During the current COVID-19 pandemic, Nelson is working hard to support practitioners while balancing the need to ensure the integrity and security of our tests. We acknowledge that practitioners may need to resort to unconventional assessment practices during this time, including tele-assessment through a web conferencing platform. Competence in the assessment and consideration of the best interest of the individual being assessed should be the guiding principles when utilizing tele-assessment opportunities. Compliance with legal and ethical standards, as well as governing professional organizations, such as the American Psychological Association (APA) and the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP) should always be at the forefront of any decision making.

In situations where practitioners determine that tele-assessment might be an option, practitioners must preserve the integrity of the test administration within this adapted format. Assessment reports should clearly state that the test was administered in a non-standardized manner, and the reason for which the standardized protocol was altered. Further, practitioners should interpret and report the results of the assessment with this alteration to standardized protocol in mind, especially if the results are to be used for decision making*.
Nelson’s clinical assessments are all designed to be administered individually in person. However, in extenuating circumstances where that is not possible, such as the current pandemic, there are alternative options to collect data on tests within our portfolio. Many tests contain verbally presented stimuli and require only verbal responses from the examinee. Several tests within the WJ IV Tests of Cognitive Abilities, WJ IV Tests of Achievement, WJ IV Tests of Oral Language, WJ IV Tests of Early Cognitive and Academic Development, Woodcock- Muñoz Language Survey III, Batería IV Woodcock-Muñoz Pruebas de habilidades cognitivas, Batería IV Woodcock-Muñoz: Pruebas de aprovechamiento, and many items from the Battelle Developmental Inventory, 2nd Edition require no visual stimuli or manipulatives to be used during administration.

For these tests and items, administration via tele-assessment will have little impact on the administration procedures, although practitioners should always document and report that this non-standardized method of administration was employed.

For tests that require examinees' written responses in the Response Booklet, practitioners and their districts/organizations should take care to assure that the security and integrity of the Response Booklet is maintained, for example, by requiring Response Booklets to be delivered and returned in a sealed, signed envelope and only opened during the test administration session.

For tests and items in which stimuli are presented visually and examinees respond verbally, practitioners must seek guidance from their district or organization on whether tele-assessment is an allowable method for administration during the pandemic. NASP provides guidelines for tele-practice at this link. To assist practitioners who wish to administer Nelson assessments via tele-assessment, Riverside is providing digital versions of the examinee-facing pages of the Test Books for the WJ IV Tests of Cognitive Abilities (Standard Battery) WJ IV Tests of Achievement (Standard Battery, Form A), and WJ IV Tests of Oral Language, as well as the Woodcock-Muñoz Language Survey III Form A and Spanish Form, Batería IV Woodcock-Muñoz: Pruebas de habilidades cognitivas, and Batería IV Woodcock-Muñoz: Pruebas de aprovechamiento. These digital Test Book files are housed on the Resources tab of the wjscore.com platform. These digital Test Book files should be used at your own discretion for tele-assessment, and scores from assessments administered via this mode should be interpreted with extreme caution, as tele-assessment deviates from standardized protocol.

Please reach out to [email protected] should you have additional questions regarding the use of our assessments in a non-standardized manner and/or the impact it may have on your assessment results. Additionally, please review your local laws and regulations regarding tele-assessment, including any changes resulting from a current state of emergency. You should also review relevant national or state guidelines for basic standards of practice and information.

Once again, Nelson is working diligently to help address the needs of our customers and the individuals still in need of assessment during this world-wide crisis. We understand these are difficult times for everyone in the assessment field. However, we are also committed to ensuring the continuing integrity of our clinical assessment products for your future use. Should you be in a situation that demands tele-assessment, we encourage you to exercise extreme caution in the administration and interpretation of that non-standardized procedure. Together, we will make it through this trying period and resume elevating the potential of the individuals we assess.

*Please note that Nelson assessments used and administered in a non-standardized manner continue to be subject to the applicable Terms of Use and Privacy Policies of Nelson Education. Additionally, Nelson Education makes no warranties, express or implied, with respect to assessments administered in a non-standardized manner, including the accuracy and reliability of the results thereof, and disclaims all liability for any loss, damage, or injury of any nature sustained by you or any third party as a result of such adaptation.