Assessment Tools and Strategies to Enhance the Quality of Inclusion for Students with Low

Incidence Disabilities

Deanna Clemens, Texas Education Agency

Assessment Tools and Strategies to Enhance the Quality of Inclusion for

Students with Low Incidence Disabilities Deanna Clemens, Ed.S, LSSP, BCBA

Texas Education Agency

Disclaimer The views and opinions expressed in this presentation are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Texas Education Agency

Session Goals

● Expand ideas for thinking about ways to use the re-evaluation process to gather data that assists the ARD committee with developing the IEP

● Describe strategies to use in gathering relevant information pertaining to assessing and planning for inclusion

● Provide concrete tools that can be utilized right away ● Stimulate additional ideas to share with each other ● Have fun

You want me to do what? “Inclusion Evaluation”... maybe this is becoming a “hot”area.

What did we really want to know?

● What does inclusion look like for this student? ● Are we getting what we want out of the inclusion time? ● Are we missing valuable opportunities to increase inclusion time? ● Are the times we are including the student a good fit for the student’s

strengths and for the student’s IEP goals? ● Are there ways to increase or facilitate independence/ self-determination? ● Are there natural peers that could be fostered for friendships and support ?● Clear up misunderstandings and establish clear expectations between

stakeholders

This I can do

Assessment Methods ● Review of Records

○ Goals and Progress reports, previous FIEs

● Review of Permanent Products○ Typical work, best work, worst work- differences based on setting?

● Parent Interview● General Education Teacher Interview● Special Education Teacher Interview ● Instructional Assistant Interview● Classroom Observations● 1:1 Informal Skills Assessment with student

Parent Interviews ● Goals for Inclusion ● What they hope inclusion looks like ● What they believe inclusion looks like ● What does the student do independently in home and community ● Priorities for Inclusion ● Student’s strengths ● Student’s preferences and interests

General Education Teacher Interviews ● Purpose of the time the student is in inclusion● Knowledge of the goals for the student ● Student’s progress and needs ● Student’s strengths ● How the student is assessed and monitored ● Student’s preferences and interests ● Perceptions of the student’s skills

Special Education Teacher Interviews ● Purpose of the time the student is in inclusion● Perceptions of the student’s skills and needs● Review of IEP progress data

○ Discussion of what goal mastery looks like for the student

● Student’s strengths ● Student’s preferences and interests ● How she wants inclusion time to consist of ● How she thinks inclusion time actually looks

Instructional Assistant(s) Interview ● Purpose of the time the student is in inclusion● Knowledge of the goals for the student ● Level of support provided during different activities● Information about prompting and support for permanent products● Can he….. (based on what was considered mastered in the IEP)

○ Yes, with….. Or if I…… Only when…...

Classroom Observations- across settings ● Anecdotal recording

○ Lesson topic, group set up, student location and peer group○ Level of support provided ○ Goal(s) covered during that time (using IEP matrix)

● Frequency counts ○ Times called on or asked to share/ take a turn○ Times volunteers to share/participate ○ Ratio of positive to negative interactions with teacher ○ Ratio of positive to negative interactions with peers

● Time on Task (Interval recording) ○ Use this to compare on task rates in different settings/ different tasks

● Observe non-academic settings and academic settings○ Lunch, recess, special classes, morning arrival, dismissal

Include Peer comparisons

Examples of Data collected

student

Interval Recording

Observe Gen Ed when student is NOT present ● Ecological Assessment

○ The central question is, “What does the student need to do to succeed in this environment?”

● Typical peer behaviors and skills that should be targets for my student● (most bang for our buck)

● Look for overlap with goals and opportunities ○ Increased time ○ Swap time ○ Times that would be a poor fit

● Times that are a good fit for the student’s strengths● Games and activities for parents to work on at home (peer inclusion)

○ Example- what did the students play at recess, what did they talk about

1:1 Skill Assessment ● Lot’s of inconsistency in skill performance

○ Can’t Do vs. Won’t Do

● Cold Trials, Trials with Reinforcement, Trials with teaching strategies to obtain attention

○ Trying to figure out what helps get his best work ○ Using all curriculum based measures from his classroom

General Findings

● Teachers had a very different view of purpose of the inclusion time ● Goals were considered mastered based on data ONLY from sped setting ● 3 Instructional Assistants who supported did things very differently ● Parents and teachers were not really on different pages in terms of strengths

and needs- much more similar than they thought ● There were lots of opportunities to increase independent skills ● There were minimal interactions with the general education teacher and

students and ⅔ of the interactions that did occur were negative● Looked more like a visitor in the classroom vs. a true member

General Findings

● Whole group gen ed instruction on the carpet was the worst time for inclusion given his needs

● Small group rotations, table and group work were the best times for inclusion● Hands on activities with projects to be done in steps played to his strengths● The skills being taught between settings often did not connect● His goals were rarely touched upon during inclusion time ● Frequently distracted by his environment and tended to escape tasks that

were listening intensive ● Sensory breaks seemed to help focus for task immediately after

Recommendations and Outcomes

● IEP Planning Matrix was used to plan instructional and inclusion time ○ Find natural fits between the IEP goals and the settings/ daily routine ○ Ensure that IEP goals are routinely taught and practiced throughout the day ○ Communication tool so that all teachers and paraprofessionals know which goals

are expected to be covered during that time ○ Use it as a communication tool at goal review times to discuss progress and make

any necessary changes○ Use it as a planning tool between gen ed and special ed to discuss the materials

used in the setting to ensure carry over between settings (e.g. use learned sight words during writing time)

IEP Planning Matrix

Recommendations and Outcomes

● Employ teaching strategies to help gain and sustain attention and stamina: ○ Behavioral momentum○ Add Reinforcement (first/then)○ Embed Reinforcement with preferred items and interests as teaching materials ○ Utilize predictable lesson format ○ Use frequent mini-breaks with sensory activities as recommended by OT in the

room ○ Use errorless learning for new teaching ○ Use a 7 to 3 known to unknown ratio for new learning ○ Give choices in the work (materials, order, this or that) ○ Use a fidget items while sitting in large group

Recommendations and Outcomes

● Established a plan for independence (get own materials, use restroom)○ Identified peer supports and made a plan to get them on board

● Ensured he would be included during all enrichment, extra curricular events and activities (priority for the family)

● Got everyone on the same page with goals and plan ● Created an inclusion checklist for the school to use in planning to help with

feeling of being “a part of” and not a “visitor” to general education.

Checklist for Inclusion

Lessons Learned

● Use these tools preventatively rather than after there are issues● Don’t assume that paraprofessionals know how to facilitate inclusion ● Don’t assume that everyone has the same idea of the purpose of inclusion or

that goals are being covered without actively planning for it ● Get your campus administrator on board to facilitate students with low

incidence disabilities being part of the whole school culture

Questions/Commentsdeannaclemens@gmail.com

Checklist to Facilitate an Inclusive Environment 

  Yes  No Beginning of the Year ALL students are assigned to a general education class list/homeroom     Classroom is physically laid out in a way that is accessible to ALL students      Seating arrangements in all inclusive classrooms (grade level classroom, specials, lunchroom) are planned so that included students are part of, not separate from peers. Also consider where adults supporting will station for support  

   

The IEP goals that are targeted during each inclusion time period have been clearly identified and shared with all stakeholders (Consider using a planning matrix. Sample attached) 

   

A procedure for collaboration between general education and special education teacher has been established and the amount of time/ process varies based on the amount of time the student spends in the inclusive setting (e.g. more time in gen. ed. may mean more frequent collaboration needed) 

   

Ongoing throughout the school year     Parents of children with disabilities are included in all family activities planned for general education (e.g. meet the teacher, grandparents day, etc.) 

   

Included students are sent all the gen. ed. communications from that classroom (e.g. included students are part of class list for newsletters, etc.)  

   

Included students are part for any special event/extracurricular events such as parties, field trips, grade level performances, class pictures  

   

Included students work/ projects are collected and displayed in hallway alongside peers (especially for any special projects) 

   

Included students are greeted by teachers upon arrival and departure from the inclusive setting 

   

Included students are called on to participate in the lesson or activity at a similar frequency to their general education peers 

   

Included students are part of any class systems (e.g. Dojo, journals, take home folders, shoulder partner list, class jobs) that are utilized during inclusion times 

   

All IEP accommodations/modifications are present and implemented during inclusion (e.g. visual supports, reinforcement systems) 

   

  Comments:     Plan for collaboration:     

 

 D. Clemens, 2017  

Planning Matrix for Embedding IEP GOALS- Student Name Student schedule/Activity

Current Goal/Obj.

Time Activity Setting

Time Activity Setting

Time Activity Setting

Time Activity Setting

Time Activity Setting

Time Activity Setting

Time Activity Setting

Time Activity Setting

Time Activity Setting

Time Activity Setting

Time Activity Setting

Time Activity Setting

Setting codes: GE- general education SE-special education DI- direct instruction WG- whole group SG-small group X= place for targeting that IEP goal D.Clemens, 2017