Assessment for Ed Counselors

Course Description

An overview of the counselor#8217;s role in the use and interpretation of individual and group assessment instruments and the implications of assessment results on instructional and support programs in schools. Basic statistical concepts and procedures, diversity issues, ethics as it relates to assessment, RtI assessment and resulting implications, limitations of standardized testing, and alternatives to traditional assessment are studied. Students learn to effectively use and interpret assessment results as a consumer of research and in their capacity as a school counselor, but they will also gain a foundational understanding of basic statistical methods, concepts, and assessment tools.

Learning Outcomes

• Demonstrate proficiency in basic statistics, understand the concepts of reliability and validity as it relates to test construction, learn to interpret and analyze data, and develop the skills needed to effectively inform students, parents, teachers, and administrators of the resulting academic/behavioral indications.
• Interpret an educational test’s (e.g. CST) results to use as a tool to develop appropriate age, and grade specific academic strategies/planning.
• Synthesize and apply data from assessment instruments that pertain to academic, career, and personal/social counseling.
• Identify the cultural variables that affect academic assessment and school achievement and understand basic alternative assessment techniques.
• Apply the legal and ethical requirements relating to assessment.
• Explain how to use the assessment portion of the RtI model as a tool to foster both academic and behavioral improvement.
• Examine the assessment portion of the RtI model as a tool to foster both academic and behavioral improvement.

Prerequisites

• CED607