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COUN-5305
COUN 5305:
Assessment in Counseling
Fall 2006
Instructor: Drema Dial Albin, PhD Meets: M 3:30-6:15 pm
Email: da13@txstate.edu Office hours: M 2:00-3:
W 12-3; by appointment
Course Description:
Problems and principles of administration, scoring, and interpreting group and individually administered tests; utilization of test data for diagnostic, placement, predictive, and evaluative purposes; elementary statistical procedures; laboratory activities in test administration, scoring, and interpretation.
The purpose of this course is to develop an understanding of the problems involved in the measurement and assessment of abilities, achievement, attitudes, interests, behavior, and personality. This class is an introductory survey class in basic assessment principles and procedures. It does not prepare you to administer, score or interpret standardized psychological instruments.
Course Objectives:
Upon successful completion of this course, student should be able to:
1. Demonstrate understanding of the historical, legal, and ethical issues of psychological assessment. (CACREP IIK: 7a; 7i)
2. Demonstrate understanding of the characteristics, theoretical structure, and practical application of standardized measurement techniques (intelligence, achievement, aptitude, personality, behavioral, and vocational), as well as qualitative and quantitative approaches to assessment and clinical assessment. (CACREP IIK: 7b)
3. Demonstrate an understanding of the problems and principles of administration, scoring, and interpreting group and individually administered tests. (CACREP IIK: 7b; 7g)
4. Demonstrate an understanding of the utilization of test data for diagnostic, placement, predictive, and evaluative purposes. (CACREP IIK: 7h)
5. Demonstrate an understanding of the link between elementary statistical and/or psychometric procedures, standardized administration procedures and test construction and utilization. (CACREP IIK: 7c; 7d; 7e)
6. Recognize and evaluate the wide variety of issues related to potential bias or unfairness in testing. (CACREP IIK: 7f)
7. Demonstrate the ability to read and understand externally generated assessments, e.g., reports generated by psychiatrists, psychologists, and other mental health professionals. (CACREP IIK: 7h)
Methods of Instruction:
Students may expect lectures, class discussions, guest speakers, small group work and video presentations.
Required Texts:
Cohen, R.J., Swerdlik, M. E., Phillips, S. M. (2002). Psychological Testing and Assessment: An introduction to tests and measurements. London: Mayfield Publishing Company.
Lichtenberg, J. W., Goodyear, R. K. (1999). Scientist-Practitioner Perspectives on Test Interpretation. Boston: Allyn and Bacon.
Recommended Text:
Standards for educational and psychological testing. Washington, D.C.: American Educational Research Association.
Course Requirements:
Reading Assignments:
Students are expected to read the text chapters prior to each class as class discussion is a useful addition to lectures. Chapters to be read for each class are included on the tentative course schedule. The instructor may provide additional reading assignments and materials.
Exams:
Exams build upon class material and thus may cover all material covered in class prior to the exam. The final exam is comprehensive. Since exams will generally not take the entire class session, you are expected to use this time to complete assignments due the following week.
Grading:
You will be evaluated on all requirements stated above based on a 4.0 scale with the following weights:
Selected Subject Tests List---------------10% Test Evaluation-----------------------------20%
Exam I, II, III ------------------------------30%
Final------------------------------------------40%
Total----------------------------------------100%
90-100=A 80-89=B 70-79=C 60-69=D Below 60=F
Please note:
- Academic dishonesty, including plagiarism and/or the use of other students’ work, will not be tolerated and will result in a failure for the class grade.
- Late papers will lose 10 points each day they are late.
- Attendance is considered beneficial and essential. Please notify me if you will be absent. More than three absences may necessitate your re-taking the class.
Tentative Class Schedule:
Topics and Readings*
*(additional readings may be assigned throughout the semester)
The chapters assigned are from your text, Psychological Testing and Assessment: An introduction to tests and measurements; the other readings are from Scientist-Practitioner Perspectives on Test Interpretation, referred to as SPP.
8/29 Introductions
Overview of class
Assessment—History & Uses chapter 1
9/05 Labor Day—no class
9/12 Ethical & Legal Issues chapter 2
Gender and Ethnicity Issues SPP, pp. 31-54
**Using the Mental Measurements Yearbook**
9/19 Testing & Assessment chapter 3
Statistics refresher chapter 4--pp. 98-127
Norms, correlation, regression SPP, pp. 7-12
9/26 Exam I
10/03 Reliability chapter 5
SPP, pp. 19-21
Selected Subject Tests Lists Due
10/10 Validity chapter 6
SPP, pp. 21-23
10/17 Exam II
10/24 Test Development chapter 7 Instrument Selection & Evaluation SPP, pp. 15-17
10/31 Intelligence & Assessment chapters 8, 9
Individualizing Assessments SPP, pp. 132-150
Test Evaluation Due
11/07 Educational Assessment chapters 10, 16
Career & Vocational
11/14 Exam III
11/21 Personality & Assessment chapters 11, 12, 13
Clinical & Counseling SPP, pp. 151-162
11/28 Neuropsych Assessment chapters 14, 15
Testing with Special Populations SPP, pp. 1-7
12/05 FINAL EXAM
Texas State University-San Marcos seeks to provide reasonable accommodations for all qualified individuals with disabilities. The University will adhere to all applicable federal, state, and local laws, regulations and guidelines with respect to providing reasonable accommodations as required to afford equal educational opportunity. It is the student’s responsibility to register with Disability Support Services and to contact the faculty member in a timely manner to arrange for appropriate accommodations