High-Leverage Practices (HLP) in Special Education, developed by the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) and the Collaboration for Effective Educator Development, Accountability and Reform (CEDAR), are guidelines that provide those involved in special education teacher preparation and professional development with a set of best practices, identified through consensus among special educators. These HLPs may be used to design a cohesive set of practice-based opportunities to support teacher candidates and practicing teachers in learning to put this know-how to use on behalf of the complex learners they teach. 

High-Leverage Practices in Special Education are organized around four aspects of practice: Collaboration, Social/Emotional/Behavioral; Assessment; Instruction. This guide (#2) focuses on Assessment, and walks you through the three HLPs related to Assessment, which are:

• HLP4 - Use multiple sources of information to develop a comprehensive understanding of a student’s strengths and needs
• HLP5 - Interpret and communicate assessment information with stakeholders to collaboratively design and implement educational programs
• HLP6 - Use student assessment data, analyze instructional practices, and make necessary adjustments that improve student outcomes 

For each HLP, assessment activities are provided along with step-by-step guidance.