Study Guide
Field 033: School Psychologist
Sample Constructed-Response Assignment
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The following materials contain:
- Test directions for the constructed-response assignment
- A sample constructed-response assignment
- An example of a strong and weak response to the assignment, and a rationale for each
- The performance characteristics and scoring scale
Test Directions for the Constructed-Response Assignment
This section of the test consists of one constructed-response assignment. You are to prepare a written response of approximately 300 to 600 words on the assigned topic. You should use your time to plan, write, review, and edit your response to the assignment.
Read the assignment carefully before you begin to write. Think about how you will organize your response.
As a whole, your response must demonstrate an understanding of the knowledge and skills of the field. In your response to the assignment, you are expected to demonstrate the depth of your understanding of the content area through your ability to apply your knowledge and skills rather than merely to recite factual information.
Your response to the assignment will be evaluated on the basis of the following criteria:
start bold PURPOSE: end bold the extent to which the response achieves the purpose of the assignment
start bold SUBJECT MATTER KNOWLEDGE: end bold accuracy and appropriateness in the application of subject matter knowledge
start bold SUPPORT: end bold quality and relevance of supporting details
start bold RATIONALE: end bold soundness of argument and degree of understanding of the subject matterThe constructed-response assignment is intended to assess subject matter knowledge and skills, not writing ability. However, your response must be communicated clearly enough to permit valid judgment of the scoring criteria. Your response should be written for an audience of educators in this field. The final version of your response should conform to the conventions of edited American English. Your written response must be your original work, written in your own words, and not copied or paraphrased from some other work.
Be sure to write about the assigned topic. You may not use any reference materials during the test. Remember to review what you have written and make any changes you think will improve your response.
Sample Constructed-Response Assignment
subarea roman numeral 4
Case Study
start bold Use the data provided to complete the task that follows. end bold
Excerpt from Johanna's current Individualized Education Program (IEP)
start bold Present Levels of Academic Achievement and Functional Educational Performance end bold
Results from the Oklahoma Core Curriculum Test (OCCT) administered at the end of third grade ("Unsatisfactory" in two of five standards and "Limited Knowledge" in two of five standards) indicate that Johanna has difficulty in the area of mathematics reasoning. Given her current skill level, she would be unsuccessful in the general education classes without special education support.
Based on the observations of Johanna's fourth-grade teacher and special education teacher, Johanna has difficulty solving one- and two-step mathematics reasoning problems. This impedes her progress in the general education setting and the general education mathematics curriculum.
Goal:
Johanna will increase her ability to use and communicate a variety of mathematical strategies to solve fourth-grade reasoning problems involving the four basic operations as measured by classroom assessment and teacher observation.
Objectives:
Johanna will use manipulatives or drawings to represent fourth-grade mathematics concepts related to each operation (addition, subtraction, multiplication, division) with 80 percent accuracy on 12 of 15 attempts by the end of the second quarter.
Johanna will solve one-step mathematics reasoning problems at the third- and fourth-grade level with 80 percent accuracy on 12 of 15 attempts by the end of the second quarter.
Type of Service |
Location of Services |
Amount of Services (Time and Frequency) |
Start Date |
End Date |
Person Responsible |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Direct Instruction |
Resource room |
1.5 hours 3 × per week |
9/1 | 8/31 | Special education teacher |
start bold Continuum of Placement: end bold In the general education classroom 80 percent or more of the day.
start bold Amount of time in general education setting: end bold 33 hours per week or 90 percent of instructional time
start bold Modifications/Accommodations/Adaptations: end bold
- Johanna will be provided with a variety of manipulatives to support mathematics understanding.
- Johanna will be provided extra time for class assignments in mathematics.
- Johanna's mathematics problems will be presented numerically and in writing.
Johanna's scores on the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children—Fourth Edition (WISC–IV) (administered during her initial evaluation)
Subtest | Scaled Score |
---|---|
Verbal Comprehension ( V C I ) | |
Similarities ( S I ) | 9 |
Vocabulary ( V O ) | 11 |
Comprehension ( C O ) | 10 |
(Information [ I N ]) | (10) |
(Word Reasoning [ W R ]) | (–) |
Perceptual Reasoning ( P R I ) | |
Block Design ( B D ) | 10 |
Picture Concepts ( P C n ) | 9 |
Matrix Reasoning ( M R ) | 9 |
Working Memory ( W M I ) | |
Digit Span ( D S ) | 7 |
Letter-Number Sequencing ( L N ) | 6 |
(Arithmetic [ A ]) | (7) |
Processing Speed ( P S I ) | |
Coding ( C D ) | 9 |
Symbol Search ( S S ) | 6 |
(Cancellation [ C A ]) | (–) |
Index Scores | |
Verbal Comprehension ( V C I ) | 100 |
Perceptual Reasoning ( P R I ) | 90 |
Working Memory ( W M I ) | 83 |
Processing Speed ( P S I ) | 89 |
Full Scale I Q ( F S I Q ) | 92 |
Johanna's performance on the Oklahoma Core Curriculum Test (OCCT) by skill (administered at the end of third grade)
Skill | Oklahoma Performance Index (OPI) |
Level |
---|---|---|
1.0 Algebraic Reasoning: Patterns and Relationships | ||
1.1 Algebra Patterns | 675 | Limited Knowledge |
1.2 Equations | 635 | Limited Knowledge |
1.3 Number Properties | 672 | Limited Knowledge |
2.0 Number Sense and Operation | ||
2.1 Number Sense | 620 | Unsatisfactory |
2.2 Number Operations | 600 | Unsatisfactory |
3.0 Geometry | ||
3.1 Properties of Shapes | 710 | Proficient |
3.2 Spatial Reasoning | 785 | Proficient |
3.3 Coordinate Geometry | 770 | Proficient |
4.0 Measurement | ||
4.1 Measurement | 679 | Limited Knowledge |
4.2 Time and Temperature | 650 | Limited Knowledge |
4.3 Money | 655 | Limited Knowledge |
5.0 Data Analysis | ||
5.1 Data Analysis | 590 | Unsatisfactory |
5.2 Probability | 544 | Unsatisfactory |
Notes from Johanna's special education teacher
Notes from Johanna's fourth-grade classroom teacher
Comments from Johanna's parents
Excerpt from Johanna's learning log in mathematics (last week)
Mathematics work samples from Johanna's portfolio (two weeks ago)
Write the symbol for the correct operation in the blank ( plus , minus , times , divide ).
- 27 minus 9 equals 3
- 9 times 7 equals 63
- 12 divided by 6 equals 18
- 20 divided by 7 equals 13
- 100 divided by 10 equals 10
- 5 plus 7 equals 12
- 42 minus 23 equals 65
- 81 minus 9 equals 9
- 4 plus 2 equals 8
- 6 plus 11 equals 17
- 75 divided by 15 equals 60
- 65 divided by 33 equals 32
Johanna is a ten-year-old fourth grader who was determined to be eligible for special education services for a specific learning disability in mathematics when she was in second grade. Johanna's special education teacher and parents agree that she is not making sufficient academic progress relative to her efforts and her parents have referred her to Mr. Alaniz, the school psychologist, for a comprehensive reevaluation. Mr. Alaniz is reviewing information in his case file on Johanna.
Write an analysis of approximately 300 to 600 words in which you analyze the data provided. In your analysis:
- identify one area of need Johanna has related to academics or personal/social development;
- describe one research- or evidence-based strategy/intervention to address the need you identified to include in a comprehensive intervention plan for Johanna;
- explain why this strategy/intervention would be appropriate for addressing the identified need and how you would evaluate the effectiveness of this strategy/intervention;
- explain how you would engage Johanna's family in supporting the strategy/intervention you described at home; and
- identify one of Johanna's potential strengths indicated by the data, and explain how you would build on the strength you identified to promote Johanna's learning.
Sample Strong Response to the Constructed-Response Assignment
start bold Please note: The sample response provided below is for review purposes only and should not be used in a response on an operational exam. Use of the exact words and phrases presented in this sample response will result in a score of "U" (Unscorable) due to lack of original work. end bold
According to Johanna's performance on the Oklahoma Core Curriculum Test (OCCT), she has unsatisfactory knowledge of number sense and operations. This need is also identified in her IEP. Johanna's journal entry and work sample reflect the difficulties she is having in this area. She indicates that she is often confused and does not know how to approach the problems she is supposed to solve. Her lack of progress in mastering number concepts and basic operations may be exacerbated by low average working memory as indicated in her W I S C Roman numeral 4 Index Scores.
As part of a comprehension intervention plan for Johanna, I would implement a self-instruction strategy to help her learn how to think about math. Teaching this strategy involves five phases. In the first phase, the teacher models the problem solving process, talking aloud about the steps he or she will take to reach a solution. In phase two, Johanna would model the process under the teacher's direct guidance. She will begin to approach a problem independently while describing the steps aloud to herself. The teacher's role is to help Johanna understand what she is doing correctly and incorrectly. In the third phase, Johanna continues to model the process without the teacher, still speaking the steps out loud. By the fourth phase, Johanna will continue to model the process independently, now just whispering the steps to herself. Johanna will achieve the fifth phase when she can guide herself through the problem-solving process, thinking about the steps in her head but no longer speaking them aloud. Inherent in the self-instruction strategy are cognitive skills such as problem definition ("What is it I need to do?"), self-reinforcement ("Good. I'm doing fine."), and evaluation ("Does this solution make sense?").
As part of the comprehensive intervention plan, this self-instruction strategy would be appropriate for addressing Johanna's needs in number sense and operations because Johanna is learning a process that she can apply to any math problem. This strategy helps develop the cognitive skills that are needed for successful problem solving. Using this strategy will also help Johanna feel more in control of what she is learning and, over time, more willing to attempt math problems independently. I would collect twice-weekly progress-monitoring data on Johanna's use of the strategy and her performance solving math reasoning problems. Analyzing the data collected will reveal the extent of Johanna's improvement or lack thereof with regard to math reasoning problems and determine whether this particular intervention is effective.
Johanna's parents will need to reinforce the self-instruction strategy at home. I would teach them the strategy and/or invite them to observe it in action. I would then discuss with them how they could help Johanna apply the strategy to real-world math tasks. For example, if six guests are coming to dinner and each guest gets three deviled eggs, ask Johanna to figure out how many eggs to buy. Her parents can then provide direct guidance as needed and fade that guidance as Johanna becomes more proficient.
The self-instruction strategy builds on Johanna's relatively strong verbal comprehension skills indicated on her WISC–IV scores. To further build on that strength, I would provide Johanna with regular opportunities to work on math tasks with peers and encourage her parents to engage her in frequent conversations about what she is learning in math. Including these actions in a comprehensive intervention plan for Johanna should help improve her math skills and her academic self-esteem.
Rationale for the Sample Strong Response
Please note that the response is evaluated based upon the four performance characteristics of Purpose, Subject Matter Knowledge, Support, and Rationale. Please also note how the score point descriptions are based upon how the examinee attends to the performance characteristics. You should be very familiar with the CEOE performance characteristics and score scale and refer to them when reviewing this rationale.
The response fully achieves the purpose of the assignment by addressing the student's need for improved mastery of number sense and basic math operations. Thorough knowledge and understanding is exhibited when a well-developed, comprehensive 5-phase "self-instruction" strategy for intervention is provided along with how the plan will be monitored and assessed. A clear plan is offered for how the student's intervention strategy extends to the family through math reasoning and further "real-world" application activities and tasks in the home. Additional support is offered in the student's potential strength of verbal comprehension, as well as how to build upon this strength in relation to her math challenges, through frequent opportunities in peer and parental conversations and encouragement around learning math.
Sample Weak Response to the Constructed-Response Assignment
After reviewing the data sets, particularly the WISC–IV, Johanna has difficulty with Working Memory (WMI) and Processing Speed (PSI) as it relates to math.
One strategy that might be helpful is providing Johanna with additional time in class to memorize her basic number sense, such as adding, subtracting, multiplying, and dividing. Multiplication flash cards have been used successfully and are easily accessible. This strategy would be appropriate in improving foundational math recall and processing speed, which would also decrease Johanna's frustration and negative self-statements.
Johanna's family can easily replicate this activity at home, requiring that she use the flashcards at a set frequency. Her parents can also implement a positive reward system when checking Johanna for accuracy. This reinforcement would also help her build a sense of mastery and encouragement by her parents.
Johanna's obvious strength is Verbal Comprehension. She can use and build upon this skill by verbally reciting her math facts with her peers, teachers, and parents, which will help with working memory of basic number sense.
Rationale for the Sample Weak Response
Please note that the response is evaluated based upon the four performance characteristics of Purpose, Subject Matter Knowledge, Support, and Rationale. Please also note how the score point descriptions are based upon how the examinee attends to the performance characteristics. You should be very familiar with the CEOE performance characteristics and score scale and refer to them when reviewing this rationale.
The response reflects partial knowledge and understanding of the subject matter, providing superficial insight into the extent of the data provided. The purpose of the assignment is partially achieved through a limited explanation and support for the student's central academic and social-emotional needs. The strategy provided in the use of multiplication flash cards is limited, and does not fully address the significance of the student's math reasoning deficits. There is no mention as to how the intervention strategy will be monitored and assessed. While the strategy is transferred to the home environment, it is a mere continuation of the school intervention and does not provide for comprehensive math application in the "real world," which aids in mathematical reasoning for the student. The student's strength of verbal comprehension is identified; however, there is a vague notion of how to build upon this skill and how it can be relevant in improving the student's math challenges.
Performance Characteristics
The following characteristics guide the scoring of responses to the constructed-response assignment.
Scoring Scale
Scores will be assigned to each response to the constructed-response assignment according to the following scoring scale.