This article describes the pilot study of an informal assessment, the "Student Transition Questionnaire" (STQ). The STQ is a 38-item assessment designed to elicit student perspectives on transition-related topics. In this mixed-methods study, we piloted the STQ with 186 participants, and then conducted focus groups with various…

This toolkit was created to make transition planning easier and offers easy-to-understand information about the purpose of transition planning, the goal and importance of age-appropriate assessments, and the required rules that are used by schools. It also includes information on the community partners that can provide youth with supports as…

To meet the high-stakes requirements of IDEA's Indicator 13, professionals need proven and practical ways to support successful transitions for young adults with significant disabilities. Now there's a single guidebook to help them meet that critical goal--straight from David Test, one of today's most highly respected authorities on transitions to…

Accurate spelling is a complex act that requires cognitive and linguistic knowledge of the phonological, morphological, syntactical, and semantic principles of our language. Students with disabilities frequently exhibit spelling difficulties related to language learning disorders and inefficient cognitive processing. These difficulties often are…

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004 mandates that students with disabilities graduating or aging out of the P-12 school system be provided with a summary of academic achievement and functional performance (SOP). The SOP should provide the student with one document that summarizes available formal and informal…

Informal assessment can make a valuable contribution to the assessment process in special education. Informal procedures are characterized by their ability to be tailored to the needs of specific assessment situations and are especially useful in student evaluation for this reason. (Author)

The paper examines several basic grading procedures, noting the advantages and disadvantages of each procedure for handicapped students. Eight alternatives to grading are mentioned; of these, four are considered: (1) contract grading, (2) pass-fail grading, (3) the mastery learning approach, and (4) written evaluations (including checklists). It…

An undergraduate special education course at the University of Alberta is designed to prepare students to evaluate, select, administer, and interpret appropriate assessment instruments. The course reviews measurement concepts and formal and informal assessment with a practicum experience. Demonstration videotapes and a test library are additional…

Naturalistic inquiry is an alternative to traditional assessment and experimental methodologies for measuring the effects of early intervention programs with young handicapped children. Discussion focuses on (1) the inductive nature of the naturalistic method; (2) potential strengths and weaknesses; (3) procedures for data collection. (Author/JW)

The manual presents information for school psychologists on non-test-based assessment for children with suspected handicapping conditions. The information is provided in a workshop format, with instructions for presenters (objectives, content outlines, and lesson plans). It is explained that non-test-based assessment is meant to complement…

The paper stresses the importance of informal assessment of spelling, describing both quantitative and qualitative implications. Stages of word knowledge are reviewed and examples of student errors are cited to illustrate needed instruction. (CL)

The gifted handicapped student is discussed in terms of developing staff sensitivity, formulating an identification process, and developing a transdisciplinary team approach to create an individualized educational program for each child. Within the identification process a major new element is the Teacher Observational Item (TOI) list. (Author/SB)

The authors present an informal assessment strategy format to aid teachers in meeting the needs of the handicapped student. The format includes an assessment sequence, how to analyze assessment results, and how to interpret results. (CT)

The article presents a rationale for naturalistic assessment of young handicapped and nonhandicapped children in the classroom. Observation of such areas as cognitive activity, materials use, sustained activity, activity variation, adaptive environment, and classroom structure are encouraged. Four alternative assessment procedures are presented,…

Current spelling assessment practices are reviewed. Six individually administered standardized tests presently available to special educators and diagnosticians are examined. Informal procedures (inventories, criterion-referenced tests, and error analysis) are analyzed in terms of advantages and disadvantages. Finally, two particularly promising…