Andrea Barela EPSY 6300 Summer 2008 Assessing Children with
Disabilities in General Education
Slide 2
The Assessment and Performance Transformation in Special
Education Congress passed No Child Left Behind provisions Included
the participation of special education students in annual state
assessments Performance is reported separately under NCLB
requirements To ensure adequate progress, students are tested and
assessed in the regular curriculum The Individual Education Plan
(IEP) team must determine if participation is appropriate with
evidence to support their claims If not, appropriate,
state-approved accommodations or alternative assessments must be
administered
Slide 3
The Transforming Role of Eligibility for Services IDEA 97
Encouraged pre-referral intervention, highlighting developmental
delays IDEA04 Implemented an option to use discrepancy models or a
response to intervention (RTI) model to determine Specific Learning
Disabilities
Slide 4
Two Major Assessment Models The Discrepancy Model Uses aptitude
or IQ test against an achievement test Determines a severe
discrepancy between a childs predicted achievement versus their
actual achievement Response to Intervention Model Uses early
intervention with evidence-based treatments Childs progress is
monitored and/or graphed
Slide 5
Shortcomings of Assessment Models Discrepancy Model
Wait-to-Fail Lacks specifics in differentiating among low achievers
Different tests yield different scores Can depress IQ and
achievement scores and increase referrals Lengthy and expensive RTI
Model Trained staff and support uneven across states Local norms
for curriculum-linked assessments not developed Discrepancies in
scientific, research-based definition Wide-scale data collection,
graphing, analysis, and management not developed
Slide 6
RTI Tier I Focused in the regular education program Students
are tested at least three times a year to help determine their
instructional needs Provides high quality instruction and
behavioral supports by the classroom teacher Progress is monitored
weekly Minimum of 6-8 weeks
Slide 7
RTI Tier II Provides targeted, specific prevention or
remediation interventions Academic performance or behavior lags
behind grade level norms Progress in the improvement of skills is
monitored twice weekly Minimum of 30 minutes a session for 40
sessions
Slide 8
RTI Tier III Insufficient response is still exhibited after
first two Tier interventions More intensive, individualized
interventions implemented Progress in the improvement of skills is
monitored twice weekly Minimum of 60 minutes a session for 45
sessions
Slide 9
The Transforming Role of the General Education Teacher Under
RTI criteria, responsibilities include: Documenting discrepancies
Implementing research-based, scientifically validated interventions
Tracking progress Interpreting and reporting data checklists,
observations, rating scales, teacher-made and standardized tests,
and portfolios Referring for evaluation if enough progress is not
made
Slide 10
An Experimental Examination Read the descriptions of the 4
children presented next Formulate: What RTI Tier do you think each
child is in? What kinds of measures and assessments could be
appropriate for this child based on what you have learned in this
class
Slide 11
Child Description 1 DJ is a 7 year-old boy with serious
articulation and language impairments. He can be non-compliant at
times, disrupt the classroom routine, and can be destructive when
upset. He is one of the lowest readers in his grade. Besides
reading, writing can be difficult due to his language impairments.
However, when he chooses to work hard, all other school subjects
are on grade level. Home support is minimal.
Slide 12
Child Description 2 JR is a 7 year-old boy with mental
retardation and serious speech and language impairments. He has
tested at or near Kindergarten level for all school subjects. He
demonstrates poor social boundaries, has frequent tantrums, and
produces repetitive noises. Home support is encouraging, but not
very active.
Slide 13
Child Description 3 LC is a 7 year-old boy who is learning
English as his second language. He is one of the lowest readers in
his class and writing can be difficult due to his language
confusions as well. He works one-on-one with an ESL teacher to
support his English acquisition. He is a hard worker, and his other
school subjects are close to grade level. Home support is strong,
but unable to academically help due to the language barrier.
Slide 14
Child Description 4 FM is a 6 year-old girl with poor social
boundaries, sensory integration, and speech and language
impairments. She is currently in Reading Recovery as one of the
lowest readers in her class. She shows inconsistencies and
inattentiveness in other school subjects as well. She has poor
fine-motor skills and has difficulty completing school work. Home
support is strong, but frustrated with the school decisions being
made for her child.
Slide 15
A Proposal to Transform the Process Dynamic Assessment An index
of a childs readiness to change Represents a unique means of
differentiating performance among children at the low end of the
achievement continuum Differs from traditional testing by
Developing the examiner-student relationship Providing feedback
Emphasizes process instead of product
Slide 16
Dynamic Assessment Improves RTI by identifying the type and
intensity of intervention necessary for academic success
Test-teach-test format Measures responsiveness in shorter time
frame Psychometric properties and predictive validity are still
infrequent
Slide 17
DA, along with traditional testing, may indicate a students
potential for change, likeliness of school success, and appropriate
instruction Used for nonresponders to Tier 1 instruction, focused
on early reading skills Purpose: to determine various measures that
explained students responsiveness to 11 weeks of instruction
Dynamic Assessment (DA) as Responsiveness to Intervention (Fuchs,
D., Fuchs, L., Compton, D., Bouton, B., Caffrey, E., Hill, L.,
2007)
Slide 18
The DA Study Late fall of first grade, 133 students Measures
consisted of 3 subtests of nonwords CVC (see hand out) CVCe (fote,
gope, vope, wote, jope, zote) Doubling (fotting, goping, voping,
woting, jopping, zoting) 5 opportunities to master content
1=mastery first time given, 5=mastery 5th time given Subtests added
together for total score Lower score = faster mastery Intervention
study with intervention defined as general classroom
instruction
Slide 19
Repeat After Me Bod Bom Zod Zom
Slide 20
The DA Results Indicated future academic performance Predicted
and explained students general reasoning, verbal and mathematics
achievement Tapped into aspects of reading performance that other
measures did not Predicted achievement more accurately For children
with disabilities When achievement was defined as a posttest and
criterion- referenced test
Slide 21
The DA Advantages Selects an appropriate level of instructional
intensity for individual students Speeds up the assessment and
implementation process for each child Eliminates false positive
children Identifies neediest children to surpass Tiers 2 and 3
Slide 22
The Special Education Process Child Identification Individual
Assessment Individual Education Plan (IEP) Development
Individualized Instruction Reviewing the IEP
Slide 23
Child Identification Referral to Admission, Review, and
Dismissal (ARD) committee made Valid, reliable, accurate data
presented in support of referral Academic records Achievement data
Observations of social, emotional, and attitudinal status
Documented results of previous interventions Parent provided
information
Slide 24
Individual Assessment Collect and analyze more information on:
Achievement Language (expressive and receptive) Physical
(control/operation of motor functions) Intellectual
(verbal/nonverbal actions and adaptive behavior)
Emotional/Behavioral Sociocultural (Family history and home
circumstances)
Slide 25
IEP Development ARD team members: Review assessment findings
Develop an IEP based on childs needs States competencies and
developmental skills Physical abilities exhibited Factors that
could affect progress Annual instructional objectives with dates,
criteria, and times Identify specific services provided in the
least restrictive environment Determine childs degree of
participation in annual assessments and document reasoning
Slide 26
Individualized Instruction Day-to-day instruction based on
objectives Instructional environment conducive to providing
multiple learning opportunities Standard procedures implemented to
monitor progress Behavior management plan implemented
Slide 27
Reviewing IEP School districts must establish a standard set of
procedures for reviewing the progress of a students IEP goals Major
changes to an IEP can only be executed through an ARD meeting
Review appropriateness of: Instructional options Annual objectives
Reliability and validity of assessments
Slide 28
A Proposal to Transform the Diagnosis Universal Screening for
Developmental Disorders (Pinto-Martin, Dunkle, Earls, Fliedner,
& Landes, 2005) Effective, early intervention is a public
health imperative Academic, social and economic savings Detection
and referral can be made in children as young as 18 months of age
Used validated screening tools: Autism Screening Questionnaire
Parent-response & standardized developmental screening tools
For a positive screen, a secondary screen was administered
Slide 29
Universal Developmental Screenings In 4 years, 75% of the
children in North Carolina were screened Improved early
identification: By the age of 2, 75% of children with a positive
screen were diagnosed with Autism State policy in North Carolina
was changed to include screenings at 6, 12, 18, and 24 months, as
well as 3, 4, and 5 years of age Tests results must now be included
in medical records
Slide 30
Articles Pinto-Martin, J. A., Dunkle, M., Earls, M., Fliedner,
D., & Landes, C. (2005). Developmental Stages of Developmental
Screening: Steps to Implementation of a Successful Program.
American Journal of Public Health, 95, 1928-1932.Developmental
Stages of Developmental Screening: Steps to Implementation of a
Successful Program. Fuchs, D., Fuchs, L., Compton, D., Bouton, B.,
Caffrey, E., & Hill, L. (2007). Dynamic Assessment as
Responsiveness to Intervention. Teaching Exceptional Children, 39,
58-63.Dynamic Assessment as Responsiveness to Intervention. Book
Kubiszyn, T. & Borich, G. (2007). Educational Testing and
Measurement:Classroom Application and Practice (8 th Edition). New
Jersey: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Slide 31
Resources Individuals with Disabilities in Education Act
(http://idea.ed.gov/) IDEA is a law ensuring services to children
with disabilities throughout the nation. It governs how states and
public agencies provide early intervention, special education and
related services to eligible children and youth with disabilities.
Individuals with Disabilities in Education Act Council for
Exceptional Children
(http://www.cec.sped.org/am/template.cfm?section=Home) The CEC is
an international professional organization that serves the
educational and developmental needs of students with disabilities
or those who are gifted. It is designed as an advocate and
supporter of underserved individuals with exceptionalities, as well
as parents, teachers, paraprofessionals, and administrators.
Council for Exceptional Children Office of Special Education and
Rehabilitative Services
(http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/osers/osep/index.html) The
OSEP provides leadership and financial support to states and local
school districts in their efforts to improve results for children
and youth with special needs. Office of Special Education and
Rehabilitative Services National Dissemination Center for Children
with Disabilities (http://www.nichcy.org/) NICHCY is a central
source of information on children with special needs, IDEA, No
Child Left Behind, and researched-based information on effective
educational practices. They are continually building a
comprehensive training curriculum on IDEA 2004. National
Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilitiestraining
curriculum National Research Center for Learning Disabilities
(http://www.nrcld.org) NRCLD researches the role of and best
practices associated with learning disabilities and response to
intervention. It works to support educators, policymakers, and
parents in understanding and deciding upon whether a child has a
specific learning disability. National Research Center for Learning
Disabilities ACCESS Center
(http://www.k8accesscenter.org/index.php) The Access Center was a
national technical assistance (TA) center funded by the U.S.
Department of Education's Office of Special Education Programs. The
ACCESS Centers mission is to improve educational outcomes for
elementary and middle school students with disabilities. ACCESS
Center Iris Center for Faculty Enhancement
(http://iris.peabody.vanderbilt.edu/resources.html) The Iris Center
provides resources that work to transform research about the
education of special needs students into practice. Geared for
university faculty and professional development providers, these
resources are still beneficial for any teacher to consider when
including children with special needs. Iris Center for Faculty
Enhancement
Slide 32
A Brief Introduction Educating special needs children is an
on-going process. Before 1975, most special education options were
to stay home or go to an institution. However, since the Education
for All Handicapped Children Act, it has been legislated that all
children must be provided with a free, appropriate public education
in the least restrictive environment. When the law was reauthorized
in 1990, 1997, and again in 2004, the law was renamed the
Individuals with Disabilities in Education Act (IDEA). The changes
made to this act offered new services to millions of school
children that had not otherwise qualified for an appropriate
education. Currently, there are over 6.5 million children with
special needs in the United States that must be accommodated for.
Although the federal government promised to cover 40 percent of the
additional costs incurred by districts to educate students with
disabilities, they have never paid more than 15 percent. This has
caused a windfall of issues for school districts and state agencies
to deal with as they juggle the interpretation, implementation,
funding, and staffing for accommodating IDEA. As school districts
develop individualized education plans (IEPs) in the least
restrictive environment, the IEPs are constantly studied and
evaluated to determine their appropriateness and success. A team of
specialists and family members must weigh the benefits and
consequences of each placement option in special education. Then,
they must determine which placement would ultimately promote the
most efficient and well-rounded progress of those needs for that
child.
Slide 33
A Brief Overview Individuals with Disabilities Education Act
(IDEA) Requires that children with special needs be educated in the
least restrictive environment that will still meet their needs
Expanded opportunities for partnerships and collaboration by
targeting funding for multiple research and assistance Shortcoming:
some feel rights of students were compromised in order to give
schools more flexibility Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act
Requires that children with special needs be educated in the
maximum extent appropriate with peers who are not handicapped
Broader standard of eligibility; expands special services for those
children who fail to qualify under IDEA Short comings: ambiguous,
short length of time, uses local/state funds
Slide 34
IDEA from 1975-1996 Qualification was initially based on
demonstrably severe or serious disabilities Identified disabilities
before providing services Impeded prevention and early
intervention
Slide 35
Types of Service Delivery Settings There are several types of
settings to consider when it comes to meeting the least restrictive
environment (LRE) of a child with special needs Mainstreaming
Inclusion Full Inclusion Co-Teaching Resource Room Self-Contained
Classroom Out-of-District Placement
Slide 36
IDEA Categories Challenging Disabilities: Physical disabilities
Hearing impairments Visual impairments Mental retardation Behavior
disorders Learning disabilities Communication disorders Autism
Traumatic Brain Injury Multiple/Severe disabilities Developmental
Delays: Physical Cognitive Communication Social and Emotional
Adaptive o Purpose of categories is to identify learners in need of
assistance o Regular classroom teacher plays an integrated role in
the preparation and assessment of categorical services delivered to
students
