COMPARISON OF ASSESSMENT TOOL CONSTRUCTS

Comparison of Assessment Tool Constructs



Comparison of Assessment Tool Constructs

Introduction

The child welfare agencies of various kinds are being increasingly encouraged and also required to screen for mental health concerns of all children. The CWLA (Child welfare league of America) asserts the fact that there is a need for a comprehensive and standardized best practice assessment and a screening protocol, which should be used by all systems to identify the children which are at a risk and also to accurately be able to asses there mental health and the abuse or use of substance needs, which will than ensure an appropriate and consistent approach across a multiple systems, so it could result in better family and child outcomes.

Unfortunately currently there is no mental health screening tool which is considered to be as much outstanding and successful for the use with children who are with the child welfare services. In this present report we talk about two kinds of assessment tools, mainly BASC 2 (Behavior assessment system for children and ASEBA (Achenbach System of Empirically Based Assessments). Both the tools are compared on the basis of key test measurement concepts of validity and reliability, interpretation of results which were based on the procedures that includes different scales of measurements and on standard statistical methods, shapes and types of distribution, and the related correlation as it applies to each of the assessment tool. This report will also provide recommendation in the after a detailed contrast about which assessment tool is a better instrument in relation with each other.

Discussion

Behavior assessment system for children (BASC 2)

BASC 2 is basically a 2004 revision of the original Behavior assessment system for children which was published in 1992, and it is claimed to be a multidimensional and multi method system which is intended to assess the self perception rating and the observable behavior of an individual of age from 2 to 25. The basic information is analyzed and gathered from the various perspectives of a child, parent and teacher. There are five components associated with the assessment measure which can be either used separately or in a combination. The components are SOS (student observation system), SDH (Structured development history), SRP (self report of personality), PRS (parent rating scale), and TRS (teacher rating scale).

The PRS and TRS are both used in order to obtain various descriptive information regarding a child's behavior within the home and the school environment. There are basically three versions to the PRS and the TRS including, Preschool, child and adolescent (Salvia & Ysseldyke, 2004).

Reliability and Validity of the tool

The BASC 2 self reports and rating scales both have clinical and general norms samples. Separate sex and combined sex norms are provided for each of the norm sample, and the sample of standardization is closely matched to the United States census data with regards to the special or clinical education classification, ethnicity and race, and gender. In order to enhance the efficiency of the instrument even further, certain constructs are also ...