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Assessment
The center assessment process is designed to identify every student's preferred learning modality as well as assess his/her individual strengths and weaknesses. Once identified, instructional processes and strategies can be developed that are reflective of these learning preferences focusing on the use of an individual's strengths to either remediate or develop compensatory strategies for managing weaker skill areas. Click here for more information on learning styles and preferences.
IDENTIFYING LEARNING STYLES AND PREFERENCES
Results from the inventory can be recorded on the PCDP and made available to all appropriate supervisory and instructional education and training staff. The results can provide useful information to other staff as well. Understanding how a student prefers to intake and output information can be useful when assigning tasks outside of the training environment such as learning independent living tasks. As students feel more confident about their ability to participate effectively, they may be encouraged to participate in situations that they have previously felt uncomfortable (i.e., committee meetings, group meetings, etc.).
NOTE: Student learning experiences are not to be limited to activities that require only the use of their preferential styles of learning. Although the use of this information is certainly beneficial to developing positive learning experiences, a student should not be limited to just those experiences. It is still the general consensus in the education community that the best COMBINATION of instruction and experience comes from multimodal and multisensory learning experiences.
SUPPORTING STUDENTS WITH POSSIBLE LEARNING DISABILITIES
Center staff can provide appropriate support or modifications to help a student become successful. Each situation is unique and requires individualized evaluation. Potentially, center staff can identify and employ appropriate instructional strategies and/or modifications for students who may have unidentified LD without the need for further diagnostic assessment or without labeling the student LD or AD/HD. This is beneficial if the student has developed either skill mastery and/or compensatory strategies that can be applied throughout life without the need to request formal accommodation. The difficulty arises when students need accommodations for GED testing, other state certification examinations, to participate in or complete post-secondary studies, or in the workplace. In these instances, the centers should make every effort to assist the student in securing formalized testing and the appropriate documentation needed to access those services and accommodations necessary for success.
In some cases, it will become apparent that the student needs a formal assessment and must have particular accommodations to demonstrate his/her knowledge, skills, and abilities.
The following process is suggested to assist students with possible learning disabilities.
Identification—Student who may need additional assistance is identified.
Instructor Assessment—Student is monitored/observed in the classroom.
Referral—Student goes through the center's process for formal testing (HS program/school system agreement or other) or is referred for formal testing.
Intervention—Student intervention plan is developed based on the results of formal testing.
Identification
It is suggested that a student's TABE score be the first indication that the student may need assistance. A student with TABE scores under 500 on the reading and/or math components of the exam should be monitored/observed in the classroom for a minimum of 4 weeks.
Each center should determine the TABE cutoff scores and appropriate amount of time before a referral is made based on the knowledge of the disability coordinator and academic manager. Requiring a set period of time before a referral is made allows the student enough time to become comfortable on center and to do his/her best. It also allows time for the instructor to determine if the student needs remediation rather than assessment for a learning disability. In some cases, it may be very evident a student needs formal assessment and exceptions to the time period may be required.
Each center should also develop a process that allows a staff person who suspects a student may have a learning disability (regardless of TABE score) to refer that student to the disability coordinator. Click here for a suggested referral form to keep track of this process (pdf file, Click here to download Adobe Acrobat Reader). All staff should be aware of and know how to implement the process (e.g., have ready access to forms).
Instructor Assessment
If a student is having problems, the instructor should:
- Notify the disability coordinator who will look for previous documentation of a learning disability.
- Document the problem areas and do interventions to help the student deal with the problems for the next 2-week period.
Step 1: Obtain Previous Documentation
Instructor Assessment Questions |
Does the student consistently score poorly on certain skill tasks? Were or are there extenuating factors/ distractions such as a noisy or too hot or cold room, etc.? When these extenuating factors are remedied, does the performance improve? What does the student know of his/her learning difficulties or disabilities? Have instructional opportunities been provided using a student's preferred learning modality? |
As soon as the instructor or academic manager notifies the disability coordinator that the student is having problems in the classroom, the disability coordinator will:
Review the student's records for any documentation or discussion of a LD or special education classes. If documentation of specialized services is found, then review the data, particularly any diagnostic assessments previously performed upon the student. If the information is outdated or does not contain the necessary data, then the student may need to be referred for formal testing. If the documentation provides sufficient information, proceed to the development of an intervention plan and include information in student's personal career development plan (PCDP).
Ask the student if he/she was in special education classes or received any special education services prior to coming to Job Corps. If the student indicates previous involvement in special education classes, then obtain appropriate consents and secure records.
Collect additional data that could shed light on the reasons for the student's learning difficulties (i.e., is the student LEP, a product of a poor or limited educational background, visual or hearing concerns, etc.). Analysis of this information does not rule out LD, but it does aid in the development and richness of the student's intervention plan.
Step 2: Document Problem Areas
To provide appropriate instruction for each student, the teacher or instructor must identify a student's weak or problem areas. The instructor should document problems as specifically as possible and if known, any circumstances surrounding a student's poor performance. Information about the types of strategies that have been employed to date without success should also be provided. This will serve to document the types, frequency, and severity of difficulties the student is having in a particular classroom and may be used to assist with the determination of accommodations for qualified students or as referral information for students that are suspected of having a disability.
Open communication should be maintained with the student, including staff seeking regular input from the student regarding "how things are going." Although a variety of assessment methods may be used to determine instructional effectiveness and student mastery of competencies, the student still provides invaluable input (i.e., how does the student "feel" about his/her progress, what strategies does he/she believe are most helpful, which strategies do not seem to help at all, etc.). This information, along with classroom assessment data (e.g., test results, portfolio reviews, etc.), and instructor observation should be used in future lesson planning.
Referral for Assessment of LD or AD/HD
Suggested Testing Resources | |
| - | VR |
| - | Local university testing centers |
| - | Local community mental health agencies |
| - | Local school districts |
| - | Charter school partners |
| - | Private sources (e.g., psychologists, psychiatrists, physicians, neurologists, etc.) |
Students unable to master various skill deficits or demonstrate program competencies after the use of a variety of instructional and learning strategies and/or accommodations should be referred to the disability coordinator using a referral form which clearly states the difficulties the learner is having, the strategies and efforts employed, as well as skill areas that may have shown improvement. Click here for sample referral form (pdf file).
The disability coordinator will then meet with the instructor, academic manager and/or center mental health consultant (CMHC) to determine if formal testing is necessary. If formal testing is required, the student will begin the center's process for formal testing (high school program/school system agreement or other) or receive an off-center referral.
Center staff should make every effort to assist the student in securing formal testing whenever possible; however, it is ultimately the student's responsibility to secure and fund such services unless he/she is enrolled in a center's high school program that is covered by the Individual's with Disabilities Education Act of 2004. In this instance, either the center or the center's educational partner is obligated to assess the student for eligibility of special education and related services.
The following should be considered when referring students for additional assessment.
Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) does not serve those less than 18 years of age and may place assessments for LD as a lower priority on their "triage" list.
Universities that provide testing services typically charge for those services, however, the fee may be at a reduced cost.
The GED Testing Service (GEDTS) has specific documentation requirements that must be met to secure accommodations during testing. A student who needs GED testing accommodations but does meet the documentation obligations will be required to test without accommodation.
Centers that are partnered with local public school programs and have students coenrolled in Job Corps should discuss assessment options for a student with a suspected but unidentified LD.
Intervention Plan
The information from the formal assessment is used to develop the intervention plan. The professional interpreting the diagnostic assessments makes recommendations about the types of strategies and interventions that might be helpful for this student. Members of the student's interdisciplinary team (IDT) and the disability coordinator then use these recommendations to develop an intervention plan. The teacher uses this information (along with knowledge of the student's preferred learning modality) to develop appropriate strategies for use in the classroom.
Once the intervention plan has been developed, it should be made part of the student's PCDP and made available to all staff with a need to know. Based on the information provided by the plan, a combination of remediation and accommodation strategies are implemented and instructional staff use a variety of assessment methods (e.g., formative, performance, etc.) to determine effectiveness.
A progress review with input from instructional staff will be conducted at each subsequent IDT meeting where the plan will be reviewed for effectiveness. Instructional staff will maintain detailed documentation indicating the types of strategies used, which strategies were used successfully, and under what conditions they were used successfully. The same types of documentation is required for the student who is not progressing or if further modifications have been made or need to be made.
If the strategies are not effective despite the implementation of the intervention plan, the teacher/instructor should submit a referral form to the disability coordinator. The disability coordinator can then review (or confer with the CMHC) to determine whether a review of the intervention plan or further staff training, is needed.
For a quick reference sheet for TABE Administrators click here (MS Word file, Click here to download MS Word Viewer).
ASSESSING LIMITED ENGLISH PROFICIENCY (LEP) STUDENTS
Determining the reason or source for various skill deficits in students with limited English proficiency can be quite difficult during the early months in the program. There are many factors to consider. Are the student's skill deficits a result of any of the following?
Previous poor instruction
Language barriers
Cultural barriers
A suspected LD and if so, is it manifested in the native language as well
Poorly translated diagnostic instruments or unavailability of tests in native language
Because culture and language affect learning and behavior, it is possible to misinterpret what LEP students know leading to an inappropriate assessment and/or conclusions that end with the selection and use of inappropriate instructional strategies or accommodations. Because most cognitive, language, and academic measures are developed using standards of the English-speaking culture, their use with students who are not from that culture may be inappropriate. It is, therefore, imperative to collect the majority of information about the student in other ways, such as conducting interviews and making observations.
Assessment cannot be complete without knowing if prior instruction has been adequate and appropriate, which requires:
Direct observation of the student in the regular classroom
Analysis of how the student behaves and interacts verbally in different settings
Review of the instruction methods used in the regular classroom
Interview of others who are familiar with the student who may be able to provide a clearer and more accurate picture of the individual's true abilities and behaviors
Before conducting any formal testing of a student who is a non-native English speaker, it is vital to determine the student's preferred language and to conduct a comprehensive language assessment in both English and the native language. Examiners need to be aware that it is highly inappropriate to evaluate students in English when that is not their dominant language (unless the purpose of the testing is to assess the student's English language proficiency). Translating tests from English is not an acceptable practice either.
When tests or evaluation materials are not available in the student's native language, examiners may find it necessary to use English-language instruments. If this occurs, examiners need to be cautious in administering the test and interpreting results. Alterations may need to be made to the standardized procedures used to administer tests including a demonstration of how the test tasks are to be performed, reading the test items orally to the student and accepting oral responses, etc. However, alterations to testing standard limit the usefulness of test norms and results should be cautiously interpreted and test/testing alterations should be fully detailed.
Refer to the English as a Second Language and Learning Disabilities section for more information on serving ELL students with disabilities.
