Orcutt Union School District

Assessment requirements include the following, as appropriate: 

• Tests administered in the child’s native language or mode of communication, unless it is clearly not feasible to do so 
• Assessments conducted by trained personnel in conformance with the instructions provided by the producer 
• Materials selected and administered so as not to be racially, culturally, or sexually discriminatory 
• Materials include those tailored to assess specific areas of educational need 
• Tests selected and administered to best ensure that when administered to a pupil with sensory, language, or physical impairments, the results accurately reflect the pupil’s skills and abilities 
• A variety of assessment tools and strategies used to gather relevant functional and developmental information, including information provided by the parent 
• No single procedure used as the sole criterion for determining an appropriate educational program 
• Observation of the child

The pupil is assessed in areas related to the suspected disability, using tools and strategies that provide relevant information that directly assists in determining educational needs. Areas to be assessed may include the following, as appropriate: 

Academic Achievement – These tests measure reading, spelling, arithmetic, oral and written language skills, and/or general knowledge.

Health – Health information and testing is gathered to determine how your child’s health affects school performance.

Intellectual Development – These tests measure how well your child thinks, remembers,and solves problems.

Language/Speech Communication Development – These tests measure your child’s ability to understand and use language and speak clearly and appropriately.

Perceptual Motor Development – These tests measure how well your child coordinates body movements in small and large muscle activities. Perceptual skills may also be measured.

Social/Emotional – These tests will indicate how your child feels about him/herself, and/or gets along with others

Behavior – These tests indicate how your child behaves at home, school and/or in the community

Adaptive Skill – These tests indicate how your child takes care of personal needs at home, school and/or in the community.

Post-Secondary Transition – Age appropriate transition assessments related to training, education, employment and where appropriate independent living skills.

Alternative Means of Assessment as appropriate

Observations

Interviews

Record review

All personnel who assess the pupil prepare a written report, as appropriate, of the results of each assessment. The report includes, but is not limited to, the following:

• Whether the pupil may need special education and related services
• The basis for making the determination
• The relevant behavior noted during the observation of the pupil in an appropriate setting
• The relationship of that behavior to the pupil’s academic and social functioning
• The educationally relevant health and developmental findings
• For pupils with learning disabilities, whether there is a discrepancy between achievement and ability such that it cannot be corrected without special education and related services
• A determination concerning the effects of environmental, cultural, or economic disadvantage
• The need for specialized services, materials, and equipment for pupils with low incidence disabilities (deaf, deaf/blind, hard of hearing, orthopedically impaired, visually impaired)

At the IEP team meeting, team members review assessment results, provide parents with copies of individual assessment reports, and obtain signatures at the conclusion of the meeting. The parent is given a copy of all reports and a copy of the completed IEP document.