Assessment of learning disabilities is traced. Among the critical issues examined are definitions, eligibility criteria, placement bias, and interpretation of P.L. 94-142 (The Education for All Handicapped Children Act) guidelines. Recommendations are offered for an adequate definition and determination of LD. Future directions, including…

Assessment of visually impaired students is traced historically, and current practices in visual functioning, movement and spatial awareness, cognition, tactile performance, and emotional/social development are noted. Federal requirements for assessment are discussed and recommended assessment practices for six major assessment domains are listed.…

Three procedures that help to determine the degree of confidence we can place in any raw score are discussed: computing the standard error of measurement, computing the estimated true score, and constructing confidence intervals. These three procedures are easy to use and require only elementary mathematical skills. (Author/CL)

Details a method of evaluating principals, explains why evaluation is important, and discusses who should conduct the evaluation. (FL)

Proposes a method for evaluating courseware as an integral part of curriculum, based both on "curriculum commonplaces" (the curriculum content and all that surrounds it) and on educational values and beliefs; an evaluative matrix is offered, with the commonplaces arrayed along one axis, values and beliefs along the other. (MCG)

The article suggests that comparability, representativeness, and typicality must be considered along with length when collecting language samples. A framework is offered for selecting or devising tasks, and one successful battery is described which has been field tested on language-disordered children with syntax problems. (CL)

The author reviews methods of studying individuals in context (ecological, phenomenological, and system approaches) and offers suggestions for implementing these approaches in identification, assessment, and intervention procedures for language-disordered children. (CL)

The methodology of participant observation in evaluation research is described. The author cites examples of its use and includes references to additional sources of information. The characteristics of participant observation, appropriate circumstances for use, and specific techniques of this method are examined. (Author/DWH)

The paper describes an organizational framework for assessing pragmatic abilities in children. The framework addresses the areas of communicative intention, presupposition, and the social organization of discourse. For each area, assessment parameters are presented in coordination with a review of pertinent literature. (Author/CL)

The characteristics of vision and hearing losses are discussed, and assessment and instructional implications for teachers are noted. Guidelines are offered for such instructional concerns as hearing and use, lighting, and training in mobility and orientation. (CL)

When dealing with clients who have epilepsy, vocational counselors need a thorough understanding of the condition, the client's medication status, the usefulness of certain vocational evaluation instruments and neuropsychological assessments, psychosocial aspects, and principles in rehabilitation planning and counseling. The value of…

The article presents an assessment system and specific techniques appropriate for the classification and programing of mentally retarded, learning disabled, and emotionally disturbed students. Factors to be integrated in assessment are considered, sequencing aspects are noted, and suggestions are given for choosing asessment instruments. (CL)

Guidelines are presented for evaluating research in special education. A review of major parts of databased articles focuses on research questions regarding introduction, method, (subjects, measures, procedures) results, and discussion. A checklist of potential problem areas is provided. (Author/CL)

This resource list is intended to provide school systems with information on assessment of school-aged children for the presence of a disability. The 104 references are broken down into the following categories: general assessment information; assessment tools; critiques of assessment tools; curriculum-based assessment; assessments of different…

This Accountability Procedures Manual (APM) is designed to be used by Texas Education Agency staff and other education system personnel as a guide for on-site evaluations. It is the responsibility of each member of an on-site peer review team to become familiar with the contents of the APM. Quality peer review evaluations demand consistency,…