Test Resource Guide Vol VII- Affect and Cognition

This resource consists of reviews of standardized measures of cognition and affect that may be used to provide information for determining eligibility for special education and for planning the education of students who have an educational disability. This volume is one in a series of guides for assessment in the New York City Public Schools.

The Test Resource Guide was produced by a panel of professionals for New York City’s Board of Education regarding cognitive assessment of preschool and school-aged populations. The guide provides a review of standardized tests available at the time. It is not an endorsement of the tests, merely a review of psychometric merits of the tests as well as a special alerts section to help the reader determine the appropriateness of the test. Although the Test Resource Guide is over a decade old at this point, it highlights the inherent limitations of standardized tests demonstrating that this knowledge has been available to professionals for some time now.

Volume VII of the Test Resource Guide consists of reviews of standardized measures of cognition and affect that may be used to provide information for determining eligibility for special education and for planning the education of students who have an educational disability. The instruments are not necessarily direct measures of educational performance and needs, but they provide information about the student to help the assessment professional recommend appropriate placement and instructional interventions. Although cognitive and affective assessments describe a student’s present behavior, most of the instruments are predictive in nature; i.e., they are intended to provide information about future behavior.