Current Practices in the Assessment of Students with Severe Handicaps

Abstract

Little if any documentation exists regarding the types of tests currently used with students with severe handicaps. The purpose of this study was to estimate the frequency with which specific tests were administered to public school children with severe handicaps. The cumulative school files of 143 students (ages 6 years 5 months to 20 years 10 months) with severe handicaps from five metropolitan school districts were examined to determine what tests were administered to these students. Reliability, validity, norming characteristics, and the type of test for each device was determined. Results of the investigation indicated that (a) there is a lack of technically adequate norm-referenced tests appropriate for students with severe handicaps, (b) the technical adequacy of tests does not appear to be a major determinant in the selection of tests, and (c) criterion-referenced tests and adaptive behavior measures are used less frequently than suggested by the literature. Continued documentation of current assessment practices is recommended to determine the generality of the findings, the prevalence of alternative strategies, and the variables that influence current practices.