Assessment Of Exceptional
Students
Part One:
Chapter One
Assessment: Historical, Philosophical & Legal
Considerations

Individuals involved - Process and purpose

Historical Events & Philosophical Movements

Relevant Assessment Litigation

Relevant Legislation

Focus on Diversity
Historical Events & Philosophical Movements

Early Twentieth Century


1920s-1950s




Alfred Binet & Theodore Simon
Rorschach Ink Blot Test
Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory
Metropolitan Achievement Tests
1960s



1963 – Learning Disabilities – Samuel Kirk
Process testing

Illinois Test of Psycholinguistic Ability

Developmental Test of Visual Perception
Misuses of Perceptual – Motor Tests

Kephart Cratty & Frostig



Predict Acheivement
“Modality strengths & weaknessess”
Remedial programs
Historical Events & Philosophical Movements

Early 1970’s


Late 1970’s & Early 1980’s



Challenged - Discriminatory testing; emphasis on behavioral observations
Public Law 94-142 – formal assessments for eligibility
IEP – more informal assessments for monitoring progress
Mid 1980’s – Early 1990’s

Regular Education Initiative (REI)

Madeleine Will

Prereferral intervention

Curriculum-based assessment

Adaptive Learning Environments Model (ALEM)
Historical Events & Philosophical Movements

Early 1990’s – 2000




Full Inclusion
Least restrictive environment – Is this violated by inclusion?
Alternative assessment – for use with severe disabilities
The New Millennium




IDEA 04
Testing & accommodations
Alternative assessments
Functional behavioral assessment
Relevant Assessment Litigation

Hobson v. Hansen 1968


Diana v. State Board of Education 1970





Timely evaluations after referral for MFE
Luke S. & Hans S. v. Nix et al. 1982


Test bias – similar to Larry P. but decided IQ tests were not biased
Are tests biased or are they used in a biased way?
Jose P. v. Ambach 1983


Cultural bias of testing – Are intelligence tests biased against African-Americans?
What is overrepresentation & is it still around?
PASE v. Hannon 1980


Adaptive behavior should be evaluated for label of MR
What is adaptive behavior?
Larry P. v. Riles 1971


Evaluation based on students primary language
Guadalupe v. Tempe 1972


Discriminatory use of test scores in tracking students
Prereferral assessment should occur prior to referral for MFE
Gerstmyer v. Howard County Public Schools 1994

Delay in evaluation – Parents were reimbursed for private schooling as a result
Relevant Legislation

Public Law 94-142: Education for All Handicapped Children Act (EHA)
Can you name the 6 major principles?

Public Law 99-457: EHA Amendments of 1986




Greatest impact on assessment to identify infants & toddlers in need of services
Programs for infants and toddlers – birth through 2 years of age with developmental delays
“At Risk” – for substantial developmental delays
Public Law 101-476: Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)




1990 – Handicaps to Disabilities – person-first language
Individual Transition Program (ITP) – no later than what age? What age in Ohio?
Traumatic brain injury
Autism
Relevant Legislation

Public Law 101-336 (1990): Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)


Public Law 103-382 (1994) : Improving America’s Schools Act


What were major provisions?
Standards set & requirement of states to assess achievement of standards
Public Law 105-17: Reauthorization of the Individual with Disabilities Education Act
(IDEA 97)



Conduct of Evaluation
Parents participation
Participation in state & district assessments of students with disabilities – What had been
going on & continued?
Relevant Legislation

Public Law 107-110: No Child Left Behind Act

Annual assessment required of all students for what grades?
What is meant by “high stakes” assessment?

3 year enrollment = reading testing conducted in English

NCLB – emphasis on “high-stakes assessment”








High-stakes assessment instrument: Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT)
Boycotts against time spent for testing
Test content should reflect curriculum
Standards first, then testing – decide what needs to be learned THEN create tests to measure that learning
Tests measure educational progress-they don’t create it – testing alone will not improve learning
No single test does everything-the importance of multiple measures
Adequate yearly progress ( AYP ) -
Relevant Legislation

Public Law 108-446: Reauthorization of the Individuals with Disabilities
Education Act (IDEA 04)







60 day timeline from parental consent to eligibility determination
Possible elimination of STO’s (piloted in some states)
Individuals must have proper qualifications to administer tests
Assessment conducted in all areas of suspected disability & must address
participation in the general education curriculum
Assessments must be nondiscriminatory & multiple measures used
Reevaluation to occur at least every 3 years unless agreed to by parents & school
Parental Participation & Due Process


Participation in Assessments & Alternate Assessment


Parents should be active participants in the assessment process & law requires they
provide information to MFE team
Students with disabilities should be included and accommodation guidelines developed
Alternate Assessments
 States must have a clear rationale for NOT including students in assessment
programs