Assessment and the Special Education Process
Domain 2: Assessment and the Special Education Process
This domain tests the sequence from child find through eligibility, the legal deadlines and consent rules, and how to select technically adequate assessments and interpret scores.
Core rules and concepts
- Child find requires districts to identify, locate, and evaluate all children with suspected disabilities, including parentally placed private-school students and highly mobile children.
- A referral triggers review of existing data. With parental consent, the initial evaluation must be completed within 60 days under the federal rule, though state timelines may differ. Consent is required for evaluation and for initial services; parents may revoke consent for services in writing.
- Eligibility uses multiple sources: aptitude/achievement measures, observations, parent/teacher input, and progress data. Tests must be valid for the purpose, administered in the child’s native language, and not racially or culturally discriminatory.
- RTI data can inform eligibility but cannot be used to delay evaluation. A severe discrepancy is not required for SLD.
- Re-evaluation occurs at least every 3 years unless parents and district agree otherwise; it is not automatic annual testing. Independent educational evaluations may be requested when parents disagree.
- Norm-referenced scores: standard scores typically have a mean of 100 and SD of 15; percentile ranks are not equal intervals. Use confidence intervals and consider standard error of measurement.
Worked example
A second grader’s screening shows low word reading; the team has 12 weeks of Tier 2 data with flat growth. Parents request evaluation. The team should not say “finish RTI first”; it should obtain consent and evaluate within the timeline, using curriculum-based measurement, phonics, and cognitive measures. Eligibility compares multiple data sources and educational need, not a single IQ–achievement gap.
Traps
- Treating RTI as a legal prerequisite to evaluation.
- Confusing eligibility with placement.
- Reporting percentile ranks as if they were equal units.
- Missing consent, revocation, or timeline rules.