Assessment and Evaluation in Special Education – EDSP 622

CG • Section 8WK • 07/01/2018 to 12/31/2199 • Modified 09/05/2023

Course Description

This course is designed to provide theoretical and experiential knowledge regarding basic principles of educational assessment and intervention for all learners. Emphasis is placed on connections from research to practice and making instructional decisions based on systematically collected data.

For information regarding prerequisites for this course, please refer to the Academic Course Catalog.

Rationale

It is important for special educators to be prepared to interpret assessment data and use assessment data to make decisions about eligibility and the development of individualized education plans for students with disabilities. Special educators must be aware of the legal and ethical issues surrounding assessment and be equipped to make decisions about testing accommodations and participation in state and local assessments.

Course Assignment

Textbook readings and lecture presentations

Course Requirements Checklist

After reading the Course Syllabus and Student Expectations, the student will complete the related checklist found in the Course Overview.

Discussions (3)

Discussions are collaborative learning experiences. Therefore, the candidate is required to provide a thread in response to the provided prompt for each Discussion. Each thread must be 300 words and demonstrate course-related knowledge. In addition to the thread, the candidate is required to reply to two other classmates’ threads. Each reply must be 100 words. (CLO: F, G)

Assessment Evaluation Assignments (2)

The candidate will complete two separate assessment evaluations based on current assessment instruments used for diagnostic, intervention, and behavioral evaluations in school settings. The first assessment evaluation will focus on literacy. The second evaluation will focus on behavior, remediation, or intervention. The second assessment evaluation’s focus will depend on the candidate’s major. Each evaluation will include: a review of four testing instruments, support and/or review from the Mental Measurement database for each instrument, and a reflection and application to current school settings. Each evaluation must be formatted in current APA, contain a minimum of 10 pages of content (two pages for each instrument review, a title page, and references page). (CLO: B, C, D)

Case Study for Data Analysis Report Assignments (4)

The case study is compiled of 4 parts to lead the candidate through a hypothetical RTI process to compile, analyze, and plan interventions based on the data, culminating with the development of an Individualized Education Program (IEP). (CLO: A, B, C, D, E)

Case Study: Data Interpretations Assignment

For this part, the candidate will read a case study describing a student and input 3 different sets of data into an Excel file to examine various plots of data on a graph. Using the information gathered from the Excel file, the candidate will determine which graph shows the student below expectations, meeting expectations, and exceeding expectations and write a brief explanation about each graph. This part focuses on Tier 1 and 2 of the RTI process and enables the candidate to analyze the purpose of the universal screeners.  Using the data, the candidate will determine next steps in the RTI process.

Case Study: Interventions Assignment

For this part, the candidate will use the case study which describes the student in Part 1 who is below expectations in reading based on the graph. The candidate will create at least 2 research-based interventions and identify an assessment to use to monitor the student’s progress. The paper must be a minimum of 3–4 pages (not including the title and reference pages), cite support from at least 2 scholarly articles, and use current APA format. Overall, for this part, the candidate will create specific interventions based on the plotted data for intensive strategies for Tier 3 of the RTI process.

Case Study: Teacher Recommendations Assignment

The candidate will create a brief, objective report which provides information to include in the student’s file, identifying why the student is below expectations, interventions to use, and future recommendations for the student, parent, or other classroom teachers. The focus is for the candidate to explain to the various audiences the impact of the student’s data and providing objective recommendations for eligibility determination.

Case Study: Individualized Education Program (IEP) Evaluation Assignment

The candidate will extend findings from the previous three parts of the Case Study to develop elements of an IEP for the student, synthesizing and interpreting assessment findings to inform individualized education program planning including decisions about participation in state and division-wide assessments.

Measuring Behavior Case Study Unit Assignment

This case study unit addresses how to collect observational data on student behavior. Using the resources provided in each case study unit (i.e., STAR Sheets) and the assignment template, the candidate will answer each item in full. Case studies will be evaluated based on the candidate’s ability to demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of the concepts and information presented in the STAR Sheets, as well as on grammar, spelling, and formatting. (CLO: C, D)

Client Report Assignment

The candidate will identify a K-12 student and complete a portfolio of reading assessments using qualitative and quantitative measures.  Through observations and environmental assessments, the candidate will write a narrative on the observations of the client and complete various reading measures. After collecting data, the candidate will write a reading analysis of the client’s performance based on the synthesis of the collected data from the various assessments.  Based on the findings, the candidate will create future recommendations for various stakeholders to use in the client’s educational process. Submission is required in LiveText. Field experience requirement with K-12 client. However, no field placement is needed through the field office. (CLO: B, C, E, G)

Reflection on Assessment & edTPA Task 3 Assignment

The candidate will assess and analyze the components of an edTPA Task 3 portfolio and reflect on his or her learning in the course and how learning in this course will assist the candidate in the future development of an edTPA SPE Portfolio when entering the student teaching phase of the degree program. Submission in LiveText is required. The commentary should be at least 5 single-spaced pages including prompts, and must not exceed 8 pages. (CLO: C, H)

Quizzes (2)

Each quiz will cover the assigned reading content for the assigned module(s): week(s). Each quiz will be open-book/open-notes, contain 60 multiple-choice questions. Each quiz will have a 2-hour and 30-minute time limit. (CLO: B, E, F)