Understanding Assessment in the Special Education Process: A Step-by-step Guide for Educators

"Short and to the point—a huge advantage! Easy to read and understand, and a great reference. This book is a must-have for every school building in every district!"

—Rachel Aherns, Collaborative Resource Teacher

Build your knowledge of how the assessment process works!

This compact handbook provides general and special education teachers with clear information about the types of assessments that help determine student eligibility for special education services. Written by legal and special education experts, this guide defines disability categories and explains applicable federal regulations as they relate to the assessment process in special education. The authors outline a multidisciplinary approach for comprehensive evaluations based on observation, interviews, and testing. This indispensable resource clarifies the teacher's role in the referral process and also covers:

• The components of a professional evaluation report
• Student behavior during assessment
• Making presentations to an Individualized Education Program committee

An ideal step-by-step reference for instructors who have not had specific training in assessing students with special needs, Understanding Assessment in the Special Education Process helps educators make the most effective use of available assessment options.

Roger Pierangelo is an associate professor in the Department of Special Education and Literacy at Long Island University. He has been an administrator of special education programs and served for eighteen years as a permanent member of Committees on Special Education. He has over thirty years of experience in the public school system as a general education classroom teacher and school psychologist, and is a consultant to numerous private and public schools.

George Giuliani is an assistant professor at Hofstra University's School of Education and Allied Health and Human Services, in the Department of Counseling, Research, Special Education, and Rehabilitation. He is the executive director of the National Association of Special Education Professionals, president of the National Association of Parents with Children in Special Education (NAPCSE), vice-president of the National Association of Special Education Teachers, and an educational consultant for various school districts. He has provided numerous workshops for parents and teachers on a variety of special education and psychological topics.