ECE 28, CLASS NOTES, WEEK 7, Chapter 10: ASSESSMENT & THE IFSP/IEP PROCESS

The Exceptional Child, Inclusion in Early Childhood Education, Sixth Edition, Thomson-Delmar Learning,

KEY TERMS activity-based intervention Child Find failure-to-thrive prosthesis comprehensive screening functional skills paraprofessional screening frequency counts parental consent service coordinator surrogate itinerant special education teacher parent surrogate trandisciplinary team Individualized Education Program (IEP) Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP) RTI: General education Student Study Team plans interventions, timelines, monitors progress. PRE-REFERRAL INTERVENTIONS MODIFICATIONS & ACCOMMODATIONS Methodology Strategies Testing Accommodations Organizational Strategies Provide Organizational Assistance Presentation Strategies METHODOLOGY STRATEGIES Altering the Physical Environment Organizational Strategies Behavior Strategies Presentation Strategies Curriculum Strategies Mood Provide Organizational Assistance Testing Accommodations Altering Instructional Program Altering Presentation of Lessons Altering Design of Materials Environmental Strategies ASSESSMENT OF YOUNG CHILDREN: Five steps identified: 1. Screening 4. Monitoring progress 2. Assessment to determine eligibility 5. Evaluating the program. 3. Development of the program IFSP/IEP In early childhood (birth to 7 years old), assessment is a broad term that can include a variety of tools. Before an assessment can begin, the parent or guardian must sign the assessment plan. Assessment instruments selected are a result of questions asked. Assessment could include: criterion-referenced test, screening, observation, review of records, parents/teacher interviews, checklists, standardized tests, portfolios, norm-referenced tests, play-based assessment, IQ tests, other options. AREAS OF ASSESSMENT OF YOUNG CHILDREN Cognitive Testing Speech & Language Testing Adaptive Scales Sensory Behavioral Social-Emotional Motor Other EARLY IDENTIFICATION PROCESS Child Find, is the process of locating children in need of special services. It should be written simply and free of clinical & educational jargon. Screening is the identification of a potential developmental problem. If screening methods are used to determine a child's eligibility for special education services, an assessment plan must be written and signed by parent/guardian prior to screening (consent). Screening may be used without an assessment plan only as a consultation tool for program planning, providing the focus is not an individual child. Parents as partners in screening: Parents have wealth of information & knowledge about their child. Cultural, ethnic & linguistic difference: Family customs, beliefs, & language influence a child's performance on screening & assessment tools. Types of screening instruments: Apgar: used immediately after birth to assess the infant's need for medical attention. Dial-3: Developmental Indicators for the Assessment of Learning-Third Edition. Rely on teachers & parents as informants. Denver II: Rely on teachers & parents as informants. SCREENING LIMITATIONS: Screening is an important process in the early identification of developmental problems in young children. However, remember that a screening is only a "snapshot" of a child in time. SPECIAL DAY CLASS TEACHER QUALIFICATIONS: Special Day Class preschool and elementary school teachers in California usually have these types of degrees & credentials: Bachelor's Degree in either Liberal Studies or a single subject. California Multiple Subjects Teaching Credential specifies kindergarten through 8th grade in a self contained classroom. Preschool Teachers Credential. California Special Education Teaching Credential specifies either Mild-Moderate or Moderate-Severe or both.

Teacher has passed two tests: California Basic Educational Skills Test (CBEST) & Multiple Subject Assessment for Teaching (MSAT). Many teachers have additional degrees and credentials. Ongoing training to keep current in best practices. Credential renewal every 5 years requires a professional development plan, and an educational advisor/mentor. For more information: go to the web and search California Commission on Teacher Credentialing. TEACHER'S ROLE Teacher as observer - be objective & record only what a child actually does and says. Systematic observations should start with 4 parts: 1. Child's name or initials. 3. Setting 2. Date, including year & time of day. 4. Name or initials of observer. SOURCES OF EVALUATION INFORMATION Records, work samples, interviews, observations, formal assessments TYPES OF OBSERVATIONS Teachers can use the following: Checklists Frequency counts Duration measures Anecdotal notes Running records Logs, journal & diaries Time sampling Language samples Portfolio assessment WHO PROVIDES SPECIAL EDUCATION SERVICES? County Office of Education Far Northern Regional Center Early Start - Part C: Birth to 3 years old CALIFORNIAS EARLY START PROGRAM: A child born with a disability can receive an Early Start in the State of California. Teams of healthcare providers, early intervention specialists, therapists, and parent resource specialists can assess and evaluate an infant or toddler and provide appropriate early intervention services to children birth to 36 months old that are found eligible for Californias Early Start Program. CALIFORNIAS EARLY START PROGRAM ELIGIBILITY Infants and toddlers from birth through 36 months may be eligible for early intervention services if through documented evaluation and assessment they are found to: 1. Have a developmental delay in either cognitive, communication, social or emotional, adaptive, or physical and motor development including vision and hearing; or 2. Have an established conditions of known etiology, or conditions with established harmful developmental consequences. CALIFORNIAS EARLY START PROGRAM Regional centers share primary responsibility with SELPAs for the coordination and provision of early intervention services at the local level. The Department of Developmental Services (DDS) contracts with non-profit corporations that operate regional centers. Our local regional center is Far Northern Regional Center. Regional centers provide intake, evaluation, and assessment services to determine consumer eligibility and service needs. Regional centers throughout California provide, arrange, or purchase early intervention services for all other children found eligible for Early Start. Local education agencies provide individually designed services for infants, from birth up to 36 months, with vision, hearing, and severe orthopedic impairments, including any combination of these solely low-incidence disabilities. Siskiyou County Office of Education Early Start program provides home based service, support to community and center-based early intervention programs (Early Head Start), including special instruction, service coordination, family support services, and other early intervention services identified in the child and familys Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP). Early Start services are provided to eligible infants, toddlers and their families at no cost to the family as determined by the IFSP team. Early Start is funded by federal funds (IDEA, Part C) and the State General Fund. Other publiclyfunded early intervention services may also be utilized. Siskiyou County Office of Education, Early Start and Far Northern Regional Center also coordinate services with other agencies and organizations in the evaluation and assessment process and in the

development of IFSPs for those children eligible for, and in need of, early intervention services. SHARING THE RESPONSIBILITY EARLY INTERVENTION SERVICES In Siskiyou County: Far Northern Regional Center & Siskiyou County Office of Education Assistive technology devices/services Psychological services Audiology (hearing) services Family training, counseling Physical therapy Social work services Service coordination & home visits Health services Special instruction Hearing impaired services Transportation Nutrition services Medical services for diagnostic Occupational therapy Vision services Speech and language & evaluation purposes Nursing services only services Others as needed WHO PARTICIPATES ON AN IFSP AND IEP TEAM? Nursing services The IFSP or IEP team includes: The parents of the child. At least one general education teacher of the child (home based or center based). Special education specialists. A representative of the LEA (Siskiyou County Office of Education/special education) who: Is qualified to provide, or supervise the provision of special education services (usually an administrator). Is knowledgeable about the general education curriculum. Is knowledgeable about the availability of the resources ($$$). An individual who can interpret the instructional implications of the evaluation results (may be another member of the team). At the discretion of the parent or the school, other individuals who have knowledge or special expertise regarding the child as determined by the party who invites them to the IEP. Related services personnel as needed. If appropriate, the child. IEP REQUIREMENTS The IEP is based on developmentally valid, non-discriminatory assessment and to be developed from multiple sources of information, no single assessment tool may be used. Program, placement and services are the decisions made by the IEP Team based on a childs need. An IEP must include: Present levels of performance. Specific services with start dates (called placement and services). If appropriate, where inclusive programs will be provided: i.e. Special Day Class, Resource Class, General Education Class, & specify classroom setting, small group or pull out or 1:1. When inclusive programs & services will be provided: i.e. 30 minutes daily, 1 hour 1X per week, 45 minutes daily. Long term annual goals with benchmarks, which includes description of accountability to determine if goals/benchmarks have had progress or have been met DISCIPLINE IDEA - 1997 mandated major changes to the IEP regulations related to issues of discipline & challenging behavior. Behavior Support Plan (BSP) Functional Behavior Assessment (FBA) Suspension Expulsion IEP ACCOUNTABILITY At least once a year the IEP team must meet to evaluate if goals were meet & to develop the following year's Individual Education Plan. Annual IEP: once every year Addendum IEP: attachment to the annual IEP Triennial IEP: every three years if eligibility is in question or to gather new information Informal teaming with professionals & parents