Copyright of PEN 2008. Connecting the Dots: The Evaluation Process, the Development of the IEP & Monitoring for Progress Parent Education Network 2107

Copyright of PEN 2008.

Connecting the Dots: The Evaluation Process, the Development of the

IEP & Monitoring for Progress

Parent Education Network 2107 Industrial HighwayYork, PA 17402


Evaluation to IEP Development

The Evaluation should:1. Identify your child’s present levels:

a. Academic Achievementb. Functional c. Developmentald. Sociale. Emotionalf. Behavioral


Evaluation to IEP Development Continued

2. Identify conditions that effect learning and behavioral issues.

300.324 (a) (2)(i) In the case of a child whose behavior

impedes the child’s learning or that of others, consider the use of positive behavioral interventions and supports, and other strategies, to address that behavior.



3. Provide recommendations to assist the child in areas of need.

4. You as a parent and school will decide if further exploration and information is needed. Student should be assessed in all areas of suspected disability and if appropriate, health hearing, vision, social, emotional, communication and motor skills.



5. Test and evaluations are given by trained individuals and administered according to publishers recommendations.

6. Evaluations should not be discriminatory racially or culturally.

7. No single test is used as the single criteria to determine eligibility.

Figure 1. Eligibility Criteria for Specific Learning Disability (SLD) PA SLD Guidelines. 08-05-08

1. Adequate achievement: Does the child achieve adequately for the child’s age or meet State-approved grade level standards?

• oral expression,

• listening comprehension

•written expression,

• basic reading skill,

• reading fluency skill

• reading comprehension

• mathematics calculation

• mathematics problem solving.

2. Choose one of two options:

(a) A process that examines whether a child exhibits a pattern of strengths and weaknesses, relative to intellectual ability as defined by a severe discrepancy between intellectual ability and achievement, or relative to age or grade. or

(b) RTI: Lack of progress in response to scientifically based instruction.

+

3. Rule out:

• Vision, hearing or motor problems;

• Mental retardation,

• emotional disturbance

• cultural and/or environmental issues,

• limited English proficiency

+

4. Rule out lack of instruction by documenting:

• Appropriate instruction by qualified personnel

• Repeated assessments

+

Inclusionary

observation Exclusionary


Preparing & IEP Development

Questions Parents Need to Ask:

1. In reviewing the Evaluation Report (ER) ask yourself what makes sense, what doesn’t make sense. Make a list.

2. Ask who was responsible for evaluating your child and generating the Evaluation Report (ER).

3. How and what data was included in the Evaluation Report and why?


Preparing & IEP Development (continued)

4. Review your child’s school records.

5. Was there time and consideration taken to give your child an opportunity to express his or her thoughts and feelings?

6. Is your child aware of why he/she is being evaluated?



7. Does your child have access to the general education curriculum?

8. Does your child have and opportunity to participate in non-academic, extra curricular activities? Does your child need accommodations to be able to participate?



9. Does the evaluation determine the need for assistive technology devices and services?

a) Calculators- math computationb) Computer- support language

processing difficultiesc) Readers- reading fluency issues.


Analyzing the Evaluation

1. Evaluation Questions to be Addressed:1. What has been determined to be my child’s

disability? Have all areas of suspected disability been determined?

2. What does the evaluation say regarding my child’s strengths, interests, delays & needs?a) Academicb) Behavior, Social, Emotionalc) Medical, Physicald) Motore) Communication/Languagef) Functional (Self-Help)g) Does my child need any supports or services to be able

to participate in non-academic, extra-curricular activities?


Analyzing the Evaluation (continued)

2. Highlight your child’s: STRENGTHS (S) & NEEDS (N) weak/problem areas

3. Ask yourself if you agree or disagree with the areas of STRENGTHS and NEEDS that have been identified. Are there trends that are emerging?

4. Is the data in the evaluation?a. Accurate, consistentb. Currentc. Respectful and non-judgmental of family and family

values.d. Free of cultural, racial biase. Understandable


Analyzing the Evaluation (continued)

5. Are there areas of the evaluation report that I don’t understand?

6. Are there reported findings in the evaluation report I am not in agreement with and can’t accept based on what I have observed about my child?

7. What are my child’s present levels of academic and functional (behavior/social skills) performance?


Standards-Based IEP’sHow is my child performing in relation to grade-level content standards for which my child is enrolled?

1. What should my child be able to do or know?

2. Has my child had an opportunity to learn the grade-level standards?

3. What supports have been provided to support my child’s learning?

4. Was my child’s instruction researched & evidence-based?

Present Level of Academic Achievement & Functional

Performance1. What supports, instruction and

accommodations have been provided to my child? What has been helpful, what has not been helpful?

2. How, who, what data is being collected to determine my child’s progress or lack of progress? Do I understand what is being reported?

3. Does my child’s disability affect participation and progress in general education curriculum as well as participation in extra-curricular non-academic activities?



Specially Designed Instruction (SDI)

300.39(3) Specially designed instruction means adapting, as appropriate to the needs of an eligible child under this part, the content, methodology or delivery of instructions-

i. To address the unique needs of the child that result from the child’s disability; and

ii. To ensure access of the child to the general curriculum, so that the child can meet the educational standards within the jurisdiction of the public agency that apply to all children.

Related Services300.34(a) General. Related services means

transportation and such developmental, corrective, and other supportive services as are required to assist a child with a disability to benefit from special education, and includes speech-language pathology and audiology services, interpreting services, psychological services, physical and occupational therapy, recreation, including therapeutic recreation, early identification and assessment of disabilities in children, counseling services, including rehabilitation counseling, orientation and mobility services, and medical services for diagnostic or evaluation purposes. Related services also include school health services and school nurse services, social work services in schools, and parent counseling and training.



Measurable Annual Goals- Grade-level Academic Standards

1. Does my child need goals for prerequisite skills in addition to grade level content skills?

2. What are the steps and time frame for accomplishing the goals?

3. Duration, Frequency & Location- How often, when and where will instruction and services be provided to my child.


Measurable Annual Goals- Grade-level Academic Standards

(cont)

4. What is SPECIAL with regard to what is being provided to my child?

5. How and who will measure progress and outcomes?

6. How will I be informed regarding progress?


Measuring for Progress

Your school district will most likely use a seven step approach to implement IEP goals and monitor student progress.

The 7 steps are:


Measuring for Progress (cont)

1. Writing goals for the student that are very specific and measurable.

2. Making decisions about what kind of information will be collected, and how often information will be collected about your child.



3. Deciding what type of educational tools to use to collect monitoring information. These tools may include teacher-made tests, skills checklists, standardized tests and incident reports. The information is collected frequently and reviewed regularly.

4. Displaying the monitoring information in an easy to understand format like graphs and charts.



5. Evaluating the collected information about your child’s progress in order to make decisions about future teaching plans or programs.

6. Changing the student’s instructional program, if progress monitoring indicates the student will not reach his or her IEP goals.



7. Communicating the information to parents as outlined in the student’s IEP.

Progress Monitoring Glossary

Academic language can sometimes be confusing. To help parents or any person unfamiliar with progress monitoring, we have created a brief vocabulary list that may help you prepare for your discussions with teachers and administrators

1. Academic standards: The skills and knowledge expected of students for a specific subject and grade level, as determined by the state educational agency.

2. Anecdotal records: An objective narrative of observed activities in an educational setting.

3. Assessment: A formal or informal process through which educators gather information that can be used to determine student abilities and deficits.

4. Baseline: A standard determined by assessment procedures, which is used as the base point for measurement or comparison.


Progress Monitoring Glossary(cont)

5. Behavioral performance: Student assessment results gained through individual classroom observation.

6. Benchmarks: Standards or averages used to compare similar items or academic levels of performance, particularly as they relate to short-term objectives.

7. Checklist or rating scales: A list of learning outcomes expected to be included in a course of study. (IE: reading skills, phonics skills, etc.)

8. Data: Facts, text, or pieces of information to be used as a basis for discussion or decision.

9. DIBELS: The Dynamic Indicators of Basic Literacy Skills (DIBELS) as standardized measure (test) of early reading skills. It assesses oral reading fluency (ORF), nonsense word fluency (NWF), initial sound fluency (ISF) and other early skills to determine if students are on track for success or at some risk for reading failure. Copyright of PEN 2008.

Progress Monitoring Glossary(cont)

10.Educational Performance: The student’s involvement and documented achievement in the total school environment, including social and emotional development, communication skills and academic achievement.

11.Goal: A very broad or general statement about what the student is to learn. The goal is written in terms which can be “measured” by educators and parents.

12.Grade equivalent: A score from standardized tests that allows educators and parents to compare student performance for a specific school year.

13.Outcome: A clear, observable result or demonstration of student learning and achievement after teacher instruction.

14.Target Performance: A timeframe designated for the accomplishment of a specific goal, or level of student performance. Teacher instruction is directed toward achievement of the target activity.



Annotated IEP Form

See handout…


HOMEWORK1. Examine your child’s

Evaluation Report (ER)

2. Highlight Strengths & Needs (create a list)

3. Compare to the IEP

4. Are the strengths & needs that are noted in the ER also noted in the IEP?

Life Lessons

Like many things in life…

The more effort, time, and practice YOU

put into ensuring that your child learns,

the better the outcome for

YOUR child’s future! Copyright of PEN 2008.

Contact Information

Please complete & hand in your workshop evaluation before you leave.

Thank you!

Parent Education Network

800-522-5827 V/TDD

717-600-0100 V/TDD

800-441-0528 Spanish

E-mail: [email protected] Copyright of PEN 2008.

mailto:[email protected]

Documents

Copyright of PEN 2008. Connecting the Dots: The Evaluation Process, the Development of the IEP & Monitoring for Progress Parent Education Network 2107