Special Education Practice
As a special education teacher, included below are some of the procedures and practices I have implemented in order to best serve students with disabilities. In addition to providing differentiation and accommodations, managing student case loads and data related to IEPs is equally as important to ensure students are being serviced properly. Below are some of the ways I have organized this data and utilized it, so that all IEP team members can communicate collaboratively in regard to our students services.
IEP Overview Sheets
Being an ICT teacher, implementing IEP overview sheets was an effective way to make sure all teachers and service providers had quick access to students goals, services, and accommodations/modifications. Sheets were made at the beginning of the year and distributed to members of the students IEP team for quick reference. As annual and triennial reviews were held, sheets were updated to reflect changes in program, services, goals, and accommodations.
Behavior Tracking
Throughout my time as a special education teacher, one of the most useful tools I have found to track student behavior across locations and providers is Google Forms. As a special education case manager, I created the Google Form with the questions seen to the right. This form was then shared with service providers to use to track behavior on specific students. Settings allowed providers to respond to the same form throughout the duration of the school year so that situations and communication could be easily tracked. From the Google Form, a spreadsheet with responses could be generated in chronological order to share with parents and families. Data collected from these forms were then used to generate both formal and informal behavior plans for students to increase positive behavior.
IEP Goal Monitoring/Assessment
Tracking student goals and progress has been very important in order to keep accurate records of mandated services. Shown below is an example of how I track each students progress towards their specific goals. Measurement is taken during whole class and small group lessons through the use of exit tickets, iReady lessons, F&P assessments, and/or differentiated small group practice. Data is then used to update student IEP's and inform future goals and instruction.
*To view Data, click the arrow in the upper right hand corner of the spreadsheet to open full view.
