General Requirements of Assessment

Determination of a student's status of disability or ELL must be done in an objective and accurate manner by a committee of school professionals involving teachers, administrators, psychologists, speech therapists, social workers, and counselors, depending on the need of the student under consideration (Cohen & Spenciner, 1998). The assessment results from the committee are discussed with the student's parents and consent from the parents is obtained before a final decision is made about the student. The Federal Registrar (1992) indicates the following general requirements for assessment of students with disabilities. The principles underlying many of these requirements also apply to ELL students. In general, assessment procedures used for determining disability or ELL status must be reliable, valid, fair, and equitable.

• The test be administered in the student's native language or preferred mode of communication.
• The test be validated for the purpose that is being used.
• The tests be administered by trained personnel in conformance with instructions from the test publisher.
• The assessment yield not merely an intelligence quotient but additional information about the student's educational needs.
• The assessment of students with impaired sensory, manual, or speaking skills be completed with tests that are selected and administered to reflect the student's aptitude and achievement level (or other factor) accurately. The tests should not reflect the student's impaired sensory, manual, or speaking skills.
• No single test be used to determine a student's eligibility for special education services.
• The students be assessed in all areas related to the suspected disability, including, where appropriate, health, vision, hearing, social and emotional status, general intelligence, academic performance, communicative status, and motor abilities.
• The assessment be made by a multidisciplinary team, including at least one member with knowledge in the suspected areas of disability. (Federal Registrar, 1992, Sec. 300.532; Cohen & Spenciner, 1998)