Roles and Responsibilities of IEP Teams in the Desired Results System
(Revised January 2010)

The Desired Results System is an initiative of the California Department of Education (CDE) developed to determine the effectiveness of its child development and early childhood special education services and programs. The system assures that children who are enrolled in state-funded preschool programs benefit from those programs. Central to the Desired Results System are the DRDP assessment instruments. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004 (IDEA 2004) requires the inclusion of children with disabilities in any state or district-wide assessments (IDEA 2004: Sec 612(a)(16)(A)). Therefore, every three, four, and five year old child with an Individualized Education Program (IEP) who receives preschool services (regardless of setting or level of service) are included in the use of the Desired Results assessment instruments. It is not only because of federal requirements that children with IEPs are included in the use of the DRDP assessment instruments – the use of the instruments contributes to better outcomes for children by supporting decision-making at the child, program, and policy levels. It increases our understanding of children’s progress and assists educators in tailoring intervention to the individual needs of children. The data contribute to program evaluation and continual quality improvement efforts. Preschool special education’s participation in the Desired Results system supports programs’ use of up-to-date data to track children’s progress, report progress to families, inform instructional practices, make data-driven decisions, and report data to CDE/SED to meet federal requirements.

The DRDP instruments are designed to guide program staff in observing and documenting children’s development, and progress for the purpose of program improvement. The DRDP instruments are authentic assessment tools based on recommended practices for naturalistic observation of young children by familiar adults as they participate in activities and routines in familiar environments.

Currently, two versions of the DRDP assessment are used in preschool special education. Both are observation-based, authentic assessments. The Preschool Desired Results Developmental Profile-Revised (PS DRDP-R) is the statewide assessment for preschool-age children in California. The Desired Results Developmental Profile access (DRDP access) describes children’s development in the same areas as the PS DRDP-R, but with a broader developmental range from birth to age five. By using the DRDP access, all preschool-age children with IEPs can be included in the statewide DRDP assessment.

Note: The DRDP access is the version of the DRDP that will be used with all children who begin preschool special education services after September 1, 2009. Preschool-age children with IEPs who were assessed prior to September 1, 2009 should continue to be assessed with the same instrument that was previously administered (either the DRDP access or the PS DRDP-R).

The Role of the IEP Team in the Desired Results System

IEP teams are responsible for documenting two things:

• The DRDP instrument used with the child – for IEPs dated on or after September 1, 2009, this is the DRDP access.
• The adaptations that each child uses on a daily basis while participating in the preschool program and that are in place when completing the DRDP assessment.

Adaptations Used with the Assessments

Adaptations are changes in the environment or differences in observed behavior that allow a child with an IEP to be most accurately assessed in their typical settings. The adaptations identified for the DRDP instruments have been developed so that the assessment will more accurately measure a child’s abilities rather than the impact of the disability. IDEA 2004 specifies that “the IEP must include a statement of any adaptations that are necessary to measure the academic achievement and functional performance of children on the statewide assessment” (IDEA 2004 Sec 614(d)(1)(A)(i)(VI)(aa)). The IEP team should revisit the adaptations annually to consider if any changes need to be made in the adaptations identified for a child. For full descriptions and additional information, refer to the adaptations worksheet in this document that may assist IEP teams in determining the adaptations that will be used by an individual child for the DRDP assessment.

The DRDP instruments are rated by considering a sequence of development and then determining the highest level at which the child demonstrates mastery. Sometimes the presence of a disability prevents children from demonstrating particular skills that they have mastered. Adaptations enable assessors to identify a child’s mastery more accurately, rather than rating Measures at lower levels because of the presence of a disability.

Adaptations are appropriate to use in all educational settings. Adaptations that are used throughout the typical day enable children to have more control in interacting with their environment. If adaptations are in place for the child during the normal course of the day, then they should also be in place during observations for the DRDP assessment. Ensuring that appropriate adaptations are in place will allow observers to obtain the most valid measure of a child’s skills. Similarly, new adaptations should not be introduced for the purpose of assessment. Adaptations may be used for both the DRDP access and the PS DRDP-R.

It is important to note that procedures such as providing verbal or gestural prompts, providing a model of the desired behavior, or using a partial or full physical prompt are not adaptations. These are instructional strategies that should be faded out as the child gains the skill.

Seven broad categories of adaptations have been identified for children with IEPs and the DRDP instruments. These categories should not be tied to any specific disability. Rather, an individual child’s needs should be considered and the appropriate adaptations put in place. These seven categories can be used for documenting adaptations for both the IEP and the DRDP Information Page. The adaptations worksheet at the end of this document describes the adaptations used with the DRDP instruments for preschool special education.

Additional Resources

For more information about adaptations, refer to:

The User’s Guide to the DRDP Instruments for Preschool Special Education at
http://draccess.org/assessors/UsersGuideDRDP.html

The online learning module, Using Adaptations with the DRDP Instruments at
http://www.draccess.org/training/learningmodules.html

Adaptations Worksheet
for the DRDP Instruments for Preschool Special Education

Child’s Name: ____________________________________________ Date: _______________

Adaptations that will be used throughout the child’s day and available for all routines and activities
Adaptation	Yes	No	If yes, briefly describe
Augmentative or alternative communication Methods of communication other than speech that allow a child who is unable to use spoken language to communicate with others.
Alternative mode for written language Methods of reading or writing used by a child who cannot see well enough to read or write or cannot hold and manipulate a writing utensil (e.g., pencil, pen) well enough to produce written symbols.
Visual support Adjustments to the environment that provide additional information to a child who has limited or reduced visual input.
Assistive equipment or device Tools that make it possible or easier for a child to perform a task.
Functional positioning Strategic positioning and postural support that allow a child to have increased control of his body.
Sensory support Increasing or decreasing sensory input to facilitate a child’s attention and interaction in the environment.
Alternative response mode Recognition that a child might demonstrate mastery of a skill in a unique way that differs from the child’s typically developing peers.

 

Download printable PDF of this document (132kb)
or the Adaptations Worksheet alone as an interactive PDF (220kb)

 

Updated 02/23/10