ASSESSMENT IN SPECIAL EDUCATION PLACEMENT.   Term Paper ID:30368 Click to get this paper

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Paper Abstract: Defines special education. Accountability issue. Pressure on school districts regarding student performance, parental, bureaucratic and legislative concerns. Process of assessing whether students are benefiting from their school experiences. Types and categories of assessment decisioins. Use by teachers to plan program placement. Meanaingful program planning. Influence of public law and compliance. Paper Introduction: ASSESSMENT IN SPECIAL EDUCATION PLACEMENT What is Assessment Special education is educational instruction or social services designed or modified to assist individuals with disabilities… a range of services, including social work services and rehabilitative counseling, provided to individuals with disabilities from ages 3-21 through the public school system, including instruction given in the classroom, at home or in institutions (Gale Group, 1998, p. 1). With the ever-increasing accountability pressure on school districts today regarding the performance of their pupils and a wide variety of interested parties ranging from parents to bureaucrats Text of the Paper: The entire text of the paper is shown below. However, the text is somewhat scrambled. We want to give you as much information as we possibly can about our papers and essays, but we cannot give them away for free. In the text below you will find that while disordered, many of the phrases are essentially intact. From this text you will be able to get a solid sense of the writing style, the concepts addressed, and the sources used in the research paper. The public needs to be more properly educated that Special Educationis not a black mark, but a necessary program created to allow allindividuals to reach their full educational potential. 94-142, The Education of All HandicappedChildren Act, in November of 1975, marked significant procedural andprogrammatic changes to the educational services provided to students withdisabilities" (Stirckland & Turnball, 1993, p. We often place somuch emphasis on seeing everyone with the same eyes that we forget whetherthe eyes they see through are blind, blue, have cataracts, are brown orrequire magnification. It reasonably calculates requirements needed to enable the student receives educational benefit; . c. Prentice Hall, NJ: 3rd Edition. Conclusion: Paperwork, the necessary evil of the competent bureaucracy, is offoremost concern to the Special Education Assessment team, of which recenteducational acts have created a need for plenty. Realistic. Spring.Gale Group. When we assess students, we measure their competence. These decisions are often broken into four specific categories.Decisions 1-3 are 'Pre-referral Classroom Decisions'; Decisions 4-8 arereferred to as 'Entitlement Decisions'; Decisions 9-11 are considered 'Post-entitlement Decisions'; and Decisions 12-13 are 'Accountability/OutcomeDecisions'. (2 1). 4). They are: 1) Provision of Special help or enrichment - does the child require the teacher or parent provide special aids in learning. When we assess students, we consider the way they perform a variety of tasks in a variety of settings or contexts, the meaning of their performance in terms of the total functioning of each individual, and the likely explanations for those performances (Salvia & Ysseldyke, 2 1, p. Winter.Lieber, J., Beckman, P., Hanson, M., Janko, S. 7) Documentation of Special Learning Needs - Teacher keeps required documentation record on child's disabilities and required learning aids and enters this information into the official school record. This type of assessmentis used to test whether the student has been able to meet a specific levelof performance, such as the correct spellings of a set of grade-levelspecific vocabulary words. Observations of the student regarding his relationship to hispeers, behaviors and triggers, his cultural make-up and family backgroundare recorded for consideration when making decisions and analyzations as topossible programs and learning plans possibilities and eligibilities. 11) Progress Evaluation - Monitoring the progress of the assessed child's needs through annually mandated assessments. They should be allowed to be different within thesame environment, but should seek the environment that allows them to seeto their full potential when that is available to them, whether thatenvironment is the same or an environment created just for them. B. Gale Research.Hasbrouck, PhD., J. The IEP is a compliance/monitoring document which may be used by authorized monitoring personnel from each governmental level to determine whether a student is actually receiving the free appropriate public education (FAPE) agreed to by the parents and the school while the IEP serves as an evaluation device for use in determining the extent of the student's progress toward meeting the projected outcomes (Strickland & Turnball, 1993, p. Marquart, J. While teacher-made tests are often criticized fortheir lack of technical adequacy, they do elicit advantages overprofessionally prepared tests. Gale Research.Huefner, D. Gale Encyclopedia of Childhood and Adolescence. . Pre IDEA '97, recommendation focus for improving IEPs hadcentered on increased teacher training and compliance improvements. "It is criticallyimportant [for them] to understand the problems, challenges, and barriersthat teachers and other professional personnel, parents and, importantly,children face in inclusive programs" (Bricker, 2 , p. 6).Types of Assessment Decisions: There are 13 kinds of decisions identified as assessment criteriacurrently used to assess students. Houghton Mifflin: 8th Edition.Strickland, B. Valuable. 4). From its inception, however, school districts and IEP teamshave had difficulty developing and implementing effective IEPs" (Huefner,2 , p. The National Information Center for Chldren and Youth for Disabilities(NICHCY) identified steps for effective inclusion. Assessment of children is also challenging given the rapid changes in growth experienced during childhood...it is difficult to ensure that the test-taker's responses will be stable for even a short period of time. The Influence Public Law 94-142 has on the process of assessment from the regular education classroom into a special education setting. Increasingly importantis assessment used to identify the child of a diverse ethnic or culturalbackground as disabled, since educators and parents are aware of the long-term social and work implications. Included withinthe framework of this team are the student's doctors, counselors, parents,social workers, other teachers and therapists (such as speechpathologists). "The enactment of P.L. b. We need to determine whether the cost of providing a student'seducation in the inclusive classroom setting significantly decreases theresources of the district to educate the other students within the class. Change the school curriculum as necessary to accommodate the needs of students with physical and cognitive disabilities. II. The student will benefit most when they arenot able to meet goals with enrichment and aid in the general classroomcurriculum under the assessing teacher's teaching. (2 ). d. Journal of Special Education. It is based on the student's individual needs; . 1). 8) Eligibility - is determined for state program placement. Use support professionals (special education teachers, physical therapists, school psychologists, etc.) to assist classroom teachers. 8(1), 67-82.Salvia, J. Even the most positive of attitudes may not result in successful inclusion if the professional staff do not have the skills to manage the behavior and learning of a diverse group of children. It is used to determine progress toward meeting the student's projected outcomes; . The IEP will estimate the lengthof time the student will be expected to participate in a regular education(inclusion or mainstream) program. 6) Exceptionality - such psychological, medical, developmental and social evaluations as may be appropriate in determining the nature and scope of the student's exceptionality in learning. that the student's performance is recorded on a daily orweekly basis until they have met criterion, or mastered the task. "The Impact of Changing Roles on Relationships Between Professionals in Inclusive Programs for Young Children". It will enable the student to receive valuable special education and related programs and services; and . Include teachers, parents, and building administrators in planning the inclusion process. Video-recordingcan also be used to review student progress. The goal of the IEP is for the student to achieve a functional placein an ever-evolving society where they can pursue their right to life,liberty and happiness. ASSESSMENT IN SPECIAL EDUCATION PLACEMENT What is Assessment Special education is educational instruction or social services designed or modified to assist individuals with disabilities... Gale Encyclopedia of Childhood and Adolescence. 3) Provision of Intervention Assistance - The team provides intervention assistance based on the teacher's in classroom learning evaluation. 13) Accountability - State and Federally mandated testing evaluations required for reporting assessed child's progress to obligatory state and federal agencies. 1 ) Setting - Multi-disciplinary team evaluation of the effectiveness of the assessed child's learning environment requirements such as equipment. It seems that although IEPs and IDEA '97 createdopportunities for collaboration, the new IEPs offer just as many risks amidbacklash from both educators and the general public. 1). Performance and Portfolio Assessment - A Performance-based assessment usually requires that the studentdemonstrate a skill or behavior. With the ever-increasing accountability pressure on school districtstoday regarding the performance of their pupils and a wide variety ofinterested parties ranging from parents to bureaucrats and legislators, itis extremely important to have in place a reliable system for assessingwhether or not students are benefiting from their schooling experiences.This is usually done through a series of evaluations known collectively as'assessments'. Theparent would be able to make an informed decision knowing that theirchild's self-esteem may benefit from the short-term achievement-orientedIEP system when they are constantly falling below or failing at work withinthe general classroom setting. Within the 199 's education was a front-running legislativeissue, with three particular acts enacted into law requiring schools tomeasure the progress of their students: 1) 1994's Goals 2 EducateAmerica Act, 2) the 1996 Improving America's Schools Act and 3) the 1997Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. "Developing and Implementing Individualized Education Programs". Norm and Criterion referenced Assessment - A Norm-referenced assessment is meant to assess an individualdiscriminating between all the individuals being tested and the student'sperformance is interpreted by their performance in relation to theperformance of other students in the area of measurement. 1).All assessments should be multi-disciplinary and utilize a team approach toavoid misdiagnoses. (1998). It must listshort-term aims presented as intermediate steps with the intent ofmastering the annual goals. (2 ). "Based on an individual assessment of studentneeds, the IEP is both the process and the blueprint for the services to bedelivered. a. The student'sperformance is recorded via the task analysis assessment or a commonchecklist. 2) Referral to an Intervention Assistance Team - Once it has been determined the child requires special learning aids they are referred to an Intervention Assistance Team. It allows the teacher toevaluate the student by relating to the student's own abilities andlearning style. Measurable. 9) Instructional Planning - An Individual Education Plan (IEP) that is multi-disciplinary, planned, and implemented by the Assessment Team whose membership includes a teacher or other specialist with knowledge in the area of the suspected disability. 5) Referral - Child is referred to the appropriate agencies for the required social services, medical, psychiatric and educational assistance. . . Education of the parents involved would create asensitivity to not only the cost involved in the provision of access totheir child of a free appropriate public education, but would also allowthe focus on long-term view when deciding what is best for the child. This has come to be known as Early InterventionServices and the framework for this is outlined more fully in P.L. 94-142 have been evaluatedand extended beyond the range of school age children to include infants andtoddlers ages birth - 2 and preschool children ages 3-5 with disabilitiesand special needs. a range of services, including social work services and rehabilitative counseling, provided to individuals with disabilities from ages 3-21 through the public school system, including instruction given in the classroom, at home or in institutions (Gale Group, 1998, p. 1). And, . E. Therefore, it may include work in progress as wellas specific accomplishments and achievements. e. "Inclusion: How the Scene has changed". Following are some types of assessment processes. The IEP is a management tool...used to ensure that each student is provided is provided special education and related services appropriate to address identified learning needs. Assessment in educational settings is a multifaceted process that involves far more than just administering a test. Itwill also note any and all services that will be provided to the studentwith the goal of attainment in mind as well as dates for initiatingservices and their anticipated duration. Each IEP must include documentation regarding the student's currentlevel of educational performance as well as annual goals or achievementsexpected by the end of the specific school year in question. 1). Since 1975, many of the provisions of P.L. (1998). & Odom, S. 67).While inclusion may be a part of the larger social issue framework indeveloping the legal protection of minority rights, it should be noted andremembered that most advocates for inclusion are not in the classroom andare often outside of the community delivering services. 99-457.The cornerstone of both of these laws "is the free appropriate program ofpublicly supported services to children with disabilities" (Strickland &Turnball, 1993, p. In order to be realized, the expectations and requirements rest, amongother things, within the good will and energy of the IEP team members.Many teachers, general and special education, feel burdened under theextremely high expectations of the act. It is important to evaluate factor's that may affect implementationwithin an inclusive setting. A Portfolio-based assessment is derived from a collection of the student's workdesigned specifically to advance with them through each grade of school.One of the main assets of the portfolio assessment system is its use ofstudent control, as it is the student who chooses the pieces to be includedwithin the portfolio. & Ysseldyke, J. This type of evaluation is most oftenutilized in arts and athletics classes within the curriculum. . The parent could also see a non-permanencein the arrangement. Other observational techniques of "assessing" students includecollecting anecdotal data on social, communicative, or behavioral skills. The decision process is important andshould be conducted carefully. If conducted with instruction it is amultiple-opportunity baseline. (1997). They are as follows: . 13). It must document the particular type ofspecial education to be provided to the student (i.e. Since assessment is clearly aleading educational activity, it is imperative that professional schoolpersonnel acquire a thorough working knowledge of all the aspects oftesting and how they figure into the assessment process, especially with astudent population that grows increasingly diverse. (1998). It is used to determine suitable placement in the least restrictive environment; . Thus, psychologists, educators, and other test administrators are careful to take the stage of childhood into account when interpreting a child's test scores (Gale Group, 1998, p. Train teachers in instructional practices for disabled students. Practical. Horn, E. We should determine the severity of thestudent's disability, including but not limited to potentially disruptivebehavior. Topics in Early Childhood Special Education. Many of the leaders who initially conceptualized andsupported them have expressed dismay at how they have evolved" (Huefner,2 , p. It visibly describes what the student is reasonably expected to accomplish and precisely determines the intermediary hierarchy between present educational performance and annual targets. The observation or assessment if conducted without instructionis a single-opportunity baseline. R E F E R E N C E SBricker, D. Assessments Teachers Use To Plan Program Placement Since assessments may be utilized to evaluate a child's ability orskill at a given point in time, they may also be used to predict a child'sfuture capabilities or aptitudes. Afunctional analysis can be made of challenging behaviors in order toidentify possible communicative functions of the behaviors. 1). The student controls the process and the portfolio isshared with parents at Parent Teacher Conferences. "Assessment is a process of collecting data for the purposeof making decisions about individuals and groups" (Salvia & Ysseldyke,2 1, p. Early Education and Development. Useful. Constructing meaningful program planning after assessment according to the Individual Education Plan (IEP) After careful assessments have been implemented, measured, recordedand evaluated, it is imperative to set up a meeting with the student'snewly formed Intervention Assistance Team (IAT) to strategize and map out adetailed Individual Education Plan (IEP) for the student. P. "Special Education". 12) Program Evaluation - Monitoring the effectiveness of the Individual Education Plan, usually assessed no less than tri- annually. And finally, the IEP will includeappropriate objective criterion, evaluation and testing procedures and aindividualized schedule for the determination of mastery of the student'sshort-term aims and objectives for the annual meeting report.The Functional IEP is: . Achievable. In addition, the ability of a variety of professionals to effectively share and collaborate may be critical to program success (Lieber, Beckman, Hanson, Janko, Marquart, Horn, & Odom, 1997, p. Gale Encyclopedia of Childhood and Adolescence. The earlier a special education need can beassessed, the more likely the child will be able to achieve higherattainable educational objectives. The multiple-opportunity baseline allowsstudents to complete the task or activity at hand while yieldinginformation about the type and degree of support that the student requiresfor task performance. A basic component of IDEA '97 constructs framework for earlyintervention assessments. "The Risks and Opportunities of the IEP Requirements Under IDEA '97". It reinforces to the studentthat they are responsible for their learning. 5). Conformity with IEP requirements is the essentialingredient of a free appropriate public education. "Assessment". Specifically, we measure their progress toward attaining those competencies their schools...want them to master. Evaluate program results in relation to targeted outcomes (Hasbrouck, 1998, p. (1993). Teachers can minimize their testing to thespecific content covered within the class while including finerdiscrimination through allowance of the inclusion of much more pertinenttesting items. & Turnball, A. A Criterion-referenced allows interpretation of the test-taker's score in regards to aspecific set of performance standards or criteria. "Inclusive Classrooms". PostIDEA '97 has seen many efforts to limit the team approach, revise IEPs froman inclusion perspective and utilization of a shorter IEP more tailored toindividual and family-centered outcomes while also being linked betterwithin the general curriculum. What is needed issensitivity to issues affecting educators by those who effect thelegislation of inclusion on already taxed resources and over-burdenedschool districts. "Assessment". Meaningful. The IEP can be derived in such a way as to focus onachievement outcomes with the final goal in mind of inclusive classroominstruction when the child has reached that goal. In 1997, Congress mandated new requirements for the IndividualEducation Plan under the Amendments to the Individuals with DisabilitiesEducation Act (IDEA '97). I. Observational assessment assumes review of students as an ongoingprocess, i.e. Teacher-made Assessment - Teachers assess during the term as a point of monitoring student academicprogress for the purpose of assigning grades and setting future educationalobjectives to allow for instruction modification, maintain pacing andcorrect errors early. "The micromanagementby the federal government reflected in them is problematic" (Huefner, p.1). Gale Research.Gale Group. speech therapy). Ecology Assessment - This assessment type includes data related to behavior andenvironment, anything that results in the outside influences upon the wholeperson. "IEPs--for all their promise and potential--have always been fraughtwith problems. It is used to determine the student receives a free appropriate public education (FAPE). The IEP sets forth in writing a commitment of resources necessary to enable a student to receive needed special education and related services. 4) Screening - Child is screened for specific educational needs and diagnoses of specific learning disabilities and disorders. S. E. Observational Assessment - Assessing the abilities of students with severe or profounddisabilities necessitates direct observation of the student within thecontext of functional classroom tasks and activities. If this paper is not what you are looking for, you can search again: Search for: or Click here to request an essay written just for you.

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