Project FePrax

Diagnostic Practices for Identifying Special Educational Needs and Interstate Disparities in the Context of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities

The FePrax project examines diagnostic and counselling practices in relation to school choice decisions (special vs. inclusive schools) in five German states (Bavaria, Berlin, Brandenburg, Hesse and North Rhine-Westphalia). The project focuses on learning, language, emotional-social development, intellectual development and autism. The project aims to analyse and answer the following questions

• To what extent do diagnostic and counselling practices differ with regard to the identification of special educational needs and placement practices in special vs. inclusive schools?
• Are there differences and patterns of disadvantage for certain groups of pupils (e.g. with regard to individual characteristics such as gender, immigration history, socio-economic background, educational qualifications of parents and their support potential) in terms of federal states, special educational needs and/or year/age groups?
• Is there any evidence of a link between status and diagnoses related to the learning process and diagnoses relevant to teaching?
• What preventive measures do children receive, and to what extent, prior to the start of a special educational assessment procedure?

The sub-project, based at the DIPF, focuses in particular on the analysis of tests and diagnostic procedures used as part of the assessment process.
The aim of the project is to gain insight into the diversity of special education diagnostics and to provide information on how to improve assessment practice (in terms of validity, educational equity and implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities).