Occupational and Vocational Assessment Options in Transition Planning

Occupational and Vocational Assessment Options in Transition Planning

• Gary M. Clark, Ed.D.

• Department of Special Education

• University of Kansas

• Lawrence, KS 66045

• [e-mail]

What do we need to know for vocational planning?

• Student’s personal interests and preferences

• Family preferences for student

• Self-determination knowledge and skills

• Employability skills

• Vocational skills

Assessing Personal Interests and Preferences

• Student interests and preferences

• Family preferences

Examples of Occupational Interest Scales

• Ashland Interest Assessment

• Career Assessment Inventory

• Career Directions Inventory

• Interest Determination Exploration and Assessment System (IDEAS)

• Occupational Interest Schedule (OASIS-3)

• Self Directed Search

• Your Employment Selection (YES)

Informal Assessment of Occupational Interests and Preferences

• Interviews

• Surveys

• Checklists

Structured Interviews

• A structured interview is an informal assessment technique, but it has structure to it.

• An interview protocol is used to stay focused on the area of information desired, but probes or questions asking for clarification or examples are permitted.

Examples of Structured Interview Questions

• What is your best subject in school? Why do you think that is your best subject?

• What is your best area of strength outside of school? Why are you good at that?

• What did you want to be when you were in elementary school? What do you want to be when you are an adult?

Strategies for a Structured Interview

• Make the purpose of the interview clear and assure the interviewee that opinion questions have no right or wrong answers, but factual questions do.

• Provide the person a copy of the questions before the interview, if possible, especially if some questions require recall of specific facts or events.

Strategies for a Structured Interview, cont’d.

• Come prepared with a set of questions on a form or some notes for targeting questions.

• Be flexible. Follow up on specific questions, getting clarification as needed; return to list of questions.

• Conduct interviews in person, if possible.

Strategies for a Structured Interview, cont’d.

• Write down enough information during the interview so you can remember the person’s responses. Complete notes later. Use tape recorder only with permission.

• Avoid leading the person to answer a certain way or inserting personal biases.

• Allow sufficient response time to permit person to respond fully.

Surveys

• Surveys are forms that have written questions, multiple-choice responses, checklists, or ratings designed to get information related to facts, opinions, preferences, interests, or values .

Surveys

• Advantages:

• Provides respondent more time to think about answers

• Provides a written record of the questions and answers

• May be amended at any time by the respondent

• Multiple content areas may be assessed

Surveys

• Disadvantages:

• Requires reading and writing, a problem for non-readers and limited English-speaking persons

• Depends upon respondents’ willingness to be honest in responses

Checklists

• Advantages:

• Permit assessment of a variety of behaviors

• Permit quick responses

• Eliminate students’ need to write

Checklists

• Disadvantages:

• Requires reading

• Many responses are not easily answered with Yes/No or a simple check that the behavior/trait applies most of the time

• No chance to immediately probe answers

• Problems in reliability

Assessing Self-Determination Knowledge and Skills

Examples of Self-Determination Scales

• Arc Self-Determination Scale

• Responsibility and Independence Scale for Adolescents

Informal Assessment of Self-Determination Knowledge and Skills

• Observation notes

• Rating scales

• Checklists

Strategies for Developing Behavioral Occupational Observation Notes

• Behaviors observed must be actions, not inferred moods, intent, or emotional states.

• Behaviors noted should, when possible, refer to frequency, duration, or intensity.

• Behaviors should be precise descriptions of actions or behavior.

Strategies for Developing Behavioral Occupational Observation Notes

• When observations are planned, decide when and where the observation(s) will take place, how many observations will be done, and who will act as observer(s).

• Select a note recording system (e.g., audio or video recording, desk or hand-held computer notes, handwritten notes).

Rating Scales

• Advantages:

• May provide assessment ratings for a variety of employability behaviors in a variety of settings

• May provide a one-time rating or provide a serial rating to show possible change in employability behavior(s)

• Employability or vocational behaviors may be selected as appropriate for any one individual or for a group of individuals

Rating Scales

• Advantages, cont’d.:

• Removes student from a testing, interview, or paper/pencil format

• Permits linking assessment to natural settings

Rating Scales

• Disadvantages:

• Tendency to have validity problems

• Reliability may be affected by leniency, “halo” effect, cultural bias, rater mood, or recent events.

• Difficult to develop quality rating scales (item wording and scaling)

Assessing Employability and Vocational Competence

Examples of Standardized Vocational Aptitude Scales

• Ability Explorer

• APTICOM

• Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery

• Career Ability Placement Survey

• Differential Aptitude Tests

• Occupational Aptitude Survey (OASIS-3)

Examples of Standardized Employability Scales

• Short Employment Tests

• Wonderlic Basic Skills Test

• Work Adjustment Scale

Examples of Mixed Non-standardized Occupational/Employability Assessments

• Practical Assessment Exploration System (PAES)

• Vocational Interest Temperament and Aptitude System (VITAS)

• Environmental Job Assessment Measure (E-JAM)

• LCCE Competency Assessment Performance Batteries

• Workplace Educational Skills Analysis

Examples of Non-standardized Employability Scales

• BRIGANCE® Employability Skills Inventory

• Transition-to-Work Inventory

• Vocational Adaptation Rating Scales

Informal Assessment of Vocational and Employability Skills

• Situational assessment

• Observation notes

• Rating scales

• Checklists

Employability and Vocational Situational Assessment

• Advantages:

• Permits data collection on a variety of behaviors

• Is highly authentic assessment

• Permits assessment to occur in the context of learning, working, social or leisure environments

Employability and Vocational Situational Assessment

• Advantages, cont’d.:

• Is more motivating for students than tests, surveys, interviews, etc.

• May be ongoing for a period of time and increases reliability of assessment data

Employability and Vocational Situational Assessment

• Disadvantages:

• Difficult to assess some behaviors because of a lack of control over the situational environment

• Observers/raters/evaluators cannot be in the situation at all times

• Observers/raters/evaluators in the situation might change the situation by being there

Employability and Vocational Situational Assessment

• Disadvantages, cont’d.:

• Is time-consuming for student and assessment personnel

• Requires coordination with a variety of persons/settings for it to work

• Requires high degree of planning and monitoring

General Transition Assessment Instruments that Include Vocational/Occupational Assessment

• Enderle-Severson Transition Rating

• Scales

• LCCE Competency Assessment Knowledge Batteries

• Transition Skills Inventory (TSI)

• Transition Behavior Scale (2/e) (TBS)

• Transition Planning Inventory (TPI-UV)