Transcript Summary of IDEA Changes

ASSESSMENT
Developed by
Contra Costa SELPA
2003-2004
Facilitated by
Contra Costa SELPA Staff
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Purpose
The purpose of this training is
to inform those that conduct
special education assessments
of the requirements under
federal and state law.
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Agenda
 IDEA ’97 & The Process of Assessment
 Initial Evaluation
 Written Reports
 Special Factors
 Statewide Testing Program
 Independent Evaluations
 Re-Evaluation
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IDEA ’97 on Assessments
 Modifies the procedures for re-evaluation
to include the review of existing data
 Includes students with disabilities in
assessment programs with
accommodations
 Emphasizes access to and progress in
the general curriculum
 Includes parents in decision-making
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The Process of
Assessment
 Documentation Prior To Referral
 Written Referral
 Assessment Plan
 Assessment Including Observation
 Written Report
 Eligibility Criteria
 IEP Team Decision Making
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Initial Evaluations
“A variety of assessment tools and
strategies are used to gather relevant
functional and developmental information
about the child, including information
provided by the parent, and information
related to enabling the child to be involved
in and progress in the general curriculum”
35 CFR Part 300
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Questions to be Answered
through an Evaluation
 Does the student have a disability?
 What are the student’s present levels and
unique educational needs?
 Does the student need special education
and related services to address educational
needs?
 Are accommodations or modifications
required to participate in general
curriculum?
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13 Eligibility Categories
 Mental Retardation
 Specific Learning
Disability
 Language/Speech
Disorder
 Other Health
Impaired
 Orthopedically
Impaired
 Deaf/Blind
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Deaf
Hearing Impaired
Visually Impaired
Traumatic Brain
Injury
 Autism
 Emotional
Disturbance
 Multiple Disabilities
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
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Assessment Plan
 Developed by Team with Parent Input
 Addresses All Areas of Suspected Disability
 Acknowledges Assessment & Information
Submitted
 Given to Parent within 15 Days of Request
 Parent has 15 days to sign: Follow up
 Date Stamp: 50 Day Timeline begins when
plan is received back from parent
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Requirements for
Assessments
Written Consent of parent or guardian
Multidisciplinary team involvement
Vision & hearing screening
Competent, trained assessors, knowledgeable in
area of disability, cultural background and
primary language
 Tests administered in primary language, using
appropriate modes of communication
 Conducted in all areas of suspected disability
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
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Requirements for
Assessments (cont.)
 Participation of regular teacher in SLD
assessments, and observation of student in
general education classroom by IEP member
 Consideration of independent educational
evaluations
 Use of non-discriminatory assessment materials
and procedures
 Tests reflect what they purport to measure
 No single instrument or procedure used
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Assessment of
African-American Students
 Validity requirements
 Use Alternative Assessments
 No “IQ” tests, mental ages, standard
scores that correlate with IQ
 No “waivers” from parents
 Have parents of bi-racial students select
designated race (no changes later)
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Requirements for
Written Reports
 Information pertaining to all areas identified on
the assessment plan
 Description of relevant behavior noted during
observation in appropriate setting
 If standardized tests were used:
a. A statement regarding the validity of the
test results
b. The results of the standardized tests
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Requirements for
Written Reports (cont.)
 Relationship of behavior to student’s
academic and social functioning as well as
area of need
 Educationally relevant health, developmental
and medical findings
 Determination concerning the effects of
environmental, cultural or economic
disadvantage, when appropriate
 Statement as to whether student’s needs can
be met in a regular classroom
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Requirements for
Written Reports (cont.)
 Consideration of independent assessments
 Need for specialized services, materials and
equipment for low incidence student
 Basis for making eligibility determination, for
consideration by IEP team
 Information required for certification for SLD
eligibility
 Whether the assessment was valid
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SLD Eligibility Summary
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Alternative Means
Discrepancy: Ability/Achievement
Psychological Processing Disorder
Other Possible Causes of Discrepancy
Classroom Behavior
Attach Documentation if No Discrepancy
Certification of Conclusions
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Requires Consideration
of Special Factors:
 Behavior impeding learning
 Communication needs for limited English
proficient students
 Need for assistive technology
 Communication needs for visually impaired
 Communication needs for hearing impaired
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Functional Assessment
of Behavior
 Required if student’s behavior impacts his
learning or the learning of others
 Not the same requirements as California’s
“Hughes Bill”
 Requires observation and hypothesis
 Replacement behavior must serve same
function as target behavior
 Replacement behavior must be taught
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Assessment of
Bilingual Students
 Administered by qualified personnel who are
competent in student’s primary language or
mode of communication, and have knowledge
and understanding of cultural and ethnic
background of the pupil
 If it is clearly not feasible to do so, an
interpreter must be used and assessment
report must document suspected invalidity
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Assessment of
Bilingual Students (cont.)
 The normal process of second-language
acquisition, as well as manifestations of dialect
and socio-linguistic variance shall not be
diagnosed as a handicapping condition
 Parent notifications, parent rights, IEP and
reports should be provided in the parent’s
primary language. If written translation is not
available, provide alternate means
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Assistive Technology
Needs
 AT must be considered for every student at
every IEP meeting
 An “Assessment” can consist of the IEP team
looking at:
 Student Strengths
 Environmental Requirements
 Tasks (adaptations & modifications)
 Tools necessary to accomplish tasks
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Assistive Technology
Needs
(cont.)
 Is the use of assistive technology required
for the student to perform the required tasks
in the least restrictive environment, or
perform successfully with less personal
assistance?
 Examine options from low-tech to high-tech
 Try out possible device options
 Consider AAC/AT teams and other options
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Communication Needs for
Visually and Hearing Impaired
Students
 For Visually Impaired Students, consider
the use of large print, Braille, directions
read aloud, etc.
 For Hearing Impaired Students, consider
the use of amplification, closed
captioning device, interpreters, etc.
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Inclusion in Statewide
Testing
 “Children with disabilities are included in
general State and district-wide
assessment programs, with appropriate
accommodations, where necessary”
 State requires that the IEP team
determine if a student will take the CAT
6 or alternative assessments program.
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Accommodations
 Category1:
Available to any
student who
regularly uses
accommodations in
the classroom



Flexible setting
On-task reminders
Magnification
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 Category 2: Available
only to special ed.
students with
accommodations
written on their IEP.
These accommodations
cannot fundamentally
alter what is tested.
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Accommodations Cont.
 Category 3: These
accommodations DO
fundamentally alter
what is tested on the
CAT 6.
Ex. Use of calculator
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 Students who receive
Category 3
accommodations will
be reported as
Non-Proficient and
their scores will not
be included in the
school’s API
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Alternate Assessment
 IEP teams may no longer exempt a student from
STAR testing
 The IEP team may determine whether the
student should take the CAT 6 with Level 1,2 or 3
accommodations or take the California
Alternative Performance Assessment
 Parents may exempt their children from the STAR
Program testing, but this is NOT an IEP issue.
Direct parent inquiries regarding exemption to
the school principal.
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Independent Educational
Evaluations
 District Board Policy in Place
 Parent has right to IEE IF they disagree
with an assessment obtained by LEA
 District must have an assessment that is
one year old or less for the parent to
disagree with. IF the assessment is old
or does not exist, the district should
conduct a new one
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Independent Educational
Evaluations (cont.)
 If parent provides an independent
educational evaluation, district must
convene an IEP according to usual
timelines to consider the results of this
evaluation
 Independent educational evaluation must
meet the same standards as a district
provided evaluation, and must be
performed by a qualified educational
provider
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Re-evaluation
Requirements
 Use existing assessment data
 Use current classroom-based
assessments and observations
 Use teacher and related services
providers observations
 Use information
from parents
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Questions for
Re-evaluations
 Continues to have a disability?
 Present levels of performance
and needs?
 Continues to need special education and
related services?
 Need modifications to the program to
enable the child to meet annual goals and
participate in the general curriculum?
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If there IS
Sufficient Information:
 Parents are notified of the decision and the
reasons for it
 Parents are informed that they have the
right to request an assessment, if they
desire
 An assessment report documents the
evaluation information
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If there IS NOT
Sufficient Information:
 An assessment plan is developed and
sent for parent approval, along with a
copy of parent rights
 An assessment is conducted and a
report documents the
evaluation information
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THANK YOU
FOR ATTENDING