What is the purpose of an educational evaluation?
The purpose of an evaluation is to determine if a child has delays in any areas of development which would make him or her eligible for special education services based on state criteria. Minnesota law requires that a child show a certain amount of delay in order to qualify for special education services through the school district. Under the age of three children may also qualify for services because they have been identified as having a diagnosed physical or mental condition or disorder that has a high probability of resulting in developmental delay regardless of whether they have a demonstrated need or delay. If a child qualifies for service he or she would receive special education services at no direct cost to the family.
How is a special education referral requested?
A referral for children age birth - five is made directly to the ECSE office. You can contact the office by calling 952-401-6806 or by emailing Michelle.Lorinser@Minnetonka.k12.mn.us
What happens when a special education referral is made?
If the child is under age three, the evaluation will begin with an ECSE team member. Visiting with you and your child, they will screen all areas of development and will gather a developmental and health history. If the primary concerns are in communication the screening may also include a Speech/Language Pathologist. This team will determine if the school district should complete a formal evaluation. If this team decides to go ahead with an evaluation, an Evaluation Plan is written and the school district becomes responsible. Please see the Parental Safeguards for Infant and Toddlers Part C. Every effort is made to meet Federal law mandating completion of evaluation and meeting with the family within 45 days of referral.
If a child is age three or older and has already participated in Early Childhood Screening through the Minnetonka Public Schools, the referral is made to the ECSE office. An ECSE staff member is assigned to be the evaluation case manager and primary contact for the family. This person contacts the family about developing an Evaluation Plan. The plan is developed with the parents either at a meeting with representatives of the evaluation team or, if parents prefer, over the telephone with the case manager. Please see the Parental Safeguards for Children 3-18 Part B. Once written permission is received from the parent(s) the evaluation must be completed within 30 school days.
In order to get a good picture of the whole child, Minnesota requires that all areas of the child’s development be addressed. A team of ECSE professionals typically completes an initial evaluation. The child will be seen more than once and, when appropriate, in their natural home or early childhood setting.
Who performs the evaluation? Are parents involved?
An evaluation team may consist of an ECSE teacher, speech/language pathologist, occupational therapist, physical therapist, school nurse, ECSE family resource facilitator and/or other specialists as appropriate. Health, vision/hearing and developmental information will be obtained by WSEI for children under three and by a member of ECSE team for children three and older. All of these people are trained to work with very young children and their families.
Parents are encouraged to observe during an evaluation if they wish. Parent interviews and checklists are also a critical part of the evaluation. Childcare providers, preschool teachers, and other significant adults in a child's life may be included. The evaluation team will ask parents about their child and his/her likes/dislikes and routine. In addition parents will be asked about their concerns, questions, and anything else they would like to share about their child. Parents’ information is very important in the evaluation process and will be included in the evaluation report. Parents know their child best!
What happens in an evaluation?
The evaluation team will play and interact with the child. This is the “informal” or observational part of the evaluation. The team gets a lot of information about children by watching them in their natural setting. Under the age of three this is most often in the home or child care setting; over the age of three this could be at home, childcare or in a preschool setting.
Formal testing using standardized test is often used to gather information about a child’s present level of development as compared to children of a similar age. The child will be asked to play or interact with materials in a certain way. Some of the tasks are easy and others are more difficult. Because of the nature of standardized tests, a child is not expected to do or understand every item that is presented. Team members may need more than one session to complete their portion of the evaluation, and some times two team members will work together.
Where does the evaluation take place?
For children under the age of three, evaluations take place in the child’s home or childcare setting. In most instances children three years and older will be brought to the MCEC for some of the evaluation, but will have an observation in a natural setting such as home, preschool or child care.
How are the results of the evaluation shared with parents?
Results of the evaluation are compiled by the evaluation team and shared at a parent conference. The team will ask for any updates or new information from parents, and then share the results of the evaluation. Parents are encouraged to ask questions and let the team know whether the results are similar to what they see on a day-to-day basis. The team may present percentages and other numbers pertaining to the child's level of development. These numbers are required for eligibility and provide the baseline for staff to help the child.
What does the evaluation mean?
The evaluation will tell whether or not the child meets one or more of Minnesota’s eligibility criteria for Special Education services. At the evaluation conference, the team and parents will determine whether the child meets these criteria and demonstrates a need for these services. If the child is eligible, options for service delivery will also be discussed. When a decision is reached to provide special education services an IFSP (Individual Family Service Plan), an IEP (Individual Education Plan), or an IIIP (Individual Interagency Intervention Plan) is written. All documents are kept in the Minnetonka ECSE Office Special Education files and may be accessed only by Licensed Special Education staff and parents. Parents have the right to participate in the discussion about the type of services that would best meet the child’s needs or to decline services.
If the child has not shown delays in development, if the delays are minimal and if the child does not qualify in other ways, the team offers suggestions and recommendations regarding ways parents can continue to enhance their child’s development. These may include resources in the community such as Early Childhood Family Education, preschools, recreation activities, etc. Parents are encouraged to contact the ECSE staff if concerns arise in the future.
An educational evaluation with children in the birth to kindergarten age range provides a “snapshot” of a child’s development at the present time only. It is not a predictor of the future. Special education services can be provided as long as a child qualifies for them. For some children, services may be short term (one year or less), while others will need some support throughout their preschool and school age years.