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Comprehensive Assessment Tools and Resources for Those Working with Students from PreK Through College
Whether you are assessing for a learning disability, compiling the right interventions for a student with emotional disturbance, trying to get your student qualified for special education, guiding a gifted teen, or helping a college-age student find the right major, our tailored and effective solutions are designed to support you.
Our comprehensive suite of psychological assessments and resources will provide the efficiency and effectiveness required in working with today’s student populations.
Maximize Your Impact In Education
Our solutions enhance student success, offer customizable assessment tools, and provide training for school psychologists and other education-based mental health professionals.
Improve Student Outcomes
Our PAR product solutions facilitate interventions, empowering you to make informed decisions and get your students the support they need.
Customized Assessment Batteries
We can develop a comprehensive suite of assessment instruments that will meet the needs of your particular school or institution.
Free Product Training On-Demand
We offer no-cost training on many of our instruments, which can be accessed by individuals, or seamlessly integrated into district-wide initiatives.
Educational Specialties Supported by PAR
We understand that your time is valuable, and your resources are limited. PAR is here to help you extend your reach and make a difference within the constraints of the educational organization you work in.
School Psychologist (K-12)
Facing a new mandate to test for dyslexia? Starting a gifted program? Has a traumatic event impacted your students? Whatever challenges you’re facing, we can support you. PAR has many tools that can help you screen and measure your students for various learning and mental health challenges.
Receive benefits and support resources such as:
- Time and Cost Savings: PAR's digital assessment tools streamline administration, scoring, and reporting, saving you time and costs, and allowing you more time to focus on students.
- Automated Online Administration and Scoring: Use PARiConnect, our online assessment platform, for efficient administration and scoring of mental health assessment tools.
- BRIEF2 Executive Functioning Measure: Evaluate students during initial assessment, monitor executive functioning over time, and develop personalized interventions.
- Comprehensive Training: Access free training on a variety of our assessment products via PAR Training.
- Continuing Education: Participate in free live PARtalks webinars that earn you CE credit, keeping you up to date with the latest practices.
By integrating PAR's solutions, you can focus more on students and less on administrative tasks.
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Special Education Directors
Working through the process to get your students with special needs the best educational support and services is your daily challenge. Integrating PAR assessments into your special ed program will provide important data to lay the foundation for IEPs. Our scientifically valid assessments can be an important part of supporting students across your entire district.
Let PAR assessments help you overcome some of your challenges:
- Time and Cost Savings: PAR's digital assessment tools streamline administration, scoring, and reporting, helping you stretch your budget, and allowing you to focus on getting students the help they need. Ask about our subscription and discount volume programs.
- Automated Online Administration and Scoring: PARiConnect, our online assessment platform, allows for efficient administration and scoring of mental health assessment tools.
- BRIEF2 Executive Functioning Measure: Evaluate students during initial assessment, monitor executive functioning over time, and develop personalized interventions.
- FAR/FAW/FAM Family of Assessments: Use this trio of assessments as part of psychoeducation evaluations for the purpose of identifying a learning disability. If you work within an MTSS/RTI system, rely on the results to monitor progress for a specific skill or to help formulate interventions using comprehensive Interpretive Reports.
- Comprehensive Training: Access free training on a variety of our assessment products via PAR Training.
- Continuing Education: Participate in free live PARtalks webinars that earn you CE credit, keeping you up to date with the latest practices.
Did you know that when you call our Customer Support team you never get routed through a phone tree? Speak to a live person within seconds of calling us!
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School District Administrators
With tight budgets, staffing constraints and the growing number of students needing support services, look to the leader in scientifically valid assessment tools to obtain insight that will make a difference in determining what interventions students need to be successful.
Implement PAR assessment instruments into your district and receive these benefits:
- Time and Cost Savings: PAR's digital assessment tools streamline administration, scoring, and reporting, saving you time and costs, and allowing your team to focus on students. Ask about our subscription plans and volume discounts.
- Automated Online Administration and Scoring: PARiConnect, our online assessment platform, is the most reliable in the industry and offers efficient administration and scoring of mental health assessment tools.
- BRIEF2 Executive Functioning Measure: With the gold standard in EF, your team will gain essential insight during initial assessment, monitor executive functioning over time, and develop personalized interventions.
- Comprehensive Training: Your staff receives free training on a variety of our assessment products via PAR Training.
- Continuing Education: Live PARtalks webinars enable your staff to earn free CE credit, keeping everyone up to date with the latest practices.
Our team of assessment advisors are well-versed in the challenges your school district faces, with many of them having worked in school systems prior to joining PAR. We welcome a conversation on how to integrate PAR assessment tools into your district.
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High School Guidance & Career Counselors
Your high schoolers rely on you to support their efforts in selecting the right major, the right school, and the right career. While you may not have all the answers, PAR offers the Self-Directed Search. The SDS is a tool that allows your students to explore their options and get excited for what their future may hold, all based on their personality.
Here are some features of the SDS:
- The SDS is easily taken online.
- With over 250 questions, it takes a deeper look and provides more insights than other “career tests.”
- Links to over 1,400 jobs in O*NET and offers lists of schools that offer training for specific jobs.
- Students are emailed their customized report that can be saved, sorted, and revisited.
- Group discounts are available.
University First Year Experience (FYE) Leaders
Yours is a vital role in ensuring college freshmen not only acclimate to your university or college but also receive resources to set them up for success. PAR offers many tools that can be administered by most school leaders and easily added into your FYE curriculum.
Here are some ways that we support you:
- Career exploration: Guide students into the right major or career path based on their preferences. A detailed and interactive report provided with the Self-Directed Search (SDS) lets students explore both major and career paths that match their personality.
- Learning disabilities: Assessments can help alert you to possible undiagnosed learning disabilities or ADHD.
Our tools can help you guide students to the right career based on their interests or uncover undiagnosed issues that can negatively impact their path to graduation.
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University Psychology Professors
It’s crucial to educate your students on the realities in the field of psychological assessment and give them a foundation they’ll use again and again in their careers. When they learn about and use valid, reliable, fully standardized instruments, they’ll enter the field with the knowledge they need to provide the highest standard of care to their own patients and conduct reliable, impactful research.
Implement PAR assessments instruments into your curriculum and receive these benefits:
- PAR's University Partnership Program (UPP): A tailored service that offers dedicated assistance to you and your students as they pursue advanced degrees—so you can spend more time investing in your students. Plus, you’ll get a 40% discount on products used for training and up to three free kits to use in your training courses. (Free kits are offered for newly adopted tests.)
- PAR Training: With a free account, access comprehensive training materials for your students—so you don’t need to build a curriculum from scratch. Courses provide in-depth information on administration, the rationale for development, and psychometrics.
- Clinical Training Discount: This program is reserved for internships, clinical practicum, and post-doc programs and usually involves training off-site/outside of the university setting. The trainer must apply to the training program. Once you apply, PAR is pleased to extend a 20% discount on your purchase of PAR products.
Partner with PAR to elevate your curriculum, ensuring precision, compliance, and success in every project.
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Speech-Language Pathologist / Occupational Therapists
As you work with students with possible or diagnosed motoric or speech problems, selecting the best assessments to uncover the root cause of learning issues is important. PAR instruments help you diagnose learning delays, develop interventions for your plans, and assist in monitoring progress.
Rely on PAR solutions and support resources such as:
- FAR/FAW to Assist in Diagnosing Reading and Writing Issues: Use these assessments as part of psychoeducation evaluations. They do more than just identify if a learning disability is present. They examine the underlying reasons for why the student is performing at a particular skill level.
- Time and Cost Savings: PAR's digital assessment tools streamline administration, scoring, and reporting, saving you time and costs, and allowing you to focus on students.
- Automated Online Administration and Scoring: Use PARiConnect, our online assessment platform, for efficient administration and scoring of mental health assessment tools.
- Comprehensive Training: Access free training on a variety of our assessment products via PAR Training.
- Continuing Education: Participate in free live PARtalks webinars that earn you CE credit, keeping you up to date with the latest practices.
Educational Diagnosticians
As an expert in learning disabilities, teaching methods, and academic testing requirements, let PAR be your assessment partner to help you pinpoint learning and behavioral challenges. Our tests help you diagnose learning delays, develop interventions for your plans, and assist in monitoring progress.
Rely on PAR solutions and support resources such as:
- Time and Cost Savings: PAR's digital assessment tools streamline administration, scoring, and reporting, saving you time and money, and allowing you bandwidth to see more students.
- Automated Online Administration and Scoring: Use PARiConnect, our online assessment platform, for efficient administration and scoring of mental health assessment tools. Many of our instruments offer robust interpretive reports with recommendations you can include in your reports.
- BRIEF2 Executive Functioning Measure: Evaluate students during initial assessment, monitor executive functioning over time, and develop personalized interventions.
- Comprehensive Training: Access free training on a variety of our assessment products via PAR Training.
- Continuing Education: Participate in free live PARtalks webinars that earn you CE credit, keeping you up to date with the latest practices.
Top Picks from PAR: Recommended Products Just for You »
Featured Products for Education
BRIEF2
The Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function, Second Edition, is a proven measure of executive functioning across the life span including the BRIEF-P for preschool age students and the BRIEF2A for students transitioning out of high school. Use it as part of your battery with students with suspected self-regulation concerns such as autism, ADHD, and learning disabilities.
RIAS-2
The Reynolds Intellectual Assessment Scales, Second Edition, is a reliable and valid measurement of g including verbal and nonverbal processing speed. Use it as a stand-alone intellectual assessment or as part of a larger battery to help diagnose intellectual or learning disabilities, and as a way to determine educational placement. Administer digitally or on paper.
FAR
The Feifer Assessment of Reading doesn’t just indicate IF a student may have a reading disorder—it goes deeper to tell you WHY the student is struggling—identifying likely dyslexic subtypes. The FAR can measure for dysphonetic dyslexia, surface dyslexia, mixed dyslexia, and reading comprehension deficits, informing decisions about appropriate interventions.
FAM
The Feifer Assessment of Mathematics has advantages over traditional academic tests because you learn WHY the student is where they are, without having to administer multiple tests to find out. The FAM can identify the specific type of dyscalculia, whether it is verbal, procedural, or semantic. Plus, you receive targeted interventions that can be used to build an IEP.
FAW
Is it a cognitive, linguistic, or motoric issue affecting a student's writing skills? Find out with the Feifer Assessment of Writing, a diagnostic achievement test designed to examine the underlying processes that support proficient written language skills. The FAW can identify the possibility of dysgraphia, and determine the specific subtype (graphomotor, executive, and dyslexic).
FACT
The Feifer Assessment of Childhood Trauma is the only instrument measuring how stress and trauma impact academic, behavioral, emotional, and physiological functioning in school-based settings. The FACT provides recommendations to help with IEP and 504 plans. Use to screen children within a multi-tiered system of support (MTSS) delivery model.
EDDT
The Emotional Disturbance Decision Tree makes it easier to determine if your student meets federal criteria to qualify for special education services because it maps directly to IDEA criteria. By assessing from the teacher, parent, and student perspectives, it addresses the broad emotional and behavioral nuances of children who may require special education services for emotional disturbance.
SEARS
The Social Emotional Assets and Resilience Scales is a strengths-based tool that measures social–emotional assets in children and adolescents. Focusing on a child's strengths, it can be used with children and adolescents who exhibit a variety of clinical problems or who are at high risk for developing such problems. Includes separate child, adolescent, parent, and teacher forms.
KLDA
In only 15 minutes, the Kane Learning Difficulties Assessment screens college-age students for weaknesses in key areas, including reading, writing, math, listening, concentration, memory, organization, time management, oral presentation, self-control, pressure, and anxiety. It can be administered by any mental health or academic professional in a group or individual setting.
SDS
The Self-Directed Search is a proven career assessment tool that matches a student's personality to fields of study, education fields of study, and career choices. You can easily give the SDS to your high school or college students online, allowing them to feel confident about preparing for a career that fits them. The SDS then generates a customized report that can be saved, sorted, and revisited.
Download Our Guide on Childhood Trauma:
Insights for School Psychologists
Gain expert knowledge on identifying and treating childhood trauma to enhance your practice.
- Learn more about the rising prevalence—and profound impact—of trauma on children by reading our white paper, Recent Trends in Childhood Trauma.
- More than two thirds of children report at least 1 traumatic event by the age of 16!
PAR Resources
We offer a robust collection of resources for education professionals to learn about our products and support their endeavors.
Assessment Instrument Videos
Our School & Learning video playlist offers insights into some of our most popular tools for students ranging from PreK to college.
Workshops
We offer onsite product-specific training, career development webinars, talent solution workshops, and author presentations.
Spanish Assessment Options
Choose from almost 50 products in non-English languages plus gain access to other language resources.
Unlock Expert Insights & Personalized Support from Our Assessment Team
No matter where you work—for a K-12 school district, a university, or other educational organization—having the right instruments and expertise is crucial for helping students achieve their best. Our team of highly qualified educational professionals brings extensive experience and practical insights to help you navigate complex assessment challenges effectively.
Collaborate with Us!
Let us create the perfect solution for you by customizing a battery to meet your specific needs.
Transforming Education: Trauma-Informed Care in Public Schools
Implementing these practices can increase student achievement and improve classroom dynamics.
Even prior to the onset of the pandemic, there was growing concern among school mental health professionals regarding the significant impact of trauma on students in public schools. Traumatic experiences, such as abuse, neglect, violence, or even community-level traumas like natural disasters, can have long-lasting effects on a child’s cognitive, emotional, and social development.
The prevalence of these experiences among students necessitates a paradigm shift in our approach to education. Trauma-informed care in public schools is emerging as a critical strategy to support the wellbeing and academic success of all students. In this article, we will explore the importance of implementing trauma-informed care in public schools and provide a roadmap for getting started.
Trauma-informed care
Trauma-informed care is an approach that acknowledges the widespread impact of trauma and seeks to create an environment that promotes safety, trust, and empowerment for all individuals. According to the National Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN), a trauma-informed school “recognizes that trauma affects staff, students, families, communities and systems” (NCTSN, 2023). This approach recognizes that many students may have experienced trauma in their lives and aims to create an educational setting that is responsive to their needs.
There are many benefits to incorporating trauma-informed care in public schools, including:
- Increased levels of academic success: Trauma can significantly impact a child’s ability to learn. By addressing trauma, schools can remove barriers to learning and improve academic outcomes.
- Better mental and emotional health: Trauma-informed care supports the mental and emotional wellbeing of students. It can reduce symptoms of anxiety, depression, and behavioral issues.
- Reduced discipline problems: Students who have experienced trauma are more likely to exhibit challenging behaviors. A trauma-informed approach focuses on addressing the underlying causes of these behaviors rather than punitive measures.
- Improved teacher–student relationships: Teachers who understand trauma are better equipped to connect with and support their students, creating a positive learning environment.
- Equipping students with long-term life skills: Implementing trauma-informed care not only benefits students in the short term but also equips them with essential life skills for coping with adversity.
Getting started with trauma-informed care
Implementing a trauma-informed system of care in your school may take time and effort, but the results are well worth it. Here are the steps to get started:
1) Train and educate. The first step in implementing trauma-informed care in public schools is to provide training and education for all staff members. This includes teachers, administrators, counselors, and support staff. Training should cover trauma and its impact on students, how to recognize signs of trauma in students, developing empathy and sensitivity toward students who have experienced trauma, strategies for creating a trauma-informed classroom and school environment, and techniques for deescalating challenging situations.
2) Assess the school environment. Conduct a thorough assessment of the school environment to identify areas that may need adjustment to align with trauma-informed care principles. This assessment should include: Physical space: Ensure that classrooms and common areas are welcoming, safe, and free from triggers that might retraumatize students.
- Policies and procedures: Review and adapt disciplinary policies to be more supportive and less punitive.
- Staff interactions: Encourage staff to model positive behaviors, including empathy, active listening, and respectful communication.
3) Build a supportive team. Form a trauma-informed care team within the school composed of educators, counselors, and support staff. This team will be responsible for developing and implementing trauma-informed policies and practices, providing ongoing training and support to staff, and identifying and supporting students who may need additional assistance.
4) Communicate and collaborate. Establish clear lines of communication and collaboration between teachers, counselors, and administrators. Regular meetings and open channels for sharing information about students’ needs and progress are essential.
5) Implement trauma-informed classroom practices. Teachers play a crucial role in implementing trauma-informed care on a day-to-day basis. Some effective classroom practices include establishing routines and predictable schedules to provide stability, using trauma-sensitive language and communication, offering choices to students when appropriate, and implementing mindfulness and self-regulation techniques.
6) Provide resources. Public schools should ensure that students and families have access to appropriate resources, including mental health services and counseling. Collaborate with community organizations and agencies to expand support options.
7) Evaluate and continuously improve. Regularly assess the effectiveness of trauma-informed care practices in your school. Gather feedback from students, staff, and parents to identify areas for improvement. Trauma-informed care is an ongoing process that requires continuous refinement and adaptation.
Conclusion
Implementing trauma-informed care in public schools is not only a moral imperative but also a practical strategy for improving educational outcomes and fostering the wellbeing of students. By embracing the principles of safety, trustworthiness, choice and collaboration, empowerment, and cultural sensitivity, schools can create environments where all students can thrive, regardless of their past experiences. Starting this journey may require effort and commitment, but the long-term benefits for both students and the entire school community are immeasurable. Trauma-informed care is a pathway to transforming education and ensuring that every student has the opportunity to succeed.
PAR Trauma Assessments
PAR offers a range of trauma assessments to support students who have been affected by trauma and help school psychologists develop interventions for their plans.
References
Essential Elements of Trauma Informed Systems https://www.nctsn.org/trauma-informed-care/trauma-informed-systems/schools/essentialelements
National Child Traumatic Stress Network, Schools Committee. (2017). Creating, supporting, and sustaining trauma-informed schools: A system framework. National Center for Child Traumatic Stress
Berger, T. (2018). An inside look at trauma-informed practices. https://www.edutopia.org/article/inside-look-trauma-informed-practices
Wheeler, L. (2022). A relationship-driven strategy for addressing challenging behavior. https://www.edutopia.org/article/relationship-driven-strategy-addressing-challenging-behavior
A Daily Support System for Students https://www.edutopia.org/video/daily-support-system-students