INTRODUCTION The overarching goal of this document is to assist schools in conducting appropriate and comprehensive educational evaluations for students suspected of having a specific learning disability (SLD). Additionally, this guidance document will provide an overview of Kentucky’s SLD eligibility determination requirements, clarify the evaluation components and criteria, and answer frequently asked questions from the field as they relate to students with a SLD. The SLD eligibility determination process is a systematic approach that schools use to determine whether a student does or does not have a SLD as defined in the state regulations. SLD means a disorder that adversely affects the ability to acquire, comprehend, or apply reading, mathematical, writing, reasoning, listening, or speaking skills to the extent that specially designed instruction is required to benefit from education. The specific learning disability (SLD) may include dyslexia, dyscalculia, dysgraphia, developmental aphasia, and perceptual/motor disabilities. The term does not include deficits that are the result of other primary determinant or disabling factors such as vision, hearing, motor impairment, intellectual (mental) disability, emotional-behavioral disability, environmental or economic disadvantaged, cultural factors, limited English proficiency, or lack of relevant research-based instruction in the deficit area. 707 KAR 1:002 Section 1 (59). IDEA 2004 outlines the legal underpinnings of the eligibility determination process and further specifies how districts should approach the process. Within the parameters established in the federal regulations, state and local district policies define individual school-level SLD eligibility determination practices. The table below illustrates the timeline regarding SLD regulations and guidance. MAKING AN ELIGIBILITY DETERMINATION FOR SLD Kentucky’s vision is that all students proficiency and graduate from high school ready for college and careers. In support of that vision, this document seeks to provide guidance for districts to ensure the accurate identification of and appropriate educational support for students with SLD. The Kentucky Administrative Regulations (KAR) for special education programs outline two possible methods for making an eligibility determination for SLD. A district (Local Education Agency or LEA) must develop written procedures for SLD determinations. Method A: Severe Discrepancy (Validated Regression) Method A: Severe Discrepancy is a process based on identification of a severe discrepancy between intellectual ability and achievement. As part of the eligibility determination for
Appendix H: Eligibility Determination Documentation: A Reference Guide This document provides guidance on the documentation necessary for determining eligibility for a specific learning disability. This document may be used to train ARC Chairpersons, assist ARCs with data triangulation and guide ARCs in completing the SLD Eligibility Determination Form and Written Report. Disability Eligibility Criteria Supporting Documents and Resources The student is provided with learning experiences and instruction appropriate for the student’s age or state approved grade-level standards Universal Screening Data Common Assessment Data Progress Monitoring Data Intervention Data RtI Worksheets RtI Data Summary The student does not achieve adequately, as indicated on multiple data sources, for the student’s age or level standards aligned with Program of Studies/KCAS. Classroom performance and grades Intervention data and description of analysis Common Assessment Data Universal Screening Data Progress Monitoring Data Evaluation Report- Formal Evaluation Data Method A: Severe Discrepancy The student exhibits a pattern of strengths and weaknesses in performance, achievement or both relative to ability level or intellectual development OR Method B: RtI Analysis of intervention data over time Common Assessments Universal Screeners Progress-Monitoring Data (Intervention Data) Formal Academic Testing Cognitive Assessments
Language (Oral Expression, Listening Comprehension, Other:_________________________ ) Age Appropriate Has difficulty modulating voice (e.g. too soft, too loud) Has trouble naming people or objects Has difficulty staying on topic Inserts invented words into conversation Has difficulty re-telling what has just been said Demonstrates slow and halting speech, lots of fillers (e.g., uh, um, and you know) Mispronounces words frequently Has difficulty rhyming Has limited interest in books or stories Has difficulty understanding instructions or directions Reading (Basic Reading Skills, Reading Comprehension, Reading Fluency Skills) Age Appropriate Confuses similar-looking letters and numbers Demonstrates poor memory for printed words Has trouble naming letters Has poor retention of new vocabulary Dislikes and avoids reading or reads reluctantly Has problems associating letters and sounds, understanding the difference between sounds in words or blending sounds into words Written Language (Written Expression) Age Appropriate Has difficulty remembering shapes of letters and numerals Dislikes and avoids writing and copying Frequently reverses letters, numbers and symbols ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________
Does not pick up on other people’s mood/feelings (e.g., may say the wrong things at wrong time) May not detect or respond appropriately to teasing Has difficulty ‘joining in’ and maintaining positive social status in a peer group Has trouble knowing how to share/express feelings Has trouble ‘getting to the point’ (e.g., gets bogged down in details in conversation) Has difficulty with self-control when frustrated Has difficulty dealing with group pressure, embarrassment and unexpected challenges Attention (All Areas) Age Appropriate Has difficulty sustaining attention in work tasks or play activities Has difficulty organizing and activities Loses things consistently that are necessary for tasks/activities (e.g., toys, school assignments, pencils, books, or tools) Is easily distracted by outside influences Is forgetful in daily/routine activities Gross and Fine Motor Skills (All Areas) Age Appropriate Appears awkward and clumsy, dropping, spilling, or knocking things over Has limited success with games and activities that demand eye-hand coordination (e.g., piano lessons, basketball, baseball) Has trouble with buttons, snaps, zippers and trouble learning to tie shoes Creates art work that is immature for age Demonstrates poor ability to color or write ‘within the lines’ Grasps pencil awkwardly, resulting in poor handwriting Experiences difficulty using small objects or items that demand precision (e.g., Legos, puzzle pieces, tweezers, scissors)
___ Oral Expression ___ Written Expression ___ Basic Reading Skills ___ Reading Comprehension ___ Reading Fluency Skills ___ Listening Comprehension ___ Mathematics Problem Solving ___ Mathematics Calculation Language (Oral Expression, Listening Comprehension, Other:__________________________ ) Age Appropriate Has difficulty modulating voice (e.g., too soft, too loud) Inserts invented words into conversation Has difficulty re-telling what has just been said Uses vague, imprecise language and has a limited vocabulary Demonstrates slow and halting speech, lots of fillers (e.g., uh, um, and you know) Uses poor grammar or misuses words in conversation Mispronounces words frequently Confuses words with others that sound similar Inserts malapropisms (‘slips of the tongue’) into conversation (e.g., a rolling stone gathers no moths; he was a man of great statue) Has limited interest in books or stories Has difficulty understanding instructions or directions Has difficulty with pragmatic skills (e.g., understands the relationship between speaker and listener, stays on topic, gauges the listeners degree of knowledge, makes inferences based on a speaker’s verbal and non-verbal cues) Reading (Basic Reading Skills, Reading Comprehension, Reading Fluency Skills) Age Appropriate Frequently place while reading Confuses similar-looking words (e.g., beard, bread) Reverses letter order in words (e.g., saw/was) Demonstrates poor memory for printed words Has weak comprehension of ideas and themes Guesses at unfamiliar words rather than using word analysis skills Reads slowly Substitutes or leaves out words while reading Has poor retention of new vocabulary Dislikes and avoids reading or reads reluctantly
Written Language (Written Expression) Age Appropriate Writing is messy and incomplete, with many cross-outs and erasures Uses uneven spacing between letters and and has trouble staying ‘on the line’ Copies inaccurately (e.g., confuses similar-looking letters and numbers) Spells poorly and inconsistently (e.g., the same word appears differently other places in the same document) Has difficulty proofreading and work Fails to develop ideas in writing so written work is incomplete and too brief Math (Math Calculation, Math Problem Solving) Age Appropriate Has difficulty learning strategic counting principles (e.g., by 2, 5, 10, 100) Poorly aligns numbers resulting in computation errors Has difficulty estimating quantity (e.g., quantity, value)Has difficulty with comparisons (e.g., less than, greater than) Has trouble telling time Has trouble conceptualizing the passage of time Has difficulty counting rapidly or making calculations Has trouble interpreting graphs and chart Social Emotional (All Areas) Age Appropriate Does not pick up on other people’s mood/feelings (e.g., may say the wrong things at the wrong time) May not detect or respond appropriately to teasing Has difficulty ‘joining in’ and maintaining positive social status in a peer Has trouble knowing how to feelings
Has trouble ‘getting to the point’ (e.g., gets bogged down in details in conversation) Has difficulty dealing with group pressure, embarrassment and unexpected challenges Attention (All Areas) Age Appropriate Fails to pay close attention to details or makes careless mistakes in schoolwork or other activities Has difficulty sustaining attention in work tasks or play activities Has difficulty organizing tasks and activities things consistently that are necessary for tasks/activities (e.g., toys, school assignments, pencils, books, or tools) Is easily distracted by outside influences Is forgetful in activities and Fine Motor Skills (All Areas) Age Appropriate Has limited success with games and activities that demand eye-hand coordination (e.g., piano lessons, basketball, baseball) Grasps pencil awkwardly, resulting in poor handwriting Dislikes and avoids writing and drawing Other Notes or Observed Behavior
___ Reading Fluency Skills ___ Listening Comprehension ___ Mathematics Problem Solving ___ Mathematics Calculation Language (Oral Expression, Listening Comprehension, Other:__________________________ ) Age Appropriate Has difficulty modulating (e.g., too soft, too loud) Uses vague, imprecise language and has a limited vocabulary Demonstrates slow and halting speech, using lots of fillers (e.g., uh, um, and, you know) Uses poor grammar or misuses in conversation Confuses words with others that sound similar Inserts malapropisms (‘slips of the tongue’) into conversation (e.g., a rolling stone gathers no moths; he was a man of great statue) Has difficulty understanding instructions or directions Has difficulty with pragmatic skills (e.g., understands the relationship between speaker and listener, stays on topic, gauges the listener’s degree of knowledge, makes inferences based on a speaker’s verbal and cues) Reading (Basic Reading Skills, Reading Comprehension, Reading Fluency Skills) Age Appropriate Frequently place while reading Confuses similar-looking words (e.g., beard, bread) Demonstrates poor memory for printed words Has weak comprehension of ideas and themes Reads slowly Guesses at unfamiliar words rather than using word analysis skills Substitutes or leaves out words while reading Dislikes and avoids reading or reads reluctantly Written Language (Written Expression) Age Appropriate Writing is messy and incomplete, with many cross-outs and erasures