Debbie Husson, M.A., C.E.D. Lead Educational Diagnostician Carol S. Lobato, M.S., CCC-SLP

1. D-3 Using Data to Drive Decisions for InstructionUnderstanding and Applying Special Education Evaluations Debbie Husson, M.A., C.E.D. Lead Educational Diagnostician Carol S. Lobato, M.S., CCC-SLP Lead Speech-Language Pathologist Las Cruces Public Schools February 5, 2010

2. Evaluators use intervention data and observations to: • Design test battery • Rule out exclusionary factors • Confirm test findings • Develop instructional recommendations • Suggest modifications and accommodations to general education instruction

3. Eligibility for Special Education services requires: • Diagnosed exceptionality • Demonstrated need for special education services • Exclusionary factors ruled out

4. Specific Learning Disabilities are NOT the result of: • Lack of appropriate instruction in reading • Lack of appropriate instruction in math • Limited English Proficiency • Visual, hearing, or motor disability • Mental retardation • Emotional disturbance • Cultural factors • Environmental or economic disadvantage

5. To determine eligibility as SLD, evaluators look at: • Expected achievement • Obtained achievement • The role that information processing plays for that child in the classroom/during instruction • How different is this child from his peers • Demonstrated need for services

6. To determine eligibility as SLI- Language: • Significantly below average oral language skills • How different is this child from his peers? • Demonstrated need for services

7. Effective classroom instruction should consider: • Expected achievement • Obtained achievement • The role that information processing plays for that child in the classroom/during instruction • How different is this child from his peers

8. NORMATIVEBELLCURVE

9. INTEPRETING TEST SCORES(CAUTION:Descriptors vary from test to test)

10. Expected achievement Where do we anticipate a child’s obtained performance to fall? • Based on ability score • Used to level the ability playing field

11. WISC-IV Scores (Expectancy)

12. Achievement Where is the student actually functioning? Learning Disability Evaluation Scale (Teacher input)

13. Kaufman Test of Educational Achievement, Second Edition

14. Information Processing(Where’s the glitch?) • Visual • Auditory • Short term memory • Long term memory • Working memory • Phonological processing • Fluency • Executive functions • Rapid naming • Oral language • Etc.

15. Test of Auditory Processing Skills – 3rd Edition

16. ORAL LANGUAGE ASSESSMENT • Phonological Awareness • Receptive Language • Expressive Language • Language Content • Language Structure • Language Organization • Language Use • Language Memory • Language-based critical thinking • Social Language

17. Clinical Evaluation of Language Fundamentals-4 (CELF-4)

18. CELF-4

19. Test of Language Development – Intermediate: 3rd Edition

20. Test of Problem Solving -3 Elementary

21. Effective classroom instruction should consider: • Expected achievement • Obtained achievement • The role that information processing plays for that child in the classroom/during instruction • How different is this child from his peers • ……AND

22. REPORT RECOMMENDATIONS PROVIDE….. • Areas of instructional need • Modifications to curriculum • Accommodations for general education curriculum …to be used in instructional planning.