Special Education Preschool State Testing
Desired Results and Desired Results Access
You may have recently heard the words “Desired Results” or the letters “DRDP” from your child’s teachers. Read on to find out what they mean to you and your child.
· What is the Desired Results System? The Desired Results System is a project of the California Department of Education. It helps make sure that you and your child benefit from its services and it helps programs improve their quality.
· What does DRDP mean? The letters “DRDP” stand for the “Desired Results Developmental Profile.” The DRDP is an assessment tool that is part of the Desired Results System. The DRDP helps the California Department of Education evaluate its programs for young children.
· How does the DRDP work? The DRDP helps teachers to document children’s progress in areas such as learning, getting along with others, and being safe and healthy. Knowing how well children are progressing helps the California Department of Education understand how well its programs are doing.
· Who is the DRDP for? The DRDP has been used for several years to review child development programs for children birth through 13 years old. In the spring of 2007, the California Department of Education will start using the DRDP with 3, 4, and 5 year-old children who have Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) for preschool services. By including preschool children with IEPs, the California Department of Education can make sure that its programs are working for all of the children it serves.
· What are the assessment tools? There are two assessment tools for children with IEPs. The first tool, the PS DRDP-R (this stands for the Preschool Desired Results Developmental Profile-Revised), looks at children’s development from age three to kindergarten. The second tool, the DRDP , looks at children’s development from birth to kindergarten. If your child’s development is best described from age three to kindergarten, then the PS DRDP-R will be used. If your child’s development is best described within a broader age range, then the DRDP access access will be used. You, along with the other members of the IEP team, will decide which tool will be best for your child. Once the best tool is chosen for your child, it will be completed twice a year, in the fall and in the spring.
· How does the DRDP work for preschool-age children with IEPs? The DRDP assessment is based on observations of your child in typical, everyday activities with familiar people. Any adaptations that your child uses every day such as a walker or special communication device will be used to help your child participate in the assessment. Your child’s special education service provider is responsible for completing the DRDP. You and your child’s other teachers might be asked to share observations of the skills that your child is learning.
Adaptations Used with the PS DRDP-R and DRDP access
· Augmentative or Alternative Communication System · Alternate Mode for Written Language · Visual Support · Assistive Equipment or Device · Sensory Support · Alternative Response Mode