STUDENT GROWTH OBJECTIVE AND MONITORING PROCESS STUDENT SERVICES PROFESSIONALS SEPTEMBER 2005

Transcription

1 STUDENT GROWTH OBJECTIVE AND MONITORING PROCESS STUDENT SERVICES PROFESSIONALS SEPTEMBER 2005 Denver Public Schools, 2005

2 TABLE OF CONTENTS STUDENT SERVICES PROFESSIONAL (SPP) Introduction and District Guidelines... 3 Welcome Letter: Student Growth Objective-Setting and Monitoring Process... 4 Guiding Principles... 5 District Guidelines Student Services Professionals (SSPs): School Year... 6 The Objective Setting Process for Student Services Professionals... 7 What is an Objective?... 8 Procedure and Timeline for Specialist Objective Setting...11 Using the Checklist for Developing Objectives...13 Baseline Data Table...15 Checklist for Developing Objectives... Error! Bookmark not defined. Sample Objectives and Online Tools...17 Student Services Professionals...18 Audiologist...20 Hearing (Deaf and Hard of Hearing...24 Nurse...27 OT/PT...32 Psychologist...37 Social Worker...45 Speech Language...55 Vision...58

3 INTRODUCTION AND DISTRICT GUIDELINES Handbook Verison2 Page 3

4 WELCOME LETTER: STUDENT GROWTH OBJECTIVE-SETTING AND MONITORING PROCESS INTRODUCTION Denver Public Schools is committed to attaining our three district goals. To successfully attain them, we must build on the tremendous talents and potential of all of our students, specialists, staff, and administrators. DISTRICT GOALS Set high expectations for students, parents, specialists, principals, managers, all DPS staff members, and the community they serve. Improve the performance of all students. Close the gap between better and poorer performing students. For the past several years, principals and building leaders have worked collaboratively to diagnose students learning needs and to set objectives for expected student growth. These efforts contribute to our students performance trends and will continue to be one strategy we use to become the high-performing urban district we all envision. This handbook contains background information, guidelines, explicit instructions, and tools to support the objective-setting and monitoring process for the school year. BACKGROUND AND OVERVIEW: PROFESSIONAL COMPENSATION SYSTEMS FOR TEACHERS (PROCOMP) In spring 2004, the Denver Public Schools Board of Education and the Denver Classroom Teachers Association (DCTA) ratified a nine-year labor agreement instituting the Professional Compensation Systems for Teachers (ProComp). ProComp is a compensation system in which teachers and specialists are rewarded throughout their careers for their professional accomplishments, including the improvement of their students academic growth. This system builds on five years of experience, learning, and results from the DPS/DCTA Pay for Performance pilot. Experience and research from the pilot show that the Student Growth Objective process gets results. Teachers and principals report that it builds positive focus on instruction supported by student learning data. Independent objective-setting research has found that teachers who write highly rated objectives experience significantly higher rates of student learning. ProComp will be an option for all current DPS teachers, then an expectation for all teachers hired after During the next two years, DPS and DCTA will: complete the reforms of key systems needed to implement ProComp; ask Denver voters to raise property taxes to fully fund new compensation opportunities for teachers who demonstrate accomplishment; begin partial implementation of the ProComp market incentives in January 2006; and ultimately, begin full implementation of the entire system in September Handbook Verison2 Page 4

5 ProComp pays teachers for demonstrated accomplishment in four areas: STUDENT GROWTH: meeting high expectations for student growth every year. KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS: acquiring and demonstrating new knowledge and skills. PROFESSIONAL EVALUATION: demonstrating satisfactory or better performance in the classroom. MARKET INCENTIVES: committing to work in schools with the neediest students and in assignments that are challenging and difficult to fill. The issues addressed by ProComp are central to the mission of Denver Public Schools. ProComp will do more than transform the way DPS specialists are paid. In coupling specialist pay with measured results in student growth, DPS and DCTA not only reorganize and realign the district s largest expenditure, they make a commitment to sustain broad reforms necessary to attain our district goals. Therefore, the ultimate constituency of the pilot includes all of Denver s specialists, principals, managers, administrators, and the students and public they serve. GUIDING PRINCIPLES This handbook focuses directly on student growth as measured in the objective-setting and monitoring system. The following guiding principles lay the foundations for how objectives will be set and measured. MONITOR PROCESS. Routine assessments that monitor student progress during the year are designed to inform the specialist and help ensure that by year end progress has been made. Assessments will be administered and scored according to applicable standards so results will be accurate and fair for all students. Additionally, professional development sessions will be focused on needs identified by the analysis of student performance. WEB SUPPORT. Information and student learning data for both objective-setting and monitoring will be conveniently available for specialist use on the DPS Web site and will support the iterative process of reviewing student progress, and if necessary, adjusting classroom instruction. Handbook Verison2 Page 5

6 DISTRICT GUIDELINES STUDENT SERVICES PROFESSIONALS (SSPS): SCHOOL YEAR All Student Services Professionals (i.e., Audiologists, Nurses, OT/PT, Psychologists, Social Workers, Speech Language, Vision and Hearing Itinerants, and professionals who are assigned to assessment teams such as BEST, MAST, Child Find, Autism) will write two objectives: a. one objective must reflect a department goal, and b. one objective must reflect: i. a school-specific goal from the School Improvement Plan, ii. a DPS district-wide goal, iii. a team goal, or iv. a second department goal. Determining what students already know and planning for the attainment of performance standards included in our specialized programs is important work for specialists. We look forward to ongoing collaboration to give our specialists the support they need to be successful! Sincerely, Beth Biggs, Southeast Quadrant Superintendent Rosanne Fulton, Executive Director, Curriculum and Instruction John Leslie, Assistant Superintendent, Special Services Joe Sandoval, Southwest Quadrant Superintendent Carla Santorno, Northeast Quadrant Superintendent John Youngquist, Northwest Quadrant Superintendent Handbook Verison2 Page 6

7 THE OBJECTIVE SETTING PROCESS FOR STUDENT SERVICES PROFESSIONALS Handbook Verison2 Page 7

8 WHAT IS AN OBJECTIVE? Note! The following details relate to the district guidelines for objective setting for Student Services Professional and Student Services Professionals Itinerant, referred to as specialists throughout the body of this section. References to individuals include students, specialists, and/or parents. All specialists will write two objectives that reflect how their discipline contributes to district goals, department goals, team goals, or the School Improvement Plan. Objectives are annual student performance goals. Specialists assigned to schools will write their objectives in collaboration with their principal and/or manager or team leader or their designees. Specialists not assigned to home schools will write their objectives with managers or team leaders or their designees. Although state law and DPS evaluation policy both mandate objective setting, the greatest value of this practice is the ongoing collaborative conversation it establishes between specialists and principals, managers, and team leaders about student growth expectations. Objectives are: Job-based Measurable Focused on student performance Based on learning content and teaching strategies Discussed at least three times during the school year May be adjusted during the school year Are not directly related to the specialist professional evaluation process Recorded online Each of these phrases has special bearing on how specialists collaborate with principals, managers, or team leaders to set their objectives. OBJECTIVES ARE JOB-BASED. A job-based objective reflects the work specialists performs with their students. In other words, the objectives of specialists, like school nurses, are based on the work they do with students they serve in their capacity as a specialist. OBJECTIVES ARE MEASURABLE. A measurable objective predicts quantifiable growth in student performance. It is important that specialists and principals, managers, or team leaders reach consensus. Handbook Verison2 Page 8

9 OBJECTIVES FOCUS ON GROWTH IN STUDENT LEARNING. By focusing on student performance, objectives help specialists pay attention to students progress in responding to their interventions. Progress can be observed by using baseline data. Objectives are written with the expectation that students positive responses to interventions. Objectives are not written about professional growth for specialists or any other topic that is not clearly about growth expectations in student performance. OBJECTIVES ARE BASED ON LEARNING CONTENT AND TEACHING STRATEGIES. Objectives do more than establish a measurable finish line. An objective also helps frame learning content, intervention priorities for the year, intervention strategies, or significant practical steps specialists takes to meet the objective. The objective, therefore, becomes a means for specialists, principals, and managers to discuss the most basic of all educational questions: What are students going to learn this year, and how will they be taught? PROGRESS TOWARD OBJECTIVES IS DISCUSSED COLLABORATIVELY AT LEAST THREE TIMES DURING A SCHOOL YEAR. Specialists and managers will work collaboratively to set objectives at the beginning of the school year. Objectives are the result of ongoing collegial discussion about student growth expectations, how those expectations will be met, and the progress that has been made during the school year to meet them. Managers will review objectives for all specialists. They will also approve objectives for staff on probation, on remediation plans, assigned to teams, or on special assignments. Managers will decide whether or not objectives are met for staff on probation, on remediation plans, assigned to teams, or on special assignments. Specialists on probation, on remediation plans, assigned to teams, or on special assignments and working with managers will discuss their objectives with a manager or their designee at least three times during the school year: once in the fall when the objectives are set; once at the midpoint of intervention to check for progress and make adjustments in learning content, teaching strategies and expected student growth; and once at the end of the school year. Managers are available to consult with principals during the objective setting process for specialists assigned to a home school. OBJECTIVES MAY BE ADJUSTED DURING THE SCHOOL YEAR. The objective setting process is not a crystal ball for specialists, principals, and managers; rather, it is a vehicle for specialists, principals, and managers to have ongoing collegial conversations about student growth expectations. Therefore, objectives may be adjusted throughout the school year based on service delivery situations. As specialists assess student progress, they may need to revise learning content, intervention strategies, and even performance expectations. In keeping with the professional commitment to reach consensus on the objective, changes must be agreed to by the specialist and his or her principal and/or manager. OBJECTIVES ARE NOT DIRECTLY RELATED TO THE SPECIALIST EVALUATION SYSTEM. Specialists professional performance is evaluated independently from setting and meeting their annual objectives. The objective-setting process replaces the annual goal setting process. Handbook Verison2 Page 9

10 In the interest of efficiency, the timeline for setting objectives is aligned with the timeline for professional evaluation. Principals and managers should converse with their respective employee groups about objectives during evaluation pre- and post-conferences. They should not hold additional, redundant meetings to conduct these important discussions. OBJECTIVES ARE RECORDED ONLINE. In order to minimize paperwork, all objectives are recorded online at a secure Web site used only by teachers, specialists, principals, and managers. Handbook Verison2 Page 10

11 PROCEDURE AND TIMELINE FOR SPECIALIST OBJECTIVE SETTING Specialist objective setting is a collaborative activity between principals and/or managers and specialists. While both state law and the district s specialist evaluation process requires some form of objective setting, its value is instructional. It creates an opportunity for specialists and their principal and/or manager to have an ongoing conversation about student expectations throughout the school year. Experience and research show that the objective-setting process has the greatest impact on student learning when specialists and principals and/or managers use it to think through best practices that have a positive impact on student growth. Initially, the conversation creates focus. Throughout the school year, it leads to reflection on student academic progress and practice. At the end of the school year or semester, it provides an opportunity for specialists and their principal and/or manager to sum up how well students have done. When specialists and principals and/or managers collaborate to set objectives, they should base the process on a reasonable and routine procedure. Principals and/or managers are to make every effort to ensure that it is uniform for all employees, and through professional conversation with them, focus on educational expectations for the upcoming school year. The objectives setting procedure has seven steps. 1. SET DEPARTMENT OR TEAM PRIORITIES BASED ON DATA. At the beginning of the school year, principals and/or managers and school instructional leaders will revise the school improvement plan, relevant student performance data, and district programs to set the school s instructional priorities. 2. REVIEW SCHOOL-WIDE OBJECTIVE-SETTING PROCEDURES WITH EMPLOYEES. In the first two weeks of school, principals and/or managers and members of the Support Team review instructional priorities and the procedure and timeline for setting objectives and the evaluation process. 3. COLLECT BASELINE DATA. In the first four weeks of school, employees collect and analyze baseline student data and, when they are available and relevant, review student assessment histories. 4. EMPLOYEES WRITE AN INITIAL DRAFT OF THEIR TWO OBJECTIVES. By the end of the first quarter, employees draft their objectives. Objectives may be drafted online using the DPS Web-based objective setting system. Employees and principals and/or managers can use the Checklist for Developing Objectives for guidance when setting their objectives. 5. REACH CONSENSUS ON THE OBJECTIVES. By the end of the first quarter, employees meet with their principal and/or manager to discuss and finalize their draft objectives. All finalized objectives must be recorded online using the DPS Web-based objective-setting system. Principals and/or managers must indicate when consensus has been reached on specialist s objectives using the DPS Web-based objective-setting system. For those specialists on appraisal, the objective-setting process can be combined with the evaluation process. Handbook Verison2 Page 11

12 6. CHECK PROGRESS TOWARD MEETING THE OBJECTIVE. At least once during the school year, employees and principals and/or managers are to meet to discuss mid-term progress toward meeting the objective. In the course of this midpoint conversation, they may reach consensus to adjust the objective. Adjustments must be made based on student performance data, entered on the Web-based objective-setting system, and reflect consensus of the principal and/or manager and specialist. This conference can be combined with the mid-year structured conference for specialists on appraisal. 7. ASSESS WHETHER THE OBJECTIVE HAS BEEN MET. After April 15, employees and principals and/or managers must meet to determine if employees have met their objectives. Employees are responsible for providing student performance data that demonstrate the status of their objectives. The final objective-setting meeting and the final evaluation meeting may be combined. Handbook Verison2 Page 12

13 USING THE CHECKLIST FOR DEVELOPING OBJECTIVES Objectives are divided into seven parts. Each one is described in detail below to help employees and principals and/or managers achieve a common understanding of what is expected. Objectives are more than an assemblage of parts. Read together, the parts reflect a cohesive view of what specialists will do to meet expectations they set for students. Ultimately, the objective is to be more than a document of expectations. It should help focus practice throughout the school year. COMPONENT ONE: RATIONALE The objective s rationale articulates the fundamental instructional purpose of an objective. Objectives are to be written in alignment with the district s department or team goals or school improvement planning objectives or strategies. COMPONENT TWO: POPULATION The population component of the objective identifies the group of students, parents, specialists, or teachers it addresses. It is possible that the entire class, team, or grade level is not the population the objective will address. The population named in the objective is to meet the following criteria. Addresses a specialist s entire population unless the specialist and principal and/or manager agree otherwise Targets a population based on specific and named criteria Includes populations who attend at least 85% of the time named in the interval Includes only individuals in attendance for the pretest Expresses quantity in percents, not actual numbers Specialists and principals and/or managers may make changes to these standards if they reach consensus to do so. COMPONENT THREE: INTERVAL OF INSTRUCTIONAL TIME The interval is the amount of time the specialist has to complete the objective. Typically, the interval is the duration of a course of instruction. In elementary schools, it is usually a school year; in high schools, it is often a semester. COMPONENT FOUR: ASSESSMENT The assessment is the test or other measure used to measure student growth. Assessments are to measure learning content of the objective and be closely tied to the identified skill set. When available, specialists are to select DPS-approved assessments that reflect what students are expected to learn. Handbook Verison2 Page 13

14 COMPONENT FIVE: EXPECTED GROWTH Expected growth is the amount of measurable individual growth anticipated by the objective. It is to have two parts: baseline data and expected growth. Baseline data is gathered to show the point at which individuals start. It may be standardized tests scores or an individual s assessment history, or it may be his or her performance data gathered at the beginning of the objective s interval. Baseline data may be recorded on the Baseline Data Table included in this handbook. Expected growth is the amount individuals are expected to grow from their recorded baseline. Growth is to be based on individual growth, not population averages that mask high and low performance. At the end of the interval of instructional time, baseline data is compared to post-test data to determine whether the objective has been met. COMPONENT SIX: LEARNING CONTENT Learning content is the instructional focus of the objective. In other words, it is the portion of the instruction and/or intervention specialists address to meet their objectives. The learning content helps specialists to prioritize the focus for their population. The learning content of an objective demonstrates an understanding of pretest results and assessment history. Employees make intervention adjustments for their group of individuals based on this information. Ongoing formal and informal assessment of performance throughout the school year can lead to revision of learning content. Specialists must document all objective changes and submit to them to their principal and/or manager; agreements to changes is made by consensus. COMPONENT SEVEN: STRATEGIES Strategies are teaching practices specialists intend to use to address the learning content of the objective. These practices should engage students in the learning process and allow specialists to formally or informally assess progress toward a intervention s goal. Strategies are also observable and contribute to a varied intervention format for both specialists and students. Handbook Verison2 Page 14

15 BASELINE DATA TABLE Specialist Name: School: Objective Number: Assessment: Student Name Student Number Pretest Score Midpoint Check Post-test Score Change Objective Met? Yes No Handbook Verison1 Page 15

16 STUDENT SERVICES PROFESSIONALS AND STUDENT SERVICES PROFESSIONALS ITINERANT CHECKLIST FOR DEVELOPING OBJECTIVES RATIONALE Why did you choose this objective? Supports school improvement plan Aligns with one or more department goals Identifies one or more district goals Identifies one or more team goals POPULATION Who are you going to include in this objective? Has a defined population Includes a majority of the defined population, unless specialist and supervisor agree otherwise Assumes 85% attendance of the defined group or writes in an agreed upon exception INTERVAL OF TIME Weeks, quarters, semesters, one school year Identifies time period Appropriate for the activity or project the provider expects to implement Appropriate for the amount of time at the school site ASSESSMENT How are you going to measure your objective? Are you really measuring outcomes you are seeking to accomplish? Uses assessment and/or measurement agreed upon by specialist and supervisor Provides pre- and post-data Measures growth, gain, or change expected Trained in the administration or interpretation of the assessment if required Measures appropriate academic skills, behavior, or attitudes EXPECTED GAIN/GROWTH How much is your population going to gain/grow? Based on student growth or performance target Meets or exceeds standards of practice Provides summarized baseline data Predicts gain based on past performance of students when available Addresses growth, gain, or change of at least three-fourths of the identified population, unless specialist and supervisor agree otherwise Appropriate for the population, assessment and/or measurement, and interval Demonstrates proficiency with a Body of Evidence LEARNING CONTENT What academic skills, behavior or attitudes are you trying to support? Why is this appropriate for your students at this time? Uses baseline data to guide instruction or intervention Targets needs of the identified population Aligns with DPS or department initiatives and one or more national standards of practice for the employees discipline Targets specific academic skills, behaviors or attitudes STRATEGIES What methods or interventions will you use to support this objective? Identifies observable or documentable strategies Appropriate for learning content identified and skill level observed in the pretest or assessment data collected Handbook Verison1 Page 16

17 SAMPLE OBJECTIVES AND ONLINE TOOLS Handbook Verison1 Page 17

18 STUDENT SERVICES PROFESSIONALS DISTRICT GUIDELINES All Student Services Professionals (i.e., Audiologists, Nurses, OT/PT, Psychologists, Social Workers, Speech Language, Vision and Hearing Itinerants, and professionals who are assigned to assessment teams such as BEST, MAST, Child Find, Autism) will write two objectives: a. one objective must reflect a department goal, and b. one objective must reflect: i. a school-specific goal from the School Improvement Plan, ii. a DPS district-wide goal, iii. a team goal, or iv. a second department goal. STUDENT SERVICES PROFESSIONALS APPROVER/APPRAISER FOR THE OBJECTIVE SETTING PROCESS If the SSP is assigned to a home school, objectives are jointly approved by the home school principal and/or relevant manager. The principal will determine if the SSP s objectives were met. SAMPLE OBJECTIVES SPECIFIC EXAMPLES Educational Audiologist Itinerant Teacher for Deaf/Hard of Hearing Nurse OT/PT Psychological Services School Social Worker Speech Language Pathologist Vision Itinerant (teachers of the visually disabled) ONLINE TOOLS Approvers and Appraisers for the Objective Setting Process Assessment Guide Assessment Guide Teacher Generated Baseline Data Report (.xls) Best Practices (not available at the time this handbook was published; they will be added as they become available) Hearing (includes Educational Audiologists and Itinerant Teachers for Deaf/Hard of Hearing) Nurse (online tools continued on next page) Handbook Verison1 Page 18

19 OT/PT Psychological Services School Social Worker Speech Language Pathologist Vision Itinerant (teachers of the visually disabled) Checklist for Developing Objectives District Guidelines for Setting Objectives Goals and Mission Statements for Student Services Professionals Includes: Hearing Team (includes Educational Audiologists and Itinerant Teachers for Deaf/Hard of Hearing), Nurses, OT/PT, Psychological Services, School Social Worker, Speech Language Pathologist, Vision Itinerant (teachers of the visually disabled) Guidelines for Using the Individual Education Plan (IEP) to Develop Objectives Quarterly Progress Log Student Services Home Page Handbook Verison1 Page 19

20 EDUCATIONAL AUDIOLOGIST Back to SSP Main Menu DISTRICT GUIDELINES All Student Services Professionals (i.e., Audiologists, Nurses, OT/PT, Psychologists, Social Workers, Speech Language, Vision and Hearing Itinerants, and professionals who are assigned to assessment teams such as BEST, MAST, Child Find, Autism) will write two objectives: a. one objective must reflect a department goal, and b. one objective must reflect: i. a school-specific goal from the School Improvement Plan, ii. a DPS district-wide goal, iii. a team goal, or iv. a second department goal. SAMPLE OBJECTIVE #1 (DISTRICT GOAL/DIRECT SERVICE) Rationale: Supports district goal to improve the performance of all students and close the gap between better and poorer performing students Population: X number of students staffed with hearing disabilities on caseload utilizing amplification or hearing assistive technologies Audiological assessment Functional Listening Evaluation Classroom Observation Checklist Electroacoustic Analysis of Amplification Listening Inventory for Education (LIFE) Expected Gain/Growth: X% of students will demonstrate improved auditory benefit and access in their academic setting. Baseline: unaided or unamplified performance versus aided or amplified performance Learning Content: Amplification and hearing assistive technologies Auditory performance Skill development Handbook Verison1 Page 20

21 Periodic amplification checks Consultation with classroom teachers, students, and parents Annual audiological assessment Communication with dispensing audiologist Classroom observations and school visits SAMPLE OBJECTIVE #2 (DISTRICT GOAL/INDIRECT SERVICE) Rationale: Supports district goal to improve the performance of all students and set high expectations for teachers, students, and families Population: X number of general education teachers with mainstreamed hearing disabled students Listening Inventory for Education (LIFE) Audiologist-made pre- and post-tests and/or teacher-completed surveys Communication logs Expected Gain/Growth: X% of teachers will indicate that, if implemented, audiologist recommended accommodations and/or modifications used in the classroom were beneficial to improving auditory access and overall student performance and/or behavior. Learning Content: Instructional strategies for hearing disabled students Hearing assistive technologies Impact of hearing loss on learning and instruction Consultation and collaboration with school personnel Teacher inservice or meetings Written and/or other demonstration of hearing loss impact SAMPLE OBJECTIVE #3 (TEAM GOAL/DIRECT SERVICE) Rationale: Supports team goal to provide intervention strategies and services to improve student s auditory access, communication abilities, and academic achievement Population: X number of students referred for audiological assessment and identified with educationally significant hearing loss or auditory processing disorder Handbook Verison1 Page 21

22 Screening Instrument for Targeting Education Risk (SIFTER) Children s Auditory Performance Scale (CHAPS) Audiological assessment Classroom Observation Checklist Functional Listening Evaluation Expected Gain/Growth: X% of students newly identified with educationally significant hearing loss or auditory processing disorder will receive audiological support services including consultation, referral, and recommendations to reduce their barriers to learning. Learning Content: Impact of hearing loss or auditory processing disorder on learning and instruction Appropriate educational and/or medical referrals Consultation and collaboration with school personnel, students, and families School visits Parent and teacher meetings Community and agency referrals Monitor hearing abilities SAMPLE OBJECTIVE #4 (TEAM GOAL/INDIRECT SERVICE) Rationale: Supports team goal to foster an understanding of hearing loss and other auditory difficulties and associated factors that impact learning and instruction Population: X number of elementary school students referred for audiological hearing screenings Screening follow-through and referral reports Communication logs Completed audiological assessments Expected Gain/Growth: X% of hearing screening referrals will receive follow-up screening as well as appropriate referrals to identify those students with hearing difficulties and to reduce barriers to learning. This will occur in collaboration with the DPS screening team and DPS school nurse. Learning Content: Screening and identification of hearing loss Appropriate medical and educational referrals Consultation and collaboration with school personnel Handbook Verison1 Page 22

23 Timely screening follow-up Second school visit (if necessary) Communicate with nurses Send screening referral reports home to parents SAMPLE OBJECTIVE #5 (TEAM GOAL/INDIRECT SERVICE) Rationale: Supports team goal of providing intervention strategies and services to improve students auditory access, communication abilities, and academic achievement Population: X number of general education teachers with mainstreamed hearing disabled students Listening Inventory for Education (LIFE) Teacher-made pre- and post-tests and/or teacher completed surveys Communication logs Expected Gain/Growth: X% of teachers will indicate that, if implemented, recommended accommodations and/or modifications used in the classroom were beneficial to improving auditory access and overall student performance and/or behavior. Learning Content: Instructional strategies for hearing disabled students Hearing assistive technologies Impact of hearing loss on learning and instruction Consultation and collaboration with school personnel Teacher inservice or meetings Written and/or other demonstration of hearing loss impact Handbook Verison1 Page 23

24 ITINERANT TEACHER FOR DEAF/HARD OF HEARING Back to SSP Main Menu DISTRICT GUIDELINES All Student Services Professionals (i.e., Audiologists, Nurses, OT/PT, Psychologists, Social Workers, Speech Language, Vision and Hearing Itinerants, and professionals who are assigned to assessment teams such as BEST, MAST, Child Find, Autism) will write two objectives: a. one objective must reflect a department goal, and b. one objective must reflect: i. a school-specific goal from the School Improvement Plan, ii. a DPS district-wide goal, iii. a team goal, or iv. a second department goal. SAMPLE OBJECTIVE #1 (DISTRICT GOAL/DIRECT SERVICE) Rationale: Supports district goal to improve the performance of all students Population: X number of students with Individualized Education Program (IEP) goals that receive direct language or literacy instruction IEP progress report Expected Gain/Growth: X% of students will meet or exceed stated IEP goals. Learning Content: Literacy and spoken-language skills Vocabulary building Guided reading Preteaching vocabulary Auditory discrimination and processing activities Phonics and phonemic awareness SAMPLE OBJECTIVE #2 (DISTRICT GOAL/INDIRECT SERVICE) Rationale: Supports district goal to improve the performance of all students and set high expectations for teachers, students, and families Handbook Verison1 Page 24

25 Population: X number of general education teachers with mainstreamed hearing disabled students Teacher-made pre- and post-tests and/or teacher completed surveys Communication logs Expected Gain/Growth: X% of teachers will indicate that, if implemented, teacher recommended accommodations and/or modifications used in the classroom were beneficial to improving auditory access and overall student performance and/or behavior. Learning Content: Instructional strategies for hearing disabled students Hearing assistive technologies Impact of hearing loss on learning and instruction Consult and collaborate with school personnel Provide written instructional strategies and information SAMPLE OBJECTIVE #3 (TEAM GOAL/DIRECT SERVICE) Rationale: Supports team goal of providing intervention strategies and services to improve students auditory access, communication abilities, and academic achievement Population: X number of hearing disabled students with one or more advocacy goals stated on the Individualized Education Plan (IEP) Completed student self-advocacy plan IEP progress report Expected Gain/Growth: X% of students with self-advocacy goals will develop and/or maintain a personal self-advocacy plan developed in conjunction with the teacher of the deaf/hard of hearing and designed to improve auditory access and communication in the classroom. Learning Content: Self-advocacy skills Understanding hearing loss Handbook Verison1 Page 25

26 Use of a variety of materials to explain hearing loss impact, individual or group instruction, and drill and practice SAMPLE OBJECTIVE #4 (TEAM GOAL/INDIRECT SERVICE) Rationale: Supports team goal to foster an understanding of hearing loss and other auditory difficulties and associated factors that impact learning and instruction Population: X number of students or teachers with IEP goals to increase their knowledge and understanding of hearing loss Pre- and post-teacher-completed survey IEP progress report Expected Gain/Growth: X% of teachers or students will demonstrate a better understanding of hearing loss and its impact on instruction and learning. Learning Content: Knowledge of hearing loss and its impact on instruction and learning Teacher and student meetings Formal and informal inservices Modeling Written materials Handbook Verison1 Page 26

27 NURSE Back to SSP Main Menu DISTRICT GUIDELINES All Student Services Professionals (i.e., Audiologists, Nurses, OT/PT, Psychologists, Social Workers, Speech Language, Vision and Hearing Itinerants, and professionals who are assigned to assessment teams such as BEST, MAST, Child Find, Autism) will write two objectives: a. one objective must reflect a department goal, and b. one objective must reflect: i. a school-specific goal from the School Improvement Plan, ii. a DPS district-wide goal, iii. a team goal, or iv. a second department goal. SAMPLE OBJECTIVE #1 (DIRECT SERVICE) Rationale: Supports district and School Improvement Plan goals to close the achievement gap and to maintain compliance with Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Population: All students with Individualized Education Plans (IEPs) and/or 504 plans Nursing health reports and recommendations IEP staffing logs Expected Gain/Growth: 100% of all IEP and/or 504 nursing reports will be completed one day prior to the staffing. Learning Content: Ensure that parents, teachers, and school professional staff understand students learning and health needs Ensure that they use the information to develop IEPs Ensure that each student receives appropriate accommodation and modification to access the least restrictive educational environment Handbook Verison1 Page 27

28 Interview students and parents Review records Write reports for staffing Incorporate health needs into the IEP and or 504 plan SAMPLE OBJECTIVE #2 (DIRECT SERVICE) Rationale: Consistent with department goals; compliance with state mandate for immunizations Population: 100% of the student population Immunization tracking logs Expected Gain/Growth: 100% of the student population will be in compliance, exempt, or on a formal plan of completion for immunizations. Learning Content: Parents, students, and school staff will learn the importance of immunizations in the prevention of communicable disease and of state requirements for school attendance Phone parents Review health records Send information home to parents Make use of the three dedicated clinics in conjunction with Denver Health Enter health information into database for identified students SAMPLE OBJECTIVE #3 (DIRECT SERVICE) Rationale: Consistent with district goals and School Improvement Plan; Direct or Indirect (depending on role) Population: The total student population identified with significant physical and/or social emotional health needs Significant health condition plans Significant health condition list Handbook Verison1 Page 28

29 Expected Gain/Growth: 100% of students identified with a specific health condition (e.g., asthma, allergies, diabetes, seizures, Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD), Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), DSM IV diagnosis) will be interviewed and continuously monitored; 85% of these students will be in compliance with identified health interventions. Learning Content: School staff, parent or guardian, and student will: Learn about health need requirements during the school day to increase the student's ability to access the academic environment Enhance student achievement Learn how significant health conditions impact stress, diet, exercise, family history, culture, medications, and fatigue Review health history and medication records Conduct parent interviews Conduct a physical examination Inservices for school staff Collaborate with parent and school staff to develop health care plan Prepare a Significant Health Conditions List for school administrative staff Distribute on a "need-to-know basis" the Significant Health Condition List to appropriate school staff SAMPLE OBJECTIVE #4 (DEPARTMENT GOAL/INDIRECT SERVICE) Rationale: The Delegatory Clause of the Nurse Practice Act requires that unlicensed staff receive ongoing training and supervision and that they cannot exercise nursing judgment Population: Unlicensed school staff Health-care plan logs Communication logs Expected Gain/Growth: 100% of unlicensed school staff will perform all identified procedures for each Physically Disabled (PD) student as described on the Health Care Plan and Medicaid logs and, upon completion, document each procedure; 100% of unlicensed staff will call or page the school nurse with questions, changes in procedure, or changes in the student's health status. Learning Content: Handbook Verison1 Page 29

30 Health Care Plans and pertinent health information readily available for unlicensed school staff Initial trainings and ongoing training and supervision of unlicensed school staff, including return demonstrations of competencies Ongoing meetings with unlicensed school staff (unlicensed staff will maintain accurate logs of procedures) SAMPLE OBJECTIVE #5 (SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT PLAN/DIRECT SERVICE) Rationale: All medications for school aged children must be administered in accordance with the Nurse Practice Act and School Board Policy Population: All students receiving medication during the school day Individual medication records Daily medication distribution logs Expected Gain/Growth: 100% of all students will receive medication as prescribed. Learning Content: Students will understand the importance of medication in relationship to their ability to achieve academic success Students will independently proceed to nurses office for prescribed medications; nurses will provide student with positive reinforcement for doing so SAMPLE OBJECTIVE #6 (DEPARTMENT GOAL/DIRECT OR INDIRECT SERVICE) Depending on Service Delivered Rationale: Supports the mission statement of nursing services and department goals for health education and illness prevention (optimal health promotes optimal learning); research supports the critical role that optimal-health promotion plays in the prevention of chronic illness Population: Students in ninth grade science class; 100% of the student population Body of Evidence Health Fair attendance records Research notes Health Fair project plan Satisfaction surveys Handbook Verison1 Page 30

31 Expected Gain/Growth: 85% of the students in ninth grade science class will research, plan, and implement a health fair for 100% of the student population; 50% of the entire student population will attend the health fair. Learning Content: Students will gain information regarding multiple health issues or problems, prevention strategies, and learn new strategies for promotion of good health. Newly acquired knowledge publicized on personal health issues The impact of decisions made in areas of diet, exercise, lifestyle choices New insight on how to communicate these choices to peers 1. All students in grade 9 will attend Channel 9 Model Health Fair with school nurse sponsor Students will plan the fair, solicit vendors and booth participants, market the event to staff, parents or guardians and students, and coordinate with necessary building staff to hold the event with staff supervision. Students will attend a mandatory training day to help conduct the health fair. Students will set up, conduct, and take down the exhibits and booths with supervision and assistance by staff sponsors and the school nurse. Students participating in planning and coordinating the health fair will fill out pre- and post-test forms and an evaluation form. SAMPLE OBJECTIVE #7 (DISTRICT GOAL/SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT PLAN/DIRECT OR INDIRECT SERVICE) Rationale: Consistent with Colorado state mandate; students with adequate Vision/Hearing (V/H) achieve at a higher success rate (depending on role) Population: All students enrolled in ECE, kindergarten grade 3, grade 5, grade 7, grade 9, Special Education, students new to school district, and students with known V/H impairments Vision and hearing screening logs Expected Gain/Growth: The school nurse will follow-up on 80% of all students who fail and/or are absent for the V/H screening. Learning Content: The unlicensed school staff will understand and implement all the identified procedures, health-care plans, and pertinent health information. The school nurse will coordinate the V/H screenings with the district V/H screeners, school staffs, and parents; and will re-screen, follow up, and refer as necessary Handbook Verison1 Page 31

32 OT/PT Back to SSP Main Menu DISTRICT GUIDELINES All Student Services Professionals (i.e., Audiologists, Nurses, OT/PT, Psychologists, Social Workers, Speech Language, Vision and Hearing Itinerants, and professionals who are assigned to assessment teams such as BEST, MAST, Child Find, Autism) will write two objectives: a. one objective must reflect a department goal, and b. one objective must reflect: i. a school-specific goal from the School Improvement Plan, ii. a DPS district-wide goal, iii. a team goal, or iv. a second department goal. SAMPLE OBJECTIVE #1 (DISTRICT OR DEPARTMENT GOAL) Rationale: Supports the first OT/PT goal of setting high expectations for all students to improve through a variety of service provisions, motor, and sensory skills that will help them to access and fully participate in their educational curriculum Population: All ECE and kindergarten students at that have handwriting concerns listed on their Individualized Education Plan (IEP) Therapist-made test to document the student s stage of writing or prewriting and the number of letters that he or she can form correctly Expected Gain/Growth: 80% of ECE students will be able to write their name; 80% of kindergarten students will be able to write all of the lower case letters from a model. Learning Content: Students will learn to write their letters with correct formation procedure, orientation to the line, and spacing Teachers will be exposed to several researched-based handwriting curriculum that they may want to use in their class The therapist will model a handwriting class to show the teacher how to conduct the program The therapist will provide a variety of samples of different types of paper that are useful with students experiencing difficulty with handwriting The therapist will also provide some daily activities to improve pencil control and grasp pattern Handbook Verison1 Page 32

33 SAMPLE OBJECTIVE #2 (DEPARTMENT GOAL) Rationale: Supports the second OT/PT goal of closing the gap between better and poorer performing students by improving their functional motor skills so they become able to participate in school community activities Population: All students at who receive OT/PT services for handwriting concerns and have attended at least 80% of the therapy sessions Chess handwriting assessment Expected Gain/Growth: 75% of the students will demonstrate a 50% decrease in formation errors and a 25% increase in rate of production. Learning Content: Students will learn the correct letter formation and improve their writing speed. Error-free drills on letter formation, practice on different types of writing paper that provides better prompts, hand-eye activities to increase hand speed, writing exercises with a metronome to increase letter speed, and a variety of writing surfaces and textures to implant the motor patterns (sand, clay, shaving cream) SAMPLE OBJECTIVE #3 (DEPARTMENT GOAL) Rationale: Supports the first OT/PT goal of setting high expectations for all students to improve through a variety of service previsions, motor, and sensory skills so they become able to access and fully participate in their educational curriculum Population: All students in the Developmental Learning Center and kindergarten classes at who have sensory concerns (tactile) listed on their Individualized Education Plan (IEP) and have an 80% attendance in both therapy and the classroom Therapist-made rubrics that indicate the improvement of students tactile responses to a variety of tactile experiences Expected Gain/Growth: 70% of sensory-involved students will participate in all classroom activities without any discomfort that would cause them to refuse the activity. Learning Content: The students sensory system will mature to allow them to participate in all classroom activities without modifications for the tactile sensitivities. Handbook Verison1 Page 33

34 Therapy activities to grade the exposure to aversive textures Other sensory activities to strengthen the brainstem's response to processing sensory information Inservice and written information will be provided to the classroom staff so that they understand the cause of the student s discomfort and reactions to sensory stimuli. SAMPLE OBJECTIVE #4 (DEPARTMENT GOAL) Rationale: Supports the third OT/PT goal of improving the performance of all students by providing motor therapy; consultation with staff and parents about strategies to improve access to and participation in the school curriculum; and useful information for parents Population: All students in the Trainable Mentally Disabled (TMD) room at that need to improve their positioning in the classroom Data collection information that documents the number of position changes used with each student in the classroom Pre- and post-tests of staff knowledge of position equipment and the needs of the students in the class Expected Gain/Growth: 90% of the students in the TMD class will have at least two different positions of comfort in which they can access their curriculum and use on a daily basis. Staff within the classroom will know how to position each student in a variety of positioning devices and understand the rational for using each piece of equipment. Learning Content: Staff will increase their knowledge about positioning equipment, the physical needs of their students, and the importance of the role that proper positioning plays in a student s ability to access curriculum. Inservices for staff members about the various types of equipment used for positioning Practice with the therapist to get the child into the equipment Information will be provided on the various needs of each student in the classroom as well as a photo showing the correct positioning of the student in the equipment. An instructional session will be provided to demonstrate how to collect data for the staff, conduct frequent reviews of the information collected, and evaluate the student s access to his or her materials. SAMPLE OBJECTIVE #5 (DEPARTMENT GOAL) Rationale: Supports OT/PT department goal of improving students fine, visual, and perceptual motor skills so they will be able to fully participate in the school curriculum and activities Handbook Verison1 Page 34

35 Population: All students attending the TMD class at that have at least 80% attendance in therapy sessions Therapist-made rubrics for functional work tasks Expected Gain/Growth: 80% of the students will increase their rubric score by 50% of the initial score. Learning Content: Students will improve their motor skills so they become able to perform workand job-related tasks that they may use during future employment. Practice steps of the tasks Improve hand strength and manual dexterity Provided picture schedule of the steps in the task Practice modeling from pictures very simple tasks Set up a rewards system for task completion SAMPLE OBJECTIVE #6 (DISTRICT GOAL) Rationale: Supports district goal of setting high expectations for all students Population: The physical education teacher, non-ambulatory Trainable Mentally Disabled (TMD) students, and regular education students at Therapist-made rubrics that reflect the student s ability to participate in the regular physical education class with typical peers Expected Gain/Growth: 30% improvement in actual physical participation in physical education class and a 30% increase in the number of students willing to be peer buddies during the class Learning Content: Physical education teachers will learn ways of adapting their curriculum to include all students with disabilities and be able to articulate the physical needs of each student and any precaution he or she may need. All students in the class will begin to perceive students with disabilities as peers and learn to enjoy being with and helping them. Schedule regular meetings with the physical education teacher at the beginning of the year to go over each student s disability and unique needs and strengths Take the projected lesson plans for the upcoming month s classes and provide adaptation possibilities for students with disabilities and special activities for the peer models to observe Handbook Verison1 Page 35