BASELINE ASSESSMENTS IN SPECIAL EDUCATION: WHAT TO ASSESS AT THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR
Laura- May 5
- 3 min read
The start of a new school year brings fresh faces, new IEPs, and one big question: Where do I begin? Baseline assessments are your answer. In special education, especially when working with students with cognitive disabilities, early assessments are essential to shape instruction, set meaningful goals, and provide the right support from day one.
Let’s break down what you should assess and why it matters.
Academic Skills
Start with the basics. Assess foundational reading and math skills to understand each student’s starting point:
Reading: Letter and sound recognition, CVC word decoding, sight word fluency, and comprehension.
Math: Number recognition, counting, one-to-one correspondence, and basic operations aligned with IEP goals.
Pro Tip: Use this data to adapt instruction and identify which grade-level alternate standards are appropriate for each student.
Communication Skills
Functional Skills
Social Skills & Behavior
“But They’re Already on an IEP—Why Assess Again?”
Great question. Students come to us from a variety of classrooms, teaching styles, and support levels. A student's IEP tells us the progress they are making towards one specific skill, but it does not tell us where a student is in relation to the grade-level standards.
Baseline assessments give you:
A fresh, current snapshot of each student's abilities
Data to guide your curriculum pacing
Insight to skills not captured by students' IEP goals
Sometimes, IEP goals are outdated or oddly specific. And if your students are transitioning between buildings, like from elementary to middle school, you may need to shift instructional focus anyway.
How I Use Assessments to Build My Pacing Guide
IEP goals are not the curriculum. They’re targets, but your pacing guide is the map. I assess before finalizing my yearlong plan to make sure my instructional sequence aligns with both the IEP and grade-level alternate standards.
So, what do we assess? Here is a list of assessments I typically choose from. Of course, some students will require 1:1 and some creative trial and error.
Academic & Functional Assessments:
Phonemic Awareness – Tools like the PAST or QPAS (free online)
Basic Reading Skills – Letter ID, sounds, blends/digraphs, sight words, fluency, comprehension
Basic Math Skills – Colors, shapes, number ID, rote and skip counting, 1:1 correspondence, subitizing, operations
Curriculum Placement Tests:
After reviewing reading and math data, I use curriculum placement tests to place students appropriately within our curriculum materials, like Reading Mastery.
Behavioral Assessments:
Classroom observations (general and special ed settings)
ABC data collection for any students with behavior plans or challenging behavior
What If There’s No One-Size-Fits-All Tool?
Spoiler alert: There isn’t. We use the Brigance in my district, which is a solid option. However, I have created my own assessments and combined them with other assessments I have found throughout the years to accurately assess all the areas listed above.
You’ll likely have to build your own assessment toolbox. But the good news? Once you’ve got it, it makes back-to-school season 1000x easier.
Don’t Forget: Collect Data on Previous IEP Goals
Check previous progress reports. Collect baseline data on any continuing IEP goals so you can track regression, growth, or stagnation right away. Add this info to your data sheets and keep it in the student’s file. It’ll be gold when they transition to another school or teacher.
Why Assessing Early Sets You (and Your Students) Up for Success
Early assessments = better planning. They allow you to:
Tailor instruction to student's needs
Identify regression or progress over the summer
Build accurate data sheets for progress monitoring
Adjust IEP goals or supports based on current performance
Most importantly, they help you create a classroom environment that’s both supportive and challenging, right from day one.
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