Assessment Methods in School Counseling

This course provides a foundation of knowledge in psychometric principles, necessary to gain an understanding of instruments and other methods of assessment to make educational counseling decisions. Ethical and legal issues of assessment are examined and common testing instruments are reviewed. Administration, scoring, and interpretation of standardized tests are described. The purposes of assessment are considered for placement, planning, and accountability in the educational counseling setting.

Topics and Objectives

Assessment in Counseling

• Examine why assessment is integral to counseling.
• Distinguish the benefits of using formal assessment instruments.
• Describe the various types of assessment tools.
• Identify appropriate assessment strategies.
• Identify methods of assessing career interests and abilities.

Norm-referenced Standardized Tests Versus Criterion-referenced Tests

• Examine the use of standardized tests.
• Explain the use of criterion-referenced tests for individual states to assess students.
• Analyze the use of assessment instruments within the guidelines of the federal No Child Left Behind (NCLB) regulations.

Reliability and Validity

• Compare and contrast reliability and validity.
• Analyze different types of validity.

Assessing Achievement and Aptitude

• Explore the interview process when assessing achievement and aptitude.
• Describe how to assess and test for intelligence.
• Examine how to measure for achievement and aptitude.

Assessment in Career Counseling

• Explain the interest inventories in assessing career counseling.
• Explain the process in making career choices.

Appraisal of Personality

• Examine the uses of informal assessment techniques.
• Examine uses of structured, formal personality inventories.
• Demonstrate knowledge of project techniques and how they can be used in the counseling setting.

Assessment and Diagnosis

• Analyze assessment results in terms of treatment planning.
• Examine uses of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM-IV).

Assessment with Multicultural and/or Special Populations

• Examine testing in multicultural assessment.
• Analyze how to assess individuals with impairments.

Ethical and Legal Aspects of Testing

• Explain ethical and legal testing concepts.

Technological Applications and Future Trends

• Examine technological applications in educational counseling.
• Identify future trends and directions in technological applications.