Connecting Assessment Results to IEP Goals: Are You Doing It Right?

Heidi Peters, MA, CCC-SLP

6StepsfromEvaluationtoGoal

1. Evaluate (Standardized or Informal)

-Review Results
-Know what the Subtests Measure*
(review the manuals if needed)
2. Look at Errors
-Patterns?
-Use Item Analysis
3. 3. Language Sample
-Does it support your testing?
-Other concerns?
4. 4. Prioritize
-Hierarchy of language development
-Teacher/Parent/Student input
-Pick a few things to target
-Just because they missed it on the
test, it doesnt need to be a goal!!!

SemanticDevelopment

Idioms

Later

Analogies

MultipleMeaningWords

Differences

Similarities

SynonymsAntonyms

CategorizationConcepts

Attributes

Association

Function

Labeling/Vocabulary

Earlier

comp.uark.edu/~dbehrend/Language5.ppt

Brown's Stages of Morphological Development:

Stage I
: 50 to 60 word vocabulary; Naming, Negation, Action +
Object/Location/ Agent

5. 5. Write it Down
-The evaluation (Strengths & Needs)
-The PLAAP (Currently vs. In the
future)

Stage II
: Present Progressive, In/On, Plural -s

6. 6. Write S.M.A.R.T. Goals

-Specific
-Measurable
-Attainable
-Relevant
-Time Frame

Stage IV
: Articles, Regular Past Tense, 3rd Person Regular, Present
Tense

Stage III
: Irregular Past Tense, Possessive /'s/, Uncontractible, Copula
'to be'

Stage V
: 3rd Person Irregular, Uncontractible Auxiliary, Contractible
Copula, Contractible Auxiliary
Brown, R. (1973).
Afirstlanguage:Theearlystages
. London: George Allen & Unwin.

DoNot:
*Writeagoalforeveryitemmissed(lookforpatternsoferrors&prioritize)
*Writegoalsverbatimfromasubtestorerroreditem(e.g.,Sierrawillrepeatsentences)
*Writegoalsthataretoogeneral(itshouldincludeyourlanguagetargets)
*Writegoalsthataretoospecific(noprogramnamesorlimitingtherapytechniques)

PodcastRecorded:2/4/2015

Connecting Assessment Results to IEP Goals: Are You Doing It Right?

Heidi Peters, MA, CCC-SLP
CELF5Subtests
whatskillsaremeasured*:
MEMORY
Following Directions
Formulated Sentences
Recalling Sentences

MORPHOLOGY
Word Structure
Recalling Sentences

VOCABULARY
Sentence Comprehension
Linguistic Concepts
Word Classes
Following Directions
Semantic Relationships

SYNTAX
Sentence Comprehension
Recalling Sentences
Semantic Relationships

*This is not a complete list, but a sample of different skills that are measured across subtests on the CELF-5
**Look for patterns of errors across subtests
**Consider other diagnoses (AD(H)D, TBI, Autism, etc.) that may affect performance

SurveyResults
30Responses
MostlyworkinginElementarysettingswith5+yearsofexperience
MostusetheCELF&/orTOLDforlanguageassessments
87%obtainalanguagesampleinadditiontostandardizedassessment
Themajoritywrite23languagetargets/goals
Haveobservedanyofthefollowingtypesofspeech/languagegoals:
Goals/objectivethataretoogeneral
87%

(youhavetofigureoutwhattheyactuallyneed)
Toomanygoals/objectivestomeetinoneyear
80%

Goal(s)thatareobviouslystraightfromanevaluation
60%

Goalsthataretoospecific
60%

(maybehaveaspecificprogramlistedorlimithowyoucanworkonit)
Aftercompletingalanguageevaluation,howdoyouchoosewhattotarget?
Continuepreviousgoals(ifalreadyonanIEP&thegoalsweren'tmet)
33%

Itemsmissedontheassessment(s)
50%

Hierarchyoflanguagedevelopment
73%

Teacher/ParentInput
90%

StudentInput
23%

Ifyoudon'ttargetalllanguageneedsidentifiedthroughanevaluationorIEPprobe,howdoyou
recommendfuturegoals&/orexplainwhythosegoalsaren'tbeingtargetedcurrently?
Themajorityagreethatwritingitintheevaluationreport,aswellasinthePLAAP,isthebestmethod!!
IAGREE!!!Hereareafewofmyfavoriteresponses/reasons:
1. IwriteadetailedPLEP.TheIEPisattachedtothestudentandso,intheory,itistheonlyguarantee
inanotherwisechaoticspecialeducationsystem.Itdoesn'tmatterwhetherthestudentmovesorif
thereisstaffturnover,theIEPwillremain,soitisworthwhiletocramthatPLEPwithenough
informationsothatifthestudentlandedonsomeoneelse'sdesknextyear/month/week,theywould
haveenoughinformationtobeginqualityservicesimmediately.
2. Iincludealllangstrengthsandweaknessesinthepresentlevelspartofiepbutwritegoalsbased
onprioritizingweaknessesaccordingtohierarchyoflangdevelopment/needs/disability.
3. InmypresentlevelsectionoftheIEPIidentifytherelationshipbetweenstudentstrugglesand
resultsoftestingANDthelevelofsupport(whatkindofmodel/support)isneededtoequateto
studentsuccess.Thencapturewhatelsemayneedtobeaddressedinthefuture.Igointomore
depthinmyevaluationreport.

PodcastRecorded:2/4/2015