EXPLORING THE LEARNING SAFETY NET Endeavor’s Response When Students Struggle Parent Academy 5 Special Guest Speaker Kim Sweatt, Madison County Special Education Supervisor

TIERED INTERVENTION

TIERED INSTRUCTION Tier 1 Tier 2 Tier 3 Student Teacher When Where Whole class grouping Small group Individual Small group instruction Individualized or small group instruction Teacher Classroom teacher(s) Co-teachers ESL Teacher Classroom teacher Reading Coach Interventionist Collaborative Teacher When Classroom literacy blocks In addition to Tier 1, allowing students to receive more opportunities during the block and targeted support from the teacher In addition to Tier 1, rich resources that allow intense instruction for small numbers of students. Where General Education Setting Gen Ed setting with potential for pullout to other settings Location outside the Gen Ed classroom

UNIVERSAL SCREENING Reading Math Tier 1 Tier 2 Tier 3 DIBELS Next in Grades K-3 STAR in Grades 2-5 Scantron Performance Series in Grades 3-5 STAR Math in Grades 1 & 2 Scantron Performance Series in Grades 3-5 Tier 1 26th Percentile and higher Tier 2 Lower than the 25th Percentile Tier 3 Lower than the 10th Percentile

BENCHMARKS

PROGRESS MONITORING Tier 1 – every 6 weeks Tier 2 – Every 2 weeks Tier 3 – AT LEAST Weekly ANY STUDENT WHO EXPERIENCES DIFFICULTY CAN BE REFERRED TO THE PUPIL SUPPORT TEAM AT ANY TIME.

PROFESSIONAL LEARNING COMMUNITIES Three Big Ideas Four Essential Questions Focus on the Learning instead of the Teaching Culture of Collaboration Focus on Results What do we want our kids to know or be able to do? How will we know when they have learned it or not? How will we respond when they have not? How will we respond for those who have?

PLCS – A CULTURE OF CARE

PUPIL SUPPORT TEAM Purpose is to oversee General Ed interventions and supports for Academic or behavioral difficulties Consists of Grade level teacher Ms. Mardis and Mrs. McAlister Mrs. Epp – Reading Coach Mrs. Davis – Reading Interventionist Others as Needed Meets at Least Monthly to Review Student Progress and Needs

DYSLEXIA AND DYSLEXIC TENDENCIES Students who struggle are identified through a universal screener - DIBELS or STAR Teachers recommend struggling readers to the Pupil Support Team PST evaluates options and can recommend Dyslexia Specific Screeners - short tests that can identify dyslexic tendencies If a child is found to have moderate to high risks in 4 areas, we try to place them in Tier 3 intervention groups. T3 groups receive intensive small group instruction using SPIRE Teachers at school cannot diagnose dyslexia. We simply provide interventions shown to help those with dyslexic Tendencies.

504 A formal plan to provide accommodations BUT NOT specialized instruction Qualified Disabled Person Individual With a Disability Physical or Mental Impairment of Major Life Activity Has a Record of Such an Impairment Is Regarded as Having an Impairment Substantial Limitation Educational Placement Supplementary/

SPECIAL EDUCATION PROCESS Special Education means specially designed instruction to meet the unique needs of a child with a disability, including: Autism, Deaf-Blindness, Developmental Delay, Emotional Disability, Hearing impairment, Intellectual Disability, Multiple Disabilities, Orthopedic Impairment, other health impaired, Specific Learning Disability, Speech and Language Impairment, Traumatic Brain Injury, or Visual Impairment

Referral For Evaluation When a student is suspected of having a disability Before a child is referred for a special education evaluation or concurrently during the evaluation process, intervention strategies must be implemented in the general education program and monitored by the Problem Solving Team (PST) for an appropriate period of time (a minimum of eight weeks), and determined to be unsuccessful. If a student is referred and the iep Team decides not to accept the referral for evaluation, the student goes back to the pst for further interventions.

If a Referral is accepted for a special education evaluation, the following timeline will apply Obtain Notice and Consent from the parent prior to conducting the evaluation Conduct the Initial Evaluation within 60 days of the signed consent Parent is provided with a Notice and Invitation to an Eligibility Determination meeting Within 30 calendar days convene the IEP Team to determine eligibility for special education If eligible, consent for the Provision of Services must be obtained from the parent and an IEP (Individualized Education Plan) will be developed. If not eligible, the student is referred back to the Problem Solving Team

Eligibility Decision [ ] YES [ ] NO Does the student meet AAC criteria for the suspected area(s) of disability? [ ] YES [ ] NO Does the disability have an adverse effect on educational performance? [ ] YES [ ] NO Does the student need specially designed instruction in order to access and participate in the general education curriculum?

Specially Designed Instruction means organized and planned instructional activities provided by a special education teacher who addresses . . . CONTENT - the student with an iep is learning a skill toward a standard that is reflected in the iep goals and objectives. METHODOLOGY - different instructional strategies and approaches are being used to teach the content to the student with a disability. DELIVERY - it can be intensive instruction individually or in small groups

Specially designed instruction is fundamentally different than accommodations. Accommodations are something that teachers provide to support access to the general curriculum An individual does not have to have specialized training to provide accommodations Accommodations do not change what content is taught, strategies used, or delivery to students. Student who are able to have their learning needs met effectively and efficiently with the general education environment through the exclusive use of individual accommodations rather than specially designed instruction would not be considered a special education student.