Raven's Guide to Special Education: Evaluations

Evaluations - 3

Section 504 evaluations

Requirements for Section 504 evaluations parallel those for special education evaluations but are less specific. Parents must be given notice of the evaluation; however, written consent is not required. The kind of evaluation undertaken is based upon the type of suspected handicap and services the student may need.

The tests included in the evaluation must be valid for the purposes for which they are used and must be designed to assess specific areas of educational need. Tests must be selected and administered so that the results accurately reflect the student's handicapping condition rather than the student's impaired sensory, manual or speaking skills, except when those skills are the

Section 504 eligibility

A student is eligible so long as he/she meets the definition of qualified handicapped person; i.e. has or has had a physical or mental impairment which substantially limits a major life activity, has a record of or is regarded as handicapped by others.

factors that the test is intended to measure.

Trained evaluators must administer the tests. A group of knowledgeable people must consider information from a variety of sources in interpreting evaluation results and in making decisions about appropriate educational services. Periodic re-evaluation is required.

The evaluation of minority students

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act reports that the limited English proficient (LEP) population is the fastest growing in the United States, and the growth is occurring in many parts of the United States. In 2000, 1 of every 3 persons in the United States was a member of a minority group or was limited English proficient.

Cultural, language and ethnic differences often result in academic and behavioral problems in school, but teachers sometimes mistakenly think these factors are disabilities such as speech impairments, learning disabilities, emotional problems, and mental retardation.

Students from minority cultural and language backgrounds too often are referred for evaluation and misdiagnosed as disabled. They may appear to have a disability because they have not had the chance to develop the skills needed for school or because their social behavior is different than that of other students. If they speak a language other than English, or even a non-standard English dialect, they may not understand what is being said to them, which in turn will make them appear less capable than they really are.

School personnel need to become familiar with the cultural background of a minority or limited English proficient (LEP) student in order to understand the student's adjustment at school. Observations of the student at school and in the student's own cultural environment are necessary since some LEP students may appear disabled at school, although they may function successfully within their own home and community.

As LEP students acquire English, they may lose some language skills in their primary language. They may develop basic interpersonal communication skills in English in one or two years, but they may need up to five years or more to acquire the level of English language proficiency needed for success in school. Thus, when considering a LEP student for a special education evaluation, in-depth language proficiency assessment is needed so that problems with second language acquisition are not confused with disabilities. Gathering the following information will help determine the extent to which non special education factors account for the student's reported problems at school:

The student's country of origin and time in the United States.
The parents' point of view about the student's adjustment in school.
Whether the family has had any financial limitations, atypical values, or customs affecting the student's adjustment in school.
The student's level of English language proficiency, including the results of language proficiency testing.
The language most often spoken at home by other family members.
The language most often spoken by the student at home and at school, and the extent to which the student has proficiency in a second language.
Any history of transience, frequent changes in schools, school attendance problems, extended periods of time out of school, or previous learning problems.
Whether the student receives English as a second language (ESL) services, and if so, the kind and extent of instruction being provided.

Functional assessment of behavior

Most evaluations of students are used to classify and make placement decisions. A functional assessment of behavior, however, evaluates what a student can and cannot do, and identifies areas that call for special assistance. This procedure allows for the design of interventions to change problem behaviors, to identify the environmental conditions that maintain those behaviors, and to increase the student's adaptive skills. Functional analysis involves identifying, primarily through interview and direct observation of behavior, the environmental events that surround problem behavior. An educationally useful behavioral assessment should:

Provide an objective description of the behavior, and its frequency, duration and intensity.
Include multiple assessment methods to define the behavior.
Determine the extent to which the behavior occurs across situations and over time.
Determine the extent to which the behavior continues at an unacceptable level after school interventions are made.