What is psw in education?

A pattern of strengths and weaknesses (PSW) is one approach for determining specific learning disabilities (SLD). As opposed to the old-school discrepancy model, which tells clinicians if a student is performing more poorly than expected, PSW seeks to determine why a student is performing more poorly.

Under the discrepancy model, school psychologists give an IQ test, then compare a student’s score to how well they did on tests of reading, writing, and math. The theory is that a student’s IQ *should* match scores in academics, and if it doesn’t, the student must have a learning disability. The problem is that LOTS of things can cause a student to do poorly in school, and only a small part of that is IQ. (If you haven’t already, listen to Radio Lab’s series on intelligence, the explanations are perfect).

Under PSW models, school psychologists look beyond a student’s overall IQ score and more specifically at the various cognitive processes that contribute to IQ. As with all forms of assessment, this is not without controversy (for an overview, read our previous article on assessment of SLD), but it has gone a long way to help people understand the biological bases of learning disabilities.

Regardless of which model a clinician uses, the key is to establish (drum roll, please…) a pattern. After testing multiple aspects of a student’s IQ, school psychologists look to answer the following questions:

Shifting from the discrepancy model to PSW can be tricky for a number of reasons. Districts should expect, and plan for, the following issues:

The Pattern of Strengths and Weaknesses (PSW) Model is one of three models outlined in CA Education Code for use in identifying students for special education under the classification of Specific Learning Disability.