Evaluations, Assessments, Testing, High Stakes Tests

Assessments & Evaluations
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To make wise decisions about your child's special education program, you need accurate information about the child's disability, strengths, weaknesses, and needs. This information is available from tests and evaluations of your child.

Parents, get a comprehensive evaluation of your child by an independent evaluator in the private sector. This comprehensive evaluation will give you a roadmap in planning for the future.

The evaluation should identify your child's problems and include a plan to address these problems. Choose an evaluator who has expertise in the child's disability, is independent of the school district, and who is willing to work with the school staff. (For more information about evaluations, read Chapter 8, Evaluations and Your Child's Disability in Wrightslaw: From Emotions to Advocacy)

You must also learn about tests and measurements so you can track your child's progress or lack of progress. If do not learn tests and measurements, you cannot be an equal participant in planning your child's special education. (For more information about tests and measurements, read Chapters 10 and 11 in Wrightslaw: From Emotions to Advocacy)

In What is Your Bell Curve IQ?, we give you a quiz and a game plan to help you master this information - and have some fun.

To supplement our article about tests and measurements, we created a slide show to show you how to create graphs of educational progress. Download our Glossary of Assessment Terms.

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FAQs

My Child is Being Evaluated - What Tests Should I Request?, Advocate Pat Howey offers advice about evaluations, test selection, state laws governing evaluations of children with special educational needs, and the special responsibilities and duties of advocates.

My Child's IQ Scores are Falling. Doesn't this mean he isn't learning? The school says he's doing "just fine."

What is the Matthew Effect? Answers frequently asked questions about falling IQ scores; reasons why IQ scores drop; more information.

What Can a Parent Do When the School Balks? One parent's journey from emotions to advocacy as she lobbies for the services her son needs.

Are Children with Disabilities Required to Take High Stakes Tests? Answers to questions about using high stakes tests for children with disabilities.

IDEA, Section 504 & Kids with Disabilities. Learn about rights and responsibilities under IDEA and Section 504, parental permission, the role of your child's IEP team, accommodations and modifications, alternate assessments, out-of-level testing, accountability, and more.

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Articles

What Reading Tests Measure . . . and Don't Measure by Dr. Melissa Farrall. Before educators can design an effective remedial program for a child, they must understand the exact nature of the child's weaknesses. This is not as easy as it sounds. Learn about the most commonly used tests of reading - what they measure, how they are administered, and their limitations.

Testing: Myths & Realities. How many of these statements about testing are true?

* Testing suppresses teaching and learning.
* Testing promotes "teaching to the test."
* Testing does not measure what a student knows.
* Testing discriminates against different styles of test-takers.
* Testing hurts the poor and people of color.
* Testing increases dropout rates and create physical and emotional illness in children.

Parents and teachers must learn why tests are essential to measuring progress and learning. Learn the 9 Myths about Testing - and the Realities!

Tests and Measurements for the Parent, Educator, Advocate & Attorney.
Your child has received special education for three years. Has the child caught up with the peer group? Has the child fallen further behind? How do you know? What do standard scores, percentile ranks, subtest scores, and age and grade equivalents mean?
To successfully negotiate for special ed services that provide educational benefit, you need to know how to interpret test scores. (To ensure that you have the graphics in this article, print the article from the screen.) #1 download since 1998!

Tests Commonly Administered to Evaluate Reading Problems.

Tests, Testing Issues and Advocacy. Dr. Bill Matthew, Director of Special Education, Delano, CA, offers suggestions about tests and and testing issues, including age & grade equivalents, subtest scatter, improper use of projective tests, and tests that are psychometrically sound.

What Is Your Bell Curve IQ? Take our Bell Curve IQ Quiz to test your knowledge about the bell curve, standard scores, percentile ranks, and standard deviations - and get a Wrightslaw Game Plan to improve your score.

What to Expect from an Evaluation. In this excellent article, psychologist and literacy researcher Marianne Meyer walks you through the process of gathering information and participating in the evaluation process.

What You Should Know About Evaluations. As a parent, you must make sure that all areas of possible need are assessed as quickly as possible. While some parents would rather not allow their school system to evaluate their child, a refusal to cooperate at this stage of the process can backfire . . . " Read article

Why Parents Should Get a Comprehensive Evaluation from an Independent Evaluator - Benefits of a comprehensive evaluation.

The Institute for Applied Psychometrics (IAP) Reference Database provides a computerized data file of literature relevant to psychological assessment, measurement and psychometrics that is updated regularly. All social and behavioral science journals are reviewed on a weekly basis with information provided on commonly used tests including the WISC-III, Woodcock-Johnson, Phonological Awareness tests, etc.

Lawsuit Against High Stakes Test Filed in California. Disabilities Rights Advocates files lawsuit against California Dept of Education; claims that exit exam discriminates because it does not provide for an alternate assessment, provides no procedure for requesting accommodations, nor a process for appeals.

Judge Asked for Injunction So Seniors Can Graduate. Battles about high-stakes tests are flaring up around the country: issues include high expectations v. accountability, due process rights, obligations to teach basic skills.

Describes accommodations, alternate assessments, appeals, procedures, and other safeguards that should be implemented for statewide assessment systems to comply with the law and guarantee educationally sound opportunities to students with learning disabilities. Download
To order bound copies, contact Disability Rights Advocates, 449 15th Street, Suite 303. Oakland, CA 94612-2821. Phone: 510-451-8644

Center on Education Policy, State High School Exit Exams: A Baseline Report (2002).

This report Includes data collected from all states with exit exams; information from case studies in five states; review of major research; recommendations to ensure that exit exams are implemented well and lead to greater learning.

Copies of the summary of this report are free. Copies of full report are $10.00 (includes postage and handling); you can download the full report free from the Center's website.

U. S. Department of Education, Office of Civil Rights, The Use of Tests as Part of High-Stakes Decision-Making for Students: A Resource Guide for Educators and Policy-Makers (2000).

Describes standards for tests that are used to make decisions with important consequences for students: tests used for diagnostic and intervention purposes, assessment of academic educational achievement, and alternate assessments for students with disabilities who cannot participate in district-wide academic achievement tests.