proficiency reveal that Anna demonstrates basic interpersonal communication skills in English and Spanish. Her academic content knowledge is more developed in English, the language of instruction. Anna has never been school in Spanish and does not presently know how to read or write in Spanish.Cognitive test results using the WISC-V reveal that Anna’s performance on the subtests contributing to the Nonverbal Index (NVI) falls in the Average range when compared to other children her age. She performed in the Low Average range in the areas of visual-spatial reasoning, fluid reasoning, and processing speed. Anna performed in the Average range on the Working Memory Scale. She has relative strengths in visual working memory relative to auditory working memory. Anna’s academic skills were assessed through the administration of selected subtests from the Woodcock-Johnson IV Tests of Achievement- Form A. Results reveal that relative to her reading and writing skills, Anna presents with strengths in math skills. She performed in the Low Average range on the math calculation and the word problem-solving subtests. In reading, Anna presents with delays in sight-word recognition, decoding, and reading comprehension. In writing, she has difficulty spelling words and composing sentences with good grammar and sentence structure. In the area of social-emotional development, Anna is a friendly, cooperative and respectful youngster. She demonstrates great interpersonal/social skills and gets along with classmates. Anna does not present with any behavioral or emotional concerns in the classroom or at home.RECOMMENDATIONS Recommendations for educational placement will be discussed by the multidisciplinary team during the Committee on Special Education (CSE) meeting.____________________________ ______________Jadwiga Cutrone, NCSP DateNationally Certified School PsychologistNew York State Certified Bilingual School Psychologist ................
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