Assessment

Confirming Understanding

Teams often rely on interpretation when determining whether a student understands. One person may say the child recognizes the object. Another may say the child enjoyed the sensory experience. Another may say the behavior was random.

The solution is a shared, concrete method for confirming understanding. Teams should decide what observable behavior will count as evidence before collecting data.

Examples

Instead of saying the student seems to understand IN, define the demonstration: The student independently places an object into a container when instructed to put it in across three different activities. Instead of saying a student recognizes a tactile symbol, define the array size, response criteria, and success rate.

Why it matters

Reliable data require reliable definitions. This is especially important when teams are trying to determine whether challenges are related to access, communication, concept development, or cognition.