Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-dh8gc Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-10T15:23:53.406Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Assessment of academic difficulties in culturally and linguistically diverse school students

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  03 March 2020

Azucena Velasco Leon  and
Marilyn Campbell Open the ORCID record for Marilyn Campbell [Opens in a new window]
Azucena Velasco Leon
Affiliation:
School of Early Childhood and Inclusive Education, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
Marilyn Campbell*
Affiliation:
School of Early Childhood and Inclusive Education, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
*
*Corresponding author. Email: ma.campbell@qut.edu.au
Get access

Abstract

The increasing tendency of immigration and forced migration practices around the world has made countries’ populations culturally and linguistically diverse. Australia is considered one of the most culturally diverse countries in the world. Consequently, the proportion of school-aged children with different culture and language is also increasing. Thus, school psychologists and guidance counsellors face the challenge of designing fair assessment practices and sound interventions for culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) students who experience difficulties with their learning. Although many multicultural countries have extensive research regarding the assessment of learning difficulties in CALD students, Australia lacks this research. This study explored the most common assessment strategies that school psychologists and guidance counsellors usually implement in their assessment of CALD students. These results were then compared to a best practice model from the literature. In order to understand the current practices of school psychologists and counsellors in Australia who have assessed CALD children, a survey was administered to 34 school psychologists and counsellors. It was found that the reported strategies and protocols were very close to the ones proposed by experts, which was an unexpected outcome of this study. Implications for school psychologists and counsellors are discussed.

Keywords

CALDassessmentlearning difficultiesschool psychologistsschool counsellorsAustralia
Type
Articles
Information
Journal of Psychologists and Counsellors in Schools , Volume 30 , Issue 1 , June 2020 , pp. 25 - 42
Check for updates
Copyright
© The Author(s) 2020. Published by Cambridge University Press

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

AUSPELD. (2014). Understanding learning difficulties: A practical guide. Retrieved from http://fusecontent.education.vic.gov.au/d3f1d4f9-fefe-400f-af93-97f6cf63459f/p/pdfs/DSF4449PracticalGuide-Accessible.pdfGoogle Scholar
Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2017). Census of population and housing: Australia revealed, 2016. Retrieved from http://www.abs.gov.auGoogle Scholar
Bracken, B.A., & McCallum, R.S. (1998). Universal Non-verbal Intelligence Test (UNIT). Austin, TX: PRO-ED.Google Scholar
Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2006). Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 3, 77–101.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Chiappe, P., Siegel, L.S., & Gottardo, A. (2002). Reading-related skills of kindergartners from diverse linguistic backgrounds. Applied Psycholinguistics, 23, 95–116.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Crevecoeur, Y.C., & Obiakor, F.E. (2013). Culturally and linguistically diverse students labeled as having learning disabilities. In Bakken, J.P., Obiakor, F.E., & Rotatori, A.F. (Eds.), Learning disabilities: Identification, assessment, and instruction of students with LD. Advances in Special Education (pp. 93–108). Bingley, UK: Emerald Group.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Everatt, J., Sadeghi, A., Grech, L., El Shikh, M., Abdel-Sabour, S., … Elbeheri, G. (2013). Assessment of literacy difficulties in second language and bilingual Learners. In Tsagari, D., & Spanoudis, G. (Eds.), Assessing L2 Students with Learning and Other Disabilities (pp. 27–43). Retrieved from https://ebookcentral.proquest.comGoogle Scholar
Flanagan, D., Ortiz, S., & Alfonso, V. (2013). Essentials of cross-battery assessment (3rd ed.). Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons.Google Scholar
Fletcher, T., & Navarrete, L. (2011). Learning disabilities or difference: A critical look at issues associated with the misidentification and placement of Hispanic students in Special Education Programs. Rural Special Education Quarterly, 30, 30–38.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Fraine, N., & McDade, R. (2009). Reducing bias in psychometric assessment of culturally and linguistically diverse students from refugee backgrounds in Australian schools: A process approach. Australian Psychologist, 44, 16–26.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Geva, E., & Wiener, J. (2015). Psychological assessment of culturally and linguistically diverse children and adolescents: A practitioner’s guide. New York, NY: Springer Publishing Company, LLC.Google Scholar
Greenfield, P.M. (1997). You can’t take it with you: Why ability assessments don’t cross cultures. American Psychologist, 52, 1115–1124.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Guiberson, M., & Atkins, J. (2012). Speech-language pathologists’ preparation, practices, and perspectives on serving culturally and linguistically diverse children. Communication Disorders Quarterly, 33, 169–180.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Harrison, P.L., & Oakland, T. (2003). Adaptive Behavior Assessment System – 2nd Edition (ABAS-2). San Antonio, TX: Psychological Corporation.Google Scholar
Harrison, P.L., & Oakland, T. (2015). Adaptive Behavior Assessment System – 3rd Edition (ABAS-3). San Antonio, TX: Psychological Corporation.Google Scholar
Kaplan, I., Stolk, Y., Valibhoy, M., Tucker, A., & Baker, J. (2016). Cognitive assessment of refugee children: Effects of trauma and new language acquisition. Transcultural Psychiatry, 53, 81–109.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Khawaja, N., McCarthy, R., Braddock, V., & Dunne, M. (2013). Characteristics of culturally and linguistically diverse mental health clients. Advances in Mental Health, 11, 172–187.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Klingner, J., Artiles, A., & Barletta, L. (2006). English Language learners who struggle with reading. Journal of Learning Disabilities, 39, 108–128.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Laing, S.P., & Kamhi, A. (2003). Alternative assessment of language and literacy in culturally and linguistically diverse populations. Language, Speech, and Hearing Services in Schools, 34, 44–55.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Mak, A., & Shaw, T. (2015). Perceptions of intercultural social challenges: Towards culturally competent counselling practice. Journal of Psychologists and Counsellors in Schools, 25, 183–199.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Meteyard, J., & Gilmore, L. (2015). Psycho-educational assessment of specific learning disabilities: Views and practices of Australian psychologists and guidance counsellors. Journal of Psychologists and Counsellors in Schools, 25, 1–12.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ochoa, S.H., & Ortiz, S.O. (2005). Language proficiency assessment: The foundation for psycho-educational assessment of second-language learners. In Rhodes, R.L., Ochoa, S.H., & Ortiz, S.O. (Eds.), Assessing Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Students: A practical guide (pp. 137–152). New York: Guilford Press.Google Scholar
Olvera, P., & Gomez-Cerrillo, L. (2011). A bilingual psychoeducational assessment MODEL grounded in Cattell-Horn-Carroll theory: A cross battery approach. Contemporary School Psychology, 15, 117–127.Google Scholar
Ortiz, A. (1997). Learning disabilities occurring concomitantly with linguistic differences. Journal of Learning Disabilities, 30, 321–332.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Ortiz, A., & Fránquiz, M.E. (2016). Co-editors’ introduction: Nuanced understandings of emergent bilinguals and dual language program implementation. Bilingual Research Journal, 39, 87–90.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Queensland Government Department of Education. (2019). Learning and reading difficulties. Retrieved 15 March, 2019 from https://education.qld.gov.au/students/students-with-disability/succeeding-with-disability/learning-reading-difficultiesGoogle Scholar
Sattler, J. (2001). Assessment of children: Cognitive applications (4th ed.). San Diego, CA: Jerome M. Sattler, Publisher.Google Scholar
Schon, J., Shaftel, J., & Markham, P. (2008). Contemporary issues in the assessment of Culturally and Linguistically Diverse learners. Journal of Applied School Psychology, 24, 163–189.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Scott, A., Boynton Hauerwas, L., & Brown, R. (2014). State policy and guidance for identifying learning disabilities in Culturally and Linguistically Diverse students. Learning Disability Quarterly, 37, 172–185.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Spinelli, C.G. (2008). Addressing the issue of cultural and linguistic diversity and assessment: Informal evaluation measures for English language learners. Reading & Writing Quarterly, 24, 101–118.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sweller, N., Graham, L., & Van Bergen, P. (2012). The minority report: Disproportionate representation in Australia’s largest education system. Exceptional Children, 79, 107–125.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Vanderwood, M.L., Nam, J.E., & Sun, J.W. (2014). Validity of DIBELS early literacy measures with Korean English Learners. Contemporary School Psychology, 18, 205–213.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Vega, D., Lasser, J., & Afifi, A.F.M. (2016). School psychologists and the assessment of culturally and linguistically diverse students. Contemporary School Psychology, 20, 218–229.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wechsler, D. (2003). Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children – Fourth Edition (WISC-IV). San Antonio, TX: Psychological Corporation.Google Scholar
Wechsler, D. (2005). Wechsler Individual Achievement Test – Second Edition (WIAT-II). London, UK: Psychological Corporation.Google Scholar
Wechsler, D. (2009). Wechsler Individual Achievement Test – Third Edition (WIAT-III). London, UK: Psychological Corporation.Google Scholar
Wechsler, D. (2014). Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children – Fifth Edition (WISC-V). San Antonio, TX: Psychological Corporation.Google Scholar
Woodcock, R.W., McGrew, K.S., & Mather, N. (2007). Woodcock Johnson III Tests of Achievement. Rolling Meadows, IL: Riverside Publishing.Google Scholar
Zimmerman, K. (2014). A literature review of the challenges & best practices for English Language Learners. National Forum of Multicultural Issues Journal, 11, 1–7.Google Scholar