A Service Delivery Issue I feel Strongly About

An issue I feel strongly about is using scores from standardized tests to determine (assess) an individual’s speech and language abilities. I learned about what validity and reliability mean in reference to using standardized testing tools early in my educational course work for this field. What is bothersome to me is that while it is common knowledge that most if not all exams, especially those for children, are not “normed” on children I would test, many agencies and supervisors demand a score as part of an evaluation report.

Children I would test are those that live in New York City and the New York region (i.e., Long Island, Yonkers, Westchester). Further exasperating this topic are those children which are exposed to more than one language. These children do not follow the “typical” speech and language developmental norms of any monolingual community. Therefore, why are SLPs using these testing tools to make an assessment? Some may think the SLP is monolingual and may not be aware. Let’s make it clear, there is no SLP that should graduate from any program, bilingual or not, that is not aware of reading a testing manual at the least. We are also taught, even if briefly, that testing tools should be scanned to remove or adjust bias questions/materials and that bilingual children should be tested by bilingual SLPs. Let me make another point clear: while a person is bilingual it does not qualify them to assess a bilingual person. For example, I am proficiently bilingual in English and Spanish.   

What is especially worrisome is that while this is such a touchy subject, a certified SLP can actually lose their license over this issue/topic (using a score to report findings). I would venture and guess that one or two malefactions would not substantiate a license being revoked, however it baffles me as to how not more of an emphasis is made on using appropriate testing materials and informed clinical opinions to report findings instead of using scores from a test. In New York City there are rarely any children that would meet the reliability, validity, and norming standards for any test that I know of, yet I find that too often they are used to assess the child’s language abilities.

Catherine J. Crowley is not only the director of the Bilingual Institute at Teachers College, Columbia University but she is an advocate for this issue. In reality, I cannot say she is an advocate she is the leader who identifies what issues need to change and how to go about changing them. Last year when I started at the institute she informed us of some upcoming trainings and reforms regarding this precise topic: agencies forcing their employees to use scores to report a disorder/delay. Cate, as she likes to be addressed by her students, is still conducting trainings around the city to various agencies and changing policies as we speak. She has a lot of support, some of which is through her students and staff. Cate posts information on the institution’s Facebook page such as rallies, petitions, current events, etc. This is a person that I would reach out to about this issue and support for continuing to proctor this change.