Evaluations are completed as part of the special education process, and they provide necessary information regarding a student’s strengths and weaknesses, which is central to IEP development. However, evaluation reports can be dense and challenging to understand, especially when you are tasked with reviewing multiple reports at once as part of a child’s initial evaluation or re-evaluation. The tips below are designed to help break down evaluation reports into manageable, understandable, and actionable parts.
Start with the Summary
Print out the evaluation report and begin by reading the summary section at the end of the evaluation report. This section highlights the key findings and recommendations from the evaluator, thus providing a preview of what to expect in the rest of the report. Reading the summary first can provide a strong foundation of understanding before reading the more detailed report sections.
Note the Behavioral Observations
Next, take a look at the behavioral observations noted by the evaluator. These observations during the testing are often described in a section titled “Behavioral Observations,” or they may appear right before the section on the child’s overall results. Behavioral observations give context about how a child engaged during the evaluation, and whether the results seem like a true reflection of their abilities. Engaged and on-task behaviors during testing often yield more accurate results, whereas behavioral challenges during testing may indicate the results are not as valid as desired.
Use Highlighters to Organize Your Thoughts
Color coding can be a simple but effective way to sort through complex information. In the case of evaluation reports, for example, you could use yellow to highlight important details to remember, and pink to mark anything confusing to ask about later. Also, note the evaluation name on the first page (ex, “Psychoeducational Report”), and highlight it for easy identification going forward. This visual tracking system can be helpful when discussing the report with others.
Take Notes in the Margins
Along with the above highlighter method, write any questions or comments in the margins of the evaluation report while reading it, or use Post-it® notes. These notes will help keep track of your initial thoughts and will make it easier to bring up specific points during meetings or discussions.
Focus on Trends, Not Just One Score
Most students do not score uniformly on all tasks. Rather than focusing on a single number in the evaluation report, look for patterns of results throughout. For example, a score of “Very Low” performance on one task of the WISC-V (when compared to “Average” scores on every other cognitive task) allow us to recognize strengths and needs, thereby providing the information the IEP team needs in order to set goals and identify areas where the student needs support.
Read With a Trusted Person
Reading the report with someone else can bring additional clarity. This trusted person can be a friend, family member, colleague, or anyone whose input would be helpful to you. Discussing with another person can help to answer questions as well as provide unique insights that may have been missed at first glance.
Review With the Evaluator
Parents have the right to ask questions and share comments with the evaluator. Speaking directly with the evaluator can provide additional clarity about the wording used in the report, and allow the evaluator to explain results in more understandable language.
Save Evaluations for Future Reference
Create an “Evaluations Binder” with printed copies of evaluation reports over the years to make information easy to manage and access at meetings. Binder dividers can be used to separate school years, so documents will be in chronological order and easy to find.