SWMetro

Evaluation Reports, Secondary Transition, &

Behavior Intervention Planning Guidelines

Presented by: Melanie Kray Director of Special Education SWMetro & Ben Hullerus Director of Special Education Intern
Food for Thought
What if we thought of the
evaluation report less as a
fixed place and more as a What if we focused on
guide to an adventure? paperwork less as individual
elements and more on the
Golden Thread that unites
What if we thought of due them together?
process less as an obligation
and more as resources to
support student learning?
Writing an Evaluation Report
Background Information
● Reason for referral
● Developmental History and information reported by parents
● Statement about primary language,
● Medical history,
● What parent sees as child’s strengths and needs
● What classroom teachers see as student’s strengths and needs
● Any outside agency information that has been provided
Review of Existing Data, Current Assessment Results
● Summary of each area assessed including tests administered, evaluator, results and
identified strengths and weaknesses.
● Sensory/Health/Physical Status – include Hearing, Vision, Height and Weight
● Assistive Technology consideration
Classroom Observations
● Summary of observation and whether or not observation supports a need for services and
shows a delay in development/educational needs
● Observation captures primary areas of concern (not only on-task)
Eligibility
● Checklist(s) which addresses EACH component for each considered category
● Supporting evidence for each component
Writing an Evaluation Report
Interpretation and Summary of Results
● Present level of performance which includes components of evaluation data and curriculum
based measures that indicate student baseline and guide goal development
● Summary of standardized assessment results and scores as well as observations, curriculum
based measures, informal procedures and current progress (for re-evaluation)
● Educational needs which addresses identified skills and /or behaviors that need
improvement in order for the child to participate and progress in the general curriculum or to
increase
● Need for accommodations, modifications, related services and assistive technology
addressed in order for students to participate in general education and special education.
● Consideration of the impact (if any )of culture, language and/or limited educational
experiences
● Conclusion statement
○ Child meets MN eligibility criteria under the category of (e.g. Developmental Delay)
and requires special education services.
○ Child meets MN eligibility criteria under the category of (e.g. Developmental Delay)
however does not require special education.
○ Child does not meet MN eligibility criteria for any category
ER-Legal Requirements- Review Data
● As part of the an initial evaluation (if appropropriate) and as
part of any reevaluation, the IEP team and other qualified
professional, as appropriate; must review existing evaluation
data on the child including→ Evaluations and information
provided by the parents of the child

ER-Points of Clarification- Review Data

● The team should consider all existing evaluation data. This
would be a citation if there was no evidence of existing
evaluation data being reviewed

● Parent input should be clearly documented in a separate

section of the ER for parent input, or parent information
integrated into one or more sections of the ER.
ER-Legal Requirements- Summary
● At a minimum an ER must include: a summary of ALL
evaluation results.

ER-Points of Clarification- Summary

This citation relates to two items:
● The results of all assessment measures listed on the Notice of
Evaluation/PWN are included in the corresponding ER, and
the ER documents a comprehensive summary of all the
evaluation results

● The ER must document that the student meets the criteria for a
categorical disability. Reevaluation reports must document
that all criteria components have been addressed and the
student continues to have a disability.
ER-Legal Requirements-Documentation of Disability
● An evaluation report must include: documentation of whether
the pupil has a particular category of disability or, in the case of
a reevaluation, whether the pupil continues to have such a
disability.

ER-Points of Clarification- Documentation of Disability

● The initial ER must document that the student meets the
criteria for categorical disability.

● Reevaluation reports must document that all criteria

components have been addressed and the student continues
to have a disability.
ER-Legal Requirements-Present Levels
● At a minimum an ER must include: the pupil’s present
levels of performance and educational needs that
derive from the disability.

ER-Points of Clarification- Present Levels

This citation relates to two items: Present Levels of Performance, and educational needs that derive from the
disability.

● The Present Levels of Performance: Must incorporate current assessment results, information on
current academic and functional performance in the classroom, and input from those working with the
student. It must include more that a list of assessment results and scores. Additional sources
information include observations, work samples, curriculum-based measures, informal procedures, and
progress on current goals and objectives.

● Educational need statements should address skills and/or behaviors that need improvement for the
child to participate and progress in the general curriculum. Educational needs must relate to the
disability and indicate a need for specialized instruction.
ER-Legal Requirements- Statement of Need
● An ER must include: whether the child needs special
education and related services or, in the case of a
reevaluation, whether the pupil continues to need
special education and related services

ER-Points of Clarification- Statement of Need

● In addition to determining that a student has a disability,

the ER must include a statement that the child needs, or
continues to need, special education and related services.

● This statement is often missing from ER’s.

ER-Legal Requirements- Accommodations & Modifications
● An ER must include: whether any additions or
modifications to the special education and related
services are needed to enable the pupil to meet the
measurable annual goals set out in the pupil’s IEP and
to participate, as appropriate, in the general
curriculum.
ER-Points of Clarification- Accommodations &
Modifications

● What additions or modifications to special education will

the IEP team need to spell out/detail when developing or
revising the IEP? Must be clearly identified in concluding
section of the report.
ER-Legal Requirements- Criteria
● The student meets eligibility requirements and ALL
eligibility criteria have been addressed.

ER-Points of Clarification- Criteria

● For initials, students must meet all components. For
reeval’s, students may not meet the ‘strict’ criteria.

● Review all eligibility criteria addressed

ER-Legal Requirements- Documentation
● Regarding eligibility determination: The documentation
supports the team decision

ER-Points of Clarification- Documentation

● Is there sufficient evidence in the ER to support the team's
decision of eligibility (within the report, not just how they
completed the criteria checklist.)
 Golden Thread
Internally
Consistent
Evaluation Report IEP Educational
Benefit

IEP #1 Flows to Progress

Training Videos
(MDE Training

New IEP reports Videos)

Record of Review
Checklists (MDE
Checklists)
Secondary Transition
Planning for Student Outcomes is Rooted in IDEA
● The purpose of IDEA is to ensure that all children with disabilities have available to
them a free and appropriate public education (FAPE) that emphasizes special
education and related services designed to meet their unique needs and prepare them
for further education, employment and independent living. 34. C.F.R § 300.1(a)

Post School
Outcomes

Postsecondary Employment
Education &
Training Independent
Living National Secondary Transition
Technical Assistance Center:
Predictors to Positive Student
outcomes
ER-Legal Requirements- Transition Assessment
● There is evidence that the measurable postsecondary
goal(s) were based on age-appropriate transition
assessments.

ER-Points of Clarification- Transition Assessment

● Two age-appropriate transition assessments were completed in last ER:
Informal and/or Formal.

● Appropriate assessments
○ Provide baseline data
○ Assist the student in identifying strengths, interests and preferences;
○ Support the identification o f appropriate measureable
postsecondary goals;
○ Identify appropriate accommodations and needed services; and
○ Identify needed instruction and activities to achieve measurable
postsecondary goals.
ER-Points of Clarification-Transition Assessment

● Informal Assessments may include:

○ Interviews or questionnaires;
○ Direct observations;
○ Environmental or situational analysis;
○ Curriculum-based assessments;
○ Rating scales; and/or
○ Transition planning inventories.

● Formal Assessments may include:

○ Adaptive behavior and independent living
assessments;
○ Aptitude tests;
○ Interest assessments;
○ Personality and preference tests;
○ Career development measures;
○ Measures of self-determination
ER-Points of Clarification- Transition Assessment
Data Identifies:
● Strength are general things the student is good at (academic strengths, basketball,
singing, telling jokes, etc._
● Interests are things, events, or people that evoke the student’s curiosity (music, art,
computers, sports, rocks, etc.)
● Preferences are things, events or people that the student chooses over others
(prefers independent activities over group activities, prefers lecture style classes over
project-based classes, etc.)

ER-Legal Requirements-Transition
● By the end of 9th grade, the IEP must address the
student’s needs for transition from secondary services
to postsecondary education and training, employment,
community participation, recreation, and leisure and
home living. Minn. State. § 125A.08(b)(1)
IEP-Legal Requirements- Transition Postsecondary Goals
● There must be appropriate measurable postsecondary
goals that cover education or training, employment,
and, where appropriate, independent living skills

IEP-Points of Clarification- Transition Postsecondary Goals

● A postsecondary goal is an outcome that occurs after the child leave high
school. They must be measurable such as stating what the child “will” do
after high school.

● Use of the words “hopes to” or “plans to” is a citation, as it is not

measurable.

● This must include a goal in an area of education/training AND

employment. May or may not include independent living.
 IEP-Legal Requirements- Transition Course of Study
● Transition services include course of study that focus
on improving the academic and functional achievement
of the child to facilitate their movement from school to
post-school.

IEP-Points of Clarification- Transition Course of Study

● Courses of study demonstrate a correlation to and support of the child’s
measurable postsecondary goals.

● The courses of study for a child with a moderate or severe disability may
be described by course content area, i.e. “mobility,” “self-advocacy,”
“personal relationships,” It is not acceptable to merely state “functional
living classes.”

● Minimally it must include the student’s current academic year through the
following academic year (2 years, length of IEP)
IEP-Points of Clarification-Postsecondary Goals vs. IEP Goals
● Appropriate measurable postsecondary goals drive the annual
instructional goals.

● IEP goals are the yearly “steps” designed to enable the student to achieve
their measurable postsecondary goals.

● Both appropriate measurable postsecondary goals and annual IEP goals

must be updated annually.
IEP-Legal Requirements- Transition Annual IEP Goals
● There are annual IEP goals that will reasonably enable
the child to meet the postsecondary goals

IEP-Points of Clarification-Transition Annual IEP Goals

● Annual IEP goals are statements of what a student can reasonably be
expected to achieve in a twelve month period of time.

● These take the student from their present levels of performance to a level
of performance expected by the end of the year.

● Annual IEP goals guide instruction.

IEP-Legal Requirements- Transition Services
● Transition services in the IEP that focus on improving
the academic and functional achievement of the child
to facilitate their movement from school to post-school

IEP-Points of Clarification-Transition Services

● These are a coordinated set of activities determined by the IEP team.

● Transition services must address the annual IEP goals designated to assist the student in
reaching his/her measurable postsecondary goals.

● Think about what instruction and experiences the student must participate in this academic
year to reach their identified appropriate measurable postsecondary goal.

● If a participating agency does not attend the IEP meeting, the district i s no longer required
to take other steps to obtain participation of an agency in the planning of any transition
services; however the district is then required to reconvene the IEP team to identify
alternative strategies to meet the transition objective for the child set out in the IEP.
 Golden Thread
Annual IEP
Transition Goals
Educational
Assessments
Benefit
Measurable Potential Age-
Appropriate
Postsecondary Transition Assessment Tools
Courses of
Goals (2014)
Study Services

MN Career
Fields, Clusters,
& Pathways
IEP-Legal Requirements- Behavior Intervention Planning
● An FBA/BIP includes a variety of data collection
methods and sources that facilitate the development of
hypotheses and summary of statements regarding
behavior.

BIP-Points of Clarification-Collection Methods

● Data must be gather from a variety of sources using a variety of

measures.

● Should include data from: parents, teachers, and student. It will also
likely include data from: observations, interviews, and other formal or
informal measures.
Behavior Intervention Planning-
STUDENT Behavior
STUDENT Collection-Google Form
Behavior Data (do not edit please)
Collection Form
STUDENT Behavior
Collection Responses

Template of BIP Example of

Completed BIP
Review-What was most helpful in
our presentation today?
1. Evaluation Reports
2. Secondary Transition
3. Behavioral Intervention Planning

Questions?