ASSESSMENT IN SPECIAL EDUCATION PLACEMENT is

educational instruction or social services designed or modified to assist individuals with disabilitiesà a range of services, including social work services and rehabilitative counseling, provided to individuals with disabilities from ages 3-21 through the public school system, including instruction given in the classroom, at home or in institutions (Gale Group, 1998, p. 1).

With the ever-increasing accountability pressure on school districts today regarding the performance of their pupils and a wide variety of interested parties ranging from parents to bureaucrats and legislators, it is extremely important to have in place a reliable system for assessing whether or not students are benefiting from their schooling experiences. This is usually done through a series of evaluations known collectively as æassessmentsÆ. ôAssessment is a process of collecting data for the purpose of making decisions about individuals and groups" (Salvia & Ysseldyke, 2001, p. 5). Within the 1990Æs education was a front-running legislative issue, with three particular acts enacted into law requiring schools to measure the progress of their students: 1) 1994Æs Goals 2000 Educate America Act, 2) the 1996 Improving AmericaÆs Schools Act and 3) the 1997 Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. Since assessment is clearly a leading educational activity, it is imperative that professional school personnel acquir

. . .
errors early. While teacherûmade tests are often criticized for their lack of technical adequacy, they do elicit advantages over professionally prepared tests. Teachers can minimize their testing to the specific content covered within the class while including finer discrimination through allowance of the inclusion of much more pertinent testing items. Performance and Portfolio Assessment û A Performance-based assessment usually requires that the student demonstrate a skill or behavior. This type of evaluation is most often utilized in arts and athletics classes within the curriculum. A Portfolio-based assessment is derived from a collection of the studentÆs work designed specifically to advance with them through each grade of school. One of the main assets of the portfolio assessment system is its use of student control, as it is the student who chooses the pieces to be included within the portfolio. Therefore, it may include work in progress as well as specific accomplishments and achievements. It reinforces to the student that they are responsible for their learning. It allows the teacher to evaluate the student by relating to the studentÆs own abilities and learning style. The student controls the process and th
. . .

Some common words found in the essay are:
Education Assessment, Observational Assessment, Plan IEP, Strickland Turnball, Disabilities NICHCY, Education Act, Assessment Special, Portfolio Assessment, IEP Achievable, Norm Criterion, special education, idea '97, free appropriate, intervention assistance, education plan, individual education, assessment û, individual education plan, free appropriate public, turnball 1993, gale 1998, public education, appropriate public education, salvia ysseldyke 2001, education plan iep,
Approximate Word count = 3007
Approximate Pages = 12 (250 words per page)

More Essays on ASSESSMENT IN SPECIAL EDUCATION PLACEMENT is