Interpretation of Test Results Chapter 11 Terry Overton Assessing Learners with Special Needs, 5e Copyright ©2006 by Pearson Education, Inc. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey All rights reserved.

Purpose of Assessment Recall that assessment is used for many reasons-to monitor progress, to assess achievement, and to assess strengths and weakness. All assessment provides data that should be used to make educational decisions. Terry Overton Assessing Learners with Special Needs, 5e Copyright ©2006 by Pearson Education, Inc. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey All rights reserved.

Reporting Assessment Results When a student is assessed to determine if special education support will be needed, the results of the assessment are reported to the other members of the IEP team. Because the test results should assist in educational planning, it is important that the results be meaningful for teachers and parents. Terry Overton Assessing Learners with Special Needs, 5e Copyright ©2006 by Pearson Education, Inc. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey All rights reserved.

Reporting Assessment Results For teachers, the results should include meaningful recommendations that are specific enough to be used in writing educational or behavioral goals and strategies. For parents, the results should include suggestions that the parents can easily implement at home to support the educational and behavioral goals. Terry Overton Assessing Learners with Special Needs, 5e Copyright ©2006 by Pearson Education, Inc. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey All rights reserved.

Outline of A Psychoeducational Report Identifying Data Background and Referral Information –Background Information –Referral Information –Classroom Observations –Parent Information Terry Overton Assessing Learners with Special Needs, 5e Copyright ©2006 by Pearson Education, Inc. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey All rights reserved.

Outline of A Psychoeducational Report Test Interpretations Summary and Conclusions –Summary –Recommendations for Educational Interventions –Recommendations for Additional Assessment Terry Overton Assessing Learners with Special Needs, 5e Copyright ©2006 by Pearson Education, Inc. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey All rights reserved.

Outline of A Psychoeducational Report Identifying Data Background and Referral Information –Background Information –Referral Information –Classroom Observations –Parent Information Terry Overton Assessing Learners with Special Needs, 5e Copyright ©2006 by Pearson Education, Inc. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey All rights reserved.

Outline of A Psychoeducational Report Test Interpretations Summary and Conclusions –Summary –Recommendations for Educational Interventions –Recommendations for Additional Assessment Terry Overton Assessing Learners with Special Needs, 5e Copyright ©2006 by Pearson Education, Inc. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey All rights reserved.

Meaningful Recommendations Some reports include recommendations that are too vague or general for the teacher to implement and measure. IDEA 2004 states that when possible, IEPs should include methods which have been peer reviewed and found to be effective. The next slide contains a recommendation that is too general to be meaningful. This is then rewritten to illustrate a meaningful recommendation. Terry Overton Assessing Learners with Special Needs, 5e Copyright ©2006 by Pearson Education, Inc. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey All rights reserved.

Meaningful Recommendations 1.Improve reading skills. 1. Implement a phonemic awareness curriculum including direct instruction and CBMs of the following skills: a. phonemic awareness b. alphabetic principle c. segmenting d. blending Terry Overton Assessing Learners with Special Needs, 5e Copyright ©2006 by Pearson Education, Inc. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey All rights reserved.

Key Criteria for Eligibility Determination Of Mild/Moderate Disabilities According to IDEA 1.Mental Retardation- Generally, these students will exhibit cognitive or intellectual scores which are at least 2 standard deviations below the average IQ score (when the average is 100, the subaverage IQ score = < 70). In addition to having a subaverage cognitive score, these students will also have adaptive behavior scores below the average range. Terry Overton Assessing Learners with Special Needs, 5e Copyright ©2006 by Pearson Education, Inc. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey All rights reserved.

Key Criteria for Eligibility Determination Of Mild/Moderate Disabilities According to IDEA 2. Learning Disability-The major concept of this category is that the student is not able to achieve as expected. With IDEA 2004, the criteria can include the student’s failure to respond as expected to interventions which generally result in achievement for the same age/grade students. The criteria can also include a discrepancy between cognitive ability and achievement, however, this is not mandated in order to be eligible for services. Terry Overton Assessing Learners with Special Needs, 5e Copyright ©2006 by Pearson Education, Inc. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey All rights reserved.

Key Criteria for Eligibility Determination Of Mild/Moderate Disabilities According to IDEA 3. Emotional Disturbance-Students who meet the criteria for this category are experiencing learning difficulties due to behavioral or emotional difficulties which may include unexplained physical symptoms, pervasive unhappiness, withdrawal, or other emotional or behavioral symptoms. These are persistent and across environments and significantly impede educational progress. Terry Overton Assessing Learners with Special Needs, 5e Copyright ©2006 by Pearson Education, Inc. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey All rights reserved.

Key Criteria for Eligibility Determination Of Mild/Moderate Disabilities According to IDEA 4. Speech/language impairments-Communication difficulty that interferes with academic progress, ability to speak, or normal developmental progress. Terry Overton Assessing Learners with Special Needs, 5e Copyright ©2006 by Pearson Education, Inc. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey All rights reserved.