Syllabus

Who qualifies for special education services?

Students who receive special education services have an identified disability that negatively impacts their ability to learn and access the general education curriculum. Once a student qualifies, the team (special education teacher, general education teacher, parent/guardian, and an administrator) will meet and develop an Individualized Education Program (IEP). The IEP will provide supports for the student in the general education classroom and goals to work on while in the resource setting.

How is progress communicated?

Each quarter, updated progress towards goals and objectives from the IEP will be sent home along with progress reports from the student's class. Student's that have an IEP require a meeting at least once a year with the entire IEP team. During this time, we will discuss strengths and deficits of the student and update any information needed. Parents and guardians are welcome to request a conference at anytime.

Classroom Rules

  1. Follow directions the first time they are given.
  2. Be respectful and kind to everyone.
  3. It's OKAY to make mistakes!

Behavior Incentives

Each student receives a star chart. There are a variety of ways to earn stars in the classroom and students are able to "cash in" when they have either 10 or 25 stars.

  • 10 stars- one treat from the treat box
  • 25 stars- three threats from the treat box

Consequences for Inappropriate Behavior

If a student is unable to follow the classroom rules, they will be provided with a verbal or gestural redirection. I will re-teach the appropriate behavior and have the student or students practice.

If the behavior continues, the student and I will conference with their general education teacher to find a solution. If a conference occurs, the student will lose half of their recess, and spend it working in my classroom.

If more than two teacher conferences happen, I will call the student’s parent or guardian and the student will lose their entire recess or have silent lunch.

After the parent has been contacted, and the behavior has not improved, the student will receive a discipline referral, and the consequence will be handled by administration.


Long-Term Plans of Instruction

Student's instruction is guided by their grade-level standards. Each student is assessed on their academic level and using their individual IEP goals.

Grades

In the special education setting students do not receive “grades” as they would in their general education classroom. I monitor progress by using formal and informal assessments and communicate progress with students through graphs. For example, each student has a fluency graph that is targeted to their specific academic goal. After assessments, the student and I discuss their progress and color how many words they read. Using this graph, students are able to visually see their progress and what areas need to be targeted.