Blog #1: Assessment & Ethics

            When beginning this course on Appraisal I had mixed emotions.  I was nervous because even though I have been teaching for the past five years I am not familiar with various assessments let alone analyzing them.  At the same time I was excited to learn new material that I could use in my future as a school counselor.  In my teaching experience and speaking with the school counselor, I learned that they are not involved too much in the testing, however they need to be knowledgeable in case they need to explain results to the student and parents. 

The chapter on ethnics brought up many valid points in terms of confidentiality and the importance of ensuring the validity and reliability of an assessment given.  As an educator, I believe that we test children too much and overtime the test scores has been more of a focus.  However, there are times that they need to be assessed to receive proper support.  Drummond and Jones (2010) made a valid point when they stated that assessment is more than just giving a test.  When assessing a student, a behavior was recognized, either positive or negative that led to someone questioning if the student needed additional services. 

Then, after reading the two chapters introducing assessment and the methods that are utilized, I learned information about the process and confirmed information that I had already known.  I feel that it is important to follow the proper steps when evaluating a student because it is comprehensive and you should never rely on one assessment to create a picture of the whole child.  You gather information about the child through observations, interviews, and assessments allowing for you to see the child for who they are.  It was even noted that the most important means of collecting information is the initial interview.  There are advantages and disadvantages in formal verses informal interviews.  In terms of a formal one, it is ensured that specific information is asked and improved the reliability.  However, due to the consistency of the information that is obtained it is found to be invaluable tools in a research setting.  On the other hand, informal interviews are found to be useful but lack reliability and validity. When testing, Drummond and Jones (2010) stated that there are standards to follow which is looking at the purpose of testing, characteristics of the test, setting and conditions, and the role that people play when they are involved.  I believe that one of the most important qualifications that you must be aware of is the setting and condition.  The student must feel and be comfortable in order to perform well and affect the test results in a valid and reliable way.  We want to ensure the success of all students and be able to identify the proper services that each and every student needs.  In conclusion, I hope to continue to expand my knowledge of assessments and look forward to having hands on experience.      

Drummond, R. J. & Jones, K. (2010). Assessment Procedures for Counselors and Helping
     Professionals (7^th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.