CHAPTER 2: Steps in the Assessment Process Assessing Students with Special Needs Fifth Edition John J. Venn University of North Florida © 2014, 2007, 2004 by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved

Overview RtI – Response to Intervention Screening Eligibility Instructional Intervention Progress Measuring

Steps in the Assessment Process Assessing students with special needs is a process Occurs in several steps Includes multiple layers

Steps in the Assessment Process The first step is screening To identify potential problems needing further assessment. Next comes determining eligibility When screening reveals a problem requiring additional assessment The third step is instructional intervention For students determined as eligible for special education Assessment helps develop an instructional intervention program Including an initial IEP The final phase is measuring progress

RtI RtI is Response to Intervention RtI is a school-wide system for identifying students with special needs and providing instructional intervention and support

RtI Four Key RtI Elements Universal Screening Tier 1 Instruction Tier 2 Intervention Tier 3 Intervention

RtI Universal Screening Schools usually conduct universal screening three times a year Using brief probes (tests) Child below the benchmarks are identified as at risk

RtI Tier 1 Instruction Tier 1 instruction is scientific, research-based instruction in reading and other academic areas. Students identified as at-risk through universal screening are monitored closely while they receive Tier 1 instruction. Progress monitoring for at-risk students usually consists of brief probes given weekly to determine student success or lack of success in the general education curriculum.

RtI Tier 2 Intervention In Tier 2 students receive additional instructional support, often small group tutoring, while their academic skill development continues to be measured weekly using RtI progress monitoring probes. Students who fail to make progress in Tier 2 are referred for support in Tier 3 Intervention, which is more intensive.

RtI Tier 3 Intervention Tier 3 Intervention is intensive instruction for students who do not respond to Tier 2 Intervention. Tier 3 is most often special education and related services for students who have disabilities.

Screening Many assessment activities occur as part of the screening process RtI Traditional screening tests Observations of behavior Teachers often may make the initial identification and initiate the screening process.

Eligibility To determine the nature and severity of a child’s learning or behavior problem To decide if a child qualifies to receive special education and related services Relies on formal, standardized testing Federal law mandates general eligibility procedures, and each state has specific regulations

Instructional Intervention Involves making educational decisions related to developing instructional objectives, establishing intervention priorities, and evaluating the effectiveness of curricula and materials Relies heavily on curriculum-based measurement and assessment that is a regular part of daily teaching and learning

Progress Measuring Involves ongoing evaluation and periodic measurement of overall performance Relies on formal and informal assessments Also includes measuring program effectiveness to ensure services respond to individual needs

Summary Includes screening determining eligibility instructional intervention measuring progress Differences among the steps purpose of assessment in each step type of assessment procedures employed Similarities among the steps all steps use assessment data and information to contribute data and information for providing the best possible education for students with special needs