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Although the worst of the COVID pandemic is behind us, the implications of the pandemic linger, especially as it pertains to our student’s academic performance. Research has shown that our students are struggling like never before in reading, writing, math, and language development. This webinar will highlight the ramifications of the COVID-19 pandemic on our student’s overall development and provide guidance on how item analysis information obtained from the WJ IV can help pinpoint areas of struggle for instructional planning.
While today’s session is designed with the new Educational Diagnostician in mind, all of us can always use a new tip, handout, or idea to help us better organize the overwhelming amount of work that is currently facing us. This session will focus on those organizational skills needed for success and sanity, in our daily lives, and will combine our PowerPoint with live discussion, handouts, and questions from attendees as time allows.
The Core-Selective Evaluation Process (C-SEP) is a comprehensive PSW model that integrates multiple sources of data with targeted testing practices. This session will provide a basic overview of the C-SEP model.
When we conduct assessments of students and engage in the administration of a norm-referenced test, important information about the learner occurs beyond the standard score. The evaluator’s observation of testing behaviors and strategies are an important part of understanding the learner. This session will highlight the importance of taking detailed observational notes during the testing session and integrating them within the interpretation.
This session covers the role of Exclusionary Factors and their impact on SLD identification, while also considering the Covid-19 impact on education and the importance of documentation in our reports. Included in the presentation is a brief review of the Exclusionary Factors required by federal and state law and the impact of societal changes: social, economic, cultural and technology related. The updated Exclusionary Factors Checklist is presented, as well as additional forms that can be used as documentation during your data gathering and evaluation process. In addition, the possible impact of Covid-19, both short and long term, on our students’ education and the ethical implications of disregarding Exclusionary Factors is reviewed.
As a new evaluator, sometimes it is overwhelming trying to remember all of the legal requirements of the job (e.g., timelines, disability criteria, etc.). This session will highlight resources evaluators can use to find the guidance in a timely manner. Highlights of the Texas Legal Framework (which provides federal and Texas state guidance for special education) will occur during this session.
Interpreting student’s WJ IV results at the standard score and percentile level is just the tip of the iceberg. The WJ IV offers much more in-depth analysis procedures to understand the learner. This session will take evaluators below the surface level to investigate the additional interpretive options (e.g., RPI, task demand analysis, intra-variation procedures) available for the WJ IV. Basic overview of scores & score interpretation for the WJ IV products will be highlighted.
This session will focus on the role Professional Judgment plays in our work and the importance of following legal guidance. We will examine the common errors made in professional judgment, as well as the ethical implications when professional judgment is overlooked.
This session will provide information related to the use of the interview as a part of the evaluation process, to include your student! We will examine the need for more in-depth information as part of the data gathering process, both before and during the evaluation process. Parents and teachers often do not understand the importance of this information and its use in our reports and when scheduling time for an additional interview, this can be better explained. Were the parent and teacher information forms comprehensive enough? Were the school forms filled out completely? Did the parent need help completing the form and did they get this help? Did the teacher skip questions or provide minimal information? Different types of interviews will be discussed and tips for scheduling and conducting interviews in person or by phone will be shared and demonstrated.
The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) requires that a variety of data sources be used within the comprehensive assessment. This session will highlight special education policy surrounding the use of multiple data sources, the data sources that are required when conducting a comprehensive evaluation and talking points to share with referral committee members regarding the importance of multiple data sources.
