Evaluations

A child cannot receive special education services until he or she is evaluated. These evaluations gather information about a child's functioning and development, in order to determine whether a child has a disability and is in need of special services under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Evaluations also guide the creation of the Individualized Education Program (IEP), and establish a baseline from which to measure educational progress during the entire special education process.

What exactly does the evaluation look like? There is no single test that can be used to determine educational needs. Instead, formal and informal tests, observations, and information provided by the parents are used to create a comprehensive view of the child. Therefore, the evaluation is not formed simply from a pen-and-paper assessment, but instead is compiled from information that shows a child's behavior at home and at school. Tests must be reliable, valid, accurately reflect the educational needs of a child, and must be in a child's native language. For more detailed descriptions of the following list of tests available, please take a look at the "Evaluations" page of LD Online.

Tests:

• Group or individual tests
• Curriculum-based assessments (CBAs) or curriculum-based measurements (CBM)
• Standardized tests
• Norm-referenced tests
• Criterion-referenced tests
• Functional assessment
• Functional behavior assessment

After the tests are administered, the results are discussed during a meeting held with the educators involved, as well as the parents, who will determine whether the child has a disibility, and can therefore be serviced under IDEA. If a child is found eligible, then the next step is to create an IEP (see previous posts). Parents should fully understand the results of the evaluations, and can ask for explanations or clarifications of anything that is unclear. Students may be reevaluated if parents or teachers request it, but no more than once a year. If a parent disagrees with the result of an evaluation, they may obtain an independent educational evaluation (IEE). An IEE is an evalutaion provided by the school district for no cost and conducted by professionals outside of the school, the result of which must be considered by the IEP team.

Parents, you are an integral part of the evaluation process! Information you provide about your child is used to determine whether your child is eligible for special education services. As well, you must be given a copy of the completed evaluation report that shows how your child's eligibility was determined. For parents in DC, you have the right to obtain an IEE from Early Stages, a DCPS program that provides free developmental screenings for children 3 to 5 years old. Please visit their website if you have any concerns regarding your child's development!