Current through all regulations passed and filed through September 16, 2024
(A)
General use of assessment and testing instruments:
(1) Appraisal techniques:
The
primary purpose of educational and psychological assessment is to provide
measures that are objective and interpretable in either comparative or absolute
terms. licensees and
registrants shall interpret the statements in this rule as applying to
the whole range of appraisal techniques, including test and non-test
data.
(2) Client welfare:
Licensees and registrants
shall promote the welfare and best interests of the client in the development,
publication, and utilization of educational and psychological assessment
results and interpretations and take reasonable steps to prevent others from
misusing the information these techniques provide. They shall respect the
client's rights to know the results, of the interpretations made, and the bases
for their conclusions and recommendations.
(B) Competence to use and interpret
assessment and testing instruments:
(1) Limits
of competence: Licensees and
registrants shall recognize the limits of their competence and perform
only those testing and assessment services for which they have training. They
shall be familiar with reliability, validity, related standardization, error of
measurement, and proper application of any technique utilized.
licensees and registrants
using computer-based test interpretations shall be trained in the construct
being measured and the specific instrument being used prior to using this type
of computer application. licensees
and registrants shall take reasonable measures to ensure the proper use
of psychological assessment techniques by persons under their
supervision.
(2) Appropriate use:
Licensees and registrants are
responsible for the appropriate selection, application, scoring,
interpretation, and use of assessment instruments, whether they score and
interpret such tests themselves or use computerized or other
services.
(3) Decisions based on
results: Licensees and
registrants responsible for decisions involving individuals or policies
that are based on assessment results shall have a thorough understanding of
educational and psychological measurement, including validation criteria, test
research, and guidelines for test development and use.
(4) Accurate information:
Licensees and registrants
shall provide accurate information and shall not make false claims when making
statements about assessment instruments or techniques.
licensees and registrants
shall seek to identify and correct client misconceptions about assessment
instruments or techniques and about the meaning of scores, charts, or graphs
given to them as assessment product. Special efforts shall be made to avoid
unwarranted connotations of such terms as "IQ" and grade equivalent
scores.
(C) Informed
consent in the use of assessment and testing instruments:
(1) Explanation to clients: Prior to
assessment, licensees and
registrants shall explain the nature and purposes of assessment and the
specific use of results in language the client (or other legally authorized
person on behalf of the client) can understand, unless an explicit exception to
this right has been agreed upon in advance. Regardless of whether scoring and
interpretation are completed by counselors, social workers, marriage and family
therapists, by assistants, or by computer or other outside services,
licensees and registrants
shall take reasonable steps to ensure that appropriate explanations are given
to the client.
(2) Recipients of
results: The examinee's welfare, explicit understanding, and prior agreement
shall determine the recipients of test results. Licensees and registrants
shall include accurate and appropriate interpretations with any release of
individual or group test results.
(D) Release of information to competent
professionals of assessment and testing instrument results:
(1) Misuse of results:
Licensees and registrants
shall not misuse assessment results, including test results, and
interpretations, and take reasonable steps to prevent the misuse of such by
others.
(2) Release of raw data:
Licensees and registrants
shall ordinarily release data (e.g. protocols, counseling or interview notes,
or questionnaires) in which the client is identified only with the consent of
the client or the client's legal representative. Such data shall usually be
released only to persons recognized by licensees and registrants as competent to interpret
the data.
(E) Proper
diagnosis of mental disorders with the use of assessment and testing
instruments:
(1) Proper diagnosis:
Licensees and registrants,
shall take special care to provide accurate diagnosis of mental disorders.
Assessment techniques (including personal interview) used to determine client
care (e.g., locus of treatment, type of treatment or recommended follow-up)
shall be carefully selected and appropriately used.
(2) Cultural sensitivity:
Licensees and registrants,
shall recognize that culture affects the manner in which client's problems are
defined. Clients' socioeconomic and cultural experience shall be considered
when diagnosing mental disorders.
(F) Test selection in the use and
interpretation of assessment and testing instruments:
(1) Appropriateness of instruments:
Licensees and registrants
shall carefully consider the validity, reliability, psychometric limitations
and appropriateness of instruments when selecting tests for use in a given
situation or with a particular client.
(2) Culturally diverse populations:
Licensees and registrants
recognize that the psychometric characteristics of a test (e.g., reliability,
validity) are a function of the cultural composition of the population in which
they were evaluated, validated, or normed. Licensees shall exercise due
diligence in selecting tests to be used within a culturally diverse population
in order to minimize the risk of inappropriate interpretation of test
scores.
(G) Conditions
of test administration when using assessment and testing instruments:
(1) Administration conditions:
Licensees and registrants
shall administer tests under the same conditions that were established in their
standardization. When tests are not administered under standard conditions or
when unusual behavior or irregularities occur during the testing session, those
conditions shall be noted in interpretation, and the results may be designated
as invalid or of questionable validity.
(2) Computer administration:
Licensees and registrants
shall be responsible for ensuring that assessment administration programs
function properly to provide clients with accurate results when a computer or
other electronic methods are used for test administration.
(3) Unsupervised test-taking:
Licensees and registrants
shall not permit unsupervised or inadequately supervised use of tests or
assessments unless the tests or assessments are designed, intended, and
validated for self administration and/or scoring.
(4) Disclosure of favorable conditions:
Prior
to test administration, conditions that produce most favorable test results
shall be made known to the examinee.
(H) Diversity when using assessment and
testing instruments: Licensees and
registrants shall be cautious in using assessment techniques, making
evaluations, and interpreting the performance of populations not represented in
the norm group on which an instrument was standardized. They shall recognize
the effects of age, culture, disability, ethnic group, gender, race, religion,
sexual orientation and socioeconomic status on test administration and
interpretation and place test results in proper perspective with these and
other relevant factors.
(I) Test
scoring and interpretation when using assessment and testing instruments:
(1) Reporting reservations: In reporting
assessment results, Licensees and
registrants, shall indicate any reservations that exist regarding
validity or reliability because of the circumstances of the assessment or the
inappropriateness of the norms for the person tested.
(2) Research instruments:
Licensees and registrants
shall exercise caution when interpreting the results of research instruments
possessing insufficient technical data to support respondent results. The
specific purposes for the use of such instruments shall be stated explicitly to
the examinee.
(3) Testing services:
Licensees and registrants who
provide test scoring and test interpretation services to support the assessment
process shall confirm the validity of such interpretations. They shall
accurately describe the purpose, norms, validity, reliability, and applications
of the procedures and any special qualifications applicable to their use. The
public offering of an automated test interpretations service is considered a
professional-to- professional consultation. The formal responsibility of the
consultant is to the consultee, but the ultimate and overriding responsibility
of the counselor, marriage and family therapist, or social worker is to the
client.
(J) Test
security when using assessment and testing instruments:
Licensees and registrants
shall maintain the integrity and security of tests and other assessment
techniques consistent with legal and contractual obligations.
licensees and registrants
shall not appropriate, reproduce, or modify published tests or parts thereof
without acknowledgment and permission from the publisher.
(K) Obsolete tests and outdated test results
when using assessment and testing instruments: Licensees and registrants
shall not use data or test results that are obsolete or outdated for the
current purpose. licensees and
registrants shall make every effort to prevent the misuse of obsolete
measures and test data by others.
(L) Test construction for assessment and
testing instruments: Licensees and
registrants shall use established scientific procedures, relevant
standards, and current professional knowledge for test design in the
development, publication, and utilization of educational and psychological
assessment techniques.
