A traditional text that provides the most up-to-date, comprehensive and practical approach to special education assessment on the market, Assessment of Exceptional Students emphasizes how both informal and formal procedures fit into the overall assessment process for students with special needs. Not only will readers get the most up-to-date coverage of assessment instruments, techniques, procedures, and current concerns in the field, but they will learn the historical, legal and philosophical issues as well. The eighth edition is full of enhancements to this proven and excellent text, such as a more user-friendly, paperback design, a seamless, interactive case study woven across the chapters, the latest information on assessment techniques and testing accommodations, as well as increased content about assessing students from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.

New to the eighth edition:

• An intricately woven interactive case study introduces information across chapters to give users more application experience.
• Vignettes featured at the beginning of many chapters familiarize readers with different types of students, includes questions to consider while reading, suggested answers to the questions at the end of each chapter, and the actual test results of the students described in the vignettes.
• "Focus on Diversity” feature specifically highlights issues related to assessing students from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.
• Increased coverage of alternate assessment and testing accommodations.
• Includes the most current information related to the reauthorization of NCLB and its effect on assessment practices.

Highlights of the Seventh Edition:

• NEW! Coverage of the IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act) 2004 reauthorization and its implications on assessment. In addition, a section on the companion Web site will keep students and instructors informed about the latest information regarding IDEA and its forthcoming regulations.
• Increased coverage of accommodations–very timely based on the requirements of IDEA.
• Increased coverage of alternate assessment, including observation, criterion-referenced testing, curriculum-based and portfolio assessment, and other alternative procedures.
• New information about the role of assessment in No Child Left Behind and high-stakes testing.
• Updated references and reviews of literature on the norm-referenced tests.
• Descriptions of many revised tests including the WISC-IV, Stanford-Binet-5, KTEA-II, KABC-II, and the BASC-2.
• Chapters 5 and 6 have been streamlined to align the steps and examples of developing CRTs and CBAs.
• Additional examples of determining basals and ceilings using real tests.
• Appendix C has been moved to Chapter 2 in order to provide early information about how assessment data are used for determining eligibility for special education.
• Includes margin icons that indicate where information related to diversity, technology, and test accommodations is mentioned.
• Chapter 12 (Assessment of Reading) now includes information on instruments for assessing emerging reading skills, consistent with the Early Reading First mandate of NCLB.