Assessment Plan: A Guide to Evaluating for Dyscalculia with the WJ V

Assessment Considerations for Dyscalculia: Using the WJ V

Understanding Dyscalculia

Under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA, 2004), students may be identified with a specific learning disability in mathematics when they show significant difficulties in the processes required for mathematical calculation and/or reasoning. This identification is tied to eligibility for special education services in schools.

In contrast, the DSM-5-TR (APA, 2022) defines dyscalculia as a specific learning disorder in mathematics, diagnosed when an individual’s achievement in number concepts, calculation, or mathematical reasoning is substantially below age expectations and interferes with everyday functioning.

While IDEA focuses on educational classification and service eligibility, the DSM provides clinical diagnostic criteria. Together, they underscore the importance of evaluating both academic performance and cognitive processes when determining whether a student’s math difficulties represent dyscalculia.

Using the WJ V for Dyscalculia Assessment

The Woodcock-Johnson V (WJ V) provides powerful, updated tools for evaluating dyscalculia. Examiners can investigate mathematical skills, quantitative reasoning, and related cognitive functions through carefully selected clusters and tests.

Core Mathematical Achievement (WJ V ACH)

The WJ V ACH includes a broad set of tests and clusters designed to capture the range of math-related abilities. Key measures for identifying dyscalculia include:

1. 1. • Calculation – Evaluates computational skills across basic to advanced operations (e.g., fractions, percentages, algebra, geometry).
      • Math Facts Fluency – Speeded measure of automaticity with basic addition, subtraction, and multiplication.
      • Applied Problems – Assesses logical and quantitative reasoning with real-world math tasks (e.g., money, time, multi-step operations).
      • Math Problem Identification – Requires students to identify errors or missing elements in unsolvable problems.
      • Magnitude Comparison – Measures understanding of numerical size by comparing values, fractions, or decimals.
      • Number Sense– Gauge understanding of quantity, relationships, and estimation.

Examiners can also use Intra-Achievement Comparison Base Rate Procedures to evaluate strengths and weaknesses within and across reading, writing, and math. These comparisons help determine whether an individual’s profile aligns with dyscalculia.

Cognitive Functions Related to Math (WJ V COG)

The WJ V COG enables assessment of general intelligence and cognitive processes that impact math learning:

• • • Fluid Reasoning (e.g., Matrices, Analysis-Synthesis) – Problem solving, inductive and deductive reasoning, quantitative reasoning. 
    • Visual Processing (e.g., Spatial Relations, Block Rotation, Visual-Auditory Learning) – Visual-spatial skills linked to later math achievement.
    • Working Memory (e.g., Numbers Reversed, Verbal Attention, Visual Working Memory) – Holding and manipulating information essential for multi-step math.
    • Long-Term Storage (e.g., Story Recall, Story Comprehension) – Acquiring, consolidating, and storing information for later retrieval.
    • Retrieval Fluency (e.g., Semantic Word Retrieval) – Quickly and accurately accessing stored information from long-term memory.
    • Processing Speed (e.g., Number-Pattern Matching, Letter-Pattern Matching) – Rapid, accurate execution of cognitive tasks.
      

Examiners can conduct Intra-Cognitive Comparison Base Rate Procedures to identify strengths and weaknesses within cognitive abilities, and Ability/Achievement Comparison Procedures to evaluate whether cognitive performance predicts or contrasts with math achievement.

Mathematics-Related Fluency (WJ V VTL)

The WJ V Virtual Test Library (VTL) adds targeted measures of math fluency:

1. 1. • Rapid Number Naming – Naming digits quickly and accurately.
      • Rapid Quantity Naming – Rapidly identifying the number of dots in arrays.

These fluency measures provide insight into how efficiently students retrieve and apply number knowledge in real time.

Why use the WJ V for Dyscalculia

For school-based examiners, the Woodcock-Johnson V offers a comprehensive and efficient framework for evaluating math difficulties and identifying dyscalculia. Its combination of achievement, cognitive, and fluency measures provides a clear picture of how a student learns and applies mathematics.

With the WJ V, practitioners can:

• • • Identify math-specific learning challenges – Determine whether difficulties lie in calculation, problem solving, fluency, or conceptual understanding.
    • Understand underlying processes – Assess cognitive skills such as working memory, processing speed, and fluid reasoning that directly impact math learning.
    • Develop a detailed learner profile – Use comparison procedures to reveal meaningful patterns of strengths and weaknesses across cognitive and achievement areas.
    • Inform targeted interventions – Translate results into practical strategies, instructional supports, and accommodations to improve student outcomes.
    • Test with efficiency and flexibility – Apply selective testing to focus on the areas most relevant to referral concerns without overburdening students.

By integrating these features, the WJ V enables practitioners to evaluate dyscalculia with clarity, precision, and direct applicability to educational decision-making.