504 BUZZ
February 2015
Important Reminders
- Let your registrar know when you add students to 504, so they can be coded correctly in eSchool. Place a sticker on their cumulative folder with the entry date.
- Make sure you are gathering information from parent and teachers for the 504 meetings
- Use the checklists on estar docs to make sure you have completed everything for the 504 meeting!
Esped Reminders
Secondary audits are taking place currently.
Please remember to archive at the end of every meeting and upload signature pages. If a parent is not present you do not get their signature on the paperwork. Just have those present sign and send a copy home to the parent.
Use the template for minutes (available in eStar docs). Please delete out the old minutes and replace with the template.
At your annual meeting, delete old notes from past meetings that are not relevant to your discussion (e.g. Previous teacher comments, grades from previous year. Capture current data and discussions in the “Evaluation Information Reviewed” section as well as “Information from Parents, Agencies, and/or Professionals”. You can leave in information that is specific to the impairment (e.g. Dr. Martinez diagnosed Matthew with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder etc.)
STAAR Accommodations must be listed using the blue jump button to the screen “504 Testing Accommodations”. The campus administrator can run a report based this screen to assist them with planning for STAAR. This feature is under the application “user export”.
Teacher input forms are now in eStar docs.
STAAR A Questions!?!?
STAAR A
Who is eligible? Students identified with dyslexia or a related disorder (as defined in Texas Education Code 38.003) and are receiving Section 504 services.
Where do I find information about STAAR A?
http://texasassessment.com/staara
What are the embedded accommodations and accessible features available for STAAR A?
Pop-ups, rollovers, blank graphic organizers, text-to-speech, zoom, color and contrast, place marker
What has to be identified on the STAAR A Eligibility Requirement Form?
There are 3 steps to the Eligibility Requirement
Step 1: Indicate eligible services
Step 2: Review the eligibility criteria per subject – two or more accommodations must be checked in each subject tested with STAAR A in order to meet eligibility criteria. (These should also be on their accommodations list for daily use)
Step 3: Summarize assessment decision
Will STAAR A be available in Spanish?
Not this year.
Determining Substantial Limitations
Determining substantial limitation
In order to be eligible for services under Section 504 and the ADA, a child must have a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits a major life activity. The determination of whether a disability substantially limits a major life activity is subjective, and Section 504 and the ADA do not provide any operational criteria of substantial limitation. School personnel must use their collective, professional judgment to make this determination.
Substantially limits can be defined as
- unable to perform a major life activity that the average person in the general population can perform, or
- significantly restricted as to the condition, manner, or duration for which an individual can perform a particular major life activity as compared to the condition, manner, or duration for which the average person in the general population can perform that same major life activity.
Classroom Management
“If you feed it, it will grow”. This is an accurate statement in regards to classroom behavior. If negative behaviors such as shouting out or calling out off topic comments are becoming an issue, these should be ignored. Instead of giving attention to those problem behaviors, call attention to those that are raising their hand or getting your attention in the expected manner. Planned ignoring will extinguish some problem behaviors; however it must be employed consistently. If you plan to ignore a behavior, you must always ignore it. Provide specific positive praise to those that are getting your attention the correct way and say, “I love the way you raised your hand and waited on me to call on you”. You can also hand out small rewards – randomly- for those following your classroom expectations and this will increase those behaviors over time. If you’re having a lot of disruptive behaviors ask yourself, “Am I feeding what I want to grow?” Put your energy and attention towards those behaviors you want to flourish.
Special Thanks
- Thank you to those that attended the January 5th meeting or the January 13th meeting, you are invaluable to your campuses and to us!