ILTS School Psychologist (237) cheat sheet

Norm-referenced standard scores have mean 100 and SD 15 (WISC, WJ, KABC); a score of 85 is exactly one SD below the mean, the 16th percentile.

Standard error of measurement: SEM = SD × √(1 − r). The 68% confidence band is ±1 SEM; the 95% band is ±1.96 SEM around the obtained score.

Reliability coefficients above .90 are required for high-stakes individual decisions; .80–.89 is adequate only for screening.

Validity types map to questions: content (covers the domain), construct (measures the trait), criterion (predicts an outcome), consequential (effects of use).

IDEA specific learning disability: a pattern of strengths and weaknesses is not required; states must permit RTI, may permit the severe-discrepancy model, and may not require either.

Intellectual disability under IDEA requires significantly subaverage general intellectual functioning existing concurrently with deficits in adaptive behavior, manifested during the developmental period, adversely affecting educational performance.

Autism under IDEA includes autistic disorder, PDD-NOS, and Asperger syndrome; the category is developmental disability affecting verbal and nonverbal communication and social interaction.

Emotional disturbance requires one or more of five characteristics (inability to learn unexplained by other factors, relationship problems, inappropriate behavior, unhappiness/depression, physical symptoms) over a long period to a marked degree.

Percentile rank is the percent of the norm group scoring at or below a score; it is an ordinal, not interval, scale, so percentiles cannot be averaged or arithmetically subtracted.

WISC-V index structure: five primary indexes (Verbal Comprehension, Visual Spatial, Fluid Reasoning, Working Memory, Processing Speed) plus ancillary and complementary indexes; FSIQ is derived from seven subtests.

Woodcock-Johnson IV uses a Cattell-Horn-Carroll structure; the General Intellectual Ability is a composite of seven cognitive tests, and the academic battery yields cluster scores by achievement domain.

Curriculum-based measurement (CBM): brief, standardized, timed probes repeated over time; slope of improvement is the primary decision metric, not the single score.

CBM oral reading fluency benchmarks: a widely used rule of thumb is that students in grades 1–3 should read roughly 60–90 correct words per minute by year end, with benchmarks rising across grades.

Behavior rating scales (BASC-3, Conners, CBCL) yield T-scores with mean 50 and SD 10; T ≥ 70 is clinically significant on most scales.

Adaptive behavior measures (Vineland-3, ABAS-3) are completed by informants and are required for intellectual disability determination; adaptive scores near or below 70 support the diagnosis.

Curriculum-based assessment (CBA) differs from CBM: CBA links task analysis of local curriculum directly to instruction, while CBM tracks fluency growth against a standard metric.

A test floor effect occurs when items are too hard for the examinee; a ceiling effect occurs when items are too easy, both producing underestimated or uninformative scores.

Dynamic assessment measures learning potential by comparing pretest performance with performance after mediated prompting, capturing zone of proximal development.

RTI is a multi-tiered framework: Tier 1 universal core instruction, Tier 2 targeted small-group intervention, Tier 3 intensive individualized intervention with progress monitoring.

Standard treatment protocol and problem-solving are the two RTI models; the problem-solving model defines the problem, analyzes it, designs an intervention, and evaluates response.

Decision rules for responsiveness: four to six data points minimum, trend line compared with goal line, and a gap analysis; insufficient response triggers intensification, not referral alone.

Behavioral consultation (Bergan) has four stages: problem identification, problem analysis, plan implementation, and problem evaluation, with the consultee implementing the plan.

Conjoint behavioral consultation involves parents and teachers as joint consultees, extending intervention across home and school settings.

Functional behavioral assessment identifies antecedents, behaviors, and consequences (ABC) and the function (attention, escape, access to tangibles, sensory); the behavior intervention plan is built on that function.

Single-case designs: ABAB reversal demonstrates experimental control; multiple-baseline across participants, settings, or behaviors is used when withdrawal is unethical or impractical.

Interobserver agreement of at least 80% is the conventional standard for accepting behavioral observation data.

Pre-referral teams must document that general education interventions were implemented with fidelity before referral to special education.

Confidentiality limits: danger to self or others, suspected abuse or neglect, and court order override student confidentiality; Tarasoff duty to warn/protect applies to identifiable third parties.

Suicide risk assessment components: ideation, plan, intent, means, prior attempts, protective factors; means restriction is the single most evidence-supported preventive step.

Crisis response continuum: prevention, mitigation/preparedness, response, recovery; the school crisis team includes administration, mental health, security, and communications roles.

Postvention after a student suicide: avoid memorializing, avoid detailing method, provide accurate information, identify at-risk peers, and monitor contagion risk.

Grief groups and individual counseling after loss should be differentiated from trauma treatment; not all grieving students need clinical intervention.

Group counseling in schools requires parental notification consistent with district policy; group content confidentiality cannot be guaranteed among members.

Threat assessment is distinct from risk assessment: it evaluates whether a student poses a threat to others and uses a structured team process, not a diagnostic label.

CBT components used in school counseling: cognitive restructuring, behavioral activation, exposure, and skills practice, typically delivered in brief, manualized formats.

IDEA timeline: initial evaluation completed within 60 days of parental consent (or state timeline), eligibility determined, and IEP developed within 30 days of eligibility; IEP reviewed annually.

FAPE requires special education and related services at public expense, meeting state standards, provided under public supervision, and conforming to the IEP.

Least restrictive environment: removal from general education only when education in regular classes with supplementary aids and services cannot be achieved satisfactorily.

Procedural safeguards: prior written notice, parental consent, independent educational evaluation at public expense when parents disagree, mediation, and due process hearings.

Section 504 covers any student with a physical or mental impairment substantially limiting a major life activity; it provides accommodations, not specialized instruction.

FERPA gives parents (and eligible students at 18) the right to inspect records within 45 days, request amendment, and consent to disclosure, with exceptions for legitimate educational interest.

Ethical standards (NASP) principles: beneficence and nonmaleficence, fidelity and responsibility, integrity, justice, and respect for people's rights and dignity.

Informed consent requires capacity, disclosure of purpose and procedures, voluntariness, and documentation; assent from minors is sought but parental consent governs.

Test security and copyright: reproducing copyrighted test items violates both copyright law and ethics; only qualified personnel may administer and interpret restricted instruments.

School-wide positive behavioral interventions and supports (SWPBIS) tiers align with RTI: universal expectations, targeted supports, and individualized function-based plans.

Universal screening identifies students at risk before failure; measures must have adequate sensitivity (true positive rate) and specificity (true negative rate) to avoid over- or under-identification.

Culturally responsive assessment: distinguish difference from disorder, use interpreters appropriately, avoid translating standardized tests, and evaluate acculturation and language proficiency.

Nondiscriminatory assessment requires testing in the child's native language or mode of communication unless clearly not feasible, per IDEA.

Disproportionality: states must monitor significant disproportionality by race and ethnicity in identification, placement, and discipline, and direct 15% of IDEA funds to early intervening services when found.

Protective factors (school connectedness, adult mentoring, family involvement) buffer risk; prevention science targets risk and protective factors rather than diagnosing individuals.

Data-based systems change: the school psychologist uses aggregate data (discipline referrals, attendance, screening results) to guide Tier 1 decisions and evaluate program outcomes.

Home-school collaboration improves intervention fidelity; culturally informed communication about disability and services reduces stigma and increases family engagement.