Evaluation PWN

Noncompliant Example:

"Three-year reevaluation, see attached evaluation plan."

Compliant Examples:

"This is a reevaluation to determine continued eligibility, present levels, and current needs for Claudia’s Specific Learning Disability. Due to emerging concerns with communication, the area of language will also be evaluated to determine if Claudia’s language needs warrant additional special education and related services."

"Pre-referral interventions were unsuccessful. Jessica’s teachers continue to have concerns regarding her academic progress so the district is proposing an evaluation to determine eligibility for special education services."

Noncompliant Example:

"Reevaluations are required once every three years."

Compliant Examples:

"A reevaluation is needed to determine if George continues to be a student with a disability and continues to need special education services. The reevaluation will provide the IEP team with updated information about George's present levels of performance and educational needs in order to appropriately plan a program."

"An initial evaluation is needed to determine if Brittany is a student with a disability and needs special education services. The evaluation will provide the school with information about Brittany's present levels of performance and educational needs in order to appropriately plan a program."

This is asking what information the team used to formulate the proposed action. This is not referring to the lists of tests and procedures to be conducted. The basis for the proposed evaluation could include: parent and teacher input, classroom performance, aptitude and achievement tests, results of pre-referral interventions, progress on previous IEP goals and objectives, etc.

Noncompliant Example:

"We are proposing to conduct the assessments listed in the attached plan."

Compliant Example:

"The team used data from pre-referral interventions and input from Jessica’s parents and classroom teacher to determine the areas to be assessed."

Other options considered could include: delaying the evaluation (for initial evaluations), conducting additional pre-referral interventions, conducting different assessment procedures, or just reviewing existing data rather than collecting new data.

Unless you plan to complete assessments in all areas of the evaluation report (a rare occurrence), be sure to address areas where data will not be collected using the following drop down prompt: "The team considered gathering data in the area of [intellectual, academic, health, social/emotional/behavior, adaptive, communication, motor, and sensory], but existing data indicates no concerns in these areas at this time." When completing the evaluation report, remember to remove report sections where data will not be collected.

Noncompliant Examples:

"The team considered all relevant options."

"No other options considered."

Compliant Examples:

"The team considered gathering data in the areas of intellectual, health, adaptive, communication, motor, and sensory functioning, but existing data indicates no concerns in these areas at this time."

"The team considered proposing an additional reading assessment, such as the Test of Early Reading Ability, but in reviewing his scores on the most recent NWEAs and the progress on his reading goal, the team decided that there is enough existing data to determine his educational needs in reading."

"The team considered delaying the evaluation until another pre-referral intervention (allowing time out of seat, accompanied by classroom paraprofessional) was implemented, but decided against that option because the student’s behavior has made the need for evaluation urgent."

Noncompliant Example:

If this section is left blank, it is not in compliance. It must be addressed.

Compliant Examples:

"No other concerns were identified by the team."

"Trevor has attended several different schools and has been exposed to several different curriculums, which has resulted in a pattern of inconsistent education."