CONT911: Level B Assessment: Foundational Principles

Course Schedule

Course Description

Here is an opportunity for educators working in inclusive education or who will be stepping into this role to acquire specialized skills. Level B assessments provide data used to communicate with families and colleagues. Assessment results inform the process of planning specific learning supports and interventions. Knowing how to score and interpret standardized test results also prepares you for leadership roles in the school-based team.

Successful completion of CONT 911 is an essential step to certification to administer Level B assessments in K–12 schools in BC. You will also need to complete CONT 928: Advanced Applications for full certification. Note that it will be up to your district student services team to decide who and how assessments can be performed in your designated school(s).

You must confirm with your school officials that you have access to Level B test kits before enrolling. Leveraging your professional networking skills, contact key individuals in your school district to locate assessment materials. You need access to a comprehensive test of achievement, such as KTEA-3, KTEA-3 Brief, WIAT-III, WIAT-4, WJ-IV, or WJ-V. Once you have arranged to borrow a test kit, inform your instructor about your plans.

For information about comprehensive achievement tests, visit Pearson Assessment Canada or Riverside Insights. 

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What You Will Learn and Do

In this course you’ll have the opportunity to

• explore the purpose and ethical requirements of Level B assessments, including Ministry guidelines
• differentiate between standardized and non-standardized tests, and between Level A, B, and C assessments
• interpret key psychometric concepts, measures, and terminology used in Level B testing
• administer and score Level B assessments using standardized procedures
• obtain informed parental consent
• conduct background file reviews to support assessment planning
• collaborate with families and colleagues to gather data and support learning interventions
• apply assessment findings to construct targeted recommendations using models such as the response to intervention (RTI)
• communicate results clearly and professionally to educators, parents, and other stakeholders

Application Requirements

You must complete CONT904 Inclusive Education Part 1 in order to take CONT911 Level B Assessment: Foundational Principles.

Courses and Post-Graduate Certificates are approved by TQS for Category Upgrade. If you would like these courses to be used towards Category Upgrading, you must have a valid BC Teacher Certificate.

ECEs, EAs, and other education professionals are welcome to take the courses without Certification.

Course Materials

Course participants must have access to a Level B achievement test from their workplace (either from the school or central office) to administer to a school-age student. It’s recommended that that course participants perform practice assessments with a student who is a family member or friend, with their permission.

The following are recommended test choices:

• Woodcock-Johnson IV (WJ-IV)
• Wechsler Individual Achievement Test (WIAT-III)
• Kaufman Test of Educational Achievement (KTEA-3)

Be sure that borrowed kits contain blank protocols or forms.

If your school district doesn’t have the latest edition, use an older edition. If your district does not have any of the assessment kits listed here but others are available, visit the Pearson Clinical or Nelson Assessments websites to verify that your test kit is a Level B assessment.

If you are still unsure, email cedmail@queensu.ca for confirmation. If you would like to verify that your assessment meets the qualification requirements, visit Pearson Clinical Canada.

Note that tasks in this course require you to access school files and administer the Level B assessment with a school-age student. It will be essential to discuss your plans and request approval from your school administrator. Signed parental consent will be required for the review of a student's school file, Level B assessment work, and reporting results. If you are not able to carry out a file review and Level B assessment with a school-age child, you may substitute an adult for the purposes of these tasks. Be sure to inform your instructor about your plans.

Learners who are required to provide a letter of enrollment to their Special Education department to gain access to the Level B tests may do so by contacting cedmail@queensu.ca.

Accommodations

Applicants who require accommodations for a specific learning need (e.g., learning disability) within their AQ/ABQ course, should click here for further information and support.

Have a question? Contact us!

Refund Schedule

If you drop a course:

1. by the midpoint of the course, you will receive 100% of your course fee.
2. after the midpoint, before the end of the course, you will receive 50% of your course fee.

For more about our refund policies, visit our Fees & Refunds page.