Initial Evaluation: Upon consent of a parent, the school district shall provide or arrange for the evaluation of the student by a multidisciplinary team within 30 school days. The assessments used shall be adapted to the age of the student and all testing shall meet the evaluation requirements set out in state and federal law. The school district shall ensure that appropriately credentialed and trained specialists administer all assessments.
The Nashoba Regional School District will complete the following required assessments:
1. a. An assessment in all areas related to the suspected disability
b. An assessment of the student’s educational progress in the general curriculum.
c. An assessment of the student's attention skills, participation behaviors, communication skills, memory, and social relations with groups, peers, and adults.
d. The school district shall also thoroughly evaluate and provide a narrative description of the student's educational and developmental potential.
e. When a child is being assessed to determine eligibility for services at age three, an observation of the child's interactions in the child's natural environment or early intervention program or private preschool is an essential element.
f. For children who are receiving early intervention services, Nashoba Regional School District will use current and appropriate assessments from early intervention teams, whenever possible, to avoid duplicate testing.
Optional Assessments:The Team Chairperson may recommend or a parent may request one or more of the following:
- A comprehensive health assessment by a physician that identifies medical concerns or constraints that may affect the student's education. The school nurse may add additional relevant health information from the student's school health records.
- A psychological assessment by a licensed school psychologist.
- A home assessment that may be conducted by a nurse, psychologist, social worker, guidance or adjustment counselor, or teacher and includes information on pertinent family history and home situation and may include a home visit, with the agreement of a parent.
2. In addition to academic considerations there will be considerations of what related services may be required (such as: speech and language evaluation, occupational therapy evaluation, physical therapy evaluation, psychological evaluation, social emotional assessment, functional behavioral assessment, health assessment and orientation and mobility.)
3. Each evaluator conducting an assessment shall summarize in writing the procedures employed, the results, and the diagnostic impression, and shall define in detail and in educationally relevant and common terms, the student's needs, offering explicit means of meeting them. Summaries of assessments shall be completed prior to discussion by the Team and, upon request, shall be made available to the parents at least two days in advance of the Team discussion at the meeting occurring pursuant to 603 CMR 28.05(1).
END OF YEAR CONSENT TO EVALUATE
If the district receives evaluation consent form within thirty to forty-five days prior to the end of the school year, the Team Chairperson will make sure that a Team meeting is scheduled prior to the end of the school year. However, if the district receives an evaluation consent form fewer than thirty school days prior to the end of the school year, the timeline of the evaluation process starts at receipt of consent, but stops on the last day of school and then restarts at the start of the following school year. (603CMR28.05)