LaberLess Giveaway--Work Smarter not Harder
Hello everyone!
ARE YOU REAAADDDY!!!
It is Finally here!
All of us have been thinking about good ways in which to treat our readers and followers. We thought hard, and I mean it! Really, really hard… and decided that we can treat you to our best ideas to work smarter rather than harder… at school and home!
I know what it takes to be a great teacher, the stress, the time, the energy… I could go on and on! I also know that we crave time to ourselves and our families.
So here I go!
This year I'm at a new building in a new district. Everyone on the team is new as well-some of us have elementary experience. How to make a new special education team work smart???
Goggle--Google Docs, Google Spreadsheets, Google everything. The team uses it to communicate with each other because we are going in like 20 different directions at one time. No team has that problem! Our weekly business meeting have had a habit of becoming a two hour event-I don't have that kind of time. The previous team started with these things but we have made changes to them so we are more efficient-like a structured agenda with new and old business. Last week we were done in an hour and everyone knew what they needed to get done by next week.
Many of my students have problems break apart a word and then blend it back together. To them I created these nonsense words practice cards to target two skills at once-saying the sounds and then blend it to say it. My students DIBELS scores have increased both their PSF (phoneme segmentation fluency) and NWF (nonsense word fluency). Click on the picture to go to my Teachers pay Teachers page.
Have a great week.
Top all these great tips and ideas with these top-notch prizes!
A $100 gift card to Amazon
A $50 gift card to TpT
2 $25 gift cards to TpT
1 $10 gift card to TpT
Thank you for reading! And now don't be silly and get your hands all over this awesome giveaway!!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
September Pinterest Linkly
Its been a very bust weeks of school. All the special education staff in my building are either new to the district or to teaching. I have spent most of my time finding ways to support the classroom teachers. Not know what kind of support they have had in the past-most seem very thankful to the support and sharing of knowledge. With that in mind I would like the share three of the pins that I have past on to them. Finding easy to understand information that doesn't require a special education degree is hard.
Dyslexia goes back to a students ability to read. In Colorado, we don't have an educational label for dyslexia. But that doesn't stop teachers for looking to new ideas to help student out. This pin has several great ideas that my K-2 teachers very excited to try out once they get up and running small groups.
The teachers I work with are always looking for information about ADHD and how best to work with these students. This pin gives teachers ideas on how to work with these kidoos. In most cases it boils down to classroom management and building in brain breaks for the whole classroom. FYI: Best practices are brain breaks are great for all students!
Like every where else, my building has seen an increase in students with an educational label of autism. My teachers have said they are one of the most difficult students to work with because what works for one may not work of another in the same class. This is difficult but do able. This pin has some great ideas. For more great ideas to support classroom teachers or find special education resources visit me on Pinterest at click here.
Have a great week.
An IEP Meeting--What Parents Should Know
It is important that parents become informed and involved in their child’s education. There are many sources of information and support in your state. However, the more skills you have and the more information you learn, the better you can advocate for your child. Over the past few years we have found that parents tend to make some common mistakes during the Individual Education Program (IEP) meeting. The following is a list of the common mistakes and some suggestions for avoiding them:
1. Believing the professionals are the only experts.
It can be very intimidating to sit at a table with several educators and professionals. Professionals and Educators do bring a great deal of knowledge and experience to the table. Although most parents do not have a background or degree in education, they have a great deal of knowledge and experience regarding their child. Parents are experts in their own right; they also provide historical information and the big picture from year to year. They know what works and does not work with their child and can be a great asset to the IEP team.
Parents have an intuitive sense as to what is appropriate for their child. After working with parents for eleven years, I'm still amazed at how parents are usually intuitively correct about what will work for their child. I encourage parents to follow their hunches. If something does not sound right, check it out.
2. Not making requests in writing.
Any request a parent makes needs to be in writing. This includes requests for assessments, IEP meetings, correspondence, related services, etc. Written requests are important because they initiate timelines that the school district must follow in response to your request. This will also create a paper trail. When you write a letter be sure to send it certified mail. When you have a discussion by phone with a school official, write a letter that briefly outlines what you talked about. Documenting your conversations helps prevent miscommunication.
3. Not being familiar with Prior Notice of the Procedural Safeguards (34 CFR 300.503)
All sections of the Procedural Safeguards are important to parents. This particular section gives parents some leverage during the IEP meetings. Whenever parents make a request for their child in the IEP meeting, the IEP committee is required under Prior Notice to provide the parents with written notice with a reasonable period of time. The notice must include the following:
A description of the action proposed or refused.
An explanation of why the agency proposes or refuses to take the action;
A description of any other options that the agency considered and the reasons why those options were rejected;
A description of each evaluation procedure, test, record, or report the agency used as a basis for the proposed or refused action;
A description of any other factor that is relevant to the agency’s proposal or refusal.
Prior Written Notice is sent home every time the Service Page is changed. This page holds all the information that changes a child’s time in and out of the class, as well as the types of services. This also includes any changes to a child’s Least Restrictive Environment (LRE).
4. Allowing the assessment information to be presented for the first time at the IEP meeting.
Parents are entitled to have the assessment information explained to them before the IEP meeting. I encourage parents to have the person who administered the assessment give them a copy of the report and meet with them to explain the report several days before the IEP meeting. I go so far as send the reports home three days before the meeting. This enables the parents to think through the information before making decisions for their child. If all IEP decisions are based on the information from the assessment, it only makes sense for the parents to be knowledgeable and informed about the assessment results in a way they can understand.
5. Accepting goals and objectives that are not measurable.
Measurable goals and objectives are paramount for your child’s IEP. Without measurable goals and objectives, it is difficult to determine if your child has had a successful school year. In working with parents, we have encountered many IEP goals and objectives that are not measurable.
All goals and objectives should come from assessment data. Assessment has four different components: 1) Formal assessment (i.e., WIAT, Woodcock-Johnson, Brigance), 2) Informal assessment (i.e., classroom work), 3) Teacher/parent observation, and 4) Interviews. After the information has been collected about the student it is compiled into an assessment report. Recommendations on how to work with the student are listed toward the end of the report.
After the assessment has been completed, the IEP committee determines the student’s present level of performance (PLOP) and states what the student is currently able to do. The committee then develops the IEP goals and objectives. The goals state what the student is expected to accomplish by the end of the year. Objectives break the goals down into increments. For example:
PLOP
Based on the Brigance and classroom work, Johnny is currently able to read on a fourth grade level with 90% mastery.
Goals
By the end of the school year Johnny will be able to read on a fifth grade level as measured by the Brigance and classroom work with 80% mastery.
Objectives
By October 1, Johnny will be able to read-on fourth grade, second month level with teacher assistance as measured by the Brigance and classroom work with 80% mastery.
By January 1, without teacher assistance, Johnny will be able to read on a fourth grade, sixth month level as measured by the Brigance and classroom work with 80% mastery.
A method of determining if your goals and objectives are measurable is to ask someone who is not on your IEP team to read them (i.e., a teacher, another parent, advocate, etc.). Then ask “Hypothetically, if you were to go into the classroom, would you be able to see my child working on these goals and objectives?” If someone outside of your IEP team cannot answer “yes”, then the goals and objectives are not measurable.
6. Allowing placement decisions to be made before IEP goals and objectives are written. Many times after assessment is discussed, the IEP committee will determine the child’s placement. Goals and objectives are always written before placement is discussed. To ensure that the child is placed in the Least Restrictive Environment (LRE), the IEP committee must determine: Which of these goals and objectives can best be met in the general classroom?
With any remaining goals and objectives that cannot be met in the general class-room, the committee determines: Which of these goals and objectives can be best met in the general classroom with modifications and support?
This line of inquiry continues until all placement options have been decided upon for all the goals and objectives. The committee must always start with the LRE and then work toward a more restrictive environment only as necessary. IDEA is very clear that the IEP committee must always consider the general education classroom as the first option for students with disabilities.
7. Allowing your child’s IEP meeting to be rushed so that the school staff can begin the next child’s IEP meeting.
This practice is particularly common at the end of the school year when we are frantically trying to have IEP meetings for all the students who receive special education services. IEP meetings may be held one right after another. There is no problem with this practice as long as the members of the IEP team feel that all issues have been adequately discussed. Many times, however, parents feel rushed. It is important that all issues are adequately addressed before ending the IEP meeting. When the teachers have not planned adequate time to address all relevant issues, request that the IEP team meet again at a more convenient time to further discuss your child’s education.
8. Not asking a lot of questions.
It is very important to ask questions and lots of them. Educators use many terms and acronyms specific to special education. Parents may become confused when these terms are used during the IEP meeting. This can add to the frustration that a parent may already be feeling when they do not under-stand what is being said. It is important to ask what the terms or acronyms mean. Unless a parent has a background in special education, they are not expected to know the terms and acronyms. Informed decisions cannot be made when parents do not understand what is being discussed.
At some point in time everyone has made all the mistakes listed above. I have developed the habit of debriefing after every IEP meeting to discuss the team performance during the meeting. As a team, we have gradually accumulated information and developed skills and we continue to trust our intuition. This has helped our team at all our IEP meetings. It’s well worth the extra time. If you have questions talk with your IEP team.
1. Believing the professionals are the only experts.
It can be very intimidating to sit at a table with several educators and professionals. Professionals and Educators do bring a great deal of knowledge and experience to the table. Although most parents do not have a background or degree in education, they have a great deal of knowledge and experience regarding their child. Parents are experts in their own right; they also provide historical information and the big picture from year to year. They know what works and does not work with their child and can be a great asset to the IEP team.
Parents have an intuitive sense as to what is appropriate for their child. After working with parents for eleven years, I'm still amazed at how parents are usually intuitively correct about what will work for their child. I encourage parents to follow their hunches. If something does not sound right, check it out.
2. Not making requests in writing.
Any request a parent makes needs to be in writing. This includes requests for assessments, IEP meetings, correspondence, related services, etc. Written requests are important because they initiate timelines that the school district must follow in response to your request. This will also create a paper trail. When you write a letter be sure to send it certified mail. When you have a discussion by phone with a school official, write a letter that briefly outlines what you talked about. Documenting your conversations helps prevent miscommunication.
3. Not being familiar with Prior Notice of the Procedural Safeguards (34 CFR 300.503)
All sections of the Procedural Safeguards are important to parents. This particular section gives parents some leverage during the IEP meetings. Whenever parents make a request for their child in the IEP meeting, the IEP committee is required under Prior Notice to provide the parents with written notice with a reasonable period of time. The notice must include the following:
A description of the action proposed or refused.
An explanation of why the agency proposes or refuses to take the action;
A description of any other options that the agency considered and the reasons why those options were rejected;
A description of each evaluation procedure, test, record, or report the agency used as a basis for the proposed or refused action;
A description of any other factor that is relevant to the agency’s proposal or refusal.
Prior Written Notice is sent home every time the Service Page is changed. This page holds all the information that changes a child’s time in and out of the class, as well as the types of services. This also includes any changes to a child’s Least Restrictive Environment (LRE).
4. Allowing the assessment information to be presented for the first time at the IEP meeting.
Parents are entitled to have the assessment information explained to them before the IEP meeting. I encourage parents to have the person who administered the assessment give them a copy of the report and meet with them to explain the report several days before the IEP meeting. I go so far as send the reports home three days before the meeting. This enables the parents to think through the information before making decisions for their child. If all IEP decisions are based on the information from the assessment, it only makes sense for the parents to be knowledgeable and informed about the assessment results in a way they can understand.
5. Accepting goals and objectives that are not measurable.
Measurable goals and objectives are paramount for your child’s IEP. Without measurable goals and objectives, it is difficult to determine if your child has had a successful school year. In working with parents, we have encountered many IEP goals and objectives that are not measurable.
All goals and objectives should come from assessment data. Assessment has four different components: 1) Formal assessment (i.e., WIAT, Woodcock-Johnson, Brigance), 2) Informal assessment (i.e., classroom work), 3) Teacher/parent observation, and 4) Interviews. After the information has been collected about the student it is compiled into an assessment report. Recommendations on how to work with the student are listed toward the end of the report.
After the assessment has been completed, the IEP committee determines the student’s present level of performance (PLOP) and states what the student is currently able to do. The committee then develops the IEP goals and objectives. The goals state what the student is expected to accomplish by the end of the year. Objectives break the goals down into increments. For example:
PLOP
Based on the Brigance and classroom work, Johnny is currently able to read on a fourth grade level with 90% mastery.
Goals
By the end of the school year Johnny will be able to read on a fifth grade level as measured by the Brigance and classroom work with 80% mastery.
Objectives
By October 1, Johnny will be able to read-on fourth grade, second month level with teacher assistance as measured by the Brigance and classroom work with 80% mastery.
By January 1, without teacher assistance, Johnny will be able to read on a fourth grade, sixth month level as measured by the Brigance and classroom work with 80% mastery.
A method of determining if your goals and objectives are measurable is to ask someone who is not on your IEP team to read them (i.e., a teacher, another parent, advocate, etc.). Then ask “Hypothetically, if you were to go into the classroom, would you be able to see my child working on these goals and objectives?” If someone outside of your IEP team cannot answer “yes”, then the goals and objectives are not measurable.
6. Allowing placement decisions to be made before IEP goals and objectives are written. Many times after assessment is discussed, the IEP committee will determine the child’s placement. Goals and objectives are always written before placement is discussed. To ensure that the child is placed in the Least Restrictive Environment (LRE), the IEP committee must determine: Which of these goals and objectives can best be met in the general classroom?
With any remaining goals and objectives that cannot be met in the general class-room, the committee determines: Which of these goals and objectives can be best met in the general classroom with modifications and support?
This line of inquiry continues until all placement options have been decided upon for all the goals and objectives. The committee must always start with the LRE and then work toward a more restrictive environment only as necessary. IDEA is very clear that the IEP committee must always consider the general education classroom as the first option for students with disabilities.
7. Allowing your child’s IEP meeting to be rushed so that the school staff can begin the next child’s IEP meeting.
This practice is particularly common at the end of the school year when we are frantically trying to have IEP meetings for all the students who receive special education services. IEP meetings may be held one right after another. There is no problem with this practice as long as the members of the IEP team feel that all issues have been adequately discussed. Many times, however, parents feel rushed. It is important that all issues are adequately addressed before ending the IEP meeting. When the teachers have not planned adequate time to address all relevant issues, request that the IEP team meet again at a more convenient time to further discuss your child’s education.
8. Not asking a lot of questions.
It is very important to ask questions and lots of them. Educators use many terms and acronyms specific to special education. Parents may become confused when these terms are used during the IEP meeting. This can add to the frustration that a parent may already be feeling when they do not under-stand what is being said. It is important to ask what the terms or acronyms mean. Unless a parent has a background in special education, they are not expected to know the terms and acronyms. Informed decisions cannot be made when parents do not understand what is being discussed.
At some point in time everyone has made all the mistakes listed above. I have developed the habit of debriefing after every IEP meeting to discuss the team performance during the meeting. As a team, we have gradually accumulated information and developed skills and we continue to trust our intuition. This has helped our team at all our IEP meetings. It’s well worth the extra time. If you have questions talk with your IEP team.
Supporting Parents with IEP process
As a parent, you have the right to participate in all of your child’s IEP meetings. In fact, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, the federal law governing special education, lists parents first on the list of required members of a student’s IEP team.
They play an important role in decisions about where and how their child will be taught. This is referred to as “placement.” This term covers not only which classroom or school your child is placed in, but also which services will be included in their IEP. Services can include things like one-on-one sessions with a speech therapist or the use of assistive technology.
“You may not be an expert about special education, but you are an expert about your child.” IDEA says that the IEP team cannot change a child’s placement without giving a parent a chance to challenge that change. During the process (which is called dispute resolution), the student has the right to remain in their current placement.
Parents participate throughout the IEP process. A parent’s input is important throughout the IEP process. This starts with their child’s first evaluation and continues right through to the transition plan in his high school IEP. The school knows your child as a student. Some members of the team may only know him “on paper"—through test results, for instance. But a parent represents their child in a very personal way.
Helping the team assess your child’s skills: The IEP is based on something called “the present level of academic achievement and functional performance” (known as PLAAFP, PLP or PLOP). In short, this means they need to how your child is doing now so they can measure his future progress. A parent’s input about how your child functions at home is valuable to PLOP. Parents might share that their child has meltdowns while doing algebra homework but has no problems with other kinds of math. These observations help the IEP team figure out weaknesses, strengths and level of academic skills.
Coming up with educational goals: Once PLOP is established, parents with the rest of the IEP team are required to write measurable annual goals for your child. Your input can help define and refine goals so they’re realistic but still ambitious. Annual goals give students and teachers something concrete to work toward. They also help hold the school accountable for addressing student’s needs.
Parents--Keeping an eye on services and supports: Your child is supposed to receive supports and services that are tailored to his needs. But it’s easy for a busy special education department to apply a “standard” set of supports and services to all students with a certain disability. As a parent, you can make sure the IEP is designed with your child in mind.
What if you’re concerned that the promised services and supports aren’t being provided? Follow up with someone on the team your child’s teachers, special education director or anyone else you feel comfortable talking to. Approaching the school in a collaborative spirit is usually the best way to start. But you can take more formal steps (such as writing a letter of complaint) if you don’t get the answers and action you believe are necessary.
Parents create continuity.
Parent’s role as a member of the IEP team is valuable from start to finish. Your child’s teachers, special education providers and schools may change. But as a parent you remain a constant in your child’s life. You’ll watch him learn, stumble, adapt and succeed.
When your child reaches high school, he’ll be expected to participate as a member of his IEP team and help develop a transition plan. He’ll take the lead as you shift from being his primary advocate being his “coach.”
Through it all, you can support your child and help him develop the self-awareness and self-advocacy skills he’ll need in the future.
August Pinterest Pick 3 Linky (freebies)
I have new home for the coming year. No more looking. I'll post pictures of my room later this week. The Pinterest links that I have are things that I plan on using with my kidoos.Somethings I kee going back and forth on like with student data-should it be binders or folders. These are the things that I keep thinking about while pinning.
My new position is K-3. I have not ID about needs and hours but I don know from working the kinder and first is finding good assessments that can be used all year is hard. This set is free. Amber Monroe explains in her post how she creates data folders in her first grade classroom.
The Pinterest Picks for this month have freebie items attached to them-make sure to grab them. Be sure to stop by Teachers pay Teachers for a great sale. My store will you any extra 20% off anything in my store.
Have a great week!
My Teaching Beliefs
The funny thing about looking for a new position, is listening to others beliefs about their students, program, and building--it focused my own beliefs about the students I work with.
I believe in my students--they can do anything. I think this is why love doing student data folders. It is the singularly most important thing that I do with them each year. They take at SMART goal and create their goal and then charge for it. Are the goals always reasonable-no but the important fact is the ownership of their learning.
Others always find it weird to party of other little things like making a goal or finishing a book. These are the things that make my day.
I think one of the hardest things the do in small group is getting them to take risk. They now the other members and sharing is hard but setting up the group rules and not judging them for speaking up and sharing. They in turn get to the point where they understand it's OK to talk and share.
In sum way this Dr. Who quote tells all about my teaching.
Until next time,
Be sure to hop by Rissa's Teaching in the Heart of Florida to learn about her beliefs for her students.
BTS with #SPEDChatSaturday
Its funny to think about going Back to School. I'm hoping to have a new position in the school district that I grew up in. But everyone in Parker is getting ready to go back.
My room is in storage. Well everything I own is in storage. Last year I moved, got half way to buying a house and then lost my FTE, so everything is still in storage:(. I keep all my students in binders--the IEPs, contact notes from parents, teachers, and outside therapists. I also create student data binders, so they can keep track of their own data. I have found it to be very powerful with motivation.One thing that I do add to my student binders is specific materials that they are working on mastering that are tied directly to their IEP goals. One in particular students always struggle with is reading non-sense words without segmenting. I created it so students could go from segmenting to reading the whole word with each word on the ring. Plus, I love how I have been able to move students basic reading skills with this product.
For the first time last year I used GoogleDocs to create all my collaborating documents with classroom teachers. It was one less thing I had to keep track of and everyone could add information to. I kept SMART goals, progress monitoring notes, and who was taking care of what. No losing anything.
Because the size of my caseload, I put all IEP dates on my calendar--meeting, call parents about set up date and time, testing dates. Anything and everything that has to do with meeting compliance I have there for the whole year. Missing dates should NEVER happen. This is my may to make sure that it doesn't.
I drive my team mates crazy with how organized I happen to be. But I try very hard to leave school at school. My life is so much better when I don't bring it home-besides I anything I bring home says in my bag.I put everything in binders both my students and my lesson plans. Plus, I do everything on everything online.
What I wouldn't do for more time--there never is enough time to move students. I would wish that by the end of the year students find themselves and realize that they have a voice and they can use it!
I love my timer. I always use it. Be it for warm ups or for the whole group time. Its the only way I can find to stay on time Teachers hate it when students come back late.Yes, lesson planning take time. (I use planbook.com. I plan on my laptop and keep my iPad on my teaching table. I can print it out when asked to I need too. Its not free but for 12 dollars I can set it up to meet the needs of those in the groups.)I find that the more time I put into a lesson plan and really think it through from beginning to end the more bang for my buck I get each day. I try to sketch out the whole week even if it changes I know where the group is going. Knowing the group or student scope and sequence and where they are headed each week is time well spent.
When I think of authors in my classroom Dr. Seuss takes up more room than any other author. My promise-I'll make you work hard because you can and it will take you places you never dreamed you could go.
"Must Haves" Monday Link Up
It's funny thinking about going back to school. Thank you to Mrs. McDonald's Creative Teaching for the challenge. Working with students from preschool to 6th grade with a variety a needs. Many things that I put in place at the beginning of the year I put in place for everyone.
Boardmarker
Late in the last school year I bought Boardmarker's online access for hundred dollars because I used it for everything. Boardmarker has helped my students who need visuals as a accommodation. Last year, I had a 5th grade student who I created pictures for all the vocabulary words each week from Storytown. (Some weeks I had to add from Google.) The one thing I love about the online program is that they are always adding to the library--very cool! They even have sign language. Over the summer I found a copy of their Sigh Language clip art to target more specific language needs. I'm hoping to build a student's expressive language--at least to give her some way to communicate with students and others.
Data Folders/Data Binders
All my students keep and collect their own data. Because they come and go I keep them in their group bucket but once a week when I do progress monitoring they keep track of their score and progress. At the beginning of the year, they set and write a SMART goal on what they want to keep track of. (In many cases I encourage them to pick something attached to their IEP.) Folders are easy to hand off to paraprofressionals and take to meeting with teachers and parents. A bonus is that principles are always impressed that they can do it. I set goal lines and talk to them about what they need to work on over the week to go up but they do ALL the work. For some I put their graphs in either Google or Excel. I like Excel better because I can add trendlines-which for some kidoos is a great way to show teachers and parents their student is making progress.
Last year I used the idea from The Organized Classroom Blog-it held up for the whole year plus I could store student specific materials up front in the folder. Adding papers was a pain. I have been thinking about putting these in binders for next year. Click on the picture to get her directions.
Teacher Notebook
Be it a spiraled lined notebook to a binder, I keep all the year student/teacher/parent communication and notes in it. I have tried adding staff meetings and professional learning to the same notebook and can't do it-it just to much. The thing I love about this is that all the information is in one spot not on the stickies on my desk that don't stick any more (we don't have any of these). My building has late start once a week for team collaboration-I take this notebook with me. This is easier than bring 20 student binders or those notes on my desk to meetings. Plus is makes it easier to keep track of parent concerns about a student or tracking classroom teacher concerns of RTI.
Thank you for checking out my "Must Haves" for Back to School 2015! Click on the Freebielicious Icon to check out others' ideas. Store by my store from a freebie (click on the picture)
Subscribe to:
Posts
(Atom)
I contribute to:
