As school psychologists, we often encounter divergent scores within a single processing area, leaving us with the question: What do we do next? Whether we have access to a variety of tools or are limited to just a few tests, our role remains crucial in uncovering the reasons behind these discrepancies. Let’s explore strategies for investigating divergent scores!
Understanding Divergent Scores
Divergent scores occur when we see significantly different results within the same processing area. For instance, in the area of processing speed, a student might score a 10 in Coding and a 4 in Symbol Search. Instead of averaging these scores, it’s important to explore these scores further and hypothesize why such differences exist.
Three Key Takeaways
1. Utilize Available Tools and Techniques
When psychs have access to various assessment tools, they can administer additional tests or subtests to gain further insights. For example, within the WISC V, if we notice divergent scores in fluid reasoning such as Matrix Reasoning and Figure Weights, we can use other subtests such as picture concepts to investigate the divergent scores further.
2. Strategy for Limited Assessment Tools: Even if we have only a few tests at our disposal, we can still gather valuable information. Consider interviewing teachers and parents and gathering information about how this processing area shows up in the educational and homework settings. observing the student’s behavior during the tasks. These methods can provide context and help psychs form hypotheses about the reasons behind the divergent scores. For example, was one of the scores on the fluid reasoning tasks lower due to poor attention to the multiple-choice options?
Behavioral observations during assessments can offer significant clues. A student’s interaction, engagement level, and distractions during tasks can impact their performance. Writing down these observations immediately after testing sessions ensures that school psychs capture details that might explain score differences.
3. Communicate Findings Effectively
When we observe that divergent scores are due to differences in how the student processes the sub-ares of these skills, we need to share that information in the report. Explaining complex terms like inductive and deductive reasoning, however, to parents and IEP team members can be challenging. Translate these concepts into practical examples of how the student uses these skills in the classroom and at home. This approach makes it easier for everyone involved to understand the implications of the scores.
Example: Instead of saying, “The student shows a discrepancy in fluid reasoning,” explain, “The student is excellent at solving puzzles by identifying patterns but struggles with tasks that require logical sequencing. This means they might find certain types of problem-solving tasks more challenging than others.”
Understanding divergent scores requires a blend of analytical skills, available resources, and effective communication. By utilizing all available tools, documenting behavioral observations meticulously, and translating our findings into understandable terms, we can provide comprehensive and insightful assessments that support our students’ needs.
If you found these strategies helpful and want to dive deeper into topics like this, join the Prepared School Psych community! There are a variety of assessment resources from videos to downloadable resources. We also have resources for report writing and for the verbal explanation of assessment results. Click the button below and use the code “blog” to receive free 2 weeks of access to the Prepared School Psych community. Gain access to a wealth of resources, expert advice, and a supportive network of fellow school psychologists.
