Teacher Standards and Realistic Expectation!

1. Teacher Standards and Realistic Expectation! Wednesday, August 10, 2011 Ellen Stokebrand, ESU 4 Director of Special Education

2. What are the Teacher Standards? • “Draft” • A definition of effective practice in order to improve teaching and learning • Organized as broad standards followed by example indicators • Not expected to be an exhaustive list • Designed as a resource for districts

3. Nebraska Teacher Standards • Foundational Knowledge: The Teacher demonstrates a comprehensive knowledge of content, pedagogy, students, and standards needed to provide all students with effective opportunities for learning, development and achievement. • Planning and Preparation: The Teacher integrates knowledge of content, pedagogy, students and standards with established curriculum to develop rigorous and meaningful instruction for all students that supports the growth of student learning, development and achievement.

4. Nebraska Teacher Standards • The Learning Environment: The Teacher develops and maintains a learning environment that promotes active student engagement in learning, development, and achievement. • Instructional Strategies: The Teacher intentionally uses a variety of effective instructional strategies to ensure growth in student achievement.

5. Nebraska Teacher Standards • Assessment: The Teacher systematically uses multiple methods of assessment to measure student progress and to inform ongoing planning, instruction and reporting. • Professionalism: The Teacher acts as an ethical and responsible member of the professional community. • Vision and Collaboration: The Teacher contributes to and promotes the vision of the school and collaborates with students, families, colleagues, and the larger community to share responsibility for the growth of student learning, development and achievement.

6. Words-Words-Words

7. There is no power for change greater than a community discovering what they care about.-- Amy Wheatly, Turning to One Another

8. Disability Categories (12) • Autism (1/110; U.S. males – 1/70) • Behavior Disorder • Deaf-Blindness • Developmental Delay (thru age 8) • Hearing Impairment • Mental Handicap • No mild, moderate, severe/profound; just MH • Orthopedic Impairment • Other Health Impaired • Specific Learning Disability* • Speech-Language Impairment • Traumatic Brain Injury • Visual Impairment

9. “Non-negotiables” • Expect that all teachers will participate appropriately in the IEP process • Expect that all teachers will make accommodations and modifications as identified on the IEP • Expect that teachers will know their students’ disabilities and how it will impact their students’ performance in their classroom.

10. The IEP: Foundations • The IEP is a process and a product that documents that the child is receiving a Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) consistent with all state and federal requirements. • The IEP reflects the child and family’s vision for the future. • To the maximum extent appropriate, children with disabilities are educated with children who do not have (identified) disabilities. • Development of the IEP is a collaborative process. • The IEP team develops a child’s IEP with high expectations based on the child’s capabilities, strengths, needs and interests, including involvement and progress in the general education curriculum. • The IEP process involved on-going progress monitoring and decision making. Decision-making is solution-focused, based on the child’s needs, and used to improve results for the child.

11. “Rules” for participation by the General Ed Teacher • Not less than one general education teacher or provider is required to participate… • Gen Ed teacher should be knowledgeable about curriculum, appropriate activities of typically developing peers and how the student’s disability will impact their involvement and progress in class. • If the student’s disability will affect a child’s performance in the classroom, that general education teacher should be invited and expected to participate in the IEP meeting.

12. The Role of the General Ed Teacher • Assist in the determination of appropriate positive behavior interventions and supports • Assist in the determination of appropriate supplementary aids and services, accommodations and/or modifications, and support for school personnel. • Participate in implementing the IEP together with special education and related services personnel.

13. Role of the Special Education Teacher • Works with the parent to determine a ‘mutually agreed upon’ time and place for the IEP meeting (prior to the anniversary date) • Facilitates the development of the IEP • Completes and finalizes the IEP document shortly after the meeting has been held • Collaborates with general education teachers by making sure that teachers have access to or a copy of the IEP • Collaborates with general education teachers in the provision of appropriate accommodations

14. Questions that Every Regular Education Teacher Should Ask • Which of my students have an IEP or 504 plan? • Have I personally reviewed the IEP/504 plan or did I participate in the meeting? • Do I know how that document impacts me? • Am I making a ‘good faith effort’ to implement the IEP/504? • Do I have proof that I’m implementing the IEP/504 plan?

15. Research & Accommodations • Accommodations INCREASE the validity of the test scores; it improves the meaning and accuracy. • Students who were previously excluded are included with accommodations. • Should also be appropriate for daily instruction. • Analogies: • Eyeglasses • Wheelchair ramp to a building

16. What the Research Says • Accommodations have no positive or negative effect for students without disabilities. • Most common assessment accommodations: • Presentation format • Response or recording format • Timing or scheduling of the test • Testing environment or setting

17. Do’s in Accommodations • DO base the decision on the individual needs of the student. • DO consult with the published or district list of possible and allowable accommodations

18. Don’ts in Accommodations • DON’T introduce an accommodation for the first time during an assessment. • DON’T base the decision about accommodations on the student’s disability category. • DON’T start from a published/district list when considering what accommodations a student needs.

19. Accommodations: Provisions made in how a student accesses or demonstrates learning Do not substantially change instructional level or content Provides student an equal access to learning Provides student equal opportunity to demonstrate what is known Based on individual strengths and needs May vary in intensity and degree

20. Accommodations should: Work for those students who need them. Be neutral for those students who do not need them. a Purpose is to “level the playing field,” not to provide an advantage.

21. Modifications: Changes in what a student is expected to learn or demonstrate Change in the instructional level or benchmark Change in the number of key concepts mastered within a benchmark or unit of study Changes in content

22. Factors affecting student performance on tests... Timed tests… Anxiety/embarrassment… Clarity of directions… Reading ability… “Noise” on each page…

23. Accommodations for Assignments AND Assessment • Timing • Extended time • Frequent breaks • Administered at the time of day most beneficial to student

24. -continued- • Presentation of Directions/Instructions • Large print • Braille version • Signing of writing prompts • Translate orally • Visual magnification devices • Auditory amplification devices, noise buffers • Re-reading of directions; highlighting key words for clarification

25. -continued- • Student Response • Respond in Braille • Increased spacing, wider lines, margins • Dictate response to a scribe • Tape-record response to be transcribed for scoring • Use of assistive technology… word processor, alphasmart, etc…. That is routinely part of the student’s instructional program and is included in the IEP.

26. Role of IEP team in determining Accommodations • Not every accommodation is appropriate for every student or every test. • Match the accommodation to the testing format and to the individual student needs. • Use only if accommodations are used during daily instruction • Avoid the use of unneeded accommodations that might hinder the performance of a student by singling them out or making them ‘look different.’

27. Accommodations for NeSA-R • Test Administration Practices • Content Presentation • Response • Timing/Scheduling/Setting *See approved NeSA Accommodations document

28. Accommodations for NRTs • Presentation • Time • Setting • Response • Assistive Technology Research has ignored many accommodations when evaluating large-scale assessments, so there is little ‘evidence-based advice for accommodations.

29. Challenge for Educators • What accommodations/modifications do we already provide or could we provide to support the success of all students? • What strategies do we know or can we learn from each other as a community of learners that will support student learning in our district? • How can we positively impact learning for all students? (School Improvement)

30. Be courageous and only use that which is relevant to students and their learning. -- Lorraine Monroe