| (a) Educational Diagnostician Certificate Standards.
The knowledge and skills identified in this section must be used by
an educator preparation program in the development of curricula and
coursework and by the State Board for Educator Certification as the
basis for developing the examination required to obtain the standard
Educational Diagnostician Certificate. The standards also serve as
the foundation for the professional growth plan and continuing professional
education activities required by §239.85 of this title (relating
to Requirements to Renew the Standard Educational Diagnostician Certificate).
(b) Standard I. The educational diagnostician understands
and applies knowledge of the purpose, philosophy, and legal foundations
of evaluation and special education.
(1) The educational diagnostician knows and understands:
(A) state and federal regulations relevant to the role
of the educational diagnostician;
(B) laws and legal issues related to the assessment
and evaluation of individuals with educational needs;
(C) models, theories, and philosophies that provide
the basis for special education evaluations;
(D) issues, assurances, and due process rights related
to evaluation, eligibility, and placement in the least restrictive
environment within a continuum of services; and
(E) rights and responsibilities of parents/guardians,
schools, students, and teachers and other professionals in relation
to individual learning needs.
(2) The educational diagnostician is able to:
(A) articulate the purpose of evaluation procedures
and their relationship to educational programming; and
(B) conduct evaluations and other professional activities
consistent with the requirements of laws, rules and regulations, and
local district policies and procedures.
(c) Standard II. The educational diagnostician understands
and applies knowledge of ethical and professional practices, roles,
and responsibilities.
(1) The educational diagnostician knows and understands:
(A) ethical practices regarding procedural safeguards
(e.g., confidentiality issues, informed consent) for individuals with
disabilities;
(B) ethical practices related to assessment and evaluation;
(C) qualifications necessary to administer and interpret
various instruments and procedures; and
(D) organizations and publications relevant to the
field of educational diagnosis.
(2) The educational diagnostician is able to:
(A) demonstrate commitment to developing quality educational
opportunities appropriate for individuals with disabilities;
(B) demonstrate positive regard for the culture, gender,
and personal beliefs of individual students;
(C) promote and maintain a high level of competence
and integrity in the practice of the profession;
(D) exercise objective professional judgment in the
practice of the profession;
(E) engage in professional activities that benefit
individuals with exceptional learning needs, their families, and/or
colleagues;
(F) comply with local, state, and federal monitoring
and evaluation requirements;
(G) use copyrighted educational materials in an ethical
manner; and
(H) participate in the activities of professional organizations
in the field of educational diagnosis.
(d) Standard III. The educational diagnostician develops
collaborative relationships with families, educators, the school,
the community, outside agencies, and related service personnel.
(1) The educational diagnostician knows and understands:
(A) strategies for promoting effective communication
and collaboration with others, including parents/guardians and school
and community personnel, in a culturally responsive manner;
(B) concerns of parents/guardians of individuals with
exceptional learning needs and appropriate strategies to help parents/guardians
address these concerns;
(C) strategies for developing educational programs
for individuals through collaboration with team members;
(D) roles of individuals with disabilities, parents/caregivers,
teachers, and other school and community personnel in planning educational
programs for individuals; and
(E) family systems and the role of families in supporting
student development and educational progress.
(2) The educational diagnostician is able to:
(A) use collaborative strategies in working with individuals
with disabilities, parents/caregivers, and school and community personnel
in various learning environments;
(B) communicate and consult effectively with individuals,
parents/guardians, teachers, and other school and community personnel;
(C) foster respectful and beneficial relationships
between families and education professionals;
(D) encourage and assist individuals with disabilities
and their families to become active participants in the educational
team;
(E) plan and conduct collaborative conferences with
individuals who have exceptional learning needs and their families
or primary caregivers;
(F) collaborate with classroom teachers and other school
and community personnel in including individuals with exceptional
learning needs in various learning environments;
(G) communicate with classroom teachers, administrators,
and other school personnel about characteristics and needs of individuals
with disabilities;
(H) use appropriate communication skills to report
and interpret assessment and evaluation results;
(I) provide assistance to others who collect informal
and observational data;
(J) effectively communicate to parents/guardians and
professionals the purposes, methods, findings, and implications of
assessments; and
(K) keep accurate and detailed records of assessments,
evaluations, and related proceedings (e.g., admission, review, and
dismissal/individualized education program (ARD/IEP) meetings, parent/guardian
communications and notifications).
(e) Standard IV. The educational diagnostician understands
and applies knowledge of student assessment and evaluation, program
planning, and instructional decision making.
(1) The educational diagnostician knows and understands:
(A) the characteristics, needs, and rights of individual
students in relation to assessment and evaluation for placement in
the least restrictive environment within a continuum of services;
(B) the relationship between evaluation and placement
decisions; and
(C) the role of team members, including the student
when appropriate, in planning an individualized program.
(2) The educational diagnostician is able to:
(A) use assessment and evaluation information to plan
individualized programs, establish measurable annual goals and objectives,
and make instructional decisions that result in appropriate services
for individuals with disabilities, including those from culturally
and/or linguistically diverse backgrounds;
(B) interpret and use assessment and evaluation data
for targeted instruction and ongoing review; and
(C) assist in identifying realistic expectations for
educationally relevant behavior (e.g., vocational, functional, academic,
social) in various settings.
(f) Standard V. The educational diagnostician knows
eligibility criteria and procedures for identifying students with
disabilities and determining the presence of an educational need.
(1) The educational diagnostician knows and understands:
(A) characteristics of individuals with disabilities,
including those with different levels of severity and with multiple
disabilities;
(B) educational implications of various disabilities;
and
(C) the variation in ability exhibited by individuals
with particular types of disabilities.
(2) The educational diagnostician is able to:
(A) access information on the cognitive, communicative,
physical, social, and emotional characteristics of individuals with
disabilities and the assistive technology needs of those students;
(B) gather background information regarding the academic,
medical, and family history of individuals with disabilities; and
(C) use various types of assessment and evaluation
procedures appropriately to identify students with disabilities and
to determine the presence of an educational need.
(g) Standard VI. The educational diagnostician selects,
administers, and interprets appropriate formal and informal assessments
and evaluations.
(1) The educational diagnostician knows and understands:
(A) basic terminology used in assessment and evaluation;
(B) standards for test reliability;
(C) standards for test validity;
(D) procedures used in standardizing assessment instruments;
(E) possible sources of test error;
(F) the meaning and use of basic statistical concepts
used in assessment and evaluation (e.g., standard error of measurement,
mean, standard deviation);
(G) uses and limitations of each type of assessment
instrument;
(H) uses and limitations of various types of assessment
data;
(I) procedures for screening, prereferral, including
RTI (e.g., response to intervention/multi-tiered support), referral,
and eligibility;
(J) the appropriate application and interpretation
of derived scores (e.g., standard scores, percentile ranks, age and
grade equivalents, stanines);
(K) the necessity of monitoring the progress of individuals
with disabilities;
(L) methods of academic and nonacademic (e.g., vocational,
transition, developmental, assistive technology) assessment and evaluation;
and
(M) methods of motor skills assessment.
(2) The educational diagnostician is able to:
(A) collaborate with families and other professionals
in the assessment and evaluation of individuals with disabilities;
(B) select and use assessment and evaluation materials
based on technical quality and individual student needs;
(C) score assessment and evaluation instruments accurately;
(D) create and maintain assessment reports;
(E) select or modify assessment procedures to ensure
nonbiased results;
(F) use a variety of observation techniques;
(G) assess and interpret information using formal/informal
instruments and procedures in the areas of cognitive/adaptive behavior
and academic skills;
(H) determine the need for further assessment in the
areas of language skills, physical skills, social/emotional behavior,
and assistive technology;
(I) determine a student's needs in various curricular
areas and make intervention, instructional, and transition planning
recommendations based on assessment and evaluation results;
(J) make recommendations based on assessment and evaluation
results;
(K) prepare assessment reports; and
(L) use performance data and information from teachers,
other professionals, individuals with disabilities, and parents/guardians
to make or suggest appropriate modifications and/or accommodations
within learning environments.
(h) Standard VII. The educational diagnostician understands
and applies knowledge of ethnic, linguistic, cultural, and socioeconomic
diversity and the significance of student diversity for evaluation,
planning, and instruction.
(1) The educational diagnostician knows and understands:
(A) issues related to definition and identification
procedures for individuals with disabilities, including individuals
from culturally and/or linguistically diverse backgrounds;
(B) characteristics and effects of the cultural and
environmental backgrounds of students and their families, including
cultural and linguistic diversity, socioeconomic diversity, abuse/neglect,
and substance abuse;
(C) issues related to the representation in special
education of populations that are culturally and linguistically diverse;
(D) ways in which native language and diversity may
affect evaluation; and
(E) strategies that are responsive to the diverse backgrounds
and particular disabilities of individuals in relation to evaluation,
programming, and placement.
(2) The educational diagnostician is able to:
(A) apply knowledge of cultural and linguistic factors
to make appropriate evaluation decisions and instructional recommendations
for individuals with disabilities; and
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