Analyzing Language & Literacy using the WMLS-R CRISTINA HUNTER ERIC WILLIAMSON TWIN Academy 2017
Part 1: What the assessment tells us about language acquisition? How can it be used to inform teaching and programming? Part 2: Overview of Assessment and Procedures and Roche Center WMLS Support Part 3: Data Collection Systems, is the WMLS a good fit for our school?
Session 1: Part 1 What the Woodcock-Muñoz tells us about language acquisition in English and Spanish and how can it be used to inform teaching and learning
What is the Woodcock-Muñoz Language Survey Revised Summative assessment Baseline data when student begins Spring data annually Appropriate for students 2+ years of age TWIN schools measure 4 dimensions in English & Spanish: Vocabulary knowledge Decoding skills Verbal reasoning Reading comprehension
Woodcock-Munoz CONSTRUCT DIMENSION DESCRIPTION MEASURES Decoding Vocabulary Letter-Word Identification Picture vocabulary Subject reads familiar and unfamiliar letters and words dimensions Students name the familiar and unfamiliar pictured objects that involve breadth and depth of school-related knowledge and experience Letter-Word Identification Skills Oral Language, including Language Development and Lexical Knowledge Verbal Reasoning Verbal Analogies Students complete oral analogies requiring verbal comprehension and reasoning Reasoning Using Lexical Knowledge Reading Passage Comprehension Early items involve a rebus and pictures, mid-range items are multiple-choice with pointing, and the remaining items involve passage comprehension and completion -- items become increasingly more difficult by removal of pictorial cues, increasing passage length, etc. Reading
Example WMLS Results Meaning-Based results (vocabulary and verbal analogies) Code-Based results (decoding) Reading results (reading comprehension) Part 3: Woodcock-Munoz results Percentile Rank: Describes a students' performance on a scale from 1-99 relative to the performance of a norming sample of for that age/grade. 2013-2015 The percentile rank indicates the percentage of subjects in this sample who had scores the same as or lower than the subject scores A Note on Norming Samples!
Average Percentile Rank in Fall 2013 (Kindergarten) English Spanish 100.0 90.0 80.0 70.0 60.0 50.0 40.0 30.0 20.0 10.0 0.0 71.4 74.7 68.2 69.8 27.4 16.1 5.7 9.3 Picture Vocabulary Verbal Analogies Letter-Word ID Passage Comprehension
Session 1: Part 2 Data Collection Quality, Why and How Proper Administration Matters
WMLS: Materials Kit Comprehensive Manual English Test Book Spanish Test Book Audio Recording CD (only for Sections 5 &6) Score Sheets
Subtests Administered Subtest 1: Picture Vocabulary Measures aspects of oral language, including language development and lexical knowledge Subtest 2: Verbal Analogies Understanding of Concept Relations Subtest 3: Letter-Word Identification Sense of names of letters Subtest 7: Passage Comprehension Reading Comprehension
Arranging the Setting: Examiner has to Simultaneously view the student and examiner side of the Test Book Record responses out of the student s view using the testing easel as a screen Student view Examiner view
What to say when.. Examiner view gives you all you need To the LEFT OF PAGE Examiner script in blue What is the correct response To the RIGHT OF PAGE What to do depending on students response
DATA COLLECTION QUALITY Why it matters: If the test is not administered properly, the resulting scores do not reflect language acquisition Two components of Proper Administration: All the required information to calculate scores must be collected Following Administration Rules
COMPONENT 1: COLLECTING ALL THE INFORMATION
COMPONENT 2: FOLLOWING ADMINISTRATION RULES 1. Basals 2. Ceilings 3. Rules about Finishing Page Subtest Ceiling Rule Do I Finish Page? Picture Vocabulary 6 consecutive incorrect Yes Verbal Analogies 6 consecutive incorrect No Letter Word ID 6 consecutive incorrect Yes Passage Comprehension 5 consecutive incorrect No
CEILING & FINISHING THE PAGE Number 29 (notebook) marks the 4 th incorrect response in a row.you need 6
Number 31 (jellyfish) marks the sixth incorrect response in a row. However, you have to finish the entire page before you end the test. WHY? So that students do not become aware of the fact that they are getting these wrong
Category 1: Reliable Scores Code 0: Perfect Administration Code 1: Raw Score added incorrectly Code 2: Did not follow Finish Page rule Code 3: 1-4 items administered after required ceiling was reached Code 4: 5 or more items administered after required ceiling was reached Category 2: Moderately Reliable Scores Code 6: Basal attempt or skipped items on the top Category 3: Unreliable Scores Code 5: Ceiling was not established TEST ADMINISTRATION CODE TABLE
Common Pitfalls of the WM Not applying the ceiling rule correctly and not finishing the page of items when required Missing Date of Testing on scoring form (raw scores cannot be entered into software) Make sure your 0 and 1 s are clear Incorrect or no tally of 1 s on the scoring form Best Way to Avoid these is to check at the end of an administration day
Cheat Sheet is your Best Friend WMLS ADMINISTRATION TRAINING
CLEANING STEPS 1. Score sheet verification Last name, First Name, Sex, Grade, School name Date of Testing and Date of Birth 2. Verification of correct administration (2 rounds) 3. First round of entering (raw score & administration code) 4. Entering score to WMLS software to get Standard Score Report 5. Verification of Score Sheet & Standard Score Report 6. Second round of entering (standard scores)
A LOOK INTO A SAMPLE DATASET
Creating a Data Collection Plan Step 1: Language Assessment Team/ Designate Point Person Schedule Training for Data Collectors with Cristina Hunter Step 2: Figure out Number of Assessments to Complete New TWI students : Fall and Spring Veteran TWI students: Spring Step 3: Set a Deadline 2 months after beginning the school year Step 4: Divide these up Try To: 1. Complete all subtests in one sitting 2. Have all assessors complete equal number of assessments 3. Native English speakers administer English / Native Spanish administer Spanish