Implementing IDEA's Principles
Purposes of Evaluation
* To determine whether a student has a disability
* Eligibility - is the student eligible under one of the disability categories?
* To decide what special education and related services the student needs
* Screening
* To determine which students might need further testing
* Vision & hearing tests, group intelligence & achievement tests
* Prereferral
* To help teachers with challenging students
* To safeguard against misclassification, prevent "false positives"
* Special education is the LAST RESORT, not the FIRST OPTION !
* Referral to special education
* Comprehensive individual assessment (information gathered using formal & informal instruments)
* Norm-referenced tests (standardized)
* Compare a student's performance to that of others his/her age/grade
* skills Valid & reliable
* Criterion-referenced tests (nonstandardized)
* Determine whether a student has mastered objectives actually taught
* Evaluation
* Interpretation of assessment information
* Must be conducted by a team
* Parents have input
* Information about their child's strengths & needs
* Their own priorities for their child
* School MUST consider parents' input
* Formal, standardized
* Measure a student's "potential"
* Reasoning, learning, memory, comprehension, etc.
* Yield an "intelligence quotient" or IQ
* Average IQ = 100
* Used to determine "gifted" & "retarded"
* Influenced by a child's cultural experiences !
* How does it occur?
* Content of the test
* Standardization sample
* How can it be avoided?
* Test in students' dominant language
* Use informal assessments such as portfolio assessment
* Non-verbal tests
* For infants & toddlers, Part C of IDEA requires an IFSP
* Individualized Family Service Plan
* For students ages 3-21, Part B of IDEA requires an IEP
* Individualized Education Plan
* For students ages 14-21, an ITP
* Individualized Transition Plan
* Present levels of development
* Family concerns, resources, & priorities (CPR)
* Outcomes for child & family
* Services to be provided
* Natural environments in which services will be provided
* Dates
* Service coordinator
* Transition plan
* See chart on page 63
* Present levels of educational performance
* Measurable annual goals
* Short-term objectives or "benchmarks"
* Services to be provided
* Special ed services
* Related services
* Supplementary aids/supports
* Modifications
* Extent to which student will participate in general education classes & curriculum
* Modifications in state or district-wide assessment, or alternative assessment that will be used
* Dates
* Transition services (beginning at age 14)
* How progress will be measured & how parents will be informed
* Consent is required for evaluation and for placement in special education
* ARD committee may meet to plan IEP even if parents do not participate
* Parents can challenge the IEP in a "due process hearing"
* IFSP/IEP must be developed within a reasonable time after evaluation is completed
* IFSP is reviewed with the family every 6 months
* IEP is reviewed with the family at least annually - more often if necessary