Pattern of Strengths and
Weaknesses Methodology
Karen Apgar
School Psychologist
PSW Committee
Eugene School District 4J
Comprehensive Evaluation
Components
(Specific Learning Disability 90)
#6 Strengths and Weakness Methodology - 4J
 Evaluation of the child’s
strengths and weaknesses in
performance and achievement,
(or both) relative to age, stateapproved grade level standards
(or) and intellectual development.
Components of PSW
Evaluation of the
child’s strengths and
weaknesses in:
 performance,
 achievement,
Relative to:
 age,
 state-approved grade
level standards,
 intellectual
development.
PSW Components
With respect
to grade-level
expectations
Academic
Achievement
Classroom
Performance
With respect
to age
expectations
With respect
to intellectual
development
PSW Components
 Academic Achievement related to
 grade-level expectations
 age expectations
 intellectual development
 Classroom Performance related to
 grade-level expectations
 age expectations
 intellectual development
 Total: six components
Academic Achievement data
 Relative to grade-level expectations
 Criterion-referenced standardized
assessments:
 DIBELS (K-8)
 EasyCBM (K-4)
 4J Reading Assessments (K-9)
 Relative to age expectations:
 Norm-referenced standardized assessments:




WIAT
WJ
KTEA
OWLS
Classroom Performance data
 Relative to grade-level standards
 OSAT scores
 Grade-level performance assessments
or CBMs
 Relative to age expectations
 Grades
 Anecdotal information
Intellectual Development
 4J Position
 Federal Definition: Specific Learning
Disability as a “disorder in one or more of
the basic psychological processes”
 Requires an analysis of Cognitive and/or
Language processing
Intellectual Development Using
Cognitive/Ability Assessments
• Do not use Full-Scale (IQ) Scores
• Use Index or Area Scores
WISC-IV
CAS
Verbal comprehension
Perceptual organization
Working memory
Processing speed
Planning
Attention
Simultaneous processing
Successive processing
Intellectual Development Using
Language Assessment
TOLD P-3 / CASL / CELF
Listening comprehension/Receptive language
Oral Expression/Expressive language
*Specific subtests of achievement assessments
may be used to support language processing
data (ex. WIAT/KTEA)
Components of PSW
Determining a pattern of strengths & weaknesses
Academic
Achievement
Classroom
Performance
With respect With respect
to grade-level to age
expectations expectations
With respect to
intellectual
development
Criterionreferenced
assessments:
Normreferenced
assessments:
DIBELS,
CBM,
Reading Kit
WIAT,
WJ,
KTEA,
OWLS
Norm-referenced
cognitive and/or
language
assessments:
OSATs,
Curriculumbased
Grades,
Anecdotal/
Observations
WISC/WAIS,
CAS,
CELF, CASL,
TOLD
Observations
PSW - Decision Rule for Initial
Eligibility
 A pattern is demonstrated by
 THREE “points of evidence” that show a
strength or weakness in one of the SLD areas;
 AND at least one strength and one weakness in
cognitive/language processing, with supporting
observations.
PSW Cut-offs & Measures
Guidance
12/11/07
with respect to Grade-level
expectations
Criterion-referenced
standardized assessments
Academic
Achieve.
EasyCBM (K-4), DIBELS (K-8),
Reading Kits (K-9)
Strength = > 30th percentile
Weakness= < 20th percentile
Classroom
Perform.
with respect to state Age-level
expectations
Norm-referenced
standarized academic assessments
WIAT, WJ, KTEA, OWLS
Strength = >25th percentile (SS>90)
Weak. = <10th percentile (SS<81)
with respect to Intellectual
development
Norm-referenced standardized
cognitive processing assessments
CAS, K-ABC, Wechsler
*Use Index/Process scores*
or Norm-referenced language
processing assessments
CASL, CELF, Oral/Listen. from WIAT
*Use Expressive or Receptive scores*
OSAT scores
(*use age norms when scoring)
Grades
Strength = "meets" or "exceeds"
Weakness = "does not meet"
Strength = A/B or "meets/exceeds"
Weak. = D/F or "does not meet"
Strength= index score >25th percentile
Weak. = index score <16th percentile
AND is significantly below student's
mean score
Curriculum based measurements
Anecdotal information
Classroom observations
Str./Weak.= professional judgment
regarding "average," "atypical," etc.
when compared to age-peers
Str/Wk=observational data
with respect to how cognitive processes
may be affecting student's
performance in class
(e.g., from lang. arts and math adoptions)
Str. = average or above performance
Weak. = below average performance
PSW Cut-offs
 Criterion-referenced standardized assessments:
 Strength: above 30th percentile
 Weakness: below 20th percentile
 Norm-referenced standardized achievement
assessments:
*use age-norms when scoring assessments!
 Strength: above 25th percentile (SS>90)
 Weakness: below 10th percentile (SS<81)
 OSATs:
 Strength: “meets” or “exceeds”
 Weakness: “does not meet”
PSW Cut-offs, continued
 Curriculum-based measurements:
 Strength: performance is average or above
 Weakness: performance is below-average
 Grades:
 Strength: As/Bs, or “meets,” “exceeds”
 Weakness: Ds/Fs, or “does not meet,” “unsatisfactory”
 Anecdotal:
 Strength or weakness: use professional judgment to
compare student’s performance with age-peers
PSW Cut-offs, continued
Intellectual Development
 Norm-referenced standardized assessment of
cognitive or language processing:
 Strength: index score above 25th percentile (SS>90)
 Weakness: index score below 16th percentile (SS<85)
AND
index score is significantly below the mean
of the student’s index scores
*Weakness = Normative Weakness (compared to
population) AND Relative Weakness (within student)
Example: cognitive processing weakness
 CAS scores




Planning = 95
Attention = 78
Simultaneous = 96
Successive =104
 Mean CAS score = 93.25
 Attention score is <10th percentile AND
significantly below the mean score (using
tables in CAS manual)
 Evidence of a cognitive processing
weakness in the area of attention
Example: No cognitive processing weakness
 CAS scores




Planning = 86
Attention = 78
Simultaneous = 83
Successive =87
 Mean CAS score = 83.5
 Attention score is <10th percentile BUT is not
significantly below the mean score (using tables in
CAS manual)
 No evidence of a cognitive processing weakness in
the area of attention
PSW Cut-offs & Measures
Guidance
12/11/07
with respect to Grade-level
expectations
Criterion-referenced
standardized assessments
Academic
Achieve.
EasyCBM (K-4), DIBELS (K-8),
Reading Kits (K-9)
Strength = > 30th percentile
Weakness= < 20th percentile
Classroom
Perform.
with respect to state Age-level
expectations
Norm-referenced
standarized academic assessments
WIAT, WJ, KTEA, OWLS
Strength = >25th percentile (SS>90)
Weak. = <10th percentile (SS<81)
with respect to Intellectual
development
Norm-referenced standardized
cognitive processing assessments
CAS, K-ABC, Wechsler
*Use Index/Process scores*
or Norm-referenced language
processing assessments
CASL, CELF, Oral/Listen. from WIAT
*Use Expressive or Receptive scores*
OSAT scores
(*use age norms when scoring)
Grades
Strength = "meets" or "exceeds"
Weakness = "does not meet"
Strength = A/B or "meets/exceeds"
Weak. = D/F or "does not meet"
Strength= index score >25th percentile
Weak. = index score <16th percentile
AND is significantly below student's
mean score
Curriculum based measurements
Anecdotal information
Classroom observations
Str./Weak.= professional judgment
regarding "average," "atypical," etc.
when compared to age-peers
Str/Wk=observational data
with respect to how cognitive processes
may be affecting student's
performance in class
(e.g., from lang. arts and math adoptions)
Str. = average or above performance
Weak. = below average performance
Organizing a pattern
Example:
Math
Calculation
Academic
Achievement
Relative to
grade-level
expectations
EasyCBM math
=
8th %ile
weakness
Relative to age
expectations
KTEA math
calculation:
11th %ile
inconclusive
Relative to
intellectual
development
WISC: V.C. 95
P.O. 91
W.M. 88
P.S. 72
Strength: V.C. & P.O.
Weakness: P.S.
Classroom
Performance
OSAT math
operations = did
not meet
weakness
Anecdotal: dawdles
on math work; only
30% correct on
tests
weakness
Observations: works
slowly, makes many
references to examples
P.S. weakness support
How to determine Specific Learning Disability
Using a Pattern of Strengths and
Weaknesses Methodology
Walking through the SLD Eligibility form
 1. Review existing information.
 2. Assess and/or review achievement related to
Oregon grade-level standards. (OSATs, DIBELS
benchmarks, other standards-linked assessment data, etc.)
 3. Observe student during instruction in the regular
education setting area(s) of concern (Describe relevant
behavior and its relationship to academic functioning, e.g.,
response to instruction and content, and examples of student’s
cognitive strategies as strengths/weaknesses for the student).
Walking through the SLD Eligibility form, continued
 4. Instructional Intervention Progress Monitoring
data - review IIPM data on the Student Profile or
similar SST forms.
 5. (optional if using PSW). Response-to-Intervention
(RTI) methodology:
Instructional Intervention/Progress Monitoring Model
Demonstration grant schools will integrate both the
RTI and Pattern of Strengths and Weaknesses
methodologies as components of a comprehensive
evaluation. All ELL/SpEd Comprehensive Evaluations
will utilize both methodologies.
Walking through the SLD Eligibility form,
continued
 6. Pattern of Strengths and Weaknesses
methodology: Collect data and administer
assessments to evaluate a student’s strengths and
weaknesses in academic/ performance and intellectual
development:
 Requires three points of evidence to equal a pattern of
strength or weakness.
 Requires an analysis of cognitive or language processing with
a minimum of one index score to identify a strength and one
index score to identify a weakness with supporting
observations.
 7. Collect Developmental History, Medical
Statement and/or Other Assessments, if the team
determines information necessary.
Walking through the SLD Eligibility form,
continued
Part B. The team determines that:
 1. The student does NOT achieve adequately when
compared to age- or grade-level standards in one or more
area. (Review part A information/data).
 2. There is a pattern of strengths and weaknesses.
 3. The student’s lack of achievement is primarily the result
of: answer the exclusionary factors questions. (If “yes” to any
of these, the child can not be found eligible in this category.)
 4., 5., 6. Answer based on the information and data in parts
A and B.
Summary
4J Comprehensive Evaluation Components
(Specific Learning Disability 90)
4J Pattern of Strengths and Weaknesses
Methodology
PSW - Decision Rule for Initial
Eligibility
 A pattern is demonstrated by
 THREE “points of evidence” that show a
strength or weakness in one of the SLD areas;
 AND at least one strength and one weakness in
cognitive/language processing with supporting
observations.
PSW Committee Membership
 School psychologists
 Speech/Language Pathologist
 Next Steps
• Peer Case/Consultant Groups
• Work with Learning Center and Building Teams
• Pilot 4J Patterns of Strengths and Weaknesses
• Methodology (Spring 2008)