Complete the following steps to start an Evaluation Report in SpEd Forms:

1.  On the SpEd Forms page open an “Evaluation Report” for the student.

2. Select the “New Evaluation Template” button at the top of the page for ALL Evaluations.

3. Scroll to Local Templates and choose “ECSE-DD (Part B 3-6)” or the appropriate template to ensure the evaluation report has the correct headings set for White Bear Lake evaluation reports. 
   
   

When teams meet with parents/guardians to discuss the development of an evaluation/reevaluation plan, the Criteria Requirements for Initial Evaluations and Re-evaluations document will help guide teams in developing an appropriate evaluation plan. 

• Guidance for culturally and linguistically diverse learners can be found here. 

• When a parent requests an evaluation (verbally or in writing), the School Psychologist should provide the parent with this letter and place a copy of the letter in the student's file. 

  • Reminder: Procedural Safeguards must be provided upon parent request for evaluation. 

• Guidance for culturally and linguistically diverse learners can be found here. 

• What do I do if the evaluation report is due and there are components that have not been completed?  Click here for guidance!

A review of existing evaluation data is the process of looking at a student’s existing data to determine if additional data are needed as part of an evaluation. Specifically, the group conducting the evaluation must determine whether further assessments are required to determine:

• Whether the student needs or continues to need special education and related services;

• Whether the student's present levels of academic achievement and functional performance needs have changed;

• Whether the student needs any additions or modification to the special education and related services to meet the measurable annual goals set out in the individualized education program (IEP) and to participate, as appropriate, in the general education curriculum and appropriate activities.

When completing a review of records, staff often review the data provided from previous special education evaluation, but to get more updated information teams must also review: 

• The PLAAFP in the most recent IEP 

• Progress report data

• Outside evaluation data 

• Classroom performance data (grades, missing assignments)

• District and state testing data

If the evaluation team determines a review of records will provide the team with the information they need: 

• Indicate the date that the testing/data you are reviewing was completed in

• Summarize the information (Don’t just copy everything from the previous evaluation)

• Change wording to past tense and continue to say things like, in 2018 Sara’s mother further reported, so it is clear that the information reported is not current data

• At the end of the review, the reviewer should provide a brief update with current data pertaining to the area being reviewed. (This is not needed for intellectual testing). 

  • • Currently the student has demonstrated progress in (area being reviewed), no longer needs X, continues to demonstrate a need in X

Please see the Review of Records  guidance for additional information.

Functional Behavioral Assessment (FBA)
A FBA is a process to gather information to assist individualized education program (IEP) teams in developing appropriate and individualized positive behavioral interventions and supports. 

An FBA’s purpose is to determine:

• These Observation/Data Collection tools will help staff gather data on target behaviors.  

• When and why a student exhibits problem behaviors

•  What reinforces the problem behavior

• What types of positive behavioral supports and interventions would reduce the negative behaviors and increase the desired behaviors.

Click here to view the FBA (Adapted from 916 and MDE).

• These FBA Training (2021) or FBA & BIP Training (2023) also contain examples. 

• These Observation/Data Collection tools will help staff gather data on target behaviors. 

• You can find FBA Interview Tools for parents, staff and students. 

• This worksheet will assist in prioritizing target behaviors 

• The FBA Record Review Form can help guide staff when completing a record review. 

• When determining reinforcements you can get input from the student using reinforcement/interest surveys  

  • • This website will help you generate ideas for reinforcers 

Behavior Intervention Plan (BIP)
A behavior intervention plan (BIP) is a written improvement plan created for a student based on the outcome of the functional behavior assessment (FBA). The FBA should identify what is maintaining or causing a challenging/target behavior, and the BIP specifies the actions to take to improve or replace the behavior.

• Click here to view the BIP Training (2022) or FBA & BIP Training (2023)  

Example(s) of an FBA and BIP: 

FBA Example 1 (As part of Comprehensive Eval) 

BIP Example 1 

FBA (Stand Alone FBA Example) 

Behavior Incident Reports (BIR)

Behavior Incident Reports (BIR's) are used for documenting the emergency use of restrictive procedures in accordance with Minn. Stat. 125A.0942.  For more information about the use of a BIR and to find the link to the form, please click here. 

Resources to Support Behavior & Social Emotional Learning

• Be Good People 

• Conscious Discipline Website

Evaluation teams should collect input from the student's parent/guardian/caregivers for the purpose of gathering information about the child’s school performance.  This information will help identify the child’s present levels of performance and determine if there is a need for ongoing special education services.  

• The Caregiver Interviews/Questionnaires were created to provide teams with a tool to gather additional information that can be summarized in the evaluation report under "Information Reported by Parents/Guardians". 

• There are templates for each Caregiver Interview/Questionnaire in SpEd Forms to assist teams in summarizing the information in the evaluation report. 

The Evaluation Report (ER) must contain a summary. The purpose of the executive summary is to synthesize data across data sources (tie all of the data results together for the parent to understand). The executive summary, it should be written in parent-friendly language to ensure parents are informed of and understand the evaluation results. 

• Before adding any information into SpEd Forms be sure that you see “Executive Summary” at the stop of the list. If it is not there, then select New Evaluation Template, confirm and then select WBL Executive Summary Template (or ECSE Template)

There is an Executive Summary template in SpEd Forms that outlines all of the information needed in the executive summary.

• In addition to the Executive Summary, evaluators must summarize their test results. This can be completed in the specific testing area (i.e. Intellectual Functioning, Academics, Communication, etc).  The parent friendly summary can be reported under the test's interpretation section. 

• Invite all required team members: IEP Team Members (MDE Q&A) 

Collaborate with parents and invite outside agencies to the IEP meeting, as appropriate 

• • Get consent to release information signed for outside agencies 

  • If parents do not want outside agencies invited, make a note under “other factors” of the PWN

• Use the Initial or Annual PLAAFP template 

  • • The PLAAFP templates have been added to SpEd Forms. Select the template you want and it should populate in SpEd Forms. You will need to revise it as appropriate and remove the red prompts.  (You can also download the word document from the Google site, revise the PLAAFP and paste it into SpEd Forms)

    • Annual IEP's: It is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED that case managers delete the previous PLAAFP documentation and start new by inserting the correct PLAAFP template at each annual IEP.

• The baseline data you will use to develop your goal, must be included in the PLAAFP

  • Student will increase (skill) FROM X% (This from data must be in the PLAAFP) to X%...

• What other information have the student, teachers or parent provided  

  • All needs listed in the PLAAFP must be addressed in the IEP through a goal, objective, transition service (activity) or accommodation. 

SAMPLE GOAL
STUDENT will (Increase or decrease) (list skill) from (provide baseline data) to (where you would like the student to be in 1 year) as measured by (list how you will measure the goal). 

• The skill and baseline data in each goal should be clearly described in the PLAAFP

• Annual goals that relate to attendance, passing state assessments, completing assignments, earning passing grades and/or earning credits for graduation are goals of all students and are not specialized instruction.

For more information on goal and objective writing click here 

Program Modifications, Supports and Adaptations in General and Special Education outline what the student needs in order to make progress in the general education curriculum and on their IEP goals and objectives? 

• The statement must indicate: 

1) WHAT- the specific modification or support needed, 

2) WHEN - the conditions that trigger the modification or support, 

3) WHERE - the environment(s) in which the modification or support is needed, and; 

4) WHO is responsible for implementing the modification or support.

Click here for guidance on how to determine and evaluate accommodations, modifications and supports for students. This document also contains examples.  

Click here for special education transportation guidance. 

• Indicate in the IEP if the student requires specialized transportation. 

• Note: If a student qualifies for McKinney Vento (Homeless) transportation and would not otherwise qualify for specialized transportation due to their special education needs, you would mark "no" in the IEP for specialized transportation. If the student qualifies for McKinney Vento but also needs specialized transportation due to their IEP needs, you would mark "yes" in the IEP for specialized transportation and only outline the needs related to the IEP (no mention of McKinney Vento in the IEP).

Click here  to find the alternative transportation form. This form needs to be filled out annual for student's requiring alternative transportation or throughout the year if transportation needs change.

• Remember any student that has an emergency care plan or health related plan needs to have the plan emailed to transportation@isd624.org if the plan changes and/or annually when the alternative transportation form is completed for the next school year.  Case managers should work with the LSN to ensure transportation has received the plan. 

Community Based Instruction (CBI) is for special education students who need instruction in functional/life skills. CBI provides opportunities for students to practice independent living skills in the natural environments.

• Click here to review the White Bear Lake CBI documents. 

• Special Education staff must submit a CBI Request Form for prior approval from Special Education Administration .