Special Education Evaluation Practices and Procedures: Implications for Referral and Eligibility Decision-making
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Special Education Evaluation Practices and Procedures: Implications for Referral and Eligibility Decision-making Kathrin E. Maki 1
&
Sarah R. Adams 2
Accepted: 4 November 2020 # California Association of School Psychologists 2020
Abstract Special education service provision depends upon referral for evaluation, corresponding evaluation procedures, and resulting eligibility decisions. However, how school districts and decision-makers (e.g., school psychologists) apply special education evaluation procedural rules is largely unknown. Through a survey of practicing school psychologists, the current study examined the most common special education referral concerns, multidisciplinary team (MDT) members’ roles in eligibility decisionmaking, the value of various assessment data sources in determining special education eligibility, and differences in those variables across participants’ years of experience, degree level, and geographic region. Participants reported that reading was the most common special education referral, school psychologists primarily made special education eligibility decisions with some input from other MDT members, and test scores were the most valued source of assessment data in determining special education eligibility. There were no reported differences in these variables across degree or US geographic region, but there were differences in reported perceptions of the most important sources of assessment data across years of experience. Implications for practice and future research are discussed. Keywords Special education . Assessment . School psychology
Prior to 1975, students with disabilities or those otherwise experiencing difficulties in school largely failed to have their unique learning needs met (Zigmond et al. 2009). Fortunately, educational services for students with disabilities have changed significantly since the original authorization of the Education for all Handicapped Children Act (EAHCA), now the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004 (IDEA; Hardman and Dawson 2008). Today, educators must provide differentiated instruction to meet the needs of all students, including those with disabilities (Every Student Succeeds Act [ESSA] 2015; IDEA 2004) who must meet state categorical disability eligibility criteria in order to benefit from specialized and individualized special education services (Burns and Ysseldyke 2009; Pub. L. No. 108–446 § 300.8). Despite these federal- and state-level requirements, * Kathrin E. Maki [email protected] 1
Department of Special Education, School Psychology, and Early Childhood Studies, University of Florida, FL 32611 Gainesville, USA
2
Department of Educational Psychology, Ball State University, Muncie, IN 47306, USA
implementation of evaluation procedures at the local school district level to determine special education eligibility is not clear. This study sought to fill this research gap by examining school psychologists’ perceptions of the most common special education referral concerns, primary eligibility de
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