Development and standardisation of tests

1. Development and standardisation of tests Vida Gudauskienė Deputy of Psychological Division National Centre for Special Needs Education and Psychology Phone (+370) 5 2426396E-mail.: vida.gudauskiene@sppc.lt

2. Information Lithuania, one of three Baltic countries, has a population of 3 million. Its capital is Vilnius and its primary language is lithuanian.

3. Situation • Among persons ages 7 to 24, 82% are engaged in education or other forms of training in Lithuania. • All children could succeed according to their ability to participate in the educational process. It requires a good special pedagogical and psychological support system.

4. Effectiveness • For effective task performancing is required not only the law and documents, regulating these activities, but also qualified specialists. • Psychologists who are working in educational system in Lithuania use standardized and adapted assessment instruments. • The main task of the system is as much as possible objective assessment of the child's needs and abilities.

5. History • The National center for special needs education and psychology in Lithuania was founded in 1991. • The name of the center several times has been changed. The main purpose of the center‘s work has remained the same – recognize the child's skills and help them better to participate in the educational process. • The main goal of this center is to develop the national level special pedagogical and psychological support system for children.

6. Instruments • Assessment is a way of gaining some understanding of the child in order to make informed decisions. • This work was based by basic document,prepared by the Lithuanian Psychological Association. • The Association assumed leadership for test development and use, in part, by adapting its own national regulation for the use of standardized psychological assessment instruments in 1997.

7. The main activities of the center in this area are: (1) • To collect information about needs for pedagogical and psychological tests and organize standardization and adaptation of pedagogical and psychological tests; • To collect information about pedagogicalpsychological instruments of children's assessment in Lithuania and abroad; • To keep in touch with psychological publishing houses and educational institutions in Lithuania and abroad;

8. (2) • To provide a methodological aid to educational psychological services; • To initiate and organize the development, standardization, adaptation of pedagogical and psychological tests. Actively cooperate with scientists from universities; • To organize workshops for specialists. Teaching to work with tests.

9. Assessment instruments in Lithuanian education system (1) Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-III (WISC-III) The National center for special needs education and psychology activities were like this: • The participation in standardization and adaptation activity of WISC – III in Vilnius University (1998-2002); • The organization of workshops for psychologists to work in WISC - III; • Now WISC-III is prepared for Russian and Polish-speaking children, who live in Lithuania; • Psychologists are supplied with WISC-III.

10. T. M. Achenbach questionnaires (for ages 6-18) ;(2) • The participation in standardization and adaptation activity of T. M. Achenbach questionnaires (emotional and behavioral problems) of Lithuanian children in Mykolas Romeris university (2004); • The organization of workshops for psychologists to work with these questionnaires; • Psychologists are supplied with T. M. Achenbach questionnaires.

11. School maturity assessment battery;(3) • The preparation of School maturity scales in collaboration withVilnius University (2004-2006); • The organization of workshops for psychologists to work with this instrument; • Now School maturity scales are prepared for Russian and Polish-speaking children who live in Lithuania; • Psychologists are supplied with School maturity assessment battery.

12. School maturity assessment battery

13. Raven Colored Progressive Matrices;(4) • The participation in standardization and adaptation activity of CPM in Vilnius University (2004-2006); • Psychologists are supplied with CPM.

14. D. H. Rost and F. J. Schermer questionnaires;(5) (Differentielles Leistungsangst Inventar DAI). Fear of school. • The organization of standardization and adaptation research of Lithuanian children (2007-2008); • The organization of workshops for psychologists to work with these questionnaires; • Psychologists are supplied with D. H. Rost and F. J. Schermer questionnaires.

15. Language assessment scales for Lithuanian children ages 5-7.(6) • In 2007-2008 we initiated and organized children's 5-6 and 6-7 years of age assessment of language development training tasks; • Now these scales are in preparation process; • The adaptation and standardization of these scales is intended to be complete in 2009-2013 project, partly funded by the European Structural Funds.

16. National center for special needs education and psychology develops and implements the projects financed by EU: • “Bringing back the dropouts to regular school”; • “Provision of the schools with special educational materials”; • “Enhancement of quality and effectiveness of support system for pupils”; • “Development of educational forms for SEN pupils”.

17. Instead of conclusions • There is done a lot in the instrument area of Lithuania, but there is a lack of instruments in a specialist practical work. • National Center for Special Needs Education and Psychology co-operates with universities and is looking for opportunities to provide education specialists with assessment instruments. • We also are looking for financial opportunities in new projects.

18. Thank you for your attention Vida Gudauskienė E-mail.: vida.gudauskiene@sppc.lt www.sppc.lt