Sped Database – New Accommodations Layout

February 25th, 2015  

The long-awaited changes to the Assessment Participation section of the sped database are complete!

If you’ve been in the assessment section of the database at all this morning, you’ve probably noticed that the testing accommodations look a bit different.  Rather than checkboxes, the available accommodations are now listed in drop down lists.  All of the existing accommodations in students’ IEPs have been transferred over to the new layout.  If you find errors or missing accommodations, please let me know!  A few of the print and error checking routines are still under construction, so please be patient if you find problems with those this morning.  The kinks should be worked out by tomorrow.

You will find a few new categories of accommodations that have been updated to align with the state’s new Participation Guidelines for Alaska Students in State Assessments (available here).

A few key changes to note:

bullet-point-image-6The new Embedded category refers to accommodations that are embedded in the new computerized AMP assessment (e.g., text-to-speech, masking, invert colors, etc.).

bullet-point-image-6The Universal category lists accommodations that are available to all students (IEP or not) for AMP testing.  If these are accommodations that your students use regularly in the classroom or during district-wide and/or state testing, you should list them in the students’ IEPs. (You will not need to amend IEPs prior to the AMP to add these Universal accommodations if they are not currently listed.)

bullet-point-image-6The Alternate Assessment category includes accommodations that are only available for students who will take the Alternate Assessment.  Please do not use these accommodations for students who are not on the Alternate Assessment. They are generally not allowable accommodations for other assessments.

To add accommodations to an IEP, you will need to first select the Category (e.g, Assistive Devices, Directions, Response, Setting, etc.), and then you will be able to select from a list of available accommodations in that category.  When you’ve selected the appropriate accommodations, click on the blue plus sign button to add that accommodation to the student’s IEP.

NewAccoms1

 

 

 

 

 

 

As accommodations are added, they will show up in the list below.  If you need to remove an accommodation, just click on the small trash can symbol to the right of that particular accommodation.

NewAccoms2

 

 

The options for how the student will participate in testing have also changed to align with the new state forms.  The options now read–

The student will:
– Participate in state and district-wide assessments
– Participate in the state Alternate Assessment
– Not be subject to state and district-wide assessment due to the student’s age

NewAccoms3

 

 

For Alternate Assessment case managers:
The three questions related to eligibility criteria for the Alternate Assessment are now listed in the database.  I have already completed these for all students who are currently on the Alternate Assessment.  The hand-filled Alternate Assess criteria checklist still applies as well.

February 2015 FAQs

February 4th, 2015  

FAQs

Q: Should a nurse be invited to the IEP meeting? The nurses are often gone from work when we have the IEP meetings, what should I do?

A: If a student has medical needs that are addressed by the IEP team, then the team should invite the nurse.  Even if the nurse cannot be there, please make sure that they provide any necessary information prior to the meeting and that they receive all relevant information following the meeting.

Q: Where do I put study skills minutes in the IEP?  

A: This depends on why the student has study skills.  If the student is in study skills for reading, writing, math, behavior or social / emotional reasons, put the minutes in those areas.  Study Skills is simply the location.    If the IEP and ESER notes executive functioning needs, then Study Skills can be put as a separate service area.

 

 

 

 

 

January 2015 FAQs

January 12th, 2015  

FAQs

Q: Is it appropriate for me to invite the P.E or music teacher to be the general education rep at an IEP meeting?

A: The teacher serving as the general education representative must have knowledge of the general education curriculum and should have information related to the area of disability.  So, if the student has motor planning issues, or social skills issues of which a music or P.E. teacher may have knowledge relevant for the IEP team, they can certainly be the general education teacher. For a student with difficulties reading, it would likely not be appropriate.

Q: Do I have to have a district rep and who can be the district rep at my IEP meeting? 

A: A District Representative must be in attendance at all IEP meetings. This duty falls on the principal unless a designee is appointed by the principal to function as the District Representative (this should happen only on rare occasions).

The following criteria must be considered when appointing a teacher to act as a District Representative for the KPBSD.  According to the state special education handbook, the appointee must be:

  • Qualified to provide, or supervise the provision of special education
  • Knowledgeable about the general education curriculum
  • Knowledgeable about the availability of resources of the District with the authority of commit district resources and ensure that whatever services set out in the IEP will be provided.

Based on the above criteria, only another administrator, special education teacher, or a related service provider can be assigned to act as District Representative.

October 2014 FAQs

October 15th, 2014  

FAQs
 

 

Q: One of the students on my caseload is under the custody of the Office of Children’s Services (OCS).  What do I need to know?

A: The first, best thing to do is contact the Pupil Services Compliance Secretary for your school.  OCS is not the legal guardian and cannot sign the paperwork as the legal guardian.  Depending on the student’s situation, a family member or a foster parent may serve as the guardian for IEP purposes.  Or a surrogate parent may need to be appointed for the student.  A call to the district office compliance secretaries will help determine what the next steps are for the student.

Q: Should I bring a draft IEP with me to the IEP meeting?

A: If you bring a new proposed draft of the IEP to the meeting, the most important things to do is to mark it as DRAFT and ensure that everyone at the table knows that the draft will be reviewed at this meeting and changes made.  If you do bring a draft, make notes on you copy of what changes team members would like to make.  In potentially contentious cases, save the copy with your notes on it so that it can be referred to if a parent has a question.  Another option is to bring a copy of the current IEP and make changes where needed on that copy.  An effective case manager brings some sort of draft to work from so that the meeting can stay on track.

PLAAFP — The First “P” Stands for Present!

September 4th, 2013  

Presents Levels of Academic Achievement and Functional Performance (PLAAFP) are developed during the IEP process first for a reason – without a proper PLAAFP, the team cannot develop the goals or select an appropriate program. Take the following 5 steps to construct detailed PLAAFPs:

1. Bring current data to the IEP meeting. This doesn’t mean information that is a year or older. Rely more on hard data than teacher observations. Data should speak for itself.

2. Be cautious when using numbers in PLAAFPs. Think twice before saying that a child does something X percent of the time or X out of X times. If you are saying that a child does something 8 out of 10 times, does he consistently do it 8 out of 10 times or just that day assessed? PLAAFPs should explain where the child is functioning on a day to day basis, not where he was functioning on a particular day.

3. Review test scores and evaluation results prior to meeting. Team members should have an opportunity to interpret test scores and evaluation results for themselves. Sometimes different staff members and parents have different beliefs about whether a student is making progress and what the student needs to improve. Reviewing ahead of time leads to a meaningful discussion at the meeting.

4. Write PLAAFPs in positive terms. PLAAFPs are supposed to identify what a student can do. Avoid using the word can’t when writing PLAAFPs. What the child cannot do comes into play when developing the goals and objectives. PLAAFPs identify student strengths and abilities while goals identify what the student needs to learn to do.

5. Use the “stranger test” to assess PLAAFPs. A PLAAFP is appropriate if a person who is unfamiliar with the IEP would be able to identify exactly what the student can do. This is likely if the PLAAFP includes measurable data and specific details.

Excerpted from Special Ed eConnection by LRP (February 2013)