Assessment, the IEP, and the Accommodation Plan Chapter 6

Introduction Foundation of direct service delivery Key to good teaching Determining factor in empowerment

Definition of Key Terms Measurement Evaluation Assessment Educational assessment

Legislative Basis of Some Assessment Practices IDEA Disability adversely affects physical education Development of IEP Funds available 504 Disability does not adversely affect physical education performance No IEP required No funds available

Recent Changes in Assessment Substituting educational for medical terminology and practices Increasing interest in ecological assessment Broadening the placement concept Implementing ongoing standards-based reform Innovation of new practices Use of 504 to determine eligibility for PE

Recent Changes in Assessment Goals 2000: Educate America Act of 1994 and IDEA 1997 Participation of students with disabilities in standards testing or justification in IEP for not participating Accommodations and modifications tried and documented before separate placement Alternate assessment when accommodations cannot be made Alternative assessment - differs from multiple-choice, essay, and performance tests

Purposes of Physical Education/Activity Assessment Screening and referral decisions Eligibility and programming decisions Day-to-day teaching decisions Student progress and feedback decisions Sport classification decisions

Screening and Referral Decisions Determine who needs a referral for further testing Routine screening at beginning of year Collaboration between general physical education and adapted physical education May include input from the parents Permission for further testing

Eligibility and Programming Decisions Comprehensive assessment Results documented as a Full Individual Evaluation (FIE) Present level of performance in all areas included in definition of physical education Determine discrepancy with peer group Determine programming and service needs and establish goals and objectives

Day-to-Day Teaching Decisions Assist in determining individual adaptations Acquaintance with student’s needs and interests to plan best lessons and units Continuous assessment throughout year to assess progress

Student Progress and Feedback Decisions Grading related to goals and objectives Large-scale assessment does not exist in most states for physical education Which tests for students with disabilities Grading - often related to participation, dressing, and effort as opposed to content-oriented goals and objectives

Sport Classification Decisions Classify with others of similar functional capacity Determining fairness for competition Utilize a set of criteria or a profile to determine class NDSA - utilized for a wide range of disabilities

Norm-, Criterion-, and Content-Referenced Tests IDEA requires use of formal protocol for assessments used in the IEP process Validated for the specific purpose for which they are used Administrator must document training and skill in protocol used Administered in native language More than one procedure is used

Norm-Referenced Tests Statistics describe group performance and enable comparisons by age and gender Various kinds of norms Percentiles Standard scores Age equivalents IEP decisions are based on norms for general education students

Criterion-Referenced Tests Measure mastery learning and/or assess achievement of developmental milestones, mature movement patterns, and minimal fitness levels Data is pass/fail rather than numbers Emphasis on process rather than product Criteria can be written as task analysis

Content-Referenced Tests Teacher-made tests designed to measure what is being taught Assess where a student fails related to a continuum Change to criterion-referenced when a designated score is required to pass Used in curriculum-embedded instruction

Formal Assessment Instruments Most Commonly Used Test of Gross Motor Development-2 Bruininks-Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency Short Form Adapted Physical Education Assessment Scale Brigance Diagnostic Inventory of Early Development Brockport Physical Fitness Test

Ecological Assessment Addresses person-environment-activity interactions Surveying the environment Analyzing the task/activity Assessing the individual’s goodness of fit and success in the environment Ecological survey - checklist or rating type instrument

Assessment in Natural Environments Ecological assessment typically use natural environments Use home, school, and community settings where physical activity takes place Knowledge of how to play, like play, or have language and motor skills to play Assessment of social interactions

Assessment of Play and Game Concepts Developmental delays in several areas related to play Cognitive development Understanding of game and sport rules Social maturation Piaget’s cognitive-developmental theory

Sensorimotor Performances (Ages 0 to 2) Sensorimotor mental operations Acquisition of inner language Primitive reflexes integrated so that voluntary purposive movements can occur Sensorimotor integration, beginning locomotor and object control patterns, emergence of thought and social play behaviors

Preoperational Performances (Ages 2 to 7) Preoperational mental operations Acquisition of receptive and expressive language Parallel, associative, and cooperative play skills Perceptual or perceptual-motor Attention and memory capabilities Preferred sensory modalities

Concrete Mental Operations (Ages 7 to 11) Assessment of game concepts Social competence and inclusion by peers Moral development Memory for sequences increases Affected by body composition, height, and weight, motor skills, and fitness

Formal Mental Operations (Ages 11 and Up) Involve understanding, application, and creation of formal thought structures Assessment - discussion of abstractions Attribution analysis - examine cause-effect relationships

Sherrill Holistic Assessment Survey Examination of the whole person in relation to physical education competencies Assessments should include formal play as well as structured games and sports Sequence of milestones/tasks is uniform but rate of development varies Compare findings with chronological age

Assessment of Responsivity Observation of responsivity to stimuli Hyper - over, above, too much Average Hypo - under, too little Fluctuating - inconsistent or labile Environmental adaptations may be needed Responsivity disorders - inattention, impulsivity, and hyperactivity

Planning Assessment Establish specific purpose Screening and referral Diagnosis and placement Instruction and student progress Sport classification Relating assessment to goals and variables Relate to goals of the school system and/or teacher

Planning Assessment Using criteria to select instruments Validity - extent to which a test measures what it is supposed to measure Content, criterion, construct validity Reliability Stability of performance over several trials Internal consistency - consistent responses Objectivity - similar ratings across observers

Planning Assessment Reviewing available instruments Purpose, age range, validity, reliability, and objectivity of a variety of instruments Mental Measurements Yearbook Selecting instruments High validity and reliability Items from different sources changes validity and reliability

Planning Assessment Determining the setting Depends on purpose Which setting will elicit the best performance Determining environmental factors Factors that affect student Factors that affect test administrator Accommodations may be used during IEP-oriented assessment

Formal Test Administration Procedures Document formal training and competence Team approach Native language Input from parents More than one test IDEA and 504 requirements

Formal Test Administration Procedures Focus on functional competence Competences in several contexts Frequent administration Videotape test performance Recording keeping Avoid bias Develop rapport with test administrators Minimize test anxiety

TGMD-2 and BOTMP Philosophies TGMD-2 - assesses qualitative performance of 12 fundamental gross motor skills BOTMP - measures underlying abilities that are predictive of motor skills performance and physical education success

Test of Gross Motor Development (TGMD-2) Validated for ages 3 to 10 Provides criteria for assessing 12 test items Run, gallop, hop, leap, horizontal jump, slide Two-hand strike, stationary dribble, catch, kick, overhand throw, underhand roll Clear and short directions Pass/fail for each criterion

Bruininks-Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency Specific abilities measured Running speed and agility, balance, bilateral coordination, strength, upper-limb coordination, response speed, visual-motor control, upper-limb speed and dexterity Test manual and special training needed to use this instrument Decision to use long or short form

Widely Used Tests Without Norms Competency Test for Adapted Physical Education Brockport Physical Fitness Test Project MOBILITEE Sports Skills Program Guides (Special Olympics) ACTIVITYGRAM Milani-Comparetti Test

Interpreting Data and Recommending Services Interpretation and writing results Statistics and computer competencies Understanding normal curve theory

Normal Curve Theory Shows statistically how persons will place when tested Based on laws of chance Equal number of persons score in areas above and below the center point Basis for placement Aid with interpretation of real scores

Normal Curve Theory Mean, median, and mode Standard deviations Applications Standard scores (z and T conversions) Conversions Norms

Assessing Students With Severe Disabilities Assessment challenging Standardized instruments may not be appropriate Establish rapport - mirroring movement Obtain background information Establish a list of questions to guide assessment Criterion-referenced generally better than using norm-referenced instruments

Rubrics Criteria used to specify the elements of performance that can be used to determine strengths and weakness Various uses Evaluate performance Checklist for screening Informal assessment Programming

Parts of the IEP P - Performance, present level A - Annual measurable goals, including short-term objectives S - Services, supports and adaptations to be provided T - Transition services D - Dates and duration E - Evaluation to determine whether objectives are achieved

Parts of the IEP Individualized Physical Education Program (IPEP) Not required by IDEA but used to supplement material on the IEP General PE should be documented on the IEP Support services for general PE should be documented on the IEP Conditions believed necessary for learning to occur in general PE should be documented on the IEP IPEP could also include all of this information Beneficial in determining programming

Helping Students Develop IEPs/IPEPs Preparation for students throughout the year Read, study, recommend changes Benefits Learning how to speak for themselves Developing some of the skills necessary for self-determination and independent decision making Understanding assessment, performing personal best Learning about strength and weakness and how these relate to goals, objectives, and prescribed activities