Student Led IEPS

As a previous special education teacher, I found a lot of value in developing learners that were engaged, empowered, and their own best advocates. A key strategy for developing students that had those characteristics was the deployment of student led IEPS. Since becoming a principal, it’s been a joy to watch students review their own goals, develop ownership of their own Individualized Education Plan (IEP), and defend their need for particular accommodations. During this process, students develop critical communication skills and sense of pride.

I recently received an email from a local teacher that found some of my resources that were published on a wiki I maintained as a teacher. I felt it would be beneficial to compile these resources as they are still relevant and beneficial in setting up a structure for student led IEPS.

Developing a structure for deploying IEPs starts with understand the rationale for it. I wrote and published an article on this very topic that you can read at:

empowerment-through-engagement-implementing-student-led-ieps

Shortly after publishing the article, I presented at the National Quality in Education Conference on the topic. This presentation offers a step-by-step framework and timeline for engaging in this process. You can view it at:

NQEC Presentation

The first step in developing students that are self-advocates is for them to understand their individualized needs and the IEP document. I initially discussed this by reviewing a powerpoint that introduced students to their IEPS.

An Introduction to your IEP

I need to reinforce that I believe that students at all grade levels and with all levels of needs are capable of being involved in their IEP in some capacity. Whereas these materials were developed for 3-5th graders in a cross-categorical resource setting, I’ve also seen student led or student involved IEPs done at lower grade levels and with various abilities and/or behaviors. Ideas for replication and accommodation may include video recording, creation of an iMovie, or picture presentation developed prior to the IEP meeting.

Following the introduction presentation, I developed a scavenger hunt that students can use in conjunction with their IEP to locate components of the IEP and their needs. Over time, I had to modify it and have included a version both in word and in board maker depending on students’ needs. Students may also use the IEP Components IEP to review the various parts of their IEP as well as use it as a communication map or checklist when preparing for their Annual Review.

IEP+Scavenger+Hunt 

IEP Scavenger Hunt_Board Maker

IEP_Components_Lotus

Students in a classroom focused on student ownership and accountability provide multiple ways for students to track their goals and data. There are various resources to develop charts, graphs, and goal setting forms for students to maintain in a student data binder. These can be maintained digitally or on paper in a binder. Evernote and See Saw are just two apps that can be used to maintain student data binders on tablets. Below are various charts/graphs templates that can be edited and used for students to track their data.

IEP Goal Tracking

Radar_ Classhomework

Radar_Chart-Behavior

Radar_Chart-Generic

Radar Chart-Reading

generic_40_12

MAZE Scattergram

MCAP Scattergram

scattergram 2

scattergramgeneric_80_12

As students prepare for their Annual Review, a template is provided to ensure they review each vital and required part of the IEP. This includes collecting feedback from IEP team members (their parents, related services staff, and their general education teachers).

IEP_Presentation_Template

Accommodations-Think-Sheet

IEP Lotus_Parent Feedback

IEP-Lotus_Teacher

To reflect on the IEP process, students can be involved in collecting and interpreting data related to the success of the IEP. Asking for feedback from parents and from the students also allows the case manager/special education teacher to determine areas of improvement for future annual reviews.

Post-IEP feedback form

Student Led IEP Survey

The student-led IEP process is on-going. It is designed for students to be engaged in throughout the year as they interact and monitor their goals, advocate for their needs, and share their growth with their IEP team. Once a new Annual Review is held, the process replicates itself as students begin tracking new and/or ongoing goals and sharing their progress. This process is also part of  a larger school wide focus on continuous improvement and the development of a classroom learning community for all students that includes development of mission statements, goals, and classroom meetings.

Title I Request Teacher Qualification Guidelines

Request Teacher Qualification Guidelines

Dear Parent(s)/Guardian(s),

As a parent/guardian of a student at a school receiving funds under Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, you have the right to request the professional qualifications of the teachers who instruct your child and the paraprofessionals, if any, who assist them.  You may request the following information about each of your child’s classroom teachers and/or their paraprofessional assistants:

  1. Whether the teacher has met State certification requirements;
  2. Whether the teacher is teaching under an emergency permit or other provisional status by which State licensing criteria have been waived;
  3. The teacher’s college major;
  4. Whether the teacher has any advanced degrees and, if so, the subject of the degrees; and
  5. Whether any instructional aides or paraprofessionals provide services to child and, if so, their qualifications.

If you would like to receive any of this information, please contact Charlotte Ferris (cferris@dunlapcusd.net) at the District Office.

Sincerely,

Heather Bowman

Director of Curriculum and Instruction

 

Pineapple Professional Learning

I recently read Hacking Education: 10 Quick Fixes for Every School by Mark Barnes and Jennifer Gonzalez. It was a good read with some quick and effective strategies that could be easily implemented.

The book revealed 10 strategies to improve school function and efficiency:

1. Facilitate meetings “in the cloud”

2. Develop a Pineapple Chart (I’ll provide more about this in a minute)

3. Develop Teacher Quiet Zones

4. Track Records (data binders)

5. Empower Student Tech Gurus

6. Engage new teachers with Marigold Committees

7. Do the “In Class” Flip

8. Develop Book Nooks (free books for students)

9. Establish Glass Classrooms with social media (twitter, blogs, edmodo)

10. Monitor student data with a 360 Spreadsheet to get a sense of all facets of a child both academically and emotionally.


 

Of these “hacks” the Pineapple Chart stuck with me as a strategy to embed professional learning into our days without making “professional development” an event or another meeting. This concept is something I continue to develop through weekly Twitter reflections for my staff at #royalreflection, weekly memos that include “Blogs, Tweets, and Pins, Oh MY!” for staff to review, and monthly book reviews of professional readings. Most recently, I offered my staff coverage of their classroom if they had the desire to observe in a colleague’s classroom. Research supports teacher peer observations as an effective form of improving instructional practices. For this professional learning to be effective, if needs to be an embedded part of the school culture and ongoing.

This is where the Pineapple Chart comes into play. In its most simple form, the pineapple chart functions under the symbolism of the pineapple.The pineapple is a symbol of welcome. When it’s displayed on welcome mats and door hangings, the intended message is “Come in! All are welcome here!”

Pineapple Professional Learning Opportunities are a way of putting a welcome mat out for a classroom and letting others know that you’re doing something worth doing today, and if they’d like to come by to watch, your door is open!

As a result of reading this book, I created a Pineapple Chart for DGS. The pictures below show this board in our teacher work room.

The Pineapple Professional Learning Board

The Pineapple Professional Learning Board

A Sample Pineapple Post It

A Sample Pineapple Post It

Pineapple Professional Learning at DGS

Pineapple Professional Learning at DGS

 

To all the moms… I know

If you walk through the halls of DGS this week, you will see teachers preparing learning environments to welcome back our Royals. In just a short week, DGS will be bustling with anxious and eager students ready to begin a new year. In the wake of all their back to school excitement, I want to tell the DGS moms one thing… I know.

  • I know that when you board your baby on the bus or drop them off on the first day that you’ll restrain from taking just one more picture or giving just one more hug and kiss before they walk into our care and wonder where time has gone and how could they be one year older and one grade further in school. I also know that those of you that are wishing you could be the one to drop them off, but have to go to work are feeling guilty. I know.
  • I know that you may wonder how their first day goes and think about it all day long. Will they like their teacher? Will they make friends? Will they eat their lunch? Will they follow the rules? Will they learn? Will they tell you all about it when they get home? I know.
  • I know that you are expecting a learning environment for your child that will accommodate for their individual needs, challenge them, accept them, and encourage them. You want a teacher that can engage, motivate and empower your child to do great things, grow and learn. I know.

I know all of this because I am a mom too. On the first day of school through the 174th day of school, I want an environment and educational team for my own daughters that understands that I may cry, I may question, I may wonder, and I may need just as much encouragement as my children. I know I will feel a range of emotions as my daughters grow. It is ok to feel elated when they achieve a goal. It is understandable to feel their pain over a disagreement they experience on the playground. It is your role to want the best for your child in every facet of their school lives. I know this because when I walk the halls of DGS, interact with teachers, and connect with students, that I am doing so on a level that I would want for my own daughters because I want the same for them. I know.

  • I know that DGS is ready to support you and your child this year. I know we have a staff that is just as eager to welcome our students, create learning experiences for them that are memorable, and provide a nurturing environment that you expect. I know that, despite any challenges in our future, that we are ready to problem-solve, work together, and help support all of our students.
  • I also know that at Dunlap Grade School, our students are so lucky for a mom like you. A mom that will cherish these moments as they enter kindergarten, first, second, third, fourth and fifth grade; a mom that will embrace each milestone and accept the mixed emotions that come with your child being one year older.

So take all the pictures you want on the first day. Walk your child to the classroom. Cry when they leave on the bus. Wonder what they are doing all day long. Eagerly await to hear about their first day joys. We will not judge.

Do all of that because you only get this moment. This milestone. The first day of this grade level. Once. I know.

Book Review: Kid President’s Guide to Being Awesome

I’ve sent emails or included in staff updates, various video clips and messages from Kid President. I find the innocence and simplicity expressed by Kid President to by inspiring and motivating.  He so clearly articulates life lessons that remind us of the importance of focusing on what matters. In simple and entertaining terms, he focuses on what creates joy and awesomeness in our world.th

My favorite videos from Kid President include: (click on the links to see the videos)

  1. A Pep Talk
  2. 20 Things We Should Say More Often
  3. A Pep Talk to Teachers
  4. A Letter to a Person on Their First Day Here
  5. How to Change the World 

Kid President wrote his first book, “Kid President’s Guide to Being Awesome!” It came out this spring and is filled with inspiration that is applicable to our personal lives, but also our lives as educators. Despite his book including over 200 pages, it focuses on developing one major theme: relationships. At such an early age, Kid President shares the importance of developing relationships, maintaining relationships, and celebrating others.

Four of Kid President’s lessons remind us of the importance of celebrating our students, celebrating ourselves, and recognizing that all of our students are worth celebrating.

As teachers, we see incremental successes in our students daily. From recognizing letters at the beginning of the year in Kindergarten to completing complex math problems in 5th Grade, it is easy to get overlook the daily successes in our students. Kid President reminds us that there is always a reason to dance and that we need to celebrate more. As adults, we know the power of positive praise when a colleague or friend recognizes a new outfit, shares our joy in an accomplishment, or sends us well wishes. We can be that constant source of celebration for our students by taking time to dance and celebrate all of the wonderful things that go on daily in their lives.

Follow your passion

If you think back to when you chose to become a teacher it was likely linked to a love of the field and a love of child. Reflect on that passion. Keep that passion alive.

Think more like a kid

Take a moment to think about how you would act if you were sitting in your own class. Would you be engaged? Would you be hungry for more learning? Would you look forward to walking into your classroom each day? As we encourage students to demonstrate empathy, I challenge you to model the same by putting yourself in their shoes for a moment. Think more like a kid.

Broadcast the good news around you

I am so proud to be a staff member at Dunlap Grade School. Our school is filled with skilled professionals that instill a love of learning and pride in our students on a daily basis. Take time to broadcast the good around you. Consider sharing a blog post, pictures for facebook, or an email to the staff that celebrates an accomplishment, showcases student learning, or highlights the great things that occur in your classes on a daily basis!

Take a moment to reflect

We are not perfect. There’s not an expectation to be perfect. Continuously reflect on your practices, share your successes and set goals for improvements. Proficient practitioners are reflective.

Our Stop Doing List:

  1. Don’t stop believing
  2. Don’t type in all caps
  3. Don’t be a bully
  4. Don’t be mean. Be meaningful
  5. Don’t keep score

Change the Future. The time to be awesome is NOW!

Toby Tire School Bus Safety Reminders

As winter begins to lose its grip on the Midwest, it’s a good time to review some child and traffic safety rules and reinforce our commitment to safe travel.

Adults understand the temptation of spring fever, when our attention turns from the frigid discomfort of winter to the prospects of warmth and rebirth.  Kids get it to.  They look forward to bringing the bicycles out of the basement and garage and back outdoors where they can experience the freedom of a spring afternoon.

Younger students should be reminded that drivers may be distracted for a variety of reasons as spring weather approaches.  Always be careful crossing the street.

Nationally, there has been a dramatic increase in the number of kids who have been struck by motor vehicles that illegally pass their school buses.  There has been no definitive reason offered for this rash of accidents.  Remind your students they must always cross in front of their school bus and be sure that traffic has stopped for them before they proceed across the street.

The spring weather brings out the euphoria in children.  This is a good opportunity for us to remind them that school bus drivers have a difficult job.  Respect your driver, talk in your inside voice and always remain seated while the bus is in motion.

Bullying may not seem like a barrier to school bus safety but it is.  A child who is consumed with worry about a bully has a tough time concentrating on staying safe.  And adults need to understand that kids today have challenges that we never faced: cyberbullying has become epidemic.  Respect each other.  If someone is bullying you, tell a teacher or your principal.  That’s simply behavior that will not be tolerated at our school

Spring is a time of rebirth.  Let’s make it a re-commitment to school bus safety as well.

Dunlap School District 323 Board Member Vacancy

Dunlap School District 323 Board Member Vacancy

 

Dunlap School District #323 is accepting applications to fill the vacancy resulting from the resignation of Jason Hauer. The individual selected will serve on the School Board from the date of appointment to the end of the unexpired term, which ends in April 2017.

 

The Dunlap School District’s mission is to empower all students to excel in a global society.

 

Applicants for the Board vacancy must be: a United States citizen, at least 18 years of age, a resident of Illinois and the District for at least one year immediately preceding the appointment, and a registered voter. Applicants must not be a child sex offender, must not hold another incompatible public office, and must not hold certain types of prohibited State or federal employment.

 

Applicants should show familiarity with the Board’s policies regarding general duties and responsibilities of a Board and a Board member, including fiduciary responsibilities, conflict of interest, ethics and gift ban. The Board’s policies are available at:

http://www.dunlapcusd.net/District/Pages/SchoolBoardPolicies.aspx.

 

Letters of interest must be submitted to Sherri Espinosa, Superintendent’s Secretary, by 4:00 pm on Friday, March 6 at 3020 W. Willow Knolls Rd., Peoria, IL 61614.

 

Meet the School Board Candidates Forum to be Held

The League of Women Voters of Greater Peoria will hold a “Meet the School Board Candidates” forum on Monday, March 9, 2015 at 7:00 pm in the Spartan Theater at Dunlap Valley Middle School. The forum will involve candidate introductions, and candidates will respond to questions asked by the League of Women Voters and the audience.

The Board candidates running in the April 7, 2015 Election for the four available seats are: Dawn Bozeman, Amy Fairfield Doering, Theresa Holshouser, Beth Rhee, and Bryan Zowin.

We hope you will plan to attend this important evening!

Sincerely,

Dr. Lisa M. Parker

Superintendent of Schools

Welcome PE Teacher, Mr. Carter!

District Strategic Goal #3: Create a Satisfying and Productive Classroom Teaching Environment

Stephen Carter has been teaching in Dunlap for 12 years at Wilder-Waite Elementary.  He has been teaching Physical Education during that time exclusively at Wilder-Waite.  This year he will have Physical Education classes at DGS and WW.  Mr. Carter has earned two bachelor’s degrees and a master’s degree.  As well as teaching, he has been serving as the head coach at DVMS for the Cross Country and Track programs for the past 6 seasons.  This will be his first season as an assistant coach for the high school Cross Country team.  He is looking forward to meeting all the students and families at DGS! Welcome to DGS, Mr. Carter!

Service and Leadership Celebrates a Successful Year

Service and Leadership concluded this week with a celebration! Students enjoyed an inspiring video from Kid President, ate yummy pizza, and reflected on their year. The 5th grade leaders wrote down advice to upcoming leaders. They finished their celebration by writing compliments to their teammates! We are very proud of the projects the team has accomplished, and how these students have grown as leaders this year! Thanks to the staff leaders, Mrs. Pitzer, Mrs. Zarko and Mrs. Lanser!

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