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Interpreting Results of the ELORS Forms |
Interpreting Results of Whole Class Form
The Whole Class ELORS Form may be interpreted in two different ways:
- to examine patterns that suggest the need to further assess individual children, and
- to examine patterns that suggest the need for changes to the classroom environment, curriculum, and/or instruction
To determine the need to further assess individual children, teachers should look at the patterns of concern for each child across each of the domains. Follow up observation using the Individual Child Form is recommended if:
- concerns have been recorded for a child in several domains, and/or
- concerns were noted for a child in only one domain but those concerns are significant, as suggested by multiple tally marks for that set of skills and behaviors, and/or
- additional information is needed to determine how to meet a child’s needs.
Observation Record Form data might reveal patterns that suggest the need for changes to the classroom environment, curriculum, and instruction. Teachers should look at patterns of responses in each domain across the entire class. If concerns are noted for a majority of the children in the class in any one domain, it may indicate that the general classroom experiences are not sufficient to meet children’s needs in that domain. In reviewing the information about your classroom and the children’s needs, it is also essential to consider the specific family, cultural, and community content for each child.
When looking at patterns in each domain across the entire class, teachers may notice that no concerns were noted for any of the children in a particular domain. This presents an opportunity to think critically about the classroom environment, curriculum, and instruction and to consider whether:
- the current classroom experiences are meeting the needs of all students, or
- there is not enough focus on this domain in the classroom and so data could not be collected on these important, developmentally appropriate activities.
Interpreting Results of Individual Child Forms
The Teacher-Individual Child and Parent- Individual Child Forms may be interpreted in two ways:
- to determine areas in which additional support or instruction is needed, and
- to determine whether additional assessment is needed to understand the child’s needs.
To determine areas in which additional support is needed, teachers should examine both teacher and parent summary ratings for each domain. If there are any ratings of 3 or 4 for a domain, indicating moderate to great concern, plans should be made to provide the child with additional support or instruction in that area. The information from both Teacher and Parent Individual Child Forms can provide consensus about specific areas of need and help parents and teachers work as a team to respond quickly and effectively.
To determine whether additional screening or more formal assessment is needed, teachers should examine data from the teacher and parent summary ratings for each domain. If there is a rating of 4 for any domain, indicating great concern, consideration should be given to the needs for further evaluation. Additional assessment may be general or domain-specific, depending on the nature and gravity of concerns. Teachers and parents should discuss their concerns and teachers should seek assistance from program, school, or district administrators and/or specialists to identify appropriate resources or to plan for and initiate evaluation activities if needed. Teachers and parents should discuss the benefits of having the child undergo a more comprehensive evaluation. Parents should understand that these services are available at no cost, and that if their child is found to be eligible for special education services and support, this determination would be made only with their explicit, written consent. (Visit www.LD.org for more information about the preschool screening and evaluation process.)
Sharing Information
After teachers and parents have completed the Individual Child ELORS, the next step is to come together to share the information gathered by the ELORS across home and school settings. Other professionals or specialists may also join the discussion to share their perspectives as part of a collaborative problem-solving process. Teachers, parents, and other professionals will discuss areas in which they believe the child needs additional support or instruction as well as whether additional assessment is needed to understand the child’s needs.
Using the summary sheet at the end of the Individual Child ELORS forms, teachers, parents, and specialists can identify areas of strength as well as areas of concern and begin to think about how to proceed. For example, they may discuss using the child’s interests to provide additional opportunities for the child to practice skills and behaviors that were identified as areas of concern. After meeting to share information from the ELORS, the team (including teachers, parents, and other professionals) will have some concrete next steps towards meeting the child’s needs.
For more information see The Teacher's Guide to the ELORS.
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Suggested Tip!
Be Ready for Reading
Bring a book to your child’s next doctor’s appointment to ease the wait. And, leave a book where you keep your reusable shopping bags to make the shopping cart a rolling reading room
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