The Child Study Team and

Pre-Referral Strategies
Created by: Yovana Pena & Graciela Mari Salinas
Tier I RTI Strategies
• School personnel conduct universal screening of literacy skills, academics, and behavior.
• Teachers implement a variety of research-supported teaching strategies and approaches.
• Ongoing curriculum-based assessment and continuous progress monitoring are used to guide high-
quality instruction.
• Students receive differentiated instruction based on data from ongoing assessments.

When progress monitoring and teacher observation show that Tier I RTI strategies are not
working, they will move to Tier II RTI.
Tier II RTI
• Curriculum-based measures are used to identify which students continue to need assistance and with
what specific kinds of skills.
• Collaborative problem solving is used to design and implement instructional support for students that
may consist of a standard protocol or more individualized strategies and interventions.
• Identified students receive more intensive scientific, research-based instruction targeted to their
individual needs.
• Student progress is monitored frequently to determine intervention effectiveness and needed
modifications.
• Systematic assessment is conducted to determine the fidelity or integrity with which instruction and
interventions are implemented.
• Parents are informed and included in the planning and monitoring of their child's progress in Tier II
specialized interventions.
• General education teachers receive support, as needed, from other qualified educators in
implementing interventions and monitoring student progress.
The Child Study Team
• CST is a school-based team, also known as the school building-level committee (SBLC), pupil
personnel team (PPT), or pre-referral team (PRT), depending on the state in which the student resides.
• Following Staff Members
• Child's classroom teacher
• Principal
• School psychologist
• Special education teacher
• School nurse
• Social worker
• Speech/language clinician
• Guidance counselor (secondary level)
Pre-referral Meetings
• Pre-referral strategies- where school districts recommend or require that before a formal assessment
of a student for possible placement in special education occurs, their teacher will meet with this pre-
referral team to discuss the nature of the problem and what possible modifications to instruction, or
the classroom might be made.
• The members of the CST usually meet on a regular basis, once or twice a week depending on the
caseload.
• Many schools utilize a referral form procedure that teachers submit to indicate the possibility of a
high-risk student. This is usually the first step in the referral process.
• Question Examples of Referral Forms to the CST
• What symptoms is the child exhibiting that are of concern currently?
• What have you tried that has worked?
• What have you tried that does not seem to work toward alleviating these symptoms?
• What are the child's present academic levels of functioning?
• Any observable behavioral or physical limitations?
• What is the child's social behavior like?
• Current performance estimates (below, on, or above grade level): Reading, Math, Spelling
The Child Study Team Meeting
Once a referral is made to the CST, personnel involved on the team will gather as much available
information as possible prior to the meeting in order to better understand the child and their educational
patterns.
• Student work
• Other Sources of Student Information
• School records
• Prior academic achievement
• Prior test scores
• Group standardized achievement test results
• Group IQ test information
• Attendance records
• Prior teacher referrals
• Prior teacher reports
• Medical history in the school nurse's office
Recommendations by the Child Study Team
• Alternatives are reviewed and referrals made to other programs. Instructional assistance can be
provided if needed.
• Collaboration with the teacher on Tier II RTI strategies takes place.
• Students who do not have a disability, but who need instructional support, will receive it in the regular
program.
• Problem solving happens as a team facilitates professional growth in needed areas; staff
development is formative and directly in response to teacher needs.
• Teachers in the regular program develop a network of peer support.
• Referrals to special education are more valid; that is, students are more likely to truly have a
disability.
Pre-referral Intervention Strategies
• Team meeting with teachers • In-school counseling

• Parent interviews • Progress reports

• Medical exam • Disciplinary action

• Hearing test • Change of program

• Vision test • Consolidation of program

• Classroom management techniques • Referral to child protection services

• Help classes

• Remedial reading or math services

Classroom Management Techniques
There are times when the real issue may not be the child but rather the teaching style of the classroom
teacher. These are strategies developed to help handle various problems and conflicts within a classroom.

• Display daily schedule with times so that the student • Modify curriculum but change content only as a last
has a structured idea of the day ahead
• Change seating
• Seat the student with good role models
• Use peer tutors when appropriate
• Limit number of directions
• Simplify complex directions
• Give verbal as well as written directions
• Provide extra work time
• Shorten assignments
• Identify and address preferred learning styles
resort
• Provide manipulative materials
• Provide examples of what is expected
• Use color coding of materials to foster organizational
skills
• Develop a homework plan with parental support
• Develop a behavior modification plan if necessary
• Use lots of positive reinforcement
• Use technology as an aid
Informal Assessment Techniques
Informal Screening Tools
• Serious inconsistencies in intellectual, emotional, academic, or social performance
• Inconsistency between ability and achievement and/or ability and classroom performance
• Impairment in one or more life functions, that is, socialization, academic performance, or adaptive
behavior
To accomplish this screening, team members utilize:
• Abbreviated intelligence tests
• Selected subtests or screening versions of individual achievement tests
• Informal reading inventories
• Checklists
• Observation scales
• Rating scales
• Pre-referral data already discussed
Discussion Question
What are three pre-referral intervention
strategies that can be recommended by the
Child Study Team?
The Multidisciplinary Team and
Parental Participation in the
Assessment Process
Created by: Yovana Pena & Graciela Mari Salinas
 Multidisciplinary Team, MDT
• This team will come into operation when the local school-based team has conducted a screening and
suspects a disability. The multidisciplinary team performs the evaluation of the child for a suspected
disability and then makes a recommendation to an Eligibility Committee. The team is mandated by the
Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEIA) so that the student and parents are
guaranteed that any comprehensive evaluation be conducted by different professionals to decrease the
possibility of subjective and discriminatory assessment.
• The MDT is to work together to find the cause for contributing behavioral factors, educational status,
outcomes, and recommendations for a student who has a suspected disability.
• The MDT is responsible for gathering all the necessary information on a child to determine the most
effective and practical direction for their education. In most states the MDT's findings are reviewed by
another committee to determine if their findings fall within the guidelines for classification of the student
as having an exceptionality and requiring special education services.
• It is important the team members have several types of assessments and collect data from many sources.
Membership of the Multidisciplinary Team
• School psychologist administers individual intelligence tests, projective tests, personality inventories,
and observations of the student in a variety of settings.
• School nurse reviews all medical records, screens for vision and hearing, consults with outside
physicians, and makes referrals to outside physicians when necessary.
• Classroom teacher works with school-based child study team to implement pre-referral strategies,
and plan and implement alongside with special education team using classroom strategies
that will create an appropriate working environment for the student.
• School social worker gathers and provides information concerning the family system through
interviews, observations, and conferences.
• Special education teacher may consult with parents and classroom teachers about pre-referral
recommendations, administering tests, observing the student in various settings, screening students
with suspected disabilities, writing individual education programs, including goals/objectives, and
recommending intervention strategies to teachers and parents.
Membership of the Multidisciplinary Team
• Educational diagnostician administers evaluations which include norm-referenced and criterion-
referenced tests, observes the student, makes educational recommendations that may get applied to
the IEP goals/objectives.
• Physical therapist are called to evaluate children who may be having issues with gross motor
functioning, living and self-help skills, and vocational skills necessary for the student to function in
certain settings.
• Behavioral consultant works closely with the team by providing direct services on issues which
involve behavioral and classroom management techniques and programs.
• Speech/language clinician provides screening for speech and language developmental problems,
gives a full evaluation on any suspected language disability, provides direct services, and consults
with staff and parents.
• Audiologist evaluate a student's hearing for possible impairments and report findings. They may refer
students for medical consultation or treatment. They may help parents and students receive equipment
to help their ability to function in school
Membership of the Multidisciplinary Team
• Occupational therapists can evaluate a child who is experiencing problems with fine motor skills,
living, or self-help skills. They may screen, evaluate, provide direct services, consult with the
teacher/parent/school, and assist in receiving appropriate assistive technology or equipment to help
the student.
• Guidance/School counselor can provide aptitude test information, provide counseling services, work
with team on consolidating, changing, or developing a student's class schedule, and assist the child
study team in creating pre-referral strategies.
• Parents provide input for IEP, works closely with members of the team, and carrying out, assisting,
or initiating academic or management programs with child's home.

It is imperative to note, not all above members are required to make a Multidisciplinary Team. Not all
schools will have all the above discussed positions. It is recommended to for an LEA too gather who they
do have to make the best-informed decision for the student.
Formal Referral for a Suspected Disability
• After the CST suspects a disability, a formal referral is made to the multidisciplinary team. This form
is basically the start of the special education process.
• A referral for evaluation and possible special education services is initiated by a written request.
Please remember, anyone has the right under due process to initiate a formal referral for a child with a
suspected disability. Depending on state regulations, they include:
• Child's parent, advocate, parental relationship,, or legal guardian
• Classroom teacher or professional staff member of the school district
• A judicial officer or representative of the court
• A student on their own who is 18 or emancipated.
• Chief school officer of the state or designee responsible for the welfare, education, or health of children
Contents of a referral to the MDT
• The referral is a written form that indicates a student with a suspected disability will be reviewed by
the committee soon.
• This form is dated and is an official document with a start date and imperative to the timeline.
• CST must provide a great deal of information to assist the MDT in this assessment. Further
documentation as to why a possible disability exists, descriptions of attempts to remediate the child's
behaviors, or performance prior to the referral all important documents that should be included.
• It is important to keep the child in their Least Restrictive Environment, mainstreamed, and the
documentation that shows that they have done everything possible before beginning the referral
process.
• If the referral is not by the parents, the district must inform the parents in writing immediately that
their child has been referred for assessment of a suspected disability.
The referral does not mean the student has a disability, it signals they are having learning/behavioral
difficulties and there are concerns that these issues may be due to a disability.
Initial Referral to the MDT from School Staff
• Once the CST determines a disability may exist, the team must alert the chairperson of the MDT that
a child with a possible disability is being referred for review. This is the beginning of the special
education process.
• The team should fill out a form with the following information
• Specific reason and/or needs that indicate the suspicion of a disability. Specify reason why referral is
considered appropriate and necessary
• Description of recent attempts to remediate the student's performance prior to referral, including regular
educational interventions, remedial reading/math, teaching modification, behavior modifications, speech
improvement, parent conferences, and the results of those interventions.
• Information on attendance, home language, at-risk, other programs the student may be in (ESL, 504, GT) and
state assessment scores. Medical summary with health issues, vison/hearing screenings, etc.
Initial Referral to the MDT from a Parent/Guardian
• An initial referral to the MDT from the school staff indicates the school has made every attempt to
resolve the student's difficulties prior to the referral. Parents have been informed and received the
parental rights.
• MDT will send the parent/guardian an assessment plan and the parent's due process rights statement.
• Principal is notified of the referral.
Assessment Plans & Consent for Evaluation
• Prior to any assessment, the MDT must receive an agreement by the parent to allow the members of
the team to evaluate their child. This release is part of the assessment plan and use the
following characteristics:
• Use language that is understood by the general public
• Provide the consent in the primary language of the parent
• Explain the types of assessments that will be done
• State that no IEP will result from an assessment without the parent's consent
• No assessment shall be done unless the written consent of the parent is obtained prior to the assessment.
Parents shall have at least 15 days from receipt of proposed assessment plan to arrive at a decision. Assessment
can begin after consent is received.
• Note in copy of notice of parent rights, the right to record electronically the proceedings of eligibility meetings
• Provide the assessments shall be conducted by professionals who are trained to perform the assessments.
• Provide any psychological assessment of students will be done by a qualified school psychologist
• Provide any health assessment of students will be done aby a certified school nurse who is trained.
Assessment Options of the MDT
After release has been obtained, and the assessment plan has been signed can assessment begin.

• Academic Achievement Evaluation: Recommended when a child's academic skills are inconsistent. The
evaluation will help find the students strengths and weaknesses in their academic performance.
• Intellectual and Psychological Evaluation: When the child's intellectual ability is unknown or when there
is a question about their inability to learn.
• Perceptual Evaluation: Suggested when the team suspects discrepancies in the child's ability to receive
and process information.
• Speech and Language Evaluation: Used when the child is experiencing significant delays in speech or
language development, problems in articulation, or problems in receptive or expressive language.
• Occupational Therapy Evaluation: Considered when the student shows problems involving fine motor
upper-body functions.
• Physical Therapy Evaluation: Suggested when the student has problems with lower body and gross motor
areas, physical therapy evaluation may be considered.
Parental Participation in the Assessment Process
• Parents will need to provide important background information that will assist in the assessment
process. Other options, responsibilities, and expectations prior to assessments from parents are:
• Parents can talk to the professional who is conducting the evaluation and find out more about the assessments
• Parents should advocate for a comprehensive evaluation of their child, preferably where all skill areas
apparently affected by the suspected disability and that uses multiple means of collecting information
• Parents may suggest specific questions to the MDT they would like to see addressed through assessments
• Parents should inform the MDT of any accommodations the child will need
• Parents should inform the MDT if they need an interpreter during any discussions with the school
Parental Participation in the Assessment Process
• Parents may prepare their child for the assessment process to reduce any anxiety.
• Parents need to share with the MDT their insights into the child's background (developmental, medical, and
academic) and past school performance
• Parents may share with the MDT any prior school records, reports, tests, or evaluation information available on
their child
• Parents may need to share information about cultural differences that can illuminate the MDT's
understanding of the student
• Parents must make an effort to attend interviews and meetings the MDT sets up to provide the
imperative information about their child.
How to Conduct Parent Intakes and Interviews
• Help the parent feel at ease by setting up a comfortable environment. Hold meetings in a pleasant
setting and avoid sitting behind a desk. To ease possible tension, offer simple refreshments or
encourage parents to take brief notes.
• Never view parents as adversaries even if they are angry. Evaluators should listen and strive to
understand their concerns without being defensive.
• Inform parents every step and its purpose of meetings and assessments. Parents need to be reassured
that no recommendations or implementations will be made without their input and permission.
• Inform parents of the types and purposes of evaluation instruments chosen by MDT.
Reassure parents about the confidentiality of information that is gathered bout their child. Evaluators
should also make every effort to make parents feel free to call with questions or concerns they may have.
Parent Intake Goals
A parent intake should be done with sensitivity and diplomacy. The four main areas covered in the parent
intake:
• Identify data and family information
• Developmental history
• Academic history
• Social history
Confidentiality
• Any information collected through a child's assessment becomes a part of their permanent school
records. To communicate information to the parents, handouts which describes the district's policy on
confidentiality of school records should be given out the day of parent intake. Verbal reassurance of
confidentiality should also be presented to the parent as well.
• Personnel involved in the evaluation sho9uld teat their own impressions about the student in a
confidential manner and should refrain from talking about a student and their performance with
people not directly involved with conducting the evaluation.
Discussion Question
What steps should be made when conducting a
Parent Intake?
Parental Consent and
Evaluation Standards
Under IDEIA
Created by: Yovana Pena & Graciela Mari Salinas
Parental Consent
• The school must make reasonable efforts to obtain parental informed consent to determine whether
their child is a child with a disability. Without parental consent, the school cannot conduct an initial
evaluation of the child to determine if the child qualifies as a child with a disability.
• If the parent fails to provide consent or fails to respond to a request for consent, the school can
use mediation or due process procedures to initiate an evaluation.
• Below are the three criteria for a parental consent:
• The parent has been fully informed of all information relevant to the activity for which consent is sought, in
their native language.
• The parent understands and agrees in writing to the carrying out of the activity for which their consent is
sought, and the consent describes that activity and lists the records which will be released and to whom.
• The parent understand that gaining of consent is voluntary and may be revoked at any time.

It's important to understand the difference between consent and agreement. An oral agreement is not legally
sufficient when parental consent is required. Parental consent for an evaluation of a child for a suspected disability
must be in writing.
Timeframe for Initial Evaluations
• Initial evaluation must be conducted within 60 days of receiving parental consent for the evaluation or
if the State establishes a timeframe within which the evaluation must be conducted, within that
timeframe; and
• The timeframe does not apply to a public agency if the parent of a child repeatedly fails or refuses to
produce the child for the evaluation; or if a child enrolls in a school of another public agency after the
relevant timeframe has begun, and prior to a determination by the child's previous school as to if the
child has a disability.

The evaluation of a child for a suspected disability must be performed before any action is taken
regarding an initial special education placement.
The Six Evaluation Standards Under IDEIA
1. When considering eligibility for special education, the evaluation must be done by MDT.
2. All testing materials and procedures must be selected and administered so as not to be racially or
culturally discriminatory.
3. All test and evaluation materials have been shown to be valid and reliable for the specific
purpose for which they are used
4. Tests and other evaluation materials must be administered by trained personnel in conformance with
the i8instructions provided by their producer
5. No single procedure can be used as the only criterion for determining an appropriate educational
program for a child
6. When doing the evaluation, all tests should be given in the child's native language and all reports
must be written in the parent's native language.
Validity
The extent to which a test measures what it is supposed to measure
The greater the validity of a test, the greater our confidence that it measures what it is designed to
measure.
Criterion-Related Validity simply means the instrument in question is compared with another
instrument that has already been established as being valid. The closer the two tests, the better the
criterion-related validity. It is expressed as a correlation between the test in question and the criterion
measure. The closer the correlation coefficient is to +1.00, the stronger the criterion-related validity.
2 Types of Criterion- related validity:
• Concurrent validity occurs when the criterion measures are obtained at the same time as the test
scores. This shows the extent in which the test scores accurately estimate an individual's current state
with regards to the criterion.
• Predictive validity occurs when the criterion measures are obtained at a time after the test.
Validity...continued
The extent to which a test measures what it is supposed to measure
• Content validity refers to whether the individual items of a test represent what you actually want to
assess. Content validity concerns, primarily, the adequacy with which the test items adequately and
representatively sample the content area to be measured. When doing an assessment of the content
validity of an instrument, you should seek the rationale for item selection as described in the test's
technical manual.
• Construct validity is the extent to which a test measures a theoretical construct or attribute. A classic
question of whether intelligence is being measured by these particular variables is an assessment of
the test's construct validity. Establishing construct validity is a long and involved process, most tests
provide little information about this type of validity. Evidence of construct validity is not found in a
single study but based on an accumulation of research results.
• A test that has good convergent validity has high positive correlation with other tests measuring the
same construct. However, a test that has good discriminant validity how low correlation with test that
measure different constructs.
Factors Affecting Validity
• Test-related factors can consist of, but not limited to: anxiety, motivation, speed, understanding test
instructions, rapport, physical handicaps, language barriers, deficiencies in educational opportunities,
and unfamiliarity with testing materials.
• The criterion to which you compare your instrument may not be well enough established If your
comparison instrument is not valid, then the results you get are to be questioned as to their validity.
• Intervening events include life experiences, such as death of a parent/loved one, divorce, breakup
with a boyfriend, or move to a new school district during testing.
• Reliability, if the reliability of a test is low, then the validity will be low.
Reliability
Consistency of measurements
How can we account for an individual who does not get the same test score every time they take a test?
• Test taker's temporary psychological or physical state
• Environmental factors
• Test form
• Multiple raters
Reliability...continued
• Reliability Coefficients expresses the degree of consistency in the measurement of test scores.
Reliability coefficients can range in value from 0.00 to 1.00. below 0.70 may have limited
applicability; 0.70-0.79 is adequate; 0.80-0.89 is good; .90 and up is excellent.
• Test-Retest Reliability suggests that subjects tend to obtain the same score when tested at different
times.
• Split-half reliability or internal consistency indicates that subjects' scores on some trials
consistently match their scores on trials
• Inter-rater reliability involves having two raters independently observe and record specified
behaviors, such as hitting, crying, yelling, and getting out of the seat, during the same time period.
• Formula: Number of agreement/number of agreements + Disagreements x 100 = Percentage of
agreements
Discussion Question
When evaluating a child for a suspected disability,
what are the legal guidelines set forth under IDEIA
for parental consent?
 Works Cited
Pierangelo, R. A., & Giuliani, G. A. (2016). Assessment in Special Education (5th ed.). Pearson Education (US).
https://bookshelf.vitalsource.com/books/9780134155739