Obtaining Services
Obtaining Services
To obtain Rural Assessment and Intervention Library (RAIL) services, school personnel can complete the RAIL Request Form or contact us via email to discuss a case. We can suggest measures and procedures to consider and send the tests and protocols that are needed.
There is no charge to Project RAISE school districts for these services. The materials may be kept up to 21 days and then the materials must be returned to CALL. Return postage is provided. If a time extension is needed for the materials, school personnel should contact RAIL staff to see if an extension is possible.
Responsible Use of Services
These services will continue to be provided to a school district as long as materials are returned on time, with all parts of the test intact. Responsible use of the materials is necessary to ensure that these services can be provided in a timely fashion to all Project RAISE school districts. If materials are not returned on time from a district, or are returned with parts missing or damaged, it may not be possible to continue providing RAIL services to that district. We realize that sometimes materials may be damaged or come up missing. If this occurs, school personnel should contact the RAIL staff about the situation. Materials borrowed should be used and returned in a responsible fashion.
Examiner Qualifications
Examiners who administer and interpret tests should have had formal training in test administration and interpretation of assessment data. Such training should cover basic statistics; procedures for administering, scoring, and interpreting test results; and information regarding child development for children from birth through adolescence. Supervised practice should have been provided in test use during training.
Before administering any tests to young children, examiners should consider school policies, regulations, and position statements, as well as position statements from professional organizations. Consideration of regulations regarding use of tests in the State of Tennessee is critical. Administration of tests and interpretation of test results should be carried out only by professionals who have completed appropriate training.
Certified school psychologists and psychologists licensed in Tennessee should have little difficulty mastering procedures needed to appropriately use the tests available through RAIL. When training videotapes or DVDs are available from the publishers of the tests, we will send these training materials along with the corresponding test materials.
Many materials available through RAIL are designed for instructional planning and are not norm-referenced tests. These materials are designed for use by school professionals who do not have an extensive background in psychometrics and who are not certified or licensed psychologists.
Borrow Tests or Rating Scales
If you would like to borrow tests or rating scales for the purpose of reviewing them for possible purchase, we will send you the test materials and a record book (in case you would like to try the test). When the materials are used for this purpose, they may be kept up to 10 days (rather than 21) so that we can keep the materials circulating to those who are using the tests and rating scales with children who need them.