The Oral and Written Language Scales–Second Edition (OWLS-2) offers an integrated, global approach to oral and written language assessment. It identifies oral and written language problems in individuals ages 3-21 years (Listening Comprehension and Oral Expression scales) and 5-21 years (Reading Comprehension and Written Expression scales)
Ages: 3 through 21 years for Listening Comprehension and Oral Expression Skills; 5 to 21 for Reading Comprehension and Written Expression Scales Administration Time: 10 to 20 minutes for LC Scale, 10 to 30 minutes for OE Scale, 10 to 30 minutes for RC Scale, 15 to 30 minutes for WE Scale Qualification Level: B Author: Elizabeth Carrow-Woolfolk, Ph.D
Building on the strong theory and research underpinning the original OWLS, the Second Edition of this highly regarded test offers an integrated, global approach to language assessment. The OWLS-II adds a Reading Comprehension Scale, updated norms, new items, a parallel form, improved scoring guidelines, and full-color stimulus materials. Moreover, a helpful new handbook, Foundations of Language Assessment, explains the theory upon which the OWLS-II is based, making it easier to understand the test and interpret results.
Measuring four language processes--separately and in relation to one another--this Second Edition gives you the most complete, accurate, and useful picture of language skills currently available. More Than the Sum of its Parts The OWLS-II evaluates four language processes on four separate scales: Listening Comprehension, Oral Expression, Reading Comprehension, and Written Expression. Each of these scales assesses four linguistic structures:
Lexical/Semantics
Syntax
Pragmatics
Supralinguistics
Because it looks at the same linguistic structures across four distinct language processes, the OWLS-II provides an unusually detailed, coherent, and integrated assessment. Although its four scales can be used separately, together they give you a comprehensive score profile that pinpoints language delays, identifies strengths and weaknesses in all areas, and guides intervention.
Listening Comprehension and Oral Expression Scales Together these two scales assess receptive and expressive language in 3- through 21-year-olds. Individually administered, both use basals and ceilings to insure that examinees are given only items that closely approximate their ability levels. Neither scale requires reading on the examinee's part, and both scales feature colorful, updated artwork that's balanced in terms of race, gender, and physical differences.
The Listening Comprehension Scale uses a convenient easel to measure receptive language. The examiner reads a stimulus word aloud, and the student responds by indicating one of four pictures that best depicts the meaning of the word. Correct responses are printed on the examiner's side of the easel and on the Record Form--permitting easy, on-the-spot scoring. Administration time is just 10 to 20 minutes.
The Oral Expression Scale, with its own handy easel, measures expressive language, requiring the examinee to answer questions, finish sentences, and generate sentences in response to visual and oral prompts. To simplify scoring, common responses (correct and incorrect) are printed on the Record Form. In addition, alternate acceptable responses are now provided to accommodate students who speak African-American English or similar dialect. It takes just 10 to 30 minutes to administer this scale.
Reading Comprehension and Written Expression Scales The OWLS-II assesses written language on two scales, Reading Comprehension and Written Expression, both for ages 5 to 21.
New to the Second Edition, the Reading Comprehension Scale measures the receptive aspects of written language. Because it is based on the same theory and structure as the other OWLS-II scales, it is uniquely effective in identifying language factors that may be impairing or facilitating reading comprehension. Items typically require the student to read a prompt and choose one of four response options. Again, correct responses are conveniently listed on the Record Form and the examiner's side of the easel. Administration time is 10 to 30 minutes.
The Written Expression Scale, which measures the expressive aspects of written language, has been significantly improved in the OWLS-II. Item additions and revisions enhance the scale's validity and scope, as well as its ability to elicit a variety of responses and assess higher-functioning individuals. In addition, scoring guidelines are now more explicit.
This scale uses age-based item sets, rather than basals and ceilings, to insure that only developmentally appropriate items are administered. Each set includes 14 to 18 items that involve writing tasks similar to those students might encounter in the classroom. Some tasks are open-ended, asking the examinee to complete a story or interpret a statement, for example. Others are structured, requiring the student to copy words or write a dictated sentence. Together, these writing tasks measure the four linguistic structures assessed by the other OWLS-II scales, as well as conventions (spelling, punctuation/capitalization, letter formation) and text structure (organization, details, cohesion).
The examiner presents oral, written, and pictorial prompts, and examinees write their answers in a Response Booklet, a process that typically requires 15 to 30 minutes. The Record Form provides brief scoring rules for easy reference, and the Manual supplies detailed guidelines and examples. Descriptive analysis tables and worksheets help you generate a qualitative summary of student writing, with strengths and weaknesses noted.
A New Parallel Form The Second Edition introduces a parallel form that allows you to retest students on all scales after a brief interval. Form B, which can be used with examinees ages 5 and up, makes it easier to monitor language development over time.
Scores in Several Useful Formats All four scales provide age- and grade-based standard scores, test-age equivalents, percentile ranks, and descriptive labels (Exceptional, Above Average, Average, Below Average, or Possibly Disordered). Scale scores can be combined to produce five Composites: Oral Language, Written Language, Receptive Processing, Expressive Processing, and Overall Language Processing.
The OWLS-II Profile Form--included in Comprehensive Kits and available as a free download--gives you a clear, graphic representation of the examinee's performance in each area. In addition, the form notes the linguistic structure measured by each item. You can quickly compare the student's ability across scales, linguistic categories, and even items.
All OWLS-II scales are normed on the same sample of 2,123 subjects, from 3 through 21 years of age and nationally representative in terms of gender, ethnicity, geographic region, and parental education. Age-stratified norms are provided at 3-month intervals for ages 3 to 7, at 6-month intervals for ages 8 to 12, at 1-year intervals for ages 13 to 15, and at multi-year intervals for ages 16 and up.
Optional Computer Scoring and Interpretation The OWLS-II offers a time-saving scoring program that gives you:
Raw score to scale score conversions
All composite scores
Graphic score profiles
High-level item analysis
Scale score comparisons
Helpful narrative interpretations
The OWLS-II scoring program offers an extremely useful summary of test results.
Clinical, School, and Research Applications Because its four scales measure a variety of oral and written language structures, cover a wide age range, and are co-normed, the OWLS-II is highly useful in clinical, school, and research settings. Speech-language pathologists, school psychologists, educational diagnosticians, and other professionals can use the OWLS-II for the following purposes:
Identification Co-normed scales help to identify students with learning disabilities, language disorders, and other related difficulties in accordance with IDEA requirements.
Intervention Because it focuses on language tasks similar to those encountered in school, an OWLS-II assessment can be the first step in addressing potential academic difficulties.
Progress Monitoring With a new alternate form that permits retesting after short intervals, the OWLS-II can provide a continuous record of growth.
Research Given its wide age range, the OWLS-II lets you gather longitudinal data using the same test content. In addition, its co-normed scales permit comparative studies of various language impairments.
Comprehensive, easy to administer, linked to classroom instruction, and rooted in an integrated theory of language, the OWLS-II provides the information you need to identify and remediate oral and written language problems.
COMPREHENSIVE HAND-SCORED KIT includes: LC/OE Kit and RC/WE Kit, with a single copy of Foundations of Language Assessment and 10 Profile Forms.
LC/OE Hand-Scored Kit (Form A) includes: 10 LC/OE Record Forms, LC Easel, OE Easel, LC/OE Manual, and Foundations of Language Assessment in an attractive carrying case.
LC/OE Hand-Scored Kit (Form B) includes: 10 LC/OE Record Forms, LC Easel and OE Easel for Form B.
RC/WE Hand Scored Kit (Form A) includes: RC Easel, WE Easel, RC/WE Manual, 10 RC/WE Record Forms, 10 WE Response Booklets, Foundations of Language Assessment in a carrying case.
RC/WE Hand Scored Kit (Form B) includes: 10 RC/WE Record Forms (Form B), 10 WE Response Booklet (Form B), RC Easel (Form B), and WE Easel (Form B).
