MICHAELS EDUCATIONAL ACHIEVEMENT REPORT

Educational Achievement Report

Demographic Information
Name: Michael Jackson
Address: 2981 Michael Jackson Lane, Jackson
City, MD, 29810
Phone: 123-123-1234
Date of Birth: 07/25/2002
Date(s) of Testing: 04/04/2015
Chronological Age: (12 years, 8 months)
Primary Language of Student: English

School: Burleigh Manor Middle

Teacher: Ms. Smith
Grade/Educational Setting: 6th grade
Referred by: Teacher, Ms. Smith
Examiner: Nathan Milak
Date of Report: 04/27/2015
Primary Language of Test: English

Reason for Referral

Michael Jackson was evaluated on April 4, 2015. At the time of the evaluation, Michael
showed a great disinterest in school because of how challenging it was to keep up with the
material. According to the academic history and the interview with Michaels family, Michael
has been experiencing difficulty in some academic areas. For example, Michael has been
performing inconsistently in the areas of reading, mathematics, and written language. Based on
this information, Michael was referred for an educational achievement evaluation.
Examiner Criteria Statements
In the opinion of the examiner:
____ The scores obtained are valid representation of students current educational performance levels.
____ The test(s) selected is a valid tool for the stated purpose and is valid for the student.
____ Linguistic, cultural, and /or economic differences did not influence testing.

Background Information
Family History
Michael lives at home with both biological parents and he has two siblings who are in college.
Based on the parent interview, Michael and his older brothers get into arguments occasionally,
but according to the parents, these arguments are not intense or significant enough to greatly
impact Michaels academic performance. Michaels parents perceive him as a smart child who
works well with others. They think he is destined for academic success, but recognize that he has
recently had some difficulties keeping up with his other classmates in certain subject areas,
including math, reading, and writing. They also believe that Michael is showing signs of ADD,
which may be affecting his ability to concentrate in class.
Developmental History
Michael was born a healthy baby and continued to develop as a typical child. Michael learned to

MICHAELS EDUCATIONAL ACHIEVEMENT REPORT

walk and talk at the appropriate ages. He was slightly delayed in the ability to read, as he still
had difficulties with reading in kindergarten. However, throughout his kindergarten year, he
caught up to his classmates in reading level.
Academic History
Michael started his academic career in preschool, where he successfully learned to cooperate and
work with his peers. In kindergarten, Michael was slightly delayed in the ability to read, but he
managed to catch up with his peers in reading level by the end of the year. From first grade to
fourth grade, Michael performed well in his academic areas, but he had difficulties with paying
attention and focusing on his work. At parent-teacher conferences, Michaels teachers would tell
his parents that he was doing well, but that his difficulties with paying attention have caused him
to take longer on assignments and to miss important instruction. In fifth grade, Michael
continued to struggle with paying attention, and as the amount of homework increased, Michael
had some difficulties establishing good study habits. Michael started waiting until the last minute
to complete homework assignments and to study for tests. On several occasions, Michaels
homework was turned in partially complete or incomplete. Now, in sixth grade, Michael still has
difficulties with establishing good study and homework habits, and has recently had some
difficulties with reading, writing, and math. Michael has expressed to his parents that his classes
are sometimes too difficult, and that he wishes he was back in elementary school. Michael
continues to struggle with what his parents believe to be ADD.
Social History
Michael was a very social child growing up. He had many children his age to play with in his
neighborhood, and he was a part of several sports teams and recreational groups. He was on a
baseball and soccer team, and he currently plays for his schools basketball team. He was also a
part of his elementary schools choral group while growing up and he is currently a part of his
middle school chorus. Michaels interests include playing videogames, playing basketball, and
playing with his friends in the neighborhood. Michael has had the social support necessary to be
happy, which has contributed a lot to who he is today.
Parents Perception of the Problem
According to Michaels parents, he is having difficulties keeping up with his peers in reading,
writing, and math. He has also started to show a great disinterest in school, and has developed
poor study habits, which have caused him to complete his homework and studying at the last
minute. Michaels parents believe that he has started to lose his motivation to do well in school,
which they believe is a result of the increased expectations and difficulties that arose with his
transition to middle school. They also believe that Michael struggles with ADD, and that this
disorder has affected his ability to pay attention in class. They think Michaels ADD and the
increased expectations of middle school have caused a lot of stress and anxiety.
Behavioral Observations
Initial Interview with the Child
Michael expressed in his interview that he did not think he was going to do well on the test.

MICHAELS EDUCATIONAL ACHIEVEMENT REPORT

When I asked him why, he said that he was having a hard time in his classes, and that if the test
was anything like his classes, he would not do well. I assured him that his test results were not
going to be used in any way to actually assess him, which comforted him, but I could still sense
some anxiety with taking the test.
Behavior during Testing
During the test, Michael showed signs of anxiety when he did not know the answer. He kept
asking if he got the questions right, and how he was doing overall. I kept assuring him that he
was doing fine, even though this reassurance did not seem to help with his anxiety. Michael
constantly fidgeted with his pencil, and he often times looked out the window as if he wanted to
be doing something else. Michael sometimes got distracted, especially towards the end of the
test. When I asked him if he wanted a break, he said that he wanted to keep going until he was
done.
Test and Procedures Administered
Interview with Child
Parent Interview
Woodcock-Johnson Test of Achievement
Due to Michaels inconsistency with his grades, the Woodcock Johnson Test of Achievement III
(WJ-ACH III) was administered. The WJ-ACH III is an individually administered test of
achievement measuring five curricular areas- reading, mathematics, written language, oral
language, and academic knowledge. The test provides a comprehensive system for measuring
general intellectual ability, specific cognitive abilities, scholastic aptitude, oral language, and
academic achievement. The WJ-ACH III was selected to be administered to Michael to gain
more information about his general academic performance that include the following skills: (1)
reading skills that include broad reading, basic reading skills, and reading comprehension, (2)
oral language skills that include listening comprehension and oral expression, (3) math skills that
include broad math, math calculation skills, and math reasoning, (4) written language skills that
include broad written language, basic writing skills, and written expression, and (5) an academic
knowledge cluster that assesses academic skills, academic fluency, academic applications, and
phoneme/grapheme knowledge.
Results
Reading Assessment Results
The Broad Reading cluster provides a comprehensive measure of reading achievement
including basic reading skills and reading comprehension. The Standard Battery of the
Woodcock-Johnson includes the following subtests: (1) Letter-Word Identification, (2) Reading
Fluency, and (3) Passage Comprehension, which were administered to Michael.
The Letter-Word Identification subtest measures word identification skills. Michael
was required to identify letters and to pronounce words correctly. Michaels performance on this
task was on the 7.1 grade equivalent level. The Reading Fluency subtest measures the ability to

MICHAELS EDUCATIONAL ACHIEVEMENT REPORT

quickly read simple sentences and decide if the sentences are true. Michaels performance for
this task was on the 6.9 grade equivalent level. The Passage Comprehension subtest measures
the ability to match the pictographic representation of a word with an actual picture of the object.
In addition, Michael was required to point to a picture represented by a phrase. Then Michael
was required to read a short passage and identify a missing key word that makes sense in the
content of that passage. Michaels performance on this subtest was on the 6.1 grade equivalent
level.
Mathematics Assessment Results
The Broad Math cluster provides a comprehensive measure of math achievement
including problem solving, numeration, fluency, and reasoning. For the Standard Battery, the
following subtests were administered: (1) Calculation, (2) Math Fluency, and (3) Applied
Problems.
The Calculation subtest is a measure of computational skills and automaticity with basic
math facts and provides a measure of basic mathematical skills. This subtest required Michael to
accurately perform mathematical computations. Also included are problems requiring
manipulation of fractions and more advanced calculations using algebra, geometry, trigonometry,
and calculus. Michaels performance on the Calculation section was on the 5.9 grade equivalent
level. The Math Fluency subtest measures the ability to solve simple addition, subtraction, and
multiplication facts quickly. For this test, Michaels performance was on the 8.0 grade equivalent
level. The Applied Problems test required Michael to understand and solve practical
mathematical problems that are presented orally. Pictures or the written problem is available for
the student to see. The problems required Michael to listen to the problem, recognize the
procedures to be followed, and then perform relatively simple calculations. Michaels
performance on this subtest was on the 3.8 grade equivalent level.
Oral Language Assessment Results
The Oral Language cluster provides a comprehensive measure of oral expression and
listening comprehension. For the Standard Battery, two tests are administered, Story Recall and
Understanding Directions.
The Story Recall subtest measures aspects of oral language including language
development and meaningful memory. During this portion of the test, Michael was required to
recall increasingly complex stories that are presented on an audio tape and Michaels
performance in this area was on the 2.4 grade equivalent level. On the Understanding
Directions subtest is an oral language measure. The task required Michael to listen to a
sequence of audio-taped instructions and then follow the directions by pointing to various objects
in a colored picture. Michaels performance on this task was on the 8.5 grade equivalent level.
Written Language Assessment Results

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The Broad Written Language cluster provides a comprehensive measure of written

language achievement including spelling of single-word responses, fluency of production, and
quality of expression. The tests administered on the Standard Battery included Spelling, Writing
Fluency, and Writing Samples.
The Spelling subtest is a measure of the ability to write orally presented words correctly.
Test items measure prewriting skills and required Michael to produce uppercase and lowercase
letters, and to spell words correctly. Michaels performance was on the 7.9 grade equivalent
level. The Writing Fluency subtest measures skill in formulating and writing simple sentences
quickly. Each sentence must include a set of three stimulus words and describe an accompanying
picture. Michaels performance on this subtest was on the 6.0 grade equivalent level. The
Writing Samples subtest measures skill in writing responses to a variety of demands. Michaels
performance on this task was on the 6.7 grade equivalent level.
Interpretation of Assessment Findings
Within the reading assessment section, there was letter-word identification, reading
fluency, and passage comprehension, which assessed Michaels basic reading skills and reading
comprehension. In both reading fluency and passage comprehension, Michael scored within the
6th grade range, and on letter-word identification, Michael scored within the 7th grade range.
These scores suggest that Michael is doing well with progressing his reading skills, as his scores
suggest that he is on grade-level and even slightly above grade-level for letter-word
identification. Michaels parents have expressed concerns for Michaels ability to keep up with
his peers in reading, but based on his results, I do not see any reason for concern in terms of his
abilities. I believe it is possible that there are barriers within Michaels reading class that could
be interfering with his ability to succeed. These barriers may involve the teaching style or the
way the information is presented to Michael and his classmates. Overall, Michael has the
appropriate skills to read at a sixth grade level, but there may be barriers for Michael in his
reading class that could be preventing him from showing his mastery with reading.
Within the mathematics assessment section, there was calculation, math fluency, and
applied problems, which assessed Michaels problem solving, numeration, fluency, and
reasoning. For calculation, Michael performed at the 5.9 grade equivalent level, which is slightly
below his grade-level. For math fluency, Michael performed at the 8.0 grade equivalent level,
which is more than a full grade-level above his current grade-level. Lastly, for applied problems,
Michael performed at the 3.8 grade-equivalent level, which is way below his current grade level.
These three scores show large discrepancies in performance. With calculation and math fluency,
Michael did well, but with applied problems, Michael performed at a 3.8 grade equivalent level,
which is certainly concerning. The applied problems section required Michael to listen to the
problem orally, and to solve the problem based on what was said. Michaels parents showed
concern with his ability to pay attention, which they believe is a result of his ADD. In order to
succeed with the applied problems section, Michael would have had to pay attention to what I
was saying in order to understand the details within the problem. Michael received a very low
score on this section, which suggests to me that he may have had a hard time retaining the
information within my oral statements.

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Within the oral language section, there was story recall and understanding directions,
which assessed Michaels oral expression and listening comprehension skills. For story recall,
Michael scored on a 2.4 grade equivalent level, which is very concerning. For understanding
directions, Michael scored on the 8.5 grade equivalent level, which is well above his grade level.
For story recall, similar to the applied problems section, Michael had to pay attention to details
presented orally in order to recall what occurred in the story. Michael did not perform well on
this section, which I believe is because he had difficulties with paying attention to what I was
saying. When I gave him the test, Michael seemed to lose focus while listening to the audio tape,
which certainly led to inaccurate recalls of the stories. For understanding directions, Michael had
to do something similar, but instead of having to listen to a story, he had to listen to a set of short
directions that told him to point to certain places on the pictures. Michael did very well in this
section, and I believe the discrepancy between the two scores in this section is a result of the
length of oral statements. Within the story-recall, the stories got progressively longer, and
Michael had a hard time staying focused. For understanding directions, Michael had to listen to a
set of short directions, which I think he was able to stay focused on because of how short these
directions were. This suggests to me that Michael can initially stay focused, but as time goes on,
he starts to lose focus. In terms of Michael in his classes, I think giving him frequent breaks
would allow him to maintain focus, as it has been shown that when Michael is asked to pay
attention to directions or instruction for too long, he becomes disengaged.
For written language, there was spelling, writing fluency, and writing samples. For
spelling, Michael performed at the 7.9 grade equivalent level, which is great. For writing fluency,
he performed at the 6.0 grade equivalent level, and for writing samples, he performed at the 6.7
grade equivalent level. Based on these scores, Michael seems to be on grade level and even
slightly above grade level in terms of spelling. Michaels parents had expressed concerns for his
ability to keep up with his peers in writing, but based on these scores, I do not believe there is
much room for concern. Michael may be having difficulties in his writing classes because of his
difficulties with focusing and paying attention to classroom instruction. I believe that many of his
parents concerns are a result of his difficulties with focusing in class, and I think this challenge
needs to be addressed before anything else because in any class, lacking focus can cause
problems.
For story-recall delayed, Michael performed on the 8.0 grade equivalent level, which is
well above his current grade level. This suggests that Michael can recall information that he has
learned in the past. I have found that when Michael retains information, he can remember it for a
while. However, Michael has difficulties retaining information because of his inability to stay
focused and engaged.
Summary/Discussion (Conclusion)
Michael is a 12 year 8 month old student who attends Burleigh Manor Middle School. Michael
was referred for an educational evaluation because of recent difficulties in reading, writing, and
math. Based on his results, Michaels strengths include spelling, understanding directions, math
fluency, and letter-word identification. Michael performs well on activities that do not include a

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lot of directions, and on activities where he does not have to remember or recall a substantial
amount of information. Based on the results, Michaels weaknesses include story recall, applied
problems, and calculation. These are all activities where Michael has to stay focused in order to
succeed. Michael had has difficulties with what his parents believe to be ADD, and so
succeeding with activities that require focus and attention can be very difficult for Michael.
Overall, I believe that Michael is doing well and that many of his challenges and obstacles could
be overcome once his attention skills are improved. I believe that Michaels parents and teachers
should look into different strategies and supports that could be implemented within the classroom
in order to improve his ability to stay focused.
Recommendations and/or Proposed I.E.P. Goals
1. Michael will take written notes in his reading class so that he has essential information to
refer to even when he loses focus (Story Recall) (Recommendation is for Michaels
reading teacher). Michaels reading teacher will provide Michael with graphic organizers,
which will help Michael have the information he needs to be successful and the necessary
tools to stay actively engaged in the lessons. Michael will have to incorporate the
information discussed within the lesson in order to fill out the graphic organizers.
Michaels progress will be monitored daily from his reading teacher checking his graphic
organizers for completion and accuracy.
2.

Michael will improve on solving applied problems by practicing these problems with his
math teacher and his parents (Applied Problems) (Recommendation is for Michaels math
teacher and his parents). Michael will practice applied math problems with his teacher
and parents in order to improve his math skills and to improve his ability to focus on
details within a problem. Michaels math teacher will incorporate applied math problems
into her lessons in order to give Michael more practice and experience with them.
Michaels parents will also give him practice at home with these problems in order to
increase his proficiency. Michaels progress will be monitored from his math teacher and
his parents, as they will check to see if Michael is answering the practice applied math
problems correctly. Michaels progress with this skill will also be reflected in the test
scores he obtains in his math class.

3. Michael will meet with the school psychologist once a week in order to work on
strategies to stay focused and engaged in class (Story Recall and Applied Problems)
(Recommendation is for the school psychologist). The school psychologist will give
Michael some strategies for how to stay focused in class and will help him figure out how
to implement these strategies within his classes. One of Michaels greatest challenges is
staying focused, and so I think working to address this challenge with the school
psychologist will prove to be beneficial. Michaels progress will be monitored by the
school psychologist. He will observe one of Michaels classes once every two weeks in
order to see how well Michael is implementing the strategies they worked on.

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4. All of Michaels teachers will give him frequent breaks so that he does not get
overwhelmed and distracted (Story Recall and Applied Problems) (Recommendation is
for all of Michaels teachers). Michaels teachers will allow him to take frequent breaks
in class, which will consist of taking walks in the hallway. It has been shown by his test
results that Michael has difficulties with staying focused for extended amounts of time.
These breaks will hopefully allow him to stay focused for the majority of class because
he will no longer have to pay attention in class for too long. Michaels progress with
improving his attention skills will be monitored by his teachers. They will evaluate in
writing whether or not they believe these frequent breaks are helping Michael stay
focused.
5. Michael will ask questions in class when he feels lost or confused with the material
(Story Recall and Applied Problems) (Recommendation is for Michaels teachers).
Michaels teachers will encourage Michael to ask questions when he is confused and
when he does ask questions, they will try their best to make it so Michael gets the help
and attention he needs. Michaels teachers encouraging him to ask questions will help
him feel comfortable interrupting the class to ask questions. This ability and comfort with
asking questions will hopefully help Michael keep up with his peers in regards to
understanding the material. Michaels progress with asking questions will be monitored
by the teachers. Michaels teachers will evaluate in writing whether they think Michael is
asking enough questions to be successful, and whether or not his questions are helping
him gain a deeper understanding of the material.

MICHAELS EDUCATIONAL ACHIEVEMENT REPORT

Nathan Milak
Towson University

April 27, 2015

Reflection:
Administering the Woodcock Johnson enhanced my understanding of the CEC/InTASC
standards because this process gave me a deeper understanding of how students can struggle in
different areas, and how learning about the different areas that students struggle with can help
me, as a future teacher, plan my lessons and instruction accordingly. Michael struggled in the
areas of story recall and applied problems, which involve paying attention to details in order to
solve problems. As a result, if I was Michaels teacher, I would break down the material in my
class into smaller parts, so that he could focus on one part at a time. This directly aligns to CEC
Preparation standards 1 and 5, which are learner development and individual learning differences
and instructional planning and strategies. This also aligns to the InTASC Teacher Standards 1, 2,
and 7, which are learner development, learning differences, and planning for instruction. Based
on my new knowledge, learning about student differences and planning for instruction
accordingly is a strategy that will be very beneficial for my future students.
Generating the educational achievement report enhanced my understanding of the
Psycho-Educational process because it allowed me to reflect on the familial and educational
interviews I conducted with my examinee and his parents, and on the educational achievement of
my examinee. Clinical interviews and educational achievement are two components of the
psychoeducational process, and through reflecting on my interviews and participation with
administering the Woodcock Johnson, I have gained a deeper understanding of this process.
In the future, I would do a couple things differently in terms of administering the test and
scoring the data. In terms of administering the test, I would inform my examinee that he or she
would get a break halfway through. This would prevent my examinee from having to decide
whether he or she wants a break. When I gave the Woodcock Johnson to Michael, he did not
want to take a break, but I could tell that he was starting to lose focus towards the end of the test,
which could have affected his test results. In terms of scoring, when I gave the test to Michael, he
kept trying to look over at the score sheet to see if I was marking his answers correct or incorrect.
In the future, I will make sure to have the score sheet completely out of my examinees sight so
that he or she is not distracted.