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Classroom Process: Identify and Help a Struggling Student By: Regina Lien…
Classroom Process: Identify and Help a Struggling Student
By: Regina Lien
1. Suspicion
Parents, teachers, and other professionals should pay attention to signs that a student may be struggling.
Take N.O.T.E
https://youtu.be/_jjioD64MIQ
4. Engage
When you have enough information to suspect that the student is struggling, move to the next step for formal action
3. Talk
Talk to others who are familiar with the child about your observations. This can be previous teachers or coworkers. Talk to the child as well to see what he is struggling with.
2. Observe
Keep track of patterns in the student's behavior
Questions to Ask:
When does the student get frustrated?
Physical and verbal signs
What is the student doing before the frustration begins?
Who was there?
How did the student calm down?
1. Notice
Pay attention to the signs that something may be out of the ordinary, especially for:
Reading and writing
Math
Focus and organization
Self-control and hyperactivity
Frustration, stress, and anxiety
Developmental milestones
Signs
Emotionality
Students can feel emotionally overwhelmed due to their struggles.
Examples:
Often feeling shame, embarrassment, depression, frustration
Low self-esteem
Serious school-related anxiety
Trouble with self-regulation (emotion management)
:
Test Anxiety or Stress
Some students have more test anxiety than reasonable.
Examples:
Scrambling to complete test on time or goes over the time limit despite reminders
Last one working on assignments
Messy handwriting
Pre-test anxiety
Fails often despite studying
Timing Troubles
Students may have trouble with time management, transitions, and organization.
Examples:
Taking too long to complete tasks
Parents report that homework takes hours
Chronologically late to school or between classes
Missing Homework
Students routinely fail to complete their homework in time or at all.
Possible Reasons:
Embarrassed to hand in incomplete or incorrect work
Troubles with memory and organization - completely forgets an assignment
Loses the homework
Acting Out
Some students draw attention away from their weaknesses by acting out.
Examples:
Acting like the "class clown"
Being defiant
Adopting a "too cool to care" attitude
Hiding Out
Students try to conceal their struggles
Examples:
Excessively shy
Unwilling to participate in group settings
Low self-esteem
Off Track
Student has trouble staying on track in class
Examples:
Not paying attention
Difficulty following directions
Daydreaming
Difficulty copying from the board
Trouble remembering assignments
Failure to complete assignments correctly
Not Trying
Some students may seem like they are being lazy or not applying themselves on the surface.
Not Meeting Potential
Student seems like he should be succeeding, but isn't (particular subject or overall performance)
Examples:
Great at essays, but cannot get through simple math assignments
Great at answering questions, but can't convey through writing
Obvious intelligence in person, but not reflected in grades
2. Pre-Referral
A preventative measure to help eliminate inappropriate referrals
When Pre-Referral Fails
If students do not improve with these interventions, student will be referred for an assessment to determine eligibility for special education services.
Referral can be initiated by the following:
School Personnel
Parents / Legal Guardians
Others Involved in Child's Education or Care
Response to Intervention (RTI)
Some states and independent school districts are using RTI, which is a more formal and systematic pre-referral process.
Designed to address the needs of all children.
Levels of Intervention
Tier 3
Intensive, individualized interventions
Tier 2
Targeted group instruction or other group remediation to improve performance
15% of students will improve
Tier 1
Use high-quality general education instruction in the core curriculum with all students.
80% of students will respond positively to core curriculum and behavior systems.
Services
High-Quality Instruction:
can include tiered evidence-based or practice-based intervention strategies
Frequent Monitoring of Progress:
helps make academic / behavioral decisions based on results
Application of Child Response Data:
helps with deciding placement, intervention, curriculum, instructional goals, and methods
RTI Example: Meyer Elementary School
https://youtu.be/cpPZjcFw7xc
Who?
Conducted by a
Student Centered Team
Includes:
Teacher
Parent / guardians
Administrator
General education teachers
Nurse
Guidance counselor
Other adults involved in education of the student
Goals and Benefits
Not all students require special education services despite academic or behavioral challenges
Some students only nee supports to improve their performance
Prevent inappropriate referrals and waste of resource
3. Parental Informed Consent
Differences Between Areas
In the United States, the laws for this defers by district and state.
Example from US:
Some areas do not require explicit consent through signature. If parents and guardians fail to reply to deny services within a certain amount of time, the process will continue automatically.
What Is Informed Consent?
Parents must be informed formally before evaluation begins. Currently, parental or guardian consent is required to begin the evaluation phase of the referral process.
4. Testing
Bias and Equality
Make sure assessments are not biased in any way.
Consider the following:
Race
Culture
Language
Disability
Materials and procedures must be administered in a language and form best for the child in question.
Informal Evaluations
Informal observations and documentation of the student's past performance are extremely important and must be included as well.
Comprehensive Evaluation
Should measure:
Intelligence
Achievement
Behavioral
Disability-Specific Issues
Medical
Multidisciplinary Team
Educational Diagnostician / School Psychologist:
Qualified professionals for educational assessments (e.g. intelligence, achievement, behavior)
Special Educators:
Conduct achievement and behavior evaluations and informal observations
General Educators:
Documentation of student problems and struggles
Parents / Legal Guardians:
Provide insight into student's behavior and personality in environments outside of school
Related Service Providers:
Provide information for specific areas of concern. (e.g. Physical Therapist, Occupational Therapist, Audiologist, Orientation / Mobility Specialist)
Medical Doctors:
Medical records can help determine services. (e.g. psychiatrists, ophthalmologists, and optometrists)
Time
IDEA requires the school district to complete the evaluation within 60 days.
5. Determine Eligibility
Ineligibility
Students may not qualify for a variety of reasons (e.g. not having a disability that negatively impacts education.)
Student may still need help to access academic curricula. The school still needs to work out a plan to provide other services for the student.
Eligibility
A student is eligible for special education services if:
The student has a disability as defined by IDEA which negatively impacts his/her educational performance
The student needs special education services in order to benefit from education.
Time
Must be determined within 30 days of evaluation
6. Individualized Education Plan (IEP)
If students are eligible for special education services, a formal IEP will be developed.
7. IEP Implementation
Entire IEP team must ensure that IEP is implemented.
Good Faith Effort
School agencies are not required gto meet every single goal within the school term. This is not always feasible or reasonable. However, there must be evidence of a "good faith effort".
Living Document
IEP can be altered during the school term if needed. It is never set in stone.
Documentation
School personnel must provide documentation of benchmarks mastery and annual goals
Meetings
IEP team may meet as frequently as needed to discuss IEP.
Tips for IEP Meeting
https://youtu.be/qmXUWVzBGD4
8. Reevaluation
IEP team must meet each year to evaluate the implementation of the current IEP and develop the next annual IEP
Services No Longer Needed
It may be determined that the student no longer needs special education services. The IEP team will need to file documentation to support that the student is no longer eligible for services before the team is disbanded.
Assessments and Evaluations
IEP team does not have to conduct the same assessments every year. The team must determine if a formal evaluation is needed at every 3 years (at the minimum). Higher frequency can be required based on need.
Meeting Content
IEP team should discuss the positive and negative elements of services provided. Based on new assessment data, they should also determine what should be provided in the next school year
IEP Team:
Parents / Legal Guardians
General Education Teacher (at least one)
Special Education Teacher (at least one)
Representative of Local Educational Agency (LEA)
Individual to Interpret Instructional Implications of Evaluations (e.g. educational diagnostician, school psychologist, or special education teacher)
Student
Other Individuals Asked to Attend by School or Parent
IEP Components
IEP documents vary, but the basic parts include:
Student Profile:
Background information about the student, including strengths and weaknesses, classroom and assessment performance, and reasons for receiving special education services
IEP Initiation and Duration Dates:
Goals begin on the specified date stated in the meeting and remain in effect until ending date. Goals are received, monitored, and updated based on progress. Usually IEP goals remain in effect for one academic year.
Statement of Special Instructional Factors:
Includes factors that the student needs. (e.g. assistive technology, braille, or transition services)
Statement of Special Transportation Needs
Statement of Opportunities with Non-Disabled Peers:
Students should have opportunities to participate in nonacademic and extracurricular activities with all of their peers.
Statement of Frequency and Method of Reports:
Reports must be made regularly for parents and guardians.
Behavior Intervention Plan (BIP):
If behavior is a concern and a functional behavior assessment has been completed.
Planned Transition from High School (16+ Years Old):
Transition plan for life after high school
Signature Page:
Provides information about Least Restrictive Environment (LRE) and has signatures of those present at meeting.
Reports for Parents and Guardians
Reports should include information about goal attainment.
Components include the following:
Benchmark Pages:
Focus on specific areas that need special education services (e.g. reading, math, PE). Include Present Levels of Academic Achievement and Functional Performance (PLAAFP)
Measurable Annual Goals
Evaluations:
Measure annual goals
Benchmarks to be Achieved
Special Education and Related Services for Annual Goal:
Includes frequency of services, amount of time, location, and responsible agencies
What is IEP?
A legal contract between the parents and the school district. Describes the special education services provided by the local school district
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7qkNsR6Cgsk
Understanding Assessments: 8 Special Education Assessments
8 Special Education Assessments
Universal Design for Learning (UDL)
Way of thinking about teaching and learning to give all students an equal opportunity.
This is a great way to make sure we can adjust for ALL students in our classroom, even before a student receives special education services.
Principles
1. Representation
Offer information in more than one format
2. Action and Expression
Give children more than one way to interact with the material and demonstrate learning
3. Engagement
Look for multiple ways to motivate and engage students
Learning and Thinking Differences
Even though UDL helps all students, it can be especially helpful for those with differences.
Accessible Learning
Learning is more accessible in general education classrooms
Information Adapts to the Learner
Information is presented in ways that adapt to the learner, rather than forcing the learner to adapt to the information
Multiple Interactions
UDL builds flexibility so students can use their strengths to work on their weaknesses
Reduces Stigma
By providing a variety of options, UDL doesn't single out those who need formal services
What Does It Look
See an example of what UDL looks like in a 5th grade classroom.
https://youtu.be/B7qYJY62X2s
References:
Education.com. (n.d.). 8 special education assessments.
https://www.education.com/slideshow/kinds-assessments-used-special-education/developmental-assessments/
Edutopia. (n.d.). Response to intervention.
https://www.edutopia.org/topic/response-to-intervention
Jacobson, R. (n.d.). Tips for recognizing learning disorders in the classroom. Child Mind Institute.
https://childmind.org/article/recognizing-learning-disorders-in-the-classroom/
Morin, Amanda. (n.d.). Understanding response to intervention. Understood.
https://www.understood.org/en/school-learning/special-services/rti/understanding-response-to-intervention
Morin, Amanda. (n.d.). What is universal design for learning (UDL)?. Understood.
https://www.understood.org/en/learning-thinking-differences/treatments-approaches/educational-strategies/universal-design-for-learning-what-it-is-and-how-it-works
Polo R-VII School District. (n.d.). Response to intervention.
https://polo.k12.mo.us/StaffPages/WestoverA_web/response_to_intervention.htm
Posey, Allison. (n.d.). Universal design for learning (UDL): A teacher’s guide. Understood.
https://www.understood.org/en/school-learning/for-educators/universal-design-for-learning/understanding-universal-design-for-learning?_ul=1*uqn50f*domain_userid*YW1wLXNsLVlnb0lsNEFILU1mTXBLX3Y4bGc
ProjectIDEAL. (n.d.). The special education referral process.
http://www.projectidealonline.org/v/special-education-referral-process/
Stanberry, Kristin (n.d.). The IEP meeting: An overview. Understood.
https://www.understood.org/en/school-learning/special-services/ieps/the-iep-meeting-an-overview?_ul=1*bfckui*domain_userid*YW1wLXNsLVlnb0lsNEFILU1mTXBLX3Y4bGc
Understood Team. (n.d.). Who’s on the IEP team. Understood.
https://www.understood.org/en/school-learning/special-services/ieps/whos-on-the-iep-team
Understood. (n.d.). Take N.O.T.E.
https://www.understood.org/take-note
