In This Issue:
How To Prepare for a Triennial Review
&
How To Conduct a Functional Behavior Assessment
How To Prepare for a Triennial Review
What is the Triennial Evaluation?
Under IDEA, a child must be re-evaluated at least every three years. This is known as a triennial review. The purpose of the triennial review is to find out:
• if the child continues to be a “child with a disability,” as defined within the law, and
• the child’s educational needs.
The re-evaluation is similar to the initial evaluation. It begins by looking at the information already available about the child. More information is collected only if it’s needed. If the group decides that additional assessments are needed, the parents must give their informed written permission before the school system may collect that information. The school system may only go ahead without their informed written permission if they have tried to get the parents’ permission and they did not respond.
Although the law requires that children with disabilities be re-evaluated at least every three years, the child may be re-evaluated more often if the parents or their child’s teacher(s) request it.
(a) General. A public agency must ensure that a reevaluation of each child with a disability is conducted in accordance with Sec. Sec. 300.304 through 300.311–
(1) If the public agency determines that the educational or related services needs, including improved academic achievement and functional performance, of the child warrant a reevaluation; or
(2) If the child’s parent or teacher requests a reevaluation.
(b) Limitation. A reevaluation conducted under paragraph (a) of this section–
(1) May occur not more than once a year, unless the parent and the public agency agree otherwise; and
(2) Must occur at least once every 3 years, unless the parent and the public agency agree that a reevaluation is unnecessary.(Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1414(a)(2))
What Professionals are Involved in the Triennial Evaluation?
The team that will reevaluate the child may vary depending on the information already obtained, the age of the child, and state guidelines. For instance, if a child has had several intelligence tests over the years, the IEP Committee may not require a new one if the results have been consistent from test to test. Therefore, the psychologist may not be involved with this area. It is best to ask the chairperson of the IEP Committee of a member of the assessment team which professionals will be doing the assessment and what areas they will be evaluating i.e. the special education teacher may be evaluating reading, math, spelling, and writing levels, along with processing ability.
How will the Parents find out about the Results of the Triennial Evaluation?
Once the Triennial Evaluation is complete and the report generated, the parent should hear from a member of the assessment team who will set up a meeting to go over the results. In some districts this may occur prior to the Annual Review and in others it may occur at the Annual Review if it is also a Triennial year. The parent should ask the team members when they will be hearing about the results when they are brought in for an update of information from the last testing. They may also contact the chairperson of the IEP Committee and ask when they should expect to hear the results of the Triennial Evaluation.
What Information will the Parent(s) be asked to Provide during the Triennial Evaluation?
In most cases the parents will be asked to update any information since the last triennial evaluation or since the initial evaluation if this is the first triennial. This update might contain (but not be limited to) the following:
• What has changed in the family situation i.e. health issues, new jobs, loss of jobs, new house, death, new births etc?
• What has changed at home in terms of the child’s peer interactions?
• What has the child’s emotional state been since the last evaluation i.e. increase or decrease in tantrums, reactions, compliance, depression, calmness etc ?
• What has been the parent’s perception of progress in school since the last evaluation?
• Has there been any outside evaluations done on the child since the last evaluation i.e. medical, psychological, and educational?
• Have there been any major changes in the child’s health or medical status since the last evaluation?
• Have there been any traumatic experiences since the last evaluation?
• Has there been any sleep or changes in eating habits since the last evaluation?
• Is the child on any medications? If so for what reasons?
• Has the child sustained any falls or injuries since the last evaluation?
• Has the child joined in or participated in any sports activities, groups or organizations since the last evaluation?
• If so what has been the child’s experiences with these activities?
• Has the child exhibited any changes in physical ability, coordination, or muscle control since the last evaluation?
What Suggestions Should You Make to Parents About Their Participation in the Triennial Evaluation?
Parents should be encouraged to check records at home and make sure an evaluation is scheduled every three years. When he or she is notified of the triennial evaluation, he or she may want to request additional evaluations which may provide you with a more comprehensive assessment of the child’s needs. If the parent(s) have questions about new tests, call the IEP Committee for information. A parent should be encouraged to ask about the type of assessment instruments that will be used, the purpose, what they measure, and how results will be reported i.e. objectively like grade equivalents or percentiles, or subjectively, like a general analysis. Prior to the meeting, the parent should ask to review evaluative results and write down any questions he or she may have regarding reports.
What Record–Keeping Ideas should be suggested to Parents during the Triennial Evaluation Phase?
Parents should be encouraged to try to record the names of tests that are given each year and keep an ongoing record of test results from the triennial evaluation. It will be important that they keep a copy of every Triennial Evaluation given each year. They are entitled to have copies of these evaluations and if they do not receive them they should make a request in writing to either the chairperson of the IEP Committee of someone on the assessment team.
What you may be asked to present or prepare for a Triennial Review
As a classroom teacher you may be asked to provide the following information:
1-What use of the related services did the student make this year?
2-What is the child’s present academic progress?
3-What is the student’s social involvement with peers?
4-What is the child’s attendance been this year?
5-Are there any classroom evaluations or recent standardized tests scores available?
6-Are there any present medical conditions?
7-What is the child’s behavior been this years?
8-Are there any behaviors that of concern to you?
How To Conduct a Functional Behavior Assessment
Identifying the underlying causes of behavior may take many forms; and, while the Amendments to IDEA advise a functional behavioral assessment approach (which could determine specific contributors to behavior), they do not require or suggest specific techniques or strategies to use when assessing that behavior. While there are a variety of techniques available to conduct a functional behavioral assessment, the first step in the process is to define the behavior in concrete terms. In the following section we will discuss techniques to define behavior.
IDENTIFYING THE PROBLEM BEHAVIOR
Before a functional behavioral assessment can be implemented, it is necessary to pinpoint the behavior causing learning or discipline problems, and to define that behavior in concrete terms that are easy to communicate and simple to measure and record. If descriptions of behaviors are vague (e.g., poor attitude), it is difficult to determine appropriate interventions. Examples of concrete descriptions of problem behaviors are:
PROBLEM BEHAVIOR CONCRETE DEFINITION
|
Trish is aggressive |
Trish hits other students during recess when she does not get her way |
|
Carlos is disruptive |
Carlos makes irrelevant and inappropriate comments during class discussion |
|
Jan is hyperactive |
Jan leaves her assigned area without permission Jan completes only small portions of her independent work Jan blurts out answers without raising her hand |
It may be necessary to carefully and objectively observe the student’s behavior in different settings and during different types of activities, and to conduct interviews with other school staff and caregivers, in order to pinpoint the specific characteristics of the behavior.
Once the problem behavior has been defined concretely, the team can begin to devise a plan for conducting a functional behavioral assessment to determine functions of the behavior. The following discussion can be used to guide teams in choosing the most effective techniques to determine the likely causes of behavior.
POSSIBLE ALTERNATIVE ASSESSMENT STRATEGIES
The use of a variety of assessment techniques will lead teams to better understand student behavior. Each technique can, in effect, bring the team closer to developing a workable intervention plan.
A well-developed assessment plan and a properly executed functional behavioral assessment should identify the contextual factors that contribute to behavior. Determining the specific contextual factors for a behavior is accomplished by collecting information on the various conditions under which a student is most and least likely to be a successful learner. That information, collected both indirectly and directly, allows school personnel to predict the circumstances under which the problem behavior is likely and not likely to occur.
Multiple sources and methods are used for this kind of assessment, as a single source of information generally does not produce sufficiently accurate information, especially if the problem behavior serves several functions that vary according to circumstance (e.g., making inappropriate comments during lectures may serve to get peer attention in some instances, while in other situations it may serve to avoid the possibility of being called on by the teacher).
It is important to understand, though, that contextual factors are more than the sum of observable behaviors, and include certain affective and cognitive behaviors, as well. In other words, the trigger, or antecedent for the behavior, may not be something that anyone else can directly observe, and, therefore, must be identified using indirect measures. For instance, if the student acts out when given a worksheet, it may not be the worksheet that caused the acting-out, but the fact that the student does not know what is required and thus anticipates failure or ridicule. Information of this type may be gleaned through a discussion with the student.
Since problem behavior stems from a variety of causes, it is best to examine the behavior from as many different angles as possible. Teams, for instance, should consider what the “pay-off” for engaging in either inappropriate or appropriate behavior is, or what the student “escapes,” “avoids,” or “gets” by engaging in the behavior. This process should identify workable techniques for developing and conducting functional behavioral assessments and developing behavior interventions. When considering problem behaviors, teams might ask the following questions.
IS THE PROBLEM BEHAVIOR LINKED TO A SKILL DEFICIT?
Is there evidence to suggest that the student does not know how to perform the skill and, therefore cannot? Students who lack the skills to perform expected tasks may exhibit behaviors that help them avoid or escape those tasks. If the team suspects that the student “can’t” perform the skills, or has a skill deficit, they could devise a functional behavioral assessment plan to determine the answers to further questions, such as the following:
- Does the student understand the behavioral expectations for the situation?
- Does the student realize that he or she is engaging in unacceptable behavior, or has that behavior simply become a “habit”?
- Is it within the student’s power to control the behavior, or does he or she need support?
- Does the student have the skills necessary to perform expected, new behaviors?
- Does the student have the skill, but, for some reason, not the desire to modify his or her behavior?
Sometimes it may be that the student can perform a skill, but, for some reason, does not use it consistently (e.g., in particular settings). This situation is often referred to as a “performance deficit.” Students who can, but do not perform certain tasks may be experiencing consequences that affect their performance (e.g., their non-performance is rewarded by peer or teacher attention, or performance of the task is not sufficiently rewarding). If the team suspects that the problem is a result of a performance deficit, it may be helpful to devise an assessment plan that addresses questions such as the following:
- Is it possible that the student is uncertain about the appropriateness of the behavior (e.g., it is appropriate to clap loudly and yell during sporting events, yet these behaviors are often inappropriate when playing academic games in the classroom)?
- Does the student find any value in engaging in appropriate behavior?
- Is the behavior problem associated with certain social or environmental conditions?
- Is the student attempting to avoid a “low-interest” or demanding task?
- What current rules, routines, or expectations does the student consider irrelevant?
Addressing such questions will assist the IEP team in determining the necessary components of the assessment plan, and ultimately will lead to more effective behavior intervention plans. Some techniques that could be considered when developing a functional behavioral assessment plan are discussed in the following section.
Techniques for Conducting the Functional Behavioral Assessment
Indirect assessment. Indirect or informant assessment relies heavily upon the use of structured interviews with students, teachers, and other adults who have direct responsibility for the students concerned. Individuals should structure the interview so that it yields information regarding the questions discussed in the previous section, such as:
- In what settings do you observe the behavior?
- Are there any settings where the behavior does not occur?
- Who is present when the behavior occurs?
- What activities or interactions take place just prior to the behavior?
- What usually happens immediately after the behavior?
- Can you think of a more acceptable behavior that might replace this behavior?
Interviews with the student may be useful in identifying how he or she perceived the situation and what caused her or him to react or act in the way they did. Examples of questions that one may ask include:
- What were you thinking just before you threw the textbook?
- How did the assignment make you feel?
- Can you tell me how Mr. Smith expects you to contribute to class lectures?
- When you have a “temper tantrum” in class, what usually happens afterward?
Commercially available student questionnaires, motivational scales, and checklists can also be used to structure indirect assessments of behavior. The district’s school psychologist or other qualified personnel can be a valuable source of information regarding the feasibility of using these instruments.
Direct assessment. Direct assessment involves observing and recording situational factors surrounding a problem behavior (e.g., antecedent and consequent events). An evaluator may observe the behavior in the setting that it is likely to occur, and record data using an Antecedent-Behavior-Consequence (ABC) approach. (Appendix A shows two examples of an ABC recording sheet.)
The observer also may choose to use a matrix or scatter plot to chart the relationship between specific instructional variables and student responses. (See Appendix B for examples). These techniques also will be useful in identifying possible environmental factors (e.g., seating arrangements), activities (e.g., independent work), or temporal factors (e.g., mornings) that may influence the behavior. These tools can be developed specifically to address the type of variable in question, and can be customized to analyze specific behaviors and situations (e.g., increments of 5 minutes, 30 minutes, 1 hour, or even a few days). Regardless of the tool, observations that occur consistently across time and situations, and that reflect both quantitative and qualitative measures of the behavior in question, are recommended.
Data analysis. Once the team is satisfied that enough data have been collected, the next step is to compare and analyze the information. This analysis will help the team to determine whether or not there are any patterns associated with the behavior (e.g., whenever Trish does not get her way, she reacts by hitting someone). If patterns cannot be determined, the team should review and revise (as necessary) the functional behavioral assessment plan to identify other methods for assessing behavior.
Hypothesis statement. Drawing upon information that emerges from the analysis, school personnel can establish a hypothesis regarding the function of the behaviors in question. This hypothesis predicts the general conditions under which the behavior is most and least likely to occur (antecedents), as well as the probable consequences that serve to maintain it. For instance, should a teacher report that Lucia calls out during instruction, a functional behavioral assessment might reveal the function of the behavior is to gain attention (e.g., verbal approval of classmates), avoid instruction (e.g., difficult assignment), seek excitement (i.e., external stimulation), or both to gain attention and avoid a low-interest subject.
Only when the relevance of the behavior is known is it possible to speculate the true function of the behavior and establish an individual behavior intervention plan. In other words, before any plan is set in motion, the team needs to formulate a plausible explanation (hypothesis) for the student’s behavior. It is then desirable to manipulate various conditions to verify the assumptions made by the team regarding the function of the behavior. For instance, the team working with Lucia in the example above may hypothesize that during class discussions, Lucia calls out to get peer attention. Thus, the teacher might make accommodations in the environment to ensure that Lucia gets the peer attention she seeks as a consequence of appropriate, rather than inappropriate behaviors. If this manipulation changes Lucia’s behavior, the team can assume their hypothesis was correct; if Lucia’s behavior remains unchanged following the environmental manipulation, a new hypothesis needs to be formulated using data collected during the functional behavioral assessment.
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