The purpose of assessment is to provide students, parents, teachers, and other professionals with the information necessary to plan for individual instructional needs. Assessment becomes necessary when a student exhibits difficulty learning over an extended period of time. Once it has been determined that a student will be assessed, he or she should be prepared for the process by discussing the activities in which he or she may participate. These may include a variety of tests to assist in understanding how he or she learns and to provide information for future educational planning. Trained professionals administer a non-biased battery of tests in an attempt to respond to the referral question.
Formal testing is only one element of assessment.
The student is able to provide information about his or her own learning that is unavailable through less direct means of inquiry. Therefore, active student participation in the assessment allows for more meaningful educational planning and outcomes. Assessment results provide a profile of individual strengths and needs and are used to design specific, appropriate recommendations to support learning, both at school and at home. Parents and teachers need to base their expectations on an understanding of the student s abilities, test performance, and problem areas in relationship to developmental age norms. Any interested person or organization may copy or reprint portions of this article provided such copy may not be sold or otherwise used for commercial purposes and any such copy must contain the above stated copyright notice.