Chapter 1 Special Education Assessment

Definition of Assessment Educational assessment is: an ongoing process systematic a collection of educationally relevant information used for decision-making purposes

Assessment, Testing, and Diagnosis –The Differences Educational assessment focuses on the identification of the student’s educational needs Testing is one type of assessment Diagnosis attempts to establish the cause of the disability

Historical Influences Work of Binet and others Controversy over the nature of intelligence Work in the fields of medicine, anthropology and sociology PL 94-142 and PL 105-17 (1997 IDEA amendments)

Status of Educational Assessment Today The challenge of appropriate procedures to assess culturally and linguistically diverse students Assessing students across multiple environments Assessment connected to academic standards Implementation of No Child Left Behind Initiative

Purposes of Assessment Identification Screening and Prereferral process Determining Eligibility Program Planning Monitoring Student Progress Program Evaluation

Kinds of Assessment Procedures – Formal Strategies Norm-Referenced Tests Group Administered Tests Achievement Tests Aptitude Tests Individually Administered Tests

Kinds of Assessment Procedures – Informal Strategies Observations Curriculum-Based Measures Task Analysis Work Sample Analysis Inventories Criterion-Referenced Tests Techniques Using Informants Checklists and Rating Scales Interviews and Questionnaires Combination Approaches Portfolios

Emphasis on Three Groups of Students Students with mild retardation Students with emotional disturbance/behavioral disorders Students with specific learning disabilities

Collaboration and the Team Approach Mandated federally by PL 94-142, PL 99-457 and IDEA for: Evaluation for eligibility Formulation of the IEP Evaluation of the IEP Re-evaluation of placement and related services

Team Membership May Include: School personnel Parents and student School support personnel Medical personnel Social Workers and Counselors Transitional specialists Motor skill specialists Other specialists

Critical Issues Variability in professional educational assessment Technical quality of tests Discriminatory practices in assessment Relevance of assessment data to instructional planning

The Assessment Question Model Is there a school performance problem? Is the school performance problem related to a disability? What are the student’s educational needs? What types of services are required to meet those needs? How effective is the educational program?