Overview

For upper level undergraduate and graduate level courses, Assessment in Special Education: Practical Applications for Teachers presents a teacher-focused approach structured around the three primary ways in which practicing special educators use assessment. The text addresses why the assessments are used, how they are implemented, and what the results mean. This resource bridges theory and practice with case studies, evidence-based strategies, and clear guidance on integrating assessments into everyday practice. Utilizing practice-based learning, this text is designed to help pre-service and early-career teachers situate new knowledge in meaningful contexts. The text is organized into three sections specifically based on the sequence of interactions that special education teachers are likely to have with students new to their caseloads: Section I. Special Education Eligibility Determinations—Focuses on the comprehensive, multi-disciplinary evaluation process that is used to determine if a student qualifies for special education services under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEA). This section includes information about administering and interpreting formal assessments that guide legal decisions and intervention planning.  Section II. Progress Monitoring and Data-Based Decision Making—Covers a set of assessment practices that are used by special educators and other intervention providers to monitor student progress toward individualized goals across academic and behavioral outcomes. This book is unique among comprehensive assessment texts in providing detailed guidance about curriculum-based measurement, general outcome measures, and mastery measures as tools to guide intervention and help students maximize learning.   Section III. Classroom Assessment—Provides a guide to using assessment as a tool for equity, engagement, and daily instructional decisions. This section explores how teachers can design and implement classroom assessments that not only measure learning but actively enhance it. Key Features Chapter learning objectives Case studies providing context for the concepts and skills addressed in each chapter Application opportunities aligned with the chapter objectives  Bolded key vocabulary with in-text definitions  Chapter review questions PluralPlus Online AncillariesFor instructors: PowerPoint Slides, Test Bank, Sample Syllabus, Video and Website Links, Vocabulary Matching Curriculum-Based-Measurement For students: eFlashcards, Links to Related Resources, Forms/Documents

Full Product Details

Author:   Melissa C. Jenkins ,  Kenya E. Cornelius ,  Kiersten K. Hensley ,  Dana L. Wagner
Publisher:   Plural Publishing Inc
Imprint:   Plural Publishing Inc
Dimensions:   Width: 17.80cm , Height: 1.40cm , Length: 25.40cm
ISBN:  

9781635507607

ISBN 10:   163550760
Pages:   313
Publication Date:   24 October 2025
Audience:   College/higher education ,  Adult education ,  Professional and scholarly ,  Tertiary & Higher Education ,  Postgraduate, Research & Scholarly
Format:   Paperback
Publisher's Status:   Forthcoming
Availability:   Not yet available  
This item is yet to be released. You can pre-order this item and we will dispatch it to you upon its release.

Table of Contents

Contents About the Authors Introduction. Introduction to Assessment for Special Education     Chapter Objectives     What Is Educational Assessment?      Why Do We Assess and What Assessments Meet These     Purposes?      How Do We Assess?      Ethical Considerations in Assessment      Conclusion and Next Steps      Resources     Chapter Review Questions Section I. Special Education Eligibility Determinations  Chapter 1. Assessment Within Multi-Tiered Systems of Support  Chapter Objectives Why Are Multi-Tiered Systems of Support Important?     Misconception 1: MTSS Is All About the Tiers     Misconception 2: Tier Labels Apply to Students     Misconception 3: Tiered Supports Are Provided by Specialists     Misconception 4: The Point of MTSS Is to Determine if a Student Needs Special Education Why Do We Evaluate Within Multi-Tiered Systems of Support?     Determine the Effectiveness of Tier 1 Instruction     Identify Students in Need of Additional Support     Monitor the Effectiveness of Tier 2 and Tier 3 Interventions What Assessments Do We Use?      Universal Screenings     Progress Monitoring Conclusion  Resources Chapter Review Questions Chapter 2. Formal Assessments for Special Education Eligibility  Chapter Objectives How Do We Ensure Educational Access for All? Why Do We Evaluate? How Do We Evaluate?     Step 1: Referral for Evaluation     Step 2: Review Existing Information     Step 3: Identify Additional Data Needed     Step 4: Obtain Parental Consent for Evaluation     Step 5: Conduct Assessments     Step 6: Review Data and Determine Eligibility  What Types of Assessments Inform the Multidisciplinary Team?     Direct and Indirect Assessments     Individually Administered and Group Administered Assessments     Informal and Standardized Assessments     Criterion-Referenced and Norm-Referenced Assessments Conclusion Resources Chapter Review Questions Chapter 3. Administering, Scoring, and Interpreting Norm-Referenced Standardized Assessments  Chapter Objectives How Do We Ensure Validity of Standardized Assessments? What Are the Elements of a Norm-Referenced, Standardized Assessment?     How Is the Test Content Organized? How Do We Administer Standardized Assessments?     How Do Evaluators Prepare for Test Administration?     Administering the Assessment How Are Assessments Scored?     Age and Grade Equivalence     Standard Scores     Standard Error of Measurement and Confidence Intervals How Are Assessment Outcomes Shared with Multidisciplinary Team Members? Conclusion Resources Chapter Review Questions Chapter 4. Selecting Formal Assessments of Intelligence and Academic Achievement  Chapter Objectives How Can Formal Assessments Help Us Understand Students as Learners? What Is Intelligence and How Do We Measure It?     What Concerns Exist Around Intelligence Testing? What Tests of Cognition and Intelligence Are Available?     Woodcock-Johnson® V Tests of Cognitive Abilities     The Wechsler Intelligence Scales     Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children–Second Edition, Normative Update     Test of Nonverbal Intelligence–Fourth Edition What Is Academic Achievement and How Do We Measure It?     Applications to Educational Decision Making What Tests of Academic Achievement Are Available?     Woodcock-Johnson® V Tests of Achievement     Kaufman Test of Educational Achievement™–Third Edition     Wechsler Individual Achievement Test®–Fourth Edition     Wide Range Achievement Test™–Fifth Edition Conclusion Resources Chapter Review Questions Chapter 5. Selecting Formal Assessments of Social-Emotional, Behavioral, and Functional Skills Chapter Objectives Why Do We Evaluate Functional Performance? What Do Social-Emotional and Behavioral Assessments Measure? How Are Social-Emotional and Behavioral Skills Assessed?     Conners 4th Edition     Behavior Assessment Scale for Children–Third Edition     Functional Behavior Assessment How Are Social-Emotional and Behavioral Data Used for Eligibility?     What Do Adaptive Behavior Assessments Measure? How Do We Measure Adaptive Skills?     Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales–Third Edition     Adaptive Behavior Assessment System–Third Edition Conclusion Resources Chapter Review Questions Section II. Progress Monitoring and Data-Based Decision Making Chapter 6. Overview of Curriculum-Based Measurement and Data-Based Individualization  Chapter Objectives What Is a Curriculum-Based Measure?      Technically Adequate     Efficient     Frequent     Informative to Instruction What Is Data-Based Individualization? What Misconceptions Exist?     Misconception 1: Fluency Cannot Predict Reading Comprehension      Misconception 2: CBM Will Provide All That is Needed for Decision Making     Misconception 3: There Is No Evidence Base for CBM     Misconception 4: CBM Data Tell Us the Student Is Not Doing Well     Misconception 5: DBI Is Only for the Elementary Level      Misconception 6: CBM Materials Are Expensive     Misconception 7: Graphs Are Not Necessary     Misconception 8: Timed Tests Are Not Good Indicators of Achievement     Misconception 9: CBM Is Only Used in Special Education     Misconception 10: Students Do Not Like CBM for Progress Monitoring Conclusion Resources Chapter Review Questions      Chapter 7. Curriculum-Based Measurement Progress Monitoring, Graph Interpretation, and Decision Making  Chapter Objectives Why Graph CBM Data? What Barriers Exist in Using CBM Data? What Does a CBM Progress Monitoring Graph Look Like?  Why Is Goal Setting Important?     Approaches to Setting Goals     General Considerations for Goals How Do Educators Make Data-Based Decisions?     Categories of Decisions     Approaches to Decision Making     Considerations When Making Decisions How Do We Communicate Progress? Conclusion     Resources Chapter Review Questions Chapter 8. Curriculum-Based Measurement for Progress Monitoring in Reading  Chapter Objectives What Reading Skills Can Be Progress Monitored With Curriculum-Based Measurement? How Are Reading CBMs Selected and Administered?     Selecting Appropriate Measures     Administering Additional CBMs     Phoneme Segmentation Fluency     Nonsense Word Fluency How Are Reading CBMs Graphed and Interpreted?     Oral Reading Fluency How Do CBM Data Guide Instructional Adjustments for Reading?     Conclusion Resources Chapter Review Questions Chapter 9. Curriculum-Based Measurement for Progress Monitoring in Writing  Chapter Objectives Why Do We Assess With Curriculum-Based Measurement for Writing? What Curriculum-Based Measurements Exist for Writing?     CBM for Early Writing Skills     CBM for Written Expression How Are Writing CBMs Scored?     Total Words Written     Words Spelled Correctly     Correct Word Sequences Technology and CBM-W CBM Within DBI How Are Writing CBMs Used for Data-Based Individualization?     Administer Appropriate CBMs     Score and Analyze     Graph the Data     Monitor Progress and Implement Decision-Making Rules     Implement Adaptations Conclusion Resources Chapter Review Questions Chapter 10. Progress Monitoring With Curriculum-Based Measurement in Math Chapter Objectives Why Assess With Curriculum-Based Measurement for Math? How Is Data-Based Decision Making Used for Math?     Five-Step Data-Based Individualization Framework What Skills Can Be Assessed Through CBM in Math? How Are CBMs of Math Computation Administered? How Is the M-COMP Measure Scored? How Are the Data From Math CBM Analyzed? How Are Baseline Scores and Goals Determined? How Are Graphed Data Interpreted? How Do CBM Data Guide Adjustments to Intervention? What Measures Are Appropriate for Early Numeracy Skills?     Oral Counting      Number Identification      Missing Number     Quantity Discrimination Math Concepts and Application Measures Conclusion Resources Chapter Review Questions Section III. Classroom Assessment Chapter 11. Reframing Classroom Assessment as Three-Dimensional Chapter Objectives Why Do We Use Classroom Assessments? How Do We Design Meaningful Classroom Assessments?     Classroom Assessments for Learning     Classroom Assessments of Learning     Classroom Assessments as Learning How Can Teachers Select the Right Classroom Assessments? Conclusion Resources Chapter Review Questions Chapter 12. Classroom Assessments in a Standards-Based World  Chapter Objectives Why Are the Standards so Important? How Does Using the Assigned Curriculum Impact Standards-Based Assessment?     Professional Opportunities How Can the Standards Inform Instruction?     Planning the Instruction How Can Standards and Teacher Expertise Be Used in Other Content Areas?     Conducting Error Analysis     Using Error Analysis as Assessment for Learning Conclusion Resources Chapter Review Questions Chapter 13. Using Formative Assessment to Adjust Learning and Provide Meaningful Feedback  Chapter Objectives Why Is Formative Assessment Important? What Is the Cycle of Data-Driven Planning?     Using the Cycle to Plan Instruction     Using Formative Assessment to Adjust Instruction How Can Formative Assessment Provide Meaningful Feedback to Students?     Creating Meaningful Feedback Conclusion Resources Chapter Review Questions Chapter 14. Using Classroom Assessments to Monitor and Improve Behavior  Chapter Objectives What Is Behavior Data and Why Is It Important? How Are Behavior Data Collected?     Collecting Frequency Data     Collecting Duration Data     Collecting Latency Data     Collecting Interval Data     Teaching Students to Self-Monitor How Do We Analyze and Use Collected Data? How Do We Determine the Purpose of An Assessment? How are Assessment Tied to Educational Decisions? Conclusion Resources Chapter Review Questions Chapter 15. Communicating Classroom Progress to Education Partners Chapter Objectives What Is the Teacher’s Role in Sharing Data? How Can Teachers Make Assessment Data Clear for All Educational Partners?     Tools to Help Explain Data How Do We Determine the Purpose of an Assessment? How Are Assessments Tied to Educational Decisions? Conclusion Resources Chapter Review Questions Glossary References Index

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Author Information

Melissa C. Jenkins, PhD, is the vice president of curriculum & instruction for 2Teach Global, an educational consulting company dedicated to promoting inclusive education around the world. Prior to taking on this role, Melissa was an assistant professor of education at the University of Mary Washington, where she taught graduate and undergraduate courses in educational foundations and special education. She brings years of experience as a special education teacher and administrator to her role as a teacher educator. Melissa is committed to promoting inclusive education by preparing practicing and pre-service educators to recognize, value, and build upon the diverse experiences of all learners. She enjoys sharing her work through local, national, and international conferences. Additionally, Melissa is coauthor of two books, multiple book chapters, and several articles in educational journals. In her personal life, Melissa enjoys the practice of yoga, the occasional cross-country road-trip, and anything that lets her spend time with her family. Kyena E. Cornelius, EdD, is a clinical associate professor in the School of Special Education, School Psychology, and Early Childhood Studies at the University of Florida. Her scholarship focuses on teacher education, effective classroom instruction, and high-leverage practices. Her professional goals center around elevating the teaching profession. Kiersten K. Hensley, PhD, has more than two decades of experience in special education from a variety of perspectives, including classroom teaching, state and district consulting, and teaching in higher education. Her interests include assessment, intensifying math instruction, and social emotional learning supports for teachers and students. Dana L. Wagner, PhD, is an associate professor in the Department of Special Education at Minnesota State University, Mankato. Dana was a special education teacher and instructional coach prior to her work in higher education. Dana’s research interests include in-service and pre service teachers’ understanding and use of evidence-based practices and literacy interventions.

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