Evaluation Report: Marty

Identifying Information
Name:
Age:
Grade:

Marty
12
7

Reason for Referral

Martys classroom teacher referred him to the Student Improvement Team (SIT) with
encouragement from his parents due to his below grade-level performance in the areas of
reading, writing, and mathematics. After several weeks of strategies suggested by SIT
members and no change in performance, the team referred Marty for a comprehensive
evaluation.
History and Background Information
Marty lives with his mother and his fifteen-year-old brother, who is an excellent student.
Martys parents divorced a year and a half ago. Marty has a good relationship with both
of his parents but his parents rarely interact with each other. The fact that they are
collaborating to assist the school with Martys educational program is seen as a positive
development by school personnel and by Marty as well.
Martys mother reported that his general health has been good. He has no sensory
difficulties. He has had no major illnesses or surgeries, and he is not taking any
medication. Martys parents both describe their son as a very outgoing and energetic
individual who is sociable and has lots of friends. His parents reported that Marty loves to
make things and is often asked by others to fix things for them. However, they are very
concerned about his lack of progress in school and are worried that he may decide that
school isnt for him. Although they do not compare him to his older brother they feel that
Marty does and feels like the stupid son.
Martys classroom teacher is concerned about Martys inconsistent performance. She
noted that he is highly verbal, very knowledgeable about a variety of subjects, and
appears to learn best when he sees something explained or makes something. In
particular, she reported that Marty enjoys working on the computer and performs better
on writing tasks when he uses a talking processor. She reported that his classmates like
him, but that he is sometimes viewed as annoying by his peers because he frequently
bothers them to ask questions about schoolwork. She is concerned about his reading,
math, and writing skills, and his inability to complete assignments on time. She stated
that he frequently jumps from one assignment to another and, therefore, fails to complete
any of his assignments.
Earle Knowlton
Developing Effective Individualized Education Programs: A Case-Based Tutorial, 2e
2007 by Pearson Education, Inc. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458 All rights reserved.

page 1 of 5

Classroom Observations
Marty was observed in his classroom during the independent work period. During this
time, students work independently or in groups to complete their assignments. Marty
began to work on his math assignment. After approximately five minutes, he began to
play with a gadget that was in his desk. After several minutes, his teacher reminded him
to start working on his assignments, and Marty began to work on his reading assignment.
He worked on his reading assignment for ten minutes and then started to talk and joke
with one of his classmates. The teacher then told Marty it was his turn to use the
computer to work on his journal entry. Marty promptly went to the computer and worked
on his journal entry for twenty minutes. At the end of the observation, Marty had
completed only his journal entry and his other assignments were left unfinished.
Observation of Martys classroom behavior indicates that Marty is frequently off-task
and has difficulty completing his assignments. He often works on one assignment for a
short period of time and then works on another assignment, engages in an off-task
activity such as playing with objects, leaves his work area, or seeks attention from his
teacher or his peers. His behavior also appears to be affected by other activities in the
classroom, the placement of his work area near certain students, and the type and
difficulty level of the activity.
Testing Observations
Observations during the testing sessions indicated some attentional and self-esteem
difficulties which may be affecting his performance and self-concept. Marty appeared to
be distracted and anxious throughout the testing. He played with his pencil, fidgeted in
his seat, and frequently needed to be redirected back to the task. When he encountered
items that were difficult for him, he would begin to talk about the Boy Scouts and his
family or tell jokes. Several times during the testing, he said, Im not good at this and
Im dumb at some things.
Test Results
Marty was administered the following tests: the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for ChildrenFourth Edition (WISC-IV), the Brigance Diagnostic Inventory of Basic Skills (Brigance),
and the KeyMath-Revised (KeyMath).

Earle Knowlton
Developing Effective Individualized Education Programs: A Case-Based Tutorial, 2e
2007 by Pearson Education, Inc. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458 All rights reserved.

page 2 of 5

Intelligence Testing
Marty was administered the WISC-IV. His full scale IQ was 113, which places him in the
high average range. His Verbal Comprehension Index score was 102 (55th percentile)
and a Perceptual Reasoning Index Score of 124 (94th percentile) reflects a 22-point
discrepancy and can be considered significant. This indicates his verbal comprehension
skills are not as well developed as his perceptual organizational skills. Additionally, his
Working Memory Index Score of 97 (39th percentile) places him in the average range,
but his Processing Speed Index score of 120 (92nd percentile) is in the superior range.
This indicates that his skill with paper-and-pencil tasks is superior to his skill in using
working memory. A more in-depth analysis of Martys performance on individual
subtests yields more information about specific skill sets. The following table illustrates
individual subtest scores on the WISC-IV.
Subtest
Verbal Comprehension Index
Similarities
Vocabulary
Comprehension
Perceptual Reasoning Index
Block Design
Picture Concepts
Matrix Reasoning
Working Memory Index
Digit Span
Letter-Number
Sequencing
Processing Speed Index
Coding
Symbol Search

Standard Score
102
8
9
10
124
15
12
14
97
9
9
120
13
14

Marty did extremely well on subtests requiring the ability to analyze and synthesize
abstract visual stimuli and in categorical reasoning. His fluid intelligence skills, visualmotor coordination, cognitive flexibility, and capacity for concentration are strengths.
Verbal reasoning and concept formation and expression, auditory short-term memory,
and sequencing skills and his capacity to attend closely to and remember verbal
information are less well developed.
Mathematics
To assess Martys mathematics performance, the examiner administered the KeyMath.
Martys overall grade equivalent was 3.1. His strongest areas included geometry,
Earle Knowlton
Developing Effective Individualized Education Programs: A Case-Based Tutorial, 2e
2007 by Pearson Education, Inc. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458 All rights reserved.

page 3 of 5

measurement, time, and money. On the Geometry subtest, he was able to identify shapes,
sizes, color, and number patterns. On the Measurement subtest, Marty was able to
identify objects and estimate and measure the length and heights of objects and lines. On
time and money subtests, he was able to interpret graphs and compute costs.
Marty had difficulty with the Multiplication, Division, Fractions, and Word Problem
subtests. He was unable to multiply more than one-digit numbers, fractions, and
decimals. He could not perform multistep division tasks. He had difficulty identifying
fractions, putting fractions in order, and converting fractions to percentages. His wordproblem solving skills were poor. He had the most difficulty solving problems that
contained nonessential information.
Reading
Martys reading skills were assessed by administering the Brigance. Martys reading is
characterized by weaknesses in word recognition, oral reading, and comprehension. On
the Word Recognition subtest, he was able to read one- and two-syllable words, but could
not read any words that had three or more syllables. On the Word Analysis subtest, he
correctly read words with single initial consonant sounds and words with short vowel
sounds. He had difficulty reading words that contained the long vowel and silent e. He
also had difficulty reading the ai, ea, ie, and ou vowel blends in certain words.
On the Reading Comprehension subtest, Marty had difficulty with the passages that were
written at a third grade level. His oral reading of the passage revealed difficulties
sounding out multisyllabic words and a reliance on semantic or syntactic cues. He had
particular problems with comprehension questions that related to large amounts of
information and interpreting abstractions.
Written Language
Martys portfolio reveals that he has many ideas to write about in a broad range of
genres: stories, poems, letters, and mini-reports. However, Marty avoids using prewriting
tools such as semantic webs or outlines to organize his thoughts. Consequently, his
stories dont usually follow a chronological sequence and his reports do not fully develop
the topic. Instead, he tends to focus on one event or detail rather than fully supporting the
major idea. He uses a variety of sentence patterns, but frequently ignores the need for
punctuation. Therefore, he often uses run-on sentences. His spelling interferes with
communication to the extent that it is sometimes difficult to distinguish the word
intended. He has particular difficulty with vowel sounds. Marty has difficulty editing his
own work, but will make mechanical changes pointed out by the teacher. He rarely
revises the content or organization of his writing in a substantial manner.
Interest Inventory
Marty completed an interest inventory to identify his viewpoint regarding his strengths,
needs, interests, goals, and learning style. The inventory, which Marty discussed at the
meeting, revealed that Marty feels he has difficulty with reading and writing and would
Earle Knowlton
Developing Effective Individualized Education Programs: A Case-Based Tutorial, 2e
2007 by Pearson Education, Inc. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458 All rights reserved.

page 4 of 5

like to improve in these areas. He indicated that he learns best when he works with others
and uses computers. He dislikes taking tests and would prefer to do some type of project
instead. He loves to work with his hands and to take things apart and fix them. He
admires his Uncle Gene, who is a carpenter, and thinks he would also like to be a
carpenter. He likes to be with people and is interested in teaching others how to fix
things.
Summary and Recommendations
Marty is a capable young man with average- to above-average intellectual ability whose
perceptual reasoning skills are superior to his verbal comprehension skills. He struggles
in math, reading, and writing and prefers hands-on activities and projects to demonstrate
his mastery of the curriculum. He sometimes has difficulty completing tasks and
organizing his work. Marty is well aware of his academic problems and his self-esteem is
beginning to be affected by his lack of success in the classroom. It appears that Marty
could benefit from some learning, memory, and organizational strategies to allow him to
work smarter instead of harder. It is important that any educational plan developed for
Marty take into account his perceptual reasoning strengths while remediating his
weaknesses with reading and language tasks. Specific attention could be given to drill
and practice with math facts so they will be automatic and his focus switched to solving
higher-level math problems

Earle Knowlton
Developing Effective Individualized Education Programs: A Case-Based Tutorial, 2e
2007 by Pearson Education, Inc. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458 All rights reserved.

page 5 of 5