Slide 1 - The Why, What and How of the Special Education Evaluation Process Part 1 Welcome to the presentation “The Why, What and How of the Special Education Evaluation Process Part 1”. Slide 2 - The Top 10 Basics of the Special Education Process The evaluation webinars are part of a series presented by Pathfinder Services of ND. The first webinar, "The Top 10 Basics of the Special Education Process" was presented in February 2018 and provided participants with an overview of the process from referral to the review of the Individualized Education Program, IEP. The evaluation webinars will provide a comprehensive overview of the first four steps that focus on Evaluation. These steps are: - Child is identified as possibly needing special education and related services, - Child is evaluated, - Eligibility is decided, and - The child is found eligible for services. Slide 3 - This webinar looks at... 'The Why, What and How of the Special Education Evaluation Process' webinars will address three questions – Why is a special education evaluation completed? What are the key requirements of a special education evaluation and how are these requirements part of the ND special education evaluation process? Part 1 focuses on the location, identification and referral of a child identified as possibly needing special education and related services. Information in this webinar will also focus on the key requirements of a special education evaluation. These key requirements are based on the regulations found within the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, IDEA. Part 2 focuses on the ND Department of Public Instruction, NDDPI, special education evaluation process that incorporates the IDEA requirements addressed in Part 1. The components within this process include the Student Profile: Evaluation, Assessment Plan and the Integrated Written Assessment Report. In addition to providing information relating to each of these evaluation components, we will provide basic information regarding Reevaluation and the Independent Educational Evaluation. Slide 4 There were three main documents used in the development of these webinars. The first document was the ND Department of Public Instruction (NDDPI) Office of Special Education, Guidelines: Evaluation Process. This Guideline provides information regarding required practices and recommended procedures in ND schools in the areas of – Public Awareness, Child find, Screening, Response to Intervention/Multi-tier System of Supports, Referral and the complete evaluation process. A link to this document can be found on the Pathfinder website. https://www.nd.gov/dpi/uploads/60/EvaluationProcess20141.pdf Slide 5 - Building the Legacy: IDEA Training Curriculum The two additional documents that were used to create these webinars were the modules "Introduction to Evaluation" and "Initial Evaluation and Reevaluation”. These modules are part of the 'Building the Legacy' training curriculum that was produced by NICHCY, the National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities at the request of the Office of Special Education Programs at the U.S. Department of Education. When NICHCYs’ funding ended in 2013, the Building the Legacy training curriculum was moved to the Center for Parent Information and Training, CPIR. In addition to the Building the Legacy modules, CPIR has a wide variety of resources for parents of children with disabilities. Be sure and check out their website. http://www.parentcenterhub.org/ Introduction to Evaluation, Initial Evaluation and Reevaluation - Written by: Theresa Rebhorn and Lisa Kupper, National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities (NICHCY) Slide 6 - Special Education Evaluation Process Listed on this diagram are the basic steps of the special education evaluation process that is implemented when a child is identified as possibly needing special education and related services. On the bottom of this diagram are the components of the NDDPI special education evaluation process. Special Education Evaluation Process Child is identified as possibly needing special education and related services Follow-up services and interventions are tried A referral for a special education evaluation is made Multidisciplinary Team Student Profile Assessment Plan Integrated Written Assessment Report Slide 7 - Location and Identification The first three steps of this process focus on the question, Why is a special education evaluation completed? A child has been identified as possibly needing special education and related services – Follow-up services and interventions are tried -A referral for a special education evaluation is made by the school district or parents. The basis for these steps originate from the regulations found in IDEA. Slide 8 - Child Find The first step is - a child is identified as possibly needing special education and related services. To assist states in this identification process, the IDEA, includes a component called Child Find that requires States to identify, locate, and evaluate all children with disabilities, ages birth to 21, who may be in need of special education services. In ND, the ND Department of Human Services is the public agency responsible to provide Child Find services for children ages 0 to 3 . The ND Department of Public Instruction, Office of Special Education, is responsible to assure that Child Find is available to students ages 3 through 21. For ages 0 to 3 contact: ND Department of Human Services https://www.nd.gov/dhs/services/disabilities/earlyintervention/index.html For ages 3 to 21 contact: ND Department of Public Instruction, Office of Special Education https://www.nd.gov/dpi/SchoolStaff/SpecialEd/staff/ Slide 9 - Possible Follow-up Services and Interventions As part of child find responsibilities, school districts conduct screening activities. Screening activities assist in identifying students who are at risk of not progressing according to expectations or who are suspected of needing additional supplemental services. As a follow up to the screening, a professional may give a resource packet to the parents; or request that a student be rescreened - referred for diagnostic assessments - referred to another agency or participate in the intervention process that the school has in place. Resource packets provided for parents Rescreening Referral for diagnostic assessments Referral to another agency Referral to the Building Level Support Team Participate in the Response to Intervention/Multi-Tier System of Supports process Slide 10 - Multi-Tier System of Supports For school-age children, follow-up services may be provided through an intervention process. This could be through the Response to Intervention process (RTI), or Multi-Tier System of Supports (MTSS) or a building level team process. The team process is a general education activity that is used to provide support to a classroom teacher. A structured problem-solving process is used by educators and parents to develop interventions for a student who is experiencing difficulty in classroom achievement or behavior. Parents should be involved from the very beginning in any intervention process. When parents are involved in the process to improve learning for their child, they will be more knowledgeable about their child’s education. To provide further information regarding the ND Multi-tier System of Supports, Pathfinder and NDDPI have developed a brochure “Parent Guide to NDMTSS”. The link to a this brochure is available on the Pathfinder website. Slide 11 In addition to the brochure, there are several resources on the Pathfinder website that focus on the Multi-tier System of Supports process. These resources include books, DVDs, print resources, the link to the Pathfinder webinar North Dakota Multi-Tier System of Supports – Supporting All Learning Styles and links to the ND websites that focus on ND MTSS process. Slide 12 - Referral for an Initial Special Education Evaluation If the follow-up services and interventions tried by the parent and school or agency personnel do not assist the student in addressing the difficulty experienced, the process for collecting additional information should be initiated, in a timely manner, through a referral for a comprehensive special education evaluation. The parent of a child or the school district may initiate the initial evaluation procedures. As stated in the NDDPI Guidelines: Evaluation Process, school districts and other agencies involved in providing services to children with disabilities are responsible for having a written referral process in place. This process must include the written policies, procedures, and forms required to ensure a comprehensive referral process. Slide 13 - Before An Initial Evaluation Why is a special education evaluation completed? Because a child has been identified as possibly needing special education and related services. Follow up services and interventions were tried but did not assist the child in addressing the difficulty experienced. Therefore the process of collecting additional information is initiated through a referral for a comprehensive special education evaluation. Slide 14 - Before An Initial Evaluation After a referral for evaluation has been made, and before conducting an initial evaluation of a child, a public agency must - Provide parent(s) with a prior written notice - Provide parent(s) with a procedural safeguards notice - Obtain parent(s) informed written consent. A Prior Written Notice refers to the public agency’s obligation to inform parents a reasonable time before it proposes or refuses to take specific actions, such as initiating an initial evaluation of the child. The purpose behind this thorough explanation is to ensure that parents are fully informed, understand what is being proposed or refused, and understand what an evaluation of their child will involve. The Procedural Safeguards Notice refers to the comprehensive written explanation that public agencies must provide parents on specific occasions to fully inform them of IDEA’s procedural safeguards. Initial referral or parent request for evaluation are two occasions that prompt the provision of the procedural safeguards notice. The school district must have the parents informed written consent before evaluating their child for the first time. Parents must understand that their consent is voluntary. The comprehensive description of a proposed or refused action, as contained in the prior written notice, is intended to inform parents fully about a specific issue. Slide 15 The NDDPI, Office of Special Education, has developed guidance documents which provide a detailed explanation regarding Prior Written Notice, Procedural Safeguards and Consent. A link to these documents can be found on the Pathfinder website. https://www.nd.gov/dpi/uploads/60/ParentalRightsforPublicSchoolStudentsReceivingSpecialEducationServices2017.pdf https://www.nd.gov/dpi/uploads/60/ProceduralSafeguardsPriorWrittenNotice2007.pdf Slide 16 - Timeline for Initial Evaluation Once consent is given for an initial evaluation, the process must be completed within 60 calendar days which includes school breaks and holidays. Completion of the initial evaluation process must include written documentation that includes eligibility determination and educational need. Slide 17 Each child that is referred for a special education evaluation will be different from each other in many ways but they may also share something in common. Each may be a student who has a disability that could require special education services in the school setting. Let's take a look at three students who have been referred for a special education evaluation. As I read about these students, imagine that you are part of this student’s evaluation team and think of the characteristics about these students that will make the special education evaluation individualized for them. An example could be the age of each student. Slide 18 Richard is a first-grader, as you can probably tell by his missing front teeth. He is smart and eager to learn. Everyone is very surprised when he can’t seem to learn to read. He struggles all year, his parents work with him at home, but by the end of his first grade he’s still behind. Richard’s teacher meets with his parents and they decide that Richard should be evaluated. Slide 19 Susana is in danger of failing fourth grade. She’s only been in the country a few years so her spoken English can sometimes be hard to understand. Her reading and writing skills in English are even harder to understand, but her teacher is also worried about how Susana drifts off in class, paying no attention, sometimes not even hearing when she’s called on to participate. Her teacher isn’t sure what’s going on. Is it Susana’s English that’s causing the problem, or something more? Slide 20 Kevin has become severely withdrawn in the last year. His grades have been declining steadily, he is starting to skip school, and when the teacher calls on him in class, he responds rudely or not at all. The teacher is worried about Kevin. Slide 21 - Unique Characteristics Richard, Susana and Kevin have many unique characteristics. Listed on this slide are a few of the possible characteristics that will make the special education evaluation individualized for each of these students. Age Reason for referral Culture Suspected disability area(s) Environment Slide 22 - “What” are the key requirements of a special education evaluation? Even though each evaluation may vary depending on what disability is suspected or what difficulties a child may be showing, there are specific requirements that a special education evaluation must adhere to. What are the key basic requirements of a special education evaluation? When a child has been referred for an evaluation, the team must assure that the evaluation is accurate, comprehensive and individualized. These key requirements are based on the regulations found within the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, IDEA. A complete copy of the IDEA regulations focused on evaluation can be found in the NDDPI Guidelines: Evaluation Process. Slide Text: Accurate Comprehensive Individualized Slide 23 - Accurate Evaluation What makes an evaluation accurate? An accurate evaluation includes assessments and other evaluation materials that are: • administered by personnel who are trained to do so, such as psychologists, clinical social workers, or teachers; • given in accordance with the formal instructions provided by the test maker or publisher; and are • valid and reliable for the designed purposes—for example, when assessing a child’s language skills, an appropriate assessment tool designed to assess language skills must be used. Whatever area that is to be assessed must be done by using an appropriate assessment tool that is valid, reliable, and designed to assess that area. Slide 24 - Comprehensive Evaluation What makes an evaluation comprehensive? When conducting an evaluation, the school district must - Use a variety of assessment tools and strategies - Not use any single measure or assessment as the sole criterion for determining whether a child is a child with a disability - Assure that the child is assessed in all areas related to the suspected disability - Assure that the evaluation is sufficiently comprehensive to identify all of the child’s special education and related services needs. Slide Text: When conducting an evaluation, the school district must: Use a variety of assessment tools and strategies to gather relevant functional, developmental, and academic information about the child, including information provided by the parent Not use any single measure or assessment as the sole criterion for determining whether a child is a child with a disability and for determining an appropriate educational program for the child Assure that the child is assessed in all areas related to the suspected disability, including, if appropriate, health, vision, hearing, social and emotional status, general intelligence, academic performance, communicative status, and motor abilities Assure that the evaluation is sufficiently comprehensive to identify all of the child’s special education and related services needs, whether or not commonly linked to the disability category in which the child has been classified Slide 25 Let's take a closer look at the requirements that make an evaluation comprehensive. IDEA regulations prohibits basing eligibility determination or special education programming upon the results of only one test, measure, or assessment procedure. Evaluators need to use a variety of assessments and approaches when evaluating a child. This may include observing the child in different settings to see how he or she functions in those environments, interviewing individuals who know the child and testing the child to evaluate his or her competence in whatever skill areas appear affected by the suspected disability, as well as those that may be areas of strength. Only by collecting data through a variety of approaches and from a variety of sources can an adequate picture be obtained of the child’s strengths and needs. Slide Text: Must use a variety of assessment tools and strategies Can not use a single measure or assessment as the sole criterion for determining whether a child is a child with a disability Slide 26 The evaluation team needs to ensure that the child is assessed in all areas related to the suspected disability. This could include, if appropriate, health, vision, hearing, social and emotional status, general intelligence, academic performance, communicative status, and motor abilities. In addition to assessments in the child’s suspected disability area, the team must complete assessments that identify all the child’s possible special education and related services needs. Slide Text: Assessed in all areas related to the suspected disability And assure that the evaluation is sufficiently comprehensive to identify all of the child’s special education and related services needs Slide 27 - Individualized Evaluation What makes an evaluation individualized? An “individual” evaluation is just that—individual. Focused on that child and that child alone. An evaluation of a child under IDEA means much more than the child sitting in a room with the rest of his or her class taking an exam for that class, that school, that district, or that State. It assures that - assessments and other evaluation materials are selected and administered so as not to be discriminatory on a racial or cultural basis – are provided and administered in the child’s native language or other mode of communication and are tailored to assess specific areas of educational need. Slide Text: Assessments and other evaluation materials are: - Selected and administered so as not to be discriminatory on a racial or cultural basis - Provided and administered in the child’s native language or other mode of communication and in the form most likely to yield accurate information on what the child knows and can do academically, developmentally, and functionally - Tailored to assess specific areas of educational need and not merely those that are designed to provide a single general intelligence quotient Slide 28 To assure that the special education evaluation is individualized, the assessments and other evaluation procedures must produce accurate and useful information when evaluating children who come from a nondominant culture or primarily speak a language other than English. These provisions could apply when evaluating children: • for whom English is not the native language, • who communicate by signing, • who use alternative augmentative communication, or • who use other means to communicate. Assessments must be conducted in accordance with a student’s typical mode of communication and in a form that will yield accurate information. In addition, assessments and other evaluation materials need to be selected to assess specific areas of educational needs. This supports the need for multiple sources of information, a variety of instruments, and the inappropriateness of using one sole criterion to determine whether the child is a “child with a disability” and to determine what would be an appropriate education program for that child. Slide Text: - Selected and administered so as not to be discriminatory on a racial or cultural basis - Provided and administered in child’s native language or other mode of communication - Tailored to assess specific areas of educational need Slide 29 - “What” are the key requirements of a special education evaluation? Let's take time for a quick review. Do you recall the three key requirements of a special education evaluation? A=? C=? I=? Slide 30 - “What” are the key requirements of a special education evaluation? Let's see how you did. A is for Accurate, C equals Comprehensive, and I equals Individualized. Slide 31 Thank you for viewing Part 1 of 'The Why, What and How of the Special Education Evaluation Process'. Join us for Part 2, which focuses on the ND Department of Public Instruction special education evaluation process that incorporates the IDEA requirements addressed in Part 1. The components that will be reviewed include the Student Profile: Evaluation, Assessment Plan and the Integrated Written Assessment Report. In addition to providing information relating to each of these evaluation components, we will provide basic information regarding Reevaluation and the Independent Educational Evaluation. Please send your questions or requests to the email address info@pathfinder-nd.org. In addition, we would appreciate your feedback by completing the survey that is available in the Additional Resources section. Again, thank you for attending.