Hello world! Drink the Coffee. Teach the Things. is back in business!
It has been wonderful to be able to scroll back on my posts from Foundations of Special Ed and see all of the growth I have made in my understanding of special education, and really just teaching in general. I hope that more and more aspects of Foundations return to my brain as we delve into assessments. My hope for this class is to also get a sense of how teachers keep track of the endless amount of tasks they must keep up with, such as lesson planning, implementing instruction, progress monitoring, attending meetings, and keeping track of data at the same time. This is a part of education that I still feel unsure about, even though I have shadowed many teachers and have discussed their schedules and job responsibilities with them. It might be one of those things that comes with experience, but I feel slightly daunted by the multitasking and brain split-screening requirements of teaching. So grab a cup of coffee, sit back, and enjoy!
I have decided to implement a new section in each blog post called First Sip Story, where I share a funny story from my placement. And, let me tell you, I have only been there for a week and I have about a dozen stories to tell!
First Sip Story: During a read aloud this week, Mrs. R asked, "What do people say at the end of the book that lets you know that it's over?" Clearly, the answer was The End, but this sweet little kindy raised his hand and said "Wapow!" in his squeakiest voice. The entire class broke out in laughter and a whole pack of kindergartners were screaming "Wapow!" While Mrs. R was not amused by the outbreak, I thought it was pretty hilarious.
After creating the graphic for the special education assessment process (shown below), I began thinking about the students in my own placement class and how this process looks off the page of a book and in the field with real students and real challenges.
For reference, I am placed in a kindergarten classroom this semester. The room has 19 students, my cooperating teacher, and one teacher's assistant for the morning on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. The class presents a wide range in difference in ability, skills, and behaviors which makes it a perfect class to be implementing all of the assessment assignments in for the semester.
I asked my CT, Mrs. R, about one student in particular, who I noticed presented self-stimming behaviors, and lacked the social skills possessed by some of the other students. This student, we'll call him Austin, happened to be in the process of being identified as a person with autism by the school. I asked her to describe the steps he has undergone so far, which directly related to the discussions we have been having in class surrounding the assessment process.
Screening and Pre-Referral:
Austin's strength is academics. He can write and read, play the math games, and is impressively good at remembering events that have happened and names. But, Mrs. R noticed that his behavior was a barrier to him succeeding even more academically. He was having tantrums, eloping, rocking, and picking the skin at his ear in situations that did not go his way. She also noticed the other children not befriending Austin, like they had done to other students in the class. Austin was screened of his performance as well as his history and background, Mrs. R explained. The pre-referral team saw his need and placed him on RTI tier II for behavior, and was eventually moved to tier III, because the supports were not helping the unwanted behavior. Mrs. R recalled being hopeful that the interventions would help Austin, but his behavior never improved. He mostly grew more angry as more and more control over his behavior was put in lace. Austin is currently on tier III with a BIP while he awaits for the process to continue.
Assessment for Eligibility:
The pre-referral team monitored Austin before deciding that he was eligible for being assessed for autism. Before the new year, Mrs. R explained that Austin underwent a lengthy assessment process that included diagnostic testing, achievement testing, norm-referenced testing, and criterion referenced testing. On March 3rd, the multidisciplinary conference will meet to discuss the assessment results and determine Austin's eligibility for receiving services.
From what I gather, Austin's parents are supportive of the assessments for their son, but Mrs. R explained that she sense a lot of hesitation when the word autism was first brought up. This is something that I know I am bound to come across in my career, so I thought it was a helpful point for her to bring up. She told me that she worked hard to communicate with his parents and "be on their team" so there was no animosity or anxiety for the parents.
While Austin is at a standstill until March 3rd, other students in the class have IEPs, and are currently on the green step in the assessment process visual. Ongoing progress monitoring occurs through the regular progress-monitoring done by the teacher, by specialists who work towards their own specific IEP goals, and by the special education teacher. The data is used by the PLC for their "Data Day" that occurs every 9 weeks, as well as by the IEP team who uses the data to update the IEP to best support the student.
In my classroom there are currently four students with IEPs, Austin is being determined of his eligibility, and there are a handful of students in RTI tiers for behavior. I will keep the blog updated on Austin's progress through the assessment process and hope to be able to attend meetings and conferences surrounding the students with disabilities in my class.
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