Education Endowment Foundation: Lucid Assessment System for Schools (LASS 11 – 15)

SubscalesⓘList of subscales (if applicable)

Single word reading, sentence reading, spelling, reasoning, mbile (auditory memory), cave (visual memory), nonwords (phonics skills), and phonological processing (segments).

Publisher

Lucid/​GL Assessment

Test source

https://www.gl-assessment.co.uk/products/lucid-lass-11 – 15/

Guidelines available?ⓘAdministration guidelines available to the review team

Yes

Norm-referenced scores

Yes

Age rangeⓘSpecific population and age range that publisher states the test is intended/​suitable for. 

11 – 15 years

Key Stage

Key Stage 3, Key Stage 4

UK standardisation sample

Yes

Publication date

2010

Re-norming date

N/​a

Additional information about what the test measures

Word reading, spelling, sentence reading.

Are additional versions available?

There is a parallel form of LASS for younger children (LASS 8 – 11). Previous editions have swapped between being called LASS Secondary and LASS 11 – 15.

Can subtests be administered in isolation?

Yes

Administration Group Size

Individual, Small group

Administration duration

45 minutes (5 minutes per subtest)

Description of materials needed to administer test

Computer, headphones or speakers, keyboard and mouse.

Any special testing conditions?

No

Is any prior knowledge/training/profession accreditation required for administration?

No

Is administration scripted?

N/​a

Rating Construct

Does it reflect the multidimensionality of the subject?

Generic literacy (with specific subtests)

Construct validity comments (and reference for source)

The teacher’s manual (Horne et al., 2010) illustrates construct validity is through correlations with other appropriate instruments. Construct validity is excellent for sentence reading and spelling, and adequate for reasoning and the diagnostic measures. Sentence reading correlates with NFER sentence completion at r = .75. Spelling correlates with British Spelling Test Series 3 at r = .88. Reasoning correlates with Matrix analogies test r = .52. Caves correlates with Wechsler Memory Scales Spatial span r = .37. Mobile with WMS digit span r = .55. Nonwords with PhAB nonword reading r = .43. Segments with PhAB spoonerisms r = .45. Contrasted group validity is also reported in the teacher’s manual (Horne et al., 2010). A study with 30 students with dyslexia who showed lower scores on all tests except reasoning and visual memory. 17 students with other SEN showed lower scores on all tests. 79% of students with dyslexia were correctly identified.

Rating Reliability

Summarise available comparisons

Internal consistency is not reported. Temporal stability is illustrated in a study with a 4 week test-retest interval which is reported in the Teacher’s Manual (Horne et al., 2010). The coefficients can be summarised as indicating good stability for literacy measures (sentence reading .85; spelling .93); adequate for nonwords and segments (nonwords .77; segments .74) and inadequate for reasoning, cave and mobile (reasoning .51; cave .53; mobile .58).

Sources

Horne, J., Keates, A., & Stansfield, J. (2010). LASS 11 – 15: Lucid Assessment System for Schools for ages 11 to 15 years. Teacher’s manual. Beverley, UK: Lucid Research Ltd.