products
Measures of Assessment
Policy/Program Memorandum No. 8
http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/extra/eng/ppm/ppm8.pdf
A Parents Guide to Special Education in Ontario
http://www.ldao.ca/wp-content/uploads/A-Parents-Guide-to-Special-Education.pdf
Special Education Services: A Manual of Policies, Procedures, and Guidelines
http://www.bced.gov.bc.ca/specialed/special_ed_policy_manual.pdf
AS AN INITIAL INTERVENTION
WHEN INITIAL INTERVENTIONS ARE UNSUCCESSFUL
****Who is involved? In-class teacher, in-school team, inter-disciplinary team, parents and student.
**** if there is an extended wait-time, then in-school team will move to stage
TO ASSIST WITH THE PLACEMENT OF A STUDENT WITH AN EXCEPTIONALITY
IN CURRICULUM PLACEMENT, E.G., MODIFICATIONS OR ACCOMMODATIONS
TO ASSIST WITH DECISIONS IN INSTRUCTIONAL EVALUATION
TO ASSIST WITH DECISIONS IN PROGRAM EVALUATION
***this is a phase I am not entirely sure on…
Policy/Program Memorandum No. 8
http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/extra/eng/ppm/ppm8.pdf
A Parents Guide to Special Education in Ontario
http://www.ldao.ca/wp-content/uploads/A-Parents-Guide-to-Special-Education.pdf
Special Education Services: A Manual of Policies, Procedures, and Guidelines
http://www.bced.gov.bc.ca/specialed/special_ed_policy_manual.pdf
AS AN INITIAL INTERVENTION
- Initial intervention can be initiated by parents, in-class teachers or any other member of the in-school team.
- In-class teacher, in-school members and parents meet to plan strategies to facilitate student.
- Interventions are put into place with an evaluation method established.
WHEN INITIAL INTERVENTIONS ARE UNSUCCESSFUL
- If interventions are deemed ineffective, the in-school team will consult with the inter-disciplinary team (psychiatrist, O/T, P/T, psychologist, etc.)
- Involved members will collect data-observation checklists, and assessment pieces. (PM benchmarks, Woodcock-Johnson, etc.)
****Who is involved? In-class teacher, in-school team, inter-disciplinary team, parents and student.
**** if there is an extended wait-time, then in-school team will move to stage
TO ASSIST WITH THE PLACEMENT OF A STUDENT WITH AN EXCEPTIONALITY
- in-school team, parents and inter-disciplinary will meet to examine data collected.
- In-school team will begin the process of establishing an IEP meeting (IPRC or informal identification.)
IN CURRICULUM PLACEMENT, E.G., MODIFICATIONS OR ACCOMMODATIONS
- IPRC meeting or informal meeting held to determine placement needs of student.
- Members examine data/recommendations and determine student’s strengths and weaknesses.
- Team determines areas of accommodations, modifications or alternatives.
TO ASSIST WITH DECISIONS IN INSTRUCTIONAL EVALUATION
- This is focused on in-class instruction and teacher differentiation and implementation of IEP
- The IEP is put into practice with teacher, educational assistant and special education teacher working to decide on implementation.
- In-school meeting to evaluate effectiveness of IEP goals within the classroom.
- In-school team may assist teacher in differentiation and help teacher-reflection process.
TO ASSIST WITH DECISIONS IN PROGRAM EVALUATION
***this is a phase I am not entirely sure on…
- This is focused on achievment of goals, suitablity of IEP and future planning.
- Tracking through formal assessment and EQAO
- In-school evaluates the overall success of IEP goals and makes changes to IEP when needed.
- Results are recorded in OSR for future students.
Learning as, for, of
Assessment is a tricky aspect of education, which I struggle with. As quoted in the Growing Success, “assessment is a human process, conducted by and with human beings, and subject inevitably to the frailties of human judgement…It is, after all, an exercise in human communication.” (29) For me, like others, there is hierarchy of importance in learning as, for and of; however, they each play an important role in the process of developing a holistic and accurate view of the learner. With this goal in mind, I like to think of the formal and educational assessments as the tools to assist educators, help students master skills and develop lifelong meta cognitive skills.Assessment as learning strives to develop independent learners who are cognizant of their own learning. Growing for success states that developing these skills requires modelling and scaffolding. My thoughts are that formal assessment has no place in this process; educational assessment tools work well (peer/self- observation, teacher conferencing.) Assessment for learning seeks to help educators and students in the process of learning. In doing so three areas of focus are: where they are (formal assessments-tests, activities, KWL charts, exit cards,) where they need to go (KWL charts, and student/teacher checklists and conferencing,) and how best to get there (rubrics and objectives/ goal setting by both teacher and student, and scaffolding.) Assessment of learning has the greatest long-term impact on a student. It can be approached as both formal and educational assessment. Growing Success recommends three branches for assessment of learning: observation (checklists), conversation (student-teacher conferences,) and student products (Formal-tests, products, tasks, portfolios and rubrics.)
Growing Success. (2010). Assessment, Evaluation, and Reporting in Ontario Schools. Pages 6 and 31. First Edition. Retrieved on June 29th from:
http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/policyfunding/growSuccess.pdf
I liked this post!
Although I feel all the different assessments (of, for and as) are important, there is an Olympic podium for me. Taking the bronze medal is OF; he is vital in the formal reporting process and there needs to be a place for him in every classroom as the culminating activity. The silver medal winner is FOR; he is dedicated to keeping students and teachers on track and is incredibly helpful when planning units and next steps for student learning. Standing at the top of the podium for me is AS; he represents the lifelong learning that students will remember. He is how students recognize their own growth and continued areas of weakness. In my opinion, although no classroom can function properly without this team of champions, teachers need to be fostering Assessment AS Learning in all their students.
Growing Success. (2010). Assessment, Evaluation, and Reporting in Ontario Schools. Pages 6 and 31. First Edition. Retrieved on June 29th from:
http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/policyfunding/growSuccess.pdf
I liked this post!
Although I feel all the different assessments (of, for and as) are important, there is an Olympic podium for me. Taking the bronze medal is OF; he is vital in the formal reporting process and there needs to be a place for him in every classroom as the culminating activity. The silver medal winner is FOR; he is dedicated to keeping students and teachers on track and is incredibly helpful when planning units and next steps for student learning. Standing at the top of the podium for me is AS; he represents the lifelong learning that students will remember. He is how students recognize their own growth and continued areas of weakness. In my opinion, although no classroom can function properly without this team of champions, teachers need to be fostering Assessment AS Learning in all their students.
The tiered Approach
gain, I have never seen this in practice, so my post is often heavy on the theoretical learning side!
Here are some resources I consulted:
Differentiation and The Brain: A Discussion with Carol-Ann Tomlinson.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mLzCqoPFxRw&feature=youtube_gdata_player
Learning for All: A Guide to Effective Assessment for All Students, Kindergarten to Grade 12
http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/general/elemsec/speced/LearningforAll2013.pdf
Happy Tiers: A Response to Intervention model
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zVJ1LK22Oec
Response to Intervention: A Tiered Approach to Instructing All Studentshttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nkK1bT8ls0M
“There is nothing that humans do well, that they do quickly.” (Tomlinson)
Here are some resources I consulted:
Differentiation and The Brain: A Discussion with Carol-Ann Tomlinson.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mLzCqoPFxRw&feature=youtube_gdata_player
Learning for All: A Guide to Effective Assessment for All Students, Kindergarten to Grade 12
http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/general/elemsec/speced/LearningforAll2013.pdf
Happy Tiers: A Response to Intervention model
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zVJ1LK22Oec
Response to Intervention: A Tiered Approach to Instructing All Studentshttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nkK1bT8ls0M
“There is nothing that humans do well, that they do quickly.” (Tomlinson)
- How does student data inform program planning for students with exceptionalities?
- According to the resources I consulted. Tier 1 will work for 80-85% of students in class.
- Students success doesn’t have to be determined by an IEP; movement to higher tiers can an initial intervention.
- All students participate in tier 1 learning.
- If student is not able to meet expectations, then students are placed in tier 2. This group comprises 15% of a classroom.
- In this phase students participate fully but may have either EA support or pull-out support.
- Tier 3 represents 5% of the classroom body.
- These students also participate in classroom support but also receive additional intensive teaching in pull-out form.
- Students are able to transition between tiers.
- What is the role of the in-school team when a student requires additional support?
Assessment accomodations
se Study 7- “Why Can’t Annie Listen and Finish her Work?”
Annie is struggling with focusing on larger whole instruction assignments. The case study reports that she has difficulty following instructions and is often restless. By breaking the assignment into smaller chunks, Annie will be given task which are more compacted and easier to focus on. For the portfolio, Annie could be asked to include tasks broken up and a culminating task which brings the stages together.
2. With portfolio assessment: lessen number of questions:
Annie is struggling with maintaining attention during task completion. An accommodation of limiting the number of questions required might help with her focus and anxiety. Annie and teacher could consult and choose best tasks to be included.
3. With portfolio assessment: use more manipulatives:
Like many ADD students, Annie struggles with focusing on pen and paper problem solving. Thus manipulatives may help make math problem solving, making it more realistic and tangible. As a part of the portfolio pictures can be inserted to demonstrate mastery.
Responses:
Lindsay,
I chose the same topic as you! In terms of addressing fairness, how would you justify Annie having fewer tasks to finish to her peers once they notice that she doesn't have to do as much as they do? How would you justify it to parents if they complained especially given that she hasn't yet been identified?
Hi Jennifer,
Its a great question! In special education part 1, we were asked to read case study 1; The study focuses on a teacher who struggles to help a student that is blind. The student works hard to keep up but can't. Therefore, the teacher comes up with a UD accommodations: She gives the students a set number of questions but monitors during to determine individual understanding. The idea is that students work towards the mastery of the skill not a set number of questions. Once teacher determines mastery, students understand they can work on different expressions of the problem solving skills- use of manipulatives, visual representation, extension activities ( work stations?)
In order to do this, the case study teacher spoke with the in-school team and wrote a letter to all parents explaining the changes.
My thoughts are: give Annie less questions to give her time for breaks (fairness is not sameness) and also to alleviate some of her anxiety with too many questions. Perhaps even with fewer questions, Annie may be able to put more individual focus on questions.
Thanks for your comments!
With Annie, we see what appears to be a very bright girl who, like her older brother, may have ADD. She has a lot of difficulty with focusing, listening, staying on task, she has weak organizational skills for both her work and her personal belongings, she cannot seem to finish her work unless prodded repeatedly by her teacher, doesn't appear to pay close attention to what she's doing. She also has a very strong creative side and loves to express herself artistically. She loves to draw, sing and put on plays. Additionally, she does not like receiving help; her mother has told the classroom teacher that Annie will likely rebel against having support in the classroom or having to go to a resource room. All of this combined makes helping Annie a bit of a challenge. Some assessment accommodations that her teacher could make to help Annie are:
- provide an alternative setting for assessments (this may not fly with Annie since she dislikes receiving help); perhaps noise cancelling headphones could help her remain in the class and stay focused
- assistive technology (speech to text specifically since she seems to hate writing things down and never wants to edit her work once she has done it)
- extended time limits (her teacher noted that she does good work when she takes her time)
- extra time for processing (she doesn't seem to be listening when instructions are provided, but it could be that it's taking her longer to process the information)
- rather than having Annie copy from the board (she has a hard time lining up her numbers in addition and subtraction statements), provide printed copies of work with the + and - symbols bolded, or in a larger font, or colour coded so that she can notice them and not make the same mistakes that she has been making - have her highlight the + and - signs so that she sees them in bold, but also that she has taken the time to highlight them and notice the difference
- use grid/graph paper so that she can line up her numbers
- written prompts on desk for student to refer to (this is more environmental, but you could remind her to review her work, etc)
- reduced/simplified language
- reduction in number of tasks (since she has a hard time focusing)
- since she has a strong artistic ability and she really seems to enjoy it, perhaps find an artistic way for her to express her mathematical understanding, or her understanding of any topic
References
Hutchinson, N. L. (2004). Teaching Exceptional Children and Adolescents: A Canadian Casebook (Second edition ed.). Toronto: Pearson Education Canada. (62-70)
Hi Jennifer,
I enjoyed reading your posts. Its great to read about other people's perspective on an issue! Your post made me think, "Ohhh I never thought of that!"
In particular, I liked these thoughts: artistic expression and using grid/graph paper.
Do you think Ms. Way should pursue an IEP despite her other student issues? Do you think the parent is pressing her to hard? How would you handle this?
- With portfolio assessment: divide assessment pieces into smaller chunks.
Annie is struggling with focusing on larger whole instruction assignments. The case study reports that she has difficulty following instructions and is often restless. By breaking the assignment into smaller chunks, Annie will be given task which are more compacted and easier to focus on. For the portfolio, Annie could be asked to include tasks broken up and a culminating task which brings the stages together.
2. With portfolio assessment: lessen number of questions:
Annie is struggling with maintaining attention during task completion. An accommodation of limiting the number of questions required might help with her focus and anxiety. Annie and teacher could consult and choose best tasks to be included.
3. With portfolio assessment: use more manipulatives:
Like many ADD students, Annie struggles with focusing on pen and paper problem solving. Thus manipulatives may help make math problem solving, making it more realistic and tangible. As a part of the portfolio pictures can be inserted to demonstrate mastery.
Responses:
Lindsay,
I chose the same topic as you! In terms of addressing fairness, how would you justify Annie having fewer tasks to finish to her peers once they notice that she doesn't have to do as much as they do? How would you justify it to parents if they complained especially given that she hasn't yet been identified?
Hi Jennifer,
Its a great question! In special education part 1, we were asked to read case study 1; The study focuses on a teacher who struggles to help a student that is blind. The student works hard to keep up but can't. Therefore, the teacher comes up with a UD accommodations: She gives the students a set number of questions but monitors during to determine individual understanding. The idea is that students work towards the mastery of the skill not a set number of questions. Once teacher determines mastery, students understand they can work on different expressions of the problem solving skills- use of manipulatives, visual representation, extension activities ( work stations?)
In order to do this, the case study teacher spoke with the in-school team and wrote a letter to all parents explaining the changes.
My thoughts are: give Annie less questions to give her time for breaks (fairness is not sameness) and also to alleviate some of her anxiety with too many questions. Perhaps even with fewer questions, Annie may be able to put more individual focus on questions.
Thanks for your comments!
With Annie, we see what appears to be a very bright girl who, like her older brother, may have ADD. She has a lot of difficulty with focusing, listening, staying on task, she has weak organizational skills for both her work and her personal belongings, she cannot seem to finish her work unless prodded repeatedly by her teacher, doesn't appear to pay close attention to what she's doing. She also has a very strong creative side and loves to express herself artistically. She loves to draw, sing and put on plays. Additionally, she does not like receiving help; her mother has told the classroom teacher that Annie will likely rebel against having support in the classroom or having to go to a resource room. All of this combined makes helping Annie a bit of a challenge. Some assessment accommodations that her teacher could make to help Annie are:
- provide an alternative setting for assessments (this may not fly with Annie since she dislikes receiving help); perhaps noise cancelling headphones could help her remain in the class and stay focused
- assistive technology (speech to text specifically since she seems to hate writing things down and never wants to edit her work once she has done it)
- extended time limits (her teacher noted that she does good work when she takes her time)
- extra time for processing (she doesn't seem to be listening when instructions are provided, but it could be that it's taking her longer to process the information)
- rather than having Annie copy from the board (she has a hard time lining up her numbers in addition and subtraction statements), provide printed copies of work with the + and - symbols bolded, or in a larger font, or colour coded so that she can notice them and not make the same mistakes that she has been making - have her highlight the + and - signs so that she sees them in bold, but also that she has taken the time to highlight them and notice the difference
- use grid/graph paper so that she can line up her numbers
- written prompts on desk for student to refer to (this is more environmental, but you could remind her to review her work, etc)
- reduced/simplified language
- reduction in number of tasks (since she has a hard time focusing)
- since she has a strong artistic ability and she really seems to enjoy it, perhaps find an artistic way for her to express her mathematical understanding, or her understanding of any topic
References
Hutchinson, N. L. (2004). Teaching Exceptional Children and Adolescents: A Canadian Casebook (Second edition ed.). Toronto: Pearson Education Canada. (62-70)
Hi Jennifer,
I enjoyed reading your posts. Its great to read about other people's perspective on an issue! Your post made me think, "Ohhh I never thought of that!"
In particular, I liked these thoughts: artistic expression and using grid/graph paper.
Do you think Ms. Way should pursue an IEP despite her other student issues? Do you think the parent is pressing her to hard? How would you handle this?
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