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Confidential Psychoeducational Report

Name: Michael Birth Date: 9/2010

Age: 6 Grade: K
Retention Status: Not retained
Parent(s): Mr. and Mrs. Parent
School: Elementary School
Referral Type:
Vision Screening:
Hearing Screening:
Date(s) of Evaluation: 10/8/2016, 3/13/16
Date Report Submitted: 12/5/16
Examiner: Carina Gutierrez

Tests, Instruments, and Techniques

Differential Ability Scales, Second Edition, (DAS-II).
Kaufman Test of Educational Achievement, Third Edition, (KTEA-3).

Reason for Referral

Michael volunteered to help the examiner practice administering both a cognitive test and an
achievement test. The examiner gave the Differential Ability Scales, Second Edition (DAS-II)
and the Kaufman Test of Educational Achievement, Third Edition (KTEA-3). The results of
these assessments will be used for educational purposes only.

Background Information

Academic History and Current Academic Performance

Michael attended Preschool last year. He is now in Kindergarten and attends Elementary school.
No concerns have been reported for either his academics or his behavior.

No other background information is available at this time.

Behavioral Observations
During testing, Michael was friendly and cooperative. Michael is familiar with the examiner and
rapport was established before any testing took place. He was talkative throughout both testing
sessions and continued to engage the examiner in conversation about his family and the games
he likes to play. Michael lives with his father, his mother, and one of his older sisters (18 years
old). He also has another older sister and two older brothers, all over the age of 18.
Michael was generally able to maintain attention throughout testing. He followed directions well
and did not require repetition of item instructions. He continued to try his best with difficult
items and appeared to enjoy many of the subtests given. The examiner believes that the results
from the DAS-II are reliable and valid given Michael’s interest and participation during that
session. However, during administration of the KTEA-3 Michael seemed to get tired and
appeared uninterested. This happened near the end of the assessment when he began asking how
much more he had to do. It appears that the results from this session are generally reliable and
valid, but the examiner would recommend cautious interpretation of his performance on the last
few subtests given.

Assessment Results & Clinical Observations

The purpose of the assessment is to identify and describe the student’s cognitive and academic
strengths and weaknesses in comparison to same age peers. Personal strengths and weaknesses
may also be identified through this process. The results of this assessment represent functioning
at a particular point in time under specific conditions. The results may be considered a sample of
the student’s skills rather than an exact representation of their functioning.

An individual’s performance on both cognitive and achievement tests is reported according to a

standardized scale. The scores that the individual earns are compared to a normal distribution of
scores. According to this distribution, 68% of the population is expected to score within the
average range. The term “average” describes a wide range of scores. Individuals scoring toward
the low end of average and the high end of average often perform much differently than those
scoring closer to the mean.

Cognitive Measures
The Differential Ability Scales, Second Edition, (DAS-II) is a standardized measure of cognitive
abilities. This is an individually administered assessment for children and adolescents between
the ages of 2 years 6 months to 17 years 11 months. The test examines cognitive functioning in
several areas including: language, abstract reasoning and visual/spatial ability. The scores
obtained in these abilities can be combined into a General Conceptual Ability Score (GCA) that
gives an overall look at the child’s reasoning and conceptual ability. The scores for the different
areas can also be grouped to represent specific areas of functioning, such as the Verbal Ability
Cluster, Nonverbal Ability Cluster, and the Spatial Ability Cluster.

Cluster scores are given as standard scores with a mean of 100 and standard deviation of 15.
Scores that fall between 85 and 115 are considered average. Standard scores are reported with a
confidence band. This band shows a range of scores within which the individual’s true score is
likely to be. Subtest scores are given as T scores with a mean of 50 and standard deviation of 10.
Scores that fall between 40 and 60 are considered average. There are percentile ranks associated
with each of these scores. The percentile ranks represent how many people in the norming group
scored at or below that particular score and show the individual’s placement in that distribution.
Sixty-eight percent of the population would be expected to score within the average range.
Michael earned the following scores:
 Differential Ability Scales, Second Edition (DAS-II)

Standard Score* (with 95% T

Composite/Subtest Name Percentile
confidence interval) Score
General Conceptual Ability (GCA) 109 (102-115) 73

Verbal Ability 114 (104-121) 82

 Verbal Comprehension 51 54
 Naming Vocabulary 65 93
Nonverbal Reasoning Ability 102 (93-111) 55
 Picture Similarities 57 76
 Matrices 45 31
Spatial Ability 105 (99-111) 63
 Pattern Construction 59 82
 Copying 47 38
*Mean = 100, Standard Deviation = 15

Michael’s overall cognitive ability fell within the average range with a standard score of 109.
There is a 95% chance that his true score lies between 102 and 115.

Verbal Ability/Crystallized Intelligence (Gc): Estimated to be Average

Crystallized intelligence (Gc) is a measure of acquired knowledge. This includes the language
base an individual has developed as well cultural knowledge and skills developed through
experience. Gc is strongly and consistently related to academic areas of reading, math, writing,
and oral expression. Michael’s crystallized intelligence score fell at the upper end of the average
range. His expressive language skills appear to be a personal strength. Michael’s scores within
this cluster show varied ability within the average range.

Nonverbal Reasoning Ability/Fluid Reasoning (Gf): Estimated to be Average

Fluid reasoning (Gf) is a measure of one’s ability to solve problems in novel situations. This
involves applying acquired knowledge to new problems. Gf is strongly related to several
academic areas, including math, reading, and writing. Michael’s fluid reasoning score fell within
the average range. His scores within this cluster show average but varied ability of inductive
reasoning.

Spatial Ability/Visual Processing (Gv): Estimated to be Average

Visual processing (Gv) is a measure of the ability to think about, manipulate, and make use of
mental imagery to solve problems. Gv is not as strongly related to academic achievement as Gc
and Gf, but it is related to areas of math, reading, and writing. Michael’s visual processing ability
score fell within the average range. His scores show average but varied ability with visual-spatial
tasks involving spatial orientation and fine-motor coordination.
Achievement Measures
To determine whether Michael is achieving to his potential, his scores from the intelligence test
can be compared to the scores he earned on the achievement test. These scores should generally
be consistent.

The Kaufman Test of Educational Achievement, Third Edition (KTEA-3) was used to assess
Michael’s academic achievement. The KTEA-3 is a measure of academic achievement given to
students on an individual basis. It can be used for grades Prekindergarten to 12 th grade, or with
ages 4 years through 25 years. There are two equivalent forms of the KTEA-3, Form A and Form
B. It covers subject areas such as Reading, Math, Written Language and Oral Language. This test
appears to be valid for measuring academic achievement because it aligns with academic
success. The content covered in the KTEA-3 follows the standards being taught in schools across
the United States. The KTEA-3 has good reliability, as it produces consistent scores across
administrations.

Scores from the KTEA-3 are reported as standard scores and have a mean, or average, of 100
and a standard deviation of 15. This means that average scores lie within the range of 85-115.
There are also percentile ranks associated with these scores which represent how many people in
the norming group scored at or below that particular score and show the individual’s placement
in the distribution. Test scores are not perfectly reliable because they reflect behavior at a
particular time in a particular setting. For this reason, confidence intervals are used. A
confidence interval is a range of scores within which the true score is likely to be. Michael
earned the following scores:

Kaufman Test of Educational Achievement, Third Edition (KTEA-3)

Standard Score*
Subtests (with 95% confidence Percentile Descriptor
interval)
Reading
 Phonological Processing 100 (93-107) 50 Average
 Letter & Word Recognition 102 (97-107) 55 Average
 Reading Comprehension 108 (99-117) 70 Average
Math
 Math Concepts & Applications 113 (106-120) 81 Average
Written Expression
 Written Expression 93 (85-101) 32 Average
Oral Language
Below
 Listening Comprehension 78 (67-89) 7
Average
 Oral Expression 109 (102-116) 73 Average
*Mean = 100, Standard Deviation = 15
Reading
The overall skill of reading can be separated into the three skill areas of basic reading, reading
fluency, and reading comprehension. Basic Reading involves knowledge of letters and their
sounds as well as reading individual words. Reading fluency refers to reading both accurately
and quickly. Reading comprehension involves making sense of and understanding what is read.
Michael scored within the average range in the area of reading.

Mathematics
Mathematics can be separated into the two skill areas of math calculation and math reasoning.
Math calculation refers to performing tasks such as addition and subtraction. Math reasoning
involves applying those skills as well as knowledge of math concepts to solve problems. Michael
scored within the upper average range in the area of mathematics.

Written Expression
Written Expression refers to the task of writing clear sentences and the skill of expressing ideas
through writing. Michael scored within the average range in the area of written expression.

Oral Language
Oral Language involves both receptive language and expressive language. Receptive language
refers to one’s skill of receiving language while expressive language refers to one’s skill of
producing language. Michael scored within the average range in the area of oral expression.
However, he scored below average in the area of listening comprehension. While it is
unexpectedly low, no academic concerns have been reported in relation to this area. This was
also one of the last subtests given during the testing session, at which point Michael was
apparently fatigued. The scores from this assessment were obtained seven months before the
scores for the cognitive assessment. The examiner recommends cautious interpretation of this
score.

Summary
Michael is a nice and friendly seven year old. His scores show that he has overall average ability
with some personal strengths and weaknesses. His achievement scores reflect his overall ability
with the exception of a below average score in Listening Comprehension. However, that score
should be interpreted cautiously. At this point there are no concerns about Michael and his ability
to achieve normally.

Recommendations
Although the results of this assessment show that Michael is not achieving as expected in the
area of listening comprehension, it has not been reported that Michael is struggling academically
or behaviorally. If concerns arise about Michael’s listening comprehension, the examiner
recommends further assessment in that academic area.

I have enjoyed the opportunity to work with Michael. If I can be of further assistance please
contact me at cgutierrez22@mail.csuchico.edu.

_____________________________
Carina Gutierrez