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The Evaluation Series – Part 4: Preschool Eligibilities-Too Young to Test? Think Again.

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When a preschooler is struggling, how do we figure out whether they need special education? Preschool evaluation isn’t simply K–12 evaluation with younger children. Before kindergarten, we’re looking at development differently—and that changes the questions we ask, the areas we evaluate, and how eligibility may be determined. In Part 4 of the Evaluation Series, we […]

Can You Really Test a Child Online? What We Learned About Virtual Assessments

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If a test was designed to be given in person, what happens when you move it onto a screen?

The pandemic forced schools and evaluators to answer that question quickly. And while technology opened up some incredible possibilities, it also created some complicated questions about what we’re actually measuring when we change the way an assessment is administered.

In this webinar, we look at what happened when standardized cognitive, achievement, and other direct assessments moved into the virtual world—and why accessibility doesn’t automatically mean validity.

We’ll also look at some of the unexpected benefits of virtual technology, including increased participation in IEP and evaluation meetings and new possibilities for delivering specially designed instruction and other services.

Who Is This For?

Parents & Caregivers
If your child’s evaluation was conducted virtually—or you’re trying to understand whether the way an evaluation was administered matters—this webinar gives you a place to start asking questions.

Parent Advocates
Explore why the method used to administer an assessment can matter when you’re looking at evaluation results.

Attorneys
Take a closer look at the validity, reliability, ethical, and procedural questions that can arise when standardized assessments are administered differently than intended.

Educators & Administrators
Understand why moving an assessment online isn’t necessarily as simple as putting the same test on a screen—and where virtual technology has created genuine opportunities.

Evaluators & Related Service Providers
Examine the tension between standardized administration, publisher requirements, professional ethics, and the practical realities of virtual assessment.

Students
Build a clearer understanding of where virtual assessment may be adaptable, where it creates challenges, and how technology is changing educational practice.

Technology can make something more accessible, or can it?

The Evaluation Process Series-Part 4: Foundations and Determining Eligibility — OHI, Orthopedic Impairment & Traumatic Brain Injury

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So, Does the Student Qualify? You’ve gone through the referral process. You’ve considered what else might be affecting the student’s learning. You’ve completed the evaluation. Now comes the big question: Does the student qualify for special education? It isn’t as simple as finding a diagnosis or getting a particular test score. Eligibility is a team […]

The Evaluation Process Series – Part 3: Beyond the Test Scores

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Beyond the Test Scores So, the testing is finally happening. Now what? It can be tempting to think that a special education evaluation is mostly about giving tests and looking at the scores. But the scores are only one piece of the picture. In Part 3 of the Evaluation Process Series, we get into what […]

The Evaluation Process Series – Part 2: Understanding Rule-Out Factors

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What Else Could Be Going On? When a child is struggling in school, it’s easy to jump straight to the question: “Does this child have a disability?” But before a special education evaluation can answer that question, there’s another one that has to come first: What else could be affecting this child’s learning? In Part […]

The Evaluation Process Series – Part 1: Before the Testing Begins

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Before the Testing Begins What actually happens before a school starts testing a child for special education? An evaluation isn’t supposed to begin with a stack of tests. Before testing ever starts, there is a process for figuring out what is happening, what information is already available, what has been tried, and whether a formal […]