Posts Tagged 'cst'

Casting the vision in a small way

I’m serving as a coordinator for our site student assistance program next year. My partner and I are making plans and brainstorming options for the processes that will support at-risk students on their way to mainstream interventions or special education services.
As we dream and discuss and collaborate, it strikes me that a solid, engaging mission is critical for this kind of work. We’re toying with this statement: Collaborate with teachers to individualize instruction.
To preload this goal into our work next year, I incorporated the mission statement into an online feedback survey.
The question reads "CSTs mission: Collaborate with teachers to individualize instruction. What grade would you give us in achieving this goal?"
In this screenshot of the survey, “ES” represents “Excels in the standard”, “MS” means “Meets the standard”, AS means “Approaches the standard”, “FS” means “Falls below the standard”, and “FFS” means “Falls far below the standard”.
We don’t know who will serve on the team next year. We’re inviting teachers this week to consider return/joining. I’m hoping that as they share their opinions and observation from this year, they’ll catch the mission statement and show up to school in August with a clearer idea of what we’re about.

Referring a student for Special Education

Pat at Successful Teaching shared some winning tips for a smooth IEP meeting. I left this comment:

Nothing piques emotions more than the Special Education referral and qualification process. I serve on our school’s Child Study Team, and it strikes me that documenting issues and interventions prior to an IEP meeting makes for a smoother meeting. Documentation helps me as a teacher to speak knowledgeably and specifically about my student. Speaking only in anecdotes can sometimes make the parents and student feel discouraged. Documentation allows me to express what I’ve observed in a more objective manner, with the goal of partnering student, parents, and teacher to overcome the observed educational challenges.
For some free charts to document behavior, check out Latitudes.org.