Newark Public Schools Office of Special Education’s Professional Development Center

1. Alyson Barilarri, Associate Superintendent Thomas Dugan, Director Newark Public Schools Office of Special Education’s Professional Development Center Marion Bolden, Superintendent Anzella Nelms, Deputy Superintendent OUR GOAL IS BEST PRACTICES IN NEWARK’S SPECIAL EDUCATION PROGRAMS Report Summaries – May 2006 Professional Development Staff For Code & Procedure’s Questions contact Mitchel Gerry, Mary Hart, Sakinah Springs, or Sandy Bruno. For Technology Questions contact Joe Fonseca.

2. This presentation covers writing summaries for discipline assessments and reports that will be: • User-friendly for stakeholders who need to understand and utilize reports in school and at home (e.g., teachers, administrators, CST colleagues, and parents); • Aligned with participation and progress in the general education curriculum and program; and • Utilized by stakeholders in making code-mandated eligibility and IEP decisions.

3. To Accomplish these Goals, Summaries must Include 5 Components • 1. Reason for referral • 2. Evaluation results that support and/or contradict the suspected disabling condition identified at the “identification” meeting • 3. Weaknesses that interfere with participation and progress in the general education curriculum/program • 4. Strengths that facilitate participation and progress in the general education curriculum/program • 5. Recommendations that will facilitate participation and progress in the general education curriculum and program

4. 1st ComponentSample Reason for Referral – This can be a reiteration of the written referral &/or additional clarification of information from the identification meeting Armando, a 13.7 year-old Hispanic male in the seventh grade, was referred by his teacher because of academic and behavioral concerns. Although Armando has a good sight vocabulary and has developed basic concepts, he is not working on grade level and can be disruptive in the classroom. According to the teacher, Armando needs directions repeated and extra time provided to complete assignments.

5. 2nd ComponentDoes Evaluation Support the Existence of the Suspected Disabling Condition noted at the Determination (Identification) Meeting? • Utilize code definitions of disabling conditions to guide and limit your response. You must state one of the 13 code-delineated disabilities. • There are only 2 disabling conditions that require a statistical reference (standard deviations) – cognitively impaired and communication impaired. • Include a statement that your evaluation supports or does not support the suspected disabling condition, with a brief description of your assessment results that are consistent with code delineated definition. • The eligibility and disability decisions are determined by the IEP team and not by the individual disciplines!

6. Example – 2nd Component of Summary for Specific Learning Disability The evaluation supports the existence of a specific learning disability, which was identified at the determination meeting. Harvey’s deficits in verbal processing, as well as reading and written language, represent a significant discrepancy from his average cognitive ability.

7. Example 2nd Component of SummaryMild Cognitive Impairment According to this assessment, Pete’s delayed developmental milestones, deficits in adaptive behavior, and a score two to three standard deviations below the mean on an individually administered test of intelligence, support the possibility of a mild cognitive impairment.

8. Example 2nd Component of SummaryEmotionally Disturbed According to this assessment, Franny’s long history of verbal and physically acting out behaviors, which are frequently violent and result in injuries, have prevented her development of appropriate interpersonal relationships with peers and teachers. These problems have an adverse impact on Franny’s school behavior and achievement and support the suspected disability of emotionally disturbed.

9. Example 2nd Component of SummaryCommunication Impaired The results of JoAnn’s speech and language assessments indicate communication impairment in the areas of language and articulation. This was demonstrated on two oral language assessments as well as an articulation assessment in which JoAnn’s performance placed her below the 10th percentile and/or 1.5 standard deviations below the norm. The functional component further substantiates JoAnn’s difficulty with comprehension of verbal directions

10. Example 2nd Component of SummaryEligible for Speech-Language Services The result of Clinical Assessment of Articulation and Phonology yielded a standard score of 70 which falls within the 8th percentile rank. Barbara presents with an articulation disorder with the sibilant sounds /s/, /sh/, and /z/ sounds in conversational speech. Classroom observation confirms these results.

11. 2nd Component of summary if a lack of instruction in reading or math or limited English proficiency are the determining factors, because these causes are specifically excluded in code. This assessment reveals that Gertha is functioning significantly below grade-level academic expectations which may be a result of the student’s excessive absences in grades two through five. Consequently Gertha has not been consistently instructed in all curriculum areas for an extended period of time.

12. 3rd Component of Summary - List weaknesses identified in evaluation that prevent participation and progress in the general curriculum and program. Sources of information for this section: Evaluation results Referral information Teacher input Parent input District and state assessments Sample of student work

13. 3rd Component of SummarySample Weakness Statements “Because of Pam’s auditory processing difficulties, she experiences significant problems in academics, which rely heavily on language. This is evident in her failure to achieve proficiency in language arts literacy on district wide and statewide assessments. In particular, written work is poorly organized with insufficient content and inadequate sentence construction when compared to grade expectations. In addition, reading comprehension is impeded by long passages beyond 500 words, limited vocabulary, poor note taking skills, and identifying the main idea expected for students in the same grade. In addition, Pam’s slow cognitive processing has had a negative impact on her ability to write and read selections at a speed expected of students in the same grade.”

14. 3rd Component of Summary – Weaknesses - & How to Integrate into the IEP PLAAFP – weaknesses stemming from the disability that interfere with participation and progress in the general curriculum and program Goals – weaknesses are usually based on a gap between what is expected of the student in the general curriculum/ program and the student’s present performance, which could then lead directly to goals Special education services, accommodations, and programs that the student needs to achieve goals and facilitate participation, as well as progress in the general curriculum/ program

15. Component 4 of Summary - List strengths identified in evaluation that facilitate participation and progress in the general curriculum and program. • Sources of information for this section: • Evaluation results • Referral information • Teacher input • Parent input • District and state assessments • Sample of student work

16. Component 4 of Summary - Sample This assessment indicates that Tom’s motivation, on task engagement, and performance increases when interested in an activity. This seems evident in his relative strengths in math, science, and hands-on activities. Tom’s strengths to reason and problem solve nonverbally also contribute to progress in math and science. Here he has achieved proficiency on district assessments as well as Bs and Cs on report cards over the past two years. These strengths can be applied to other subjects and extra curricular activities. Additionally, Tom’s strong interpersonal skills are demonstrated in cooperative learning activities, where his good planning and leadership skills are utilized. He appears to have excellent social skills. He is cooperative and respectful, with excellent self-help skills and provides a good deal of assistance to his family outside of school. These strengths have facilitated Tom’s participation and progress in the general program and provide a foundation for future growth.

17. Component 4 – How can identified strengths be integrated into the recommendations, as well as various IEP components PLAAFP – strengths that facilitate participation and progress in the general curriculum/program Strengths can be utilized as accommodations, motivations, and reinforcements in the IEP to facilitate participation and progress in the general curriculum/program

18. Component 5 of Summary - Recommendations from summaries that can be utilized to facilitate student’s participation and progress in the general curriculum/program Recommendations could derive from addressing student’s weaknesses and utilizing strengths. The gap between the student’s current functioning and what is expected of him/her needs to be bridged. Therefore, the recommendations can include strategies, modifications, services, and goals to address this gap. The recommendations can frequently lead to IEP mandates. Therefore, think about the IEP components when completing this section (e.g., special factors, such as behavioral and communication needs, curriculum accommodations, support for staff, etc.)

19. Sample one of Component 5 Irwin would benefit from remediation in the following areas to make progress in the general education curriculum: • Structural analysis and syllabication to increase word recognition and comprehension of multi-syllabic words • Identification of cause and effect, fact and opinion, main idea and supporting details in texts to increase his comprehension in content areas • Pre/during/ post reading strategies to increase reading comprehension with fictional material • Direct instruction on each skill at the proficiency level of the writing rubric

20. Sample 2 of Component 5 Marilyn would benefit from strategies and accommodations to support her continued growth in reading and written language functions that cross all academic areas, such as: 1. Teacher may state and post the lesson objective, and supply an outline of the material to be covered verbally 2. Student may: • use a writing outline with delineated areas that meet the proficient level of the writing rubric in all subject areas • use a spell check to self correct written assignments • use a calculator to increase accuracy and speed with calculations • attend the after school program to complete homework assignments where explanation and clarification is available

21. FYI -Code Mandated Components of Reports 1. Dated and signed; 2. An appraisal of the student's current functioning and an analysis of instructional implication(s) appropriate to the professional discipline of the evaluator; 3. A statement regarding relevant behavior of the student, either reported or observed and the relationship of that behavior to the student's academic functioning; 4. If an assessment is not conducted under standard conditions, the extent to which it varied from standard conditions. * Note - District also mandates use of discipline face sheet and summary.

22. This presentation covered writing summaries for discipline assessments and reports that will be: User-friendly for stakeholders who need to understand and utilize reports in school and at home (e.g., teachers, administrators, CST colleagues, and parents); Aligned with participation and progress in the general education curriculum and program; and Utilized by stakeholders in making code-mandated eligibility and IEP decisions. * Note – Staff experiencing problems writing these summaries can schedule an appointment with the PDC, utilizing a recently evaluated student.