The BCBA Task List (5th and 6th Edition) requires behavior analysts are familiar with multiple assessment methods, including tools to assess the function of problem behaviors and assess skill strengths and deficits. Although several studies exist on the assessment of functions using indirect functional assessments, descriptive functional…

Alternate assessments based on alternate achievement standards (AA-AAS) have historically lacked broad validity evidence and an overall evaluation of the extent to which evidence supports intended uses of results. An expanding body of validation literature, the funding of two AA-AAS consortia, and advances in computer-based assessment have…

Educators and researchers strive to build policies and practices on data and evidence, especially on academic achievement scores. When assessment scores are inaccurate for specific student populations or when scores are inappropriately used, even data-driven decisions will be misinformed. To maximize the impact of the research-practice-policy…

Single-case design has a long history of use for assessing intervention effectiveness for children with disabilities. Although these designs have been widely employed for more than 50 years, recent years have been especially dynamic in terms of growth in the use of single-case design and application of standards designed to improve the validity…

Researchers in the field of health psychology developed interpretive phenomenological analysis (IPA) to explore how individuals make sense of, and meaning from, experiences of personal significance. We describe our approach to using IPA to explore whether current theories of achievement motivation adequately account for the experiences of students…

It is widely accepted that assessment plays a role in monitoring the development of young children with special needs in early intervention/early childhood settings. The process of assessing young children's language skills often looks for delays within a solid language foundation. However, many children who are deaf or hard of hearing (DHH) may…

When the coronavirus pandemic was declared a public health crisis in March 2020, school psychologists were forced into situations where face-to-face interaction with their students was discouraged and in some cases, prohibited. Consequently, the traditional practice of school psychology abruptly ended. Individualized Education Plans (IEP) and…

To support students with disabilities who do not respond to typically effective reading intervention, special education teachers are expected to implement evidence-based practices for intensifying intervention. Data-based individualization is an effective, evidence-based practice recommended in research to intensify intervention, but requires…

The purpose of this Professional Pathways for Teachers (PPfT) evaluation was to examine the measurement validity and reliability of PPfT appraisal data from the 2017-2018 school year in the Austin Independent School District. The PPfT appraisal is a multi-measure system that covers three areas: instructional practices (IP), professional growth and…

Evidence-based approaches to assessment design, development, and administration provide a strong foundation for an assessment's validity argument but can be time consuming, resource intensive, and complex to implement. This article describes an evidence-based approach used for one assessment that addresses these challenges. Evidence-centered…

In order to comply with the regulations put forth by the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), as amended by the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), states are required to submit evidence associated with their statewide accountability systems to the United States Department of Education (ED) for peer review. Some states have elected to…

Based on the 2018-2019 Kindergarten Readiness Assessment (KRA) results, nearly half (47%) of all entering kindergarten children in Maryland displayed the foundational skills indicating they are fully ready for kindergarten. A third (33%) are approaching readiness. Twenty percent of children are assessed with emerging readiness skills. The school…

The Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC) is a consortia of states that is developing a next-generation assessment system in English and math anchored in what it takes to be ready for college and careers. To accomplish this goal the consortia must determine whether individual students are college and career-ready,…