SIGNATURE ASSIGNMENT TORI NELSON | 1

Signature Assignment

Tori Nelson

ESE 426

Northern Arizona University

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Table of Contents

Collecting Data.. Pages 3 - 4

Analyzing Data.. Pages 4 - 6

Sharing DataPages 6 - 7

Reflection....Pages 7 - 9
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Collecting Data:

For this assignment, students were required to collaborate with our mentor teachers to

identify a student that we can work with. During this time, we were instructed to gather

information on our student through several interviews with both parents and teachers. Relevant

documents were collected and reviewed to determine transition preferences as well as academic,

social and emotional strengths and needs.

I obtained permission to work with Keegan, a 6th grade student that has been diagnosed

with a specific learning disability in mathematic calculation, written expression and reading

fluency as well as a speech and language impairment. After reviewing his IEP and PLAAFP and

observing and working with him in the classroom, I have been able to compile some of his

strengths and needs.

To begin, Keegan does well advocating for himself during his classes when he needs

extra assistance with comprehension. Grade level comprehension seems to be one of his areas of

need. He works well in groups and is able to use peer support when he needs assistance. Keegan

turns in homework almost every day and behaves well in class. During math, he is able to

complete word problems when they are read out loud to him, but he struggles to complete

written word problems due to his processing deficit. He utilizes his recourses in his Student

Recourse Packet to help him complete his classwork and homework. When Keegan is required to

write assignments, it seems that he does struggle to find supporting details to support the topic

sentence. He uses a computer to type writing assignments which usually helps him to be

successful.

At the time of my interview with Keegan, he seemed relaxed and friendly. He feels safe

and happy at home and in school. He was willing to answer all my questions and explain his
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answers further when prompted. During this interview, I found that he wants to become a

commercial pilot after completing high school. I also found that his dad believes he should join

the military. This gave me insight on what to write for his IEP goals and his post-secondary goal.

Interview with Student:

What are your goals for next year?

I want to graduate from golf. Ive been playing golf for two years now but I think I want to try a

different sport after I graduate.

What are some of your strengths?

Im good at golf and reading.

What are your greatest areas for growth or needs?

Im not so great at math, especially dividing.

How would you describe your attitude towards school?

I think I have a pretty good attitude towards school. Sometimes the work can be fun and I like

being around my friends all day.

How would you describe your peer relationships?

My relationships are pretty good. I have a lot of friends that I like to hang out with outside of

school too.

What are your future hopes and goals?

My dad says I should join the Navy or the Airforce. My mom doesnt like that idea, but Id

really love to go to pilot school. I want to fly commercial air planes.

What is the number one thing you want your teachers to know when planning for your first

year in middle school?

I want my teachers to know that I try my best to get good grades.

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After interviewing Keegan, I conferenced with his general education teacher to find out

more information. She allowed me to look over his most recent IEP and PLAAFP as well as

some of his most recent test scores. She provided her opinions and perspective on how he is

doing academically and socially.

Mentor teacher information:

Keegan is a great student. He really does put forth a lot of effort and that is very apparent. He

never gives up and participates in class. He does struggle in his writing and has IEP goals set for

that. Aside from him going to the special education class, I pull him aside often to assess his

growth and to see if his needs are being met. Jonna (special education teacher) will also come

into the class to assist him when needed. Socially and emotionally he does well, there doesnt

seem to be any issues for him in regards to that.

Analyzing Data:

IEP Goals

Goal: Given a multi-step problem, Keegan will use order of operations to solve problems with

80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities given. Progress will be measured by data collected

from teacher-made assessments. Data will be collected three times during a nine-week quarter.

Data will be kept on teacher made data collection charts.

Baseline Level of Mastery: Keegan can solve 20% correctly.

Standard: 06.EE.6 Use variables to represent numbers and write expressions when solving a

real-world or mathematical problem; understand that a variable can represent an unknown

number, or, depending on the purpose at hand, any number in a specified set.

Instruction: Since Keegans post-secondary career goal is to attend a commercial pilot school, it

is necessary for him to understand and correctly solve complex real-world mathematical
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problems. Pilots must be able to calculate how many gallons of fuel an aircraft will burn based

upon weight and speed, the rate at which to ascend or descend based upon climate conditions,

and many more complex matters. All of these real-world mathematical problems include the use

of variables representing numbers and written expression.

Instruction of this goal will be provided by the general and special education teacher.

Goal 2: Given instruction Keegan will utilize strategies to increase auditory processing skills

(i.e. paraphrasing, requesting repetition/clarification, etc.) with increased independence in 7 out

of 10 opportunities. To meet the goal, Keegan will retell verbal information 7 out of 10

opportunities. Progress will be measured by data collected from speech assessments. Data will be

collected once a month and will be kept in a speech chart.

Baseline Level of Mastery: Keegan is at 20% accuracy.

Standard: AC059108 Improve ability to listen in a variety of settings.

Instruction: This goal is appropriate as it addresses both his speech and his language

impairment. This goal also begins to prepare Keegan for his post-secondary goal of attending

pilot school. Pilots must listen for instruction and understand what is required of them. This goal

will prepare Keegan for such tasks while also improving his academics.

Instruction of this goal will be given by the general and special education teacher. Both teachers

will ask Keegan to retell and paraphrase information and instructions.

Goal 3: When given a topic, Keegan will write a short 5 sentence paragraph using correct

grammar, capitalization, punctuation, and spelling. To meet the goal, he will need to receive an

80% in 4 out of 5 opportunities given. Progress will be measured by data collected from teacher-

made assessments. Data will be collected three times during a nine-week quarter and will be kept

on a teacher made data collection chart.

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Baseline Level of Mastery: Keegan can write a topic sentence and one supporting detail for a

score of 40%.

Standard: 06.L.1 Demonstrate command of the conventions of Standard English grammar and

usage when writing or speaking.

Instruction: Keegan will be required to convey information to traffic control towers when he

attends piloting school and when he becomes a pilot. For Keegan to acquire such communication

skills, he must practice the correct use of conventions in the English language. This will not only

aid him in his future with piloting but also benefit him with his current academics and high

school career.

Related Services:

Related Services for Keegan include a district issued FM auditory trainer. He is responsible for

wearing it 95% of his academic day and for its care. This relates to all three goals listed.

However, this service directly correlates to the second goal since it improves his listening skills.

Keegan is to be taught by the special education teacher how and when to change the radio

batteries. Other related services for Keegan include attending speech. Keegan will work on

improving auditory processing skills and refining skills.

Adaptations:

Social Emotional and Behavior:

Keegan participates in class. He works hard to complete his assignments. If he has any questions,

he asks. For class projects or assignments, the teacher can either pair him up for peer support or

work with him in a small group setting. Keegan has a strong work ethic. He tries his best and

never gives up. He is very friendly and polite. Keegan is very well behaved in the classroom.
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Behavior does not significantly and adversely affect the progress in the general education

curriculum.

Instructional Interventions:

- Repeating directions using different words.

- Break down assignments and assessments into smaller parts, use cue words (e.g., first,

next), and give short breaks after each task.

- Allow Keegan to take tests in a quiet, non-distracting environment and allow extra time

for tests.

- Give Keegan attention clues (auditory or visual) so that he can be ready to listen.

- Make certain the student understands the directions, check for understanding-ask Keegan

to paraphrase rather than simply repeat.

Post-Secondary Goals:

While Keegan is in middle school, he will be participating in the following course of study:

7th and 8th Grade

Math Keegan should participate in the grade level math classes

English Keegan should participate in the grade level English classes

Computers Keegan should understand how to use basic computer skills as he

will need them to become a pilot.

Goal: Upon completion of high school, Keegan will be able to enroll at ATP Flight Academy.

While Keegan is in high school, he will participate in JROTC. This will be beneficial for him

since the military was mentioned as a back-up career plan for him. He will also complete many
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courses in math and English. These courses will help prepare Keegan for piloting school and life

in the military.

The IEP goals, related services and interventions that were previously stated support

Keegan in achieving this goal. The IEP goals intend to improve his math calculation, written

expression and speech skills. They all attend to his specific learning disabilities and his future

career goals.

Sharing Data:

After analyzing all the data collected, I was able to meet with my mentor teacher and

converse on the recommendations I have developed. During this conversation, my mentor

teacher gave great insight and suggestions on how to better the recommended IEP goals, related

services, and the post-secondary goals that I developed.

My mentor teacher suggested the IEP Goals I developed should have some sort of

baseline for mastery. This allows parents and teachers to have an idea on what the student can

currently achieve academically. Providing a baseline in the IEP goals also ensures that the

student is progressing further in their areas of needs. My mentor teacher also suggested creating

a time frame within the IEP goal for the student to complete these goals by. This makes it easier

for teachers and parents to monitor their students progress. We agreed that the nine-week

quarter would provide ample time for Keegan to achieve the goals.

In regards to the suggestions she made on the related services, she pointed out that

Keegan will be needing someone to teach him how to use and take care of his FM radio. Prior to

our conversation, I did not know that was something that needed to be put in his IEP. In addition,

she recommended incorporating a percentage indicating how much of his academic day he is
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responsible for wearing it. We decided that he should be caring for and wearing his FM radio

95% of his academic day.

Lastly, we talked about the post-secondary goal that I created for Keegan. My mentor

teacher suggested that we include a course of study for Keegan to take during middle school and

high school leading up to his post-secondary goal. This would present Keegans parents and

future teachers with an idea of what he will need during those years to achieve his post-

secondary goal. My mentor teacher appreciated that I researched different aviation schools to

find the required skills and abilities associated with becoming a commercial pilot. This made it

easy for me to develop Keegans course of study through middle and high school.

Overall, my mentor teacher gave valuable insight on how to better many aspects of my

recommended IEP goals, related services and the post-secondary goal. I took into consideration

all of her suggestions and implemented them to the best of my ability. Our conversation was

informative and

Reflecting on Collaboration:

During my experience this semester completing this assignment I have gained significant

insight that is invaluable to my future teaching practices.

The first main element of this assignment was working with our mentor teachers to find a

student with whom we could work with. This was challenging for me since the original class I

was placed in for practicum this semester was a third-grade class. Since none of the students in

this class were on an IEP, I collaborated with the third-grade teacher and the schools principle to

find another classroom to work in. Two weeks later, I started working with a 6th grade teacher in

which 50% of her class was on an IEP. After we discussed and identified a student, collecting the
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information on that student was easier than expected. Keegan took home the letter for his family

and brought it back the next day signed by his parents. Although they were not willing to

complete an interview with me, they did give me permission to work with Keegan and review his

work. Both the general education teacher and the special education teacher were willing to share

information and documents with me. Both teachers always allowed me to come into their classes

to observe and work with the students.

The second main element, analysis, was one of the most challenging aspects of this

assignment. Prior to this assignment, I had no experience with IEPs or PLAFFPS. Therefore,

when I was expected to write recommended future actions such as IEP goals, instructional

interventions and post-secondary goals, I struggled. However, Claudia Rodas helped by

providing examples and breaking apart this section piece by piece so we could correctly put it all

together. In addition, my mentor teacher assisted with this section by showing me examples of

IEPs and PLAAFPS she had written in the past and by providing helpful feedback during our

discussions.

There are many essential components to effectively collaborate. First of all, good

communication right in the beginning is important. When everyone involved is on the same

page, it prevents wasted time. I experienced bad collaboration due to communication this

semester while sitting in on an IEP meeting. The parents were misinformed on the time of the

IEP meeting. Therefore, we waited for the parents to arrive for 30 minutes. When they arrived,

we were not able to continue with the IEP meeting since school was starting and the teachers had

to go back to their classes. We then had to reschedule the IEP meeting for another week. In

addition to good communication, it is also important to be open to others suggestions and input.
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When everyone involved feels as though they are appreciated for the work they are doing, they

are more willing to put forth their best effort.

` There were many challenges I faced while completing this assignment. One of the most

challenging aspects was accomplishing everything in the time frame I had. With all the different

breaks for fall and the days off for holidays in addition to my work schedule, finding times to

meet up with the general and special education teacher proved to be difficult. Time management

and availability was difficult also because I was participating in practicum for other classes as

well. Another challenging aspect was the fact that I wasnt placed in a classroom with students

who had IEPs and had to collaborate with the principle and other teachers in the school until I

found one that would be willing to have me in their classroom. This took time away from

spending time in the classroom and being able to get my work done.

From this experience, I gained knowledge and skills that will benefit me in the future as a

teacher. I learned some of the many challenges faced by special education teachers. When I

worked in the special education classroom, students of all ages were coming and going all

throughout the day. Every student had their own needs; some students required a lot of one-on-

one with the teacher, others needed to work in groups, some students needed help with modified

spelling tests, while others needed texts read out loud to them so they could answer the questions

that followed. While each child had their own needs, there was a limited amount of time for the

special education teacher to meet those needs. I learned that keeping a schedule and knowing

what to expect each day before going into the classroom is essential for an academically

successful day. From this experience, I also learned how IEP meetings are beneficial to the

students, teachers and families.

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After sitting in on several IEP meetings, I saw how parents were informed on their

students progress and how other teachers were able to communicate on ways to better the

quality of education that student was receiving. The IEP meetings gave everyone clarification on

how that student was currently doing academically and socially.

In conclusion, I gained an immense amount of knowledge not only on the teaching

profession but also on PLAAFPS and IEPs. This information and experience is invaluable to my

future professional career as a teacher.