WAYLAND BAPTIST UNIVERSITY
SCHOOL OF BEHAVIORAL & SOCIAL SCIENCES
Hawaii Campus
Wayland Mission Statement: Wayland Baptist University exists to educate students in an
academically challenging, learning-focused, and distinctively Christian environment for
professional success, and service to God and humankind.
CNSL 5305: Psychoeducational Testing and Appraisal
Term: Summer 2015 Section Number: H102
Instructor: Dr. Willie Finley Jr.
Office Phone Number and WBU Email Address: (808) 778-6935 (cell phone—please be
patient in awaiting my response, as I am in the public school system, during the day and may
not be able to return calls immediately)
Email: willie.finley@wbu.edu
Office Hours, Building, and Location: Office Hours: TBA
Class Time and Location: Tuesdays (5:30 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.) on the Mililani campus.
Classroom TBA. 5.5 hours
Catalog Description: Survey of the various principles, applications, and issues in
psychoeducational testing and appraisal; test development, validity and reliability; basic
statistics; interviewing techniques, intelligence, personality, career, projective and behavior tests
and assessments; current laws and regulations regarding special education, academic
interventions, and Individualized Education Programs.
This course is designed to emphasize Basic Tests and Appraisal in Counseling by providing an
understanding of individual and group approaches to assessment and evaluation. Studies in this
area shall include all of the following: Basic concepts of standardized and non-standardized
testing and other assessment techniques, which could include norm-referenced and criterion
referenced assessment, environmental assessment, performance assessment, individual and
group test and inventory methods, behavioral observations, and computer-managed and
computer-assisted methods; Statistical concepts, which could include scales of measurement,
measures of central tendency, indices of variability, shapes and types of distributions, and
correlations; Reliability, which could include theory of measurement error, models of
reliability, and the use of reliability information; and Validity, which could include evidence of
validity, types of validity, and the relationship between reliability and validity.
There is no prerequisite for this course.
Required Textbook(s) and/or Required Material(s): Assessment in Counseling (5th Edition)
by Danica G. Hays. American Counseling Association (2013) ISBN: 9781556203183
Optional Materials: Data sheets, video clips, website links, slides, and other possible
readings.
Course Outcome Competencies: Upon completion of this course, students will be able to:
 Know major psychological tests and assessments.
 Know the various aspects of test development including basic statistical concepts and
reliability and validity.
 Have a basic understanding of the major types of psycho-educational tests and
assessments including personality, intelligence, and career testing.
 To learn effective means of interpreting, integrating, and communicating assessment
information, both orally and in written reports, to other professionals and parents.
 Be familiar with relevant psycho-educational testing issues such as bias, tests and the
law, and the future of testing.
 Learn basic tips on test administration and interviewing as well as scoring and
interpretation.
Attendance Requirements:
External Campuses
Students enrolled at one of the university’s external campuses should make every effort to
attend all class meetings. All absences must be explained to the instructor, who will then
determine whether the omitted work may be made up. When a student reaches that number of
absences considered by the instructor to be excessive, the instructor will so advise the student
and file an unsatisfactory progress report with the external campus executive director/dean. Any
student who misses 25 percent or more of the regularly scheduled class meetings may receive a
grade of F in the course. Additional attendance policies for each course, as defined by the
instructor in the course syllabus, are considered a part of the university’s attendance policy. A
student may petition the Academic Council for exceptions to the above stated policies by filing
a written request for an appeal to the executive vice president/provost.
Note: All Wayland students are expected to attend every class meeting; the minimum
percentage of class participation required to avoid receiving a grade of “F” in the class is 75%.
Students who miss the first two class meetings without providing a written explanation to the
instructor will be automatically dropped from the roster as a “no-show.” Students who know in
advance that they will be absent the first two class meetings and who wish to remain in the class
must inform the instructor in order to discuss possible arrangements for making up absences.
Statement on Plagiarism and Academic Dishonesty: Wayland Baptist University observes a
zero tolerance policy regarding academic dishonesty. Per university policy as described in the
academic catalog, all cases of academic dishonesty will be reported and second offenses will
result in suspension from the university.
Disability Statement: In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA),
it is the policy of Wayland Baptist University that no otherwise qualified person with a
disability be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subject to
discrimination under any educational program or activity in the university. The Coordinator of
Counseling Services serves as the coordinator of students with a disability and should be
contacted concerning accommodation requests at (806) 291- 3765. Documentation of a
disability must accompany any request for accommodations.
Ethical and Professional Conduct. Counselors-in-training are expected to behave in
accordance with the ACA Ethical Standards and other standards of accepted professional
conduct, including attire appropriate to professional counseling. Special attention is called to
standards of confidentiality. Specific Ethical and Professional Guidelines for School
Counselors are also included in the (a) TEA Code of Ethics and (b) American School Counselor
Association Ethical Standards.
Course Requirements and Grading Criteria:
Students are expected to attend all class sessions; since meeting times are held only once a
week, vast material will be covered. If a student is absent—excused or unexcused—it is his/her
responsibility to get all additional notes from another classmate; otherwise, it is the student’s
responsibility to pick-up all missing notes and quizzes from the front desk. Again, because of
the scarcity in meeting times, it is the student’s responsibility to stay on top of the readings.
To ensure the student understands the barebones of the readings and lectures, small weekly
quizzes will be given either at the end of class or, on most occasions, to be taken home and
completed by the student. The quizzes are more application in nature and should not alarm the
student, as they only serve as reminders of what he/she might need to further study.
Make-ups will not be issued without a valid excuse. The student should type all quiz
responses—and bring all hardcopies to class.
Later in the semester, the student will write a 15 to 20 page paper discussing the specific field
of counseling he/she is interested in pursuing, along with the tests that might be used to help
his/her clients. The student will need to explain the reason for selecting a particular test for
his/her clients, give a brief history of the test, explain its pros and cons, and give
recommendations on how the test could be further improved. The student will later give a brief
presentation to the class. Though optional, visual displays such as poster boards, Powerpoint
presentations, and/or video clips are recommended. The student should strive to refer to peerreview journal as primary sources, though websites may be acceptable in certain cases.
The University has a standard grade scale:
As stated above, the bulk of the course will consist of three exams, a term paper/presentation,
quizzes, and regular attendance/participation. The University has a standard grade scale:
A = 90-100, B = 80-89, C = 70-79, D = 60-69, F= below 60, W = Withdrawal, WP = withdrew
passing, WF = withdrew failing, I = incomplete. An incomplete may be given within the last
two weeks of a long term or within the last two days of a microterm to a student who is passing,
but has not completed a term paper, examination, or other required work for reasons beyond the
student’s control. A grade of “incomplete” is changed if the work required is completed prior to
the last day of the next long (10 to 15 weeks) term, unless the instructor designates an earlier
date for completion. If the work is not completed by the appropriate date, the I is converted to
an F.
Student grade appeals:
Students shall have protection through orderly procedures against prejudices or capricious
academic evaluation. A student who believes that he or she has not been held to realistic
academic standards, just evaluation procedures, or appropriate grading, may appeal the final
grade given in the course by using the student grade appeal process described in the Academic
Catalog. Appeals may not be made for advanced placement examinations or course bypass
examinations. Appeals limited to the final course grade, which may be upheld, raised, or
lowered at any stage of the appeal process. Any recommendation to lower a course grade must
be submitted through the Executive Vice President/Provost to the Faculty Assembly Grade
Appeals Committee for review and approval. The Faculty Assembly Grade Appeals Committee
may instruct that the course grade be upheld, raised, or lowered to a more proper evaluation.
Tentative Schedule (subject to change!):
Week 1 (5/26): Orientation; Chapters 1 and 2
Week 2 (6/2): Quiz 1; Chapters 3 and 4
Week 3 (6/9): Continued/Review
Week 4 (6/16): Exam I
Week 5 (6/23): Chapters 6, 7, and 8 (Quiz 2)
Week 6 (6/30): Continued/Review (Quiz 3)
Week 7 (7/7): Exam II
Week 8 (7/14): Chapters 9, 10, 11; Quiz 4
Week 9 (7/21): Papers Due
Week 10 (7/28): Presentations Quiz 5; Papers due/Review(Tie-up any loose ends)
Week 11 (7/5): Exam III