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SCHOOL OF FUNCTIONAL ASSESSMENT

Shayla.Haynes1Shayla.Haynes1

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About

The School Function Assessment (SFA) mind map template breaks down a criterion-referenced, judgment-based questionnaire designed to measure elementary students' performance of functional tasks and guide academic and social participation planning. Created in 1998 by Shayla Haynes and Eric Johnson, this 76-node template covers the SFA's three test components—Participation, Task Support, and Activity Performance—along with demographics (grades K-6, all disability groups), administration requirements, scoring, interpretations, psychometric properties, and strengths/weaknesses. The Participation scale examines student involvement in six major school activity settings, including 'Regular or special education classroom' and 'Playground or recess'. The Activity Performance scale rates specific functional activities grouped under physical and cognitive/behavioral performance, such as 'Moving around the classroom and the school' and 'Following school rules'. This SFA cheat sheet provides a structured overview for educators, therapists, and school psychologists to assess student needs, develop IEPs, and plan interventions.

Terms and Conditions

When to use this template

Special education teachers and school psychologists

When conducting an initial assessment of a student's functional needs to develop an IEP in an elementary school setting.

Occupational therapists and speech/language pathologists

When planning program interventions and identifying patterns of functional performance for students with disabilities.

Classroom aides and IEP team members

When preparing for educational transitions (e.g., moving from elementary to middle school) and prioritizing areas of need.

How to use this template

Step 1

Access and Review the Framework

Open the .xmind file to explore the core branches covering the three test components, administration requirements, and scoring interpretations.

Step 2

Expand and Explore Detailed Nodes

Navigate through the 76-node structure to examine specific sub-nodes like the six school activity settings and the 21 Activity Performance scales.

Step 3

Customize and Apply Professional Insights

Personalize the map with student data or notes to use as a reference guide during IEP meetings and staff training sessions.

Frequently asked questions

The template covers the SFA's purpose, tool type, three test components (Participation, Task Support, Activity Performance), demographics, administration requirements, completion time, scoring, interpretations, psychometric properties, strengths/weaknesses, and source citation.

The Participation scale uses a 6-point scale (1=extremely limited, 6=full). Ratings across the six school activity settings are summed to obtain a total raw score, which can be converted to a criterion score with standard error values.

The SFA can be administered by regular or special education teachers, speech/language pathologists, and classroom aides. Materials required include the user's manual, rating scale guide, and record form.

Strengths include capturing the complex nature of life experiences, satisfying IDEA's requirements for educationally relevant outcomes, utilizing a transdisciplinary focus, and measuring a student's functional performance across settings.

Weaknesses include needing more research with larger sample sizes, unclear interrater and intrarater reliability presentation, and a ceiling effect for students with learning disabilities, especially in later grades.

The Activity Performance scale comprises 21 separate scales: 12 grouped under physical activity performance (e.g., moving around the classroom) and 9 under cognitive/behavioral performance (e.g., following school rules). Each functional activity is rated on a scale.

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