Transcript Wide Range Achievement Test

Wide Range
Achievement Test
WRAT4
Authors: Gary S. Wilkinson, PhD
Gary J. Robertson, PhD
History
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WRAT4 test series originated in the 1930s
First published for use in 1946
Most recent edition, WRAT3, was published in
1993
Widespread use in a variety of settings as
measures of the basic academic skills necessary
for effective learning, communication, and
thinking:
Reading
Spelling words
Mathematical calculations
Structure
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Two alternate forms (Blue Form and Green
Form)
Can be used interchangeably with comparable
results
Allows for retesting within short periods of time
without practice effects
Can also be administered together (Combined
Form) for those interested in a more qualitative
assessment and additional opportunity for
performance observation
Structure
Four Subtests
 Word Reading
 Sentence Comprehension
 Math Computation
 Spelling
The Word Reading Subtest and Sentence
Comprehension Subtest can be combined
into a Reading Composite
WRAT4 Subtest/Composite Configuration
Word
Reading
Subtest
Sentence
Comprehension
Subtest
Reading
Composite
Math
Computation
Subtest
Spelling
Subtest
Word Reading
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Measures letter and word decoding through
letter identification and word recognition
Sentence Comprehension
Measures an individual’s ability to gain
meaning from words and to comprehend
ideas and information contained in
sentences through the use of a modified
cloze technique.
 A cloze technique is one where a portion
of a sentence or phrase is removed and
must be provided by the examinee. E.g.,
My ____ likes a clean litter box.
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Sentence Completion Guidelines
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Avoidance of specialized content that would give
undue advantage to individuals having such
specialized knowledge of the topics selected
Content drawn from a variety of subjects
Appropriate for both female and male
participants and all racial/ethnic groups
Contain material that is timeless
Sentence Completion Guidelines
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Avoidance of topics that might evoke negative
affect in examinees
Written for the assigned target grade levels, with
difficulty estimate of words contained in an item
Part of speech required for correct responses
are varied
As few correct responses (both synonyms and
non-synonyms) as possible
Math Computation
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Measures an individual’s ability to perform basic
mathematics computations through counting,
identifying numbers, solving simple oral
problems, and calculating written mathematics
problems
Spelling
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Measures an individual’s ability to encode
sounds into written form through the use of a
dictated spelling format containing both letters
and words
Standardization Sample
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National standardization sample n≥3000
Stratification Variables:
Age 5 through 94
Grades K - 12
Race/Ethnicity
Parent/Self Education Level
Gender
Region: Northeast, South, North Central, West
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Sample included students with disabilities (5%)
Reliability
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Internal Consistency
Age
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.87 to .96 Median Reliabilities for Subtests and
Composites by Form
Reliability
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Test-Retest Reliability
Word Reading
Sentence Comprehension
Spelling
Math Computation
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.86
.78
.89
.88
Time interval between testing:
Within one month
Validity
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Internal Evidence of Validity
Content review
Evidence based on developmental changes
Item bias analysis
Differential Item Functioning
 Expert review
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Validity
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External Evidence of Validity
WRAT-4
Correlations with individual achievement tests:
Word Reading
Sentence Comprehension
Math Computation
(n=33)
WIAT II
Reading Comp Math Comp
.80
.45
.54
.31
.64
.92
Validity
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External Evidence of Validity
WRAT-4
Correlations with individual achievement tests:
Reading Composite
Math Computation
(n=31)
WJ 3 Achievement
Broad Reading Broad Math
.73
.76
.44
.67
General Administration Guidelines
“Those who use psychological tests should confine their
testing and related assessment activities to their areas of
competence, as demonstrated through education,
supervised training, experience, and appropriate
credentialing”
(Standard 12.1 of the Standards for Educational and
Psychological Testing, American Educational Research
Association, American Psychological Association, &
National Council in Measurement in Education, 1999, p.
131)
General Administration Guidelines
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Read the professional manual
Practice administration of the test
Adhere to the standard administration
procedures
Establish rapport with participants
Maintain objectivity in evaluating responses
Maintain confidentiality about the assessment
process and the test results
General Administration Guidelines
Security of the testing materials:
 Primary responsibility of test users
 Store in a safe place
 Under no circumstances should Participants be
permitted to see the test items other than in the formal
testing session
 Correct responses should not be shared
 Photocopying of record forms, test items, or any part of
the WRAT4 Professional Manual, including the
normative tables, is strictly prohibited by copyright law
 Unauthorized reproduction compromises the security of
the test and could invalidate test results
General Administration Guidelines
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The Word Reading subtest, the Sentence
Comprehension subtest, and Part 1 of the
Spelling and Math Computation subtests must
be administered individually
Part 2 of the Spelling subtest and Math
Computation subtests can be administered in a
small-group format
Administration time varies but is estimated at 15
and 25 minutes for younger children (ages 5 to 7
years) and 30 and 45 minutes for children 8
years or older and adults
Basals and Ceilings: WRAT-4
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Basal: Assumption: all items administered
before the basal is scored as correct
Ceiling: Assumption: all items administered after
the basal is scored as incorrect.
5/10 rule:
 Basal
= 5 in a row correct starting with first item
administered
 Ceiling = 10 in a row incorrect ending with last item
administered
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5/7 rule: 5/10 rule but with ceiling = 7 in a row.
Combined Form Scores
For an assessment based on more items than the
number contained in a single form, you may
wish to administer both the Blue and Green
forms and combine the results
The back page of the Test Form provides a space
to calculate scores for the Combined Form
Instructions for score calculation are included in
the manual
Interpretation
Mean of 100, standard deviation of 15
 Examine score profile, deviations from the
norm, and large differences between
subtest scores
 Examine responses for qualitative trends
and error patterns
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Interpretation
Implications of Reliability and Validity studies:
 Subtests measure beginning skills with
considerable precision, a direct result of
including the 15 preliminary skill items
designated Letter Reading, Letter Writing, and
Oral Math
 All of the subtests measure the beginning and
average skill levels with precision throughout the
entire age and grade ranges for which the
WRAT4 is designed
Interpretation
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The Sentence Comprehension subtest and, to an
extent, the Word Reading subtest, by their very
nature, do not measure the skills of aboveaverage and advanced readers at the later
adolescent and early-to-middle adult years with
the same degree of precision
For these individuals, a reading comprehension
test containing longer reading passages that
measure literal and inferential reading skills is
recommended
Applications
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Ease of administration and the simplicity of
make it useful for assessment professionals who
can use the results to:
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Collect initial data for psychological, educational, and
vocational assessments
 Screen large groups of individuals to identify those
who need to be evaluated more thoroughly for
academic problems
 Reevaluate individuals diagnosed with learning and/or
cognitive disorders
 Contribute to research projects needing assessment
of basic academic skills for pretesting and posttesting
purposes