Course Description

This course is designed for educators, specialists, and instructional leaders seeking to strengthen assessment literacy and implement meaningful progress monitoring practices across general and special education settings. Participants will examine classroom assessment and progress monitoring as essential components of inclusive systems rather than isolated compliance tasks. Grounded in OSPI priorities related to Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS), inclusive practices, and culturally responsive and sustaining education (CCDEI), the course emphasizes how data collection and analysis can either promote equitable access to instruction or unintentionally reinforce bias and low expectations when implemented without intention. Through applied case studies and collaborative problem-solving, participants will explore how to design classroom assessments aligned to grade-level standards, select appropriate progress monitoring tools, interpret student performance data, and make responsive instructional decisions. The course addresses the distinction between classroom formative assessment, intervention progress monitoring, and IEP goal measurement, ensuring clarity in purpose, method, and frequency. Participants will leave equipped to implement data-informed practices that support timely intervention, inclusive placement decisions, and meaningful documentation of student growth while maintaining high expectations for all learners.

Course Objectives

By the end of this course, participants will be able to:

Differentiate between formative assessment, summative assessment, intervention progress monitoring, and IEP goal measurement, and articulate the purpose of each within MTSS and IDEA frameworks. Standard 4 – Leading for Educational Equity

Design classroom assessments aligned to grade-level standards and inclusive instructional practices, ensuring measures accurately reflect student knowledge and skills rather than barriers related to disability, language, or cultural context. Standard 4 – Leading for Educational Equity

Select and implement appropriate progress monitoring tools, including curriculum-based measures, observational data, and performance tasks, aligned to the intensity of support within Tier 1, Tier 2, and Tier 3 systems. Standard 3 – Learning Partnerships

Analyze student performance data to inform instructional adjustments, distinguishing between lack of access to instruction and lack of skill acquisition. Standard 4 – Leading for Educational Equity Standard 1 – Understanding Self & Others

Apply a CCDEI-informed lens to assessment interpretation, recognizing how systemic bias, cultural context, language differences, and disability may influence data interpretation and decision-making. Standard 3 – Learning Partnerships

Monitor IEP goal progress with fidelity, ensuring data collection methods are consistent, measurable, and aligned to the specially designed instruction being delivered. Standard 3 – Learning Partnerships

Collaborate with multidisciplinary teams to use assessment data for equitable problem-solving, reducing unnecessary referrals, inappropriate retention decisions, and exclusionary discipline practices. Standard 4 – Leading for Educational Equity