Tests and Measurements for the Parent, Teacher, Advocate and Attorney

Peter and Pam Wright compose a comprehensive article for parents, teachers, advocates and attorneys. The purpose of which is to help lay people and professionals recognize the value of reading and understanding educational test scores. Attorney Peter Wright Esq., and Psychotherapist Pam Wright who is also a co-author of three books on special education law use their collective expertise to bring the education and legal process together which allows the reader to study and interpret information about assessments and evaluation with the hope of getting maximum benefit for the child receiving special educational services.

In his law practice Peter Wright meets parents who believe their child is not receiving adequate special education services. Usually the parents are basing their belief on emotion rather than evidence, what they think rather than what they can prove. According to Peter Wright, the way parents can ascertain the skills necessary to prove what they believe is in having the ability to read and interpret psychological and educational test scores. By using knowledge that shows true growth or regression, parents strongly influence the education of the child. Wright goes on to list categories of tests that can be administered to children: “intellectual or cognitive tests; educational achievement tests; projective personality tests, questionnaires and survey; speech and language tests; and neuropsychological tests” (p. 2). Furthermore, the reader is prompted to read and re-read the article in order to gain a working knowledge of how and why tests are administered and reported, and how to use graphics to give a visual representation of the academic progress or regression of the student. Additionally, legal requirements of law relating to special education services and the process of educational decision making are discussed. Three examples are used to help teach the legal aspects are test or evaluation procedures and give functional methods for use by parents.

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