Allen Chapter 10

Chapter 10: Assessment and the
IFSP/IEP Process
The Exceptional Child: Inclusion
in Early Childhood Education,
9e
Allen and Cowdery The Exceptional Child: Inclusion in Early Childhood Education, 9th Edition. © 2022
Cengage. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible
website, in whole or in part.

Allen and Cowdery The Exceptional Child: Inclusion in Early Childhood Education, 9th Edition. © 2022 Cengage.
All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in
whole or in part.
Chapter Objectives (1 of 2)
By the end of this chapter, you should be able to:
10-1 List the six steps in the assessment process.
10-2 Describe the process of early identification, including Child Find and screening.
10-3 Discuss the family’s role in the assessment process.
10-4 Explain the role of the early childhood teacher in the identification of developmental
problems and in the IFSP/IEP process.

whole or in part.
Chapter Objectives (2 of 2)
By the end of this chapter, you should be able to:
10-5 Summarize the major requirements of an IFSP.
10-6 Summarize the major requirements of an IEP.
10-7 Summarize the major requirements needed to obtain a 504 plan.

whole or in part.
Purposes of Doing an Assessment
1. To make sound decisions about teaching and learning
2. To identify significant concerns that may require focused intervention for
individual children
3. To help programs improve their educational and developmental
interventions

whole or in part.
Six Steps in an Assessment (1 of 2)
1. Screening—to identify children who need more thorough evaluation
2. Determining eligibility—to determine identifiable disability and qualification
for special education services
• Assessment information from multiple domains and sources needed
3. Determining services—services required are identified, and the appropriate
personnel are convened to write the IEP or IFSP

whole or in part.
Six Steps in an Assessment (2 of 2)
4. Planning the program—The purpose is to identify an appropriate program
for a child and begin to plan what services will be delivered, how they will
be delivered, and what skills and areas will be addressed
5. Monitoring progress—to determine how the child is progressing;
observations should inform program modifications
6. Evaluating the program—to make decisions about effectiveness of program
• Decisions can encompass specific activities, modifications, or entire program

whole or in part.
Knowledge Check Activity 1
Which answer pertains to one of the six steps incorporated into IDEIA law,
taking into account the NAEYC Position Statement on Assessment (2003)?
a. Making sound decisions about teaching and learning
b. Determining the eligibility of a child
c. Identifying significant concerns that may require focused intervention for
individual children
d. Helping programs improve their educational and developmental
interventions

whole or in part.
Knowledge Check Activity 1: Answer
Which answer pertains to one of the six steps incorporated into IDEIA law,
taking into account the NAEYC Position Statement on Assessment (2003)?
Answer: b. Determining the eligibility of a child

whole or in part.
Common Types of Assessment Tests (1 of 2)
Criterion-referenced assessment
• A child’s progress is measured against a preset standard.
• These are helpful in planning.
• The child is not compared to other children.
Norm-referenced tests
• A child is compared to other children of the same age.
• These are not as helpful with young children.
• It is used as a screening process to begin further testing.

whole or in part.
Common Types of Assessment Tests (2 of 2)
IQ tests
• Scores must be viewed with caution, even skepticism
• Not a determining factor of future intelligence
• Number of factors may lead to poor performance
• Child may be tired, hungry, or ill
• Anxious about the unfamiliar testing situation and test administrator
• Responding in ways appropriate to own language or culture, but
incorrect in terms of standardized test responses
• Dealing with an unidentified developmental problem

whole or in part.
The Process of Early Identification (1 of 2)
Case finding—process of locating children in need of special services
Child Find—to publicize information to families on disability services and where to find
help
• Depends on widespread publicity
• Emphasize that developmental problems are often hard to recognize and that all
young children should be screened
• Easily accessible

whole or in part.
The Process of Early Identification (2 of 2)
Screening—identification of potential developmental disabilities
• Low-cost, easily administered tests
• Conducted by professionals or paraprofessionals
• Results are not a diagnosis, more a “snapshot” of the child in time
• Follow-through is essential
When selecting a multi-domain screening test, consider the test’s:
Sensitivity—ability to correctly identify children with disabilities
Specificity—ability to correctly identify children without disabilities

whole or in part.
The Family’s Role in Assessment
Assessment teams must strive to implement a child- and family-centered
assessment process designed to address each child’s unique interests,
strengths, and needs through authentic, developmentally appropriate, culturally
and linguistically responsive, multidimensional assessment methods
Goals of integrated and individualized assessment practices
1. Answer questions posed by the assessment team (incl. family members)
2. Integrate routines, interests, materials, and caregivers in the process.
3. Develop system for shared partnerships for communication and ongoing collection
of information valuable for teaching and learning

whole or in part.
Requirements for the Assessment
• Must be conducted in the child’s native language
• Instruments that are designed for use in the native language must be used
• Simply translating a test that was written in English and standardized on
English-speaking students is never appropriate.
• Should be conducted and interpreted by a “culture–language mediator,” a
person who is fluent in both the native and majority language and culture.
• Multiple forms of information should be collected, including work samples
and child observations.
• Test items and procedures should be designed to measure a child’s known
strengths as well as document any perceived weaknesses.

whole or in part.
Teachers’ Role in Early Identification
The teacher as observer—able to see children in different contexts with a
variety of others over an extended time
• Trained to observe and record information on all children
• Notes differences in daily interactions and tracks long-term problems
• Must use facts and not opinions or subjective statements
• Systematically records observations

whole or in part.
Types of Observations (1 of 2)
Checklists—a list of skills on which the observer records whether the child can
or cannot accomplish it; recorded throughout the day
Frequency counts—tally marks collected every time a child demonstrates a
behavior
Duration measures—notation of the time when behavior begins and ends
Anecdotal notes—short, concise notes taken about a child while doing an
activity; turned into recording that a parent can read and comment on
Running records—narrative recording of everything a child did, said, and
responded to

whole or in part.
Types of Observations (2 of 2)
Logs, journals, and diaries—informal running record used for one-on-one
planning or notes to the teacher not necessarily shared with the parents
Time sampling—brief, periodic observations to determine the presence or
absence of a behavior
Language samples—Verbatim recordings of what the child says or what
sounds the child makes
Portfolio assessment—Samples of the child’s work collected over the year

whole or in part.
Discussion Activity 1
While observing the behavior of the children in a classroom, the teacher must
be mindful of what information they provide to the parents, how they provide it,
and other concerns.
a. What kind of observations should not be included?
b. What advice would you give for including information?

whole or in part.
Cautionary Notes for Teachers
Teachers Should
• work collaboratively with parents
• listen carefully and respectfully
• be knowledgeable about local resources
• make careful judgments
• be culturally sensitive
• be aware of environmental factors
• remember that all children are different
and typical development encompasses a
broad spectrum of individual difference
Teachers Should Avoid
• making diagnoses
• using labels to describe children
• raising parents’ anxiety
• phrasing suggestions as orders
• telling parents what to do
• jumping to conclusions without adequate
observational data

whole or in part.
For what reason are teachers in an advantageous situation compared with
clinicians to identify developmental or potential problems?
a. Level of comfort and spontaneity
b. Observation of similar ages
c. Observation of similar interests
d. Extended periods of time and many situations to observe

whole or in part.
For what reason are teachers in an advantageous situation compared with
clinicians to identify developmental or potential problems?
Answer: d. Extended periods of time and many situations to observe

whole or in part.
Individualized Family Service Plan
• The IFSP is designed to work with families of infants and toddlers with
disabilities to identify priorities, resources, and concerns.
• Family is a key component.
• Services are decided, and families are given support to utilize these
services.

whole or in part.
IFSP Requirements (1 of 2)
Pre-referral and case conferencing—a parent and teacher meet to discuss
concerns, both share information, and a decision is made as to whether further
screening is necessary
Identification of needs—family-driven assessment should look at functional
skills and the child’s ability to adapt to the environment
Non-intrusiveness—law protects families’ privacy by not allowing professionals
to discuss private or sensitive matters

whole or in part.
IFSP Requirements (2 of 2)
IFSP evaluation—yearly review to appraise the progress made by the child and
family toward the objectives
Service coordinator—essential to team functioning and family support
• Chosen for professional expertise in area of primary disability
• A sensitive listener, a child and family advocate, and connects with resources
• Can be the parents with training and assistance
Program-to-program transition—support is required for family and child during
transition to other or more advanced programs

whole or in part.
Individualized Education Program (IEP)
IEP is a blueprint for providing intervention services
Teacher input is essential throughout the IEP process, as well as
• in the assessment of children
• in the adaptation and modification of classroom activities
• to implement the individualized program
• in the evaluation process

whole or in part.
The IEP Team (1 of 2)
Multidisciplinary—professionals working independently of each other in a kind
of parallel play format
• Each team member responsible only for their own area of clinical expertise
Interdisciplinary—professionals working together to identify priorities and
develop goals
• Coordinate and collaborate across disciplines
• Incorporate skills from other disciplines into their own practice
Transdisciplinary—professionals teaching each other through continuous staff
development, joint team functioning, role release and role substitution,
determining role definition (who does what) around the characteristics of each
child and family, relying on each other to build on the range of strengths found
among different types of child development experts.

whole or in part.
The IEP Team (2 of 2)
Transdisciplinary—professionals teaching each other through
• Continuous staff development
• Joint team functioning
• Role release and role substitution
• Determining role definition (who does what) around the characteristics of each child
and family
• Relying on each other to build on the range of strengths found among different
types of child development experts

whole or in part.
IEP Requirements (1 of 3)
Assessment—an ongoing information-gathering process
Annual goals—broad, individualized goals to accomplish throughout the year
Writing goals—goals should be “SMART” or specific, measurable, action,
realistic and relevant, and time-limited

whole or in part.
Quality of IEP Goals
1. WHO?—the student, expressed by noun or pronoun, i.e., the student
2. WHAT?—observable behavior, expressed in action words, verbs that are open to few
interpretations, i.e., will trace the letter
3. WHEN?—date in time, i.e., by (date)
4. GIVEN WHAT?—conditions, describe what needs to be in place for the completion of the
goal, i.e., when given a verbal direction …
5. HOW MUCH?—mastery/criteria, i.e., 5 times weekly, with fewer than three prompts, or
seven out of ten trials with 80 percent accuracy.
6. HOW WILL IT BE MEASURED?—data includes work samples, data collection strategies,
portfolios, teacher observations, and assessments—i.e., as measured by teacher
observation and daily data collection.

whole or in part.
Discussion Activity 2
1. Break into small groups
2. Write SMART goals for a child who needs to learn
a. To write their name
b. Put their belongings in their cubby independently
c. Use scissors to cut out a drawn shape

whole or in part.
Discussion Activity 2 Debrief
What are the SMART goals your group wrote for a child who needs to learn:
a. To write their name
b. Put their belongings in their cubby independently
c. Use scissors to cut out a drawn shape

whole or in part.
Short-term objectives—eliminated as a requirement but still extremely helpful
assessing whether the annual goal will be achieved
Specific services to be provided—specific intervention services, supports, and
equipment to be provided with description of how services will be provided
Projected dates for service—projected starting and stopping dates
Discipline—children who demonstrate challenging behaviors should have a
behavior plan based on FBA that includes positive support strategies

whole or in part.
Evaluation (statement of accountability)—yearly review and revision to include
new and revised goals as a child progresses
• Re-evaluation every 3 years to determine if services are still necessary
Computer-based information systems—online systems to support IEP
development

whole or in part.
Case Study
You are a kindergarten teacher and have sent an IEP parent notification letter
about a child’s progress. The parent did not respond. You sent a second letter
and made a phone call. The child is continuing to regress.
You decide to hold the IEP meeting without the parent.
a. What consequences, if any, do you foresee from your actions?
b. At what point can the teacher decide to hold the IEP meeting without
the parent?
c. Do you know your state’s rules and regulations regarding parent
contact and participation in IEP meetings?

whole or in part.
504 Plan Requirements
To be protected under Section 504, a student must be determined to
1. have a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more
major life activities; or
2. have a record of such an impairment; or
3. be regarded as having such an impairment
• Once obtained, it remains in place indefinitely
• States need to determine how often to re-evaluate
• No set timeframe but typically every 3 years

whole or in part.
Why would a student be given a 504 plan rather than an IEP?
a. Qualify for services and need a great deal of guidance and help
b. Qualify for services but don’t need as much guidance and help
c. The child receives more formal services
d. The school has a high budget

whole or in part.
Why would a student be given a 504 plan rather than an IEP?
Answer: b. Qualify for services but don’t need as much guidance and
help

whole or in part.
Summary (1 of 2)
Now that the lesson has ended, you should have learned how to:
• List the six steps in the assessment process.
• Describe the process of early identification, including Child Find and screening.
• Discuss the family’s role in the assessment process.
• Explain the role of the early childhood teacher in the identification of developmental
problems and in the IFSP/IEP process.

whole or in part.
Summary (2 of 2)
Now that the lesson has ended, you should have learned how to:
• Summarize the major requirements of an IFSP.
• Summarize the major requirements of an IEP.
• Summarize the major requirements needed to obtain a 504 plan.

Allen Chapter 10

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