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Assessments
& Evaluations To
make wise decisions about your child's special education program, you need accurate
information about the child's disability, strengths, weaknesses, and needs. This
information is available from tests and evaluations of your child.
The evaluation should identify your child's problems and include a plan to address
these problems. Choose an evaluator who has expertise in the child's disability,
is independent of the school district, and who is willing to work with the school
staff. (For more information about evaluations, read Chapter 8, Evaluations and
Your Child's Disability in Wrightslaw:
From Emotions to Advocacy) FAQs
What
Can a Parent Do When the School Balks? One parent's journey from emotions
to advocacy as she lobbies for the services her son needs. IDEA, Section 504 & Kids with Disabilities. Learn about rights and responsibilities under IDEA and Section 504, parental permission, the role of your child's IEP team, accommodations and modifications, alternate assessments, out-of-level testing, accountability, and more. To
Top What Reading Tests Measure . . . and Don't Measure by Dr. Melissa Farrall. Before educators can design an effective remedial program for a child, they must understand the exact nature of the child's weaknesses. This is not as easy as it sounds. Learn about the most commonly used tests of reading - what they measure, how they are administered, and their limitations. Testing: Myths & Realities. How many of these statements about testing are true? *
Testing suppresses teaching and learning. Parents and teachers must learn why tests are essential to measuring progress and learning. Learn the 9 Myths about Testing - and the Realities! Tests
and Measurements for the Parent, Educator, Advocate & Attorney. Your child has received special education for three years. Has
the child caught up with the peer group? Has the child fallen further behind?
How do you know? What do standard scores, percentile ranks, subtest scores, and
age and grade equivalents mean? Slide Show - Educational Progress Graphs Download Tests & Measurements Slide Show as a PowerPoint Presentation (204kb) Independent
Educational Evaluations (IEEs): What? How? Why? Who Pays? Parent attorney
Wayne Steedman describes
IEEs, the value of IEEs for parents and school personnel, what the law requires,
and who is financially responsible. Tests
Commonly Administered to Evaluate Reading Problems. OSEP Report on Assessments. Discusses reasons why parents should allow their kids to be tested:
The
OSEP
Report on Assessment is available in two formats: pdf
and richtext. Like the law, tests change. New versions or editions of tests are published often. Use these resources to learn about various tests. The Test Locator has Information on more than 10,000 tests and research instruments. After you review the material at ERIC/AE, visit the test publisher's site for more info about a specific test. (The Test Locator is a joint project of the ERIC Clearinghouse on Assessment and Evaluation, the Library and Reference Services Division of the Educational Testing Service, the Buros Institute of Mental Measurements at the U. of Nebraska, and Pro-Ed test publishers.) The Institute for Applied Psychometrics (IAP) Reference Database provides a computerized data file of literature relevant to psychological assessment, measurement and psychometrics that is updated regularly. All social and behavioral science journals are reviewed on a weekly basis with information provided on commonly used tests including the WISC-III, Woodcock-Johnson, Phonological Awareness tests, etc. Buros Institute of Mental Measurement provides test reviews and publishes the Mental Measurements Yearbook and Tests in Print. National Association of School Psychology (NASP) Riverside Publishing. Company that publishes the Woodcock-Johnson Tests. The
Psychological Corporation. Publishes the Wechsler Intelligence Scales. High-Stakes Lawsuit in Massachusetts: How High Are the Stakes? Learn about the new high-stakes lawsuit in Massachusetts - and how high these stakes are. Lawsuit Against High Stakes Test Filed in California. Disabilities Rights Advocates files lawsuit against California Dept of Education; claims that exit exam discriminates because it does not provide for an alternate assessment, provides no procedure for requesting accommodations, nor a process for appeals. Students with Learning Disabilities Settle Class Action Suit Against Oregon. Panel of National Experts Makes Recommendations About Testing of Students with Disabilities. Judge Asked for Injunction So Seniors Can Graduate. Battles about high-stakes tests are flaring up around the country: issues include high expectations v. accountability, due process rights, obligations to teach basic skills. Free Pubs - High-Stakes TestsDisability Rights Advocates, Do No Harm - High Stakes Testing and Students with Learning Disabilities (2001). Describes
accommodations, alternate assessments, appeals, procedures, and other safeguards
that should be implemented for statewide assessment systems to comply with the
law and guarantee educationally sound opportunities to students with learning
disabilities. Download Describes standards for tests that are used to make decisions with important consequences for students: tests used for diagnostic and intervention purposes, assessment of academic educational achievement, and alternate assessments for students with disabilities who cannot participate in district-wide academic achievement tests. [an error occurred while processing this directive] |