In Part 1: The “Why” of Green Assessment, we address why we should invest in green assessment to support students in the least restrictive environment (LRE), but what exactly is it?
Ecological assessment is a comprehensive assessment process in which data on student performance is collected through observation in different environments and/or settings. It is a collaborative process involving relevant stakeholders: parents, teachers, etc. It is a tool that uses peer performance and classroom expectations regarding activities and routines as a measurement standard, while evaluating the impact of the educational environment on functional and social performance. interactions.1 “If a skill or activity cannot be observed or measured during a child’s normal school day, then it may not be relevant to the child’s educational needs.”2 Functional performance can be defined as the child’s active participation with a goal-directed environmental approach.3 Through this approach, a comprehensive understanding of student performance in relation to school expectations can emerge, and the application of that performance toward educational relevance can become clearer.
An ecological assessment can be carried out using a Checklist created by a team or a therapist. (sample checklist courtesy of Sequoia School Therapy Solutions, LLC) using as a basis the typical routines of the school day such as arrival, dismissal, lunch time, recess and academics in the classroom. The tasks within each routine and how the student’s performance compares to that of typical peers and classroom expectations can be objectively observed and documented. He “Evaluation scale for teaching routines” by Clingenpeel and McWilliams is a tool that uses an interview approach to determine how a student participates in classroom routines compared to their peers.4
The key to a successful ecological assessment is objective observation, using activities and routines typical of the school day and using peer performance and classroom expectations as the basis of your work with the student. This approach will help you, as a related service provider, implement educationally relevant services to support student participation in the least restrictive environment.
See Part 1: The “Why” of Ecological Assessment and Part 3: The “How” of Ecological Assessment.
