1. Assessing Students for Instruction
Mercer ch. 3

2. Steps for Individualized Programming
1. Assess to identify target skill or content
2. Determine factors likely to facilitate learning
3. Plan instruction
4. Begin daily data-managed instruction

3. Assess to identify target skill or content
Determine what to teach the student
To identify target skill you must first assess
Determine scope and sequence of the skill (identify terminal behavior and prerequisite skills)
Determine long/short term objectives

4. Determine factors likely to facilitate learning
Focus on HOW to teach the student
Look at environmental variable that influence achievement
Systematic observations – look at ABC’s
Formal assessment
Criterion tests
Rating scales
Interviews
Alternative assessments

5. Plan instruction Look at what to teach in step 1
Combine with how to teach in step 2
Constant monitoring of student progress

6. Begin daily data-managed instruction
Is the student making adequate progress through the teach – test – teach cycle
If not consider 4 options
Repeat same instructions
Modify instructional procedures
Introduce a new teaching strategy
Change to an earlier task

7. Stages of Learning Acquisition Proficiency Maintenance Generalization
Adaption
Adaption stage: student who has mastered multiplication facts discovers that division is just reverse multiplication

8. Data Collection Recording systems
Permanent product - outcomes of behavior
Observational recording systems
event recording - counts
interval recording - counts
time sampling - counts
duration - temporal
latency - temporal

9. Permanent Product
Recording tangible items or environmental effects that result from a behavior; for example written academic work
80% Correct
Spelling Test
Tangible
Environmental
Behavior
Academic

10. Event recording
Recording a tally or frequency count of behavior as it occurs within an observation period; an observational recording procedure
Assignments
Day Due Completed //
///
////
17 9

11. Interval recording
An observational recording system in which an observation period is divided into a number of short intervals. The observer counts the number of intervals when the behavior occurs
Number of
intervals attending
Total number of intervals + - + + - - - + + + + -

12. Time sampling
An observational recording system in which an observation period is divided into equal intervals; the target behavior is observed at the end of each interval
40 minutes
Number of intervals
on task
_________________
Total number of intervals + - + - + + - + + -

13. Duration
Recording the amount of time between the initiation of a response and its conclusion; an observational recording procedure
Observation time:
11:00 – 11:30
Duration Min.
Start Stop
11:04 11:
11:11 11:
11:21 11:
11:26 11:

14. Latency
Recording the amount of time between the presentation of the cue and the initiation of a response.
Latency
Signal Begin (Minutes)
11:02 11:
11:03 11:
11:01 11:
11:04 11:
10:59 11: 12

15. Simple Line Graph Set of boundaries axes x-axis - abscissa, horizontal
y-axis - ordinate, vertical
Axes are drawn in a ratio of 2:3
If y = 2, then x = 3

16. Abscissa The x-axis serves as the boundary of the graph.
Shows how frequently data were collected during the period represented on the graph.
The right boundary of the graph ends at the last session.
Horizontal line – bottom boundary

17. Ordinate Vertical line serves as the left-hand boundary of the graph.
The label identifies the target behavior and kind of data that is being reported.

18. Simple line graph

19. Alternative Grading
“I see many of you anticipated a pop quiz today.”

20. Concerns in Grading
Assigned grades have different meaning to teachers, school counselors, parents, and students
Teachers’ concerns about standards of performance for students with accommodations
Classroom teachers’ concerned that inclusion of students with disabilities in their classroom might result in decreased standards for all students

21. Concerns Cont.
In the 1990s research in secondary schools found 60% students with disabilities were graded using the same criteria as their peers without disabilities
Most students with disabilities are passing their courses, but receiving much lower grades than peers without disabilities
High percentage of students with LD who received poor grades over a period of time, drop out

22. Grading Options Letter/Number Grades Progress Checklists Contracts
Most common method
Does not accurately convey the feedback for areas of improvement and how much a student has learned
Progress Checklists
Contain criterion related goals assessing students at a starting point
Provides feedback to parents & students on progress
Can be time consuming
Contracts
Provide feedback on what goals are accomplished
Does not provide feedback when unsuccessful in reaching goals
Work Samples
Accurately displays progress and product but may not show precise growth in process
By itself, will not give a student direction for improvement – need input from teacher

23. Grading Options Cont. CBAs Mastery Levels Multiple Grading Portfolios
Directly assess mechanical skills (rote facts, rules, sequences), tests basic skills not concepts
Effectively show progress by using graphs
Mastery Levels
Divides content into subcomponents with pretests to create a minimum performance standard and posttests to examine mastery
Multiple Grading
All grades are averaged together
Doesn’t give information on how to improve
Portfolios
Contains works in progress
Focus on meaningful, personal learning goals
Rubrics
Provide criteria describing student performance at various levels of proficiency

24. Common Assessment Accommodations
Timing
Extended time
Alter time of day
Administer test over several sessions and days
Allow frequent breaks
Presentation
Audiocassette
Large print
Repeated directions
Sign language assistance
Braille
Magnification
Setting
Small-group administration
Hospital administration
Study carrel
Separate room
Homebound
Response
Dictate to scribe
Sign language assistance
Braille writer
Word processor