Evaluation Report
A group of qualified professionals and the parent(s) determine whether the student meets eligibility criteria, has a disability, and is in need of special education. An evaluation report (formerly the assessment summary report) is written to document a student’s educational needs and determination of eligibility. The evaluation report is the culmination of the evaluation/reevaluation process and must be completed within 30 school days. The evaluation summary meeting must also be held within 30 school days. Because a copy of the evaluation report is given to the parent(s), care must be taken to use language and terminology the parent can understand. Avoid the use of technical jargon and acronyms.

Date of this report: Enter the date on which the team determined eligibility.

This evaluation report must include:
(1) Information reported by parents (reported under domain(s) assessed on Campus system);
(2) Evaluation results (reported under “Review of Existing Data, Current Assessment Results” on the Campus system);
(3) Interpretation of evaluation results, addressing all criteria components, and determination of eligibility verifying the child has a disability and is in need of (or continues to need) special education and related services (reported under “Interpretation and Summary of Results” on Campus System);
(4) SLD written report components (for SLD evaluations) (reported under “Interpretation and Summary of Results” on Campus System);
(5) Educational needs of the child (reported under “Interpretation and Summary of Results” on Campus System).

Information reported by parents: Summarize parent(s)’ information regarding their child’s strengths, skills, and concerns related to the suspected disability(s). Information from the parent(s) is required for all students with disabilities.

Evaluation results:
(1) List and describe the evaluation tools/procedures conducted.
(2) Summarize pertinent test scores in the format designated in the specific eligibility criteria.
(3) Provide an explanation of the meaning of the test scores. (Include information regarding the effect of the disability on the student’s involvement in and progress in the general curriculum, or, for preschool children, to participate in appropriate activities.)

If an evaluation procedure is not conducted under standard conditions (for reasons of language differences, nondiscrimination or other reasons), include a “description of the extent to which it varied from standard conditions (e.g., the qualifications of the person administering the test or the method of test administration) in the evaluation report.” The group must determine the effects of the variation on the validity and reliability of the information reported. Describe how procedures were modified to be culturally and linguistically nondiscriminatory or adapted because of sensory and/or physical limitations. If relevant, describe any social or cultural background factors.

IDEA ’97 requires that IEP teams give consideration to the following special factors: behavior, limited English proficiency, blindness or visual impairment, and communication needs. As noted in Appendix B, IDEA ’97 requires evaluation of the student’s needs with regard to assistive technology, including a functional evaluation
of the environment; the selection, design, fitting, etc., of adaptive devices; and the need for training on the device on the part of the student or the family. The team cannot reasonably address these issues in the IEP unless they have first been addressed in the evaluation/reevaluation of the student.

Minnesota Statute 125A.06 places the following requirements for the evaluation of students who are blind:

(1) The team must evaluate the child’s reading and writing skills, needs, and appropriate reading and writing media (including evaluation of the student’s future need for instruction in Braille or use of Braille); and
(2) For children who read and write Braille, the evaluation report must include the results of a Braille inventory (e.g., the Minnesota Braille Skills Inventory), including a statement of strengths and deficits skills; or
a. Documentation in the evaluation report as to why the administration of a Braille skills inventory was not considered appropriate (for example “The team has determined the child is not a reader at this time due to age/ability factors”); and
b. A statement that the decision was reached after a review of pertinent literature describing the educational benefits of Braille instruction and use; and
c. an explanation of the evidence used to determine that the child’s ability to read and write effectively without Braille is not impaired.

When the evaluation includes secondary transition (by grade 9 or age 14 and thereafter), summarize the student’s future goals and relevant interests and skills in each of the five secondary transition areas (employment, post- secondary education and training, community participation, recreation and leisure, and home living).

Summarize classroom observation data describing relevant observed behaviors and how the daily routine or setting relates to the student’s educational functioning. Describe how behaviors related to the disability are manifested in the classroom.

Describe any relevant medical findings that may affect the student’s learning (e.g., certain medications or allergies, attention deficit disorder). A copy of relevant reports or letters from physicians or other medical personnel should be included in the student’s special education due process file.

Interpretation and Summary of Results: Write a summary of the evaluation results addressing each component of eligibility for the suspected disability(s). The evaluation data must support the group’s decision concerning eligibility and need for special education. All criteria components must be addressed in the report for both initial evaluation and reevaluation.

When no additional data are needed, summarize the existing data that support a continuing disability and need for special education or related service.

For all disabilities the team must determine that the student’s difficulties and subsequent disability identification are not primarily caused by a lack of instruction in reading or math; or limited English proficiency.

General education progress: Include information regarding how the disability affects the student’s progress in general education.

SLD:

In addition, when determining eligibility for specific learning disability (SLD), the group must determine that the learning problems are not primarily the result of “visual, hearing or motor disabilities, of mental retardation, of emotional disturbance or of environmental, cultural, or economic disadvantage.”

SLD written report: If the team determines the student meets specific learning disability criteria, the evaluation report must include a statement of:
(1) The relationship of that behavior to the child’s academic functioning:
(2) The educationally relevant medical findings, if any;
(3) Whether there is a severe discrepancy between achievement and ability that is not correctable without special education and related services; and
(4) The determination of the group regarding the effects of the exclusionary factors.

Educational needs: Based on existing data and evaluation results, describe the educational needs of the student. These identified needs identify the contents of the IEP and the program to be provided to the student.

Eligibility: Mark the primary disability as (P) and the secondary disability(ies), if any, as (S). The primary disability is the one that most impacts a student’s ability to learn.

Note: When two or more disabilities (hearing impairment, physical impairment, cognitive impairment, vision impairment, emotional or behavioral disorders, autism spectrum disorders) are co-morbid and the primary disability cannot be determined, and the severity is such that the student’s independence is limited, the category Severely Multiply Impaired (SMI) is appropriate.

If the student qualifies through override of criteria, the group must provide an explanation of:
(1) Why commonly used standards and procedures used resulted in invalid findings for this student;
(2) What objective data were used to conclude the student has a disability and is in need of specialized instruction (may include tests scores, work products, self-reporting, teacher comments, observational data, previous testing, ecological assessments, and other developmental data); and,
(3) Which data had the greatest relative importance for the eligibility decision.

Team Signatures and Checkboxes: Signatures are required only for SLD evaluations and overrides of any criteria. For other reports, names are listed.

For an override of any criteria and SLD evaluation reports, each group member must sign the report and then indicate whether the report reflects his/her agreement with the group’s conclusion. If the report does not reflect a group member’s conclusion, that person must write and sign a statement presenting his/her conclusion and attach it to the evaluation report.

 Eval Report p1.doc