D-3 Using Data to Drive Decisions for Instruction

Understanding 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

Evaluators use intervention data and observations to:

Design test batteryRule out exclusionary factorsConfirm test findingsDevelop instructional

recommendationsSuggest modifications and

accommodations to general education instruction

Eligibility for Special Education services requires:

•Diagnosed exceptionality

•Demonstrated need for special education services

•Exclusionary factors ruled out

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

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

To determine eligibility as SLI- Language:

Significantly below average oral language skills

How different is this child from his peers?

Demonstrated need for services

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

NORMATIVE BELL CURVE

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

Subtest Score Mean 10

Standard Deviation (SD) 3

Standard ScoreMean 100

SD 15Percentile Descriptor

17 to 20 131 and above 98 and above Very Superior

15 to 16 121 to 130 92 to 98 Superior

13 to 14 111 to 120 77 to 91 High Average

8 to 12 90 to 110 25 to 75 Average

6 to 7 80 to 89 9 to 23 Low Average

4 to 5 70 to 79 2 to 8 Below Average

1 to 3 69 and below 2 and below Well Below Average

Expected achievement

Where do we anticipate a child’s obtained performance to fall? Based on ability score Used to level the ability playing

field

WISC-IV Scores (Expectancy)

Composites SS Conf Int %-ile Descriptor

Verbal Comprehension 81 75 to 89 10 Low Average

Perceptual Reasoning 96 89 to 104 39 Average

Working Memory 65 60 to 75 1 Extremely Low

Processing Speed 83 76 to 94 13 Low Average

Full Scale 78 74 to 84 7 Borderline

General Ability Index 88 83 to 94 21 Low average

Achievement

Where is the student actually functioning?

Learning Disability Evaluation Scale (Teacher input)

Subscales QT%-ile

Descriptor

Listening 80 9 Intervention Needed

Thinking 68 2 Serious Need for Intervention

Speaking 83 13 Intervention Needed

Reading 72 3 Intervention Needed

Writing 93 32 Normal Range

Spelling 100 50 Normal Range

Mathematical Calculations

105 63 Normal Range

Kaufman Test of Educational Achievement, Second Edition

Composites SS%-ile

Descriptor

Reading Composite 78 7 Below average

Math Composite 85 16 Average

Written Language Composite 82 12 Below average

Sound-Symbol 89 23 Average

Decoding 84 14 Below average

Reading Fluency 77 6 Below average

Oral Fluency 79 8 Below average

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.

Test of Auditory Processing Skills – 3rd Edition

Subtests ScS %-ile

Word Discrimination 8 25

Phonological Segmentation 7 16

Phonological Blending 8 25

Numbers Forward 1 0.13

Numbers Reversed 1 0.13

Word Memory 1 0.13

Sentence Memory 6 9

Auditory Comprehension 9 37

Auditory Reasoning 5 5

Index Standard Scores SS %-ile

Overall Score 75 5

Phonologic 88 21

Memory 61 0.47

Cohesion 85 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

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

Core and Index Scores SS %-ile Descriptor

Core Language Score 60 0.38 Very Low

Receptive Language Index 70 2 Very Low

Expressive Language Index 59 0.31 Very Low

Language Content Index 78 7 Marginal

Language Memory Index 56 0.17 Very Low

CELF-4

Regular Subtests ScS %-ile

Concepts and Following Directions 3 1

Recalling Sentences 3 1

Formulated Sentences 3 1

Word Classes 2-Receptive 6 9

Word Classes 2-Expressive 4 2

Word Classes 2-Total 5 5

Word Definitions 6 9

Understanding Spoken Paragraphs 8 25

Test of Language Development – Intermediate: 3rd Edition

Composites QT%-ile

Descriptor

Spoken Language 83 13 Below Average

Listening 89 23 Below Average

Speaking 79 8 Poor

Semantics 85 16 Below Average

Syntax 83 13 Below Average

Test of Problem Solving -3 Elementary

Descriptor

SS %-ile

Making InferencesGive logical explanations about a situation, combining what the student knows/sees with previous experience and background information

90 26

Sequencing Determine and explain logical, everyday sequences of events 77 7

Negative QuestionsAnswer why something would not occur or why one shouldn’t take a particular action in a situation 96 39

Problem SolvingRecognize the problem, identify solutions, evaluate these options and state an appropriate solution 77 7

PredictingMake likely predictions about what will happen or would happen if a certain action was taken 98 45

Determining CausesGive a logical reason for some aspect of a situation presented in a photograph 104 61

Total Test (Composite score – Overall test performance) 87 20

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

REPORT RECOMMENDATIONS PROVIDE…..

Areas of instructional need Modifications to curriculum Accommodations for general education curriculum

…to be used in instructional planning.