Ohio Assessments for Educators (OAE) Special Education Practice Exam

What procedural step is necessary before making a formal referral for special education evaluation?

1. Conducting a teacher-parent conference

2. Documenting the effects of intervention strategies

3. Administering a psychological assessment

4. Collecting baseline academic performance data

The correct answer is: Documenting the effects of intervention strategies

Before making a formal referral for special education evaluation, documenting the effects of intervention strategies is essential. This step is crucial as it provides evidence that the student has previously been provided with appropriate interventions or support, and it highlights how the student responded to those strategies. By carefully tracking and noting the outcomes of these interventions, educators can better understand the student’s specific needs and challenges. This documentation serves several important purposes: it helps establish whether the student is not progressing in the general education curriculum, informs the referral process with concrete data, and ensures that the tiered intervention process has been followed before considering special education services. Essentially, this evidence forms a foundation for the referral, illustrating that all appropriate measures have been taken to support the student prior to initiating the formal evaluation process. Other options, while related to the overall process of identifying a student's needs, do not align as directly with the requirement to demonstrate that appropriate interventions have been implemented and assessed.