Woodcock-Johnson III Tests of Achievement Assessment Project
Old Dominion University
Abstract
This report is a summary of the administration of the Woodcock-Johnson III Tests of Achievement to test a subject, JB. The report includes identifying data, background information, test results for 22 subjects, test interpretations, testing summary, and recommendations for JB in terms of educational interventions.
I. Identifying Data
Examinee Name: JB
Date of Birth (DOB): December 21, 2000
Date of Examination (DOE): November 18, 2017
Chronological Age (CE): 17-11
Current Grade Placement: 12.5
Examiner Name: Peyton
Instrument tool and reference: Woodcock-Johnson III Tests of Achievement
Woodcock, R.W., McGrew, K.S., & Mather, N. (2001, 2007). Woodcock-Johnson III Tests of Achievement. Rolling Meadows, IL: Riverside Publishing.
II. Background Information
JB is a Caucasian male with a chronological age of 17 years and 11 months with typical development. JB is currently enrolled in the twelfth grade at Mills E. Godwin High School in Henrico, Virginia. Prior to attending Mills E. Godwin High School, JB attended St. Christopher’s School, a private, all-boys school also located in Henrico. JB experienced some challenges in the change in environment from St. Christopher’s to Mills E. Godwin; however, his socialization and collaboration skills seemed to increase since the change.
JB is active in extracurricular activities inside and outside of school. He was a member of both the basketball and golf teams all four years of high school. He also played on a church league basketball team multiple years in high school. JB is very social and has many friends in which he enjoys playing pick-up sports games and playing video games with in his spare time.
JB had a very typical prenatal development and birth with no issues. His health and physical development is also within normal limits.
JB is the son of two retired air traffic controllers in the United States Navy; however, both parents presently have jobs. JB’s father is a regional manager for an oil company, and his mother works for Homeland Security. His father holds a Bachelor’s degree, while his mother immediately enlisted after high school. His parents are still married. JB has one sister who is five years older than him, and one dog that he has had since he was nine. His family currently lives in a single-family home in the suburbs of Henrico, Virginia. Based on their previous and current occupations and incomes, JB’s parents hold a place in the American middle class.
JB’s parents do not have any current educational concerns. JB is interested in attending a four-year college or university once he graduates high school; therefore, JB is currently in the process of looking into and applying to schools of interest.
JB has never received services outside of the general education classroom. In elementary school, the teacher divided the class during math and reading based on the level of the student. The children in the “higher-level” group were considered to be more advanced, while the “lower-level” group needed extra help in some areas. JB was always in the “higher” groups for math; however, in the “lower” groups for reading. JB’s parents expressed concern that this may have affected his confidence in certain areas of learning.
III. Test Results
Woodcock-Johnson Tests of Achievement
Mean: 100 SD: 15
Subtests G/E
Grade Estimate A/E
Age Estimate SS
Standard Score %R
Percentile Rank
Letter-Word Identification 10.6 15-9 95 38
Reading Fluency 7.9 13-2 86 17
Story Recall 3.6 9-1 83 13
Understanding Directions 3.9 9-3 76 5
Calculation 12.1 17-1 98 45
Math Fluency 8.0 13-5 86 18
Spelling 13.2 19 105 64
Writing Fluency 9.2 14-7 95 37
Passage Comprehension 8.9 13-10 93 31
Applied Problems 13.0 17-0 99 47
Writing Samples 10.0 15-4 95 36
Story Recall – Delayed >18 >21 126 96
Word Attack 6.7 12-6 88 20
Picture Vocabulary 7.3 12-10 87 20
Oral Comprehension 12.5 16-7 99 46
Editing 11.7 14-8 94 35
Reading Vocabulary 10.8 16-1 96 39
Quantitative Concepts 9.3 15-2 93 31
Academic Knowledge 12.3 18-10 102 55
Spelling of Sounds 12.9 18-1 100 51
Sound Awareness 7.3 13-1 92 29
Punctuation and Capitalization 12.9 18-4 101 53
IV. Test Interpretations
JB was administered the Woodcock-Johnson III Tests of Achievement at Gayton Library located in Henrico, Virginia. The assessments began at 11:00am and concluded at 2:30pm. A one-hour lunch break was taken at 12:30pm. JB was willing to take the assessment; however, he was not looking forward to the testing. He appeared to be comfortable with the environment and examiner. JB was confident in most of his answers to the questions throughout the assessment. During the reading and writing related subtests, JB showed reluctance and doubt in some of his answers. He expressed that he was not confident in these skills, and that he much preferred math.
JB’s scores on the Woodcock-Johnson III Tests of Achievement show that he is performing on below average to average in the majority of the tested areas. All subtests were administered, as the basal scores were achieved in every subtest.
JB’s functionality on the Letter-Word Identification subtest is within the average range (McGrew, Schrank, Woodcock, 2007, p.65). His standard score of 95 (M = 100; SD = 15) places him on the 38th percentile rank for this subtest. His score correlates to a grade equivalent of 10.6 and an age estimate of 15 years, 9 months.
JB’s functionality on the Reading Fluency subtest is within the low average range (McGrew, Schrank, Woodcock, 2007, p.65). His standard score of 86 (M = 100; SD = 15) places him on the 17th percentile rank for this subtest. His score correlates to a grade equivalent of 7.9 and an age estimate of 13 years, 2 months.
JB’s functionality on the Story Recall subtest is within the low average range (McGrew, Schrank, Woodcock, 2007, p.65). His standard score of 83 (M = 100); SD = 15) places him on the 13th percentile rank for this subtest. His score correlates to a grade equivalent of 3.6 and an age estimate of 9 years, 1 month.
JB’s functionality on the Understanding Directions subtest is within the low range (McGrew, Schrank, Woodcock, 2007, p.65). His standard score of 76 (M = 100; SD = 15) places him on the 5th percentile rank for this subtest. His score correlates to a grade equivalent of 3.9 and an age estimate of 9 years, 3 months.
JB’s functionality on the Calculation subtest is within the average range (McGrew, Schrank, Woodcock, 2007, p.65). His standard score of 98 (M = 100; SD = 15) places him on the 45th percentile rank for this subtest. His score correlates to a grade equivalent of 12.1 and an age estimate of 17 years and 1 month.
JB’s functionality on the Math Fluency subtest is within the low average range (McGrew, Schrank, Woodcock, 2007, p.65). His standard score of 86 (M = 100; SD = 15) places him on the 18th percentile rank for this subtest. His score correlates to a grade equivalent of 8.0 and an age estimate of 13 years, 5 months.
JB’s functionality on the Spelling subtest is within the average range (McGrew, Schrank, Woodcock, 2007, p.65). His standard score of 105 (M = 100; SD = 15) places him on the 64th percentile rank for this subtest. His score correlates to a grade equivalent of 13.2 and an age estimate of 19 years.
JB’s functionality on the Writing Fluency subtest is within the average range (McGrew, Schrank, Woodcock, 2007, p.65). His standard score of 95 (M = 100; SD = 15) places him on the 37th percentile rank for this subtest. His score correlates to a grade equivalent of 9.2 and an age estimate of 14 years, 7 months.
JB’s functionality on the Passage Comprehension subtest is within the average range (McGrew, Schrank, Woodcock, 2007, p.65). His standard score of 93 (M = 100; SD = 15) places him on the 31st percentile rank for this subtest. His score correlates to a grade equivalent of 8.9 and an age estimate of 13 years, 10 months.
JB’s functionality on the Applied Problems subtest is within the average range (McGrew, Schrank, Woodcock, 2007, p.65). His standard score of 99 (M = 100; SD = 15) places him on the 47th percentile rank for this subtest. His score correlates to a grade equivalent of 13.0 and an age estimate of 17 years.
JB’s functionality on the Writing Samples subtest is within the average range (McGrew, Schrank, Woodcock, 2007, p.65). His standard score of 95 (M = 100; SD = 15) places him on the 36th percentile rank for this subtest. His score correlates to a grade equivalent of 10.0 and an age estimate of 15 years, 4 months.
JB’s functionality on the Story Recall-Delayed subtest is within the superior range (McGrew, Schrank, Woodcock, 2007, p.65). His standard score of 126 (M = 100; SD = 15) places him on the 96th percentile rank for this subtest. His score correlates to a grade equivalent of >18 and an age estimate of >21 years.
JB’s functionality on the Word Attack subtest is within the low average range (McGrew, Schrank, Woodcock, 2007, p.65). His standard score of 88 (M = 100; SD = 15) places him on the 20th percentile rank for this subtest. His score correlates to a grade equivalent of 6.7 and an age estimate of 12 years, 6 months.
JB’s functionality on the Picture Vocabulary subtest is within the low average range (McGrew, Schrank, Woodcock, 2007, p.65). His standard score of 87 (M = 100; SD = 15) places him on the 20th percentile rank for this subtest. His score correlates to a grade equivalent of 7.3 and an age estimate of 12 years, 10 months.
JB’s functionality on the Oral Comprehension subtest is within the average range (McGrew, Schrank, Woodcock, 2007, p.65). His standard score of 99 (M = 100; SD = 15) places him on the 46th percentile rank for this subtest. His score correlates to a grade equivalent of 12.5 and an age estimate of 16 years, 7 months.
JB’s functionality on the Editing subtest is within the average range (McGrew, Schrank, Woodcock, 2007, p.65). His standard score of 94 (M = 100; SD = 15) places him on the 35th percentile rank for this subtest. His score correlates to a grade equivalent of 11.7 and an age estimate of 14 years, 8 months.
JB’s functionality on the Reading Vocabulary subtest is within the average range (McGrew, Schrank, Woodcock, 2007, p.65). His standard score of 96 (M = 100; SD = 15) places him on the 39th percentile rank for this subtest. His score correlates to a grade equivalent of 10.8 and an age estimate of 16 years, 1 month.
JB’s functionality on the Quantitative Concepts subtest is within the average range (McGrew, Schrank, Woodcock, 2007, p.65). His standard score of 93 (M = 100; SD = 15) places him on the 31st percentile rank for this subtest. His score correlates to a grade equivalent of 9.3 and an age estimate of 15 years, 2 months.
JB’s functionality on the Academic Knowledge subtest is within the average range (McGrew, Schrank, Woodcock, 2007, p.65). His standard score of 102 (M = 100; SD = 15) places him on the 55th percentile rank for this subtest. His score correlates to a grade equivalent of 12.3 and an age estimate of 18 years, 10 months.
JB’s functionality on the Spelling of Sounds subtest is within the average range (McGrew, Schrank, Woodcock, 2007, p.65). His standard score of 100 (M = 100; SD = 15) places him on the 51st percentile rank for this subtest. His score correlates to a grade equivalent of 12.9 and an age estimate of 18 years, 1 month.
JB’s functionality on the Sound Awareness subtest is within the average range (McGrew, Schrank, Woodcock, 2007, p.65). His standard score of 92 (M = 100; SD = 15) places him on the 29th percentile rank for this subtest. His score correlates to a grade equivalent of 7.3 and an age estimate of 13 years, 1 month.
JB’s functionality on the Punctuation and Capitalization subtest is within the average range (McGrew, Schrank, Woodcock, 2007, p.65). His standard score of 101 (M = 100; SD = 15) places him on the 53rd percentile rank for this subtest. His score correlates to a grade equivalent of 12.9 and an age estimate of 18 years, 4 months.
V. Summary and Recommendations
The majority of JB’s display performance of grade level or below. Six of the subtests show performance below the average while one subtest shows performance at a superior level. It is recommended that JB receive research-based intervention in oral expression, listening comprehension, and reading.
The first recommendation is based on the performance on the Story Recall subtest. This subtest tests abilities in oral expression, which is defined “a person’s ability to express wants, thoughts, and ideas meaningfully using appropriate syntactic, semantic, pragmatic, and phonological language structures” (O’Malley, n.d., p.1). According to O’Malley (n.d.), strategies to improve oral expression can be fostered at home and in the school and include, but are not limited to the following: explaining steps to a procedure, orally and in writing, providing opportunities to engage in conversations, and speaking into a tape recorder and playing it back. If these strategies are consistently practiced, the student should see an improvement in their oral expression skills.
The next recommended method, the use of auditory skill tapes, is an intervention based on JB’s below average scores on the Understanding Directions subtest. This subtest relates to listening comprehension; therefore, practicing working memory and listening ability is an effective way to enhance this skill (Wendling, Schrank, Schmitt, 2007, p. 2). Auditory tapes can be used to demand a physical response from the student listener, making it very easy for the teacher to see how the student is comprehending the directions. Interventions such as these “require a motor response that demonstrates whether the child is following directions” (Wendling, Schrank, Schmitt, 2007, p. 17), making it very effective.
The third recommendation is based on JB’s below average scores on the Word Attack subtest. This subtest correlates with reading skills, including reading decoding and phonetic coding (Wendling, Schrank, Schmitt, 2007, p. 2). Peer Assisted Learning Strategies (PALS) is a research-based strategy that has been found to help students in reading fluency. Teachers create pairs based on skill sets, while going through assignments, one student is the tutor, while the other is the student. The tutor will correct mistakes the student is making and at the end of the assignment, they will switch roles (U.S. Department of Education, 2012, p. 2).
These three suggestions will provide supplemental educational opportunities for JB to excel in oral expression, listening comprehension and reading. The opportunities provided will help JB meet standards that match his age and grade levels, as well as become more confident in these skills as he continues to progress through school.
References
McGrew, K.S., Schrank, F.A., & Woodcock, R.W. (2007). Technical Manual. Woodcock-Johnson III Normative Update. Rolling Meadows, IL: Riverside Publishing.
O’Malley, P. (n.d.). Strategies to Promote Oral Expression. Lutherville, Maryland: Compass Educational Services, LLC. Retrieved from http://compasseducationalservices.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/Strategies-to-Promote-Oral-Expression.pdf
U.S. Department of Education. (2012). What Works Clearinghouse. Peer-Assisted Learning Strategies. Retrieved from https://ies.ed.gov/ncee/wwc/Docs/InterventionReports/wwc_pals_060512.pdf
Wendling, B. J., Schrank, F. A., & Schmitt, A. J. (2007). Educational Interventions Related to the Woodcock-Johnson III Tests of Achievement (Assessment Service Bulletin No. 8). Rolling Meadows, IL: Riverside Publishing.
Woodcock, R.W., McGrew, K.S., & Mather, N. (2001, 2007). Woodcock-Johnson III Tests of Achievement. Rolling Meadows, IL: Riverside Publishing.