Revisiting SPL/IIT/SAT/SLD AND OTHER ALPHABETIC ANOMOLIES!

ESSENTIAL QUESTION How do school teams respond to student academic and behavioral concerns, group and individual, in order to make confident decisions?

By the end of this session, participants will… Know the rationale for the problem-solving and teaming processes within the school. Understand the process for problem-solving and how it is utilized by each teaming structure within the school for making instructional decisions. Utilize data-driven decisions to inform the instructional process, the SPL process and the evaluation process to maximize learning with all students within the school.

Connecting SPL & SLD Beginning with the end in mind…

PREREQUISITES TO IDENTIFICATION OF SLD 1. Problem- Solving 2. Teaming Decisions at ALL levels of the SPL process are dependent on school collaborative problem-solving teams. Each teaming structure provides a framework and process for discussing students’ concerns and ultimately informs the SPL process for determining SLD.

Key Components - School Teams School Leadership Team Grade-Level Team Content Area Team Instruction Team Student Assistance Team Multidisciplinary Evaluation Team Eligibility Committee Individualized Education Program Team Why So Many??

TEAMKEY WORDs PURPOSEMEMBERSHIP School Leadership Team Global View Staff School-wide decisions to create consistency with regard to curriculum, assessment, staff development; communicate within the teams Principal Grade-level representative Specialist representative Counselor Content area representative Grade-Level Team Collaboration All Students Decisions regarding standards, relevant instruction, and data interpretation that affects students at their grade-level overall Teachers Specialists Content Area Team Collaboration All Students Most often at middle and high school levels; mentor new teachers; align curriculum with standards; prioritize and customize instruction to meet students’ needs Teachers Specialists Instruction Team (IT) Achievement General Ed. Specific Students Monitor process of leveled instruction and review data; make collaborative decisions regarding support for personalized learning (SPL) targeted instruction, grouping and make SAT referrals. Varied Membership Teachers Specialists (If appropriate) Similar

TEAMKEY WORDsPURPOSEMEMBERSHIP Student Assistance Team (SAT) Student Achievement Decision-making General Education Specific Students Continue problem-solving process begun by IIT; problem-solving for multiple areas of concern; design and monitor implementation of intensive interventions utilizing DATA; receive and process written referrals suspecting a student may need special education; make referrals for multidisciplinary evaluations, alternative education placement Principal School Psychologist Teacher(s) - Various Special Educator Speech Therapist Parent Multi- disciplinary Evaluation Team (MDET) Evaluation Special Education One Student Determines areas to be evaluated and conducts the multidisciplinary assessment Principal School Psychologist Special Educator(s) Therapist(s) Teacher(s) Parent Eligibility Committee (EC) Decision-making Special Education One Student Review data and other evaluation information to determine whether the student meets eligibility criteria for special education Principal School Psychologist Teacher(s) Special Educator(s) Specialists Parent Individualized Education Program Team (IEP) Planning Implementation Special Education One Student Develop the IEP in accordance with Policy 2419 Principal Special Educator Teacher(s) Specialists Parent

REFLECT… Which teams are responsible for guiding core instruction? How are decisions made regarding the need for SPL? Who makes these decisions?

Key Components – SPL Framework INTENSIVE TARGETED CORE

PREREQUISITES TO IDENTIFICATION OF SLD: PROBLEM SOLVING 2. Analyze the problem 3. Develop a plan 4. Implement & monitor the plan 5. Evaluate & adjust the plan 1. Identify & define needs

A CLOSER LOOK AT THE IIT TEAM Use benchmark assessment and other performance data to identify students who are performing below mastery Identify instructional strategies and/or research-based materials that could improve student performance in the general classroom Use data to group students for instruction according to specific skill needs Identify students for Targeted intervention Develop or select targeted interventions Monitor student progress and intervention effectiveness

What’s in a name??? No matter what we call it, The purpose is the same!

Reflect… What screeners are we currently using to identify individual and group needs? How are we responding to that information? Who is making these decisions?

Reflect… How are we determining specific needs of students? What tools are we using? How are we providing TARGETED instruction? How are we monitoring progress? Documenting progress? Responding to the data? Who is making these decisions?

A CLOSER LOOK AT THE SAT TEAM Review and analyze classroom and intervention data and other relevant information Use a Problem Solving Model to determine action plans for students who continue to struggle even though research-based intervention matched to student needs was provided with integrity Validate or refute documentation collected during students’ SPL instruction and intervention process If intervention documentation substantiates, initiate a multidisciplinary evaluation

Reflect… How are we monitoring level of learning and rate of progress? What tools? How are we providing INTENSIVE instruction? How are we documenting implementation of INTENSIVE instruction? Who is making these decisions?

REFLECT… What information are we using to determine WHEN to refer a student for a multidisciplinary evaluation? How are we responding when a parent requests an evaluation? What differences do we see in evaluations requested for students with suspected SLD over other disabilities, such as autism, EBD, OHI, etc.?

Is it because I can’t see…or hear?? Is it because I have moved so many times? Is it because I come from a culturally or economically disadvantaged environment? Is it because I haven’t received instruction targeted at my deficits? Is it because I have haven’t been given enough time to catch up with SPL? Is it because I have missed so much school? Is it because I have an intellectual disability? Is it because I a behavioral/emotional problem? Is it because I have limited English proficiency? … OR COULD IT BE A LEARNING DISABILITY???????

SLD IDENTIFICATION – Eligibility Standards Standard 1 – Level of Learning Standard 3 – Exclusionary Factors Standard 2 – Rate of Learning OR Pattern of Strengths and Weaknesses

Standard 1 – Level of Learning Addresses the student’s mastery of grade-level content in one or more of the 8 areas Significant and persistent low academic achievement even after obtaining evidence of research-based CORE classroom instruction and TARGETED and INTENSIVE instruction Determined by the Eligibility Committee (EC) Includes screening and assessment results with a minimum of three data points that reflect at least nine weeks of TARGETED instruction and at least six data points that reflect at least nine weeks of INTENSIVE instruction that are at or below the 8 th percentile (NOT an absolute score. Professional judgement must be used when interpreting these results.) An individually administered norm-referenced achievement test score at or below the 8 th percentile Student performance relative to state-approved, grade-level standards is an essential component of determining the existence of severe underachievement.

Identification of SLD – EIGHT AREAS ORAL EXPRESSION LISTENING COMPREHENSI ON WRITTEN EXPRESSI ON BASIC READING SKILL READING FLUENCY READING COMPREHENSION MATH CALCULATION PROBLEM SOLVING

Standard 2 – Rate of Learning OR Pattern of Strengths and Weaknesses Insufficient rate of learning is met when the student’s attained rate of improvement is substantially below grade- level peers’ typical rate of improvement Based on progress monitoring data and Gap Analysis, reasonable or targeted rate or improvement cannot be projected even when the student is provided supplemental instruction of reasonable intensity and duration. Rate of learning is determined by comparing the rate of improvement (slope) of the student’s data points with the rate of improvement (slope) of the typical student or the expected learning rate, the aim line.

Standard 2 – Rate of Learning OR Pattern of Strengths and Weaknesses

Standard 3 – Exclusion Factors

REFLECT… How are we determining level of learning ? How are we determining rate of learning? How are we determining patterns of strengths and weaknesses? How are we ruling out the “exclusionary factors? 15final.pdf

REMEMBER… Labeling a child with a disability is NOT a benign act. We must be confident that the cause of a student’s learning or behavioral weaknesses is NOT due to other factors than a SLD. We must respond to ALL student academic needs through the SPL process. We must utilize DATA to make informed decisions. TEAMS, PROBLEM SOLVING, DECISIONS… The process cannot be circumvented.