Do the DESSA-mini forms need to be completed in order?

Overview

This article explains how the four forms of the DESSA-mini are assigned and rotated in throughout the year for ratings. We collectively use the term DESSA-mini to refer to both the DESSA 2 mini forms used with students in grades K-8 and the DESSA-HSE mini forms used with students in grades 9-12. 

Do the DESSA-mini forms need to be completed in order?

No. The four forms of the DESSA-mini are designed to be used interchangeably and do not need to be administered in sequence. They were developed following a careful process to ensure the forms yield equivalent scores (see the technical manuals for more detail on the development of the DESSA-mini). We generally recommend using the forms in order for simplicity, however districts or schools may select to use the forms in any order they wish.

In the DESSA System, the four forms rotate automatically and correspond with the current rating window. For instance, if your school will have three rating windows this year and it is currently the 3rd rating window, Form C (DESSA 2 mini) or Form 3 (DESSA-HSE mini) will be loaded. If progress monitoring is being completed, the educator rater can select which form to use.