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Original poster

Wide Range Achievement Test scoring range

34 replies

roobobly · 29/12/2016 21:18

Hi everyone, just wondering if anyone can help me with what the scoring range is on WRAT's? Daughter has had report home but no explanation on scores, ive had a look round and cant see anything. Thanks in advance

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christmascandy16 · 30/12/2016 21:29

Sorry just realized I hijacked / changed the subject of the thread. I didn't mean to.

christmascandy16 · 30/12/2016 21:27

My son is using a laptop as his usual way of working since starting year 7 this year. He doesn't have any diagnosis but was given a handwriting test which he presumes was for legibility and is under the impression that if he uses laptop continually now he will be able to use it for exams.

Is this correct even without any diagnosis and presumably he will just have the same time as everyone else?

Would you receive the exam paper on the computer to fill in answers to questions for geography for example?

What evidence would school have to keep - just that he signs for the laptop each morning and returns it each night and does all his work on it??

Original poster
roobobly · 29/12/2016 22:36

Thanks all I'll look into extra time / rest breaks with key worker

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TheDuchessOfKidderminster · 29/12/2016 22:34

You can get 25% extra time currently with either 1x standard score below 85 or 2x standard scores below 90 on measures of processing speed.

ElizaSchuyler · 29/12/2016 22:25

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ElizaSchuyler · 29/12/2016 22:23

You will need to check but I think they have to score less than 85 to get extra time.

There is a rule about using laptops being a normal way of working. The school has to start building evidence for that. I would definately investigate rest breaks.

TheDuchessOfKidderminster · 29/12/2016 22:21

She might be eligible for extra time or other access arrangements. I think it might be useful to get additional measures of her processing speed and reading speed as well as writing speed to see if she has more general problems with her speed of working. GCSE regulations change every year so I can't really say what she's likely to get in terms of access arrangements as she's only in Y7 now. 85 is the cut off point for some access arrangements but scores under 90 can also be used as evidence sometimes. It depends on what is being asked for - use of a word processor for example is permitted when that is the pupil's normal way of working.

Lazybeans50 · 29/12/2016 22:14

Cross -post! Extra time is typically awarded on the basis of processing speed but the school may not have assessed this. Also your DD might qualify for rest breaks if she gets very tired. Ed psychology reports should be done at end of year 9/beginning of yr 10 for gcse access arrangements. In the meantime the school should pick up if she regularly needs extra time to compete her work.

Original poster
roobobly · 29/12/2016 22:13

Eliza - that is my worry, i want her to have the opportunity to reach her potential. Thanks for your help, think ill get in touch with ket worker in the new year.

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ElizaSchuyler · 29/12/2016 22:09

The problem is sometimes that bright children are sometimes seen as not needing the extra time but they may not be achieving to their potential. As well as handwriting DS has slow processing speed so gets extra time despite excellent Midyis scores (127 though his BAS was 108)

Dd got 131, 105 & 108 in CATS (spiky profile) but overall of 138 in Weschler (158 for verbal)

Lazybeans50 · 29/12/2016 22:05

DS has overall DASH score of 75 but the 'at speed' one (can't remember the extact terminology) is 70. He's allowed a scribe but we are hoping he'll be able to type for GCSEs. I think for most exam access arrangements they need to be 84 or below but I think they can type with higher scores as long as it's their normal way of working.

Original poster
roobobly · 29/12/2016 22:01

That sounds like a lot of tests!!

She was given extra time during SATs (didnt use it) because of her vision, she has nystagmus and takes longer to focus, eyes strain very easily too, i know this isnt much compared to what a lot of other children have to work with but my concern was that because she is bright she might not appear to need the additional time. Does the low dash score indicate that she may need extra time for assessments? Saying that she hasnt had any additional time in the high school assessments so far.

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TheDuchessOfKidderminster · 29/12/2016 21:56

And the assessors should always interpret scores in relation to previous assessments of the same skills.

TheDuchessOfKidderminster · 29/12/2016 21:54

CATTests are a bit crap. The Wechsler and BAS are better but you need to look at the profile of scores quite carefully.

TheDuchessOfKidderminster · 29/12/2016 21:52

87 is a low-average score and is comparatively weak and in the bottom quartile for her same age peers (i.e. bottom 25%). Is she getting special exam arrangements?

ElizaSchuyler · 29/12/2016 21:51

I just wish there was one battery of tests as they all seem to generate different scores. my two between them have been subjected to Cats, Midyis BAS3, Weschler & Dash & possibly more I've forgotten! Dd is eligible to join Mensa apparently but scored low on certain parts of her CATS!

TheDuchessOfKidderminster · 29/12/2016 21:49

Ok. 130 is an extremely high score that will place her in the top 1-2% on that particular measure. 120 is also a high score that is around the top 10%. The overall score is a composite of the two I'm assuming and is exceptionally high.

These are standard scores. The mean average is 100. Average range is generally considered to be 85-115 (the range 1 standard deviation above/below the mean).

Original poster
roobobly · 29/12/2016 21:48

I think dash was 87.

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ElizaSchuyler · 29/12/2016 21:44

DS had a standard score of 82 for DASH which was 11th percentile. I don't know the range.

Original poster
roobobly · 29/12/2016 21:43

Thank you all for the responses. We are away at inlaws at moment so i dont have the actual report, will do tomorrow night but from what i can remember it was just a column with WRAT at the top and 145 underneath. She is bright, english was typed as 130+ and maths 120. She is predicted high gcses (only in yr 7 so not reading into this too much!). I just wanted to understand a bit more about what they are used for and the scale. Thanks again.

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TheDuchessOfKidderminster · 29/12/2016 21:41

The scores are standardised so are the same across different tests. I haven't ever actually used the DASH but am familiar with how it is scored.

ElizaSchuyler · 29/12/2016 21:41

Duchess will be more knowledgable. I just focus on what we need to know for dd & DS (asd)

ElizaSchuyler · 29/12/2016 21:40

Ds's handwriting is totally dysfluent but we've still had to fight for the laptop. Ill try & dig out his ed psych report but I think it had to be under a certain percentile to qualify.

TheDuchessOfKidderminster · 29/12/2016 21:39

I know both these tests and interpret these types of scores all the time by the way. (I'm assuming this is a teacher assessment rather than an EP.)

Original poster
roobobly · 29/12/2016 21:38

Eliza - at least they can let him use the laptop. My daughter has v neat writing but is slow. Do you know what the range is for dash? Thanks for responses.

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