1. Assessing Students with Special Needs
CHAPTER 1: Defining and Describing the Assessment of Students with Special Needs
Assessing Students with Special Needs
Fifth Edition
John J. Venn
University of North Florida
© 2014, 2007, 2004 by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved

2. Overview Defining Assessment History of Assessment Legal Obligations
Ethics of Assessment
Fundamental Principles

3. Overview
Assessment is the process of using tests and other measures to make educational decisions.
Teachers of students with disabilities need a working knowledge of assessment to address student needs and to provide appropriate educational services.

4. Defining Assessment Assessment
An assortment of techniques and procedures for evaluating, estimating, appraising, testing, and drawing conclusions about students
Measurement
Determining the ability or performance level of students using tests and other measures
Behavior observations, interviews, rating scales, checklists, rubrics, and progress monitoring data
Testing
Usually given once with a standard set of questions

5. Defining Assessment Assessment
Decision making is the key element of assessment
Measurement
Includes many different ways to gauge student progress
Testing
Students with special needs often experience test anxiety and fear of failure

6. History Intelligence Testing Testing Large Groups
Individual Achievement Testing
Bias in Assessment
Curriculum-Based Measurement

7. Legislation IDEA – Individuals with Disabilities Education Act
NCLB – No Child Left Behind Act

8. Ethics Permission for testing is necessary in most situations
Privacy of test results must be maintained
Standardized test administration includes specific procedures for giving and scoring tests

9. Fundamentals
Assessing students with special needs is often similar to testing all students
Assessment is essential and necessary for progress monitoring and accountability
Continuous assessment is best in instructional situations
Assessment is complex

10. Fundamentals
Assessment changes frequently with new tests and measurement procedures
Use more than one assessment to make significant educational decisions
Assessment includes formal tests and informal measures
Assessment is a tool for helping us provide excellent instruction and intervention to students with disabilities

11. Summary An elaborate process with a multifaceted structure
Contributions from many disciplines
Legal mandates
Ethical considerations
Many different tests and assessments
Teachers should be well-versed in assessment
An essential tool for providing the best possible education and related services