Assessment and the IFSP/IEP Process

The Exceptional Child: Inclusion in Early Childhood Education; Allen, K. Eileen and Cowdery, Glynnis E.; 2012

Chapter 10

Assessments• Children are assessed for several reasons

• Compare their development to other children their age• Compare their individual growth and development over time

• The assessment process is described on p. 243 in your text• Criterion-referenced assessment – performance is compared to standards;

children are not compared to others; good for program planning• Norm-referenced assessment – compares a child to others about the same

age based on standardized information; not especially reliable for young children for many reasons• IQ Tests – norm-referenced tests that are not reliable for young children

Terms and Concepts to Know

• Child Find• Screening• Reliability• Validity• Parents as Partners

Types of Observations

• Teachers may be responsible for both formal and informal observations• Observations must be objective – • What does the observer see?• What does the observer hear?

• Observations must be done in an organized fashion –• Questions to be answered will determine most effective type of

observation to be used

More Terms to Know

• Checklists• Frequency counts• Duration measure• Anecdotal notes• Running records• Logs, journals, and diaries• Time sampling• Language samples• Portfolios

Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP)

• For younger children and their families who may only be identified with a developmental delay• See list of requirements on p. 261 of your text• Parental consent is required prior to any assessments• Early care and family support is about helping families identify what

they need and what their capabilities are.• IFSPs must be evaluated each year, but may be evaluated more often• The service coordinator is generally decided by each team.• Transition services are required in an IFSP

Individualized Education Program (IEP)• Describes the education plan for a student with a disability• Teams may be multidisciplinary, interdisciplinary, or transdisciplinary.• See requirements of an IEP on p. 267 of your text with additional

specific information through p. 274.• Access to general education programs must be addressed in an IEP• All children with a disability and challenging behaviors must have a

behavior plan as part of their IEP

504 Plan

• 504 plans address accommodations for students with identified disabilities that may not require as many services as students with an IEP. • A 504 plan remains in place indefinitely and does not need to be

reevaluated as often as an IEP or IFSP

• Note the comparison chart on p. 276 for IFSPs, IEPs, and 504 plans