Everything you should know about assessments: The Notebook series, part 4
The assessment process can be a positive experience, but that doesn’t mean it’s an easy one. The process may feel overwhelming—for you and your child. Let’s talk through some common questions that may help!
Welcome to The Notebook series! Every parent deserves to feel like an equal, important partner in their child’s education. That's why I created the IEP Notebook series: to help parents effectively navigate the IEP process and get the services and support their child needs to thrive. Each post will have helpful tools and information to ensure parents can approach IEP meetings with confidence, have more positive experiences working with their IEP team, and advocate for their child effectively.
In this post, we’re going to cover five important topics related to the assessment process. These five topics also tend to generate the most common questions about assessments from parents new to the process—and from those who have been through it before. They include:
What an assessment is and how to request one
Your assessment team
Your role during the assessment process
Your rights as a parent
Making changes to or disagreeing with services
What is an assessment?
In its simplest form, an assessment is a test. A test that’s meant to be not-so-scary—I promise! Assessments are tests created for the purpose of assessing a child’s knowledge or skills specific to a particular domain, activity, or standard. Assessments are helpful in that they can target areas in which a child may have a significant developmental delay or disability. In addition to determining a student’s needs related to a delay or disability, the information gained through an assessment informs a student’s educational program.
Generally, assessments are part of the preparation process for different types of Individualized Education Programs (IEPs). Specifically, assessments:
Are always part of the process for developing initial and triennial IEPs
Can be part of the preparation process for
An annual IEP
An amendment or addendum to an existing IEP
The placement and program recommendations for a transition IEP
The assessment process can feel as much like a test for the student as it does for the parents. Let’s get into some common questions parents have about assessments in general. We’ll outline the typical assessment process. And we’ll review timelines that are important for parents to know when navigating assessments.
What happens if I request that my child be assessed?
If you believe your child is in need of assessment—either to make changes to their existing IEP or to establish special education services through an initial IEP—you should make your request for assessment in writing to a member of your child’s IEP team or to an administrator at your child’s school. A letter sent via regular mail is best, but an email is fine. Typically, you can expect a response to your written request within 25 school days.
It is helpful to include as much information as possible in your written request, including:
The reason you want your child assessed
The concerns you have about your child’s development—be specific
Any strategies you’ve tried at home to support your child
The priorities and goals you have for your child’s development for the school year
If your child is already receiving special education services and has a current IEP, you should hear from your child’s case manager or a school administrator. They may agree to assess and offer you an assessment plan to review and sign. You must give permission for your child to be assessed—even if you’re the one who requested it. Generally, they will have 35 school days to conduct all assessments and another 30 (calendar) days to draft and propose an IEP based on the assessment results.
If your child is not receiving special education services, and they don’t have an existing IEP, you may hear from a school psychologist, a special education teacher, or a school administrator. They may agree to assess your child right away. If that’s the case, they will provide you with an assessment plan to review and sign. You will need to sign the assessment plan giving the team permission before they can start the assessment process. The same timeline laid out above applies.
Whether your child already has an IEP or not, if the response is that they don’t believe your child needs assessment, you have the right to escalate your concerns to a program administrator. You can write a second written request to someone like a Director of Special Education. You can also request a meeting with your child’s IEP team or with the Director to discuss your request. A written request for an IEP meeting should result in the team offering a meeting date within 30 calendar days.
If your request does not receive a timely response, or if you are denied assessment a second time, you can find a specialist—a psychologist, an occupational therapist, an education specialist—who can conduct the assessments you want done. This would be an independent educational evaluation (IEE). Once these assessments are completed, you would share them with your child’s IEP team. If your child doesn’t have a team, the school will likely assign a team to meet with you and review the results of the IEE.
If after reviewing the results of the IEE the team decides to offer your child special education services, you will be reimbursed for the cost of the IEE. If they decide not to offer your child special education services, you are financially responsible for the cost. The results of the IEE may be used during mediation or due process if you continue to pursue services for your child.
Who is on your assessment team?
So, you’ve started the assessment process—yay! You’re probably wondering who you’ll be working with—who will be guiding your child through the assessment process. Let’s review who may be on your assessment team and what they do. Generally, assessment teams will include team members based on each student’s services and specific program. Typically an assessment team is composed of:
Case manager
Special education teacher
School psychologist
Service providers
Case manager
The case manager during the IEP process is typically the special education teacher. However, during the assessment process, the case manager can be the school psychologist. For initial IEPs and triennial evaluations, the school psychologist coordinates a student’s assessments with all involved team members/service providers. There are less common circumstances, like implementing a 30-Day IEP, during which a special education administrator could serve as case manager. A school psychologist would still likely act as coordinator amongst assessors.
Generally speaking, case managers coordinate the assessment team. They collaborate with all team members to ensure the assessment process is moving forward properly. They communicate with the team members who have draft reports to make sure they complete them.
They communicate directly with the parents to schedule assessments—those done both during and outside of school hours—to share draft assessment reports. School psychologists are often the team member that sends all necessary documents to parents during the assessment process. Case managers also support parents with getting answers to questions they may have and help them understand their role throughout the assessment process.
Special education teacher
The special education teacher holds an important role on the assessment team. The special education teacher is typically the team member who conducts the assessments that fall under the academic assessment. They are knowledgeable in the academic domains including:
Reading and phonics skills
Written language skills
Mathematics skills
Cognition skills
Verbal skills
Special education teachers have their own responsibilities during the assessment process. They collect assessment data and provide a report detailing the student’s current skills and performance. This report drives their recommendations and is associated with their knowledge of academic curriculum and standards.
School psychologist
In addition to the role and responsibilities fulfilled as case manager, the school psychologist plays a major role in the assessment process—especially for initial and triennial IEPs. Typically this is because those two types of IEPs require assessments. School psychologists conduct assessments covering skills in:
Problem-solving
Memory
Attention
Social interactions
Emotional regulation
Adaptive behavior
These skills are assessed in a variety of ways. School psychologists use formal assessments, observations, and interviews to collect data during the assessment process. They produce a report often called a Psychoeducational Report or sometimes they collaborate with other service providers to create a Multidisciplinary Report. Regardless of the name of the report, it will generally provide information about:
Background information about the student’s educational history, health history, and any interventions or supports that have been implemented in the past
Cognitive, academic, and behavioral assessment results
Raw scores, percentiles, and interpretations of results
Relating results to the student’s academic performance and behavior
Impressions of the student’s assessment results in relation to diagnostic criteria
Recommendations for the student’s educational program based on assessment results for services, accommodations or modifications, and supports
The assessment reports school psychologists present during IEP meetings are full of critical information about the student. They can also be quite lengthy and full of jargon. Parents should receive these reports prior to an IEP meeting to allow them time to read the report, come up with questions, and identify additional information to make the report even more effective. When you receive one of these reports, take a deep breath, remember that having questions is an expected part of the process, and do your best to get through it all!
Service providers
Not every IEP team involves service providers—or related service providers—but they can be an important addition. Similarly, not every assessment team will include related service providers. If they are already providing services to a student, or if the team believes the student may benefit from their services, they will be involved.
Service providers hold a very specific knowledge base. Their specialization can be in a variety of areas: occupational therapy, physical therapy, adapted physical education, or speech language pathology. Those are just a few of the most common related services that a student may be assessed for.
Each service provider offers a unique understanding of a student’s skills and performance. For example, speech language pathologists (SLPs) conduct assessments to collect data on a student’s alternative communication, language development, and social aspects of interactions. The reports that SLPs write based on assessment results can support the team with making recommendations for goals, accommodations and modifications, and support for accessing the general education curriculum and other activities—all from the perspective of an SLP.
It is also common for related service providers to recommend assessments be done more often than the required triennial testing. The services they provide are so specific to a child’s current needs. So, it can be essential to assess their progress more frequently to ensure the services and goals are appropriate for where the student is at that moment.
Administrator
An IEP team administrator can play a small role or a significant role depending on the assessment team’s needs. This role can be fulfilled by a variety of people. The role of administrator can be assumed by school psychologists, principals or assistant principals, directors of special education, or a special education faculty member who isn’t actively involved in conducting that student’s assessments. If there has been any conflict tied to the assessment process, administrators can help mediate further conflict, address a concern, or speak to a recommended program change.
General education teacher
There’s a reason every IEP team is required to have a general education teacher involved: they hold essential expertise in the general education curriculum, standards, and environment. While in some cases the general education teacher may not have a student enrolled in their class, they offer an important additional perspective to the assessment process. A general education teacher can weigh in on recommended accommodations to support a student access the general education curriculum, and share their deep knowledge about grade level standards.
What’s my role in my child’s assessment process?
Don’t worry—I didn’t forget that you’re an essential part of your child’s assessment team! And, I hope you never forget it either. As the parent, you have unique knowledge of your child, their strengths, needs, and interests. The assessment team is filled with experts, including you.
Once the assessment plan is signed and the assessment process has begun, you can expect to be contacted by the providers conducting the assessments. They may ask you to complete questionnaires, submit information about your child’s medical history, and be interviewed. Even if most of the assessment process happens while your child is at school, you are still an active participant in the assessment process.
You can also submit—yes, in writing—any additional information, questions, or concerns you would like considered during the assessment process. Your written submission should include a request that your child’s team incorporate what you’ve shared into their assessment report, as appropriate. You may answer a question the team didn’t even know to ask—a question with an answer that provides meaningful insight into your child’s current performance.
What are your Parents’ Rights?
In addition to having an important role on your child’s assessment team, you also have rights. These rights are called Parents’ Rights. This document is also sometimes referred to as Procedural Safeguards. While the name may not be particularly clever, they act as a critical guide to support you.
Parents’ Rights are summarized in a document that parents should receive prior to every IEP meeting. In addition to receiving this document, someone from your child’s IEP team should offer to review your rights at the start of every IEP meeting. This document outlines regulations for topics such as:
Parental consent
Independent Educational Evaluations (IEEs)
Confidentiality
Mediation
Due Process
Here is an example of Parents’ Rights/Procedural Safeguards (in English) from Washington State’s Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI). You should always be provided a copy of this document in your preferred language and an explanation via an interpreter, if necessary. You may request a copy of this document at any time.
How can you make changes to your child’s current services?
You’ve navigated the assessment process with your team, but now you feel your child would benefit from additional services. You’ve also read the lengthy document defining your rights, and you know it is within your rights to ask for changes to those services. You can ask for more or less of a service they are currently receiving. You can also ask for a service they aren’t currently receiving to be added.
If you feel your child would benefit educationally from additional special education services or if you believe their access to the general education classroom, curriculum, or environment would increase through additional time or frequency of a service they are already receiving, they will likely need to be assessed before any changes can be made. You should put your request for additional services—or any changes to existing services—in writing to your child’s case manager. Remember, a letter is best, but an email is ok. The team will typically have 25 school days to respond to your written request.
Their response may be to offer you an assessment plan. You will need to give permission for your child to be assessed, even if you are the one who requested the additional services. If they offer you an assessment plan that you are in agreement with, the assessment process begins.
Their response may be to hold a meeting to discuss your request, but they may not immediately offer to assess your child. If they do not offer to assess, or if they say they don’t think your child needs to be assessed, you can request that they be assessed. Not to be annoying about this, but always put your requests in writing.
How often will my child be assessed?
Once your child has been found eligible for special education services and an IEP is being implemented, you can expect your child to be assessed every three years. This is called a triennial evaluation. Your child will be reassessed by each service provider with whom they have been working.
Prior to any assessment—initial, triennial, parent-requested—you will receive an assessment plan. The assessment plan will describe the area in which the assessments will be conducted and the providers who will conduct the assessment. The team cannot proceed with any assessments until you have reviewed and signed the plan. You may also request additional assessments be added to the plan.
If during the three years since their initial IEP or their last triennial evaluation your child’s team decides they may be eligible for additional services, those service providers will also conduct an assessment and share the results at the triennial IEP meeting. These are providers your child may not have worked with before. They will be listed on the assessment plan.
Your child’s IEP team may also offer an assessment plan between triennial evaluations if they believe your child may benefit from an additional service. If you agree and sign the assessment plan, that service provider will assess your child, write up the results in a report, and present them to the team at an IEP meeting. This assessment process and IEP meeting will likely happen independently of an annual or triennial IEP.
What happens if I disagree with assessment results?
If your child has recently been assessed, and for any reason you don’t agree with the assessment results, you have the right to contest the results. Your first step would be to contact your child’s case manager or a school administrator to let them know you do not agree with the assessment results. You should contact them in writing, and clearly indicate which results you don’t agree with and why.
In your written notification that you don’t agree with the assessment results, you should also indicate what you would like to happen next. If your child was found not eligible for special education services or the service for which they were being assessed, and you disagree with that finding, you may wish to have an IEE conducted to contest the results. You would want to include in the written notification that you will be having an IEE conducted.
If your child was found eligible for special education services or an additional service, and you are not in agreement with that finding, you can decline services offered via an IEP. Once the team has presented you with the draft IEP they developed based on the assessment results, you will have the opportunity to indicate that you decline the offered services. If this is an initial IEP, your child will not receive any of the offered services. If your child is already receiving special education services, their existing IEP will remain in place until an agreement is reached.
Wrapping up!
The assessment process can feel overwhelming, lengthy, and complicated. As a special educator who was involved in dozens of assessments—as a teacher and as an administrator—I get it. Hopefully, I’ve covered some of the questions you may have.
If you find that after you’ve finished reading this post you still have more questions, please reach out to me via messages. I’d love to hear from you, learn more about your questions and concerns, and provide you with individualized support. I have a special place in my heart for supporting parents with IEPs and the assessments that help teams develop them.
Until next week, stay centered out there, friends!
Mischa
