If an educator has referred you to visit with an assessment psychologist or you’re considering educational assessment for your child or teen, you may be wondering if this process is worth the effort. You may even be wondering why your child needs this testing at all. Will it really help? In this blog, we’re going to review the top five reasons that educational assessment is recommended, but you can always get in touch with the Northern Colorado Assessment Center team if you have questions or you would like to schedule a consultation with one of our assessment professionals.
1 – See Where Your Student Stands
One of the most common reasons to seek educational assessment is simply to see where a student stands. Establishing a baseline of academic knowledge and ability to learn is an important part of setting appropriate educational goals whether that means signing students up for advanced classes or seeking beneficial academic resources to support educational success.
2 – Confirm a Specific Diagnosis or Answer Referral Questions
Like other types of assessment, educational testing is often recommended to confirm a suspected diagnosis or answer a specific question. Maybe your child is being considered for gifted student programming or an educator referred you to an assessment psychologist because they noticed significant reading comprehension struggles. Educational assessment can help to confirm a range of diagnoses, including dyslexia, dyscalculia, and Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder among others. It can also answer a range of referral questions like why has my child started to struggle academically this year?
3 – Help Educators Provide the Best Academic Support
The results of educational assessments allow educators and school administrators to better understand your child’s academic needs. Whether your child needs more challenging course work or they need additional support resources on specific assignments, by developing a clear picture of a student’s strengths and areas of struggle, educational assessment is an essential part of creating a beneficial academic support plan.
4 – Determine if Current Educational Resources Are Working
If your child has been previously tested and received academic resources, you may want to schedule a reevaluation to determine whether or not the current resources are effective. This allows for continued adjustment to ensure the best results.
5 – Gauge Progress
If it’s been a while since your child’s last educational assessment, you may want to consider scheduling a follow up. This gives you an opportunity to see any progress the student has made and adjust resources and academic support accordingly. The goal of educational assessment should always be to get the necessary answers to help our children succeed academically, so follow up testing can help ensure the student is making the desired progress. In most cases, school districts and other academic stakeholders also require periodic retesting in order to provide continued resources and support.
Interested in Visiting Northern Colorado Assessment Center?
If you’re interested in learning more about educational assessment or you’re ready to schedule an intake session at Northern Colorado Assessment Center, we look forward to hearing from you. It’s easy to get started working with our team. Simply take a few minutes to call, email, or complete our secure scheduling request form.
