Assessment Tools

HLP 5: Interpreting and Communicating Assessment with Stakeholders

 By Colleen Cestari and Caitlynn Young

Definition:

  • Effectively communicating data about a student to all involved parties who are a part of the student’s IEP team.

Data

  • The data can be collected through assessments, classroom work, and observing a student in their classroom environment, as well as their home life
  • Data can include academic results, as well as information on behavioral observations and concerns.
  • Can be collected by any stakeholder
It is important to keep different types of data on all students. This organizer shows simply and clearly the different types of data that can be collected on students: In classwork, assessments, visual reporting and family reports.
It is important to keep different types of data on all students. This organizer shows simply and clearly the different types of data that can be collected on students: In classwork, assessments, visual reporting and family reports. 

Stakeholders

  • The “stakeholders” are those who are involved in the child’s academic success and daily well-being.
  • Can include general education teachers, legal guardians, psychologists, special education teachers, family members, and anyone else who comes in contact with the student on a regular basis.
  • These stakeholders make up the child’s IEP team. 

Expected Outcomes:

  • Have all parties fully understand where the child is at (behaviorally and intellectually) and what is expected of them. 
  • Developing an understanding of each assessment and what each assessment is testing.
  • Giving a clear understanding to families about special education terms and hopeful outcomes.
  • Being able to develop goals and objectives based on the assessment data and the child’s abilities, while also explaining how you hope to achieve those goals.

How to implement in a school setting?

  • IEP meetings or any team meeting with all involved parties.
  • Emails/phones calls with the families or teachers often.
  • “Red folders”: given to general education teachers at the beginning of the year. that provides a brief overview about the students and their goals and objectives.

Steps for Implementation:

Step 1: Do assessments on the child

Step 2: Summarize and review all data making it clear and precise for others to read

Step 3: Review data and form goals and objectives for the student (rough draft)

Step 4: Call a meeting to discuss findings and goals and objectives

Step 5: Meet with team to talk about findings

Step 6: Make a plan to achieve goals and objectives based off of assessments

Tips for Families About SPED 

  • Definitions of terms for IEP meetings
  • A link to the rights of the family and a simplistic definition and expectations of families from this list
  • Explaining the role family members have in their child’s educational success and how they can help their child in SPED
  • Definition of special education and explanation of the difference between a resource environment and a self contained classroom
  • For the full tip sheet, click here. 

Tips on Virtual Learning 

  • Provide links or listings of websites that work well for web based education
  • How meetings and family-teacher contact is changing
  • Discuss with families the best way to share assessment data/ contact them
  • For a family tip sheet, click here.
  • For a teacher tip sheet, click here.

References

Blackwell, W. H. & Stockall, N. (2019). RISC: Four steps for interpreting and communicating high-stakes assessment results. TEACHING Exceptional Children, 51(4), 265-275. https://doi.org/10.1177%2F0040059919826027 

Towles-Reeves, E., Kleinert, H., & Muhomba, M. (2009). Alternate assessment: Have we learned anything new? Exceptional Children, 75(2), 233-252. https://doi.org/10.1177%2F001440290907500206 

McLeskey, J., Maheady, L., Billingsley, B., Brownell, M., & Lewis, T. (2019). High-leverage practices for inclusive classrooms. Routledge.

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