Student Assistance Team (Child Study) Process and Specific Learning Disability Requirements

1. Student Assistance Team (Child Study) Process and Specific Learning Disability Requirements Sault Area Public Schools Sheri L. McFarlane, Ed.S Director of Special Education

2. Introduction Remember??? The time had come to make some over due changes of the Child Study Student Assistance Team and Pre-referral processes.

3. Agenda • District Special Education Statistics • Revised IDEA 2004 • Student Assistance Team Manual/Process • Referral to Special Education

4. Special Education Statistics 2010-2011 • We currently have 2,401 (Sept ’09) students in the district. • We currently have 415 (17%) students receiving special education services. (769 services) • We have 98 students with Section 504 Accommodation Plans (total of 21%)

5. We have 21 special education teachers • We have 11 ancillary staff (SLT,OT, PT, SW, HI,VI, AI) • We have 23 special education paraprofessionals

6. IDEA -2004 • July 1, 2005- change went into effect. • Several Minor Changes in Language. • Changes that Directly Affect Classrooms. • Discipline • Least Restrictive Environment • 0-21%, 21-60, >60 (Special Education is a Service not a place) • Qualifying as having a Learning Disability Discrepancy vs. Response to Intervention

7. Consensus Report from the LD Summit 2001 • IQ/ achievement discrepancy is neither necessary nor sufficient for identifying individuals with specific learning disabilities • IQ tests do not need to be given in most evaluations of children with LD

8. LD Summit Report cont. • There should be alternate ways to identify individuals with LD in addition to achievement testing, history, and observations of the child. • Response to Intervention is the most promising method of alternate identification and can both promote effective practices in schools and help to close the gap between identification and treatment.

9. LD Summit Report cont. • Any effort to scale up response to intervention should be based on problem solving models that use progress monitoring to gauge the intensity of intervention in relation to the student’s response to the intervention.

10. What is Response to Intervention (RtI) • A system of decision making • Matching the precise nature of a student’s need to instruction • Being strategic and judicious in using instructional resources

11. RtI cont. • Using student data to maximize student learning • Having data to tell you whether what you are doing is working

12. Response to Intervention Beliefs • All children can learn • Educators are responsible to teach them • Parents have vast knowledge about their children and should be partners in the educational system

13. RtI Beliefs cont. • Children should be assisted when concerns arise, before problems grow • Children’s needs should be met in the general education setting whenever appropriate

14. What does that mean for us????

15. Change how we view and utilize Student Assistance Teams (Child Studies)! • Student Assistance Teams are a process- not a meeting. • Student Assistance Teams are not for the sole purpose of finding a student eligible for special education. • Student Assistance Teams are a TEAM approach.

16. The Student Assistance Team Process is a process in which information is shared and creative strategies/interventions are suggested and implemented to address an academic, emotional, or medical concern in the regular education setting. Teacher Parent Student Psychologist Therapist Spec.Ed. Teacher

17. Student Assistance Team Manual for Sault Area Schools and the Eastern Upper Peninsula Intermediate School Districts

18. Establishing a Student Assistance Team Process • Designate a Student Assistance Team Coordinator at each building. • Establish a Student Assistance Team for each building. • Determine a District Schedule • Establish an agreed upon process • Professional Development

19. Possible Designee Principal Intervention Specialist Counselor Lead Teacher Social Worker Duties Contact Person Holds paperwork Schedules meetings Completes meeting minutes Processes all paperwork Building Coordinator

20. Building Coordinator Principal Parent General Education Teacher Representative Special Education Teacher Representative Counselor Speech Therapist General Education Teacher(s) with concern Reading Recovery Teacher Social Worker (if behavior concerns) School Psychologist (for second meeting) Student Assistance TEAM members

21. District Schedule • Each building is assigned a different meeting day with 2 Student Assistance Team meeting times (e.g. Monday 7:30 and 7:55 or Tuesday 3:15 and 3:40) • The coordinator keeps track of the schedule of initial and follow-up Student Assistance Team meetings

22. Steps for Teachers to Initiate Assistance

27. Helping All Students Succeed Realistic Classroom Accommodations • Classroom Adaptations • Functional Behavior Assessment Form • Functions/Interventions Summary Chart • Behavior Intervention Plan • Retention/Acceleration of Students

30. Assessment Type Strength Weakness Progress monitoring Meeting / exceeding aimline Falling below aimline for at least 4 consecutive weeks on most recent tests. CBM (Benchmark) screening At ‘benchmark’ level or above grade-level median score if using local norms. At ‘at-risk’ level or below 10%ile if using local norms. Criterion-referenced assessment Skills at or above grade level Skills well below grade level MEAP Level 1 or Level 2 Level 3 or Level 4 Norm-referenced tests (Achievement, IQ) Percentile rank ≥ 30 Percentile rank ≤ 9 Curriculum assessments Scores ≥ 80% Scores ≤ 70% Grades A / B or ‘meets / exceeds’ expectations D / E or ‘does not meet’ expectations Teacher report Based upon professional judgment of teacher in comparing student to others in classroom. Based upon professional judgment of teacher in comparing student to others in classroom. Observations – Academic Student demonstrates average understanding of academic content in comparison to other students in classroom. Student demonstrates that s/he does not understand the academic content. Observations/Interviews/Scales - Functional Student demonstrates typical functional skills in comparison to other students the same age or in the same grade. Percentile rank on scale ≥ 30. Most of the student’s functional skills appear to be well below average in comparison to other students the same age or in the same grade. Percentile rank on scale ≤ 9.

31. Examples of Published Assessments (This is not a complete list) Assessment Type Examples: Progress monitoring, Benchmark screening DIBELS, AIMSweb, Yearly Progress Pro, EdCheckup Criterion-referenced assessments Brigance Norm-referenced achievement tests WRMT-2/NU, Key Math 3, KTEA-2, PIAT-2/NU, WIAT-2, WJ-3/NU, DAB-3, OWLS, GORT-4, TERA-3, TEMA-3, TOWL-4, TOLD:P-4, TOLD:I-4, TSW-4, CASL, CELF-4 IQ tests WISC-4, WAIS-4, KABC-2, KAIT-2, CTONI-2, KBIT-2, WASI Curriculum assessments aligned with CE’s and classroom instruction District assessments, Classroom assessments Adaptive/functional behavior scales Adaptive Behavior Evaluation Scale-2, Adaptive Behavior Inventory, AAMR Adaptive Behavior Scale-School, Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales-2

32. Further Information • The Student Assistance Team Manual is available on-line at the eup.k12.mi.us by clicking Services and Regional Student Assistance Team Manual. • Any updates will be available on-line only. • smcfarlane@eup.k12.mi.us THANK YOU