Introduction to assessment
- 1. National Association of Special Education Teachers
- 2. Definition of Assessment: Assessment in special education is a process that involves collecting information about a student for the purpose of making decisions. Assessment is primarily a problem-solving process
- 3. Assessment and testing are often treated synonymously yet they really aren't the same. Testing is just one piece of the assessment process.
- 4. No matter which type of professional you become in the field of special education, it is always necessary to fully understand the assessment process and to be able to clearly communicate vital information to professionals, parents, and students.
- 5. In special education, you will work with many professionals from different fields. You are part of a team, often referred to as a Multidisciplinary Team, Definition---A Multidisciplinary team performs the assessment of child for a suspected disability and then determines the child’s eligibility for special education services
- 6. 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. Consequently, the skills you must possess in order to offer a child the most global, accurate, and practical evaluation should be fully understood.
- 7. Assessment in special education is a process that involves collecting information about a student for the purpose of making decisions about an individual. Assessment plays an critical role in the determination of SIX important decisions
- 8. 1. Evaluation Decisions: Information collected in the assessment process can provide detailed information of a student’s strengths, weaknesses, and overall progress. 2. Diagnostic Decisions : Information collected in the assessment process can provide detailed information of the specific nature of the student’s problems or disability.
- 9. 3. Eligibility Decisions: Information collected in the assessment process can provide detailed information of whether a child is eligible for special education services. 4. IEP (IEP Development) Decisions: Information collected in the assessment process can provide detailed information so that an Individualized Education Program (IEP) may be developed
- 10. 5. Educational Placement Decisions Information collected in the assessment process can provide detailed information so that appropriate decisions may be made about the child’s educational placement 6. Instructional Planning Decisions Information collected in the assessment process is critical in planning instruction appropriate to the child’s special social, academic, physical, and management needs