Evaluation Team Summary Reports:

1. Evaluation TeamSummary Reports: Required Due Process Components

2. Created by… • A Due Process Subcommittee • Approved by the Due Process Committee, Special Education Supervisors, and the Special Education Director

3. List of Sources Used: • Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) Rules & Statutes • In-service materials from the following school districts: Minneapolis, Osseo, Anoka-Hennepin, and Robbinsdale • MDE “Promising Practices” Manuals

4. Purpose of In-service • To ensure compliance in addressing all required components of the Evaluation Report • To ensure consistency and quality across all district programs and across related service providers

5. This PowerPoint will walk through the different sections of the Evaluation Report. It does not cover the “Educational Needs” or “Interpretation of Evaluation Results” sections, reviewed in the last in-service. The previous PowerPoint is on the #287 Special Education website. Overview of Training

6. The Evaluation Team has created an appropriate and comprehensive Notice of Educational Evaluation/Re-evaluation Plan (NEER) Evaluation Tools have been selected and administered by the appropriate licensed staff Assumed Prerequisites…

7. Assumed Prerequisites:ELL Assessment Procedures • From Minnesota Rule • Each district shall insure that: (1) tests and other evaluation materials used to evaluate a child… are selected and administered so as not to be discriminatory on a racial or cultural basis, and are provided and administered in the pupil’s native language or other mode of communication, unless it is clearly not feasible to do so;

8. ELL Assessment Procedures (cont.) (2) Materials and procedures used to evaluate a child with limited English proficiency are selected and administered to ensure that they measure the extent to which the child has a disability and needs special education and related services, rather than measure the child’s English language skills.

9. ELL and Interpreters • ELL staff are available within District 287 (Contact your supervisor) • Interpreters for evaluation should be coordinated with the member district

10. The Evaluation Report is required: • Upon completion of an initial evaluation or re-evaluation • Upon completion of a re-evaluation even if no new formal testing was completed (i.e., file review of past testing to meet required components)

11. Minnesota Rule (3525.2710) requires the Evaluation Report contain: • A summary of all evaluation results; • Determination of whether the pupil has, or continues to have, a particular category of disability/disabilities; • Present levels of educational performance, including strengths and information related to involvement and progress in the general curriculum;

12. Minnesota Rule Requirements (cont.) • The student’s educational needs derived from their disability/disabilities; • Information reported by parents/guardian including concerns; • Information reported by student (as appropriate); • Transition needs by age 14 or grade 9

13. One Integrated Report • One integrated report means only a single, comprehensive document without separate attached reports or imbedded reports within the report.

14. Evaluation Coordinator • One person (almost always the IEP manager) will take responsibility for compiling, organizing, and finalizing the report to make sure the report flows and that all the elements from the NEER are included.

15. Important Considerations • All evaluation sections should be written in parent friendly language. • If you are using acronyms, define them the first time they are used. • Every section should initially state who wrote the section and what that person’s title is. (i.e., by John Smith, Ph.D., School Psychologist) • Make sure the date of the assessment instrument or observation is after the date the NEER is signed and within the 30-day timeline.

16. Important Considerations • Any behavior/attitude and learning preference observed during testing. • Any modifications used to be culturally and linguistically nondiscriminatory, including the use of an interpreter (also covered in the NEER). • Any adaptations used to accommodate a sensory or physical disability (also covered in the NEER).

17. Important Considerations • If using a formal test, describe the test, its purpose, and interpretive information (such as standard deviations and the descriptive interpretation of scores). • If applicable, include a statement that you have considered any outside evaluations and/or other information collected or reviewed by the team.

18. Important Considerations • If you say that you’ve done a number of procedures (such as listing a “file review, observation, and informal assessment”) then you need to discuss each procedure separately (see sections later on writing the file review and observations)

19. Important Considerations • Unless there are unique circumstances, report scores in the format required as part of the eligibility criteria (ie. report adaptive scores in percentiles for DCD criteria) Use standard and/or percentile scores, not grade and/or age equivalents for norm-referenced tests (criterion referenced tests are different)

20. Norm-Referenced Tests • These types of tests compare individual student scores against a national average and compare an individual’s performance to that of his or her classmates. Norm-referenced scores indicate the student’s ranking relative to that group. Scores are given in standard scores and percentiles.

21. Common Norm Referenced Tests • Woodcock-Johnson Tests of Achievement (currently WJ-A III) • Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (currently WISC-IV) • Behavioral Assessment System for Children (BASC-II)

22. Criterion-Referenced Tests • These tests are used to measure student mastery of instructional objectives or curriculum rather than to compare one student with another or to rank students. They are often used as “benchmarks” to identify areas of strength or weakness in a given curriculum and/or the student’s readiness to move on to a different level of instruction.

23. Common Criterion-ReferencedTests • Brigance Instruments, such as: • Comprehensive Inventory of Basic Skills, Revised • Inventory of Essential Skills • Life Skills Inventory

24. “Purpose of Evaluation/Reevaluation Team Summary Report” • You’ll check one or more of the following when making a draft of the ER: • Initial Evaluation • Reevaluation • Supplemental Evaluation • Transition Evaluation • Functional Behavior Assessment

25. Question: What happens if you are adding another disability category - would this be an initial evaluation?

26. Answer: It would still be considered a reevaluation

27. Question: What happens if a child has been in special education in another state, but is new to Minnesota? Is this an initial or reevaluation?

28. Answer: It is an initial evaluation. The team would need to look at MN criterion and see if there are any missing components based on disability category or categories.

29. If all of the components are in the out of state evaluation, the IEP team could summarize the information in the initial assessment. If any Minnesota components are missing, the team would need to complete these for the evaluation report.

30. Eligibility Checklist should be completed for an initial evaluation • This needs to be completed ASAP, can complete the NEER at intake

31. Question • What do we do when a student enters a #287 program with a “SNAP” (Students Needing Alternative Programming) label from Minneapolis?

32. Answer: • You do not need to re-evaluate until the next 3-year re-evaluation date. • (Memo on District 287 website)

33. “Reason for Evaluation” Section • Statements that could be used: • The student needs a 3-year reevaluation to determine if he/she continues to need special education services. • The student has a new area of concern that needs to be evaluated.

34. Reason for Evaluation Section • The student needs a reevaluation to look at another disability category e.g., DCD, ASD, or EBD. • To assist the student’s team in making educational planning decisions, and to determine interventions and accommodations for the student.

35. “Information Provided by Parent/Guardian” • This section should provide helpful student related information for addressing the student’s strengths as well as areas of concern related to the student’s education.

36. “Information Provided by Parent/Guardian Section” • Subheadings for this section: • Current living situation • Parent/Guardian reports of student strengths • Parent/Guardian report of student concerns

37. “Information Provided by Parent/Guardian” • Information for this section can be obtained by… • A structured parent interview on the phone, via e-mail, or through the mail • Home visit • Parent/guardian completion of rating scales • Parent conferences

38. Background Information/Educational HistorySection • Subheadings for this section: • School Enrollment History • History of Special Education Services • History of School Attendance

39. Background Information/Educational HistorySection • Subheadings: • District and State Standardized Assessments (or Alternative Assessments if given) • History of Grades/Credits if appropriate

40. “List all Tests/Procedures” Section • This list is generated automatically by the assessment sections inputted by the team members. • These MUST match the tools and procedures delineated on the NEER.

41. Individual Assessment Areas in Easy IEP • These can be rearranged in Easy IEP, so that all assessment areas are grouped together (i.e., Academic Performance, Self-Help/Functional) • The next sections of the ER lists all of the areas generated (under the Assessment tab in Easy IEP) .

42. Easy IEP Pull-Down Assessment Areas: • Intellectual/Cognitive Functioning: • Academic Performance: • Communication: • Motor/Physical Development: • Sensory-Hearing Vision:

43. Assessment Areas (cont.) • Health/Physical Status: • Emotional, Social & Behavioral Development: • Functional Skills:

44. Assessment Areas (cont.) • Transition: • Transition-Employment • Transition-Post Secondary Ed. & Training • Transition-Community Participation • Transition-Recreation/Leisure • Transition-Home Living/Daily Living Skills • Secondary Transition Skills

45. What about the “Observation” Pull-Down Option in Easy IEP? • Don’t use it! • Rather than choosing “Observation” as an assessment area, put the observation under the other assessment area choice that makes the most sense (for example, an ASD teacher would put their observation under “Emotional, Social & Behavioral Development”)

46. How to obtain information? • Remember, these areas are to address the student’s present levels of performance. • Present levels of performance = a description of the student’s current educational performance in the evaluated areas using current assessments and existing data.

47. Sources of information can include and must be on the NEER: • Parent and/or teacher checklists; • Systematic observations; • Work samples; • Curriculum-based measures; • Norm or criterion-referenced instruments; • Performance on current goals and objectives.

48. Writing Up Observations • The observation should provide direct information about specific behaviors as they occur in a given context. • The time chosen for the observation should be relevant to the student’s concerns. • Data from observations supplement more formal types of assessment. • Data from observations gives information about the “real life of the student”, or a snapshot of the student’s day to day functioning.

49. Question: • How about comments such as anecdotal information or general impressions a team member has about the student? Can this be used for the observation?

50. Answer: • No, this information alone would not be considered a systematic observation. A systematic observation = observed data. • You could add these comments in another area, as appropriate.