NYS- ells-disabilities-standard-scores-december-2014.pdf
This is a special education field advisory that was released in December, 2014. It details the use of standardized scores with culturally and linguistically diverse children. Read More
Category: Linguistic Bias
Linguistic bias is present in standardized tests. These tests are administered and contain items in Mainstream American English (MAE), however, not all individuals who take the test speak MAE. The individual may speak a different dialect of English (e.g., African American Vernacular English or Hispanized English), which would affect how well he or she performs on the test. Because the test does not account for those who speak dialects other than MAE, the test is said to be linguistically biased.
Appropriate Assessment Procedures- Part 2 (Preschool Disability Evaluations: Module 13)
This module examines different sources of bias that are present in commonly used standardized language tests. Read More
Reading Development Module 8: Bilingual Considerations
Stephanie Downey Toledo is a bilingual speech language pathologist in New York City as well as a professor at Teachers College, Columbia University. She has collaborated with the LEADERS project on this module series and others.
It is important to distinguish between language difference and disorder. This holds true with reading. As SLPs it is important to consider whether a student’s reading development is being impeded by a disability or a language difference. What are the main factors affecting student success? Is it a difference in literacy instruction or content/ background knowledge? What has the student’s language acquisition looked like in both languages? How might socio-economic and cultural status be affecting reading development? When possible, we should support bilingual reading development.
Test Review: CELF-5
The Clinical Evaluation of Language Fundamentals (CELF-5) was designed to assess a student’s language and communication skills in a variety of contexts, determine the presence of a language disorder, describe the nature of the language disorder, and plan for intervention or treatment.
Test Review: CELF-4 Spanish
TestReview_CELF 4 Spanish_1.8.14.pdf
The Clinical Evaluation of Language Fundamentals Spanish, Fourth Edition [CELF-4, Spanish] is a standardized test designed to assess the presence of a language disorder or delay in Spanish speaking children aged 5-21.
Test Resource Guide: Volume II- Preschool Assessment and Kindergarten Supplement
Test Resource Guide Vol II.pdf
This resource, originally published in 1994, consists of reviews of tests and other measures that may be used to obtain information about the preschool child who is suspected of having an educational disability. This volume is one in a series of guides for assessment in the New York City Public Schools. Read More
Test Review: Proceed with Caution PLeaSe- Significant Biases within the PLS-5 ASHA 2013 Poster
Biases Poster ASHA final (1).pdf
Cate Crowley and several recent graduates of the Teachers College Columbia University speech-language pathology program created and presented this poster at the ASHA convention in Chicago, 2013. Read More
Construct Validity of the PLS-5
Alexandra Gibson and Elana Winters presented this poster at ASHA’s convention in Chicago in November 2013. Alexandra and Elana created this poster based on work they did in the Assessment and Evaluation course at Teachers College Columbia Uniersity. This course is required as part of the master’s SLP program there.
In that course the students must analyze the most widely used standardized tests to identify disorder/disability for children and adolescents. They analyze the tests’ validity, reliability, and significant biases among other factors. The information for the analysis is primarily from the test itself—generally the interpretive and technical manuals and the other information provided to anyone who purchases the test. That material is analyzed in light of the standards of the field, including the work of Dollaghan, Vance and Plante, Restrepo, and going back to even McCauley and Swisher‘s work of 1984. In the class students find and incorporate into their analysis any research on current or older versions of the test. Another part of the task is to analyze the significant biases including cultural and linguistic biases and biases related to socio-economic background.
