SPED Department Update
Week of September 22nd
Thank you for being advocates, dealing with BS, and managing the ever changing times... you are doing work that is beyond repayment
Flocabulary- A site full of awesome rap-like songs on most any topic
Username: jhassell@westwarwickpulicschools.com
PW: WWHS
Thanks to Alison for the recommendation, HAVE FUN PLAYING AROUND!
Updated info on Transfer Meetings
When a special educator gets a new student, he/she should have a transfer meeting for approximately 1 month after the student arrives. (Kim will be setting up this meeting) This will give the special educator some time to get to know the student.
When the transfer meeting is held, the special educator will come to the meeting with a new IEP. It can be written as an annual IEP. Special educators can use some of the the data from the previous IEP and any new information he/she has on the student to prepare an IEP. Be sure that the service page reflects his/her service time in West Warwick.
Consider the transfer meeting to be an IEP meeting as well as a transfer. You will have an invitation, sign in and notes for the parent, office file, case manager and special ed office.
Testing, Testing.....
First Referral Meeting
- The regular education teacher invited to the meeting should be in content area of specific need
- Referring person should come to the table with data, before testing is done we need to show targeted intervention and intensive intervention with corresponding data. (If there is not enough data collected before the first meeting, we can plan to meet in order to collect data).
- Targeted intervention: Often, at the targeted level there will be additional daily time for direct instruction with a more narrow focus than was provided at the universal level. This direct instruction could be academic; teaching strategies; or creating an environment to enhance motivation and engagement; or a combination of these. A sufficient length of time and ongoing monitoring should be provided to determine if the intervention is working. Some have recommended six to eight weeks for the targeted intervention, but there is no set time limit. Careful. frequent monitoring of progress is important. (These targeted interventions can be done by both regular educator or special educator) Data surrounding these interventions is extremely important.
- Intensive Interventions: Teachers use data (including progress monitoring and diagnostic data) to revise, intensify, or individualize an intervention to target a student’s specific needs. Strategies for intensifying an intervention may occur along several dimensions—including but not limited to changes to group size, frequency, or duration; or changes to the instructional principles incorporated within the intervention or in providing feedback. Data surrounding these interventions is extremely important.
Data Points/Observations:
- Sufficient data points showing they are in the bottom 10% as compared to typical peers, using a graph to compare/contrast the data points. *Needed for each area of need
- If in reading, writing math: student needs to be observed in 1 or 2 of these areas.
Once a student is found eligible in a specific area...
Our students are serviced using either the models of:
- Resource
- Collaborative
- Self-Contained
If a student qualifies under reading and writing then students could be serviced by a special education teacher in 1 class, once per day in the area of either :
- English
- Social Studies
- Science
If a student qualifies in the area of math the students could be serviced 1 class, once per day in the area of either :
- Math collaborative
- Resource class
- DS Math class
In many situations, students receive services in all three areas.
** It is advisable to begin service in one content area, monitor progress and then make changes based on each student’s response to intervention. Selecting a reasonable period to monitor progress is recommended prior to making any changes**
ASD Qualification
- As you most likely saw, Liz Dwyer sent out an email briefly explaining the new qualification guidelines our district is required to adhere to. She will be holding a Q and A Tuesday, Sept. 30th, in the conference room, from 2:00-2:30. Please encourage your regular education friends who have questions to attend.
- In order to better understand the ASD Guidelines for both first evaluations and re-evaluations, Leah, Kim, and myself created an "Autism Diagnosis Checklist for Evaluation Meeting" This checklist will be used at the first evaluation meeting to determine each team members role. The next meeting will occur 60 calendar days (and most likely scheduled directly at the meeting) after the first meeting. Each team member will bring their respective evidence and/or evaluations to the determination meeting in order to make the determination.
Please take a peek at the checklist here:
Future Eval goals...
- Outline New referrals and their corresponding services they will receive
- Create a checklist for LD Students
- Create a checklist for ED students