# Answer vital questions about # your students’ language and # literacy skills # with TILLS *Does my student have a* *language/literacy disorder?* *What are my student’s* *strengths and weaknesses?* *How is my student* *progressing?* ## Learn how... --- # TEST OF INTEGRATED LANGUAGE & LITERACY SKILLS™ (TILLS™) is the # reliable, valid assessment professionals need to test oral and written language # skills in students ages 6—18 years. --- # Designed & standardized for 3 purposes, TILLS: ### Identifies language and literacy disorders ### Documents patterns of relative strengths and ### weaknesses Tracks changes in language ### and literacy skills over time ***Best of all, TILLS puts your data in an easy-to-understand format*** that's ready to share with colleagues and parents. #### Here’s how... --- # Does my student have a language or literacy disorder? --- ### IDENTIFY DOCUMENT TRACK # To answer this question, complete the Identification Chart on page 39 ## of the Examiner Record Form. ## It's simple—just follow the instructions on the next few slides. --- First, you'll need to administer the TILLS subtests that effectively identify language and literacy disorders in children your student's age. The chart below lists these subtests in the Identification Core column. | Age range(years) | Identification Core | Sensitivity | Specificity | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 16;0-7;11 | Vocabulary Awareness Phonemic Awareness Nonword Repetition | 84 | 84 | | 18;0-11;11 | Vocabulary Awareness Nonword Spelling Nonword Reading Written Expression-Discourse Score | 88 | 85 | | 12;0-18;11 | Phonemic Awareness Nonword Spelling Reading Comprehension Reading Fluency Written Expression-Word Score | 86 | 90 | TILLS subtests that support diagnosis of language and literacy disorders at different ages --- ### IDENTIFY DOCUMENT TRACK # When you're done administering the subtests, add together your ## student’s Standard Scores for each subtest that is part of the Identification ## Core for his or her age to get the Sum of Identification Core Standard ## Scores. Then you'll enter that number into the Identification Chart. --- ### IDENTIFY DOCUMENT TRACK # The last thing you'll do is compare the Sum of Identification Core ## Standard Scores to the age-appropriate Cut Score. If it’s less than the ## Cut Score, then your student’s score is consistent with the presence of a language/literacy disorder. --- # What are my student’s strengths and weaknesses? --- ### IDENTIFY DOCUMENT TRACK # The TILLS Profile Chart gives you a complete picture of your student’s ## strengths and weaknesses across oral and written language skills. On the ## next few slides, you'll learn how to create a TILLS profile. --- IDENTIFY DOCUMENT TRACK # Your first steps to creating a TILLS profile are: ## administer all 15 of the TILLS subtests ## calculate the raw score for each subtest and enter it in ## the Scoring Chart ## look up the corresponding standard score for the student's ## age in the Examiner's Manual Appendix ## record the standard scores on page 1 of the Examiner Record ## Form --- IDENTIFY DOCUMENT TRACK # Then, transfer the standard score for each subtest to the Profile Chart on ## page 40 of the Examiner Record Form. Be sure to notice that the order changes. --- ### IDENTIFY DOCUMENT TRACK # Next, mark an X over the corresponding score in each column and draw a ## vertical line for each subtest to connect the score to the mean. This gives ## you an at-a-glance picture of your student's current areas of strengths and weakness. --- ### IDENTIFY DOCUMENT TRACK # The gray area in the figure indicates 1 standard deviation (SD) above the ## mean and 1 below. This allows you to quickly see when your student's ## performance is more than 1 SD below the mean. --- ### IDENTIFY DOCUMENT TRACK # Sometimes, a student’s true ability may be slightly higher or lower than ## the actual score received on the day of testing. That's why TILLS lets you determine the Confidence Intervals around the actual scores to estimate the range in which your student's true ability falls. ## To do this, you’ll use the Confidence Intervals table on page 40 of the ## Examiner Record Form. The next few slides show you how. --- IDENTIFY DOCUMENT TRACK # First, you’ll enter the Subtest Standard Scores and the Composite Standard ## Scores into the appropriate cells in the Confidence Intervals tables. --- ### IDENTIFY DOCUMENT TRACK # Then, decide whether to use the 68% or 90% Confidence Interval and look ## up the corresponding Confidence Interval values in the Appendix of the ## Examiner’s Manual. Add and subtract these values from each of the standard ## scores and enter the sums in the appropriate upper and lower CI boxes. ## For the example below, we use a 68% Confidence Interval. --- ### IDENTIFY DOCUMENT TRACK # Finally, in the Profile Chart, draw short horizontal lines above and below ## the X that represent the upper and lower CI values. These bands allow you ## to see at-a-glance the range in which your student's true ability falls. --- # How is my student progressing over time? --- IDENTIFY DOCUMENT TRACK # TILLS makes it easy for you to track your student's progress. ## After a minimum of 6 months, you can readminister the entire TILLS or just ## selected subtests to see how your student's skills are improving. ## On the next few slides, ## you'll learn how easy it ## is to use the Tracking ## Chart. --- ### IDENTIFY DOCUMENT TRACK # After you readminister TILLS, the first thing you do is enter the ## standard scores for both your first and second test times. You'll write these ## in the appropriate column for each subtest you administer. --- ### IDENTIFY DOCUMENT TRACK # Next, you'll subtract your student's standard scores earned at Time 1 from ## scores earned at Time 2 and record the difference. Then, compare the ## absolute values of the difference to the True Change Interval values. *(The True Change Interval values printed in the chart are for the 68% confidence interval; to use a 90% confidence interval, look up* *these values in the Appendix of the Examiner’s Manual.)* --- ### IDENTIFY DOCUMENT TRACK # Finally, if the absolute value of the difference for a subtest is larger than ## the True Change Interval, enter “yes” (Y) under Change Decision. If not, enter “no” (N). If yes, add a sign (+ or -) to indicate whether the difference is ## positive or negative or draw an arrow to indicate the direction of change. --- # With TILLS, you'll have an accurate, ### highly reliable way to identify language and literacy disorders in your ### students, document strengths and weaknesses, and track their progress ### over time. --- ## To learn more about TILLS and get a free sampler, visit www.brookespublishing.com/tills today!