1. Pattern of Strengths and Weaknesses Methodology
Karen Apgar
School Psychologist
PSW Committee
Eugene School District 4J

2. Comprehensive Evaluation Components (Specific Learning Disability 90)
#6 Strengths and Weakness Methodology - 4J
Evaluation of the child’s strengths and weaknesses in performance and achievement, (or both) relative to age, state-approved grade level standards (or) and intellectual development.
4J and (ODE)

3. Components of PSW
Evaluation of the child’s strengths and weaknesses in:
performance,
achievement,
Relative to:
age,
state-approved grade level standards,
intellectual development.

4. PSW Components With respect to grade-level expectations
With respect to age expectations
With respect to intellectual development
Academic Achievement
Classroom Performance

5. PSW Components Total: six components Academic Achievement related to
grade-level expectations
age expectations
intellectual development
Classroom Performance related to
Total: six components
Total: six data components

6. Academic Achievement data
Relative to grade-level expectations
Criterion-referenced standardized assessments:
DIBELS (K-8)
EasyCBM (K-4)
4J Reading Assessments (K-9)
Relative to age expectations:
Norm-referenced standardized assessments:
WIAT WJ
KTEA
OWLS
a) DIBELS, EasyCBM and District Reading Assessments are also norm referenced and b) DIBELS and Easy CBM are used as progress monitoring assessments and meet criteria for #4 - ODE Instructional Intervention Progress Monitoring data in reading and math.

7. Classroom Performance data
Relative to grade-level standards
OSAT scores
Grade-level performance assessments or CBMs
Relative to age expectations
Grades
Anecdotal information
Notes - grade level standards/content/curriculum
- performance assessments = tests and quiz

8. Intellectual Development
4J Position
Federal Definition: Specific Learning Disability as a “disorder in one or more of the basic psychological processes”
Requires an analysis of Cognitive and/or Language processing
If needed explain that intellectual ability can be viewed as a collection of psychological processes.

9. Intellectual Development Using Cognitive/Ability Assessments
• Do not use Full-Scale (IQ) Scores
• Use Index or Area Scores
WISC-IV CAS
Verbal comprehension Planning
Perceptual organization Attention
Working memory Simultaneous processing
Processing speed Successive processing

10. Intellectual Development Using Language Assessment
TOLD P-3 / CASL / CELF
Listening comprehension/Receptive language
Oral Expression/Expressive language
*Specific subtests of achievement assessments may be used to support language processing data (ex. WIAT/KTEA)

11. Components of PSW Determining a pattern of strengths & weaknesses
With respect to grade-level expectations
With respect to age expectations
With respect to intellectual development
Academic Achievement
Criterion-referenced assessments:
DIBELS,
CBM,
Reading Kit
Norm-referenced assessments:
WIAT,
WJ,
KTEA,
OWLS
Norm-referenced cognitive and/or language assessments:
WISC/WAIS, CAS,
CELF, CASL,
TOLD
Classroom Performance
OSATs,
Curriculum-based
Grades,
Anecdotal/
Observations

12. PSW - Decision Rule for Initial Eligibility
A pattern is demonstrated by
THREE “points of evidence” that show a strength or weakness in one of the SLD areas;
AND at least one strength and one weakness in cognitive/language processing, with supporting observations.

13. PSW Cut-offs & Measures Guidance
Notes: refer to handout PSW Cut-Offs & Measures Guidance

14. PSW Cut-offs Criterion-referenced standardized assessments:
Strength: above 30th percentile
Weakness: below 20th percentile
Norm-referenced standardized achievement assessments: *use age-norms when scoring assessments!
Strength: above 25th percentile (SS>90)
Weakness: below 10th percentile (SS<81)
OSATs:
Strength: “meets” or “exceeds”
Weakness: “does not meet”
Notes: Optional

15. PSW Cut-offs, continued
Curriculum-based measurements:
Strength: performance is average or above
Weakness: performance is below-average
Grades:
Strength: As/Bs, or “meets,” “exceeds”
Weakness: Ds/Fs, or “does not meet,” “unsatisfactory”
Anecdotal:
Strength or weakness: use professional judgment to compare student’s performance with age-peers
Notes: Optional

16. PSW Cut-offs, continued Intellectual Development
Norm-referenced standardized assessment of cognitive or language processing:
Strength: index score above 25th percentile (SS>90)
Weakness: index score below 16th percentile (SS<85)
AND
index score is significantly below the mean of the student’s index scores
*Weakness = Normative Weakness (compared to population) AND Relative Weakness (within student)

17. Example: cognitive processing weakness
CAS scores
Planning = 95
Attention = 78
Simultaneous = 96
Successive =104
Mean CAS score = 93.25
Attention score is <10th percentile AND significantly below the mean score (using tables in CAS manual)
Evidence of a cognitive processing weakness in the area of attention
Need to use stats in back of manual (or for Wechsler…?)
Address statistical validity of using mean score

18. Example: No cognitive processing weakness
CAS scores
Planning = 86
Attention = 78
Simultaneous = 83
Successive =87
Mean CAS score = 83.5
Attention score is <10th percentile BUT is not significantly below the mean score (using tables in CAS manual)
No evidence of a cognitive processing weakness in the area of attention

19. PSW Cut-offs & Measures Guidance

20. Organizing a pattern Example: Math Calculation
Relative to grade-level expectations
Relative to age expectations
Relative to intellectual development
Academic Achievement
EasyCBM math =
8th %ile
weakness
KTEA math calculation:
11th %ile
inconclusive
WISC: V.C. 95
P.O. 91
W.M. 88
P.S. 72
Strength: V.C. & P.O.
Weakness: P.S.
Classroom Performance
OSAT math operations = did not meet
Anecdotal: dawdles on math work; only 30% correct on tests
Observations: works slowly, makes many references to examples
P.S. weakness support

21. How to determine Specific Learning Disability
Using a Pattern of Strengths and Weaknesses Methodology

22. Walking through the SLD Eligibility form
1. Review existing information.
2. Assess and/or review achievement related to Oregon grade-level standards. (OSATs, DIBELS benchmarks, other standards-linked assessment data, etc.)
3. Observe student during instruction in the regular education setting area(s) of concern (Describe relevant behavior and its relationship to academic functioning, e.g., response to instruction and content, and examples of student’s cognitive strategies as strengths/weaknesses for the student).

23. Walking through the SLD Eligibility form, continued
4. Instructional Intervention Progress Monitoring data - review IIPM data on the Student Profile or similar SST forms.
5. (optional if using PSW). Response-to-Intervention (RTI) methodology:
Instructional Intervention/Progress Monitoring Model Demonstration grant schools will integrate both the RTI and Pattern of Strengths and Weaknesses methodologies as components of a comprehensive evaluation. All ELL/SpEd Comprehensive Evaluations will utilize both methodologies.

24. Walking through the SLD Eligibility form, continued
6. Pattern of Strengths and Weaknesses methodology: Collect data and administer assessments to evaluate a student’s strengths and weaknesses in academic/ performance and intellectual development:
Requires three points of evidence to equal a pattern of strength or weakness.
Requires an analysis of cognitive or language processing with a minimum of one index score to identify a strength and one index score to identify a weakness with supporting observations.
7. Collect Developmental History, Medical Statement and/or Other Assessments, if the team determines information necessary.

25. Walking through the SLD Eligibility form, continued
Part B. The team determines that:
1. The student does NOT achieve adequately when compared to age- or grade-level standards in one or more area. (Review part A information/data).
2. There is a pattern of strengths and weaknesses.
3. The student’s lack of achievement is primarily the result of: answer the exclusionary factors questions. (If “yes” to any of these, the child can not be found eligible in this category.)
4., 5., 6. Answer based on the information and data in parts A and B.

26. Summary 4J Comprehensive Evaluation Components
(Specific Learning Disability 90)
4J Pattern of Strengths and Weaknesses
Methodology

27. PSW - Decision Rule for Initial Eligibility
A pattern is demonstrated by
THREE “points of evidence” that show a strength or weakness in one of the SLD areas;
AND at least one strength and one weakness in cognitive/language processing with supporting observations.

28. PSW Committee Membership
School psychologists
Speech/Language Pathologist
Next Steps
• Peer Case/Consultant Groups
• Work with Learning Center and Building Teams
• Pilot 4J Patterns of Strengths and Weaknesses
• Methodology (Spring 2008)