Developing Standards-Based IEPs - Alabama Department of Education Standards-Based IEPs Part 1: Standards, Present Level, and Annual Goals Marla Davis Holbrook

Developing Standards-Based IEPs - Alabama Department of Education

Standards-Based IEPsPart 1: Standards, Present Level, and Annual Goals

Marla Davis Holbrook - Special Education Services


Standards-Based Reform

• Major Elements– Higher Academic Standards– Aligned Assessments– Increased Accountability


Background for Standards-Based Reform• IDEA 1997

– Access to and progress in the general education curriculum

• No Child Left Behind Act of 2001– Aligned system of standards and assessments– Accountability for all students (disaggregated

by subgroup)– State and local Adequate Yearly Progress

(AYP)• IDEA 2004

– Reinforces NCLB language and accountability


Accessing the General Education Curriculum

• What is meant by the general education curriculum?

– The full range of courses, activities, lessons, and materials routinely used by the general population of a school

• What is meant by access?– Participation in the knowledge and skills that

make up the general education curriculum


In Alabama…• Higher Academic Standards

– Alabama Courses of Study/Content 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)


High Academic Standards and Alabama Academic Content Standards

• What are academic content standards?– What students must know and be able to do

at the end of a course or grade level

• Where do you find academic content standards?– Alabama Courses of Study– Alabama Extended Standards (for Students

with Significant Cognitive Disabilities)


What is a Course of Study?

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.

The course of study contains state academic content standards for each subject area and grade level.


• Content Standards define what students should know and be able to do at the conclusion of a course or grade.

• Content Standards identify minimum required content.– Bullets and Examples are listed under

the Content Standards

What are Content Standards?


• Bullets denote content related to the standards and required for instruction.

• Examples clarify certain components of content standards. They provide essential content; however, additional details are often necessary to fully accomplish mastery of the standards/bullets.

What are Bullets and/or Examples?


Sample Content Standard

1.12 Locate days, dates, and months on a calendar

Examples: Locating the third Thursday of the month on a calendar; recognizing that today is Tuesday,

January 24 • Using vocabulary associated with a calendar

Examples: using the words yesterday, today, tomorrow,

day before, day after

(Grade 1 – Content Standard 12)

Content Standard

BulletExample

Example


Implementing Content Standards

• All students must work toward grade-level content standards.

– Some students need additional instruction to work at grade level. Curriculum Guides were developed to meet the needs of students who are working toward, but are not yet on, grade-level content standards.


What are Curriculum Guides?

– Curriculum guides are companion documents to the Alabama Courses of Study. They include all of the components in the Alabama Courses of Study and add Objectives under each standard.


What are Objectives?

• Objectives are skills that are prerequisite to the standard and/or break the standards down into smaller units of instruction.

• Objectives provide a scaffold that students may climb to reach the grade-level standard.


Sample Math Content Standard and Objectives from

Curriculum Guide

M 2.12 (Math COS Standard)Tell time to the minute using analog and

digital clocks.

Objective M 2.12.1: Recognize numerals 0-60.

Objective M 2.12.2: Demonstrate concepts of number sense by counting forward and backward by ones, fives, and tens up to 60.


Math Standard 2.12 continued …

• Objective M 2.12.3: Recognize time on an analog or digital clock to the quarter hour.

• Objective M 2.12.4: Use vocabulary associated with the measurement of time, including words related to clocks and calendars.– Examples: before, after, first, last, hours,

days, weeks, months


Standards-Based Educational Planning

• Which documents will assist in educational planning as students work toward grade-level standards?

– Alabama Courses of Study– Curriculum Guides – Alabama Extended Standards (for

students with significant cognitive disabilities)


What are Extended Standards?

– Downward extensions of academic content standards designed to allow students with significant cognitive disabilities to progress toward grade-level standards• Measured by the Alabama Alternate

Assessment (AAA)


Sample Math Content Standard and Extended Standard

• Math 2.3 (COS Standard) Label equal parts of a whole using 1/2, 1/3, and 1/4.

• Math 2.3 (Extended Standard) Divide an object into equal parts.


GENERAL EDUCATIONALABAMA COURSE of STUDY

CURRICULUM GUIDES

ALABAMA EXTENDED STANDARDS

ACCESSING THE GENERAL CURRICULUM


Course of Study and Curriculum Guides

• Mathematics– Curriculum Guide (Grades 1-8)– Prerequisites to Algebra (Grades 9-12)

• Reading– Curriculum Guide (Grades 1-12)

• Social Studies– Curriculum Guide (Grades K-12) DRAFT

• Science– Curriculum Guide (Grades K-12) DRAFT

• Language Arts To be developed 2006-2007


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.


Content Standards Legends for IEPs

Reading – RGrade Level – 3

Standard Number – 2 (Course of Study) R.3.2: Demonstrate reading vocabulary knowledge of compound words.

Objective Number – 1 (Curriculum Guide) R.3.2.1: Identify the two separate words in compound words.

Example: air+plane = airplane



Math – MGrade Level – 3

Standard Number - 1 (Course of Study)

M 3.1 Demonstrate number sense by comparing, ordering, and expanding whole numbers through 9999

Objective Number - 1(Curriculum Guide) M 3.1.1 Compare numbers less than 1,000



• Social Studies – SS• 7th grade SS.C. (Citizenship)• 7th grade SS.G. (Geography)• 12th grade SS.E. (Economics)• 12th grade SS.G. (U.S. Government)

– Grade Level – 12– Standard Number – 3 (Course of Study)

SS.E.12.3: Analyze graphs to determine changes in supply and demand and their effect on equilibrium price and quality.

– Objective Number – 2 (Curriculum Guide) SS.E.12.3.2: In graphic form, depict the effects of supply and demand on selected products.



• Science – S• K-8th grades - S. • 9-12th grades - S.PS.(Physical Science)• 9-12th grades - S.B. (Biology)• 9-12th grades - S.C. (Chemistry)• 9-12th grades - S.P. (Physics)

– Grade Level – 4– Standard Number – 4 (Course of Study)

S.4.4: Describe effects of friction on moving objects.

– Objective Number – 2 (Curriculum Guide) S.4.4.2: Define force in motion.


Developing Standards-Based IEPs

• Access to the general curriculum means providing opportunities to learn important content reflected in the content standards.

• The IEP is the cornerstone of access to the general curriculum.


If educational research can

tell us anything, it is that

students are more likely to

learn something at school if

it is taught than if it is not.

-Walter C. Parker (1991). Renewing the Social Studies Curriculum.



What steps do IEP Teams need to follow to develop effective

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)


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)

Step 2: Analyze data to develop the student profile.


Student Profile

Assessment

Evaluation

Strengths

Needs

Impacts performance

Katie is a 5th 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.


Student Profilecontinued ….

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


The present level answers the question:

“What is the student doing now?”

Step 3: Use data to summarize the present level.


Sample Present Level

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.

How DisabilityImpacts Learning

Standards-Based

IncludesAssessments

Includes Strengths and Weaknesses


Present Level

• Purposes– To provide a summary of baseline

information that indicates the student’s academic achievement and

– 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


Present Level

• Characteristics

– Standards centered • addresses the general education

curriculum (content standards)

– Data driven • includes formal and informal data


Present Level

• Characteristics continued …

– Understandable - uses clear, easily understood language that provides a snapshot of the student’s needs and strengths

– Measurable - written in terms that are observable, specific, and based on evidence


Components of Present Level

The present level must include the following three components:

1. Strengths2. Needs3. 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

•NeedsPrioritize in relation to how they affect involvement and 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 performance–Consider 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!–Example of what NOT to write:

Marcus’ learning disability affects his progress in the general curriculum.

–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

Remember…

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


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?”


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. • For preschool children, as appropriate,

to participate in age-appropriate activities


Developing 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.


Annual Goals

Academic goals are based on:–Alabama content standards listed in the Alabama COS or –Alabama Extended Standards (for students with significant cognitive disabilities)


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


Annual Goals

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


Measurable 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)


Example of 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 standards immediate and specific for the student


Sample Present Level and SMART IEP Goal

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.

Annual Goal

At the end of 36 weeks, Katie will solve math word problems, that involve addition and subtraction of two-, three- and four-digit numbers (M 3.2 & M 4.6) with 90% accuracy on classroom assessments and worksheets within time limits specified for sixth-grade classroom assessments.

Time Frame Behavior Criterion Conditions

How DisabilityImpacts Learning

Standards-Based

IncludesAssessments

Includes Strengths and Weaknesses


Standards Based IEPs

Katie’s Math Data

• Student Profile

Working toward fourth and fifth grade standards and word problems grades 3-5

Can do third-grade math standards (except complex word problems)

Can’t consistently solve word problems (at third, fourth, or fifth grade levels)


Standards Based IEPs

• Katie’s Present Level Note-Information is specific to the standard and/or

objective being addressed

Strengths-Solves simple word problems with single digit numbers (M 3.2.2) Solves addition and subtraction problems ( two- and three-digit numbers) with and without regrouping (M 3.2)

Standard M 3.2 reads, “Solve addition and subtraction problems, including word problems, involving two- and three-digit numbers with and without regrouping.”

Needs-Word problems


Standards-Based IEPs

• Measurable Annual Goal

At the end of 36 weeks, Katie will solve math word problems, that involve addition and subtraction of two-, three- and four-digit numbers (M 3.2 & M 4.6) with 90% accuracy on classroom assessments and worksheets within time limits specified for sixth-grade classroom assessments.



• Part 1– Content Standards– Writing IEPs based on Content Standards– Present Level of Academic Achievement and

Functional Performance– Annual Goals

• Part 2– IEP Forms and Process– Tips for Getting Ready

Documents

Developing Standards-Based IEPs - Alabama Department of Education Standards-Based IEPs Part 1: Standards, Present Level, and Annual Goals Marla Davis Holbrook