Pre-Assessment: Assessment for Special Education

What is the form of assessment that involves documenting how a student behaves and performs in the classroom setting?

Interview

Observation

Screening

Portfolio

Observation

Which type of assessment involves gathering information from teachers, caregivers, and the student to gain insights into the student's abilities?

Interview

Observation

Portfolio

Screening

Screening

What is the form of assessment that involves analyzing and compiling portions of a student's work over time?

Observation

Screening

Interview

Portfolio

Portfolio

What is the form of assessment that involves keeping detailed notes on specific incidents, behaviors, and interactions over time?

Criterion-Referenced Test

Standardized Test

Anecdotal Record

Scaled Checklist

Anecdotal Record

Which type of assessment involves rating the frequency and intensity of a specific set of behaviors?
Anecdotal Record

Standardized Test

Scaled Checklist

Classroom Observation

Scaled Checklist

Which type of assessment involves measuring a student's performance relative to a norm group?

Classroom Observation

Scaled Checklist

Criterion-Referenced Test

Standardized Test

Standardized Test

Which type of assessment involves measuring student performance against a specific set of standards?

Classroom Observation

Anecdotal Record

Criterion-Referenced Test

Standardized Test

Criterion-Referenced Test

Some of the information being considered by an intervention assistance team (IAT) is data from an assessment that involves an ongoing and frequent evaluation of student performance. Which type of assessment is described?
Progress Monitoring

Anecdotal Record

Classroom Observation

Criterion-Referenced Test

Progress Monitoring

Which type of assessment is an example of a quantitative assessment?

Student Interview

Anecdotal Records

Classroom Observation

Brief Screening

Brief Screening

Which type of assessment compares student performance to established benchmarks?

Qualitative

Formative

Quantitative

Formal

Formal

What is the form of assessment that has the primary purpose of providing continuous feedback?
Formal

Qualitative

Informal

Formative

Formative

What is the form of assessment that focuses on measuring student performance with numerical data?

Quantitative

Qualitative

Informal

Summative

Quantitative

What is the form of assessment that is high-stakes and has a direct connection to a student's final grade?

Summative

Qualitative

Formative

Quantitative

Summative

Which type of assessment often takes the form of observations, class discussions, or work samples?

Formal

Informal

Formative

Summative

Informal

A teacher recognizes that a student is struggling with several disruptive and inhibiting behaviors in the classroom. These behaviors have been detrimental to the student's success, so the teacher documents the situation and shares the details with relevant stakeholders. What is the step of the pre-referral process that corresponds to the actions in this scenario?

Step 1: Initial Concern

Step 3: Team Meeting

Step 4: Plan Development

Step 5: Implementation

Step 1: Initial Concern

A discussion is being held regarding a student who has been consistently struggling with behavior issues in the classroom. Those involved in the discussion include teachers, caregivers, a school psychologist, and a school administrator. These individuals are sharing what they have noticed about the student in terms of needs and performance. What is the step of the pre-referral process that corresponds to the actions in this scenario?

Step 1: Initial Concern

Step 3: Team Meeting

Step 4: Plan Development

Step 5: Implementation

Step 3: Team Meeting

A student has been struggling in the classroom, with consistently poor performance. Several people with a vested interest in the success of the student, including teachers and parents, have outlined strategies and interventions aimed at helping the student have better success in the general education classroom. Which step of the pre-referral process is represented by this scenario?

Step 2: Information Gathering

Step 4: Plan Development

Step 5: Implementation

Step 6: Evaluation and Review

Step 4: Plan Development

A teacher has been providing additional support to a struggling student for one month. A group of stakeholders is now reviewing data to determine if the strategies have been effective or if adjustments need to be made. Which step of the pre-referral process is represented by this scenario?

Step 2: Information Gathering

Step 3: Team Meeting

Step 5: Implementation

Step 6: Evaluation and Review

Step 6: Evaluation and Review

An intervention team relies on the multi-tiered system of supports (MTSS) to evaluate the appropriateness of intervention methods. One of the components of MTSS specifically helps in this process by assessing progress in a student's self-awareness and responsible decision-making. Which component of MTSS is described?

Response to Intervention

Professional Development

Social Emotional Learning

Discrepancy Approach

Social Emotional Learning

What is the element of the multi-tiered system of supports (MTSS) that helps evaluate intervention appropriateness by identifying gaps between a student's expected performance and their actual performance?

Response to Intervention

Discrepancy Approach

Professional Development

Social Emotional Learning

Discrepancy Approach

An intervention team relies on positive behavior interventions and supports (PBIS) as one tool to evaluate the appropriateness of interventions. Which form of evaluation is used as part of this tool?

Curriculum-Based Tests

Office Discipline Referrals

Universal Screenings

Self-Report Surveys

Office Discipline Referrals

An intervention team relies on response to intervention (RTI) as one tool to evaluate the appropriateness of interventions. Which form of evaluation is used as part of this tool?

Curriculum-Based Tests

Universal Screenings

Standardized Tests

Benchmarks

Universal Screenings

What is one type of tool used to evaluate differences in assessment results, based on the discrepancy approach?

Office Discipline Referrals

Benchmarks

Self-Report Surveys

Universal Screenings

Benchmarks

Why is it important to avoid bias in pre-referral evaluation data?

Because it creates consistency and timeliness of improvements

Because it ensures that educational opportunities are fair

Because it leads to an increasing rate of growth for each student

Because it improves the overall level of test-retest reliability

Because it ensures that educational opportunities are fair

Which step should be performed when identifying whether additional data is needed for a referral?

Revise the initial concern to include more detailed information

Review all existing data that has been collected from assessments and observations

Repeat several of the primary assessments with alternative administrators

Monitor the baseline behavior for an additional month to identify changes

Review all existing data that has been collected from assessments and observations

What is an example of a situation in which additional pre-referral data is needed?

A reading assessment showed above-average performance

Assessments focused on behavior rather than academics

The student performed poorly on multiple assessments

The academic assessments utilized were skewed from bias

The academic assessments utilized were skewed from bias

Which step should be performed as part of the decision-making process for gathering additional data during the pre-referral process?

Conduct an interview with the student to get their reaction

Eliminate non-supporting data that was already collected

Assess the scope and depth of data already collected

Identify other students in the same grade with similar struggles

Assess the scope and depth of data already collected

A teacher is concerned that a behavioral checklist used to evaluate a student is not actually measuring behavior related to anxiety, which was the issue cited in the initial concern. What is the primary area of concern in this scenario?

Validity

Duration

Relevance

Reliability

Validity

A student must take the same test multiple times as part of an evaluation. However, the scores earned by the student seem to be erratic, with large changes, even though the student has performed consistently on other assessments. What is the primary area of concern in this scenario?
Reliability

Duration

Bias

Validity

Reliability

An assessment being used to evaluate a student focuses on a narrow set of mathematical skills, but the student is supposed to be evaluated for poor overall mathematical performance. What is the primary area of concern in this scenario?
Reliability

Validity

Relevance

Duration

Validity

A student is being evaluated using a subjective assessment. Different teachers have administered the assessment each time, which has led to inconsistent results. What is the primary area of concern in this scenario?

Reliability

Duration

Validity

Bias

Reliability

An item on a mathematics assessment assumes that test takers have knowledge about American football. As a result, many students from other cultural backgrounds answered the item incorrectly. Which concept represents the focus of this scenario?

Duration

Validity

Relevance

Bias

Bias

A quantitative reasoning assessment includes items in which students must interpret images and colorful graphical displays. However, there is no alternative text for visually impaired students. Which concept represents the focus of this scenario?
Relevance

Duration

Validity

Bias

Bias

Although a student earns similar scores when taking an assessment multiple times, the results poorly predict classroom performance in related areas. Which concept represents the focus of this scenario?
Reliability

Validity

Bias

Relevance

Validity

A teacher conducted an initial behavioral assessment for a student, indicating that significant difficulties were present. However, a second teacher used the same assessment to evaluate the student one week later and found the behavioral issues to be minor. The points of evaluation on the assessment are based on subjective measures. What is the primary area of concern in this scenario?

Reliability

Validity

Duration

Bias

Reliability

An assessment meant to evaluate reading comprehension includes phrases such as "costs an arm and a leg" and "beat around the bush," which are difficult for some students to interpret. Which concept represents the focus of this scenario?

Validity

Duration

Relevance

Bias

Bias

A teacher is concerned about a student's academic performance. As part of the pre-referral process, several assessments are being used to evaluate the student. Although two of the assessments show scores consistently below the average score of peers, one assessment shows some results higher than those of peers and some results lower than those of peers. Which concept represents the focus of this scenario?

Relevance

Validity

Reliability

Bias

Reliability

A teacher is concerned that some of the items on an evaluation rely on knowledge of American pop culture, with which the student has limited familiarity. What is the primary area of concern in this scenario?

Bias

Duration

Reliability

Relevance

Bias

What does the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) contribute to the special education referral process?
Ensures that parents receive information about proposed interventions and assessments for their child

Ensures that parents can actively participate in planning and implementing the appropriate support for their child

Ensures that a student must be evaluated for an exceptionality before being placed into a special education program

Ensures that students have equal access to education and are not unfairly disadvantaged by standard assessment methods

Ensures that students have equal access to education and are not unfairly disadvantaged by standard assessment methods

What is the name of the federal law that ensures that schools protect student education records and gives parents the right to access their child's education records?

Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA)

Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)

Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)

Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973

Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)

What is the relevance of Board of Education of the Hendrick Hudson Central School District v. Rowley (1982) in the context of the special education referral process?

It highlighted the importance of conducting thorough and comprehensive evaluations to identify and address students' academic challenges

It highlighted the need for effective interventions and progress monitoring to ensure students are making meaningful progress

It emphasized the legal obligation of schools to address behavioral issues identified in evaluations and ensure the provision of appropriate services

It supported the principle that intervention processes must be designed to meet the individual needs of students to provide educational benefit

It supported the principle that intervention processes must be designed to meet the individual needs of students to provide educational benefit

What is the role of the school counselor on the Intervention Assistance Team (IAT)?

They oversee the process and ensure all procedures comply with legal and educational standards

They provide important background information and observations of strengths and weaknesses from home

They contribute insights on the student's performance in the general classroom setting

They provide information on social-emotional development and behavioral concerns

They provide information on social-emotional development and behavioral concerns

What is one of the key indicators of the need for referral for special education?
The student shows little improvement despite targeted interventions in the general education setting

The student has been suspended from school for the second time within the same semester

The student has an existing Individualized Education Program (IEP) that is about to expire

A peer indicates that the student could benefit from special education services

The student shows little improvement despite targeted interventions in the general education setting

What is one of the key indicators of the need for referral for special education?

Three suspensions from school in a given school year

An Individualized Education Program (IEP) that is about to expire

A peer recommendation for special education services

Documented lack of progress despite targeted interventions

Documented lack of progress despite targeted interventions

A student has ongoing behavioral issues that affect their ability to learn or participate in class. The school psychologist indicates that these difficulties align with criteria for a suspected disability under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). What should the school do next for this student?

Wait until the next report card for more information

Make a formal referral for special education evaluation

Implement different interventions for the next six weeks

Continue the interventions for another three months

Make a formal referral for special education evaluation