Evaluation Report

Before Starting a New Report

1. In most cases, the case manager is the individual who starts the evaluation template, and this occurs soon after the case manager receives parent consent for the evaluation. However, if the case manager delays and other members of the team are eager to write up their results, one of these individuals may move forward and start a new template. Verify that another member of the evaluation team has not already started a new evaluation template because, in that situation, creating a new blank template would erase any work they've completed. An inspection of the date on the evaluation report should be all that is needed.

2. For re-evaluations, always check the SpEd Forms 'History' section to verify that the previous evaluation report has been finalized before starting a new evaluation template. If someone forgot to finalize the previous report and you created a new template over it, the previous report would be lost.

Steps for Starting a New Report

1. Open the 'Evaluation Report' menu and click the 'New Evaluation Template' button.

2. Open drop down "SpEd Forms Templates". 

3. Select the template for the student's primary suspected disability category. Because evaluation reports must be individualized based on a student's suspected educational needs and because you may be determining eligibility for more than one category, it's likely that you will still need to add tests and/or criteria to the "standard" template (see below). But, you can minimize this workload by selecting the disability category template that will necessitate the fewest additions.

In the "Other Options Considered" section of your evaluation plan PWN, indicate any areas of functioning where the team is not planning to collect data. Then, when completing the evaluation report, those identified sections should state a formal assessment was NOT completed (see language below) so the finalized report will contain all sections of the evaluation report, reflecting a  comprehensive evaluation was produced.

For example, during an SLD evaluation in which no Communication information will be collected:

1. In the evaluation plan PWN, explain that no data will be collected in the area of Communication.

2. In the evaluation report, click the 'Communication' section.

3. Include the language: "The area of communication was not formally assessed at this time due to no concerns within this area. [Student]’s communication performance is commensurate with same aged peers". 

4. Click 'Save' and the evaluation report will automatically update.

Because evaluation reports must be individualized based on a student's suspected educational needs, more often than not, we need to modify the "standard" templates that are built around each disability category. The 'Local Tests' and 'Local Criteria' menus are how we accomplish this.