ASSESSMENT

ASSESSMENT
• It involves collecting information about a student for the purpose of
making decisions.

• Is the process used to determine a child’s specific learning strengths

and needs, to determine whether or not a child is eligible for special
education services.
PURPOSE OF ASSESSMENT
• Evaluation Decision
• IEP Development
• Eligibility Decision
• Diagnostic Decision
• Educational Placement Decision
• Instructional Planning Decisions
TESTING VS. ASSESSMENT
• Testing is the administration of specifically designed and often
standardized educational and psychological measures of behavior and
is a part of the assessment process. A piece of assessment process
• Assessment encompasses many different methods of evaluation, one
of which is using tests.
METHODS OF ASSESSMENT USED IN
SPECIAL EDUCATION
• Assessment can range from the formal to informal type
• FORMAL – or standardized (e.g. WISC (Wechsler Intelligence Scale for
Children) and theStanford Binet, KeyMath 3 Diagnostic Assessment,
etc.)
• INFORMAL – or teacher made tests (Observations, Summative, Rating
Scales, Checklist, Anecdotal Records.)
ROLE OF THE EDUCATION
PROFESSIONAL IN THE SPECIAL
EDUCATION PROCESS
• You will work with many professionals from different fields. You are
part of a team, often referred to as a Multidisciplinary Team
• The team’s role is crucial because it helps determine the extent and
direction of a child’s personal journey through the special education
experience.
ASSESSMENT DECISIONS
• Questions for teachers to think about:
• Is the student having diffculties in school?
• Is the student advancing towards their goals and state standards?
• How can I modify my teaching methods to help the students become
more successful?
• Do I need to seek guidance for ideas to help this child?
• Would this child be eligible for special education?
LAWS
Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA)
• Previously called Public Law 94-142. All students with disabilities have
the right to a free, appropriate public education and schools must have
an IEP for each student with a disability. (Salvia et al., 2010)

No Child Left Behind (NCLB)

• Requires stronger accountability for results by specifying that states
must have challenging state educational standards, test children in
grades 3-8 every year, and specify statewide progress objectives that
ensure proficiency of every child by grade 12. (Salvia et al., 2010)
NORMATIVE GROUPS
• Allow us to compare one person’s performance to the performance of
others.

• Characteristics:
• Gender, Age, Grade in School, Acculturation of Parents, Race and
Cultural Identity, Geography, Intelligence
Universal Design
• The design of products and environments to be usable by all people, to the greatest
extent possible, without the need for adaptation or specialized design.

Seven Principles:
• Equitable
• Flexibility
• Simple and Intuitive
• Perceptible Information
• Tolerance for Error
• Low Physical Effort
• Size and Space for Approach and Ise
DECISIONS BEFORE REFFERING
• Are there unrecognized problems?
• Is the student making adequate progress in regular education?
• What can we do to enhance competence and build capacity?
• Should the student be referred to an intervention assistance team?
• Should the student be referred for multidisciplinary evaluation?
REFERENCE
• Salvia, John, Ysseldyke, James, & Bolt, Sara. (2010). Assessment in
special and inclusive education. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Pub Co.