Determination of Need for Additional Data

 

To:        Parents/Teachers

                       

 

From:    Christine Kuhar, School Psychologist (776-4258)

            Karen Scull, Assistant to the Superintendent for Special Education

 

Date:   

 

Subject:  Upcoming Reevaluation for (Student’s Name)

 

PLEASE NOTE: THIS IS A HIGH PRIORITY DOCUMENT AND NEEDS TO BE COMPLETED AND RETURNED TO THE OFFICE OF STUDENT SERVICES

NO LATER THAN                      .

 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 


Dear Parent and other IEP Team Members:

 

 

Within the next few months, a routine reevaluation will be due on the above named student.  According to Federal regulations, the IEP team must review existing evaluation data and identify what additional data, if any, are needed in order to complete the reevaluation.  The evaluation data should help the team determine 1) the category of disability, 2) present levels of performance and needs, 3) continued need for special education and/or related services, 4) additions or modifications to existing special education and/or related services.  You are a member of the evaluation and educational team.

 

As an IEP team member you are mandated by federal and state law to review existing evaluation data, that includes the following information: most recent CER or ER, present levels of functioning as outlined in most recent IEP, progress towards the goals and objectives on the IEP and in the general curriculum, observations, class performance and assessments, progress on behavior support and/or other treatment plans, review of specially designed instruction, adaptations and modifications, and/or involvement with related services that are needed in order to enable the student to meet goals and participate as appropriate in the general curriculum, and any other information brought before the team, such as information or evaluations from the parents. 

 

For Parents: The school routinely sends copies of all documents home for your records.  If you are missing any of these documents, have questions or concerns, or have new evaluation data or other information to share with the IEP team, please contact the Office of Student Services immediately.  Please be aware that, as a parent, you have the right to request an assessment to determine whether your child continues to be a child with a disability.

 

For School Personnel:  Evaluation data can be found in the student’s cumulative special education folder located in the Office of Student Services or with the student’s current special education teacher.  If you have additional concerns or information that needs to be shared with the IEP team, please contact the Office of Student Services immediately.

 

Date Received by the Office of Student Services _____________

 

 

 

DIRECTIONS FOR TEAM MEMBERS:

 

Please take a moment to review the existing evaluation data and reflect on your knowledge of this child.  Given the upcoming evaluation and on the basis of your review, choose an option below.  Please ask yourself:  Is the information reviewed adequate or is more information needed in order to appropriately plan educationally for this student?

 

___  No additional data is required.

If the IEP team agrees that no additional data is needed, the team must decide, based on the existing data, if the student continues to be eligible for and in need of special education or if the student is no longer eligible for or in need of special education.  If a student is eligible and in need, the IEP team will develop a new educational program and a Notice of Recommended Educational Placement (NOREP) will be completed and issued to parents.  If the student is found not to be eligible for or in need of services, a Notice of Recommended Educational Placement (NOREP) will be completed and issued to parents.  

 

·         Based on your review of the evaluation data, do you believe that the student continues to demonstrate the characteristics of a person with a disability?                                             ___ YES        ___NO

 

·         If YES, do you believe that the student continues to be in need of specially designed instruction?     ___YES            ___NO

 

___  Additional data is required.

If the IEP team agrees that additional data is needed, a Permission to Reevaluate will be issued to the parents, the requested evaluations will be conducted with results outlined in an Evaluation Report.  Determination of continued eligibility for and need of special education will be made, an IEP developed if necessary, and a Notice of Recommended Educational Placement (NOREP) will be completed and issued to parents.

 

 (If this option is checked, please answer the following:)

            1.  What types of additional data* do you feel are needed?

                                                                                                                                               

 

                                                                                                                                               

 

                                                                                                                                               

* If needed please refer to the enclosed list for descriptions of types of assessments that could be utilized or visit our website at ridgwayareaschool district.com for more information.

 

2.       How would the new information be helpful in planning for the student’s educational program?

                                                                                                                                               

 

                                                                                                                                               

 

                                                                                                                                               

 

Please Note:  Reevaluations will occur every three years in most cases unless otherwise requested (students with mental retardation will be reevaluated every two years).

 

_______________________________________                ____________________

Name                                                                                        Date

 

Types of Assessment – Reference Page

 

Evaluation procedures to be utilized in assessing these areas of functioning are explained on this form.  Qualified professionals will conduct evaluation procedures to provide a multidisciplinary assessment of your child’s educational needs.  If you have further questions regarding these evaluation procedures, please contact Mrs. Christine Kuhar, School Psychologist, at 776-4258.

 

HEALTH/MEDICAL:       Health and medical history, compiled by persons in the medical profession, information about child’s health and medical status or medical diagnostic evaluation that has been used to determine a medically-related disability.  The school district can then assess how the disability impacts educational progress.

 

VISION:   Assessment of visual acuity, field of vision, and vision functioning, conducted by an eye specialist, in order to determine a vision-related disability.  Further assessments can then be conducted by the school district to determine how the disability impacts educational progress.

 

HEARING:   Assessment of hearing functioning and extent of hearing impairment, conducted by a hearing specialist, in order to determine a hearing-related disability.  Further assessments can then be conducted by the school district to determine how the disability impacts educational progress.

 

MOTOR:  Assessment of gross and/or fine motor skills and abilities in relation to educational needs, conducted with a current doctor’s order

 

COMMUNICATION/LANGUAGE:  Speech skills (including articulation, voice, fluency, and oral-motor) and/or receptive and expressive language skills and abilities (including phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics, and pragmatics)

 

ACADEMIC/ACHIEVEMENT:  Procedures and tests to measure academic achievement in such areas as basic reading skills, reading comprehension, math reasoning, math calculation, spelling, written language and expression, oral expression, and listening comprehension skills.  Areas could be specific to a skill (i.e.: reading only, math only) or conducted as an entire battery.

 

INTELLECTUAL/COGNITIVE:  Individually administered assessment of child’s ability to learn, including overall mental ability and cognitive functioning

 

VISUAL/MOTOR:  Child’s ability to perceive and process information using visual-motor and visual perceptual skills.

 

SOCIAL/EMOTIONAL AND/OR FUNCTIONAL BEHAVIORAL ASSESSMENT:  Information collected and assessments of the child’s social skills, emotional status, and/or functional behavior (may include data collection, rating scales, behavioral observations, interviews, and personal inventories).  It should be noted that there are many different components of a functional behavioral assessment which could be utilized depending upon a student’s needs and behavioral history.

 

ECOLOGICAL ASSESSMENT/ADAPTIVE BEHAVIOR:  Assessment of child’s general ability to perform the skills necessary for everyday living in the home and school settings

 

OBSERVATIONS:  Observation of child’s performance and functioning in the classroom and/or other appropriate settings

 

VOCATIONAL:  Assessment of vocational interests, aptitudes, and abilities for students 14 and older during the duration of the current IEP, or younger if deemed appropriate by the IEP team.

 

CURRICULUM BASED ASSESSMENT – CBA:  Examination of how student is achieving when assessed using materials from the present curriculum

 

PSYCHIATRIC EVALUATION:  Individual assessment of mental well-being, conducted by a licensed psychiatrist, utilized when results of a Functional Behavioral Assessment and/or school based psychological evaluation are inconclusive and/or when additional data is needed

 

___       OTHER: ______________________________________________________________