Assessment of Bilinguals: A best practice framework for valid testing of multilingual learners

Description: One of the problems that has longed plagued evaluation of non-monolingual English speakers is that there are no professional standards and no current consensus definition regarding what a bilingual evaluation actually is, let alone how it is to be conducted. As such, some practitioners choose to evaluate only in the dominant language. Others may begin in the heritage language and then switch to English. Still others might test only in the heritage language and yet others, only in English. What they all tend to have in common is that each approach carries some degree of difficulty in establishing test score validity and none are very successful. This presentation will provide guidance on specific procedures for testing multilingual learners in a way that yields the most defensible and valid test score data possible, thereby permitting the drawing of inferences and conclusions that are firmly supported and which provide the highest levels of fairness and equity in the testing process while remaining within the reach of all practitioners, irrespective of their own language competencies.

UPDATE 04/05/2024: This workshop was permitted to be recorded by Dr. Ortiz. 

Speaker Description: Dr. Ortiz is Professor of Psychology and former Director of Graduate Programs in School Psychology at St. John's University, New York. He holds a Ph.D. in clinical psychology from the University of Southern California and a credential in school psychology with postdoctoral training in bilingual school psychology from San Diego State University. He has served as Visiting Professor and Research Fellow at Nagoya University, Japan, as Vice President for Professional Affairs of APA Division 16 (School Psychology), as member and Chair of APA’s, Committee on Psychological Tests and Assessment, as member of the Coalition for Psychology in Schools and Education, as representative on the New York State Committee of Practitioners on ELL and LEP Students, and as member of APA Presidential Task Force on Educational Disparities. Dr. Ortiz serves or has served on various editorial boards including Journal of School Psychology, School Psychology Quarterly, and Journal of Applied School Psychology and is a member of the Society for the Study of School Psychology (SSSP). Dr. Ortiz has published widely on a range of topics and is a frequent presenter at professional conferences as well as an internationally recognized expert on issues involving nondiscriminatory assessment, evaluation of English learners, Cross-Battery Assessment (XBA), and specific learning disabilities. He is author of the new Ortiz Picture Vocabulary Acquisition Test (Ortiz PVAT)—the first test with dual norms designed specifically for English learners and English speakers. He is also primary co-author of the Cross-Battery Assessment Software System (X-BASS v2.0), Culture-Language Interpretive Matrix (C-LIM), C-LIM+Achievement Test Extensions (C-LIM+ATE), Diverse-Student True Peer Group Estimator (D-STPGE), and co-author of the Intervention Library: Finding Resources for Students and Teachers (IL:FIRST v1.0). His books include “Assessment of Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Students: A practical guide,” which is currently under revision, and “Essentials of Cross-Battery Assessment, 3rd Edition.” Dr. Ortiz is bilingual (Spanish) and bicultural (Puerto Rican).

This course meets the qualifications for 1.5 hours of continuing education credit for LEPs, LMFTs, LPCCs and LCSWs as required by the California Board of Behavioral Sciences. This course also qualifies for 1.5 hours of continuing professional development for Nationally Certified School Psychologists, under provider number 1025. CASP maintains responsibility for the program and its content.

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