Writing IEPs to Standards

Alabama Department of Education

Special Education Services

July, 2011

Reproductions of the slides and/or information from the slides in this

PowerPoint related to Writing IEPs to Standards

should be credited to:

Alabama Department of Education, Special Education Services

P.O. Box 302101Montgomery, AL 36130

speced@alsde.edu 334.242.8114

Objectives

Review access to the general education curriculum

Provide an overview of state curriculum guides

Discuss steps in developing standards-based IEPs

Discuss similarities and differences in IEPs based on AL COS Standards and AL Extended Standards

Standards-Based Reform

Major Elements:Increased AccountabilityAligned Assessments Higher Academic Standards

Standards-Based Reform in Alabama

Higher Academic Standards Alabama Courses of Study Alabama Extended Standards

Aligned Assessments Alabama Reading and Math Test (ARMT) Alabama High School Graduation Exam

(ASHGE) Alabama Alternate Assessment (AAA)

Increased Accountability Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP)

Alabama Courses of Study and Academic Content Standards

A course of study is a document that specifies what students should know and be able to do in a particular subject area by the end of each grade level or course.

Minimum content for each grade level is delineated in the academic content standards.

Alabama’s College and Career Readiness Standards

2012-2013 2013-2014

Expecting Excellence!

Alabama’s College and Career Readiness Standards

Purpose of Standards

•Access to the general education curriculum

•Access means that all students have opportunities to participate in the knowledge and skills that make up the general education curriculum

Access Is Not…

• Special Education students sitting in a general education classroom doing activities unrelated to the general education curriculum

• Teachers writing an IEP goal based on content standards but teaching material unrelated to the content standards

• Teaching the content standards after all other classroom activities have occurred

Opportunity to Learn

Teachers create opportunities for students to learn

grade-level expectations (content standards).

Content Standards and Extended Standards

IEPs must be based on either content standards or extended standards.

Content standards are measured by the ARMT and/or the AHSGE.

Extended standards are measured by the AAA.

Students Who Are Not Performing at Grade Level

Alabama Curriculum Guides Include objectives that are prerequisite to the standard and/or break the standard

down into smaller instructional units

Alabama Curriculum Guides

Alabama Curriculum Guides

•Mathematics (Grades 1-8) •Prereqs. to Alg. I (Grades 9-12) Revised version Mathematics Grades K-12 pending, January 2012.

•Language Arts (Grades K-12) Revised version scheduled, January 2013.

•Social Studies (Grades K-12)

•Science (Grades K-12)

To access Alabama Curriculum Guides:www.alex.state.al.us/specialed

Click on Curriculum

Alabama Curriculum Guides

LA 5.2: Use a range of strategies, including drawing conclusions such as opinions about characters based on their actions and summarizing passages, to comprehend fifth-grade literary/recreational materials in a variety of genres.

LA5.2.1: Relate character traits from a provided list to characters from a given passage.

LA5.2.2: Compare characters in a given passage who have similar character traits.

LA5.2.3: Compare characters in a given passage who have contrasting character traits.

Alabama Curriculum Guides

LA5.2.4: Write a sentence describing characters from a given passage.

LA5.2.5: Write sentences retelling key ideas from a given passage.

LA5.2.6: Retell a story in a few sentences.

Content Standards Legend for IEPs

grade level

content standard

objective

Standard R 3. 3Use a wide range of strategies, including using context clues and predicting outcomes, to comprehend third-grade literary/recreational materials in a variety of genres.

subject

R 3. 3. 2 Make and confirm predictions based on information from a story.

Developing Standards-Based IEPs

The IEP is the cornerstone of access to the

general curriculum.

What steps do IEP Teams need to follow to develop effective

standards-based IEPs?

Developing Standards-Based IEPs

Step 1:Collect and examine materials for making data-based IEP decisions.

Courses of study and/or curriculum guides Current assessment data

• State assessments • Classroom assessments (curriculum-based)• Eligibility data (if current and related to

learning the standards) Student work samples Previous year’s IEP Other information (e.g., grades, discipline

referrals, attendance reports)

Step 2: Analyze data to develop the student profile.

The profile should include general statements regarding:

Strengths Needs How the disability affects

involvement/progress in the general education curriculum

Assessment/Evaluation Status of prior IEP goals Teacher/Parent/Student input Transition needs (at least by age 16)

Student Profile vs. Present Level

Similarities• Data-based• Provides a snapshot of the student• Provides a sense of where the student is functioning in

regard to specific area

Differences• Profile is overview of where student is functioning in

relation to their school experiences

• Profile is general picture of the student’s functioning in all

areas relevant to the IEP

• Present level provides a summary of baseline information that indicates the student’s academic achievement on specific standards or skills.

Assessment

Evaluation

Strengths

Needs

Impacts performance

Katie is a fifth grade student who is experiencing difficulty achieving grade level academic content standards in all areas. Katie repeated kindergarten and has received supplemental support in reading and math since she was in the second grade. Katie’s scores on achievement tests indicate that she falls in the below-average range in mathematics and reading. Her fourth-grade state assessment results showed math as a relative strength. Katie takes pride in finishing her work and frequently requests more time to complete her assignments. When given an accommodation of additional time, Katie will continue to work until she is told that time is up. As her skills improve, Katie will work to decrease the time it takes for her to complete her assignments.

Katie has problems with oral reading fluency and comprehension. She scored in the at risk range on the fifth grade DIBELS Oral Reading Fluency spring benchmark. Katie can read 85-90 words of connected text per minute with 100% accuracy. Her performance is consistent with the expectations for a student at the end of second grade. Katie’s problems with oral reading fluency affect comprehension skills in all academic areas of the general curriculum. She is improving in the areas of reading with expression and in self-correcting when she misses a word.

Sample Student Profile

Katie is working on fourth grade academic content standards in math. Results from state and classroom-based assessments (CBAs), indicate that Katie has learned math third-grade content standards with the exception of word problems. Progress monitoring data support the need for additional instruction in solving word problems at the third-and fourth-grade levels.

 

Home and school rating scales reveal significant difficulty in the areas of social interaction and communication skills. Teachers report that Katie is quiet in class and rarely volunteer answers or seeks teacher assistance. She does not often initiate interaction with peers or adults. Katie’s parents state that she does not frequently interact with others in church/community activities, but she likes to play with her younger sister and younger children. Katie loves music and has recently begun to take dance lessons. Her mother hopes that dance will help Katie feel more comfortable with children her age and improve communication skills.

Teacher/ Parent/

Student Input

Assessment

Evaluation

Sample Student Profile - continued

Step 3:Use data to summarize the present level.

The present level answers the question:

What is the student doing now?”

Present Level

Purposes•To provide a summary of baseline

information that indicates the student’s academic achievement

•To identify current functional performance

•To provide an explanation of how the disability affects the student’s involvement/progress in participating in the general curriculum

Characteristics•Standards centered

•Data driven

•Understandable

•Measureable

Present Level

Components Strengths Needs How the student’s disability affects

performance in the general education curriculum (for preschool children, how the disability affects the child’s participation in age appropriate activities)

Present Level

Strengths Student’s response to:

Learning strategies Accommodations Interventions Standards Instruction

Ask…What have we learned about this student’s strengths?

Present Level

NeedsFocus on needs that affect progress in the general education curriculum

Ask…What prerequisite skills/knowledge does the student need to close the gap between his/her present level and the grade-level content standards?

Present Level

How disability affects performanceConsider how the student’s disability affects progress in learning the grade-level content Standards

Example: Tasha's limited vocabulary knowledge is affecting

her progress in achieving reading standards that include synonyms, antonyms, and multiple-meaning words.

Present Level

DO NOT use the student’s exceptionality to explain how the disability affects involvement/progress in the general curriculum!

o Example of what NOT to write: Marcus’ learning disability affects his

progress in the general curriculum.

o Example of what to write:Marcus’ weakness in applying strategies,

such as making inferences and making complex predictions, affect his progress in comprehending sixth-grade literary materials.

Present Level

Sample Present Level

How DisabilityImpacts Learning

Standards-Based

IncludesAssessments

Includes Strengths and Weaknesses

Present Level of Academic Achievement and Functional Performance

Results from classroom assessments show that Katie is experiencing difficulty solving math word problems (M 4.6) that involve addition and subtraction of four-digit numbers. She averages one of four word problems correct on weekly grade five classroom assessments. Katie can solve simple word problems involving single-digit numbers (M 3.2.2) and, when given additional time, can solve addition and subtraction problems (with the exception of word problems) involving two and three-digit numbers with and without regrouping (M 4.6.4)

Katie’s difficulties with reading passages containing complex sentences and her lack of reading fluency negatively affect her progress in solving word problems within time limits specified for fifth-grade classroom assessments.

Remember…

The present level of academic achievement and functional performance sets the stage for developing IEP goals!

Present Level

Step 4: Write Annual Goals.

Purpose•To describe what a student can

reasonably expect to accomplish in one school year

•Annual Goals answer the question“What should the student be doing?”

Selecting the Content Standards

Consider content standards• Look at all grade-level content standards• Discuss intent of standard• Determine which standards are most

important for each student (based on progress in the general education curriculum)

• Compare standard(s) with student’s areas of needs and the impact of the disability

• Use data to determine the areas the student will find difficult without additional supports

Annual Goals

Annual goals are related to needs resulting from the student’s

disability that directly affect involvement and progress in the general education curriculum.

o For preschool children, as appropriate, to participate in age-appropriate activities

Annual Goals

If a large number of needs are identified in the present level, the IEP Team must consider how each need impacts the students’ progress in the general education curriculum.

Select the need that has the greatest impact on progress, and develop a goal to address that need.

Academic goals are based on:

–Alabama content standards listed in the Alabama COS or

–Alabama Extended Standards (for students with significant cognitive disabilities)

Annual Goals

Five Components • Who • Time frame • Conditions• Behavior• Criterion

Annual Goals

Measurable annual goals must include the following:

The student …(WHO) Will do what …(BEHAVIOR) To what level or degree…(CRITERION) Under what conditions…(CONDITIONS) In what length of time…(TIMEFRAME)

Annual Goals

Example of Annual Goal with Five Components

Jacob will read 90-110 words of connected text per

minute with 100% accuracy at the end of 36 weeks.

The student (Jacob)Will do what (read 90-110 words per minute)To what level or degree (100% accuracy)Under what conditions (connected text)In what time frame (end of 36 weeks)

Annual Goals

Remember…!

The IEP goal is NOT the content standard.

The IEP goal is part of a plan to make the content standard immediate and individualized for the student.

Do not copy the content standard word for word to become an IEP goal.

Incorrect Standards-Based IEP Annual Goal

7th Grade Content StandardApply strategies appropriate to the type of reading

material, including setting purposes for reading and

making generalizations, to comprehend seventh-grade

reading material (LA 7.1).

By the end of the ninth grading period, Sami will apply

strategies appropriate to the type of reading material,

including setting purposes for reading and making

generalizations, to comprehend seventh grade reading

material with 90% accuracy.

Present Level notes that Angela has difficulty making

generalizations and answering comprehension questions.

IEP Goal

By the end of the sixth grading period, Angela will use prior knowledge and life experiences to make generalizations from her personal experience to answer comprehension questions from Grade 7 recreational reading materials (LA. 7.1) with an average of 90% accuracy on classroom assessments.

Example of Correct IEP Annual Goal

Individualized Education Programs§ 300.320 Definition of individualized

education program.General. As used in this part, the term individualized education program or IEP means a written statement for each child with a disability that is developed, reviewed, and revised in a meeting in accordance with §§ 300.320 through 300.324, and that must include…

(ii) For children with disabilities who take alternate assessments aligned to alternate achievement standards, a description of benchmarks or short-term objectives;

Benchmarks

Benchmarks

• Measurable

• Minimum of 2 per goal

• A logical breakdown of the major components of an annual goal

Benchmarks

Short-term objectives and benchmarks are steps that measure the child's progress toward the annual goals in the IEP. When written correctly, short-term objectives provide teachers with a roadmap and a clear mechanism to evaluate the child's progress.

Wright, P. and Wright, P. (2006). Wrightslaw: From Emotions to Advocacy, 2nd Edition. Hartfield, VA: Harbor House Law Press, Inc.

Remember…

The Present Level has three required components.

1. Student’s strengths2. Student’s needs3. How the student’s disability impacts

progress in the general education curriculum

Remember…

Annual IEP goals should have the following five components.

1. Who2. Time frame3. Conditions4. Behavior5. Criterion

Developing SMART IEP Goals

• Specific – based on the student’s Present Level of Academic Achievement/Functional Performance

• Measurable – progress is objectively determined at frequent data points

• Achievable – realistic, related to the most critical needs

• Results-oriented –developed with a standards’ outcome in mind

• Time-bound – clearly defined beginning and ending dates

IEP Goals

Extended Standards…Students must have IEP goal(s) for

each of five academic areas (math, reading, science, social studies, and English/language arts); and any other areas of need.

General Education Course of Study…

Instruction and Assessment

Extended Standards…All extended standards must be

taught and evidence must be submitted for each standard regardless of number of IEP goals.

General Education Course of Study…

Grade of Enrollment

Extended Standards…IEPs must be developed based on

extended standards in the student’s grade of enrollment.

General Education Course of Study…

Assessing Progress

Extended Standards…The AAA, not the IEP, is the state

assessment that measures how well students have achieved the standards.

General Education Course of Study…

Teaching to Mastery

Extended Standards…All pieces of evidence submitted for the

AAA should show that the student has achieved the standard rather than demonstrate progress the student has made on the standard.

General Education Course of Study…

Sample IEPs

www.alex.state.al.us/specialed

Are there gaps? and if so, what specific gaps need to be

addressed when transitioning from the current standards to the new standards?

What do these new standards mean for instruction?

What do districts need to do in preparation for their implementation?

Transitioning to Alabama’s College and Career Readiness

Standards

Components of the Course of Study

High School Course Progressions

Standards for Mathematical Practice

Literacy Standards for Grades 6-12

Domains of Study and Conceptual Categories

Analyzing the Standards

Sample Units of Study

Building Teacher Capacity

Formative Assessments

Differentiating Instruction for RtI

Resources

Phase I Phase II

Transitioning to Alabama’s College and Career Readiness

Standards

Designed for continuous support based on Local Education Agency needs

Phase III

Transitioning to Alabama’s College and Career Readiness

Standards

Questions and Comments…