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Position Statement on School Psychologists' Involvement in the Role of
Assessment
The National Association of School Psychologists (NASP) recognizes
that school psychologists are experts in assessment. Assessment
is defined as the process of gathering information from a variety of sources,
using a variety of methods that best address the reason for evaluation; and
is contrasted to testing which is limited to administration and scoring
of tests. Application of the knowledge and skills of school psychologists
in assessment can help ensure that all children and youth receive needed services.
School psychologists can provide local and state education agencies with information
about tests and assessment methods that can be used within the context of
scientifically-based practice and can be linked to prevention and intervention.
Further, school psychologists select methods that ensure fair and non-biased
assessment. NASP, therefore, endorses assessment practices that are
tailored to the needs of the individual student in the context of a comprehensive
delivery system that facilitates educational progress for all children.
NASP recognizes that school psychologists:
- have specialized training
and skills in areas of psychological and educational assessment;
- should select and use assessments
and interventions that are scientifically based;
- play an important role in
multidisciplinary team decision-making;
- select assessment methods
that include multiple sources of information, multiple procedures, and multiple
settings in order to yield a comprehensive understanding of a student's
characteristics that are relevant to learning and emotional well-being;
- work with parents, teachers,
administrators, and, where appropriate, students in a collaborative context
when making decisions;
- are particularly sensitive
to the high stakes decisions made on the basis of testing and assessment;
- utilize longitudinal assessment
to evaluate and document progress or responses to interventions; and
- use assessment information
to guide intervention strategies.
NASP endorses assessment practices that are:
- scientifically based;
- multidimensional and based
on the needs of the student;
- relevant to a variety of
scientifically-based interventions;
- inclusive of an examination
of family and educational systems, and home environments, in addition to
the student;
- initiated by efforts to resolve
the problem through early intervention;
- nondiscriminatory in terms
of ethnicity, gender, native language, family or socioeconomic status;
- comprehensive and address
the educational, cognitive, and mental health needs of the student;
- not limited to any single
methodology or theoretical framework;
- technically appropriate and
used for the purposes for which they were developed and/or validated;
- conducted so that ethical
standards are maintained; and
- used only by qualified personnel.
In conclusion, NASP supports scientifically-based assessment
procedures that meet the needs of children and youth. School psychologists
apply their expertise to evaluate student performance and program effectiveness,
understanding that assessment and evaluation should not be limited to a single
instrument or measure, but instead be comprehensive. All approaches to assessment
are used in ways consistent with their scientific base, recognizing the uniqueness
of each student and the referral question(s). These approaches include but
are not limited to techniques such as norm- and performance-based assessments;
functional assessment; standardized measures of intelligence, cognitive processing,
and academics; curriculum-based assessment; psychological, personality, and
other social-emotional measures; behavior rating scales; ecological assessment;
portfolio review; etc. NASP endorses continual professional development as
a means for school psychologist to stay current on assessment methodologies.
Finally, school psychology researchers are encouraged to examine a variety
of assessment methodologies to meet the needs of children and youth.
References
Graham, J. R., & Naglieri, J. A. (Eds.) (2002). Handbook
of Psychology, Volume 10, Assessment Psychology. New York: Wiley.
Sattler, J. M. (2001). Assessment of Children:
Fourth Edition. San Diego: Jerome Sattler Publisher.
Thomas, A., & Grimes, J. (Eds.) (2002). Best Practices
in School Psychology IV. Bethesda: NASP.
This revision was adopted by the NASP Delegate Assembly, July 2003.
© 2003 National Association of School Psychologists,
4340 East West Highway, Suite 402, Bethesda MD 20814 - 301-657-0270.
Please note that NASP periodically revises its Position Statements. We encourage
you to check the NASP website at www.nasponline.org
to ensure that you have the most current version of this Position Statement.