"Evaluation" under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) is among the major responsibilities of school psychologists. This concluding article in the series on evaluation under the IDEA provides legal analysis and professional recommendations related to procedural appropriateness. Specifically, it addresses notices,…

Purpose: Several studies have demonstrated that dynamic assessment can be a less biased, valid approach for the identification of language disorder among diverse school-age children. However, all prior studies have included a relatively small number of participants, which is generally not adequate for psychometric research. This is the first…

Employment outcomes have long been emphasized as a primary transition outcome for individuals with extensive support needs. To develop appropriate annual individualized education plan (IEP) goals for transition, appropriate transition assessments must be administered to guide the process (Prince et al., 2014). As such, transition assessment is a…

Disproportionality persists with regard to the labeling of students with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD). A blending of critical race theory and disability studies, or DisCrit, provides a framework to examine disproportionality. In this article, a DisCrit mindset is applied to examine how racism and ableism intersect to disproportionately…

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to ascertain the extent to which school-based speech-language pathologists' (SLPs) assessment practices with individual English learners (ELs) align with federal legislation and professional practice guidelines. Specifically, we were interested in examining SLPs' use of multiple tools during individual EL…

Within a culturally and linguistically responsive (CLR) multitiered system of supports (MTSS) framework, effective policies, practices, and personnel ensure that resources and tools promote equity for all students. Observation data were analyzed to describe the implementation of two components of MTSS/RTI, assessment and data-based…

Exclusionary discipline practices in the United States are used disproportionately in the punishment of Black students with a disability compared to White and Black students with or without a disability. One potential mechanism leading to the disproportionate use of exclusionary discipline is a process called 'manifestation determination reviews'…

Transforming schools requires educators who design learning with the diverse histories, cultures, capacities, and experiences of all their students in mind. Schools that embrace personalization support teachers and students who learn and grow together. This inclusive vision must be grounded in education's historical roots. Our research, practice,…

Early intervention (EI) teams can use Implementation Science to choose, implement, and sustain the use of evidence-based strategies and programs. Smith et al. (2014) described Implementation Science as "the study of the processes needed to bring new practices into widespread use" (p. 4). Programs work through four stages: exploration,…

This manuscript presents findings from a study of the contributing factors and details of special education due process hearings in the United States that involved students with emotional and behavioral disorders. The study examined 101 due process hearings conducted over a three-year period in a five-state sample: California, Illinois,…

Specific learning disabilities (SLD) identification has consistently been shown to be problematic; however, research has largely focused on SLD identification using test scores only. The present study, therefore, examined SLD identification decisions across identification methods and student evaluation data levels, including test scores,…

This article chronicles the development of a portfolio system used primarily to assess special education high school students on a variety of traditional and non-traditional standards and skills. Developing, capturing, sharing, and assessing student learning can be problematic when traditional testing or classroom assessment methods are not an…

There is often confusion about the terms used to label or describe a reading problem. Clinicians and researchers use different terminology than the schools. For example, medical professionals, psychologists, and other practitioners outside of the school often use the term "dyslexia," "reading disorder," and "specific…

School psychologists continue to play a critical role in the identification of students with specific learning disabilities (SLD) in schools. However despite decades of research and debate, the field continues to lack consensus on best practice methodologies. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) reauthorization in 2004 increased…

The purpose of this article is to discuss major substantive errors that school personnel may make when developing students' Individualized Education Programs (IEPs). School IEP team members need to understand the importance of the procedural and substantive requirements of the IEP, have an awareness of the five serious substantive errors that IEP…