My undergraduate students loved having the opportunity to give the ALL as part of the re-norming process. The subtests were easy for them to learn, and it gave them a deeper understanding of emergent literacy. The hands-on experience was invaluable to them.

– Laurie M. Gauger, Ph.D., CCC-SLP, Clinical Associate Professor, Director UF Reading Disabilities Program, University of Florida

Participating in the re-norming study was a meaningful clinical experience that allowed me to execute learned skills in standardized assessment administration, environmental manipulation, and behavior management. It specifically gave me hands-on practice with standardized assessment protocols and deepened my understanding of how norm-referenced data is collected and used to support evidence-based practice.

– Zabia Evans, SLP Graduate Student, Class of 2025, Old Dominion University

I am thankful for the opportunity I had participating in re-norming the ALL. It greatly improved my skills as a beginning clinician, particularly in diagnostics. After administering the test to several children and scoring multiple tests, I now feel more confident than a lot of my peers as we enter our diagnostic practicum experience. I know that I will use everything that I learned from this experience as I finish my graduate schooling and begin my career as a speech pathologist.

– Julia R., Marquette University SLP graduate student

In administering the updated Assessment of Literacy and Language (ALL), I learned how valuable the re-normed version is for accurately evaluating students’ oral and written language across diverse populations. Through this work, I also gained hands-on experience in administering the assessment, collecting and managing data, and using evidence-based techniques to support students. It also helped me become more attentive to children’s individual needs and language backgrounds—including accents and dialects—and taught me how to build rapport while maintaining the integrity of the assessment.

– Sophie H., Marquette University SLP undergraduate student

Helping with re-norming has given me such a great experience that I am so grateful for. Not only was I able to work with wonderful children, but I was also able to gain a better understanding of how each one of their brains works when assessing their language and literacy skills. This experience gave me the opportunity to learn how to communicate with young children, improve my own test administration skills, and create a positive environment for the kids. It was such an awesome experience and I would do it again any day!

– Natalie E., Marquette University SLP undergraduate student

Participating in the re-norming of the ALL and DELV has given me insight into the process of norming and developing standardized tests and allowed me to gain experience administering tests to a variety of different students and populations under direct supervision. I learned important procedures for administering standardized tests, and how to score them. I also learned how to assess validity and reliability when renorming assessments. All of these skills will transfer to my future practice as a speech-language pathologist.

– Jenna D., Marquette University SLP graduate student

I am beyond impressed by the knowledge and expertise my student clinicians gained by participating in the ALL and DELV re-norming projects. Not only did they learn more about standardized assessment tools and age norms, but they gained competency in scoring and interpreting data. They learned how to adhere to test protocol and scoring, while also gaining confidence working with a variety of children. Undergraduate and graduate students learned critical early literacy and language skills, beyond what administering small numbers of standardized tests during their program hours could offer due to repeated and collaborative administration.

– Caitlin Courtney, M.S., CCC-SLP, Marquette University

My participation in the ALL re-norming served as both a clinical and educational catalyst in my pursuit of the field that is Speech-Language Pathology. This experience offered an opportunity for students and clinicians to approach assessments with a holistic point of view, incorporating multiple concepts that impact a child’s language learning, patterns, and development.

– Shatiera Walker, SLP Graduate Student, Class of 2025, Old Dominion University

The Old Dominion University (ODU) Speech and Hearing Clinic has participated in the re-norming research for the next edition of the Assessment of Literacy and Language (ALL) since Spring 2024. To date, through their participation in the project, 17 M.S. SLP student clinicians have earned a total of 80 evaluation clinical clockhours. This clinical experience has also afforded them the valuable opportunity to administer the same assessment multiple times to children of different ages, which has strengthened their ability to correctly administer and score standardized tests (CFCC V-B, 1c) and to adapt evaluation procedures to meet student/client needs (CFCC V-B, 1d). As is evident in our students’ testimonials, their participation in this research has also deepened their knowledge of: the principles and methods of assessment (CFCC IV-D), communication disorders and differences (CFCC IV-C), human development across the lifespan (CFCC IV-B; CAA 3.1.6B), and the processes used in research (CFCC IV-F; CAA 3.1.1B).

– Rachel Genrich, M.S., CCC-SLP, Lecturer & Clinical Supervisor, Old Dominion University

Participating in re-norming the ALL and DELV assessments allowed me to gain tons of clinical experience and knowledge regarding language and literacy. It gave me tips on the delivery of standardized assessment, behavior management techniques, and also working with the elementary-age population. The re-norming process also showed me the impacts of a child’s development patterns.

– Emma H., Marquette University SLP undergraduate student

As a student studying speech-language pathology, it’s been so interesting to see how each child is unique and how their responses can vary across the assessment. I’ve learned that a lot of thought goes into every part of the re-norming process (from the materials to how the data is interpreted) and just how important re-norming is to make sure assessments stay fair and accurate. It’s been such a valuable learning experience!

– Maya Z., Marquette University SLP undergraduate student

Participating in the re-norming of the ALL and DELV was an enriching learning experience that strengthened my clinical skills and understanding of assessment procedures. It was truly a privilege to be involved in this opportunity.

– Danielle V., Marquette University SLP graduate student

Being part of the re-norming process has been a really rewarding experience. I learned a lot about how important it is to keep tests fair and accurate for all students. It was a great opportunity to work with young kids and see how this process can help them in the future. I’m glad I got to be part of something that makes a difference!!

– Natalie M., Marquette University SLP undergraduate student

Helping to re-norm the ALL and DELV assessments was a great learning experience for me. I became increasingly confident in my abilities to administer an assessment. Throughout this experience, my decision-making abilities improved immensely, especially for scoring subtests. These are assessments that I may likely administer in the future, and I am grateful to have had the opportunity to be a part of the re-norming process.

– Alejandra A., Marquette University SLP graduate student