Chapter 1
Chapter Focus
This introductory chapter presents an overview of the assessment process in general education in
today’s educational environment, reflecting current emphasis on inclusion and accountability in
education for all children. The evaluation of student progress in general education occurs
regularly. Teachers employ a problem-solving process incorporating intervention strategies in
the classroom setting as well as screening and assessment of students who, even with appropriate
interventions, require additional support. Various types of assessment are presented along with
considerations of assessment of the child as a whole.
Case Study
#1: Jaime
1. According to the Contemporary Assessment Model, what steps have been taken by Mrs.
Johnson?
2. List the steps that should happen before Mrs. Johnson consults with the problem-solving
team.
3.What other information may be helpful in determining interventions?
Check Your Understanding
Activity 1.1
1. According to the Traditional Assessment Model, what usually happened when a student
was referred to a multidisciplinary team?
2. Research studies of the referral and assessment process found many indications of bias in
the process. What are some examples of this bias?
3. Under the 2004 IDEA, the emphasis shifted from the traditional model with prereferral
strategies to early intervening services. Why did the 2004 IDEA include this change?
Apply Your Knowledge
Read the case study to begin thinking about how to look for solutions for the student’s
difficulties. Refer to the Contemporary Assessment Model to list possible steps in the problem-
solving process.
Activity 1.2
1. A teacher wants to determine why a student who can multiply single-digit numbers
cannot multiply double-digit numbers. The teacher asks the student to verbally describe
the steps she is using in the process of multiplying double-digit numbers. This is ___.
2. The spelling series used in one classroom contains tests that are directly tied to the
spelling curriculum. When the teacher uses these tests, ___ is being used.
3. A teacher collects class work, quizzes, book reports, and writing assignments to
determine the students’ strengths and weaknesses in language arts. This is known as ___.
4. When a teacher assesses a student’s potential to learn a new math skill by prompting or
cuing the student, ___ has been used.
5. For a teacher to determine a student’s understanding of the solar system, the student is
required to create a project that demonstrates the Earth’s position relative to designated
planets. This is ___.
6. A classroom teacher along with a team of other educational professionals determined that
John, who has multiple disabilities, is not able to participate in the statewide assessment.
The team develops ___ to assess John’s attainment of educational goals.
7. A student is not progressing as the teacher believes he should for his age expectancy. The
teacher uses teacher-made tests, observation, and criterion-referenced tests to gather
information about the student. This teacher is using different methods of ___ to discover
why the student is not making progress.
8. To determine whether a student has mastered a specific skill or objective, the teacher uses
a ___.
9. A first-grade student has difficulty with fine motor skills. The teacher is concerned that
the student may not have the developmental ability to learn manuscript handwriting. The
handwriting series lists skills a student must master before writing letters. Using this
device, the teacher has employed a ___.
10. Assessment devices in a school’s language arts series provide skills and objectives for
each level of English, creative writing, and literature. These are ___.
11. Each year the Mulberry Elementary School tests students to determine which students
have mastered state curriculum standards. This testing is known as ___.
Apply Your Knowledge
Analyze the following sentences written by Roberto. Identify the spelling errors.
1. The yellow kat is very big.
2. The oshun has big waves.
3. The kan was bent.
Your error analysis is that Roberto. . . .
Activity 1.3
1. If a teacher wants to determine the types of mistakes a student is making on written
expression tasks such as sentence writing, the teacher may use ___.
2. IEP team members are concerned that a student may be functioning within the range of
mental retardation. In order to determine where the student’s abilities are compared with
other students his age, the team members determine that a ___ should be included on the
assessment plan.
3. The Teacher Assistance Team of a middle school receives a referral regarding a student
who seems to have behavioral difficulty in only one of his classes during the day. In
order to determine what is happening in this one classroom, the team decides that an ___
should be conducted.
4. In order to measure student progress against a standard set for all students in the same
grade, ___ tests may be used.
5. When a teacher is concerned about a student’s mastery of a specific math skill, the
teacher may decide to use several measures, including ___.
Think Ahead
The steps of the evaluation process are structured by both federal and state laws. The federal
mandates are presented in Chapter 2. Why do you think it is necessary to have laws that regulate
the assessment process in education?
Answers may vary and may include the following reasons:
➢ To establish standards by which students qualify for services.
➢ To eliminate utilizing special education as a placement for students who
need alternative teaching methods to be successful.
➢ To hold teachers accountable for all students’ success.
➢ To eliminate bias in assessment.
➢ To reduce disproportionality and overrepresentation within the special
education population.
➢ To ensure that monies allotted for special education services are spent on
the students who actually need those services.
Part I
1. Concerns regarding the ___ of students from diverse ethnic and cultural backgrounds
emphasize the need for collecting assessment data in a variety of ways.
2. In order to assess all areas to obtain a view of the whole child, the ___ is designed for
each individual student.
3. When a teacher wants to determine how a student solved a problem incorrectly, the
teacher completes a(n) ___.
4. When a child from a different linguistic background is assessed by providing cues or
prompts, a form of ___ has been employed.
5. As a result of the ___, an IEP or an alternative plan would be developed for a student.
6. ___ must be given in a specific manner as stated by the publisher, whereas informal tests
include a variety of methods and strategies for collecting data.
7. If ___ prove to be unsuccessful, the team may conclude that the student requires
additional assessment to determine if additional services are needed.
8. A test that compares a student’s performance with a national sample of students of the
same age or grade is known as a ___.
9. A student found to be eligible for services who is between the ages of 6 and 21 will have
a personalized IEP written, whereas a(n) ___ will be designed for a student younger than
school age.
10. Teachers who design assessment instruments from classroom materials are using ___.
Part II
1. One way to document that strategies have been attempted before referral is to use
2. Why are statewide tests called high-stakes tests?
3. How might high-stakes testing improve the education of all students?
4. The 2004 Amendments to IDEA emphasize that more than 30 years of research indicates
that the education of children with disabilities can be made more effective by
5. Summarize the best-practice procedures that include early intervening services and RTI
and when an appropriate referral for special education may be made.
Chapter 1 Test Bank
True and False
1. IDEA 2004 and NCLB place more emphasis on assessing all students in attaining the
standards, leading to more students being included in the general education classroom
and more students who receive special education services to receive a regular diploma.
2. All students, regardless of disability, are required to take statewide exams.
3. Pre-referral interventions are intended to address bias in the referral process and prevent
unnecessary assessments.
4. Children who fail to make academic progress through ESL services are eligible for
special education services.
5. An outcome of the use of the historical model of assessment was a large number of
students being referred for special education services who did not require them.
6. When administering a standardized test, the individual giving the test may give the test in
any manner they wish.
7. All students who are eligible for special education services are required to have an
alternative planning document in place.
8. An IEP differs from an IFSP in that an IEP includes family needs as well as the child’s
needs.
9. Research confirms that, traditionally, a teacher’s decision to refer may have been
influenced by the student having a sibling who has had school problems.
10. It is important to establish firm standards for a student’s progress and readiness to exit
special education.
Multiple Choice
1. When the number of students from various ethnic or linguistically diverse groups who
receive special education services is skewed from the general population, it is called
A. disproportionality
B. overrepresentation
C. overidentification
D. accountability
2. Looking for patterns of errors to provide insight into learning how a student
completes a task is called
A. informal assessment
B. alternative assessment
C. error analysis
D. dynamic assessment
3. IDEA 2004 indicated that these services should be employed to address a student’s
needs within the general education classroom and prevent additional assessment.
A. Pre-referral interventions
B. Early intervention services
C. Response to intervention
D. Problem-solving model
4. Which of the following is not true about high-stakes testing?
A. It is state-driven.
B. Students with severe disabilities do not have to take it.
C. It provides the AYP score for the school.
D. It is mandated by IDEA and NCLB
5. This type of assessment requires that students create a product that demonstrates their
skills or competency.
A. Dynamic assessment
B. Portfolio assessment
C. Informal assessment
D. Performance-based assessment
6. Mr. Kehl collects student products over the course of the year to demonstrate the
progress his students make. Mr. Kehl is utilizing what type of assessment?
A. Dynamic assessment
B. Portfolio assessment
C. Informal assessment
D. Performance-based assessment
7. Ella received an 80% on her math test this week. Her teacher said she missed the cut-
off by 5 points, so she will have to work on the same material next week and retake
the test next Friday. Ella’s teacher is employing what type of assessment strategy?
A. Dynamic assessment
B. Performance assessment
C. Criterion-related assessment
D. Criterion-referenced assessment
8. Miss Morgan is collecting progress monitoring data using DIBELS and determining
if she needs to change her instructional strategies in order to help her students reach
their aim line. Miss Morgan is using what type of assessment strategy?
A. Curriculum-based measurement
B. Curriculum-based assessment
C. Criterion-related assessment
D. Criterion-referenced assessment
9. Elisabeth’s teacher gives a spelling test at the end of each week to determine student
mastery of the words. This type of assessment is considered a
A. Criterion-related assessment
B. Criterion-referenced assessment
C. Curriculum-based assessment
D. Curriculum-based measurement
10. Aaron’s teacher noticed he was having difficulties reading in all of his classes. She
referred him for special education services immediately. What model of assessment
is Aaron’s teacher following?
A. Historical Model
B. Contemporary Model
C. Problem-solving Model
D. Response to Intervention Model
11. The process of evaluating an environment to determine if there are any influences on
the learning process is called
A. an observation
B. a dynamic assessment
C. an ecological evaluation
D. a performance-based assessment
12. Miss Jean, a school psychologist, administers a test on Billy, a student referred for a
comprehensive evaluation. Billy’s scores on an achievement test indicate that he is
performing significantly below his peers in reading comprehension skills. Miss Jean
administered what type of assessment?
A. Standardized test
B. Performance assessment
C. Norm-referenced test
D. Criterion-referenced assessment
13. Susan was a referred for a comprehensive evaluation. It was determined at the
eligibility meeting that she was not eligible for special education services but needed
alternative planning in order to be successful in the general education classroom.
What document will the team need to write for Susan?
A. 504 accommodation plan
B. Individualized education program
C. Alternative instructional plan
D. No document is needed
14. In the event that a referred child is 3 years of age or younger and is eligible for
services, the law requires this document to be written
A. 504 Accommodation Plan
B. Individualized Education Program
C. Alternative Instructional Plan
D. Individualized Family Service Plan
15. According to the statistics provided by the U.S. Department of Education, what
disability category is most disproportionally represented by minorities?
A. Speech and Language Impairment
B. Learning Disabilities
C. Mental Retardation
D. Emotional Disturbance
16. This process is used when effective, research-based interventions are not successful in
the general education classroom and document what strategies and assessments are
being used to support instruction.
A. Response to Intervention
B. Individualized Education Program
C. Individualized Family Support Plan
D. Eligibility Meeting
17. Which of the following describes an assessment model where an emphasis is placed
on finding solutions rather than seeking alternative placement and an eligibility label?
A. Historical Model
B. Contemporary Model
C. Traditional Model
D. Prereferral Intervention Model
18. Which of the following is not a legal consideration when developing an
individualized assessment plan?
A. Ethical standards must be upheld.
B. Assessments must be valid for their intended purpose.
C. One test may be used for eligibility determinations.
D. Assessments must assess areas of concern.
19. The primary outcome of the Historical Model of Assessment was
A. an increase in the number of students identified for special education
services.
B. a decrease in the number of students identified for special education
services.
C. a shift in the way ELLs were evaluated for special education services.
D. an increase in the number of Caucasian students receiving special
education services.
20. Which of the following is not true of ELL services?
A. ELL services are not a special education service.
B. Bilingual services are a special education service.
C. Pre-referral strategies should promote language acquisition.
D. Language problems must be eliminated as a reason for referral.
21. At which tier of the RTI model does the eligibility meeting happen?
A. Tier 1
B. Tier 2
C. Tier 3
D. None of the above
22. Utilizing the RTI model, the government expects to get the number of students who
are referred for special education services down to
A. 1–3%
B. 3–5%
C. 5–6%
D. 6–8%
23. When it is determined that a student needs an individual assessment plan, whose
responsibility is it to determine which assessments to give to the student?
A. The referring teacher.
B. The school psychologist.
C. The IEP team.
D. The parents.
24. Students with disabilities who are unable to participate in statewide assessments are
tested using
A. a dynamic assessment
B. a norm-referenced test
C. a criterion-related test
D. an alternative assessment
25. Informal assessments that can be tailored for individual students, used to identify
mastery of a skill, and/or placement in a curriculum include:
A. checklists
B. rating scales
C. observations
D. all of the above
Short Answer
1. Discuss the difference between testing and assessment.
2. Explain the process and purpose of Response to Intervention.
3. Discuss the components and outcomes of the historical referral and assessment model.
4. Discuss the Three-Tier Model of Intervention.
5. Describe the philosophy of the Contemporary Model of Assessment.
6. Discuss the differences between curriculum-based assessments and curriculum-based
measurements.
7. Identify the four considerations that should be addressed during an ecological evaluation.
8. Discuss the legal requirements when developing assessment plans for students who may
be eligible for special education services and the steps professionals should take in
developing an individualized assessment plan.
9. Discuss the cultural issues that have led to the overrepresentation and disproportionality
of students with disabilities from minority groups.
10. Identify three strategies that can be used to reduce disproportionality.
11. What is the purpose of prereferral interventions?
12. Discuss what grades early intervention services are available for and what grades
interventions are empathized.
Chapter 1 Test Bank Answer Key
True and False
Multiple Choice
Short Answer
