Meaningful Evaluations. Defensible Decisions. Better Outcomes for Students.

C-SEP helps school teams conduct evaluations that are focused, data-informed, and directly connected to student need.

What is C-SEP?

C-SEP stands for Core-Selective Evaluation Process.

C-SEP is a structured approach to educational evaluation that helps teams move beyond test-heavy assessment and toward more meaningful decision-making. The process begins with the referral concern, existing data, and instructional context. From there, teams identify the core areas that must be evaluated and selectively add assessments only when they are needed to answer a specific question.

The goal is simple: gather the right data, interpret it clearly, and make defensible decisions that lead to better outcomes for students.

C-SEP is used by educational diagnosticians, school psychologists, special education evaluators, administrators, and multidisciplinary teams who want a practical framework for stronger evaluations.

C-SEP supports multidisciplinary teams in:

Clarify referral questions

Clarifying referral questions before testing begins.

Use existing data

Using existing data to guide evaluation planning.

Select with purpose

Selecting assessments with purpose.

Connect results

Connecting results to eligibility, instruction, and intervention.

Make student-centered decisions

Making decisions that are meaningful, compliant, and student-centered.

Meet the C-SEP Authors

[Author photo placeholder: Tammy L. Stephens, Ph.D.]

Tammy L. Stephens, Ph.D.

Tammy L. Stephens, Ph.D., has over 20 years of experience working in special education as a Special Education Teacher, Educational Diagnostician, University Professor, and Clinical Assessment Consultant. Dr. Stephens is currently the Chief Product Officer for Bosco K12, a platform that streamlines the data collection and analysis process.

Dr. Stephens is a co-author of the Core-Selective Evaluation Process and has published numerous peer-reviewed articles focused on best practices in assessment. She has presented locally, statewide, nationally, and internationally on assessment-related topics. Her areas of expertise include the identification of specific learning disabilities, report writing, exclusionary factors, and instructional programming.

[Author photo placeholder: Edward K. Schultz, Ph.D.]

Edward K. Schultz, Ph.D.

Edward K. Schultz, Ph.D., began his career working with children with significant mental health needs before becoming a special education teacher and Educational Diagnostician. He earned both his undergraduate and master’s degrees from Midwestern State University in Wichita Falls, Texas, and completed his Ph.D. at the University of North Texas in Denton, Texas.

Dr. Schultz is currently a Full Professor in the West College of Education at Midwestern State University and has spent more than two decades preparing educational diagnosticians to assess students with disabilities. He is a co-author of the Core-Selective Evaluation Process and has published numerous peer-reviewed articles, presented at national and international conferences, and provided training to schools and state departments of education across the country.

His areas of expertise include the identification of specific learning disabilities, multi-tiered systems of support, and emotional and behavioral disorders.

A Practical Framework for Stronger Evaluations

C-SEP gives teams a process they can use before, during, and after assessment.

It helps evaluators stay focused on the questions that matter most, reduce unnecessary testing, and produce evaluation results that are easier to explain, defend, and apply.

Explore C-SEP training