Group Two IEP

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Group Two IEP

drsarah 24 May 2007 16:33

Since for most of you, this will be the only course on special education you will take as your career as a teacher. What I hope that you will take away from this course more than anything is the willingness to learn more about persons with exceptionalities. This last course forum is an opportunity for students to write your own individualized education programs for yourself (or your school). Take a moment to make some plans in terms of how you will learn more about working with persons with exceptionalities, or how you will be able to reach more people through your behaviors.

Each of your plans should include:

• Introduction: Tell a little about where you think you are going — if you will be teaching next year, describe the setting you will be working in. If you plan on going to a different line of work, describe this career path. Just describe your own situation before you move on.
• Objectives: Include some objectives that identify how you hope to interact with persons with exceptionalities in the future. What sort of skills do you want to be able to obtain with regard to persons with exceptionalities? What sort of attitudes do you hope to have?
• Measurable Outcomes: How will you determine that each objective list above has been meet? This section should be specific in terms of what and how. For example, if an objective for your future is Student will be able to identify the elements of an accessible lesson, the measurable outcome might be Student will design a lesson about that meets all the criteria for accessible web design listed in Chapter 2 of the Irvine (2003) textbook.
• Materials and Accommodations: List what you will need to fulfill each objective. For the objective just mentioned, this might include access to the computer lab, use of the textbook, and so on.
• Assessment: Finally, you should list how each outcome will be evaluated. For example, the accessible web site could include peer evaluations.

Good Luck! I look forward to reading your IEPs!

Last edited on 24 May 2007 16:36 by drsarah Show more

Re: Group Two IEP

bankse 20 Jul 2007 14:24

Introduction – This coming school year I will be working at an urban charter school in New Haven, CT. The school runs an extended day, extended year program and in its first 3 years of existence has been very successful. This past year, Connecticut Mastery Test scores surpassed wealthy districts such as Greenwich and Westport, CT. The special education situation is unique at this school in that the New Haven school system has stated that if students do not enter our school with an IEP, then we are not allowed to label them SPED. Our school is comprised of 5th – 8th grade students. I will have 5 – 7 SPED students (most of them are fairly mild LD cases) and they will be mainstreamed for the vast majority of the week. One of the classes I will be teaching is a remedial class that will consist almost entirely of students with IEPs or students that have been less motivated and are therefore behind.

Objectives – While I had many SPED students in my classes when I worked in D.C. (and had a lot of success with several of them), I often felt I did not have resources to effectively serve some of the tougher cases. Knowing that I will have greater resources, more support and smaller class sizes this coming year, I am eager to work with my SPED students in a more informed way. One thing that my school does very well is spending a lot of time in the 5th and 6th grade building strong number sense and computational skills so that when students enter 7th grade math they are ready for Pre-Algebra, followed by Algebra I in the 8th grade. Many of the students in my remedial class are lacking these basic skills. The luxury I have is that they will be attending their regular math class (where they will be receiving grade-level instruction) as well as my class. As a result, I plan for the class to be split between basic skills practice and practice in thinking logically and mathematically. In essence, I plan to develop the skills and thought processes that might have passed them by in 5th and 6th grade math as well as support them in their regular math classes.

Measurable Outcomes – Every 8 weeks, my school administers an interim assessment. These tests are cumulative so as the years goes on they include more and more material. Each test is broken down by skill and I will receive score reports at the end of each one telling me how each student did with each particular skill. This will allow me to easily pinpoint areas that are most in need of improvement. The tests are rigorous, and based on what I have seen, the students in my remedial class regularly score below 50%. Throughout the year, I will set individualized benchmarks for each student to meet depending on their incoming level as well as most recent assessment results. By the end of the year, I expect each student to receive scores of 80% or higher on the final assessment.

Materials – While I am not yet sure of what kind of a role the special education teacher will play in my classroom, I hope to utilize her as much as possible during pull-out sessions. If I am carefully tracking skill mastery, I will be able to have her provide further remediation for those students that have not mastered a particular skill. This will allow few more students to “slide by” without mastering skills. In addition to this, I expect to have much of my classroom based around centers in which each student is working on skills specific to their needs. Finally, my school provides me with workbooks that reinforce very specific skills. While I do not intend to use these in my general instruction, I believe they will be a useful tool to use when students do not master a concept the first time around.

Assessment – After each interim assessment, I am required to meet with my principal to discuss results. During these conversations, we will look very specifically at class as well as individual growth and weaknesses. I expect these regular and focused conversations to be a means of assessing myself in a formal and thoughtful way. Both my principal and I will be looking for and working toward dramatic growth.

Re: Group Two IEP

willrhale 22 Jul 2007 13:25

Introduction
I will be returning to the school I have been teaching at for the last two years (Bell Multicultural High School). There won't be that many changes in regards to my teaching environment. I think that biggest change will be in the high amount of teacher turnover that is expected over this summer. A significant portion of our staff have left the school and this is bound to have a profound "training" and "familiarizing" effect overall in the staff development. I don't know what classes I will teach yet (3 periods of some sort of math) and I have no idea who my students will be. We usually don't find this out until a few days before classes start, so I have no idea how many or what type of SPED students I will have.

Objectives
I feel like through my first two years that I developed some really close relationships with a few of my 9th grade SPED students. I have seen how they have grown in their learning abilities and confidence over the course of their 10th grade year. To me, I can see how much of a profound impact belief in one's abilities can have on a students own beliefs. I know that two of my students in particular have shown amazing growth in their math skills. As far as skills, I would like to be able to provide more accommodations for my students to give them accessibility in various forms of written/spoken texts. I started developing a website for my Algebra II class and have transcribed some of the class notes and lessons into written form (powerpoint) and audio (.mp3) files so that students can download at home or in a computer lab at school. My original intent was to create this accessibility for the sake of my ELL students, but it can be very useful for students with disabilities as well.

I want to have my students interact with me using technology by creating audio, visual, and/or interactive texts to showcase their knowledge, learning, and main objectives of the course. My goal is to have each student (or student teams) create a presentation by the end of the class to highlight some of the main ideas, goals, and objectives of the course. I envision this as being a powerpoint presentation with pictures of progress and work they have done, samples of classwork, audio clips of some of their portfolio presentations, etc…

Measurable Outcomes
I will be able to determine that this objective is made by requiring a technology interactive presentation as part of my students final grade for this class. Not only will this process give my students the opportunity to learn more about technology and prepare for their final portfolio presentations (in their senior year), but it will also give me a chance to really differentiate their learning by ability and need.

The "what" will be a final product made up of the powerpoint presentation described above and the "how" will be the actual presentation my students will be making using this piece of work.

Materials and Accommodations

• Computer lab (I have 5 in my classroom which might be sufficient)
• Microsoft Word, Excel, Powerpoint
• Digital Camera (I have on old Canon SD200) and Image Editing Software (Irfanview freeware)
• Digital Projector (for final presentation)
• Audio recording device (MP3 player with built in Mic or Microphones for the PC)
• Audio editing software (Audacity freeware)
• Accommodations - differentiated rubric for the final assignment varying by student (or student teams)

Assessment
The final assessment will be in the form of a rubric for the given presentation. This will need to be developed and will most likely use the already standard rubric that my school has for portfolio presentations only I will have to build upon the technology integration portion of it. I think this will give my students a greater amount of buy in on the process of the presentations and enhance student interest with the inclusion of the technology piece. The technology integration also offers a great deal of differentiation and accommodation due to prior student experience and interest in various technologies.

Re: Group Two IEP

kholtschlag 27 Jul 2007 01:37

Introduction:
I will be teaching AP Language at Maya Angelou Public Charter School to 11th and 12th graders. The focus of this course is effective writing, rhetorical strategies, and writing essays of analysis, synthesis, and argument. Maya Angelou is an alternative charter school whose vision is to find opportunities for success for students who have not had success in traditional public schools. As such, our student population is extremely diverse, with pregnant teens, teenaged parents, kids who are actively involved in the juvenile justice system, and truants. We also have students who simply have the emotional or psychological need to be in a smaller setting with more individualized attention. Class sizes range from 8-15, and the student body for the upcoming school year is about 160.

Objectives:
#1: I will design lessons and assessments with differentiation in mind.
#2: I will be able to communicate effectively with parents of struggling students (both those with exceptionalities and without).
#3: I will implement an intervention system for struggling students that uses the special education, professional development, differentiated instruction, and administrative supports available to me at my school.
#4: I will create a classroom environment that honors all types of learners.
#5: I will maintain constant communication with the special education department at my school to keep up with best practices, new technologies, and other supports that will help students with exceptionalities.

Measurable Outcomes:
#1: Students will be able to describe (in writing or orally) the objective, content, and/or skill that was addressed in each class.
#2: Parents will know their child’s areas of strengths and weaknesses and current grade in my class at all times.
#3: Struggling students will be aware of a number of different supports that are available to them. Fewer students failing.
#4: Students will understand that name calling, intolerant, and insulting statements will not be expected in my classroom, and will self-correct.
#5: Special educators will say with a sigh, “What is it now, Ms. Holtschlag?” when I come into their office to check in.

Materials and Accommodations:
#1: Professional development about differentiation, time to plan, technologies and supplies necessary for each lesson (depends on the lesson itself).
#2: Up-to-date phone numbers of all parents/guardians, time to make phone calls, parent phone call log.
#3: Tutoring opportunities, Saturday school, detention, subject lab, (personnel for each), up-to-date parent phone numbers (to alert parents of the intervention taking place), administrators/counselors/support staff on hand to conference, time to discuss best practices about individual students.
#4: A rock-hard intolerance for ignorance.
#5: Time to meet with special educators, special education publications and resources.

Assessment:
#1: Lesson plan tuning feedback.
#2: Phone call records.
#3: Referrals to Saturday school and subject lab. Student success in standards-based grades.
#4: Student questionnaires.
#5: Special educators’ feedback.

Re: Group Two IEP

kholtschlag 30 Jul 2007 17:42

After reading other IEPs, I am reconsidering the meaning of "measurable outcomes". At first I had interpreted this to mean, what tangible evidence do you anticipate will prove that you've met your objective? Instead, after reading the "whats" from Tori and Bob, I realized that I need to interpret this component of the IEP as the "what" will I do, specifically.

Therefore, Measurable Outcome #5, on communication with special educators, will be amended to state the following:
"I will visit with special educators on at least a weekly basis and be fully up-to-date on best practices and teaching strategies for students of all abilities."

I really enjoyed reading the IEPs posted here, and want to point out that one of the materials that we are in serious shortage of as teachers is time. Often we have grand plans to do x, y, and z, but a-w soak up all our time first. It's important to insist that when we are given an assignment from an administrator (or professor for that matter!) that we be allowed ample time to work on it, and that no one needlessly fills our time with activities that have little relevance to what we are doing in the classroom. At school, we must insist on the value of our time by beginning meetings on time and being paid for overtime, in whatever form that my take. And with this insistence, we must encourage our coworkers to act responsibly to effectively use all the time we are given in the classroom for instruction and appear at meetings on time.

Re: Group Two IEP

RachaelG 26 Jul 2007 03:25

• Introduction:
Next year I will be teaching 6th grade at Paul Public Charter School and serving as a advisor to all Teach For America Corps Members who teach middle school English. In the last two years at Paul PCS, I have taught full th grade (including basic, regular and advanced English), and transitional English and Reading (in the 7th grade non-sped remediation program: The “Bridge Academy”). I have therefore been inching my way toward teaching 6th graders, but have never begun the year with ninety 11-year olds all coming fresh from fifth grade. With one exception, I am the only teacher in my wing with 2 years of classroom experience. I take this as a challenge to become more deliberate, thoughtful, transparent and systematic in my teaching so that I can better serve as a model and a mentor to these new teachers.
Last year I took the opportunity of teaching a remedial class because I thoguht it would help me hone my instruction and management skills. I wanted the opportunity to work on differentiation in my small classes (15-18 instead of 20-24). I also wanted to challenge myself to be more explicit, clear and effective in breaking down and conveying concepts that are key to the standards as well as to classroom expectations, culture, and connectoins to the outside world. This year, as I return to a full class load, I am looking forward to applying and extending the clarity, transparency and effectiveness of instructional systems and management I developed in last year’s setting.
My other goal is to be able to foster project-based, interdisciplinary learning on the 6th grade team. Last year I was shocked by the challenge presented by retentionw hen I gave quizzes and tests on individual concepts over time. It wasn’t until I began finding curricular links and using project-based assessmnets that I could help my students form lasting understadnings and effectively assess what they’d learned. I was luck enough to co-teach a science class last year which allowed me to support literacy in that content area as well as use science as a place to develop some of the skills that are consistent across courses. My students therefore got multiple exposure to standards-based skills such as compare/contrast, supporting opinions with facts,s writing detailed descriptions, making predictions and inferences, and completing research papers.
Now that I work with a full team (my students last year did not go to all content areas) I want to try to make these connections cross more classes, collaborate with more teachers, and make sure that I am able to provide consistent literacy support ideas for my students throughtout the day. I want to build consistency in expectations throughout the team, and help students see and capitalize on the connections between their courses to help deepen and enrich the knowledge they acquire.
• Objectives: Include some objectives that identify how you hope to interact with persons with exceptionalities in the future. What sort of skills do you want to be able to obtain with regard to persons with exceptionalities? What sort of attitudes do you hope to have?
1. I will be able to identify areas of relative strength and weakness in all of my students and use this information to celebrate students’ efforts, accomplishments, and value, as well as to inform instructional themes and materials, grouping, and differentiation.
2. I will be able to identify and apply strategies for differentiating reading assignments and English content assessments.
3. I will be able to identify accessible, meaningful lessons and lesson extensions based on student needs, interest and (where applicable) IEP goals
4. I will be able to foster a safe and welcoming environment where students are regularly, explicitly valued and celebrated for their contributions to the community, and where students understand a set of core values including respect, responsibility, effort, and advocacy for others.
5. I will be able to create effective lessons to address words, messages, and actions of intolerance in our classroom community to ensure that our classroom is a safe place for students to take intellectual and social risks.
6. I will be able to effectively communicate with parents, special educators, guidance counselors, other teachers, and students about students with special needs, and will be able to serve as a resource and an advocate for those students and their teachers.
•
• Measurable Outcomes: How will you determine that each objective list above has been meet? This section should be specific in terms of what and how. For example, if an objective for your future is Student will be able to identify the elements of an accessible lesson, the measurable outcome might be Student will design a lesson about that meets all the criteria for accessible web design listed in Chapter 2 of the Irvine (2003) textbook.
1. I will diagnose student’s interests with a survey, reading levels using a diagnostic, and writing levels using a baseline rubric within the first three weeks of school.
a. I will use this information to group students into guided reading groups, suggest appropriate independent reading texts, and inform individual writing conferences.
b. I will establish a structured weekly class meeting where students honor each other for effort, achievement, and citizenship over the week.
2. I will follow the reader’s workshop model to ensure students get individual attention and are placed in guided reading grops on or close to their individual reading levels by the 3rd week of school.
a. I will work with the special education teacher on my team, and refer to texts such as “Rethinking Our Classrooms,” and “When kids can’t read,” as well as materials from my “reading diagnosis and remedation course”at the Lab School to develop study strategies and alternative assessments for students in my classes for all summative assessments.
3. I will work with the same resources above to design and implement accesible lesson and lesson extensions for struggling readers and students that struggle to maintain focus/attention in class.
a. My focus on project-based learning will help me engage lower performing and less focused/attentive students. They will also help me offer different roles in group work to students whose strengths suit certain roles.
4. I will teach and enforce classroom expectations of respect, teamwork and advocacy for others. I will also use the weekly class meeting to reinforce these values.
5. I will explicitly address the use of duerrogatory language and language of intolerance within the first three weeks of school. I will also consistently react to breaches in classroom culture by referring back to these early lessons on the power of negative language.
6. I will contact every parent/guardian of every student within the first month of school, and I will keep careful logs of communication with adults and observations of students that have special needs so that I can make appropriate referrals, and follow up aggressively on these referrals. At the end of last year I had students waiting for testing for months because paperwork wasn’t in order, or someone had not followed through on a signature or a message. I want to be as organized, systematic, and detailed as possible to ensure these delays do not occur. I will keep a confidential folder of documentation for each student I have concerns about from the first time I express or receive a concern. I will keep a calendar/log in that folder so that I can easily follow up on next steps.

• Materials and Accommodations: List what you will need to fulfill each objective. For the objective just mentioned, this might include access to the computer lab, use of the textbook, and so on.
1. I will need:
a. a student interest survey
b. a reading diagnostic
c. a tracking system for the data I generate
d. a lesson teaching the procedures and expectations for weekly class celebrations
e. a lesson on multiple and malleable intelligence
2. I will need:
a. A common planning time with the 6th grade special education teacher .
b. Notes and textbooks from my Reading Remediation and Special Education classes.
3. I will need:
a. Common planning time with other 6th gade teachers
b. Unit plans, and assessments for an interdisciplinary unit
4. I will need:
a. Posters and a lesson explaining the class expectations and consequences.
5. I will need:
a. A lesson and assessment on the use of “red words” (words of intolerance).
6. I will need:
a. Home phone numbers for each student.
b. A parent survey
c. A phone log
d. Folders for each student to organize documentation
e. A recent document outlining referral procedures, contact information for school support systems, and forms for referrals.
f. Time with the special education teacher to interpret existing IEPs effectively.
• Assessment: Finally, you should list how each outcome will be evaluated. For example, the accessible web site could include peer evaluations.
1. Objective #1 will be met when I collect and collate data from surveys and diatnostics and can prove that groups, and texts have been assigned using the data I generated.
2. Obective #2 will be met when I have at least one alternative lesson for reading class each week, and an alternative or modified assessment for each unit.
3. Objective #3 will be met when I have interpreted IEPs and can draw explicit links between IEP goals and steps in my lessons.
4. Objective #4 will be met when students know and understand the structure of weekly class meetings and are appropriately celebrating each other without teacher prompting more than 50% of the time.
5. Objective #5 will be met when I have taught and assessed mastery of the mindset that language is powerful, and certain language is not used in my classroom because of its negative power. (note: the success of this objective doesn’t necessarily hinge on the absence of this language, but rather building the tools to address and reflect on it).
6. Objective #6 will be met when I have contacted and logged phone calls to every household, and there are confidential, individual folders for any students for whom I (or a colleague) has ongoing concerns.

Re: Group Two IEP

Bob Jarvis 29 Jul 2007 01:25

Introduction:

This year, I will teach my first year at Maya Angelou Public Charter School (MAPCS). I will most likely teach Algebra 2/Trigonometry to mostly 11th graders, and expect to have one section of Pre-Calculus (elective course for mostly 12th graders). This is a significant change for me, coming from the open-space Shaw JHS right down the street. MAPCS is an alternative “second chance” school that specializes in small class sizes and emphasizes staff collaboration and planning. I envision an environment approaching what Sally Smith describes as an IEP model for each student. There are so many changes in store for me (older children, new employer, walls, etc.), but perhaps the most significant change will be that my student load will go from about 125 to approximately 30 kids.

Objectives:

1. Make more experienced and knowledgeable assessments based on what I have learned from EDU 541, 606, and other courses, as my awareness of learning disabilities and other exceptionalities has increased dramatically. Bring positive attitude that emphasizes my roles and responsibilities in detecting problems and finding children the support they need (formally and informally).
2. Carefully review and study IEPs as well as any assessment data that I have for each student (I regrettably have done little of this in the past).
3. More carefully document each student work on an individual level. Expand on contact information and contact log processes that have worked well in the past to create detailed picture of student work from September through June.
4. Have students create and maintain portfolio of their work throughout the year. Provide for student choice in assessment where practical.
5. Make detailed observation of strengths and weaknesses. Document and communicate information to student and family in most positive light.
6. Use documented observations in lesson plan design at the class, group, and individual levels. Communicate assignments through e-mail and Web posting.
7. Log numerical data into software system so that changes can be analyzed using graph and other trend analysis tools.
8. Use collected data to more effectively communicate with students, families, other teachers, specialists, and administrators about students with special needs. Use data as resource and in advocaty for exceptional students.
9. Contribute to numeracy block lesson designs based on observed areas for improvement; make recommendations for topics and grouping based on documented observations.

Measurable Outcomes:

1. Positive feedback from students, families, and administrators. Record of contacts and referrals for exceptional students.
2. IEP and assessment data in each student’s folder.
3. Folder representing student progress throughout year (maintained by teacher, not student).
4. Student portfolios they may show to others.
5. Documented observation of strengths and weaknesses to be placed in each student’s folder. Documented strategy to work on each weakness and build from each strength.
6. Differentiated lesson plans and grouping strategies for general classes at the class, group, and individual levels. E-mails and Web postings that communicate assignment details to students and families.
7. User-friendly data collection for each student that can be compared against class statistics (e.g., mean, median, mode).
8. Record of family contacts when data was communicated.
9. Differentiated lesson plans and grouping strategies for numeracy blocks based on documented observations.

Materials and Accommodations:

• Microsoft Office tools
• Email and Web site building tools.
• Computer lab (there is at least one at MAPCS)
• Shared lesson plans with other MAPCS staff
• Folders maintained by teacher for each student
  • Contact Information
  • Student questionnaire
  • Math pre-assessment
  • Sample work throughout year
  • Record of family contacts
  • Observations on strengths and weaknesses
  • Plans for differentiation and individualization
• Student-maintained portfolio for each student
• Differentiated lesson plans

Assessments:

• Assessments of math achievement throughout year.
• Records of third-party assessments.
• Student and family feedback.
• Student and administrator evaluations.

Re: Group Two IEP

torib3a 29 Jul 2007 15:54

Introduction:

I will continue teaching ninth grade reading at Anacostia Senior High School, where I have been working for the past two years. My students are typically between 14-17 years old, with about one third of them repeating the ninth grade; the rest are new students. The reading levels in the classroom typically range between the second and ninth grade level, with the average falling around fifth grade. Reading comprehension is a serious challenge in the classroom, as many of my students lack basic decoding skills.

Objectives:

In general, my goal is for my students to grow two years in their reading levels during the course of my class, achieving this through the internalization of core reading strategies. Yet, with so many struggling readers, my goal is to better meet individual students’ needs/abilities/struggles better than ever before. This will occur through a combination of better ongoing assessments and meetings with my students, along with better lesson plan differentiation for my kids. While I feel as though I have relatively mastered the teaching of reading strategies for this class, I have yet to effectively differentiate the teaching and practice of these strategies for my kids. Also, I need to more effectively assess my students throughout the class, both formally and informally, to gauge the advancement of their reading levels and comprehension abilities. As I have many students in my classes with IEPs, I also need to more effectively accommodate their needs in the class so that they reap the most benefit from the lessons.

1) TWBAT identify students with IEPs and tailor lesson to fit their accommodation needs
2) TWBAT differentiate lesson for a wide variety of learners
3) TWBAT take into account multiple intelligences when planning and implementing lessons
4) TWBAT better assess students’ reading levels and comprehension abilities throughout the course to better guide instruction
5) TWBAT tailor instruction to the particular needs of students in her classroom
6) TWBAT create a welcoming environment for students with exceptionalities in her class so that they can feel secure and gain confidence in their reading abilities
7) TWBAT create a classroom culture among her students where they value all learners and accept one another.

Measurable Outcomes:

These outcomes follow the order of objectives listed above.
1) I will keep file folders for all of my students with IEPs, including notes on their particular accommodations, so that I can check them for instruction on modifying lessons. I will meet with students in my classes with IEPs regularly to ensure they are understanding the material and engaging with it.
2) I will modify all lessons to meet the needs of struggling and confident readers, including accommodations to challenge the students who need extra stimulation.
3) I will do further research on multiple intelligences so that I can incorporate that information into my lessons. I will ensure that I am permitting students in my class to access these intelligences during the lessons. I will give my students surveys to determine what intelligences they possess, then incorporate that into my teaching.
4) I will assess my students at the beginning and end of the year using the Ekwall/Shanker reading diagnostic. I will give them periodic reading strategy assessments as quizzes. The students will be broken into small groups depending on their reading levels, and I will work with each group to identify particular reading weaknesses or skills that need to be taught, and we will work together to master them in a small group setting. I will collect daily exit ticket assessments to check their progress on reading strategy skills.
5) I will meet with each student at least once a week to ensure they are mastering the material and to go over work turned in so that each can continue developing in particular skills during the class.
NOTE: 6 AND 7 ARE TOGETHER
6) I will work to build a culture of mutual respect and appreciation in my classroom by allowing my students to get to know one another on a personal level. We will participate in games and activities in the beginning of the year to start this, then move into group discussions on pertinent real-world topics so that they can grow comfortable with each other. We will engage in lots of group work to facilitate this process, and each student will have a buddy they will work with once a week on a particular reading strategy skill. The person will change with the skill being taught so that the two learners can assist one another.

Materials/Accommodations:

I will need student surveys on multiple intelligences and reading. I will need the Ekwall/Shanker reading diagnostic. I will need my students’ IEPs and help from the special education coordinator to make the proper accommodations. I will need to research modifying lessons to meet then needs of my particular learners so that the lessons are differentiated and accessible to a wide variety of learners. Exactly what the differentiations will look like is yet to be determined by the students assigned to my class in the fall. I will need a variety of texts for my students, and different daily practices for reading strategies. Many of the particular materials and diagnostics I will use are yet to be determined by the types of learners I find in my classroom, but this general list will carry my through the first weeks as I get to know my kids and determine what they need to succeed in my class.

Assessment:

I will continually self-reflect this next year through journal entries and notations on the success/failure of lessons. I will keep files for each of my students with their initial, mid and end of year Ekwall assessments, along with their reading strategy quizzes and tests. I will formally assess them with these, and informally daily with classroom assignments. I will work with other team teachers to ensure the needs of my readers are being met in other classes, along with discussing some of the observations other teachers are making of my kids. I will allow the kids to grade themselves and each other during group work so that they can see the importance of team work and helping each other out. I will communicate with teachers, my students and their parents about their progress. I will follow the accommodations listed for my students with IEPs when assessing them to ensure I am meeting their required needs.

Re: Group Two IEP

kainjeri 30 Jul 2007 03:28

Introduction:

This year will be a very challenging year for me. Upon completing my final class for the MAT in Elementary Education, I will be looping with my kindergarten class to teach first grade for the first time and as a first time LEAD teacher, in addition to having a three month old and three and half year old!

The past three years I have been an assistant teacher for pre-k and kindergarten at Two Rivers PCS. Two Rivers PCS is an ELOB (Expedition Learning Outward Bound) school.

I am very excited as well as extremely nervous about taking on this challenge for fear of the unknown and fear of failure. I want to make sure that I am meeting the needs of all my students at some level even if it isn’t to the max. I figure that I need to pace myself.

Objectives:

This past year in Kindergarten curriculum was more interesting to me because there was much more academics involved. I really got to see what students do at literacy centers, writer’s workshop and reader’s workshop. It was amazing to see the progression that the students made as they learned to read and become writers. Here are some of the things that I am interested in gaining more knowledge and experience with:

1. Creating a classroom environment where all students feel welcomed and safe.
2. Being more thoughtful and aware in the way that I communicate with my students; working on teacher language.
3. Being comfortable talking to parents about their child’s progression and not feeling as though I have to constantly please them.
4. Doing guided reading and helping students to advance in their reading level ability!
5. Creating lessons that are meaningful and applicable to my students with or without exceptionalities.

Measurable Outcomes:

1. Students feel comfortable sharing their thoughts and ideas with their peer(s), as well as the teacher during classroom discussions, independent work time and morning meeting activities. Students will also be caring and show empathy towards others.
2. The teacher will give positive feedback to students and students will feel respected and their self-esteem could possibly increase as the teacher’s anxiety decreases.
3. Parents are understanding and will respect the classroom culture that the teacher has established. Parents will want to work the teacher to make sure the goals set for their particular child are met.
4. Implementing and creating a guided reading system that is well organized. The students will be reading at the average level or above.
5. Students are performing on average or above because the teacher knows each individual student’s needs and lessons are created based on learning style or learning disability.

Materials and Accommodations:

1. Morning meeting songs and activities that are engaging so that students can find commonalities with each other and CLASSROOM RULES created by the teachers and students in agreement!
2. Classroom management resources (textbooks) and advice from veteran teachers.
3. Constant communication between the parent, child and, teacher through email, newsletters, phone calls, and HOMEWORK. Also, so that parents can see what the classroom routine looks like on an everyday basis they are welcomed to come in and observe or volunteer.
4. Various levels of guided reading books (A-Z), teacher resources (textbooks or internet) that offer good methods in doing guided reading.
5. Planning time with teaching partner and special ed teachers, as well as reviewing any programs that are made in particular for students with special needs; internet resources and professional development. Testimonies or advice from other teachers as well.

Assessment:

1. Positive learning environment and happy childrenJ
2. Feedback from assistant teacher
3. Feedback (positive or negative)(and praises) from parents
4. Tracking of students based on reading level
5. Students work.

Re: Group Two IEP

bettieantrim 31 Jul 2007 17:31

Introduction:

• In just a few weeks I will be embarking on my second year of being a resident teacher. I will be working with a new, fabulous teacher who I believe will teach me a great deal. I also will be teaching English Language Arts and Social Studies in a new grade- 4th instead of 5th. I will use a lot of the experiences in my first year as guide to what not to do and I thrilled to make improvements. I want to be much more confident, clear and consistent this year. I want to be firm, but kind and I want to be organized! At the same time I want to let myself make mistakes and forgive myself. As a resident teacher, I will have a lead teacher to help guide me through lesson plans, evaluate my teaching skills and support me. However, she will be leaving in November to have a baby and I will take over the classroom. Therefore my overall goal is to be confident leading our students to be successful in reading and writing.

Objectives:

• I will constantly be learning new ways to tailor the material to foster success of students. I will be a consistent communicator, getting in touch with families, special education teachers, and administrators about the progress a child is making, what I should continue doing that will help the child learn and what I should stop doing. I will help all children, especially those with exceptionalities, to love reading, to want to read, and to read well. The attitude I want to have with students is one of patience. I also want my students to see I believe in them and that I have high expectations for every one of them to achieve.

Measurable Outcomes

• I will find out how a student learns by collecting information that can be used to detect prior knowledge and skills and use that information when planning lessons. I will seek out other teachers, professionals and information and ask for help on how to differentiate lessons and how to scaffold the information for different learners.

• I will try to make learning material as meaningful and relevant to students’ lives and background by making connections, using audio/video materials, bringing in props and giving students the opportunity to explore different subjects on their own. I will assess students in multiple and ongoing ways and I will give opportunity to allow students to make interest based choices with the books they read and homework choices

• I will program students’ phone numbers into my phone and call each student’s family within two weeks of school and keep a phone log of all contact with parents.

• I will ask parents what they think their child’s strengths and weaknesses are and how they believe their child learns best. I will ask parents and students what their hopes, fears and goals are for their son or daughter and remember throughout the year what those hopes, fears and goals were, especially when I am feeling frustrated.

• I will understand all IEP’s and meet with the Special Ed. teacher before school starts. I will email with the special ed teacher as well as the special ed. student’s parents to facilitate communication about progress, feelings, issues or question. I will create a file for each of my students and make sure that I am filing useful and important documents.

• I will create a comfortable reading area by providing pillows and a large in class library that has books of all interests and levels of the students in the class. I will love books at every opportunity by sharing different books and asking students to have book talks. I will display books all around the classroom and change the displays often. I will implement Reading Workshop, Writing Workshop, Read Alouds, Word Work, books clubs, fun skits, plays, and poetry reading that relate to books. I will model everyday my love for books.

Materials and Accommodations:

• Parents phone numbers, files, room and space to organize files, IEP’s, meetings with special ed. teachers, teacher supports, a great in-classroom library that is labeled, a sense of humor, pillows, audio/visual materials and ideas, creativity. I think I established the accommodations within the measurable outcomes.

Assessment:

• Throughout the year I will be assessed by a mentor teacher, a master teacher, multiple formal and informal observations each with a panel of mentor and master teachers, AU grades, student surveys, students’ parents, my dog, my husband and my dog.

Re: Group Two IEP

kamilah dixon 31 Jul 2007 22:15

Introduction:

Next year I will be leaving the classroom and begin studying medicine at Georgetown. I am excited and nervous about this change of career but know that my experiences in the classroom will only help me become a much better doctor. I was remotivated to enter medical school because as a biology teacher, I was confronted with some of my students major health problems being one of the closest and best trusted "medical-type" adults that they knew. When I finsih medical school, I would like to start a clinic within the district for adolescents. For this reason, I am still unsure about my specialty, but have become extremely interested in gynecology, neurology and pediatrics.

Objectives:

1. First and foremost, I would like to learn more about persons with exceptionalities and the health problems that they have.
2. I would like to learn how to work with key caregivers and family members in order to ensure the excellent health of all.
3. I would like to learn how to help communities advocate for more mental and physical health professionals within schools
4. Learn effective communication techniques including sign language in order to ensure that all patients feel empowered about their medical decisions

Measureable outcomes:

1. I will become much more knowledgeable about the health concerns of persons with exceptionalities
2. I will interact with more parents and spouses of people with exceptionalities
3. I will catalogue effective advocacy groups for persons with exceptionalities
4. I will contact local health organizations and community clinics in order to learn more about daily operations
5. I will obtain beginner knowledge of ASL including common phrases and greeting signs.

Materials:

1. Adovcacy websites, books and magazine articles about persons with exceptionalities, ASL class, numbers and addresses of local community clinics and advocancy groups, clinical exposure

Assessment:

1. Fluency in ASL
2. Completed catalogue of advocacy group information
3. Larger wealth of knoweldge about persons with exceptionalities
4. Eventually a community clinic for adolescents in which the community feels supported and empowered

Re: Group Two IEP

dgordon17 01 Aug 2007 04:38

Introduction: I will be a second-year teacher at Bell Multicultural High School. Bell is an extraordinarily diverse school where 50% of the students have only been in the United States for less than three years. The student body is approximately 66% Latino, 20% African-American, 9% Asian, and 5% African. The vast majority of the school qualifies for free and reduced lunch. I will teach 12th grade English, which at Bell is an A.P. English Language and Composition course offered to every senior, regardless of achievement levels or IEP status. As a former education civil rights lawyer, I am interested in someday returning to the legal/policy side of education reform as well. Although there may well be others, I know I will have two students next year with IEPs. One is autistic and after years of not being diagnosed has finally been placed in special education. I am not familiar with the other student’s IEP, but I know that he usually spends a good part of his day in the resource room working with the Special Education teachers.

Objective #1: I will differentiate instruction for my students so they can meet or exceed their IEP objectives. In so doing, I will maintain high expectations for all my students, regardless of exceptionality status

• Measurable Outcomes: I will include “SPED differentiation” as a section in my lesson plans. I will differentiate projects to the extent necessary for my special education students to succeed in the project while at the same time mastering the content. I will check lesson plans, syllabus, and class rules and rituals against the IEPs to make sure students are receiving appropriate instruction.

• Materials: Bell MHS lesson plan template; copies of student IEPs; textbooks like Tomlinson’s differentiation text and lists of instructional strategies appropriate for my special education students

• Assessment: Lesson plans and instructional differentiation will be assessed during the PPEP process. The achievement data (interim assessments, portfolio completion, report card grades) will help me assess the effectiveness of my differentiated planning and instruction.

Objective #2: I will be an active participant in the IEP process for my students.

• Measurable Outcomes: I will attend all IEP meetings for my students. I will have at least weekly check-ins with the special education teachers via in-person conferences, emails and/or phone calls to discuss my students’ progress in class and towards their IEP objectives.

• Materials: Microsoft Excel spreadsheet; computer; record-keeping system

• Assessment: By logging every conversation, meeting, or email I have with the special education teachers and every IEP meeting I attend, I will produce a record of my IEP participation. I can then easily assess whether I am meeting my objective of at least weekly check-ins.

Objective #3: I will treat people with exceptionalities as individuals who, like all individuals, have specific strengths and weaknesses, interests, abilities, and challenges.

• Measurable Outcomes: This is a difficult objective to quantify in the terms of this IEP, but I will do the following. I will supplement the IEP with other diagnostic assessments to better understand the full spectrum of my students’ abilities. I will provide opportunities for special education students to succeed in class, to share to the extent they wish their exceptionalities with their classmates, and to push themselves to achieve more than they imagine possible. Students will respond to the classroom environment by working hard, achieving, and behaving appropriately.

• Materials: Diagnostic assessments like Multiple Intelligence surveys, reading assessments (we are using Beers’ assessments from our textbook, but I may have to find different ones for my special education students), student surveys, differentiated lesson plans, resources on exceptionalities for students to research and present their own story.

• Assessment: This objective will be assessed through teacher/student conferences, teacher/parent conferences, teacher/special education teacher conferences, behavior records, IEP progress reports, and student achievement data. End of the advisory student reflections on the course, class, and student and teacher progress will also contribute to assessing my work on this objective.

Objective #4: I will advocate on behalf of special education students so that DCPS and Bell MHS honor these students’ civil rights under IDEA, Section 504, and the ADA.

• Measurable Outcomes: I will participate in professional development trainings at Bell in which I help teachers comprehend their legal obligations under the statutes. I will address with administrators any concerns I have with the implementation of our special education program.

• Materials: Copies of the current versions of IDEA, Rehabilitation Act and ADA, copies of my students’ IEPs.

• Assessment: I will document any work I do in this area through my Excel spreadsheet; another source of assessment could be the number of due process challenges brought against my school.

Additional comments:
In addition to the specific assessment tools mentioned above, I will be assessed through in-class observation by my department chair, my PPEP reviewer, my DCPS mentor, my AU mentor, and (I hope) the special education coordinator and teachers at Bell. Also, through keeping a teacher journal, I will document my ups and downs as a teacher for my special education students.

Some post-IEP reflections...

dgordon17 02 Aug 2007 17:19

While reading through everyone else's IEPs and reflecting on the process I went through to compose my own, I noticed how different we all approached this assignment. I have not read many "real" IEPs last year — note to self: don't wait for the special education coordinator to come to me next year! — so I don't know if they differ very much depending on the people preparing them. But it is worth questioning how much the process differs across teachers or schools. Another reflection I had is that the process of breaking objectives into measurable, assessible outcomes is a difficult one. Of course, it is something we do all the time with our lesson plans and data-driven assessments, but when the question is about "feelings" or "skills," it was very difficult to construct measurable outcomes and assessments. Part of me accepted it because I believe in accountability and assessing success or failure, but part of me really resisted it — how can I measure whether I treat special education students with respect?

Re: Group Two IEP

EmilyGreenlee 01 Aug 2007 21:55

Introduction: I will be spending this coming year completing prerequisite courses needed for the accelerated second-bachelor’s degree program at the University of Pennsylvania. My goal is to earn my masters degree in the field of nursing, become a nurse practitioner, and open my own health clinic in Philadelphia. So, after two years of teaching chemistry at Bell Multicultural High School, I will re-enter the life of being a student attempting to make just enough money to pay for classes and rent! I am currently completing a summer anatomy and physiology class and plan to take five classes this fall. I have gotten two jobs, waitressing and tutoring, in order to support my life as a student and my addiction to coffee shops.

Objectives: I foresee myself working with persons with exceptionalities in my new tutoring job. I am working for a company that supplies private tutors to families who feel that their children need extra help in achieving their academic goals. During my interview, it was apparent that a majority of the students who I will be serving have learning disabilities and require differentiated teaching strategies. I hope that throughout my tutoring experience I am able to develop a clear understanding of the needs of each individual student and become more comfortable identifying successful teaching strategies. I would also like to develop my communication skills with parents and family members. In all the reading I’ve done it is obvious that involving parents and family in the learning process of students with exceptionalities produces a positive result.

Measurable Outcomes:

• I wll help students improve their grades in classes they are struggling with.
• Students demonstrate a deeper understanding of the material after our sessions.
• Parents engage in the learning process of their student.
• Parents describe the improvements they observe in their students academic performance.
• I use a variety of strategies to the meet the various needs of the students who I tutor.

Materials and Accommodations:

• Teaching strategy book
• Parent survey
• Parent information sheet
• Assessments
• Learning modality assessment
• Diagnostic
• Student work
• Workbooks
• Laboratory equipment and other manipulatives

Assessment:

• Parent evaluations
• Student report cards
• Student evaluations
• Content material assessments
• Teacher comments and evaluations of student

Re: Group Two IEP

nthusseini 03 Aug 2007 04:15

Introduction:
I have decided to leave teaching for the meantime and to pursue a position that will allow me to work directly with issues of college access and retention rates for first-generation/low-income students. I absolutely enjoyed teaching and what I loved most were the personal relationships I built with my students, which ultimately led to my interest in college readiness for high schoolers. I hope to have a position that allows me to continue working directly with students but more as a mentor or advisor and less as their teacher. I would expect to work with mostly high school aged students in the DC school system.

Objectives:

• I would like to become better versed in the challenges and best practices for teaching and supporting students with exceptionalities.
• I would like to become better versed in the higher education programs available to students with exceptionalities on all end of the spectrum.
• I would like to learn more about the pyshcology of working with people with emotional disorders.
• I would like to conduct specialized outreach for college trainings for students with exceptionalities and be able to provide concrete opportunities and resources for those students to pursue higher educaiton.

Measurable Outcomes:

• I will read more books on teaching and coaching students with exceptionalities.
• I will consult with the students’ special education teachers before planning trainings or events about higher education.
• I will conduct extensive research on higher education opportunities available for students with exceptionalities, including using various networking groups like the National Association of College Admissions Counselors (NACAC)
• I will conduct outreach to exceptional students who are enrolled in colleges and universities to again information about their post-secondary experiences and facilitate mentorship relationships between college students and secondary students.
• I will research the laws that exist that support exceptional student throughout high school, standardize testing (specifically with SAT and ACT) and once in a university or college.

Materials:

• Computer & internet
• Professional networking orgnaizations (NACAC, TFA, etc)
• College preparation curriculum
• Contacts at various higher ed institutions to access their special education support services.

Assessment:

Ultimately my assessment will hing on the data of how many exceptional students were enrolling in post-secondary educational institutions before my intervientions and then how many are enrolling after I have tried these interventions.

Re: Group Two IEP

shakbates 03 Aug 2007 05:28

Introduction - this coming school year DCPS is going through a major transition affecting the grade I will teach. My school will transition from grades seven through nine to seventh and eighth only, followed by the proposed K through eight for SY ’08 – ’09. I will be teaching eighth grade math for the first time. For the past two years I have taught mainly ninth graders, with one seventh grade class for one semester. With my ninth graders, I have taught Algebra 1, Geometry, and Ramp-Up to Algebra. With the change in grade level, there will also be a change in ‘curriculum’. As far as I know, I will teach one or two sections of algebra, one section of middle school ramp up and one or two sections of connected math. I’m not too excited about teaching two new classes, but I am looking forward to adding these two to my ‘list of topics taught’.

Objectives
• Communicate and collaborate with parents of sped students much more than I previously have.
• Learn more about person with exceptionalities and their place in the regular education classroom
• Provide more/better accommodations for students w/exceptionalities
• More productive interaction and correspondence with counselors and service providers
• Support a healthy non-discriminatory environment

Measurable Outcomes
• Integrate communication with parents into class projects and activities
• Add books about exceptionalities to my reading list
• Illustrate relevance of material to students interests and lives
• Attend more IEP meetings and stress inclusion with resource teachers

Materials and Accommodations
• Support from resource teachers
• Parent contact information
• Access to computer lab (with working internet)
• Time with sped coordinator to review and clarify IEP

Assessment
• Journal including reflections of teaching
• Success of ‘parent club’
• Connections of class-work to real-life by students
• Parent contact log
• Observations by administrators

Re: Group Two IEP

tbouldin 03 Aug 2007 15:12

Introduction

Next year I will be teaching in Manhattan at the CAS, MS 258. I will be teaching two of the same subjects as I had in DC, social studies, and US History. I made up my mind to move a month ago, and was hired within the same week. The school has much more technology, and much more diversity. I had an opportunity to spend a casual day with the principal and a few teachers and I am truly impressed with their determination, education, and overall commitment.

Objectives

Though I have gained a lot of experience working in DCPS, the only area I feel unsure in is dealing with children with exceptionalities. This course has helped me in terms of devising strategies, and recognizing certain behaviors. To that extent, upon learning of different exceptionalities, I always recalled certain students that exhibit signs of the exceptionality. Immediately after I feel a bit down that I was not able to serve them. From the course, I have developed several objectives for myself with deal with children with exceptionalities.

1. Compare academic skills with age and others in the same age range. Gather information from former teachers, schools, and parents.
2. Establish consistent routines that provide for a structured and organized day.
3. Allow student more time to transitions by giving the student a notice before the class.
4. Allow student more time to master content. Often time I rushed these students through assignments so they would not get left behind, and often moved on without them mastering the content.
5. Provide more cues for student. The cues can be visual and verbal. This will allow the student to become more independent and confident.
6. Ensure that the student is trying age-appropriate work, as well as work above and under his age. Last year I kept student in age-appropriate work the entire time.
7. Team plan with the inclusion or special education teacher.

Measurable Outcomes
Because this IEP is written for me as an educator, the measurable outcomes are having students with exceptionalities happy, comfortable, and challenged in the classroom. If students embody these characteristics, I have mastered the objectives.

Materials

The only materials that I will need are an open mind, and the patience to seek and understanding of the students.

Assessment

At the conclusion of each advisory, student will grade me as a teacher in several aspects. This will include allowing appropriate time for assignments, clarifying and re-explaining, offering assignments where students applied information, overall satisfaction, etc (I have used this form in previous years to help me develop better relationships and lesson plans).

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