2.5 Educational and Other Assessments

A range of assessment strategies is used by teachers and the Psychological Services Department staff in order to gather information regarding a student’s strengths and needs. Valuable information can be gathered through this assessment process to assist in determining appropriate teaching strategies, program accommodations and curriculum modifications that should be made. It also assists with the determination of which students are in need of Special Education programs and services.

Informal Assessment

Informal assessment provides valuable information for the School-based Team to use in making decisions about appropriate programming for students. Using observation of the student in the classroom, review of the day to day work, examination of student products and tests, and interviews with the teacher, parent and/or student, information is gathered on the child’s strengths, weaknesses and needs.

Upon referral for resource assistance the Resource Teacher may use information listed above and may use any one or combination of:

· informal assessments such as teacher checklists, surveys of skills in language and mathematics, reading inventories or other diagnostic tools

· diagnostic inventories such as the Mann Suiter Developmental subtests

· norm-referenced tests such as Brigance Comprehensive Inventory of Basic Skills, Canada Quiet, KeyMath

· standardized tests such as the Canadian Achievement Test

All of the assessment information is shared with the parents, and is used in planning and decision making for the student.

Prior to a referral for a Psychological Assessment, a Brigance or Canada Quiet assessment is completed, if the student has the necessary skills. Prior to an initial Identification Placement and Review Committee, reading and mathematics subtests of the Canadian Achievement Test are administered. Prior to an IPRC review, an educational assessment is administered (may be informal, norm-referenced or standardized test.)

Psychological Assessment
To provide schools with a more in-depth analysis of a student’s strengths and needs a request for psychological assessment may be made by the school principal. The assessment may include a review of the school history as contained in the Ontario Student Record, and interviews with the parent and relevant school personnel. It may involve classroom observation, and use of measures assessing academic, intellectual and the social/emotional functioning of the student. The test battery used by the Psychological Services Department includes:

TEST BATTERY FOR PSYCHOLOGICAL SERVICES

Social Emotional

Intelligence

Achievement

Visual/Visual Motor

Adaptive Functioning

See Appendix 2.5.3 for “Brief Description of Psychological Tests and Terminology”.
Qualifications of Staff who Conduct Assessments and/or Provide Diagnoses

Special Education teachers conduct educational assessments (i.e., Brigance, Canada Quiet, Canadian Achievement Test) prior to making a referral for Psychological Assessment.

Psychological assessments are conducted by Psychometrists with Master’s Level training in psychology, which includes coursework in child development and assessment practices. A Registered Psychological Associate supervises their assessment practices, report writing, and communication of results. The Regulated Health Professions Act and Psychology Act limits the communication of a diagnosis to Registered Psychologists/Psychological Associates. Consequently, Psychometrists do not communicate a psychological diagnosis in their written reports and/or parent-teacher conferences. Instead they provide non-diagnostic feedback, such as description of assessment procedures, a student’s learning strengths and needs, and recommendations for classroom modifications. Where appropriate, psychological diagnoses are communicated by the school board’s Registered Psychological Associate.

Average Waiting Time for Psychological Assessments/Methods for Managing Waiting Lists

During the 2002-2003 school year, waiting times for Psychological Assessments ranged from one week to five months with an average waiting time of 2 months (from the time of signed consent). The Psychological Services Department works collaboratively with parents, school staff, and special education staff to manage and prioritize waiting lists. As members of a School-based Team, Psychometrists help to ensure that early intervention strategies (e.g., educational assessments, classroom observations, medical appointments) are used to support students prior to making a referral for Psychological Assessment. The Psychometrist also works with the School-based Team to set priorities for assessment. Accordingly, the ranking of students on waiting lists is based on the urgency of the need for assessment, the severity of each student’s predicament, and the purpose of the assessment.

Consent for Psychological Assessment

The Consent to Treatment Act and its successor, the Health Care Consent Act, and the Education Act govern consent to psychological assessment in Ontario school boards. In accordance with relevant legislation and the standards and guidelines of The College of Psychologists of Ontario, the Lambton Kent District School Board requires written permission from the student, or the parent of the student if the student is a minor, before administering psychological tests. The consent form used by the Lambton Kent District Board describes the assessment procedures in detail (see Appendix 2.5.1).

Protocol for Sharing Information with Staff and Outside Agencies

The Mental Health Act governs the confidentiality and disclosure of clinical records. Section 35 of the Mental Health Act states that information contained in a client’s clinical record cannot be shared with outside agencies until written consent is obtained from the client. The document used to obtain client consent for disclosure of assessment results is Form 14 of the Mental Health Act (see Appendix 2.5.2).

Communication of Results

The policies and procedures for communicating test results are in accordance with both relevant legislation and the standards and guidelines of The College of Psychologists of Ontario. Results of psychological testing are communicated to parents and school staff in both written and oral form. The written report is reviewed and signed by a Registered Psychological Associate before being presented by a Psychometrist in a parent-teacher conference. The Regulated Health Professions Act and Psychology Act limits the communication of a diagnosis to Registered Psychologists/Psychological Associates. Consequently, written reports and parent-teacher conferences do not communicate a psychological diagnosis. Instead they provide non-diagnostic feedback, such as description of assessment procedures, a student’s learning strengths and needs, and recommendations for classroom modifications.