ILTS School Psychologist (237) key terms

A score expressed in standard deviation units from the mean of its norm group, allowing comparison across tests. Most cognitive and achievement measures use a mean of 100 and standard deviation of 15.

The percentage of individuals in the norm group who scored at or below a given raw score. Percentiles are ordinal, so equal percentile differences do not represent equal ability differences across the distribution.

A standard score dividing the normal distribution into nine bands, with a mean of 5 and standard deviation of about 2. Stanines are coarse and used mainly for quick screening summaries.

The median age of examinees whose raw score matches the student's. Age equivalents are ordinal and should never be used to describe a skill gap in years or to compute expected performance.

The grade level at which a raw score is the median. A grade equivalent above the student's grade does not mean the student can do that grade's work, and these scores are inappropriate for documenting discrepancy.

An index of how much an observed score is expected to vary around a true score because of measurement error. It is used to build confidence intervals around obtained scores.

A range around an observed score within which the true score is likely to fall at a stated probability, typically 68 or 95 percent. It accounts for the standard error of measurement.

A statistic describing the consistency of scores across items, occasions, or raters, ranging from 0 to 1. Internal consistency, test-retest, and interrater indices answer different questions about consistency.

The degree to which two or more observers assign the same scores to the same behavior. It is essential when evaluating behavior rating scales and classroom observation data used in decisions.

The extent to which a test measures the theoretical trait it claims to measure, supported by convergent and discriminant evidence and by relations with other variables. It is the central validity question for cognitive and behavioral measures.

The degree to which scores predict a specified outcome, either concurrently or in the future. Predictive validity matters when a screener or placement decision is judged by later performance.

Systematic error in which scores differ in meaning across groups, so predictions or interpretations are less accurate for one group. It is distinct from score differences, which may reflect real population variation.

The proportion of individuals who truly have a condition and are correctly identified by a screener. High sensitivity reduces false negatives, which matters when missing a need is costly.

The proportion of individuals without a condition who are correctly identified as not having it. High specificity reduces false positives, which matters when overidentification is costly.

Testing in which a student's score is interpreted relative to the performance of a representative comparison group. Appropriate norms must match the examinee's age, language, and background closely enough to support interpretation.

Brief, standardized, repeatable probes of basic academic skills, such as words read correctly per minute, scored for fluency and graphed over time. CBM is used for screening, progress monitoring, and evaluating intervention response.

Frequent, repeated measurement of a target skill during intervention to determine whether the student is responding. Data are graphed and compared with goal lines or peer benchmarks.

A multi-tiered framework in which students receive increasingly intensive, evidence-based instruction and their response is measured to guide decisions. It can inform, but does not by itself establish, special education eligibility.

An integrated school-wide framework of universal, targeted, and intensive supports for academic and behavioral needs. Teams use data-based decision rules to move students among tiers.

A proactive, data-driven framework that teaches and reinforces expected behavior school-wide, with targeted and individualized supports for students who need them. It emphasizes prevention over punishment.

A structured process for identifying the antecedents, behaviors, and consequences that maintain a problem behavior, often through interviews, observations, and record review. Results guide a behavior intervention plan.

A written plan derived from functional assessment that specifies replacement behaviors, teaching strategies, environmental changes, and reinforcement contingencies. It is reviewed for effectiveness using ongoing data.

A standardized questionnaire on which informants rate the frequency or severity of observable behaviors. Scores are compared with norms, and multi-informant ratings improve validity.

An observation method documenting what happened before a behavior, the behavior itself, and what followed it. Patterns across records help identify maintaining conditions.

Significantly subaverage general intellectual functioning accompanied by deficits in adaptive behavior, with onset during the developmental period. Eligibility rules specify the exact standard score and adaptive criteria.

A disorder in basic psychological processes involved in understanding or using language that produces unexpected academic underachievement. Eligibility requires documentation that the difficulty is not explained by other factors.

The conceptual, social, and practical skills needed for everyday functioning, typically measured through informant interviews or rating scales. It is central to identifying intellectual disability and planning supports.

A neurodevelopmental condition defined by persistent differences in social communication and interaction plus restricted, repetitive patterns of behavior or interests. Impact on educational performance must be documented for eligibility.

A neurodevelopmental condition involving developmentally inappropriate inattention and/or hyperactivity-impulsivity across settings. School psychologists gather multi-setting data but do not medically diagnose it.

An eligibility category, used in some states for young children, for documented delays in physical, cognitive, communication, social, or adaptive development. It is often a time-limited category requiring reevaluation.

Cognitive processes that regulate goal-directed behavior, including working memory, inhibition, and cognitive flexibility. Deficits affect planning, organization, and academic independence and are assessed through rating scales and tasks.

The rate at which a student can perform simple, repetitive cognitive tasks accurately. Slow processing speed can depress timed test scores and affect classroom performance even when reasoning is intact.

A pattern of word-reading difficulty characterized by inaccurate or slow decoding and poor spelling, despite adequate instruction and reasoning ability. It is a type of specific learning disability.

Over- or underrepresentation of a racial or ethnic group in a disability category or placement relative to its share of enrollment. It triggers required review of identification and discipline practices.

The legal obligation of states and districts to identify, locate, and evaluate all children with suspected disabilities who need special education, including those in private schools or experiencing homelessness.

Parental agreement to an evaluation or service after receiving full explanation in the parent's native language, given voluntarily and documented. Consent may be revoked and is distinct from mere notification.

The legally required protections for parents and students, including notice, access to records, independent evaluation, complaint procedures, and impartial hearings. Violations can invalidate a district's actions.

A written plan specifying a student's present levels, measurable annual goals, services, accommodations, and placement. It is developed by a team including parents and reviewed at least annually.

The requirement that students with disabilities be educated with nondisabled peers to the maximum extent appropriate, with removal only when supplementary aids and services cannot support success.

A plan under a federal civil rights law providing accommodations so a student with a disability can access the general curriculum. It does not require specialized instruction or measurable goals.