Course Syllabus

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Southern Utah University

Fall Semester 2025

Assessment for Learning and Data-Driven Decisions for Special Education (Online)

SPED 6160-70I

Course:	SPED 6160-70I
Credits:	3
Term:	Fall Semester 2025
Department:	TED
CRN:	30580

Course Description

This course will emphasize how teachers use assessment as they create learning outcomes and make data-driven decisions for all learners. The course will also emphasize how to evaluate student academic progress with formal and informal tests, attend or conduct IEP meetings, and interpret, analyze, and synthesize data. (Fall, Spring) [Graded (Standard Letter)]

Required Texts

Overton, T. Jordan, A. (2024) Inclusive Assessment: An Applied Approach, 9th edition. ISBN-13: 9780137871599

Please make sure to purchase the e-texbook version of our textbook. Here is link to e-textbook: https://www.pearson.com/en-us/subject-catalog/p/inclusive-assessment-an-applied-approach/P200000009732/9780137871599

You will need this book to successfully complete the course. You can rent it for approximately $11 a month.

Also, there will be resources provided within Canvas that you may need to read and use in addition to reading the textbook. You are also encouraged to locate and use your own helpful resources to extend or sharpen your understanding.

Learning Outcomes

The focus of this course includes:

How to read and understand an IEP
Understanding how to implement accommodations
Methods for data collection
Knowledge on assessments for progress monitoring and eligibility
Planning instruction and assessment in content-specific teams and in cross-curricular teams.
Designing and selecting pre-assessments, formative, and summative assessments that align to student learning objectives
Understanding and using formative and summative assessments results to inform and modify instruction
Designing, administering, and reviewing educational assessments in a meaningful and ethical manner
Skills in providing tier 1 and tier 2 instruction and intervention on the Utah Core Standards and positive behavior supports to each student within a multi-tiered system of supports
Assessing students for competency for the purpose of personalized learning
Knowledge and skills designed to assist in the identification of students with disabilities
Understanding how to meet the needs of students with disabilities in the general classroom, including the use of patterns of strengths and weaknesses, to provide instruction with accommodations and modifications in general classrooms.

Course Requirements

Discuss cool things with your peers

Online discussions can be one of the richest elements of your online course experience. Asynchronous discussions offer a unique opportunity to be “heard.” You can think carefully about what you want to say and look it over before you post it. You can consider the contributions of your peers more thoughtfully and go back to comment again when a second reading offers clarification and a deeper understanding.

Discussions are processes that are student-driven and you have a great deal to offer and to learn from one another. I love to learn from your insights, creativity, and wisdom about teaching and learning through these discussions.

Discussion topic questions will come from the readings and other course materials. Discussions conclude on Monday night at 11:59 pm. Your participation in the discussions will be evaluated using a rubric. You are encouraged to interact with the discussion board more than 1-2 times during the week - come back to it and contribute several times so that all may further their learning on the topic!

Please do not to wait until Sunday to do all of your posts. A true discussion cannot happen if all of you wait until the last day to post. Because thoughtful discussion is a requirement of the assignments, you will not receive credit for your initial post if it is not made by Saturday.

Weekly Assignments

The weekly assignments are designed to provide practical experiences in order to assist you in improving your abilities and knowledge of the MTSS/RTI and special education assessment process. These assignments are aligned with the course objectives and readings found in each Module.

For each of these assignments, read the required material first and use the new information and any other information you locate to respond thoroughly to each assignment. Each assignment will be different and will require different skills. Some will ask some specific questions to which you can respond, but you are encouraged to discuss your overall thoughts on any assignment.

How will my learning be assessed?

According to SUU COEHD policy, you must earn at least a B for graduate credit to be awarded. The following grading standards will be used in this class:

A 100 % to 94.0%
A- < 94.0 % to 90.0%
B+ < 90.0 % to 87.0%
B < 87.0 % to 84.0%

Course Outline

Course Summary

Mon Oct 20, 2025

Commenced Attendance Quiz — due by 11:59pm (link)
Chapter 1 Quiz — due by 11:59pm (link)
Chapter 2 Quiz — due by 11:59pm (link)
Discussion:1: Introductions & Experience with Assessments — due by 11:59pm (link)
Module 1 Assignment Part 1: Case Study on Jamie and Kira — due by 11:59pm (link)

Sun Oct 26, 2025

Module 1 Assignment Part 2: IRIS Module: Pre-referral for Special Education — due by 11:59pm (link)
Module 1 Discussion: Contextual factors — due by 11:59pm (link)
Part 1 of "Final" Assignment: Learning Population — due by 11:59pm (link)

Sun Nov 2, 2025

Assignment: IRIS modules- RTI Part 1 and 2 — due by 11:59pm (link)
Chapter 3 Quiz — due by 11:59pm (link)
Chapter 4 Quiz — due by 11:59pm (link)
Discussion 2: Understanding Formal Assessment Scores — due by 11:59pm (link)
Module 2 Assignment Part 1: Descriptive Statistics Activity — due by 11:59pm (link)
Module 2 Assignment Part 2: Reliability and Validity — due by 11:59pm (link)
Chapter 7 Quiz — due by 11:59pm (link)
Discussion 3: MTSS Interview a Teacher — due by 11:59pm (link)

Sun Nov 9, 2025

Module 3 Assignment: Iris Module RTI (Part 1, 2, 3, and 4) — due by 11:59pm (link)

Sun Nov 16, 2025

Chapter 5 Quiz — due by 11:59pm (link)
Chapter 6 Quiz — due by 11:59pm (link)
Discussion 4: Progress Monitoring Tools — due by 11:59pm (link)
Module 4 Assignment: Iris Modules Progress Monitoring (Reading & Math) — due by 11:59pm (link)
Module 4 Assignment: Types of Test Questions Assessment — due by 11:59pm (link)
Chapter 8 Quiz — due by 11:59pm (link)
Chapter 9 Quiz — due by 11:59pm (link)
Discussion 5: Behavioral Assessment Case — due by 11:59pm (link)

Sun Nov 23, 2025

Module 5 Assignment Part 1: IRIS Module - Accommodations (Instructional and Testing Supports for Students with Disabilities) — due by 11:59pm (link)
Module 5 Assignment Part 2: Application Activities — due by 11:59pm (link)
Chapter 10 Quiz — due by 11:59pm (link)
Discussion 6: Case Study Student D and Student 5 — due by 11:59pm (link)

Sun Dec 7, 2025

Evaluate Your Assessment — due by 11:59pm (link)
Module 6 Assignment: Application Activities Chapter 10 — due by 11:59pm (link)

Fri Dec 12, 2025

Final Reflection — due by 11:59pm (link)
Chapter 13 Quiz — due by 11:59pm (link)
Discussion 7: PSW and Assessment Decisions — due by 11:59pm (link)
Discussion: Self-Assessment — due by 11:59pm (link)
Final Exam: Psychologist Interview, Observation (if possible) and Summary (Reflection) — due by 11:59pm (link)

Sun Dec 14, 2025

Group Presentation on a Behavioral Assessment Tool — due by 11:59pm (link)
Module 7 Assignment: Apply an understanding Assessments for Educational Intervention and Final Exam — due by 11:59pm (link)
Part 3: Final assignment — due by 11:59pm (link)
Resource Notebook — due by 11:59pm (link)

Additional items

01 Application Exercise 1.1 (link)
01 Application Exercise 1.2 (link)
02 Application Exercise 2.1 (link)
02 Application Exercise 2.2 (link)
02 Application Exercise 2.3 (link)
03 Application Exercise 3.1 (link)
03 Application Exercise 3.2 (link)
03 Application Exercise 3.3 (link)
03 Application Exercise 3.4 (link)
03 Chapter 3 Test (link)
03 Learning Outcome Quiz 3.2 (link)
03 Learning Outcome Quiz 3.3 (link)
03 Learning Outcome Quiz 3.4 (link)
04 Application Exercise 4.1 (link)
04 Application Exercise 4.2 (link)
04 Application Exercise 4.3 (link)
04 Chapter 4 Test (link)
04 Learning Outcome Quiz 4.2 (link)
04 Learning Outcome Quiz 4.3 (link)
04 Learning Outcome Quiz 4.4 (link)
04 Learning Outcome Quiz 4.5 (link)
05 Application Exercise 5.1 (link)
05 Application Exercise 5.2 (link)
05 Application Exercise 5.3 (link)
05 Chapter 5 Test (link)
05 Learning Outcome Quiz 5.3 (link)
06 Application Exercise 6.1 (link)
06 Application Exercise 6.2 (link)
06 Application Exercise 6.3 (link)
06 Chapter 6 Test (link)
06 Learning Outcome Quiz 6.3 (link)
06 Learning Outcome Quiz 6.4 (link)
07 Application Exercise 7.1 (link)
07 Application Exercise 7.2 (link)
07 Application Exercise 7.3 (link)
07 Chapter 7 Test (link)
07 Learning Outcome Quiz 7.2 (link)
07 Learning Outcome Quiz 7.3 (link)
08 Application Exercise 8.1 (link)
08 Application Exercise 8.2 (link)
08 Application Exercise 8.3 (link)
08 Chapter 8 Test (link)
08 Learning Outcome Quiz 8.2 (link)
08 Learning Outcome Quiz 8.3 (link)
09 Application Exercise 9.2 (link)
09 Application Exercise 9.3 (link)
09 Chapter 9 Test (link)
09 Learning Outcome Quiz 9.2 (link)
09 Learning Outcome Quiz 9.3 (link)
09 Learning Outcome Quiz 9.4 (link)
10 Application Exercise 10.2 (link)
10 Application Exercise 10.3 (link)
10 Chapter 10 Test (link)
10 Learning Outcome Quiz 10.2 (link)
10 Learning Outcome Quiz 10.3 (link)
11 Application Exercise 11.1 (link)
11 Application Exercise 11.2 (link)
11 Application Exercise 11.3 (link)
11 Chapter 11 Test (link)
11 Learning Outcome Quiz 11.1 (link)
11 Learning Outcome Quiz 11.2 (link)
11 Learning Outcome Quiz 11.3 (link)
12 Application Exercise 12.1 (link)
12 Application Exercise 12.2 (link)
12 Application Exercise 12.3 (link)
12 Chapter 12 Test (link)
12 Learning Outcome Quiz 12.1 (link)
12 Learning Outcome Quiz 12.2 (link)
12 Learning Outcome Quiz 12.3 (link)
13 Application Exercise 13.1 (link)
13 Application Exercise 13.2 (link)
13 Application Exercise 13.3 (link)
13 Chapter 13 Test (link)
13 Learning Outcome Quiz 13.2 (link)
13 Learning Outcome Quiz 13.3 (link)
Chapter 5 Quiz (link)
Chapter 6 Quiz (link)
Develop a Tool to Progress Monitor (link)
FERPA Consent Waiver (link)
FERPA Consent Waiver (link)
Make a Pre and Post Test for a Lesson (link)
Survey - Help (link)
Survey - Post (link)
Survey - Pre (link)
Survey - Pre (link)
Survey - Technology (link)
Unnamed Quiz (link)
Unnamed Quiz (link)

Instructor's policies on late assignments and/or makeup work

Communicate with me about due dates

I expect you to strive to be an active participant in this course and strive to meet due dates. This class has due dates and is not intended as "work at your own pace", but you are welcome to work ahead, as all of the modules will be available to you throughout the course. I recognize that life is more hectic at some times than others, so I am very willing to make exceptions to due dates if you communicate your needs with me, preferably prior to the due date. Please note that this is a 7-week, accelerated course and, therefore, you will want to make sure you do not fall behind, as you won't have much time to get caught back up!

Demonstrate mutual respect and professionalism

In order to learn, we must be open to the views of people different from ourselves. In this time we share together over the semester, please honor the uniqueness of your classmates, and appreciate the opportunity we have to learn from one another. Please respect each other’s opinions and refrain from personal attacks or demeaning comments of any kind. Finally, remember to keep confidential all issues of a personal or professional nature that are discussed in class. Please contact the instructor if you have suggestions for improving the classroom environment. It is preferable if students discuss issues directly with the instructor, however, students may also begin the conversation via email.

Other expectations

You will maintain an open line of communication with me so I understand how to support you.

You will do your best to have patience with technology. There will be hiccups, expect them. We will get through them together.

You will give yourself grace. Expect to make mistakes. You are human and you are stressed.

Is there anything else you would like to add to this list?

Attendance Policy

Attend and Actively Participate

Your active participation is paramount to your success for this online course. You will need to login at least 3-4 times per week to interact with the material and with your peers. I encourage you to seek additional information on your own to expand your understanding of the course concepts. When you find items that are particularly helpful to you, please share them with your classmates through the bulletin board discussion or in the weekly discussions.

Collaborate with your classmates

I expect that you will strive to regularly contribute to collaborative activities to ensure other members of the community have ample opportunity to read/listen, reflect, and respond to your ideas. This extends to assignments other than weekly discussions, as I encourage you to collaborate on any assignments in the course. Collaboration is a critical skill for educators and I hope that you embrace this in the course. All I ask are 2 things:

that the names of all collaborators is included on your assignment submission and
that all collaborators are actively involved in all assignments (please do not separate up the assignments and put everyone's name on them).

Course Fees

View all of SUU's Program and Course Fees (https://www.suu.edu/registrar/course-fees.html)

Registration Restrictions

Additional Course Information

Registration Restriction(s)

Administrative Licensure, Master of Education with Licensure, Master of Education, and non-degree-seeking Master of Education majors only

Canvas Information

Canvas is where course content, grades, and communication will reside for this course.

For Passwords or any other computer-related technical support:

For Canvas help:

ADA Statement

Students with medical, psychological, learning, or other disabilities desiring academic adjustments, accommodations, or auxiliary aids will need to contact the Disability Resource Center, located in Room 206F of the Sharwan Smith Center or by phone at (435) 865-8042. The Disability Resource Center determines eligibility for and authorizes the provision of services.

If your instructor requires attendance, you may need to seek an ADA accommodation to request an exception to this attendance policy. Please contact the Disability Resource Center to determine what, if any, ADA accommodations are reasonable and appropriate.

Academic Credit

According to the federal definition of a Carnegie credit hour: A credit hour of work is the equivalent of approximately 60 minutes of class time or independent study work. A minimum of 45 hours of work by each student is required for each unit of credit. Credit is earned only when course requirements are met. One (1) credit hour is equivalent to 15 contact hours of lecture, discussion, testing, evaluation, or seminar, as well as 30 hours of student homework. An equivalent amount of work is expected for laboratory work, internships, practica, studio, and other academic work leading to the awarding of credit hours. Credit granted for individual courses, labs, or studio classes ranges from 0.5 to 15 credit hours per semester.

Academic Freedom

SUU is operated for the common good of the greater community it serves. The common good depends upon the free search for truth and its free exposition. Academic Freedom is the right of faculty to study, discuss, investigate, teach, and publish. Academic Freedom is essential to these purposes and applies to both teaching and research.

Academic Freedom in the realm of teaching is fundamental for the protection of the rights of the faculty member and of you, the student, with respect to the free pursuit of learning and discovery. Faculty members possess the right to full freedom in the classroom in discussing their subjects. They may present any controversial material relevant to their courses and their intended learning outcomes, but they shall take care not to introduce into their teaching controversial materials which have no relation to the subject being taught or the intended learning outcomes for the course.

As such, students enrolled in any course at SUU may encounter topics, perspectives, and ideas that are unfamiliar or controversial, with the educational intent of providing a meaningful learning environment that fosters your growth and development. These parameters related to Academic Freedom are included in SUU Policy 6.6.

Academic Misconduct

Scholastic honesty is expected of all students. Dishonesty will not be tolerated and will be prosecuted to the fullest extent (see SUU Policy 6.33). You are expected to have read and understood the current SUU student conduct code (SUU Policy 11.2) regarding student responsibilities and rights, the intellectual property policy (SUU Policy 5.52), information about procedures, and what constitutes acceptable behavior.

Please Note: The use of websites or services that sell essays is a violation of these policies; likewise, the use of websites or services that provide answers to assignments, quizzes, or tests is also a violation of these policies. Regarding the use of Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI), you should check with your individual course instructor.

Emergency Management Statement

In case of an emergency, the University's Emergency Notification System (ENS) will be activated. Students are encouraged to maintain updated contact information using the link on the homepage of the mySUU portal. In addition, students are encouraged to familiarize themselves with the Emergency Response Protocols posted in each classroom. Detailed information about the University's emergency management plan can be found at https://www.suu.edu/emergency.

HEOA Compliance Statement

For a full set of Higher Education Opportunity Act (HEOA) compliance statements, please visit https://www.suu.edu/heoa. The sharing of copyrighted material through peer-to-peer (P2P) file sharing, except as provided under U.S. copyright law, is prohibited by law; additional information can be found at https://my.suu.edu/help/article/1096/heoa-compliance-plan.

You are also expected to comply with policies regarding intellectual property (SUU Policy 5.52) and copyright (SUU Policy 5.54).

Mandatory Reporting

University policy (SUU Policy 5.60) requires instructors to report disclosures received from students that indicate they have been subjected to sexual misconduct/harassment. The University defines sexual harassment consistent with Federal Regulations (34 C.F.R. Part 106, Subpart D) to include quid pro quo, hostile environment harassment, sexual assault, dating violence, domestic violence, and stalking. When students communicate this information to an instructor in-person, by email, or within writing assignments, the instructor will report that to the Title IX Coordinator to ensure students receive support from the Title IX Office. A reporting form is available at https://cm.maxient.com/reportingform.php?SouthernUtahUniv

Non-Discrimination Statement

SUU is committed to fostering an inclusive community of lifelong learners and believes our university's encompassing of different views, beliefs, and identities makes us stronger, more innovative, and better prepared for the global society.

SUU does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, citizenship, sex (including sex discrimination and sexual harassment), sexual orientation, gender identity, age, ancestry, disability status, pregnancy, pregnancy-related conditions, genetic information, military status, veteran status, or other bases protected by applicable law in employment, treatment, admission, access to educational programs and activities, or other University benefits or services.

SUU strives to cultivate a campus environment that encourages freedom of expression from diverse viewpoints. We encourage all to dialogue within a spirit of respect, civility, and decency.

For additional information on non-discrimination, please see SUU Policy 5.27 and/or visit https://www.suu.edu/nondiscrimination.

Pregnancy

Students who are or become pregnant during this course may receive reasonable modifications to facilitate continued access and participation in the course. Pregnancy and related conditions are broadly defined to include pregnancy, childbirth, termination of pregnancy, lactation, related medical conditions, and recovery. To obtain reasonable modifications, please make a request to title9@suu.edu. To learn more visit: https://www.suu.edu/titleix/pregnancy.html.

Disclaimer Statement

Information contained in this syllabus, other than the grading, late assignments, makeup work, and attendance policies, may be subject to change with advance notice, as deemed appropriate by the instructor.

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