on the links below to go directly to the information
 
A Guide to Full Inclusion of Students with Disabilities
Behavior Management Techniques
Behavioral Intervention Plan - Narrative Format
Controlling Simple Habits
Discipline Requirements
Evaluation Report - Recommendations If Child Found Not to Be a Child With a Disability
Examples of Effective Teaching Techniques
First Grade Readiness Checklist
Gifted Checklists
IEP-Measurable Annual Goals
IEP-Measurable Goals
IEP-Present Levels of Performance
IEP Review Checklist
IEP-Short Term Objectives and Benchmarks
Inclusion Team Needs
Information to Obtain Prior to Referral for Assessment of ADHD
Rational-Emotive Behavior Therapy
Receipt of Section 504 Referral
Retention vs. Social Promotion: Schools Search for Alternatives
SED Eligibility Checklist
Special Education Determination Worksheet for Gathering Data on Suspended Students
Use strategies to manage challenging behaviors
Setting Them Up for Success Checklist

                                                                                                                      

________________________________________________________________________________________________________

A Guide to Full Inclusion of Students with Disabilities

This integration checklist is a tool for uncovering the answers to those questions. It was developed to help educational team members identify potential indicators of inclusion in their schools. It can also help teams facilitate the membership, participation and learning of students with disabilities in regular education classes and other integrated school settings.

The checklist is divided into four sections, each related to a different aspect of inclusion. Education team members can work through the checklist for each individual student in each specific class.

After completing the checklist, teams can review items and comments to determine the priorities to address.

Team members should not view the check list as an absolute measure of inclusion; every indicator may not be appropriate for each student and each class. instead, use the checklist to guide team planning and discussion.

Go With the Flow

____ Does the student enter the classroom at the same time as classmates?

____ Is the student positioned so that she or he can see and participate in what is going on?

____ Is the student positioned so that classmates and teachers may easily interact with her or him (e.g., without a teacher be the student and classmates, not isolated from classmates)?

____ Does the student engage in classroom activities at the same time as classmates?

____ Does the student make transitions in the classroom at the same time as classmates?

____ Is the student involved in the same activities as classmates?

____ Does the student exit the classroom at the same time as classmates?

Act Cool

____ Is the student actively involved in class activities (e.g., asks/answers questions, plays a role in group activities)?

____ Is the student encouraged to follow the same classroom and social rules as classmates (e.g., hugs only when appropriate, stays in seat during instruction)?

____ Is the student given assistance only as necessary, and is assistance faded as soon as possible?

____ Are classmates, and not just teachers encouraged to provide assistance to the student (e.g., transitions to other classrooms, within the classroom?

____ Are classmates encouraged to ask for assistance from the student?

____ Is assistance provided for the student by the classroom teacher?

____ Does the student use the same or similar types of materials during classroom activities as classmates (e.g., Tom Cruise notebooks, -school mascot folders)?


Talk Straight

____ Does the student have a way to communicate with classmates?

____ Do classmates know how to communicate with the student?

____ Does the student greet others in a manner similar to that of classmates?

____ Does the student socialize with classmates?

____ Is this socialization facilitated?

____ Do teachers and support staff give the same type of feedback (e.g., praise, discipline, attention) to the student as to classmates?

____ If the student uses an alternative communication system, do classmates know how to use it?

____ Do teachers know how to use the alternative communication system?

____ Is the alternative communication system always available to the student?

Look Good

____ Is the student given the opportunity to attend to her or his appearance as classmates do (e.g., use locker mirror between classes)?

____ Does the student have accessories that are similar to those of classmates (e.g., oversize tote bags, friendship bracelets, hair jewelry)?

____ Is the student's dress age-appropriate?

____ Is clothing for activities age-appropriate (e.g., napkins not bibs, "cool' paint shirts)?

____ Are personal belongings carried discreetly?

____ Is the student's equipment kept clean?

____ Is the student's hair combed?

____ Are the student's hands clean and dry?

____ Is the student's clothing changed as necessary to maintain a neat appearance?

____ Does the student use chewing gum, breath mints, breath spray?

Other Suggestions

Listed below are some additional suggestions for strengthening team  members' abilities to support inclusion in the classroom:

____ Know why the student with disabilities is in the regular classroom and be able to communicate this to students and fellow professionals.

____ Keep in mind that the purpose of support personnel in regular classrooms is to facilitate inclusion. Because their presence can inhibit inclusion in the class activities and social life, they should fade away as much as possible.

____ Empower the student to be an active participant in all classroom and school activities.

____ Do things with, instead of for, the student when she or he needs assistance.

____ Include the student in conversations. Never talk about the student in front of her or him.

____ Consider the age-appropriate expectations of classmates. Treat the student as you would her or his classmates.

____ Develop ways for classmates and teachers to include the student. Be a model.

____ Know, follow and enforce classroom rules.

____ Be part of the class. Work with all students.

____ Watch classmate and teacher reactions to a potentially disruptive student. Respond accordingly and problem-solve on the spot.

____ Point out successes and positive changes for all to celebrate.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Behavior Management Techniques


Student ________________________________
 

IEP Date________________

File # ______________________

Least to most restrictive techniques:

_________ Positive reinforcement

_________ Classroom management system

__________Level system, indicate entry level ________

__________Star system

Indicate individual behavior concerns for level system:

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________


_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

_________ Contracting (focus on incentives for appropriate behaviors)

_________ Integration contract ________ Work completion contract

_________ Drivers' ed contract ________ Attendance contract

_________ General contracting as needed

_________ White slips for appropriate behavior on the bus

_________ Earned free time or snack

_________ Conflict Resolution/Peer Mediation

_________ Delayed lunch/dine on time

_________ Shortened day

_________ Extended day after school due to excessive noncompliance

_________ Finishing work after school when work refusal occurs

_________ Audio and video taping in the classroom

_________ Audio and video taping on the bus

_________ Positive Alternative Learning Environment (PALE)

_________ Time-Out

_________ Safe physical restraint/protection when head banging

_________ In-school restitution for damage to property

_________ Cleaning restroom when spitting occurs

_________ Plans, as needed, to be coordinated by the Behavior Management Specialist and teacher

_________ Notify local law enforcement when a crime is committed

_________ Bus management: ________ police intervention for criminal activity

_________return bus to school when student is out-of-control

_________behavior checklist

_________assigned seating

Other
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________


Signed ____________________________
 

Position____________________________


_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Behavioral Intervention Plan - Narrative Format

......... disruptive, aggressive, and noncompliant behaviors that interfere with the student's opportunity to acquire and produce academic skills.

1. Definition of Behavior

A. Aggressive behaviors are those actions that may cause potential injury to self, students or staff and/or destruction of property.

B. Disruptive behaviors are those actions that include foul or unacceptable language related to noncompliance, behavior that disrupts, annoys or irritates others, and/or behavior that interrupts or interferes with normal classroom activities.

C. Antecedent behaviors are actions that, if not dealt with immediately, have the potential to lead to aggressive and disruptive behaviors. These behaviors generally occur when a classroom rule has been exceeded including: talking out loud, being off-task in the classroom, refusing to open books, (behavioral indicators that have led to problems in the past).

II. Classroom Management Plan/Selection of Resource

Classroom rules are typically similar in all settings. Generally the rules include:

A. Respect of self and others (i.e., waits turn, acknowledges compliance requests, communicates in moderate, positive tone.)

B. Respects property (i.e., uses materials acceptably, books for reading, paper/pencil for writing.)

C. Stays on task (i.e., follows through on tasks and assignments, follows along in book, asks appropriate questions.)

D. Follows teacher directions (i.e., raises hand, sits in seat, follows directives without comment.)

If one of the rules is violated, a warning is given with a concrete explanation of what behavior was unacceptable with a prompt of the expected behavior for the immediate situation. If the warning is sufficient, class time may continue with reinforcement and acknowledgment for acceptable behavior based on the situation and the student's disposition.

If the student becomes noncompliant, a time-out procedure will be instituted in the class. A 5-minute removal with a contingent behavior release dependent on acceptable behavior will be utilized. If the student continues to be noncompliant, removal from the room or to in-school suspension will be initiated. Supervision and instructional activities will be provided. Removal will be for the remainder of the class period in which the incident occurred plus the next hour class.

Positive reinforcement contingencies for a series of successful classes will be provided on an intermittent basis, reinforcements will include free time, library time, gym time and other acceptable activities defined by the teacher and the student. The classroom teacher will, within the same day the incident occurred, attempt to resolve the conflict through directed conversation with the student to ensure he understands the behavioral expectations for the class and to analyze alternative, more acceptable methods for dealing with the incident.

Should a pattern of behavior problems continue (4 consecutive days of in-school suspension) the IEP team will be reconvened to consider modifications of intervention techniques, alternative programs or other related services as appropriate.

III. Managing Aggressive and/or Assaultive Behaviors

A. Antecedent behaviors or actions that have the potential of leading to aggressive behaviors will also be addressed. Any with the potential of endangering the health and safety (throwing books, kicking locker, knocking over desk) of the student or others will result in an out-of-school suspension.

1. Teachers have to be instructed not to touch the student or to engage in any verbal argument. If the student refuses to correct the behavior after being told to do so, they are to call the office. The student will be directed to go to the principal's office. If the student refuses, the principal and/or designee(s) will escort the student to the office.

2. The student's parents will be called to remove the student from school for the remainder of the day.

a. Prior to leaving school, the student's behavior will be discussed with his parents (The student will be in attendance).

3. If the parents cannot be reached, the police will be called. If there is an emergency, the school will call 911. One of two following things could happen:

a. law enforcement will determine if they can intervene directly by considering the severity of the act.

b. they would involve and contact Social Services as appropriate.

B. Any physical aggression toward students, self or other staff members that may cause potential injury or results in bodily harm will result in significant disciplinary action including out of school suspension and contact with the police (911). Behaviors include hitting and kicking others, fighting, biting or weapon possession.

1. The student will be suspended for three days.

2. Prior to returning, the student and his parents will meet with the IEP committee on the third day to discuss behavior and potential solutions and programmatic alternatives. Further evaluation and additional resource information will be attended to at that time.

3. Law enforcement will determine intervention and involvement of Social Services as appropriate.

IV. Consequence, Reinforcement Contingencies for Positive Behavior

Positive daily behavior will be analyzed each class period by the individual teacher acknowledging and quantifying the student's positive response and acceptable behavior. In addition, the following reinforcement plan will be implemented.

A. During the eighth hour of each day that the student does not exhibit antecedent or aggressive behavior, the student will be allowed to select reinforcement activities including computer time, free time, etc.

B. After five consecutive days of no targeted behavior having been exhibited, early release will be arranged for two hours on one school day.

C. After four weeks of no targeted behavior and three earned early release times, The student will earn four additional hours of release time.

The above plan was discussed with the student and parents and shared on ________________ (date)

IEP meeting participants present:

(Name) (Title)________________________________________________________

(Name (Title)_________________________________________________________

Student Signature: __________________________
 

Date: _________________

Parent Signature: ____________________________
 

Date: _________________


_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Evaluation Report - Recommendations If Child Found Not to Be a Child With a Disability


EVALUATION REPORT FOR
______________________________________________________________________________________School and District

The IEP team has determined that this child is not a child with a disability.

Summarize the child's present levels of educational performance and educational needs:



List any services offered by the local educational agency from which the child may benefit:



Identify any programs and services, other than those offered by the local educational agency, that may benefit the child:


_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Discipline Requirements

1. Ten-day Suspensions/Expulsions for Weapons or Drugs

A. Did IEP team do a manifestation determination 1 that was:

____ Preceded by notice to the parents of their procedural safeguards not later than the date on which the decision to take this disciplinary action is made? Conducted within 10 school days after the date on which the decision to take this disciplinary action is made?

____ Based on all relevant information, including...

____ Evaluation and diagnostic results, including information from the parents?

____ Observations of the child? The child's IEP?

According to these criteria:

____ Were the child's IEP and placement appropriate both as formulated and as implemented?

____ Did the child's disability impair his/her ability to understand the impact and consequences of the misbehavior?

____ Did the child's disability impair his/her ability to control the misbehavior?

B. If the determination was the misconduct was a manifestation of the disability, did your IEP team develop a plan for a functional behavioral assessment 2 and a behavior intervention plan that was:

____ Discussed within 10 days of the disciplinary action?

____ Addressed the culminating misbehavior?

C. Likewise, did your IEP team 3 determine an interim placement in an alternative educational setting 4 that:

____ Continued for not more than 45 calendar days? Was selected to meet these criteria: 5

____ Enables the child to continue to participate in the general curriculum?

____ Continues those services and modifications, including those in the child's current IEP, which will enable the child to meet the IEP goals? 6

____ Includes services and modifications designed so that the culminating misconduct does not recur?

D. Conversely, if the determination was that the misconduct was not a manifestation of the disability, did you:

____ Use regular education discipline procedures?

____ Continue to provide FAPE?

II. Suspensions/Expulsions of 10 Days for Other Dangerous Misbehavior

A. Did you file for an expedited hearing 7 where the hearing officer decided that:

____ You demonstrated by substantial evidence that maintaining the current placement of the child is substantially likely to result in injury to the child or others? 8

____ The child's current placement was appropriate?

____ You had made reasonable efforts to minimize the risk of harm in the child's current placement?

____ The proposed alternative educational setting met the criteria under Item # I-C?

B. ____ Did your IEP team fulfill the manifestation determination and functional behavioral assessment requirements, per Items ## I-A and I-B?

III. Other Suspensions/Expulsions Of 10 Days 9

A. ____ Did your IEP team conduct a defensible manifestation determination, per Item # I-A?

B. ____ If the determination was that the misconduct was not a manifestation of the disability, did it meet the criteria of Item # I-D?

C. ____ If the determination was that the misconduct was a manifestation of the disability, did you limit the suspension to 10 days and resort to full special education procedures for change in placement intended beyond that 10 days?

IV. Reporting of Crimes to Law Enforcement Authorities

A. ____ Did you transmit the child's special education and Disciplinary records to appropriate [law enforcement] authorities." 10


Footnotes

1. Hearing officers upheld determinations that the misbehavior was not a manifestation of the disability in three recent cases. Georgetown Indep. Sch. Dist.. 28 IDELR 904 (SEA TX 1998): In re Student with a Disability, 27 IDELR 935 (SEA IND 1998): Oconee County Sch. System, 27 IDELR 629 (SEA GA 1997).

2. A review officer upheld a hearing officer's determination that a district had not met the functional behavioral assessment requirement. Board of Educ. of Akron Cent. Sch. Dist., 28 IDELR 908 (SEA NY 1998). Another hearing officer recently reached a similar conclusion based, at least in part, on the more detailed specifications in California's special education law. South Pasadena Unified Sch. Dist., 28 IDELR I 1 13 (SEA CA 1998).

3. The principal does not have the authority to make this decision. In re Student with a Disability, 27 IDELR 935 (SEA IN 1998).

4. The manifestation determination and the functional behavioral assessment/behavior intervention plan requirements are prerequisites to the alternative educational setting. William S. Hart High Sch. Dist., 26 IDELR 1258 (SEA CA 1997).

5. For a case where the district was successful in meeting these criteria, see Georgetown Indep. Sch. Dist., 28 IDELR 904 (SEA TX 1998).

6. For examples of cases lost by school districts for failing to meet this criterion, see Board of Educ. Of Akron. Cent. Sch. Dist., 28 IDELR 909 (SEA NY 1998): Oregon City Sch. Dist., 28 IDELR 96 (SEA OR 1998) William S. Hart High Sch. Dist., 26 IDELR 1258 (SEA CA 1997).

7. A federal court decided that school districts need not exhaust this alternative before seeking a Honig injunction in court. Gadsden City Bd. of Educ. v. P.P., 28 IDELR 166 (N.D. Ala. 1998).

8. After the 1997 Amendments, a hearing officer decided that the school district did not meet this criterion. Cabot Sch. Dist., 27 IDELR 304 (SEA AR 1997). For prior court decisions where the district did not meet the standard, see, e.g., School Dist. v. Stephan M., 25 IDELR 506 (E.D. Pa. 1997): PhoenLxville Area Sch. Dist. v. Marquis B., 25 IDELR 452 (E.D. Pa. 1997): Clinton County R-II Sch. Dist.. 23 IDELR 306 CW.D. Mo. 1995); J.B. L,. Independent Sch. Dist. No. 191, 21 IDELR 1157 (D. Minn. 1995). For Prior court decisions where the district met the standard, see, e.g., Light v. Parkway Sch. Dist., 21 IDELR 933 (8th Cir. 1994): School Bd. Of Pinellas County v. J.M., 25 IDELR 748 (M.D. Fla. 1997): East Islip
Union Free Sch. Dist. v. Andersen, 21 IDELR 786 (N.Y. Sup. Ct. 1994).

9. OSEP has opined that the manifestation determination requirement does not apply to suspensions of 10 days or less within a school year. OSEP Memorandum 97-7, 26 IDELR 981 (OSERS 1997). Relying on this interpretation. a hearing officer recently concluded that the manifestation determination requirement did not apply to a single suspension of three days. Northeast Indep. Sch. Dist., 28 IDELR 1004 (SEA TX 1998).

10. The new provision, as applied In re Trent, 569 N.W. 2d 719 (Wis. Ct. App. 1997), OR State of Wisconsin v. Trent N. 26 IDELR 434 effectively overrules Morgan v. Chris L.. 25 IDELR 226 (6th Cir. 1996), cert. denied. A hearing officer recently concluded that:

1. This provision overrides FERPA's parental consent requirement.

2. Districts may not relinquish the responsibility to Parents.

3. It must be fulfilled within 10 school days of the child's detention by law enforcement authorities.

4. It may result in a transfer rather than an alternate education setting or cessation of services. Northside Indep. Sch. Dist., 28 IDELR 11 18 (SEA TX 1998).

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________


Examples of Effective Teaching Techniques

The University of Virginia's Curry School of Education and East Tennessee State University developed research-validated methods for helping you maintain a successful special education program to help students with disabilities with reading, spelling and math topics, as well as developing language, social and vocational skills.

1. Improve Community Dining Skills

Participants: Three high school students with severe physical and mental disabilities.

Technique: Students were introduced to the Reaching for Independence and Self-Confidence project that is designed to identify, implement and evaluate a variety of approaches that schools can use to help enhance self-determination of students with disabilities. Here they were paired with assistants or their mothers who were trained to help in this process.

Students were observed at McDonald's and Burger King. Each pair went to fast food restaurants in the same manner they usually did and each pair was given $10 per visit. The researchers planned a list of strategies for how each student could order, eat and clean up in the most independent fashion.

Instructors at school met with each student individually in the classroom and used task analysis to teach the students to perform the steps. The instructors first modeled the steps. Then the students performed the steps with prompts. Finally, the students performed the steps independently. The mothers or assistants were coached through the routine. They were given the step list for their child and six rules for assisting and encouraging the students.

Four weekly visits were made to the restaurants (two Burger King and two McDonald's) following the training session. Six weeks after the last four visits, they went to each restaurant once at a designated time to end the project.

Evaluation: Teacher counts the total number of steps each child performed with assistance and the steps performed independently.

Source: Powers, L., and Sowers, J. (11 995). Enhancing the Participation and Independence of Students with Severe Physical and Mental

Disabilities in Performing Community Activities, Mental Retardation, 33, 209-220.

Developer: Lori Sanders, ETSU.

2. Improve or Increase Social Skills

Participants: Three high school students with mental retardation

Technique: Students were taught to play a board game called Stacking the Dock. It provides activities for teaching six social skill areas: compliment, politeness, social interaction, criticism, social confrontation, and questions and answers. Each skill area has cards with different social situations written on them. Students are given the chance to respond to all 48 cards, when it is their turn. There are four sessions and a facilitator stacks the deck each day to ensure that students will receive a different set of 12 cards for each of the social skill areas. The facilitator models the correct response each time he or she answers a question. If students respond correctly, they can move their game piece on the board.

Evaluation: Facilitator calculates the total number of correct and incorrect responses for each of the six social skill areas taught

Source: Clees, T., Langone; J., Malone; M., Oxford; and Ross, G.(1 995). "Acquisition and Generalization of Social Skills by High School Students with Mild Mental Retardation," Mental Retardation, 33, 186-196.

Student Developer: Lori Sanders, ETSU.

3. Increasing Positive Peer Interactions with People Who are Hearing Impaired

Participants: 105 children with and without hearing impairments and their teachers.

Technique: Teachers were elected to conduct either the social or integrated-activities intervention. Through peer interaction, the social skills intervention taught six social skills to the children: greeting, sharing, cooperating, assisting, complimenting, and inviting. The teacher prompted social interaction if necessary, but gradually withdrew. The integrated-activities; intervention provided small peer groups for the children. Activities were planned to give the children an opportunity to work with those in their small peer group. The teacher did not model or prompt social skills.

Evaluation: Teachers collected social interaction data during three 20-minute free play periods. They videotaped the periods, resulting in nine minutes of videotape per child. Observers counted all positive and negative linguistic and nonlinguistic interactions. They compared those results before and after the intervention.

Source: Shirin, D. Anitia.; Kreimeyer, K.H.; and Eldredge, N.(1993). "Promoting Social Interaction Between Young Children with Hearing Impairments and Their Peers," Exceptional Children, 60(3), 262- 274.

Developer: Rebecca Brashears, ETSU.

4. Boosting the Peer Acceptance of Children with Learning Disabilities

Participants: Two classrooms with several students with learning disabilities who spent two hours each day in a special education resource room.

Technique: The intervention included the use of two mnemonic devices: SLAM and FAST. SLAM stands for Stop-Stop whatever you're doing, Look-Look the person in the eye, Ask-Ask the person a question to clarify what he or she means, and Make-Make an appropriate response to the person.

FAST stands for Freeze and think - What is the problem? Alternatives - What could I do to solve the problem? Solution - Which alternatives will solve the problem in the long run? Try it - How can I implement the solution? The intervention also consists of three key components:

1. Skills training taught the students these mnemonic devices and techniques for working in small groups and leading group activities.

2. Informant status allows the students to be selected as the class's "social skills trainers.' After training, the students return to the class and teach their classmates information they consider valuable.

3. Significant interactions through peer pairing. Each pair should consist of one 'low-accepted' student with learning disabilities and one "high-accepted' general education classmate.

Teachers can also use the bulletin boards and displays in the classroom to describe the FAST and SLAM strategies and to identify the social skills trainers. At the end of the training period, the teacher's should present certificates proclaiming the students to be "Official Social Skills Trainers."

Evaluation: Three assessments compared the intervention effects: a) Rating scale of social skills completed by teachers, b) a student rating of peer acceptance, and c) student and teacher interviews.

Source: McIntosh, R.; Vaughn, S. ; and Bennerson, D.(1 995). 'Fast Social Skills with a SLAM and a RAP-Providing Social Skills Training for Students with Learning Disabilities,' Exceptional Children, 37-40.

Developer: Christy Fox, ETSU.

5. Improve Reading Skills and Promote Social Interaction

Participants: Three male students with autism and their nondisabled peers who are in a general education classroom in three different elementary schools.

Technique: During baseline reading, instruction consisted of teacher-directed lessons using a basal reading series with individual variation in activities among the three classrooms. The intervention consisted of teaching all of the students, with and without autism, tutoring techniques. Components of the tutoring program included students reading passages, feedback from peers for oral reading, correction of errors and public posting. Students were assigned a reading partner weekly.

During tutoring, the learner read for eight to 10 minutes from the same reading materials used in baseline. The tutor also provided positive and corrective feedback to the learner as he/she read. After tutoring sessions, students were allowed unstructured free time so the teacher could observe social interactions with autistic and nondisabled students.

Evaluation: The instructor recorded errors, determined number of words read correctly per minute and how many comprehension questions were answered correctly. Also, the instructor calculated the total number of social interactions of students with autism and the length of their interaction.

Source: Kamps, M. D.; Barbetta, M. P.; Leonard, R. B.; and Delquadri, J. (1994). Classwide Peer Tutoring: An Integration Strategy to Improve Reading Skills and Promote Peer Interactions Among Students with Autism and General Education Peers,' Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 27, 49-61.

Developer: Leslie Lough, ETSU.

6. Decreasing Communication Breakdowns During Cooperative Learning Activities

Participants: Seven elementary school children with hearing losses and 21 normally hearing classmates.

Technique: Children were introduced to the concepts of communication and communication breakdown. Role play and videotaped material of cooperative learning between students with hearing impairments and the normally hearing students were used so students could identify and discuss possible causes of communication breakdown. Then they focused on effective message sending. The grouped students were given various challenging communicative situations and had to decide how to handle the communicative interaction. Finally, communication repair strategies were taught. For example, students were taught to ask for clarification when they did not understand something.

Evaluation: Researchers compared experimental and control groups' communication breakdowns before and after intervention. They calculated the proportion of unrepaired and repaired breakdowns and the number of requests for clarification.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________


Gifted Checklists


Characteristics Checklist for Gifted Children Provides a characteristics checklist for teachers and parents looking for signs of giftedness in young children.

OFTEN THE EARLIEST identification of gifted children takes place by simple observation of the child's behaviour by an educational professional, a parent or friend. Far from undermined by being subjective, identification by characteristic traits is generally accurate, and is less intrusive or conspicuous than other methods. It also readily allows types of giftedness to be detected, and is often valuably used with young children. Nonetheless subjective elements are certainly involved particularly in comparisons with other children of the same age.

The following lists were adapted from one compiled from various sources. Note it is not expected that any gifted child will show all the traits listed in any section. Characteristic traits are listed by broad category of giftedness. These are:

___general intellectual ability
___specific academic aptitude
___creative thinking and production
___leadership
___psychomotor ability
___visual and performing arts


General intellectual ability

___is an avid reader
___has avid interest in science or literature
___provides very alert, rapid answers to questions
___has a wide range of interests
___is secure emotionally
___is venturesome, wanting to do new things
___tends to dominate peers or situations
___is an entrepreneur - readily makes money on various projects or activities
___needs little outside control - applies self discipline
___is resourceful solving problems by ingenious methods
___is creative in new ideas, seeing associations, pursuing innovations
___displays a great curiosity about objects, situations or events
___has the capacity to look into things and be puzzled
___is involved with many exploratory type activities
___reveals originality in oral and written expression
___is perceptually open to his or her environment
___displays a willingness to accept complexity
___has the capacity to use knowledge and information other than to memorize
___shows superior judgment in evaluating things
___is a good guesser
___makes good grades in most subjects
___learns rapidly, easily and efficiently
___uses a lot of commonsense
___retains and uses information which has been heard or read
___uses a large number of words easily and accurately
___asks many questions of a provocative nature
___has a power of abstraction, conceptualization and synthesis
___has an interest in cause-effect relations
___has a liking for structure, order and consistency
___has a power of concentration, an intense attention that excludes all else
___is persistent
___has a high energy level
___is independent
___is friendly and outgoing


Specific academic aptitude

___shows similar characteristics to general intellectual ability but concentrated around one or a few fields
___has a long attention span in areas of interest
___learns rapidly, easily and with less repetition in one or a few specific areas (probably not all subject areas)
___likes or loves one or a few areas of knowledge
___likes to study some subjects more than others
___spends time voluntarily beyond ordinary assignments on projects of interest to him or her
___is able to extend learning from these key areas to various situations somewhat unrelated in orientation
___is able to show broad perspective on one or more subject areas
___is able to judge own and others' relative abilities in key areas of interest
___seeks assistance of others beyond his or age peers in extending knowledge in areas of interest


Creative thinking and production

___is fluent in producing and elaborating on ideas
___makes unusual associations between remote ideas
___is flexible in thinking patterns
___senses when problems exist
___acts spontaneously, intuitively
___tolerates ambiguity and uncertainty
___senses inconsistencies and discontinuities
___readily guesses and makes hypotheses

___juggles or redefines elements of a problem or task
___can show intense concentration on a task
___retains own ideas in a discussion or collaboration
___provides multiple solutions or responses to problems
___is uninhibited in expression, sometimes radical
___is intellectually playful, interested in fantasy, imagination
___always trying to adapt or improve things
___has a keen sense of humour, seeing humour in situations others don't
___doesn't mind being different
___doesn't accept authoritarian pronouncements without own judgment
___asks provocative questions, challenges parents, teachers, written and other authorities
___is bored with memorization and recitation
___displays energy, sometimes disruptively
___produces unexpected, sometimes "silly" responses
___is considered, and perhaps resented, by some peers as "crazy"
___can show unusual degrees of originality, concentration and persistent hard work on projects that capture their interest and imagination


Leadership

___can stimulate and arouse others
___organizes others
___recognizes skills and abilities possessed by others
___interacts with others easily showing social skills
___recognizes and can articulate the goals of a group
___can articulate ideas clearly
___can listen to others empathetically
___understands how people feel and how groups function
___can give directions clearly and effectively
___exercises authority reliably and responsibly
___can adopt non-leadership roles within a group
___an establish the mood of a group
___supports others in a group when appropriate
___can coordinate the work of several individuals
___is often asked for ideas and suggestions
___is looked to by others when something must be decided


Psychomotor ability

___is rhythmic
___is athletic
___likes to play physically
___has a suitable body build
___is coordinated, balanced and confident in physical activities
___is inventive in constructing or modifying games ___is energetic
___is able to understand the intellectual aspects of psychomotor activities
___demonstrates endurance, stamina and persistence in physical activities
___demonstrates prowess in physical activities common amongst age peers


Visual and performing arts

Music

___has good sense of rhythm
___is well-coordinated
___discriminates musical and other sounds well
___understands musical relationships
___enjoys musical activities and demonstrates musical feeling
___shows tonal memory
___responds readily to rhythm, melody and harmony
___uses music to express feeling or experience
___makes up original tunes
___enjoys dance and dramatic activities with musical elements


Dramatics

___demonstrates interest and enjoyment in dramatic activities
___readily shifts into role of another character, animal or object
___uses voice to reflect changes in mood
___demonstrates understanding of conflict when acting out a dramatic event
___communicates feelings by means of facial expressions, gestures and bodily movements
___enjoys evoking emotional responses from listeners
___demonstrates ability to dramatize feelings and experiences
___brings a dramatic situation to a climax with a well-timed ending when telling a story


Art

___draws a variety of objects
___puts depth into drawing, showing planning and good proportion
___treats art seriously and enjoys it
___shows originality in modes of undertaking art
___is willing to try out new materials and experiences
___pursues art in spare time
___uses art to express feelings and experiences
___is interested in other people's art, both appreciating it and criticizing it
___likes to model three dimensionally with clay, soap carving, plasticine, etc


________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________


Inclusion Team Needs

The items listed below are different ideas for supports and training that may be necessary or desired, to assist staff needs in working with a new student. Staff members need to go through the list and determine the areas in which they need more information, training, supports and materials to effectively and efficiently teach the new student.

A. Training

_____ Disability overview and implications (e.g. autism).

_____ Curriculum adaptations and modifications.

_____ Behavior support strategies.

_____ Teaching strategies.

_____ Communication strategies.

_____ Teaming and collaboration.

_____ Peer facilitation.

_____ Positioning and handling.

_____ Sensory integration/sensory diet.

_____ Orientation and mobility.

_____ IEP/IDEA laws.

_____ Other: _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

B. Supports: Classroom materials

_____ Assistive technology and other adaptive equipment.

_____ Books with large print.

_____ Communication boards.

_____ Visual schedules.

_____ Math manipulatives.

_____ Physical adaptations to the classroom environment.

_____ Software: __________________________________________________________________________________________________________

_____ Other: _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

C. Supports: Staff

_____ Planning time.

_____ Regular student CORE team meetings.

_____ Paraprofessional assistance.

_____ ESE consultation.

_____ Behavior support specialist.

_____ Specially trained volunteers.

_____ Other: _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________


_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Information to Obtain Prior to Referral for Assessment of ADHD


The diagnosis of an attention deficit disorder is not an easy task. It requires a comprehensive assessment to rule-out other possible causes for the behaviors observed. It requires that the individual be evaluated within the context of the family, school, community, and their culture.

It is also important to realize that conditions such as anxiety, low level depression, obsessive and oppositional behaviors and specific areas of LID may be the result of an undiagnosed attention deficit disorder. In addition, undiagnosed ADHD may manifest itself in a variety of different behaviors. Keep in mind that the behaviors exhibited by someone with ADHD are the rule, rather than the exception.

The following checklists are abridged versions of more comprehensive procedures to assist schools in (1) collecting important information when a child may be suspected of having ADHD and (2) to be assured by the professional making the diagnosis that the necessary information has been reviewed in order to justify a diagnosis.

1. DESCRIBE THE PROBLEM

Clearly describe the problem(s) and/or concern(s) with regards to the child's behavior and academic achievement.
Does it appear that this child's problems affect any or all of the following domains:

___ Learning

___ Personal Behavior

___ Behavior with Peers

Does the child appear to exhibit any of the following:

___ A sense of underachieving

___ Difficulty getting organized

___ Trouble getting started on tasks

___ Trouble following through on projects or assignments

___ A tendency to say what comes to mind

___ A frequent need for stimulating activities

___ A tendency to be easily bored

___ Trouble going through established channels or following rules

___ A low tolerance for frustration

___ Mood swings

___ A tendency to be restless

___ A tendency towards addictive behaviors

___ Chronic problems with self-esteem

___ Inaccurate self-observation


2. BEHAVIORAL OBSERVATIONS

Repeated observations should be made in different locations using a variety of behavioral ratings scales.

___ In-classroom observations

___ Group activities

___ Solitary activities

___ Out-of-classroom observations

___ Structured

___ Unstructured

___ Peer relationships

___ Home observations by parents


3. HISTORICAL INFORMATION

___ Past school history

___ Problems

___ Interventions

___ Results of interventions

___ Academic service provided

___ Academic performance

4. RISK FACTORS

___ Any on-going or suspected social risk factors

___ Any on-going or suspected psychological risk factors

___ Any chronic or suspected health risk factors

Does the child appear to exhibit any of the following:

___ A sense of underachieving

___ Difficulty getting organized

___ Trouble getting started on tasks

___ Trouble following through on projects or assignments

___ A tendency to say what comes to mind

___ A frequent need for stimulating activities

___ A tendency to be easily bored

___ Trouble going through established channels or following rules

___ A low tolerance for frustration

___ Mood swings

___ A tendency to be restless

___ A tendency towards addictive behaviors

___ Chronic problems with self-esteem

___ Inaccurate self-observation


5. ___ PARENT INTERVIEW

Obtain child's history from parent's perspective


6. ___ STATEWIDE/GROUP ACHIEVEMENT TEST SCORES


7. ___ PSYCHOEDUCATIONAL TEST RESULTS


8. ___ WISC III (IQ)


9. ___ OTHER ASSESSMENT RESULTS (i.e., Speech, PT, OT, Health,
Hearing/Vision Screening etc.).

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Receipt of Section 504 Referral

(Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973)

Student Name:
____________________________________________________________

School:
 ____________________________________________________________

Date of Birth (DOB)
 ___________________________________________________________

Grade Level:
 ___________________________________________________________


Date


Dear_______________________,
Parent/Legal Guardian


In order to determine if the individual educational needs of your child are being appropriately addressed, a referral has been made and an evaluation has been requested under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. The purpose of the Section 504 referral process is (1) to determine whether your child has a physical or mental impairment which may be substantially limiting one or more major life activities (e.g., walking, seeing, hearing, speaking, breathing, learning, and/or caring for one's self), and (2) to develop a special accommodation plan so that your child can have access to and receive an appropriate education if he/she is determined to be disabled under Section 504.

The Section 504 evaluation, which will be conducted at no cost to you, may include the following procedures: a review of records, interviews with those knowledgeable about your child, observations, and use of other educational and/or psychological assessment measures. If individual psychological assessment instruments are to be administered, you will be asked to give written consent for those procedures.

Following the evaluation, a meeting will be held to discuss the findings. You will be invited to this Section 504 Evaluation Meeting.

Please read the statement of Parent/Student Rights in Identification, Evaluation, Accommodation and Placement on the back of this notice.

If you have any questions, need additional information, wish to discuss the referral information, or have any information which may be helpful, please contact the Student Services Office at _______________.

Sincerely,




________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

SED Eligibility Checklist

1. Does the student evidence, to a preponderant extent, at least one of the following characteristics:

· An inability to learn that cannot be explained by intellectual, sensory or health factors?

Yes No

· An inability to build or maintain satisfactory interpersonal relationships with peers and teachers?

Yes No


· Inappropriate types of behavior or feelings under normal circumstances?

Yes No


· A general pervasive mood of unhappiness or depression?

Yes No


· A tendency to develop physical symptoms or fears associated with personal or school problems?

Yes No

2. If so, does the student evidence this same (at least one) characteristic at both the following levels:


Over a long period of time?

Yes No


To a marked degree?

Yes No


3. If so, does this same characteristic adversely affect the student's educational performance?

Yes No


4. If so, as a result of this impairment does the student need special education?

Yes No


5. If so, does the student meet these criteria exclusive of any social maladjustment?

Yes No

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Special Education Determination

DATE:
STUDENT NAME:
BIRTH DATE:
SCHOOL ATTENDING:
DISTRICT:

Dear ______________________________________:

As you are aware, school staff have been addressing concerns at school regarding your child. Information about your child has been reviewed to determine if there is reason to suspect a disability at this time.

1. The BASIS(ES) for the proposed action included:

____ parent/guardian reports
____ educational history
____ alternative intervention strategies
____ private evaluation
____ discipline records
____ building-level team records
____ medical records
____ screening information
____ data gathering form
____ report cards

Other:

II. OPTIONS considered during screening review activities included:

____ Referral for special education under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)
____ Referral for Section 504 evaluation
____ Further action (i.e., information gathering, problem-solving/intervention planning) by the building-level team
____ No further action, other than monitoring by the building-level team
____ Review of information following (explained on line immediately below):

III. Rejection or action on these options was based on the following:
 

SCREENING REVIEW DETERMINATIONS:

SCREENING ACTIVITIES
Significant CONCERNS
Appropriate alternative INTERVENTIONS

___Were completed

___were identified

___were developed & implemented to address the concern(s)

___were NOT completed

___ were NOT identified

___were NOT completely developed & implemented to address the concern(s)

Documentation:

___ Suggests a possible EDUCATIONAL DISABILITY which may adversely affect educational performance and which may require special education services as required by the IDEA.

___ Indicates there is a mental or physical impairment which may substantially limit a major life activity and which may require adaptations and accommodations as required by Section 504 (but not require specialeducation services under the IDEA).

___ Was INCONCLUSIVE at this time (child will remain suspected of having a disability until screening review is completed at a later date).

___ Does NOT support the suspicion of any disability (under the IDEA or Section 504).

IV. Based on the results of the screening review activities it has been determined that:

a. ___ The information gathered on your child will be sent to the Special School District Intake Office to initiate an evaluation for special education services.
b. ___ The information gathered on your child will be used for a Section 504 evaluation.
c. ___ Your child does not meet the criteria for either a special education/IDEA (IDEA or a Section 504) evaluation, and

1. ___ The information gathered on your child identifies potential concerns and will be returned to the building-level team to continue gathering information and problem solving, or
2. ___ The information gathered on your child does not indicate a need for
further action, other than monitoring by the building-level team.

V. Other relevant factors: ___________________________________________________________________________________________________


If you have any questions/concerns about the above action, please contact one of the individuals listed below. If you are in disagreement with the above action, you may appeal this decision. Your procedural rights and responsibilities are printed on the enclosed information.

_______________________ __________________ ________________
Signature title phone

_______________________ __________________ ________________
Signature title phone

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Worksheet for Gathering Data on Suspended Students

This worksheet should be used by principals and special education teachers to gather data from teachers who serve suspended students about how the effects of suspension will be ameliorated. For success in using this worksheet, it is important to train teachers on the necessity to quickly respond should they receive the worksheet during the school day, she said.

Services for Suspension

Past Cumulative 10 school Days


Student _____________________________________ will be suspended

(date/s__________________________________________________________


Due to this student's total number of suspensions this school year, a determination of extent of services necessary to progress in general education curriculum as well as to progress toward meeting IEP goals and objectives for the days of suspension is being made.

To assist _________________________, Title: Principal or Designee

and _____________________________ , Title: Special Education Teacher

in this determination, please answer the following by (time/date) and return with any needed work to _______________________

location)__________________.


Impact of Suspension on Curriculum Mastery or IEP Goal Mastery

____ Yes ____ No This absence will result in adverse effects on mastery of content material or the mastery of IEP goals by end of grading period (e.g., due to: work, test, quiz, review for test, introduction of new materials, etc.)


During this absence, the student will miss ( check all that apply)-

____ study for test ____ collaborative project work ____ independent work

____ test or quiz ____ new concept introduction ____ class discussion

____ other _________


Work to be Completed During Absence

____ Yes ____ No During this suspension, there are assignments that can be completed to ameliorate adverse effects of this absence.


Assignment to be completed during
absence:________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________


Other Make-Up to be Completed Upon Return

Describe any plan for completion of class work or to make up any missing
Activity listed above, which will not be done during the suspension day(s). (This work or make-up is necessary for appropriate curriculum progress or IEP goal mastery.)


Teacher Signature _________________Class/Period ________________

Date _____________________

____ There are work assignments attached.

____ No work is necessary.


____ No assignments are attached; student will make up work as described above.



________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Use strategies to manage challenging behaviors

Donna Wittmer, early childhood education associate professor at the University of Colorado-Denver, offers the following recommendations on how to manage infants and toddlers with troubling behavior.

Symptom: Is angry and hostile most of the time. The child could be bored or in a chaotic environment. The parent may be overwhelmed.

Strategy:

* Teach the child a healthy way to handle anger. Say, "You can stomp when you are angry." Ask the parents how anger is expressed by their family and/or culture.

* Figure out what the child is trying to communicate and what he needs. Help the child learn an appropriate way to get needs met.

* Value the toddler's feelings. Help him identify his own feelings by saying, "It seems as if you are angry."

* Be firm about expressing anger through aggression. Say, "Natasha, it is not OK for you to hit. You can feel angry, but hitting is not OK."

* Help the child feel safe.

Symptom: Exhibits aggressive behaviors. Bites, scratches, hits, kicks, spits, throws things, curses and/or pulls hair. The child could feel angry, need to feel big and powerful, is frightened about a lack of boundaries and/or observes aggression in the home.

Strategy:

* Make 10 times more positive remarks than negative ones.

* "Notice, notice, notice" positive behavior.

* Keep teaching pro-social behavior; make it happen.

* Talk to the child about his character in a positive way. Say, "You are the kind of child who helps others."

* Gently touch the child who hits and say, "This is the way it feels to be touched gently."

* Stay close and redirect rough approaches to other children before they get upset or angry.

Symptom: Throws tantrums easily and often. The child could struggle with separation, want to do things "himself," or feel frustrated because he wants what he wants - and now!

Strategy:

* Understand the intense emotional struggles of a toddler.

* Acknowledge the child's feelings and what he is trying to communicate through cries and gestures.

* Help the child learn words to communicate needs. Tell the child who seeks to be picked up, "Say 'up.'"

* Communicate you are there to help the child. Say, "I know you are frustrated. I won't leave you. I'm right here for you."

* Give the child choices to help him build autonomy, competence and a sense of appropriate power.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
 
Setting Them Up for Success Checklist


Are you setting your students up for success? Try this checklist to see where your areas of strengths and weaknesses are.

1.___ Are students able to cope with the assigned tasks?

2.___ Do you give instructions/directions at his/her level of need?

3.___ Have you considered the individual's learning style?

4.___ Are you objectives, routines and rules clearly understood by the students?

5.___ Are your activities engaging and motivating for your students?

6.___ Are you rules/routines posted clearly and stated positively?

7.___ Do you have a variety of rewards/consequences that are well known by your students?

8.___ Do you have smooth transitions from one subject to another and when students return from recess/lunch?

9.___ Do you promote self-esteem and confidence?

10.___ Do you ensure you have your student's attention before starting? Do you pause when somebody interrupts?

11.___ Do you always demonstrate respect for your students and value their contributions?

12.___ Do you remember to have fun with your students and provide humor when the opportunity presents itself?

If you can answer yes to these questions, your discipline plan will be one of success.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

Rational-Emotive Behavior Therapy

Rational-emotive behavior therapy (REBT) is a popular variation of cognitive-behavioral therapy developed in 1955 by psychologist Albert Ellis. REBT is based on the belief that a person's past experiences shape their belief system and thinking patterns. People form illogical, irrational thinking patterns that become the cause of both their negative emotions and of further irrational ideas. REBT focuses on helping patients discover these irrational beliefs that guide their behavior and replace them with rational beliefs and thoughts in order to relieve their emotional distress.

In A Guide to Rational Living (A. Ellis and R.A. Harper, 1961), Albert Ellis describes ten basic irrational assumptions that trigger maladaptive emotions and behaviors:

•It is a necessity for the student to be loved and approved of by almost everyone for virtually everything.

•A student must be thoroughly competent, adequate, and successful in all respects.

•Certain students are bad, wicked, or villainous and should be punished for their sins.

•It is catastrophic when things are not going the way one would like. •Human unhappiness is externally caused. Students have little or no ability to control their sorrows or to rid themselves of negative feelings. •It is right to be terribly preoccupied with and upset about something that may be dangerous or fearsome.

•It is easier to avoid facing many of life's difficulties and responsibilities than it is to undertake more rewarding forms of self-discipline.

•The past is all-important. Because something once strongly affected someone's life, it should continue to do so indefinitely.

•People and things should be different from the way they are. It is catastrophic if perfect solutions to the grim realities of life are not immediately found.

•Maximal human happiness can be achieved by inertia and inaction or by passively and without commitment "enjoying oneself."
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Controlling Simple Habits

Nate Azrin and Greg Nunn (1977) offer Habit Control in a Day. It is a clinically tested method for stopping nail-biting, hair-pulling, tics, stuttering, thumb sucking, and other nervous habits. They obtained 90% reduction in the habit the first day and 95% reduction within the first week and 99% within a month (assuming you keep working on the problem as prescribed).

The method is simple: learn to substitute an acceptable but incompatible action in place of the bad habit. To do this you must observe the bad habit in minute detail. The substitute behavior should (1) interfere with the habit but not with other normal activities, (2) be unnoticeable by others but something you are very aware of, and (3) be a response you can easily do for 3 minutes or so.

Examples of behaviors useful in opposing bad habits are: grasping an object, like a pencil, or lightly clenching your fist. Either could be substituted for nail biting or hair pulling. Likewise, filing your nails or brushing your hair would also be incompatible with nail biting or hair pulling. Also, isometric contraction of muscles opposing the ticking muscles is another example. Consciously breathing in and out slowly and evenly is inconsistent with coughing or clearing your throat; drinking water is incompatible with the same habits.

Next, practice the new response 5-10 minutes every day for at least a week. In addition, mentally rehearse how and when you can use the new response. Once mastered, the new response must be used for three minutes every time (a) you catch yourself doing the old habit, (b) you feel the urge to do the old habit, (c) you enter a situation where the old habit frequently occurred, and (d) you realize you are doing another habit that often precedes the bad habit. Examples of the latter would be face touching that almost always precedes nail biting or hair pulling, touching the finger nail before biting it, and feeling your face before picking it. More careful self-observation is needed to discover the situations, activities, and people in (c), and the associated habits in (d).

Cognitive rehearsal. The student imagines a difficult situation and the teacher guides him through the step-by-step process of facing and successfully dealing with it. The student then works on practicing, or rehearsing, these steps mentally. Ideally, when the situation arises in real life, the patient will draw on the rehearsed behavior to address it.

Modeling. The teacher and student engage in role-playing exercises in which the teacher acts out appropriate behaviors or responses to situations.

Conditioning. The teacher uses reinforcement to encourage a particular behavior. For example, a child with ADHD gets a gold star every time he stays focused on tasks and accomplishes certain daily chores. The gold star reinforces and increases the desired behavior by identifying it with something positive. Reinforcement can also be used to extinguish unwanted behaviors by imposing negative consequences.

•Systematic desensitization. Students imagine a situation they fear, while the teacher employs techniques to help the student relax, helping the student cope with their fear reaction and eventually eliminate the anxiety altogether. For example, a student trying to overcome agoraphobia, or fear of open or public places, will relax and then picture her/himself on the sidewalk outside of her/his house. In her/his next session, she/he may relax her/himself and then imagine a visit to a crowded shopping mall. The imagery of the anxiety-producing situations gets progressively more intense until, eventually, the teacher and student approach the anxiety-causing situation in real-life (a "graded exposure"), perhaps by visiting a mall. Exposure may be increased to the point of "flooding," providing maximum exposure to the real situation. By repeatedly pairing a desired response (relaxation) with a fear-producing situation (open, public spaces), the student gradually becomes desensitized to the old response of fear and learns to react with feelings of relaxation.

•Validity testing. Students are asked to test the validity of the automatic thoughts and schemas they encounter. The teacher may ask the patient to defend or produce evidence that a schema is true. If the student is unable to meet the challenge, the faulty nature of the schema is exposed.

_________________________________________________________________________________________

First Grade Readiness Checklist

Ask Kytka

How do I know my child is ready for first grade?
May 20, 1999


For those of you who may have children from 5 on upwards who believe that "My child is ready for the First grade material", I suggest that you first look at this checklist. This is what many Waldorf teachers go by and it is strongly suggested that if your child cannot complete the following tasks, your child is not yet ready. This list comes from the wonderful book: The Spirit of Childhood by Douglas J. Gabriel.

"Some of the questions that might be asked about the physiology (will nature) of the child to assess first grade readiness are listed below. This is not a checklist, it is a springboard for developing a whole picture of the child in relationship to is or her own development. After enough pictures arise out of the experience, the teacher will become more adept at understanding child development and recognizing early signs of physical problems that might stand in the way of learning. Time is the greatest teacher and development cannot be rushed."

Readiness Checklist

1) What is the head/trunk/limb proportion like? Can the child reach over his head with the right arm and touch the left ear? If not, then the limbs have not yet grown out enough to reflect an even proportion of head/trunk/limb.
2) The second dentition of teeth is an important measure of readiness and usually if the child has lost a few teeth, he is ready for memory work. Often the lower teeth go first due to the preponderance of will activity in the child. If the upper teeth go first, there is a preponderance of thinking activity. It is the development of the convolutions of the brain that create the second dentition due to force brought upon the endocrine glands. Therefore, if the teeth have not fallen out, then the brain has not finished that phase of growth.
3) By moving your finger back and forth in front of the child and having him follow the motion with his eyes, one can check for smooth left to right and right to left tracking with the eyes. Often too much TV or video playing causes jittery tracking or back tracking.
4) Have the child point to something in the room, then repeat the action with only one eye. Watch to see if the child uses the left or right hand and the left or right eye. Keep track of left/right choices to check for laterality
(the preference for one side or the other).
5) Then check to see if the child can close one eye at a time. If they cannot, then neural tracking in the brain is still developing, and reading or entrainment will be difficult.
6) Ask the child to visualize a two-digit number as you are saying the numbers to him. Can he "see" the numbers and can he repeat them backwards? Then move on to three digit numbers. Visualizing and sequencing are very necessary neurological functions for math and reading.
7) Can the child repeat a clapping rhythm that you demonstrate in front of him and behind him? With eyes closed? Does he turn his head to listen?
8) Can the child skip rhythmically? Can he jump rope? Can he jump into a turning rope?
9) Can he walk a straight line? With eyes closed?
10) Can he walk and clap a rhythm at the same time? Backwards?
11) Can he play hop scotch? Bounce a ball? Play catch? Throw?
12) Does the child imitate your motions as in a mirror or does she use her left when you use your left?
13) Can he tie a shoelace? Button his coat?
14) Can the child repeat a tone? A phrase of music? A line from a poem?
15) How well does she articulate her words? Can she do a tongue-twister? Say the alphabet? Count rhythmically up to ten and then back?
16) Can the child follow a series of verbal directives in order? Cover one ear and follow different directives?
17) Can he follow your thumb inscribing a horizontal figure eight that crosses the midline in front of him? Can he create the motion independently and consistently?
18) What are the child's play habits like? Who does she play with and how?
19) Checking for laterality or dominance try the following:
-stand up on a chair and then down
-throw and catch a ball
-kick a ball on the ground and in the air
-look through a rolled piece of paper (telescope)
-jump up and down on one foot
-look at something with one eye
-open eyes and grab a ball quickly
20) Can the child identify colors?
21) Ask the child about what he likes and dislikes in school and at home.
22) Ask the child if they are ready to go on to first grade.
23. Check the shape and nature of the head, ears, hands, in relationships to the rest of the body.
24) How does the child run, jump, walk and carry himself?
25) Using Barbara Meister Vitale' 5 scheme (found in the book, Unicorns Are Real) check for visual, auditory and kinesthetic preferences. Have the child imagine a blue elephant with a red umbrella and green hat, then ask her to access this imagination again and watch her eyes. Do the same with a auditory memory and a kinesthetic memory. When the eyes turn up and left they are accessing the right hemisphere and visual memory whereas up and right is left hemisphere visual. Accessing to the sides is auditory memory and looking straight up or down is kinesthetic. If a child is mixed in her response, do further testing to assess the extent of the crossing. Extreme crossing from one realm to the other may indicate cross-dominance. Also have the child quickly close her eyes and touch the part of the body where she feels the memory is taking place.
26) Give the child a fill-in-the-blank journey. You are starting on a journey today from a house-what kind of a house is it? and so on; including a river to cross, a forest to enter, a tree in the middle with a container underneath it, a key in the container, a large body of water to cross to an island, a building on the island with the place where the key fit. Ask the child to tell you what the key opens and what is inside? This will tell you about the child's image of his body, health, psyche, inner character, courage, and his gift to the world."

These days the academic pressure is on and most people are rushing to place their children into schools and structured programs much too soon! The most important thing to consider isn't your child's size or age - but his development. Your child may have a high IQ, but still be developmentally delayed. There was a wonderful study done by James Uphoff and June Gilmore entitled "Pupil Age at School Entrance" and they summarized: 1) The chronologically older children in a grade tend to receive many more above average grades from teachers than do younger children in that grade. 2) Older children are much more likely to score in the above average range on SATs. 3) The younger children in a grade are far more likely to fail at least one grade than are older children. 4) The younger children in a grade are far more likely to be referred by teachers for learning disabilities testing and subsequently be diagnosed as being learning disabled than are older students in that grade. 5) The academic problems of children who were developmentally unready at school entrance often last throughout their school careers and sometimes even into adulthood.

Steiner said: "People will object that the children then learn to read and write too late. This is said only because it is not known today how harmful it is when the children learn to read and write early. Reading and writing as we have them today are not really suited the human being until a later age - the eleventh or twelfth year - and the more a child is blessed with not being able to read and write well before this age, the better it is for the later years of life. A child who cannot write properly at thirteen or fourteen (I can speak out of my own experience because I could not do it at that age) is not so hindered for later spiritual development as one who early, at seven or eight years, can already read and write perfectly." (from lecture 2, Kingdom of Childhood)

The official view of Waldorf schools is to recognize the advantage of delaying entrance into first grade until a child is developmentally ready for school. Many children in Waldorf schools actually spend TWO years in the kindergarten program. You will find the most wonderful resources on this subject with the following books:

Better Late Than Early: A New Approach to Your Child's Education
This book provides numerous arguments to support that children need nurturing loving homes first and foremost. It over and over again contends that formal education is better left until age 8-10. The research and arguments are vast. Resources are plentiful and convincing.

_______________________________________________________________________________


HARVARD EDUCATION LETTER


January/February 1999 January/February 1999

Retention vs. Social Promotion: Schools Search for Alternatives

By Karen Kelly

Earlier this year, President Clinton announced that it was time to end social promotion-the practice of promoting students to the next grade regardless of their academic progress. Since then, it has become clear that educators and legislators are listening. California, Delaware, South Carolina, and Wisconsin have all passed laws forbidding the practice, and, in effect, requiring schools to reinstate retention.


This is the latest chapter in a decades-long struggle to address the problem of the failing student. On the one hand, teachers don't want to see a 15-year-old sitting in a 7th-grade classroom. On the other, they don't want to pass a student who is clearly failing. As a result, the pendulum between retention and promotion continues to swing wildly.

"It follows a seven- or eight-year cycle," says retention researcher Lorrie Shepard, a professor at the University of Colorado at Boulder. "Right now, politicians are seeing retention as the remedy. Once they feel the negative side effects, they'll back off."

According to Jim Grant, director of the Society for Developmental Education in Peterborough, NH, even retention proponents say they're tired of seeing the educational community swing from one extreme to the other. "We've gone from no retentions to a move to retain everyone. That'll devastate a lot of lives," says Grant. "No one's thinking it through."

"It's a shame it's always cast in these terms-retention and social promotion," says Johns Hopkins University professor Karl Alexander, author of On the Success of Failure: A Reassessment of the Effects of Retention in the Primary Grades. "There ought to be a lot of things in between. We need to find out about intervention programs that are effective and cost-effective."

A growing number of schools are, in fact, implementing alternative intervention programs intended to beef up academic skills and, in the process, reduce the retention rate. Programs such as mandatory summer school, one-on-one tutoring, after-school programs, and comprehensive, school-wide reforms are popping up all over the country.

Retention: common sense or nonsense?

A 1996 study done by the National Center for Education Statistics found that 16.8 percent of seniors had repeated at least one grade since kindergarten. The most frequently repeated grades were kindergarten through second. In addition, a recent study from the National Academy of Sciences suggests the rate of retention may be higher than that. The researchers looked at 6- to 8-year-old students in the 1980s and early 1990s and found that by the time the students were ages 9-11, 25 to 30 percent were no longer in the appropriate grade for their age group. Part of this may be due to delayed entry into kindergarten.

In many schools, retention is still the preferred remedy. Jim Grant, a former classroom teacher, holds seminars for teachers and encourages them to think of retention as "additional learning time" for misplaced students.

"When you have 365 birth dates and two genders and kids who are low birth weight and are living in poverty, someone is going to be assigned to the wrong grade," contends Grant. "Often you can correct an inappropriate placement by having a child repeat the grade."

Research suggests that most U.S. teachers agree with Grant. While parents usually have the final say, the classroom teacher is the one who recommends retention to the principal.

Arizona State University professor Mary Lee Smith interviewed 40 teachers at 10 different primary schools in Boulder, CO. "Few teachers could name one negative effect of retention," writes Smith in Flunking Grades. "Almost all stated... they would rather err on the side of retaining a child who possibly might not need it than to promote one who might have needed to be retained. Nor," she adds, "was there doubt that children's achievement and adjustment would be enhanced by a second year before first grade."

Nevertheless, Grant argues that retention is not appropriate for all struggling students. He says it works best for younger students in a class, emotionally immature children of average or high ability, and children who are small for their age. However, a 1992 study by Yale University professor Arthur Reynolds bolstered arguments that a disproportionate number of disadvantaged minority children are retained, as are boys, those who attend urban schools, and children with behavior problems.

Does retention work?

The majority of studies conducted over the last few decades suggest the practice does more harm than good. In a 1989 analysis of 63 empirical studies, University of Georgia professor C. Thomas Holmes found 54 that resulted in overall negative effects. Retention harmed students' achievement, attendance record, personal adjustment in school, and attitude toward school. The studies were conducted in a wide range of districts around the country. The analysis compared retained children in elementary and junior high school to matched groups of equally low-performing peers who were promoted. When Holmes specifically compared 1st-grade retainees to those who were promoted, he found that students who were retained didn't do as well as those who moved on. A year later, when the retainees had finished 2nd grade, they still fell short of the 2nd-grade performance of their promoted peers.

These findings were echoed in Reynolds's 1992 study of 1,200 minority children in Chicago. Twenty percent of the students in his sample were retained at least once between kindergarten and 3rd grade-more than twice the national average. When Reynolds tested their reading skills, he found poor performers who had been promoted moved eight months ahead of their peers who had been retained. In mathematics, the promoted group gained seven months on their peers. By the time the retainees reached 3rd grade, Reynolds found they were still only working at a 2nd-grade level.

Lorrie Shepard has seen similar results in her research. She has conducted several studies on the effects of retention-in particular, its relationship to the dropout rate. In a controlled 1992 study, she found students who repeated a year were 20 to 30 percent more likely to drop out of school. Another study, conducted in 1985 by the Association of California Urban School Districts, found that students who were retained twice had a probability of dropping out of nearly 100 percent.

"It's a shame it's always
cast in these terms-retention
and social promotion. There ought
to be a lot of things in between."
However, the most recent addition to the retention literature is less condemning of the practice. Johns Hopkins researcher Alexander followed 775 students in Baltimore over a period of eight years; 53 percent were retained at least once, 14 percent more than once. His 1992 study, published in On the Success of Failure, found retention was harmless and, at times, offered small benefits.

Unlike most researchers, Alexander tracked students' progress before they were retained and found that retention halted failure that had begun in previous years. However, his interpretation of the findings was challenged by Shepard, who contends that test scores rose in retained groups because large numbers of the retainees were placed in special education and were therefore excused from standardized testing. Alexander disputes this claim. He says he's been cast as a "friend of retention," a label he dislikes. "I'm not enthusiastic about retention, but social promotion may be more of a disservice," says Alexander. "We need to find alternatives."

In fact, Holmes's review of retention research identified nine programs that take an alternative approach. He found that the studies with positive results shared several characteristics. Retained students in these studies "were identified early and given special help. An individualized and detailed educational plan was prepared for remediation purposes, and the children were placed in special classes with low student-teacher ratios," Holmes writes. However, when compared to a promoted control group that also received extra help, the retained students still lagged behind.

Reading is key

Without the ability to read, a student is virtually cut off from learning in every subject. Thus, the majority of retentions occur in 1st grade, even though researchers have found 1st-graders often benefit least from the practice.

However, researchers like Gilbert Gredler, author of School Readiness: Assessment and Educational Issues, say 1st grade offers educators a golden opportunity to identify and address a reading problem early. "I heard one teacher say to a mother, 'I'm pretty sure they'll need to be retained.' That was early in the school year," recalls Gredler. "Rather than giving up, that's when the teachers and the school have to come in with extra help, before retention is even considered."

In fact, a growing number of schools are stepping in with extra help in the form of one-on-one tutoring programs. Perhaps the best known is Reading Recovery, a preventive program that works with students who are performing in the bottom 20 percent of their class.

According to two studies conducted by researchers in the late 1980s, Reading Recovery students substantially outperformed control students on almost all measures of reading. Researchers found the program reduced the number of retentions by 9 percent.

"This is absolutely an alternative to retention," says Ohio State University's Gay Su Pinnel, the program's director. "We should think about reducing retention before it reaches the point of having to retain. This is our greatest chance."

After-school help

After-school programs have also gained popularity as a way to avoid retaining students, but Johns Hopkins University professor Olatokunbo Fashola says there's little research on their effectiveness.

"After-school programs have become very hot," says Fashola, who reviewed 25 programs for the U.S. Department of Education. "But in many studies, they don't use control groups, the students are self-selected, and they rely on interviews to gather information."

One exception is the Exemplary Center for Reading Instruction (ECRI) based in Salt Lake City. This program employs teachers as tutors after school who use a variety of instructional methods in an attempt to reach all learners. In a study of students in grades 2 through 7 in Tennessee, researchers found the ECRI students significantly outperformed those in the control group on the Stanford Achievement Test in reading comprehension and vocabulary. And in North Carolina, administrators were able to track a 20 percent drop in retention over a two-year period of using the ECRI program.

Schoolwide reforms

Reforming an entire school costs more, takes longer, and is significantly more risky. But Robert Slavin, founder of the much-researched program Success For All, says schoolwide reform has distinct advantages for serving kids who need extra help.

"The problem with simply tutoring is you can't tutor everybody. Here, you're serving a much larger number of kids," says Slavin, who's based at Johns Hopkins. "If you have a comprehensive approach with good evidence of effectiveness, then the school has a good chance of getting large-scale improvements."

Research suggests that Success For All can have a significant impact. A study in the Baltimore schools found 1st-grade students were about three months ahead of matched control students in reading. By the time they reached 5th grade, they scored a full grade level higher. The program also strives to eliminate retention as a matter of policy.

Mandatory summer school

In 1996, after years of banning student retention, the Chicago public schools reintroduced a retention policy. This time, however, it offered students a second chance. Any 3rd-, 6th-, or 8th-grader performing one or two years below grade level in math and reading is now required to attend summer school. At the end of the summer, they can retake the Iowa Test of Basic Skills; if they pass, they're promoted with their classmates.

The majority of studies conducted
over the last few decades on the
effectiveness of retention suggest
that the practice does more harm
than good.
The school district supplies summer school teachers with lesson plans and a schedule to follow, which focuses solely on reading and math skills. The district's approach has quickly been adopted by other urban districts, including Washington, DC, Milwaukee, Denver, Long Beach, CA, and the 89,000-student Gwinnett County, GA, district.

But of all the interventions being touted as alternatives to retention, mandatory summer school is the least studied. In 1997, the second year of Chicago's new policy, 41,000 students were assigned to summer school. Approximately 16,000 passed the Iowa Test and were promoted; 17,700 did not pass and were retained; and about 7,000 did not finish and were automatically retained. A review by the Chicago Panel on School Policy found 70 percent of the students achieved some gains over the summer.

"It's definitely too early to assess the program's effectiveness," says Barbara Beull, director of the Chicago Panel. "There have been a few small studies, but nothing scientific." Some researchers criticize the use of the Iowa Test as the sole criteria for advancement. Others are keeping an eye on the number of students retained after completing the mandatory summer program. If the summer bridge is effective, then that number should decrease.

Retention retains support

Still, the number of students retained in Chicago, and in many other districts, is on the rise. The question is whether the increased use of interventions will change the impact of retention on these students.

Lorrie Shepard agrees there's a need for more interventions to help struggling students. But, she argues, the extra help will go further when students are promoted. "Students should receive help in the context of their grade-level courses," says Shepard. "Students are usually behind in one area but not in others. Let's not have everything held up by the fact that they need help."

Karen Kelly is a freelance writer based in Albany, NY.

For further information

K. Alexander, D.R. Entwisle, and S. Dauber. On the Success of Failure: A Reassessment of the Effects of Retention in the Primary Grades. New York: Cambridge University Press, 1994.

Chicago Panel on School Policy. "Initiatives Status Report: Summer Bridge." CPSP, 75 East Wacker Drive, Suite 300, Chicago, IL 60601; 312-346-2202; www.chicagopanel.org

O. S. Fashola. Review of Extended Day and After-School Programs and Their Effectiveness. US Department of Education: Office of Educational Research and Improvement, July 1999; 202-219-2038.

J. Grant. Retention and Its Prevention: Making Informed Decisions About Individual Children. Rosemont, NJ: Modern Learning Press, 1997; 800-627-5867.

G. Gredler. "Book Review: On the Success of Failure." Psychology in the Schools 35, no. 4 (1999): 402-406.

J. Heubert and R. Hauser (eds.), "High Stakes: Testing for Tracking, Promotion, and Graduation." Committee on Appropriate Test Use. Washington, DC: National Academy Press, 1999. www.nap.edu/readingroom

C.T. Holmes. "Grade Level Retention Effects: A Meta-Analysis of Research Studies." In Flunking Grades: Research and Policies on Retention. L.A. Shepard and M.L. Smith (eds.), London: Falmer Press, 1989.

A. Reynolds. "Grade Retention and School Adjustment: An Explanatory Analysis." Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis 14, no. 2 (Summer 1992): 101-121.

L.A. Shepard and M.L. Smith. "Synthesis of Research on Grade Retention." Educational Leadership 47, no. 8 (May 1990): 84-88.

L.A. Shepard and M.L. Smith (eds.), Flunking Grades: Research and Policies on Retention. London: Falmer Press, 1989.

R. Slavin, N.A. Madden, L.J. Dolan, B.A. Wasik, S.M.Ross, and L.J. Smith. "Whenever and Wherever We Choose: The Replication of Success For All." Phi Delta Kappan 75, no. 8 (April 1994): 639-647.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________

IEP Review Checklist

Present Level of Performance

Is there sufficient information on what the child is doing now?

____ strengths
____ needs related to the child's disability
____ parent concerns

How does the child's disability affect progress in the general curriculum?

Does the PLOP establish a baseline of information about the child?

____ measurable - means observable (you can see it, hear it, count it)
____ functional - means useful in the child's daily environment
____ identifies any special factors
____ describes both academic and non-academic areas
____ includes results of most recent evaluation or re-evaluation (e.g. formal and informal educational

performance data, state and/or district assessments)

Annual Goal

What can the child accomplish in 12 months?

____ related to the disability
____ related to the Wisconsin academic standards/general curriculum
____ functional
____ measurable

Is the goal stated in the following terms:

The child - will do what - to what level/degree?

Does the goal apply to a variety of situations and activities?

Can you describe the behavior the child will be doing when the goal is reached?

Short Term Objectives/Benchmarks

What will the child need to do to achieve each annual goal?

____ at least 2 per each goal
____ a precursor step or building block skill
____ measurable

Do the short-term objectives define the intermediate steps to a goal?

The child - will do what - to what level/degree- under what conditions?

Do the benchmarks identify major milestones in achieving a goal?

The child - will do what - to what level/degree - by when?
__________________________________________________________________________________________________

Measurable annual goals:

What do you want the student to know or be able to do in 12 months as a result of this IEP?

Is this information measurable / observable? What will you observe?

(The annual goal - "Increase study skills for academic success" is not measurable. However, the statement "The student will demonstrate the following study skills: skimming written material and the use of reference materials in the social studies class" is measurable and observable.)

Does the goal have meaning for the parents? For other IEP members who will be working with this student? If you used jargon, do you provide additional information somewhere else? For example, some of you state that the goal will be achieved by reaching a Standard Score of 85, or increase expressive communication by greater or equal to .5 Standard deviation. If you use this terminology, either your goal or your objectives need to describe what the student will accomplish when he/she reaches that standard score or standard deviation.

Present Level of Educational Performance:

What do you want the student to know or be able to do in 12 months, and why can't he /she do it now? In other words, how does the disability affect the student's progress?

What can he / she do now? What is the actual starting point for each area of need? What are the current skills / knowledge?

If, in 9 weeks, you have to describe the student's progress in this area of need, what kind of information will you be able to provide?
Short term objectives and benchmarks

Are the objectives / benchmarks clear, observable steps that will advance the student from the "Present Level of Educational Performance" to the "Measurable annual goals"?

Is each objective measurable?

Is each objective / benchmark a major milestone or other obvious marker along the path from "Present Level of Educational Performance" to the "Measurable annual goals"?

Annual Goals

Essential Elements

Key Question: What should the child be doing?

What areas of the general curriculum is the child having difficulty with because of his/her disability?

What are the most important areas of the general curriculum for the child to master?

What other areas are difficult for the child? Consider behavior, motor, social-emotional, communication, self-help.

Purpose: To describe what a child can reasonably be expected to accomplish within 12 months with specially designed instruction and related services. Annual goals enable the child to be involved in and progress in the general curriculum. They are also intended to meet other educational needs that result from the child's disability.

Definition: An annual goal:

is directly related to the present level of performance which provides baseline information about the child

sets the direction for working with the child

is written for specially designed instruction, not all aspects of the child's educational program, unless the total program is special education

provides a way of determining whether anticipated outcomes are being met, and whether placements and services are appropriate for the child's special needs.
has three parts: the child . . . does what. . . to what level/degree
Key Characteristics:

describes what the child will do

measurable

functional

observable

meaningful

comprehensive

Writing Strategy: Describe the behavior the child will be doing when the goal is reached.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
So how do I make the Present Levels of Educational

Performance and Annual Goals measurable?

To make something measurable, you can specify a grade or age level performance if that grade or age level performance is clear or definable through district standards or other curriculum or through known scope and sequence materials, developmental materials, or through testing materials.

You can also make it measurable by indicating a rate, for example, 3 out of 4 times, 80% of the time, 5 minutes out of every 10, 75% success. When using a rate, be sure you can specify and measure the "whole part." In other words, if you say a student will do something 80% of the time, does that mean you or someone will have to watch the student 24 hours a day, 5 days a week? If the whole time would be unreasonable, than modify your expectation to specify the whole time that will be used for purposes of accountability, for example, 80% of any 15-minute observation.

You can make student behavior measurable by defining the factors surrounding the behavior. These include precipitating events, such as, "when asked to work independently," or environmental factors, such as, "when dealing with female authority figures," or other patterns, such as "always after lunch," "in math class," "on the playground." Finally, you can make behavior measurable by identifying the results of the behavior, "Removal from the classroom has increased [this behavior]." If this looks like a Functional Behavioral Assessment, it is. Even informally, the techniques of an FBA can do wonders for making your present levels clear and measurable.

Finally, remember that you probably know most, if not all, of what you need to know to make these components of the IEP measurable. Learn to ask yourself questions that help you focus on what you know that is critical to this task. Here are some of those questions:

What is the area of need for this student? ¨

How is this area of need related to the student's disability?

How does this area of need impact (a) the student's progress in the general curriculum? (b) the student's need to remediate, compensate for, or cope with his or her disability?

What does the IEP team want this student to know or be able to do as a result of this IEP?

Why can't he or she do it now?

What is it about the student's disability that interferes with achieving this knowledge or skill?

Why does this student need an IEP for this as compared to other student's who don't need an IEP?

What is the actual (measurable) starting point for this knowledge or skill?

How will we know if the student can or succeeds at doing this?

What will I see this student doing when he/she reaches this goal?

How is this relevant to this student's learning needs?

What effect does reaching this goal have on closing the student's learning gaps (1) relative to his/her peers? (2) Relative to his/her lifelong learning needs?

Did I avoid vague or unclear words or phrases?

How can I measure this knowledge or skill or how can I measure indicators of this knowledge or skill?
The following are some present levels of performance with notations to show why they aren't clear or measurable, and how to make them clear and measurable.

"Billie is a 3rd grader who has difficulty with reading, written language and math".

REWRITE: Billie is a 3rd grader with reading and math skills at 1st grade level. In written language, Billie spells at an early 1st grade level. She knows that sentences begin with a capital letter and end with a period, but she has no other consistent understanding of capitalization or punctuation. She is unable to write a complete simple sentence.

"Billie is successful with modifications and special education programming and resource assistance, earning passing grades in all classes".

REWRITE: With modified writing assignments and adult assistance in reading and math, her teachers have indicated that she demonstrates average understanding of most classrooms content. She listens attentively but does not participate in complex problem-solving activities in math, science, and social studies.
"Billie tries very hard, but has difficulty completing assignments and turning them in on time".

REWRITE: Teachers report that she is rarely off task, yet she fails to turn in assignments on average once a day. Another 3 assignments per week, on average, are turned in incomplete.

"Joan's reading is at least a year below that of her grade level peers, and her writing skills are poor".

REWRITE: Joan's reading decoding skills are 4 years below her grade level (8th grade); her comprehension skills are 2 to 4 years below grade level (variation due to familiarity with content); and her listening comprehension skills are at grade level. In written language, she is able to write a complete sentence, and will combine simple sentences into compounded sentences when reminded to do so. Spelling of phonetically predictable words is at approximately 5th grade level, but she is unable to recall the correct spelling of most unpredictable words, including "would, show, they, from," and others. She has learned capitalization and punctuation rules, requiring only occasional reminders when she forgets to apply them.

"Dolly dislikes school and teachers. She often violates school rules. She becomes angry easily and refuses to obey authorities or take responsibility for her actions".

REWRITE: Dolly does not initiate conversation with adults in the school setting, and only responds to adult communication when the adult confirms Dolly's attention and eye contact. In unstructured or loosely structured settings, Dolly's activity level increases and she is more likely to violate school rules, or become agitated or angry. She has been given 8 disciplinary notices in the past 10 days and 27 since school started 3 months ago. All of these situations occurred during transition times or when the teacher was not in the classroom. When angry, she doesn't know how to de-escalate and has not been willing to discuss the situation after it is over.
Now, let's try some goals for each of the above.

"Billie will increase reading skills. Billie will increase math skills. Billie will increase written language skills to 3rd grade level".

REWRITES: Billie will increase reading skills to 2nd grade level. Billie will increase math skills by 1.5 grade levels. Billie will demonstrate written language skills that include spelling at 2nd grade level, use of complete sentences, and correct punctuation and capitalization.

"Billie will pass all classes".

REWRITE: With modifications and assistance, Billie will continue her progress with basic skill activities in general education classes and improve her performance with problem-solving activities in math., science, and social studies by applying problem-solving techniques to at least one such problem per week in each of math., science, and social studies.

"Billie will complete assignments and turn them in 80% of the time".

REWRITE: Provided with modified assignments and adult assistance, Billie will complete assignments and turn them in 80% of the time. NOTE: While this goal is clear and measurable, it fails to acknowledge the important information shared by the teachers; that is, that Billie is on-task most of the time, so obviously she needs something more to help her complete the work and turn it in. If we don't know what that is, we provide a broadly stated condition that allows us to identify her need. Remember that an IEP isn't a contract, and sometimes, as in this situation, it is important to specify what the district will do to help the student. One other

NOTE: This may be more appropriate as an objective related to some other area of need, rather than a goal on its own.

"Joan will increase her reading and writing skills by one year".

REWRITE: Using compensatory strategies, Joan will comprehend written materials at the 8th grade level with 70% accuracy, and with remediation, she will increase her decoding and reading comprehension skills to the 6th grade level.

ALSO: Joan will improve her written language and spelling skills so that she can write a clear, cohesive, and readable paragraph consisting of at least 3 sentences, including compound and complex sentences that are clearly related.

"Dolly will demonstrate recognition of positive attitudes in school. OR Dolly will demonstrate social skills at the 6th grade level".

REWRITE: Dolly will demonstrate pro-social skills that result in interactions with adults and peers as defined by the short-term objectives:

Dolly will initiate conversation perceived as pleasant by the adults at least 2 different times each day.
Dolly will identify at least 2 strategies for recognizing when she can involve herself in conversations or other school activities.
Dolly will employ strategies she identifies so that she can be an active participant in social and school-related conversations and activities at least once each day.

"Dolly will decrease her anger and her violation of school rules".

REWRITE: Provided with anger management training and adult support, Dolly will remove herself from environments that cause her to lose control of her behavior so that she eliminates the need for disciplinary notices.

Here are some more goals, and how to improve them:

Present Level: While student turns in most of his assignments on time, he frequently fails to fill out his assignment notebook.

Goal: Student will fill out assignment notebook 100% of the time.

Inquiry: What is the purpose of this goal? If the student gets his work in, why do we need to add the assignment notebook task? Remember the relevancy question. Possibly, the IEP should specify a supplementary aid and service: "not required to maintain an assignment notebook."

Goal: Student will maintain his current level of self-advocacy skills in order to meet his daily needs 100% of the time.

Inquiry: What is the purpose of this goal? What do we want the student to know or be able to do as a result of this goal? Why can't he/she do it now? Is the area of need related to these "daily needs?" What are they? What is interfering with success in this area of need?

Or is this just a maintenance goal? If so, providing support for maintenance doesn't require a goal. You can still provide that support without a goal. Why does this student require an IEP? For modifications? For supports?

Is the student, otherwise at grade level in all skills? Or at a level needed for post-secondary success? If not, identify areas of need that are inadequate and build the supports and accommodations into that goal.

Here is an example:

GOAL: Student will demonstrate the planning and communication skills needed so that he is provided with accommodations for his disability and supports necessary for completion of assigned tasks at school and on the job.

"Student will organize his work so that he can pass all classes".

Rewrite: Student will establish and maintain a system for organizing his work and other responsibilities so that he completes required work and assignments and turns them in on time 80% of the time.
"Kyle will participate in adapted physical education activities when provided with adapted equipment".

Rewrite: Provided with adapted equipment and assistance, Kyle will acquire skill with 3 or more different leisure time physical activities that promote flexibility and tone in arms and upper
______________________________________________________________________________________________________
Present Level of Performance

Essential Elements

Key Question: What is the child doing now?


Purpose: To describe the unique needs of the child that will be addressed by special education and related services, and to establish a baseline of measurable information that serves as the starting point for developing goals and objectives/benchmarks.

Definition: The present level of performance specifies:

the strengths of the child

the unique needs of the child

parental concerns

how the child's disability affects their involvement and progress in the general curriculum
Key Characteristics:

measurable

objective

functional

current

identifies any special factors

describes both academic and non-academic areas

includes the results of most recent evaluation or re-evaluation (e.g. formal and informal educational performance data, state and/or district assessments)

establishes a baseline of information used in writing goals, short term objectives and benchmarks
Writing Strategy: Describe the behavior the child is doing in objective, measurable terms.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

 
Short Term Objectives & Benchmarks

Essential Elements

Key Question: What will the child need to be able to do to achieve each goal?

How do we get to the goals?

What are the intermediate steps (short-term objectives) to achieving the goal?

OR

What are the major milestones (benchmarks) to achieving the goal?

Purpose: To outline measurable, intermediate steps between a student's present level of performance and the annual goal.

Definition: Short term objectives - intermediate steps to a goal
Benchmarks - major milestones to a goal

Key Characteristics:

Measurable

Minimum of 2 per goal

A logical breakdown of the major components of an annual goal

General indicators of progress, not a detailed instructional plan

Specifies the behavior to be performed

Short term objectives often specify conditions under which the child will perform the behavior

Benchmarks often indicate a time frame

May be a precursor step or a building block skill

May be sequential (crawl, then walk) or parallel (decode accurately and understand what is read)
Writing Strategy: Describe the behavior the child will be doing when the short-term objective or benchmark is achieved.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________