Educational Achievement Report Rationale

The Educational Achievement Report (EAR) is a formal document which contains

the raw data and analysis of the Woodcock-Johnson III Tests of Achievement (WJ-III), a
formal assessment administered to help compare a students performance to another
student in his or her same age group. The WJ-III is an assessment typically used with
students identified as having a disability or used in conjunction with other assessments to
diagnose disabilities. In secondary education, the WJ-III tends to be relied on by
evaluators for the triennial assessment, or every three years. After completing the
assessment, the evaluator compiles the data and creates an Educational Achievement
Report (EAR) which outlines key results of the assessment, using basal and ceiling scores
when necessary, including student strengths and weaknesses in specific testing areas.
The EAR also includes Background Information about the student including educational
and family histories. The evaluator also includes his observations regarding the student
in the testing situation. The statements are expected to be general and unbiased; the
examiner must avoid statements which could be considered diagnoses of specific
disorders. The EAR includes recommendations for accommodations and possible
modifications made by the evaluator in order to enable the student to access the
curriculum being studied. Finally, the EAR provides the test results in a data table for
reference. The EAR can be aligned with several CEC standardsStandard 1: Learner
Development and Individual Learning Differences, Standard 4: Assessment, and
Standard 6: Professional Learning and Ethical Practice. Great intro!

The EAR demonstrates mastery of CEC Preparation Standard 1: Learner

Development and Individual Learning Differences given the requirements of the report.
It requires the evaluator to create a profile which shows all aspects of the students life,
both academic and personal. The competent Special Educator knows and understands
that academic performance cannot be measured without calling into focus characteristics
which make the student a unique part of the learning environment. The EAR should
include an extensive Background Summary of the students previous educational
experiences, as well as relevant information about family life and cultural experience.
One cannot think that all students are exactly the same simply because they are within the
same age range or academic class; diversity can sometimes provide explanations for why
some students learn differently and struggle to thrive in the traditional classroom. Yes,
super point.
The second CEC Standard addressed by the EAR is Standard 4: Assessment
based on the nature of the assessment from which the EAR is created. The WJ-III is a
formal, norm-referenced assessment designed by the developers to help determine
whether the student being assessed requires special education services. The WJ-III is
also an assessment which is designed with parallel form A and form B versions to ensure
reliability and to limit bias. The assessment is broken down into several subtests which
can be further grouped as a Standard or Extended Test Battery to be administered to the
student. Overall, the WJIII is designed to enable the special educator to measure six
major curriculum areas and the subsequent EAR generated allows for collaboration with
other team members to create an extensive report, highlighting the students strengths and
weaknesses to enable team members to create an educational plan that is most beneficial

to the student. Another important feature of the WJIII is its reliability; as it is a formal
assessment, the students overall raw scores should not change as he matures, making it
unnecessary to administer such a comprehensive assessment with any more frequency
than during the triennial (three years) assessment period.
The final CEC Standard the EAR addresses is Standard 6: Professional Learning
and Ethical Practice. The EAR enables the Special Educator to demonstrate their
understanding of Ethical Principles when collecting data and generating the EAR. When
writing the EAR, the Special Educator should put aside any and all personal bias or
opinions and record only observations and facts. Statements which demonstrate
unfounded diagnosis such as, it is obvious that. followed by a diagnosis or other such
phrases should be avoided as it is not considered to be professional or ethical for one
person using one assessment to make a diagnosis which could have major legal
ramifications should it be incorrect. Great point. The EAR also allows for the special
educator to restate the importance of diversity when administering and evaluating formal
assessments and the role cultural differences may play when collecting data.
Understanding the role of formal assessment is vital to any educator, but it is of
significant importance to the Special Educator. First, as it is a formal assessment, it is
one that should be given a minimal number of times; since it is an assessment that is
norm-referenced based on age groups, the scores will not significantly change over brief
periods of time. It is best practice to assess the student with this test once every three
yearsan informal assessment can be used for data collection in subsequent years when
revising IEPs. Secondly, it is important to understand that comprehension and
assessment encompasses more than just the academic spherethe background

information provides essential information for the team to implement the educational
plan best suited for the student. Being aware of significant change in the students home
life and subsequently what emotional developments may arise is vital as it may offer
explanation for drastic changes in scores which should remain relatively stable otherwise.
Finally, the extensiveness of the WJIII and the EAR which accompanies it enables the
special educator to identify possible discrepancies between ability and academic
achievement. The assessment consists of subtests which can be used in part or in its
entirety to collect raw scores which can be converted to standard scores that have been
norm-referenced. Once the special educator understands the significance of this
assessment, it becomes clear why the assessment can take over an hour to administer,
even in ideal circumstances.