Special Education Assessment and IDEA Principles

Posted on Feb 23, 2025 in Other university degrees and diplomas

Assessment Terminology

Basal: Set of consecutive items answered correctly.

Ceiling: Set of consecutive items answered incorrectly.

Norm-Referenced: A test that compares a student’s performance to others at the same grade or level.

Test Administration Fidelity: Record yourself administering the two tasks to an adult who will respond like an elementary-aged student.

Principles of Screening and Progress Monitoring

Screening: Assessments used to determine if students are at risk of failing. Provides predictive validity and classification accuracy. Screening is universal.

Goal of Screening: To identify true positive cases and reduce false positives/negatives.

Progress Monitoring: Used to determine if students are making progress and responding to instruction. Requires sensitivity to growth (fluency, scoring).

  • Curriculum-based measurement
  • Parallel or alternate forms designed with the “end” goal in mind
  • Graph progress to determine growth
  • Global outcome measures (GOM) vs. skill-based measures/subskill mastery vs. mastery measurement
  • Required for IEP goals and objectives (at least quarterly)
  • Used in the RTI process
  • Making decisions about responsiveness

IDEA Requirements for Evaluation

Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEA): Current focus is meeting goals and outcomes as identified in a student’s IEP (Individualized Education Program) and access to the general curriculum.

IDEA is a federal law governing special education. Each state has its own special education regulations based on IDEA, which they may enforce with slight differences.

Six Principles of IDEA:

  1. Zero Reject: No student with disabilities can be excluded from receiving an appropriate education. Extensions of this include expulsion/suspension (10-day rule), manifestation determination, stay-put, and 45-day rule.
  2. FAPE (Free Appropriate Public Education): Students with disabilities are entitled to a free and appropriate public education (including expelled/suspended students). Documented on an IEP (ages 3-21) or IFSP (Individualized Family Service Program) (ages 0-3).
  3. LRE (Least Restrictive Environment): To the maximum extent possible, children with disabilities are educated with students without disabilities. Any decision to place a student outside the regular education classroom must be justified.
  4. Continuum of Services: Students with disabilities must be allowed accommodations and modifications in the general education classroom.
  5. Parental and Student Shared Participation and Decision Making: Parents and students must be meaningfully involved, and consent/permission is required.
  6. Procedural Safeguards: Prior written notice of meetings and revisions of programs, placements, or services is required. Parents have rights to student work. Due process and mediation are available for disagreements.

Non-Discriminatory Evaluation and Identification

A student must be evaluated before receiving special education services to determine:

  • Eligibility according to IDEA criteria
  • Appropriate educational classification
  • Supports and services needed to meet their educational needs

Test Psychometrics/Technical Properties

Reliability: Types of reliability and how to determine acceptable/appropriate reliability.

Validity: Types of validity and how to determine acceptable/appropriate validity.

Test Properties Specific to Screening Assessments: Further exploration of relevant test properties.