Introducing the Beta-4 Anne-Marie Kimbell, Ph.D. March 3, 2016 Beta-4 Agenda Beta Background Coming May 2016! Beta-4 Revision Beta-4 Strengths and Applications Beta-4 Administration and Scoring Beta-4 Technical Properties Copyright 2016. Pearson, Inc., or its affiliates. All rights reserved 1
Beta Background Heritage going back to 1934 (Beta-III 1999) Beta-III: Easy and efficient way to evaluate diverse adult groups Adults: 16:0-89:11 (now to 99+) Nonverbal assessment of cognitive abilities Proctored group or individual administration in Spanish or English Paper and Pencil only Qualification Level B Completion Time: 30 minutes for 5 subtests Scores/Interpretation: Scaled Scores, General IQ Score, Percentile Ranks (now Scaled Scores, Beta-4 IQ Score, Percentile Ranks, SEM, CI) Current Revision Features Spoken Directions Updated Normative Sample (n=1035) New and Expanded Evidence of New Special Group Studies Link to Academic Achievement Correctional Applications Copyright 2016. Pearson, Inc., or its affiliates. All rights reserved 2
Strengths Efficient Flexible Administration Format Group Individual Multiple Tests Nonverbal Easy to Use Low Floor Applications Assess nonverbal intellectual ability of adolescents and adults. Quick estimate of general intellectual ability Industrial organizations hiring large numbers of unskilled workers Occupational rehabilitation & Job Training Programs Identify academic problems in individuals with low nonverbal ability Evaluate specific cognitive deficits that may contribute to low academic achievement Predict future academic achievement Correctional Settings Copyright 2016. Pearson, Inc., or its affiliates. All rights reserved 3
Applications: Correctional Settings Required mental health screening often includes intelligence assessment. Assess intelligence in order to maximize use of additional program resources. NCCHC standards state that post-admission mental health assessment should include intelligence tests to screen for intellectual disability among inmates. ABA recommends initial screening to identify potential security risks including vulnerability to abuse. ABA also recommends screening upon admission to identify issues requiring immediate assessment or attention [to include] special education eligibility. 7 Materials Manual Response Booklet Scoring Key Clinician also needs: Stopwatch Pencil for clinician use Two pencils with eraser per examinee Additional blank Response Booklet Copyright 2016. Pearson, Inc., or its affiliates. All rights reserved 4
Administration Approximately 25-30 minutes One proctor for every 15 examinees Adequate space for group administration Establish rapport prior to testing Reschedule late arrivals or those who have extreme difficulty understanding the directions or practice problems. Test in only one language in a single group session. Administration guidelines continued Time limits Use timing device and strictly adhere to time limits. Coaching Coaching invalidates results; be careful not to hint at responses. Guessing Encourage examinee to take best guess if necessary. Erasing Permitted, but may need to remind that some difficulty is normal. Skipping Encourage examinee to take their best guess rather than skipping. Copyright 2016. Pearson, Inc., or its affiliates. All rights reserved 5
5 Tests Test Abbreviation Time Limit Description Coding CD 2 minutes Using a key, the examinee writes the numbers that correspond to geometric-like symbols. Picture Absurdities Clerical Checking PA 3 minutes The examinee draws a mark (/) through the one picture out of four that shows something that is illogical or foolish. CC 2 minutes The examinee circles the equal (=) or not equal ( ) sign to indicate if pairs of pictures, symbols, or numbers are the same or different. Picture Completion PC 2 minutes 30 seconds The examinee draws what is missing to complete a picture. Matrix Reasoning MR 5 minutes The examinee chooses the missing symbol or picture that best completes a set of four symbols or pictures. Scoring 1. Calculate Test Total Raw Scores Subtest Maximum Total Raw Score Coding 137 Picture Absurdities 24 Clerical Checking 55 Picture Completion 27 Matrix Reasoning 29 2. Convert Total Raw Scores to Scaled Scores 3. Derive the Beta-4 IQ Score 12 Copyright 2016. Pearson, Inc., or its affiliates. All rights reserved 6
Interpretation Scaled Scores (individual test scores) Mean of 10; SD of 3, Range 1-19 Standard Score (Beta-4 IQ score) Mean of 100, SD 0f 15, Range 45-155 Percentile Ranks Standard Errors of Measurement Confidence Intervals 13 Beta-4 IQ Score Qualitative Descriptors 14 Copyright 2016. Pearson, Inc., or its affiliates. All rights reserved 7
Ability-Achievement Analysis for the Identification of a Specific Learning Disability Simple-Difference method: Subtract Wechsler Fundamental: Academic Skills standard score from the Beta-4 IQ score. Consider statistical significance of the difference and the frequency (base rate). Predicted-difference method: Uses the ability score in a regression equation to predict the expected achievement score. 15 Beta-4 Norms 16 Copyright 2016. Pearson, Inc., or its affiliates. All rights reserved 8
Reliability & Reliability Evidence of test score reliability informs practitioners about the accuracy of obtained scores. Test score validity indicates the degree to which the score measures what it purports to measure. 17 Test-Retest Reliability 18 Copyright 2016. Pearson, Inc., or its affiliates. All rights reserved 9
Relations with other measures: Beta-III WAIS-IV Wechsler Fundamentals: Academic Skills Special Group Studies: Individuals from Correctional Facilities Individuals with Mild or Moderate Intellectual Disability Individuals with ADHD Individuals who are Spanish Speakers Individual with English as a Second Language Individuals with Specific Learning Disability 19 20 Copyright 2016. Pearson, Inc., or its affiliates. All rights reserved 10
21 22 Copyright 2016. Pearson, Inc., or its affiliates. All rights reserved 11
23 24 Copyright 2016. Pearson, Inc., or its affiliates. All rights reserved 12
25 26 Copyright 2016. Pearson, Inc., or its affiliates. All rights reserved 13
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