1. 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

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

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

4. 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

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

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

7. 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

8. 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.

9. 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.

10. 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.

11. 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.

12. 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

13. 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

14. 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

15. 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