ECP 28/ EDAGiraldyne D. Semaña Instructor: Sir Francis Karl P. Dela Peña BEED- 3

Report on Assessment and Identification

Basic Special Education Process (IDEA)

1. Child is identified as possibly needing special education and related services.

“Child Find”- The state must identify, locate and evaluate children with disabilities who need special education and related services.Referral or request for evaluation- a school professional may ask that a child be evaluated to see if he or she has a disability. Parents may also contact the child’s teacher or other school professional to ask that their child is evaluated. This request may be verbal or in writing. Parental consent is needed before the child may be evaluated.

2. Child is evaluated. The evaluation must assess the child in all areas related to the child’s suspected disability. The evaluation results will be used to decide the child’s eligibility for special education and related services and to make decisions about an appropriate educational program for the child.

3. Eligibility is decided. A group of qualified professionals and the parents look at the child’s evaluation results. Together they decide if the child is a child with disability.

4. Child is found eligible for services. If the child is found to be a child with disability, he or she is eligible for special education and related services. Within 30 calendar days after a child is determined eligible, the IEP team must meet to write an IEP for the child.

5. IEP meeting is scheduled. The school system schedules and conducts the IEP meeting.

6. IEP meeting is held and IEP is written. The IEP team gathers to talk about the child’s needs and write the student’s IEP. Parent and the student are part of the team. If the parents do not agree with the IEP and placement, they may discuss their concerns with other members of the IEP team and try to work out in agreement.

7. Services are offered. The school makes sure that the child’s IEP is being carried out as it is written. Parents are also given a copy of the IEP.

8. Progress is measured and reported to parents. The child’s progress toward the annual goals is measured, as stated in the IEP. Parents are regularly informed of their child’s progress whether that progress is enough for the child to achieve goals by the end of the year.

9. IEP is renewed. The child’s IEP is reviewed by the IEP team at least once a year or more often if the parents or school as for review.

10. Child is reevaluated. At least three years the child must be reevaluated. This evaluation is often called a triennial. Its purpose is to find out if the child continues to be a child with disability and what the child’s educational needs are. However the child must be reevaluated more often if conditions warrant or if the child’s parents or teacher asks for reevaluation.

Assessment

→ is the process of using tests and other measures of student performance and behavior to make educational decisions. Consists of a assortment of techniques and procedures for evaluating, estimating, appraising, and drawing conclusions about students with special needs.

In SPED, it takes into account the unique needs of the students and it becomes different for every student. Adapt process or procedure to meet the child’s needs as opposed to the students adapting to the assessment measure. Focuses on getting to know the child in every aspect or every area of development; determine the child’s strengths and weaknesses.

Testing

→ contains a standard set of questions that produce a score, a set of scores or other numerical result. Given in a prescribed manner and in a structured setting.

Types of Assessments are- standardized, commercial, classroom or curriculum-based, teacher-made teats, informal skills survey.

Measurement

Refers to the process of determining the ability or performance level of students.

Types of measurement- testing, observing behavior, conducting interviews, completing rating scales, filing out checklists, performing clinical evaluations.

Purpose is to produce objective information such as numbers, scores, or other quantitative data.

Importance of Assessment

Identifying a student’s learning problems or difficulties. To gain essential information about the child – conditions, abilities, interests, and

problems. Required or mandated by the law; required by some schools for curriculum planning. Selecting intervention strategies that respond to specific problems. Essential in developing IEPs.

Types of Assessment DecisionsType of Assessment Type of Information

GatheredDecisions Usually Made

When Information is Usually Gathered

ScreeningA procedure designed to identify the children who need to be referred for more information assessment.

potential for developmental disability or delay; vision; hearing; health; and physical

Whether or not a child should be referred for more in-depth assessment.

Prior to entry into a program.

DiagnosisThe process of confirming the presence or absence of a delay or disability.

Evidence that a developmental delay or disability exists and its nature and extent.

whether or not the child has developmental delay or disability exists and its nature and extent

Prior entry into a program.

EligibilityA comprehensive diagnostic process to determine of a child meets the criteria to be eligible for special services.

ComprehensiveDiagnostic information that is standardized, norm-referenced, and comparative.

whether or not a child is eligible for a program or services specified in the criteria for eligibility.

Prior entry into a program.

Program Planninga procedure used to identify desired goals/ outcomes for the IFSP/ IEP and how to design instruction.

Evidences of the child’s developmental skills and behaviors; family preferences and priorities for the child; family resources and strengths; setting in which the child spends time and the demands of those settings.

what type of routines, activities, materials, and equipment to use with then individual child. What styles of learning to use with the child. What adult and per interactions may work best with the child.

Intensively at the beginning of a program; during the first weeks of a child is in program; during and immediately after any major changes in a child’s life. This is an ongoing process.

Progress Monitoring and Evaluationa process of collecting information about a child’s progress, the family’s satisfaction with services, and the programs effectiveness.

Evidence of the child’s developmental skills and behaviors in comparison to those skills at the beginning of the child’s entry into the program; family satisfaction and indication of whether or not their priorities have been met; child’s ability to be successful in the setting in which he or she spends time.

to determine the effectiveness of programming for an individual child or group of children; to determine the change in a child’s skill and behaviors; to determine family satisfaction; to evaluate a program’s overall effectiveness.

Periodically as needed to determine whether or not intervention is effective; at the end of a program year or cycle; when dictated by administrative policy and funding sources.

Influences on AssessmentComplex and far-reaching collection of procedures and practices reflect the influence of a number of disciplines and points of view

□Ethical obligations □Multiple Levels of Assessment□Federal Laws □Professional Standards□Multiple Tests □Contributions from other Disciplines

→ Encompasses contributions from any disciplines including psychology, medicine and educational measurement.

→ It has also been shaped by federal laws and court decisions.

→ Evaluates language and cultural differences as an integral part of the assessment process and attempts to minimize racial cultural bias in measuring learning ability.

→ Ethical obligations and professional standards are considered.

Types of Assessments

Intelligence Testing → Measure intelligence- I.Q.; the concept of the mental age as a way of reporting a test result→ Identify children who would benefit from educational instruction→ Intelligence tests focus on mental abilities→ Achievement test focus on academic abilities

Assessing Large Groups → testing groups of children -- norm→ proficiency tests, entrance tests, achievement tests

Assessing Adaptive Behaviors

→ Adaptive Behavior is the ability to adapt to the environment by developing independent personal and social behavior and by adjusting to changes in the environment→ focuses on functional and practical abilities such as communication, activities of daily living and social interaction

Assessing Developmental Skills

→Developmental patterns of young children – predictable sequence skills development and learning→Measures – motor, language, and communication, personal- social, cognitive and adaptive skills.

Individual Diagnosis and Prescription

→Diagnosing disabilities that may cause mental retardation, physical handicaps and health impairments→important aspect in SPED – resembles the procedures that physicians follow in diagnosing and treating medical conditions

→Observe symptoms→Conducts tests to diagnose the cause→Writes a prescription for treatment – IEP

Individual Achievement Testing

→ Individualized yet standardized→Tools are used to assess learning and intervention activities

→Provide specific data and information for diagnosing remediation needs and for prescribing explicit intervention

Behavioral Assessment →Assessing student performance over time using direct observation and continuous data collection – in a structures and systematic manner→Evaluation techniques are based on behavioral principles→More realistic, practical measure→Use of audio- or video-tapes

Curriculum- Based Assessment

→Measures performance based on progress in the school curriculum→Relies on teacher- made tests, class work, homework assignments and teacher impressions to formulate assessment decisions→Offer high accuracy and validity→Used to make instructional decisions→Evaluate student performance in direct relation to what has been taught – provides direct link between evaluation and instruction.

Ethical Considerations

≠ Obtaining permission before testing –

Written consent, testing is voluntary and can be revoked Understand relevant information about the test Purpose, type, application of results

≠Ensuring privacy of test results – protection from inappropriate disclosure of test results

≠Following standardized test procedures – follow standardized procedures, obtaining scores, testing time limits, presenting test items, using test materials

≠New professional standards – guidelines for testing students with disabilities, focus on accommodations, modifications and adaptations in testing.

≠Careful notes must be made and changes be documented for possible effects on the validity of the test.

Reference: Teacher Ricci Mercado T. Ricci’s Introduction to Special Education Handbook

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