FTCE Exceptional Student Education K-12
(Competency 2)
Assessment - -The systematic gathering and analysis of information about students
in order to make decisions that may benefit their educational experience. It is an ongoing
process of monitoring student learning and identifying areas of strength and weakness. The
ultimate goal is to improve student achievement, and thus it can be considered a formative
activity.
Screening Assessments - -Are administered to all students in a particular group,
such as a grade or a school. It is typically carried out at the beginning of the school year, as
in the example of a vision screening administered to all incoming kindergarten students.
The goal is to identify, as early as possible, students who may need extra academic
support.
Pre-Referral Assessments - -Are administered to individual students before formally
referring them for special education. They typically provide more information than what can
be obtained through screening. It can be used to determine which instructional
modifications are likely to help the student, and whether these modifications are
successful (thereby allowing a formal referral for special education to be avoided in some
cases). They can also be used to document the need for formal referral for special
education, and may then become part of the student's IEP.
Diagnostic Assessments - -Are administered to individual students who may need
extra support. In some cases, diagnostic assessments are used because screening has
suggested the presence of a disability. In other cases, the diagnostic assessment is used
because the student has already been referred for special education and more information
is needed. They provide more in-depth understanding of a child's skills and instructional
needs than screening assessments do. The goal is to determine areas of strength and
weakness for a particular student. In some cases, the assessment is also designed to
identify the nature of the student's disability.
Progress Monitoring Assessments - -Are used to determine whether an individual
student's progress is adequate. It is conducted frequently over some finite period of time,
and it often focuses on one specific academic area (e.g., reading fluency) or behavioral
dimension (e.g., impulse control). The actual assessments used could be informal or
, FTCE Exceptional Student Education K-12
(Competency 2)
formal and administered either before or after participation in special education services.
Examples are the curriculum-based measurement approaches.
Outcome Assessments - -Are used to determine the extent of student achievement
at the end of the school year or other significant time period. Example: state-mandated
achievement tests.
Accommodations - -Adjustments to the way the assessments are administered.
There are 4 types of accommodations: presentation, response, setting, and scheduling.
Presentation Accommodations - -Involves changes to the format of information
presented in the assessment. Examples: increased sized font and response bubbles,
increase spacing between items, highlighting key phrases in instructions, administration of
assessment through a sign-language interpreter, audio recording, or tactile formats
(Braille). Usually needs by students with visual or auditory impairments, or medication-
related impairment.
Response Assessments - -Involves changes to the format by which the student
provides responses to the assessment. Examples: use of a scribe to record student
responses, audio recording, provision of response forms with added cues, allowing
students to use a computer, allowing students to take notes prior to response, allowing
students to mark answers without filling in bubbles. Usually needed by students with
cognitive or physical impairments.
Setting Accommodations - -Involves changes to the location and/or conditions of the
assessment. Examples: preferential seating, administration to small groups in separate
settings, administration to individuals in separate settings, administration under conditions
of special lighting or acoustics, administration in a location with minimal distractions.
Usually needed by students with severe attentional problems, perpetual impairment, or a
tendency to engage in behaviors that are highly distracting to others.
(Competency 2)
Assessment - -The systematic gathering and analysis of information about students
in order to make decisions that may benefit their educational experience. It is an ongoing
process of monitoring student learning and identifying areas of strength and weakness. The
ultimate goal is to improve student achievement, and thus it can be considered a formative
activity.
Screening Assessments - -Are administered to all students in a particular group,
such as a grade or a school. It is typically carried out at the beginning of the school year, as
in the example of a vision screening administered to all incoming kindergarten students.
The goal is to identify, as early as possible, students who may need extra academic
support.
Pre-Referral Assessments - -Are administered to individual students before formally
referring them for special education. They typically provide more information than what can
be obtained through screening. It can be used to determine which instructional
modifications are likely to help the student, and whether these modifications are
successful (thereby allowing a formal referral for special education to be avoided in some
cases). They can also be used to document the need for formal referral for special
education, and may then become part of the student's IEP.
Diagnostic Assessments - -Are administered to individual students who may need
extra support. In some cases, diagnostic assessments are used because screening has
suggested the presence of a disability. In other cases, the diagnostic assessment is used
because the student has already been referred for special education and more information
is needed. They provide more in-depth understanding of a child's skills and instructional
needs than screening assessments do. The goal is to determine areas of strength and
weakness for a particular student. In some cases, the assessment is also designed to
identify the nature of the student's disability.
Progress Monitoring Assessments - -Are used to determine whether an individual
student's progress is adequate. It is conducted frequently over some finite period of time,
and it often focuses on one specific academic area (e.g., reading fluency) or behavioral
dimension (e.g., impulse control). The actual assessments used could be informal or
, FTCE Exceptional Student Education K-12
(Competency 2)
formal and administered either before or after participation in special education services.
Examples are the curriculum-based measurement approaches.
Outcome Assessments - -Are used to determine the extent of student achievement
at the end of the school year or other significant time period. Example: state-mandated
achievement tests.
Accommodations - -Adjustments to the way the assessments are administered.
There are 4 types of accommodations: presentation, response, setting, and scheduling.
Presentation Accommodations - -Involves changes to the format of information
presented in the assessment. Examples: increased sized font and response bubbles,
increase spacing between items, highlighting key phrases in instructions, administration of
assessment through a sign-language interpreter, audio recording, or tactile formats
(Braille). Usually needs by students with visual or auditory impairments, or medication-
related impairment.
Response Assessments - -Involves changes to the format by which the student
provides responses to the assessment. Examples: use of a scribe to record student
responses, audio recording, provision of response forms with added cues, allowing
students to use a computer, allowing students to take notes prior to response, allowing
students to mark answers without filling in bubbles. Usually needed by students with
cognitive or physical impairments.
Setting Accommodations - -Involves changes to the location and/or conditions of the
assessment. Examples: preferential seating, administration to small groups in separate
settings, administration to individuals in separate settings, administration under conditions
of special lighting or acoustics, administration in a location with minimal distractions.
Usually needed by students with severe attentional problems, perpetual impairment, or a
tendency to engage in behaviors that are highly distracting to others.
