Embedded Files
Evaluation Planning
Evaluation Planning
Schools are required by law to complete evaluations, but if we don’t obtain useful information that will guide students’ programming, our efforts will feel wasted. In order to write meaningful evaluations that will allow us to maximize the positive impact we have on our students, it is crucial that we think critically about what information we need and the best methods for collecting it.
Initial evaluation checklist
Initial evaluation checklist
Due Process Checklist for Initial Evaluations.pdfre-evaluation checklist
re-evaluation checklist
Re Evaluation Checklist (2).pdfEVALUATION/REEVALUATION PLANNING GUIDing documents
EVALUATION/REEVALUATION PLANNING GUIDing documents
team membership considerations
team membership considerations
A multidisciplinary team is needed for all evaluations. Therefore, someone other than a Special Education Teacher must be involved in an evaluation (e.g., nurse reviews medical records, school psychologist conducts observation).
Service Provider Involvement
Service Provider Involvement
(SLP, OT, PT, DAPE, etc.)
If you are unsure whether a service provider needs to be included, connect with them to see what information they need to make this determination. If the service provider does need to be involved, provide at least a week’s notice for the service provider to add their assessments into the evaluation PWN.
Special Education Teacher Licensure Requirements
Special Education Teacher Licensure Requirements
A teacher licensed in the student’s disability is required to participate in the student's evaluations. In most cases, this individual completes an observation or interview relevant to the disability area. For example, a licensed ASD teacher might be involved in the evaluation for a student who they do not case manage, and they would most likely observe or interview the student as part of the evaluation. Work with your building administrator or Special Education Administrator to determine who carries a specific licensure in your district.
When the case manager is writing the evaluation PWN in SpEd Forms, any individual filling the role described above should be listed with their licensure. While evaluation PWNs typically only specify "Special Education Teacher," in the example above the teacher would be listed as "Licensed ASD Teacher" (whichever licensure/category is relevant to their involvement in the evaluation). This title should also be used on the evaluation report itself.
ASD: Specifically for students under the ASD category, there are several options for including a licensed team member:
Licensed ASD teacher, licensed at the age/grade level of the student.
Licensed academic and behavior strategist (ABS) teacher for students in K-12, with a range of mild to moderate needs,
Licensed early childhood special education (ECSE) teacher for children from birth through age six.
OHD: The category Other Health Disabilities currently do not have Minnesota teacher licensure. In this case, the federal standard of, "a teacher knowledgeable about the student's disability" will be utilized. The category Severely Multiply Impaired also does not have licensure but typically one of the disabilities in this cluster has Minnesota licensure.
School Nurse Role in Special Education Evaluations
School Nurse Role in Special Education Evaluations
The school nurse is an integral part of the special education team and should be involved in the pre-referral process in order to determine if there may be a health need that is impacting learning or is educationally significant.
Collects and provides health-related information for the IEP team
Professionally interprets and synthesizes health-related information in order to determine:
how the health condition impacts learning and the school environment
the student's need for nursing services during the school day
Initial Evaluations
Initial Evaluations
SLD, ASD, SLI, & DHH: A health/physical assessment by a School Nurse is not required unless the student has suspected health-related educational needs. If, however, the School Nurse is the only team member appropriate to constitute a multi-disciplinary team, then they could be invited to participate in the initial evaluation and complete a review/administration of a health/physical assessment. For initial SLD evaluations, if a health/physical assessment is not needed, vision/hearing screening information must be reviewed under the Background Information section of the evaluation report.
EBD, OHD, DCD, TBI, & PI: A health/physical assessment by a School Nurse is required because, in order to determine initial eligibility, criteria for these categories requires that the evaluation rule out contributing and exclusionary health-related factors. In the case of OHD, criteria specifically requires that the evaluation includes verification of a diagnosis/disability.
The Health and Physical Assessment is mandatory for eligibility under the Physically Impaired (PI) category (MN Rule 3525).
Developmental Delay:
If health screening was completed during early childhood screening, is available to the team, and indicates no concerns, then a health/physical assessment by a nurse would not be required. However, the screening information should be included in the ESR.
If there was not a health assessment at screening, or if there are concerns about health, then the nurse would need to be involved in the ESR.
If, however, the School Nurse is the only team member appropriate to constitute a multi-disciplinary team, then they could be invited to participate in the initial evaluation and complete a review/administration of the health/physical assessment.
Re-evaluations
Re-evaluations
For all categories, health/physical assessments are not required for re-evaluations, and it is the case manager and evaluation team's decision regarding whether a health/physical assessment by a School Nurse is appropriate. Two circumstances would warrant its inclusion in the evaluation plan:
The student has suspected health-related educational needs. This may apply if, for example, the student has a medical diagnosis, the student is prescribed medication, or the student's hearing and/or vision are inadequate.
The School Nurse is the only team member appropriate to constitute a multi-disciplinary team.
Specifically for the categories of OHD, TBI, & PI, if a health/physical assessment is not needed, a summary of the initial health/physical assessment must be included in the Background Information section.
Parent Requests for Evaluations
Parent Requests for Evaluations
If a parent provides a request to evaluate in writing or verbally, the district must respond to that request with a Prior Written Notice. We no longer need a written request from a parent before responding to a request for an evaluation.
It is strongly recommended that teams hold an evaluation planning meeting after a parent requests an evaluation to thoroughly discuss their concerns. Before this meeting, you can ask the parents to provide some basic information to the district (see form example on p.2) which can assist the district in gathering relevant data/information in preparation for the meeting, however you can’t require this information before considering their request.
Following the evaluation planning meeting, the district should respond with a Prior Written Notice (PWN):
The PWN can either be an Evaluation Plan OR
A PWN explaining why the team is not evaluating (involve the director if this is the case). *Note: If the district provides a PWN stating no evaluation will be done, the parent now has the right to request an Independent Education Evaluation at the district’s expense.
Parent Requests for Evaluation.pdfQ&A Parental Consent 1.12 - ACC.pdfResources
Resources
Resources by the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE)
These checklists are commonly used as handouts during evaluation review meetings when initial eligibility is being discussed. When a student is re-evaluated, they do not need to meet initial eligibility criteria and can continue to be eligible for services if there is evidence for a continuing need. As such, these handouts are not typically used during re-evaluation meetings.
optional forms to print
optional forms to print
Evaluation Review-Specific:
Test Descriptions Handout for Parents: This handout explains the basics of norm-referenced assessments (i.e., IQ tests, achievement tests, behavior rating scales). It is typically sent to parents with the Notice of Team Meeting, which gives parents an opportunity to read through the handout prior to the meeting.
MN Eligibility Criteria Checklists: These checklists are commonly used as handouts during evaluation review meetings when initial eligibility is being discussed. When a student is re-evaluated, they do not need to meet initial eligibility criteria and can continue to be eligible for services if there is evidence for a continuing need. As such, these handouts are not typically used during re-evaluation meetings.
Report abuse