LECTICAL™ ASSESSMENTS
(You must register and log in to take an assessment.)
Most tests only tell us what a test-taker knows. Our developmental assessments are a major advance over other forms of assessment, because they fulfill three important objectives. They tell us what the test-taker knows; how the test-taker thinks about what s/he knows; and what the test-taker needs to learn next to advance to the next level.
At DTS, we specialize in designing and administering developmental assessments called Lectical™ assessments. Most tests only tell us what a test-taker knows. Lectical assessments are a major advance over other forms of assessment, because they fulfill three important objectives. They tell us:
- what the test-taker knows;
- how the test-taker thinks about what s/he knows; and
- what the test-taker needs to learn next to advance to the next level.
Traditional forms of assessment achieve only the first objective. The second objective can be met with Lectical™ assessments. Achieving the third objective requires research into the pathways and sequences through which skills develop. To this end, we have collected and analyzed literally thousands of clinical interviews and essays, gradually building the knowledge base required to understand how skills develop over time. This research is widely published in peer reviewed journals, books, and on the web. To learn more about it, go to the articles page.
Our developmental assessments are listed in the menu on the right under "Lectical Assessments". Click on a topic for more information.
(The menu on the right also lists a few free assessments. These are not developmental assessments. They are survey-style assessments that are designed to measure dispositions, attitudes, opinions, preferences, or perceptions. If you are interested in measuring any of these things, you may find one of the free assessments useful.)
All of our developmental assessments require test-takers to write 5-7 short essays that explain how they think about a given, topic, scenario, or problem. These essays provide the information we need to determine what the test-taker knows and how s/he thinks about what s/he knows. Some of the assessments also include short surveys in which test-takers rate their level of agreement with selected statements.
A Certified Lectical Analyst determines the lectical level of each essay, then a domain expert analyzes their content. We use the lectical scores, content analyses, and ratings to compile a report.
We score the developmental level of assessments with the Lectical Assessment System (LAS). With this scoring system, which has been extensively evaluated for its reliability and validity, we determine the hierarchical complexity of a performance. You don't need to learn about hierarchical complexity to use our assessments, but you might find it useful to review the resources under the "in plainer English" tab on the articles page.
In the mean time, if you can see how the following statements build on one another, you have an intuitive grasp of the concept.
Do to others as they do to you. |
Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. |
Do unto others as you would have them do unto you if you were in their shoes. |
If you want to explore your developmental intuition further, take the Sort Task Challenge.
Our Certified Lectical Analysts undergo extensive training. To retain their certification they must maintain an agreement rate with a Master Lectical Analyst of 85% within 1/4 of a lectical level (one phase). This is a high agreement rate—the gold standard in developmental assessment. This level of inter-rater agreement means that individuals who take our assessments can be confident that scores awarded to their performances are reliable within the range of 1/4 of a lectical level.
Keep in mind, however, that we can only score performances. A number of factors can contribute to variations in performance. For example, if an individual tries to complete an assessment with a toddler on her lap, after a poor night's sleep, or while sipping a glass of wine, her performance is likely to be compromised. Similarly, if she does not carefully follow the instructions for an assessment, she may not provide adequate responses to questions. This almost always results in a score that is lower than it could be.
To learn more about the relibility and validity of the LAS and our assessments, click here.
We report the results of all of our developmental assessments in a similar format. Each report includes:
- a phase score,
- personal comments about strengths and areas for growth,
- personal recommendations,
- general comments related to the individual's phase of performance, and
- recommendations related to the individual's phase of performance.
There are a few important things we'd like you to think about when you're working with developmental assessments:
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high quality learning—the kind that brings deep understanding—takes time;
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learning progresses in fits and starts, with periods of slow, sometimes frustrating, progress followed by what often seem like leaps to the next level;
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learning in a particular subject area progresses along only a few alternate pathways, some of which are more adequate than others, in that they do a better job supporting successful behaviors and ongoing development, and
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we don't develop at the same rate in all areas of knowledge—especially in adulthood—so, a single score on a developmental assessment does not represent your overall competence.
Select your area of interest from the following list.