The purpose of this project was to determine the state of assessment literacy training mental health professionals are provided and to develop an outline of a workshop for assessment literacy professional development. A literature review was conducted that found little written about the needs for assessment literacy in mental health professionals. A workshop outline was developed that addressed the unique nature of assessments for mental health versus academic assessments (where most assessment literacy papers are based). The developed training workshop covers essential knowledge about assessments including the definitions, purpose of mental health and psychological testing, how to assess students, types of assessment measures, data analysis, reporting, practical concerns, and ethical considerations. Additionally, the workshop includes a hands-on application to assess participant learning.

Project Team

Dr. Jonathan Templin, Professor of Educational Measurement and Statistics, University of Iowa

Farhan Niazi, Graduate Assistant, PhD student in Educational Measurement and Statistics Program