Nonbiased Formal and Informal Specialized Diagnostic Assessments
Assessment Description
Nonbiased formal and informal specialized diagnostic assessment results provide meaningful information and data to make team decisions that best support students with disabilities. The assessment results should be communicated to ensure all stakeholders fully understand the implications for the classroom, including possible accommodations or modifications in the IEP for assessments or testing conditions. Teachers can learn strategies for advocating and mentoring staff and students for such classroom and assessment accommodations or modifications.
Allocate at least 2 hours in the field to support this field experience.
Observe and collaborate with a school specialist (e.g., behavior specialist, occupational therapist, physical therapist, or speech pathologist) about diagnostic assessments and his or her role in the process of evaluating individuals with and without disabilities.
During your observations, make note of the following:
The distinguishing criteria/factors between nonbiased formal and informal specialized diagnostic assessments that are administered to individuals with disabilities.
Examples of nonbiased formal and informal specialized diagnostic assessments that are administered to the students being evaluated, including any legal and ethical requirements.
How the school specialist interprets information from a nonbiased formal and informal specialized diagnostic assessment.
How the assessment information is used in making eligibility, program, and placement decisions for students.
Strategies in communicating specialized assessment results to various stakeholders, including parents and students.
For students that are eligible for special education services, how the assessment results could affect possible accommodations or modifications listed in the IEP related to the classroom environment, instruction, and assessments or testing conditions.
Strategies for advocating and mentoring staff and students for such accommodations or modifications.
Use any remaining field experience hours to assist the teacher in providing instruction and support to the class.
In 250-500 words, summarize and reflect upon your observations and explain how you will use your findings in your future professional practice.
APA format is not required, but solid academic writing is expected.
This assignment uses a rubric. Review the rubric prior to beginning the assignment to become familiar with the expectations for successful completion.
You are required to submit this assignment to LopesWrite. A link to the LopesWrite technical support articles is located in Class Resources if you need assistance.
Document the locations and hours you spend in the field on your Clinical Field Experience Verification Form.
Submit the Clinical Field Experience Verification Form to the LMS in the last topic. Directions for submitting can be found on the College of Education site in the Student Success Center.
Clinical Field Experience C: Understanding Specialized Assessments
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There has been increased awareness of learning disabilities, making learning assessments at the heart of educational progress. With every child that goes to school, there is an anticipated brighter future for them. However, this future is robbed of them due to undiscovered learning disabilities. It is important to note that learning disabilities have nothing to do with physical handicaps or intellectual disabilities. Implementing interventions is central to addressing or reversing a student's learning disability. I had the opportunity to collaborate with the school specialist on assessments, thus deriving valuable lessons for my professional journey. This paper delineates what I learned and how to incorporate such lessons into my professional practice.
During my collaboration with the school specialist, I learned that formal and informal assessments play an essential role in evaluating a child's abilities since they help provide a more comprehensive and reliable view of the child's academic strengths and areas of improvement. Yan et al. (2021) state that formal assessments are the most frequently used and have a set of predetermined instructions, scoring criteria, as well as norm-referenced scores. This implies that formal assessments can also be employed to holistically evaluate a child to establish their capabilities, interests, and long-term strategies and plans to facilitate these. Informal assessments, on the other hand, are less structured and more flexible in gathering data. Informal assessments are executed concurrently with different strategies to give a comprehensive intervention. For example, the Woodcock-Johnson IV Test of Achievement can compare the student's performance, but this alone is insufficient. Information such as the student's thinking process and areas of difficulty is required and can only be obtained through the informal assessment. One of the non-bias formal assessments is the Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children (KABC). According to Piper et al. (2022), KABC measures cognitive processes while focusing on novel tests. Another formal test, as stated by the specialist, is the Vine...