ECE 375 – Fall 2020

Case Study #2: Standardized Instruments

This case study requires the use of two different standardized assessments. For the first set of question, you will reference
the M-CHAT, an Autism assessment. For the second set of questions you will reference a K-6 reading assessment,
Acadience Reading. This instrument was formerly called the DIBELS Next, you may be familiar with the instrument
under this name. (25pts for the Assignment)

M-CHAT - Toddler
Review the M-CHAT (included in the resources for the purpose of answering the following questions):
1). What type of instrument is this: screening, diagnostic, curriculum-based? Justify your decision with a minimum of 2
specific ideas from the resources. (3pts)
● screening: it is for toddlers between 16 and 30 months of age, and to assess risk for autism spectrum disorder.
These children may also be at risk for other developmental disorders and delays.
● screening: it needs further assessment if the child screens positive on the M-CHAT.
● screening: indicate it is easy to administer to students and inexpensive

2). Is this a criterion-referenced or a norm-referenced standardized instrument? Justify your decision with a minimum of
2 specific ideas from the resources. (3 pts)
● norm-referenced standarized instrument: it is a pass/fail or yes/no assessment: these scores then get compared to
another group of children
● norm-referenced standarized instrument: it has DIAGNOSTIC being the emphasis, although this is just a
screening that would indicate need for a diagnostic test
● screening info has questions that compares the child’s behaviors to those of another child or groups of children.

3). Analysis: 20-month-old student in your toddler class scores a 3 on the M-CHAT (his score sheet is included in in
resources). What does this result mean? (2 pts)
That means needs to evaluate the risk. If the score remains at 2 or higher, the child has screened positive and is at medium
risk. This means that the toddler needs to be immediately referred for a diagnostic evaluation and eligibility for early
intervention.
4). Application: How do you explain the assessment and the results to the family? Ensure that your response discusses
the child’s specific response and describes the assessment itself. What does the assessment measure? How does it measure
it? (3 pts)
Once parents have completed the M-CHAT-R, if the child screens positive, specialists would select the items the child
failed and use those results to conduct a complete interview. Critical items are marked as bold and reverse score items, if a
score of “yes”, that means it indicates risk for autism. The assessment helps us measure whether the child is at risk or has
other developmental disorders or delays. The follow up questions measure the child's behavior.
5). Application: How might the results of this assessment impact your work with the child described in question 3?
Assume that you are the child’s toddler teacher, please include at least 2 SPECIFIC ways in which the assessment results
might inform curriculum, assessment, and/or instruction. (2 pts)
● Assessment may look different because the child may be at a different learning level which requires more
extensive assessment and observation of the child’s performance. Assessments may have to be used in different
ways for the student to best show his or her performance.
 ● Instruction may look different in the sense that the child may learn a topic better in a different light or a different
presentation. Instead of visual instruction maybe audio instruction works better for the child to understand

Acadience Reading
Review the Acadience Reading Manual (included in the resources for the purpose of answering the following questions):
1). What type of instrument is this: screening, diagnostic, curriculum-based? Justify your decision with a minimum of 2
specific ideas from the resources. (3pts)
● Curriculum based because it is an efficient test to administer
● Curriculum based because the manual states, “to help teachers identify areas to target instructional support as well
as examine the effectiveness of your school’s system of instructional supports”.
● Curriculum based because it measures foundational early literacy skills that are responsive to instruction and
provides research based benchmarks goals for interpreting results.
2). Is it appropriate to use this instrument to determine if a student should progress to the next grade level? Why or why
not? (1pt)
Yes, because Curriculum-based instrument can analyze scores in order to adjust students’ goals and monitor their learning
progress through the entire school year.

3). Is it appropriate to use this instrument for progress monitoring for a child receiving a reading intervention? Why or
why not? (1pt)
Yes, It is appropriate to use this instrument for a child receiving reading intervention because progress monitoring is
conducted with students who are not in track with early literacy and reading skills. Progress monitoring ensures that the
instruction children receive will help them make adequate progress to attain the benchmark or their reading goals
especially with children who score below the benchmark goal and are determined to need additional instructional support.
4). Is it appropriate to use this instrument to diagnose a learning disability? Why or why not? (1pt)
Yes, it is effective for students with learning disability because curriculum-based can increase productive communication
at IEP about child’s current performance and adapted students IEP goals.

Review the Acadience Technical Manual (included in the resources for the purpose of answering the following questions):
3). Evaluate Acadience Reading using the following guidance (answer the questions in the blue box). The answer must
include specific evidence from the technical manual to justify your ideas (3pts):

Evaluating Validity from a Test Manual

● Does the manual describe what types of validity were measured? Evidence for at least one type of validity is necessary.

Internal- used GRADE Total Test Raw Score as the primary score to examine.

● Does the manual describe the method in which the validity is measured?

The reading composite score serves as a internal criterion in developing and validating the Acadience reading benchmark
goals and cut points for risk.
 ● Is that method credible:

o If experts are used does it describe their expertise? Is their expertise appropriate? Were multiple experts used?
Are they unbiased?

Yes, because use Reading Composite Score as a primary internal is the best indicator of student's overall reading
proficiency. It represents the changing of student’s reading proficiency. Also, it provides a better overall measure
of reading proficiency.

o If comparison to other instruments are used? Do those instruments measure the same construct? Does the content
overlap? Are the outcomes measured appropriate?

Yes, the comparison to other Acadience readings is used as well as the comparison to the GRADE Total Test. It
was reported, “ Overall, the validity of all Acadience Reading measures is well supported by GRADE Total Test.
The Reading Composite Score in kindergarten and first grade is moderately to strongly correlated with the
GRADE Total Test.”. The two tests are strongly correlated and do measure the same construct. The content
continues to overlap into each grade cleveland the outcomes are measured appropriately by sections covered on
each instrument.

4). Evaluate the reliability of Acadience Reading using the following guidance (answer the questions in the blue box. The
answer must include specific evidence from the resources to justify your ideas (3pts):

Evaluating Reliability from a Test Manual

● Does the manual describe what types of reliability were measured? Evidence for at least one type of reliability is
necessary.

Yes, which is Alternate-Form Reliablity. It was collected on First Sound Fluency, and it measure the key benchmarks.

● Does the manual describe the method in which the reliability is measured?

Yes, Both Alternate-Form Reliablity and test-retest reliability were used to assess the reliability of Acadience reading.
These are given at monthly intervals between the fall and winter benchmark testing to assess the reliability.

● Is an appropriate reliability coefficient reported?

o Test-retest should be over 60 for group tests, 80 for screening instruments, and 90 for diagnostic instruments

YES

o Internal reliability should be over 90

YES

o Inter-rater should be over 85

YES

● Samples used for reliability should include at least 25 participants

YES
● Mean and Standard Deviation should be reported for all groups and subgroups

YES