Sections
Tests of Intellectual Ability | Tests of Academic Achievement and Assessment of Learning Disabilities | Academic Screening Versus In-Depth Testing
Excerpt
Sometimes referred to as "IQ tests," these
are individually administered tests that are designed to provide an
overall appraisal of an individual's intellectual ability,
as well as variability (strengths and weaknesses) in particular
areas. Intelligence tests undergo revision approximately every 10–15
years to keep the norms current, update the item content, and reflect
new scientific knowledge in the areas of cognitive development and
functioning. Assessments must always involve the most recent version
of a given test, and earlier results obtained with previous versions
or results obtained with different intelligence tests should not
be directly compared with results from a current assessment. Commonly
used tests of intellectual ability include the Stanford-Binet Intelligence
Scales, Fifth Edition (SB5; Roid 2003); Wechsler Intelligence
Scale for Children, Fourth Edition (WISC-IV; Wechsler 2003); Differential
Ability Scales, Second Edition (DAS-II; Elliott 2007);
Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children, Second Edition (K-ABC-II; Kaufman and Kaufman 2004); and Woodcock-Johnson Tests of Cognitive
Abilities and Achievement, Third Edition (WJ-III; Woodcock et al. 2001). The global score for each of these tests has
a mean of 100 and a standard deviation of 15. That means that about
95% of youngsters obtain scores that fall between 70 and
130, and about 68% of youngsters obtain scores that fall
between 85 and 115.