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Assessment of students receiving special education is based on the same principles as assessment of students in general education.

Is a key element of any special education program.

It is the process of gathering data for the purposes of making decisions about students (Taylor, 1989).

It gives educational portrait of the child that serves as basis for determining the appropriate educational services and instructional program.

• Why do we assess? Initial identification Who has a problem or at risk? Determination and evaluation of teaching programs and strategies What to teach and what

strategies?

Determination of current performance level and education needs-

ClassificationPlacement decision

Development of Individual Education Program

• When to assess?SchedulingAfter instructional timePull out during, before or after

instruction

• Who will assess?Regular-education teacherSped teacherSpecialistsTherapistsSchool psychologistsParents

Legal and Philosophical ConsiderationsA. Public Law 94-142: Education for All

Handicapped Children Act 1• Zero Reject• Nondiscriminatory evaluation• IEP• Least Restrictive Environment

The child should be mainstreamed but if the disability precludes child’s performance in the program it is not encouraged.

• Due Process• Fairness of decision• Parental Participation

B. PL 99-457: Education of Handicapped Act Amendments of 1986

Need to identify and establish programs for handicapped infants and toddlers.

C. Philosophical Movements- The Regular Education Initiative

• Implement Intervention Strategies• Prevent identification of a child as

handicapped• Give curriculum based assessment for

instruction rather than labeling

Areas for Assessment• Academic problems• Behavior problems • Physical problems including sensory

disabilities

Categories of disabilities

Types of AssessmentFormal Assessment• Norm-referenced/standardized tests-designed to yield

average performance scores and may be used for comparing individual student performances.

• Achievement tests measures-student’s accomplishment or performance resulting from instruction and learning.

• Intelligence test-measures ability or potential to a large degree w/o reference of child’s learning

• Diagnostic Test• Aptitude Test-measures specific ability

Informal Assessment• Curriculum-based assessment (CBA)-

mastery of the curriculum• Criterion-referenced test-comparison

of student’s performance to a given criterion

• Performance assessment• Authentic Assessment-worthwhile,

significant and meaningful• Portfolio Assessment

• Informal Assessment of Behavior• Anecdotal recording• Event recording• Observations• Checklist• Rating Scale• Interview• Questionnaires• Sociograms• Ecological Assessment

Sentence completion testDrawing testApperception Test-student’s feelings

Assessment of Reading

A. Word recognition• Visual Analysis• Contextual Analysis• Phonological analysis• Structural Analysis

B. Comprehension

Assessment in Mathematics Disorder:• Gerstmann Syndrome

*Bilateral agnosia-inability to identify one’s fingers by touch alone*Right-left confusion*Agraphia-difficulty in writing numbers and symbols

• Acalculla-inability to manipulate arithmetic symbols and calculations

• Dyscalculla-inability to memorize, algn numbers, sequencing and operational symbols

• Congenital arithmetic disorder

Assessment in Auditory Skills Behavioral Hearing Test• Rattle Test• Pointing or giving the object by just

telling the name of the object• Whisper Test• Ballpen click Test• Conversation Voice TestAssessment in Spelling

Assessment in Handwriting Activities in teaching handwriting• Chalkboard aactivities• Other materials for writing• Position• Paper• Holding the Pen• Stencils and Templates• Tracing• drawing between the lines• dot-dot• Tracing with reducing cues• Lined paper• Template lines• Letter difficulty• Auditory reinforcement• Words and sentences

Perceptual Motor Skills• Gross motor development

are the abilities required in order to control large muscles of the body for walking, running, sitting, crawling,etc.

Eye-foot coordinationEye-hand combinationBody AwarenessBalance

• Fine Motor developmentskills involving control of the

fingers hands and arms

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