Performance Standard #3

Collaborates with the Career and Technical Education Special Needs Coordinator to effectively integrate students with special needs into his classroom and to meet each student's individual learning needs

Evidence 1: Email chain with Special Needs Coordinator Mike Adaman

Description: This email chain documents not so much the integration of a student on a 504 plan into the classroom as much as it does the follow-up needed in unusual circumstances to make sure the student is receiving the help needed to succeed in the class.

Analysis: The end of the 2019-2020 school year presented teachers everywhere with the challenge to keep students engaged while being thrust into a new, and often novel, online learning environment. This called for special consideration for those students with special needs. I tend to have a small number of students with IEPs, 504 plans, or Educational Support Team interventions each year, but those last year met the challenge of the extreme nature of the pandemic with varying attitudes. The student in this case struggled during the early part of the year with numerous absences, late work (if it were completed at all), and anxiety issues. Something happened, though, at the beginning of the remote learning period that surprised me and others who worked on her case- she began to turn in assignments in a timely fashion. In this exchange, Mike Adaman checked in on her progress; at this point, she had begun to return to the status quo of limited engagement (it was the policy of my school to have contact via online meetings or email contact each day) and late work. Fortunately, this resolved itself again before the end of the year, and the student was able to successfully complete the course. The final project of the year was an audio recording of an original story, complete with sound effects. Although I cannot attach a copy of that file (identifying information is embedded in the audio recording), this is the story the student created for the project.

Examples of collaboration between the Special Needs Coordinator are difficult to produce, as much of our interactions in such a small school are done face to face or via a phone call, and much of the communication, as you know, of a sensitive nature. Communication is heaviest at the beginning of the year, at the beginning of the year, when copies of plans are shared in order to begin the process for successfully integrating students into the program. We are also able to send students to the Special Needs Coordinator and his assistant when occasions arise that need special attention, such as when a student is struggling with the work or if additional assistance is needed in helping a student demonstrate proficiencies.

Evidence 2: Second email chain with Special Needs Coordinator Mike Adaman

Description: A student in my technical theatre program had been identified earlier in the year as being on an EST plan for math, but was exhibiting trouble with writing skills; I contacted Mike for help with the topic. Following the emails, we did meet remotely to discuss possible courses of action for helping the student meet proficiency in regards to written communication.

Analysis: At the beginning of each academic year, our Special Needs Coordinator sends out a number of tools to help students with special needs into our classrooms. One of these is a grid that simply, easily points out the accommodations needed by such students. Sometimes, however, the needs of a student are not quite captured in the pre-existing accommodations; at these times, I can turn to our Coordinator, who is exceptionally knowledgeable and helpful. ART offers credit a a fine art, and elective, and as an English course; therefore, students are given multiple written assessments and assignments throughout the year. This particular student seemed to struggle with writing the assessment of a play, as evidenced by this draft, so I asked Mike for his assistance on strategies for helping the student become proficient. He was able to offer strategies that allowed me to help the student progress to a final product that met proficiency. As a result of this conversation, we were also able to come up with a plan moving forward to offer the student help with writing skills for future work.