The WRAT Test

Subtests

Norms/Standardization

• the WRAT 4 was standardized on a representative national sample of over

3,000 individuals ranging in age from 5 to 94 years

• the normative sample was selected according to a stratified national

sampling procedure with proportionate allocation controlled for age,

gender, ethnicity, geographic region, and parental/obtained education as

an index of socioeconomic status

• alternate forms were developed and equated during standardization by

use of a common-person research design (Blue and Green Forms)

• derived scores were developed for both age- and grade-referenced groups
• the interpretation of WRAT4 scores has been enhanced by the addition of

grade-based norms

• increasing the usefulness of the test in Grades K-12
• age-based norms also have been extended from 75 years in the third

edition to 94 years

• (basic literacy skills of older adults can be assessed)

• Word Reading measures letter and word decoding
• Sentence Comprehension measures an individual’s ability to gain meaning from words and to comprehend ideas and information contained in sentences
• Spelling measures an individual’s ability to encode sounds into written form
• Math Computation measures an individual’s ability to perform basic mathematics computations

Strengths/ Weakness

The History of the WRAT

• ease of administration and scoring
• excellent standardization
• correlates well with other achievement and cognitive tests
• only screens for strengths and weaknesses and disregards other important achievement abilities
• does not adequately measure skills of above-average and advanced readers at the later adolescent and adult years
• not enough questions designed for younger children

• Created by Joseph Jastak and Sidney Bijou (1930s through the early 40s)
• Published in 1946 (there have been revisions since publication)
• WRAT-3 created in 1993
• WRAT-4 created in 2006
• Was able to be used in a variety of academic areas
• Reading and spelling
• Communication
• Basic math
• Since its origination
• its popularity has increased because of its ease in scoring as well as administration
• has gained usefulness in grade-based norms
• has become more flexible in the ages it assesses
• In the newest edition people up to age 94 can be assessed for skills pertaining to learning ability

Scoring and Times

Reliability

WRAT

• reliability evidence for the WRAT4 is shown to be strong
• includes information based on classical test reliability theory, including internal consistency, alternate-form reliability (immediate and delayed retest stability), standard error of measurement, and standard score confidence intervals.
• retest reliability coefficients: ranged from .78 to .89 for age-based sample and from .86 to .90 for a grade-based sample.
• for the upper teenage through middle-adult years, the subtests of the WRAT do not provide as much precision at the higher score levels
• word-reading and sentence-comprehension skills plateau rather early
• higher-order reading skills, like comprehension of longer articles and textual passages, not measured

• testing time differs between ages; approx 15-25 minutes for children aged 5-7 years and approx 35-45 minutes for individuals 8 years and older

• scoring is based on an interval scale that is found through a Rasch analysis

• Rasch analysis: A complete summary of a person’s criterion for the construction of the responses to the questions rather than a statistical description

(Wide Range Achievement Test)

Qualification Level: B

Where can you purchase the WRAT?

• example: http://www4.parinc.com
• WRAT4 Introductory Kit Cost around 275$ and includes the following:
• WRAT4 Professional Manual, 25 each Blue Test/Response Forms, 25 each Green Test/Response Forms, 25 Blue Sentence Comprehension Response Booklets, 25 Green Sentence Comprehension Response Booklets, Set of 2 Word Reading/Spelling Cards, Set of 3 Sentence Comprehension Cards, and 1 Place Marker in a soft-sided attaché case

A degree from an accredited 4-year college or university in

psychology, counseling, or a closely related field

PLUS

satisfactory completion of coursework in test interpretation, psychometrics and measurement theory, educational statistics, or a closely related area; OR license or certification from an agency that requires appropriate training and experience in the ethical and competent use of psychological tests.

Validity

• WRAT4 validity evidence is derived from the content and structure of the test battery, studies with special groups of individuals, and correlations with other widely used achievement and cognitive ability measures

• The measures used for the external validity studies include: KTEA-II Comprehensive, WISC®-IV, KTEA-II Brief, WASI™, RIAS™, WAIS®-III, WIAT®-II, SB5, WJ®-III, WRAT–Expanded, KBIT, WRIT

• Clinical studies show ability of WRAT4 to identify students with Learning disorders, Low cognitive ability, and High cognitive ability

References

Goldstein, S., & Naglieri, J. A. (2009). Practitioner's guide to assessing intelligence and achievement. Hoboken, New Jersey: John Wiley and Sons Inc. Retrieved from http://books.google.com/books?id=

kGBsTZPlPDcC&pg=PT908&lpg=PT908&ots=tqs2b3Wz0l&dq=validity

Goldstein, S., & Naglieri, J. A. (2009). Practitioner's guide to assessing intelligence and achievement. Hoboken, New Jersey: John Wiley and Sons Inc. Retrieved from http://books.google.com/books?id=

kGBsTZPlPDcC&pg=PT908&lpg=PT908&ots=tqs2b3Wz0l&dq=validity

Wilkinson, Gary S., & Robertson, Gary J. (2006). WRAT4 Wide Range Achievement Test Professional Manual. Lutz, FL: Psychological Assessment Resources, Inc.

Snelbaker, A., Wilkinson, G., Robertson, G., & Glutting, J. (2001). Wide Range Achievement Test 3 (WRAT 3). Understanding psychological assessment (pp. 259-274). Dordrecht Netherlands: Kluwer Academic Publishers.

Smith, T., & Smith, B. (1998, December). Relationship between the Wide Range Achievement Test 3 and the Wechsler Individual Achievement Test. Psychological Reports, 83(31), 963-967.

Harmer, William R., & Williams, Fern (1978). The Wide Range Achievement Test and the Peabody Individual Achievement Test: A Comparative Study. Houston, TX: International Reading Association.