Assessment Guide Revised

NCWD/Youth has revised its popular, Career Planning Begins with Assessment: A Guide for Professionals Serving Youth with Educational & Career Development Challenges. The revised edition can be downloaded in Adobe PDF format at http://ncwd-youth.info/assets/guides/assessment/AssessGuideComplete.pdf and in Microsoft Word format at http://ncwd-youth.info/assets/guides/assessment/AssessGuideComplete.doc.

This guide is for multiple audiences within the workforce development system as they assist youth in making decisions and choices based on appropriate assessments that focus on the talents, knowledge, skills, interests, values, and aptitudes of each individual. Youth service practitioners will find information on selecting career-related assessments, determining when to refer youth for additional assessment, and on other issues such as accommodations, legal issues, and ethical considerations. Administrators and policymakers will find information on developing practical and effective policies, collaboration among programs, and interagency assessment systems.

The following updates are part of this latest edition:

Chapter One: The Family Involvement and Supports Guidepost have been added to Table 1.1 -Guideposts for Success. Table 1.2 – Selected Transition Components of Federal Programs has been updated to reflect the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEA) of 2004. The Job Preferences section of Exhibit 1.2 – Compiling Personal Transition Data was revamped. Adobe PDF format: http://ncwd-youth.info/assets/guides/assessment/AssessGuide_Chapter1.pdf and Microsoft Word format: http://ncwd-youth.info/assets/guides/assessmen/AssessGuide_Chapter1.doc

Chapter Two: The list of disability categories has been updated to reflect changes in the IDEA 2004 proposed regulations. The disclosure and accommodations sections have been expanded. A description of the “response to intervention” criterion for learning disabilities and a short section on chronic illness has been added. Information on learning disability screens in Spanish and mental health screens has also been added. Adobe PDF format: http://ncwd-youth.info/assets/guides/assessment/AssessGuide_Chapter2.pdf and Microsoft Word format: http://ncwd-youth.info/assets/guides/assessment/AssessGuide_Chapter2.doc

Chapter Three: The Common Performance Measures in Table 3.1 were adjusted to reflect current policy. Nine assessment instruments were added to Exhibit 3.1 and two were removed. Other entries were updated as needed. Adobe PDF format: http://ncwd-youth.info/assets/guides/assessment/AssessGuide_Chapter3.pdf and Microsoft Word format: http://ncwd-youth.info/assets/guides/assessment/AssessGuide_Chapter3.doc

Chapter Four: The section on building an assessment infrastructure has been expanded. Adobe PDF format: http://ncwd-youth.info/assets/guides/assessment/AssessGuide_Chapter4.pdf and Microsoft Word format: http://ncwd-youth.info/assets/guides/assessment/AssessGuide_Chapter4.doc

Appendix A – Assessments and Federal Laws: The IDEA Amendments of 1997 section was replaced with a section on the IDEA of 2004. Adobe PDF format: http://ncwd-youth.info/assets/guides/assessment/AssessGuide_x_Appendices.pdf Microsoft Word format: http://ncwd-youth.info/assets/guides/assessment/AssessGuide_x_Appendices.doc