Understanding Your Child's Evaluation Team Report (ETR)
If your child has recently gone through a school evaluation, you may have received a document called an Evaluation Team Report, or ETR. It's often long, filled with scores and technical language, and easy to skim past the parts that matter most. Here's how to actually read it.
What an ETR Is
An ETR is a comprehensive report compiled by the school's evaluation team, documenting the results of testing done to determine whether your child qualifies for special education services, and if so, what kind.
What's Usually Inside
Background information: Reason for referral, developmental and academic history, and input from parents and teachers.
Cognitive testing results: Often an IQ or cognitive ability assessment, showing how your child processes information across different domains.
Academic achievement testing: Reading, writing, and math performance compared to same-age or same-grade peers.
Social-emotional and behavioral data: Rating scales completed by parents, teachers, and sometimes the student, plus any behavioral observations.
Eligibility determination: Whether your child qualifies for services under a specific disability category.
Recommendations: Suggested goals, services, or accommodations based on the findings.
Questions Worth Asking
What do these scores mean in everyday terms, not just percentiles and standard scores?
How does this compare to my child's actual classroom performance?
What patterns of strength and weakness did the testing reveal?
What specific recommendations follow from these results, and why?
A Common Misconception
A single low score doesn't necessarily mean a diagnosis, and a single average score doesn't necessarily rule one out. Evaluators look at patterns across multiple measures, which is why it's worth asking how the different pieces of the report fit together, rather than focusing on one number in isolation.
When to Seek a Second Opinion
If the report doesn't seem to match what you're seeing at home, or the recommendations feel incomplete, you have the right to request an Independent Educational Evaluation (IEE) — a separate evaluation conducted by an outside, qualified professional, often at no cost to you.
Getting Support Interpreting the Results
You don't need a psychology degree to be an informed advocate for your child, but you shouldn't have to interpret a dense report alone, either. Reviewing an ETR with a professional who can translate the findings into a clear picture, and next steps,can make a real difference in how you approach the next IEP meeting.
If you'd like help understanding your child's ETR or exploring whether an Independent Educational Evaluation makes sense, [schedule a free 15-minute consultation].