Vol. XVIIIssue: 3

Feb/March 2013

Motivating Middle School Youth to be College and Career Ready

Teaching Both Academics AND Behavior: SWPBIS Framework

for Student SuccessCollege and Career Readiness:

Through the Lens of Lexiles

TelegramTelegram

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College and Career

Readiness

College and Career

Readiness

In this Issue

MOTIVATING MIDDLE SCHOOL YOUTH TO BE COLLEGE AND CAREER READY

COLLEGE AND CAREER READINESS: THROUGH THE LENS OF LEXILES

TEACHING BOTH ACADEMICS AND BEHAVIOR: SWPBIS FRAMEWORK FOR STUDENT SUCCESS

AUTISM IS NOT AN ISLAND11

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GOT AT?

Michael Behrmann, Ed.D.Principal Investigatormbehrman@gmu.edu

Lynn Wiley, Ph.D.Director of TTAC@GMU Academic Review & School Improvement, Early Childhoodhwiley@gmu.edu

Kay Klein, M.Ed.Assistant Director of TTAC@GMU Positive Behavioral Interventions & Supports of Virginiamklei1@gmu.edu

Nancy Anderson, M.Ed.I'm Determined, Family Involvementnanders7@gmu.edu

Bonnie W. Bell, Ph.D.TBI Initiative & Family Involvementbbell5@gmu.edu

Karen Berlin, M.Ed., BCBAAutism & Intellectual Disabilities Coordinatorkberlin@gmu.edu

Sheryl Fahey, M.A. Early Childhood Coordinatorsfahey@gmu.edu

Judith Fontana, Ph.D.Curriculum & InstructionProjects Coordinator, ICT, SIM®jfontan1@gmu.edu

Kris Ganley, M.Ed.Early Childhood Coordinatorkganley@gmu.edu

Soojin Jang, M.Ed.Assistive Technology Coordinatorsjang6@gmu.edu

Diane Loomis, Ph.D.Transition Coordinator I'm Determineddloomis@gmu.edu

Katherine T. Nutt, M.Ed.Curriculum & Instruction Coordinatorknutt@gmu.edu

Seunghun Ok, M.Ed.TTAC Online Administrator sok@gmu.edu

Kristy Lee Park, Ph.D., BCBAPositive Behavioral Interventions & Supports of Virginia kparkc@gmu.edu

Dionne Paul-Wiggins, MTA Administrative Office Supportdpaulwig@gmu.edu

Jackie Petersen, MLS Librarianjpetersk@gmu.edu

Jeff RichardsGraphic/Web DesignerJricharc@gmu.edu

Judy Stockton, M.A.Curriculum & Instruction Coordinatorjstockt1@gmu.edu

Clare Talbert, M.Ed. TTAC Online Coordinator, TBI Initiativectalber1@gmu.edu

VDOE Region IV TTAC at George Mason UniversityContact Information

Northwestern Consortium TTACThis newsletter is a collaborative effort by the Northwestern Consortium of the TTACs, which

includes James Madison University, co-directed by Cheryl Henderson and Melinda Bright, and George Mason University, directed by Lynn Wiley.

THE PARAPROFESSIONAL PRESS

ROCKIN' WITH REGION 4

Cover Photo - ©iStockphoto.com/aldomurillo

3The TTAC Telegram – February/March 2013

Gina Massengill, M.Ed., Coordinator, VDOE Region 5 TTAC @ JMU

College and Career Readiness: Through the Lens of Lexiles

Regardless whether a student aspires to postsecondary education, a job, the military, or just to be an informed citizen, the reading ability required is likely to be higher than what is typically required in high school based on texts that are widely used in this country (Williamson, 2004).

Have you ever thought about what the reading demands are for your students beyond high school? Or better yet, do you feel that they are equipped to meet the demands of what they are required to read as citizens, employees, post-secondary education learners, and/or in their personal activities? Would you like to have valuable understanding into your student’s readiness for these reading demands, like to predict the level of comprehension they need to experience success with these texts, and have a valuable tool for teachers, parents, and students that connects your students reading ability level and how difficult those texts are with a common measure? The Lexile® Framework for Reading, a scientific approach to reading measurement that matches readers to text, provides this.

What is a Lexile Measure? •A standard score developed by

MetaMetrics®• Include two kinds of measures:

the Lexile reader measure and the Lexile text measure. Students receive a Lexile reader measure as a score from a reading test – it describes his or her reading ability. Books and other texts

receive a Lexile text measure from a software tool called the Lexile Analyzer – it describes the book’s reading demand or difficulty (The Lexile® Framework for Reading, 2012)

•Lexile measures are included in the Stamdards of Learning (SOL) score reports

•A score interpreted as the level of book that a student can read with 75% comprehension - 75% comprehension is the level identified by experts as offering the reader a certain amount of comfort and yet still offering a challenge

•The most widely adopted reading measure in use today

•Available for tens of thousands of books and tens of millions of articles

•Available by all major standardized test to report student scores in Lexiles

•Part of reading and testing programs at district, state, and federal levels (Williamson, 2004).

What is the Lexile Scale?•Lexiles typically range from 200

for beginning readers to 1700 for advanced readers

•Lexile text below 200 represents beginning-reading material, and a student’s Lexile score may have a number in the 100s or the code of BR. BR is a code that stands for Beginning Reading.

•Applies to both reader ability and text difficulty

– When reader and text measures are the same, the student is expected to read with 75% comprehension

•Can be used to track reading growth over time (Georgia Department of Education, 2012)

What are the reading demands of the post-secondary world according to Lexile Measures?

Median Text Measures (Williamson, 2004):• 11th/12th grade (LA/SS

textbooks): (1090L)• GED Test Materials:

(1060L)• SAT/ACT Test Materials:

(1180L)• Military (training/field

manuals): (1180L)• Citizenship

(newspapers, voting, jury): (1230L)

• Workplace (Daggett study materials):

(1260L)• Postsecondary - first two yrs.

(textbooks): (1355L)– University

(1395L)– Community College

(1295L)

4 The TTAC Telegram – February/March 2013

Newspapers (Daggett, 2003):USA Today (1200L)Associated Press (1310L)Chicago Tribune (1310L)Wall Street Journal (1320L)Washington Post (1350L)NY Times (1380L)Reuters (1440L)

Personal Reading - Citizen Reading Materials (Williamson, 2004):CD-DVD Player Instructions (1080L)GM Protection Plan (1150L)Microsoft Windows User Manual (1150L)Installing Your Child Safety Seat (1170L)Federal Tax Form W-4

(1260L)Application for Student Loan (1270L)Medical Insurance Benefit Package (1280L)Aetna Health Care Discount Form (1360L)

Entry-level Occupational Reading Materials - Career Clusters (Daggett, 2003): Agriculture/Natural resources (1270-1510)Architecture/Construction (1210-1340L)Arts/AV Technology/Communications (1100-1190L)Business and Administration (1210 – 1310L)Education and Training

(1320-1370L)Health Science

(1260-1300L)

Hospitality and Tourism (1230-1260L)Human Services (1050-1200L)Law and Public Safety

(1420-1740L)Manufacturing (1200-1310L)Retail/Wholesale Sales and Service (1180-1270L)Scientific Research/Engineering

(1190-1250L)Transportation, Distribution and Logistics (1170-1350L)

An examination of K–12 texts using Lexile levels reveals a gap of 65L to 230L between the demands placed on high school seniors and the difficulty of postsecondary texts. Texts required for many postsecondary pursuits fall within a Lexile range of 1200L to 1400L, while the text complexity of typical high school textbooks for grades 11 and 12 is about 1050L to 1165L. This research provides valuable insight into the apparent disconnect when high school graduates encounter college and career texts. To put this gap in perspective, a 250L difference between reader ability and text complexity can cause a drop from 75-percent comprehension to 50-percent comprehension. This means that high school seniors who can successfully read twelfth-grade texts may enter college or the workplace several months later and encounter texts that result in less than 50-percent comprehension (Williamson, 2008).

How are your colleagues using Lexile levels to prepare students?

Linda Freeman, Speech Language Pathologist, Culpeper County Public Schools, VA

As a speech language pathologist (SLP), access to Lexile scores has helped me to understand how my students are functioning on unstructured reading tasks. It has also helped to give me focus in how to help teachers address students language/reading needs within the classroom. I can take a handout or lecture, scan it into Lexile.com and get a Lexile equivalent. With that information, I can share with teachers how easy or difficult it would be for regular education students (performing above, at, or below grade level expectations) and special education students to decode that information. We can then work together to alter presentation of materials to enhance student understanding.

Testing is conducted three times a year at both the middle school and high school to monitor progress with all students. A team consisting of teachers, administrators, guidance counselors, and the SLP reviews the data from each testing session. Additional data such as grades, attendance, discipline, and SOL testing is also reviewed. After some initial trial and error, we are now able to get a good picture of which students need reading intervention, strategy intervention, or enhanced classroom instruction. Meetings can be time consuming for all involved, but careful review helps to ensure proper placement for all students.

It seems that having access to Lexile information has affected everyone within the school. Teachers are now very aware of the ‘crack’ students. Meaning those students who participate in class, get average grades,

5The TTAC Telegram – February/March 2013

and are too high for traditional reading intervention, but who are clearly not reading at grade level. There is new focus to try different things to get these kids over the hump.

As an SLP, my school involvement has grown exponentially. Initially, I really didn’t understand how I would be able to do anything different to help the ‘regular ed’ students within the classroom. Eventually, I came to realize that the SLP does possess a different skill set that CAN enhance classroom instruction. It’s not about the subject matter for me, it’s helping students learn how to ‘take apart’ a question in any environment, use context clues to help learn vocabulary or unfamiliar words, and think through problems to help increase their understanding of higher level material.

Sandra Bennett, High School Science Teacher, Culpeper County High School, Culpeper County Public Schools, VA

Being introduced to Lexile scores through the Content Literacy Continuum™ (CLC) has really helped my students and lowered my frustration level as well. I write my own lab background and instructions for labs and for one particular lab I could not understand why my students were struggling so with the pre-lab questions. These all had answers in the background write-up. What was the problem? Then we had professional development (PD) on Lexile scores and how to interpret our Scholastic Reading Inventory (SRI) scores using them. I used my lab background to check the level on the website and was shocked to learn that I was writing at about a 1700 level while my students’ average was around 1000.

The problem was immediately obvious. I had learned that the score was based on sentence length, use of complex words, repetition of words and such, so I decided I would try and bring the level down to one that was appropriate for the students I was teaching. It took several tries to do it but I made two versions at two different levels: 1200 and 1000. The information is the same. The concepts are covered. There was such a change in the responses I was getting from my students when they used the “newer” versions. Students were answering questions completely and “getting it.” All it took was a bit of effort to use shorter sentences, repeat some of the definitions, and decrease the sentence complexity and both my students and I were happier.

I used the higher-level lexile score version in my honors class and the general students used the one that is a bit less complex. I even took it one more step and created a lower score for one of my students who had a very low level. No one had to know they weren’t doing exactly the same work as everyone else since the papers appeared to be the same.

Since that first time, I routinely check whatever I write or use to make sure that I am challenging my students but not expecting them to read at levels far beyond their present one. We do SRI testing three times a year so it is easy to check where my students are and adjust as needed.

Cathleen Beachboard, 6th Grade English Teacher, Floyd T. Binns Middle School, Culpeper County Public Schools, VA

Everyday in the classroom I use Lexile levels to provide scaffolding for reading assignments, to help students choose books, and to make my

classroom a place where reading flourishes. In the past, I found getting students to read daunting and forcing grade level material on them was not helping the matter. No one would ever walk into a shoe store and ask for a “sixth grade shoe.” Shoes are fitted according to each person and not all shoes will fit the same student. As I’ve learned, the same is true with books. No “sixth grade book” meets the needs of all sixth grade students because students are at various stages of development and knowledge in sixth grade. By knowing students’ Lexile scores, I as a teacher have the ability to match students to reading materials that appropriately challenge, but do not frustrate, each student. Through the use of Lexiles, students can be monitored for their reading progress and matched to instructional materials at their level. When students read comfortably they are excited about reading and it encourages them to read more. By adapting the content I found out students are not only able to understand the material better, but they are growing in leaps and bounds in the area of reading comprehension. The most amazing thing is that students not only are starting to get excited about reading, but the individualized instruction is causing students Lexiles to increase quickly and dramatically. Students who were below basic in reading are quickly becoming grade level readers and I finally feel like I am truly helping my students succeed. Lexiles are the key to helping readers. One of the most successful things I have done with the Lexiles in my class is used the students Lexile scores to motivate students to read more. I show students the giant chart of

professions from the real world like doctors, lawyers, scientists, etc. and the average Lexile for each profession. Students quickly get motivated by this real world data to do better in reading. Students then set goals for themselves and start pushing themselves to read more material. Lexiles really push the individualized education each student needs to succeed. Lexiles help differentiate instruction and provide scaffolded support for each student. With Lexiles and content to back up the student’s level, success is inevitable for the student. What resources are available to help implement the Lexile framework in the classroom?

Virginia Department of Education Web site http://www.doe.virginia.gov/testing/scoring/lexile/index.shtml 

The Lexile Framework for Reading: A Web Session for Educators http://www.doe.virginia.gov/testing/scoring/lexile/educators/educator_session_skin.swf

Virginia Lexile Framework Map http://www.doe.virginia.gov/testing/scoring/lexile/resources/lexile_framework_map.pdfParents Guide to Lexile Framework for Reading http://www.doe.virginia.gov/testing/scoring/lexile/at_home/parents_guide.pdf

Lexile Find A Book, Lexile Analyzer, and Lexile Calculator www.Lexile.com

Lexile Framework Frequently Asked Questionshttp://www.lexile.com/faq/

References

Daggett, W.R. (2003). Achieving reading proficiency for all. Rexford, NY: International Center for Leadership in Education.

Georgia Department of Education. (2012). Lexile framework for reading. Retrieved December 18, 2012, from http://public.doe.k12.ga.us/Curriculum-Instruction-and-Assessment/Assessment/Pages/Lexile-Framework.aspx

The Lexile Framework for Reading. (2012). Frequently asked questions. Retrieved December 18, 2012, from http://www.lexile.com/faq/. Virginia Department of Education. (2012). Lexile framework for reading: Information for educators. Retrieved December 18, 2012, from http://www.doe.virginia.gov/testing/scoring/lexile/educators/index.shtml.

Williamson, G.L. (2004). Student readiness for postsecondary options. Durham, NC: MetaMetrics.

Williamson, G.L. (2008). A text readability continuum for postsecondary readiness. Journal of Advanced Academics, 19 (4), 602-632.

7The TTAC Telegram – February/March 2013

Sally L. Chappel, M. Ed., Coordinator, VDOE Region 5 TTAC @ JMU

Research has shown that increasing middle school students’ academic motivation is vital to making sure students will stay on the path to graduation. Motivating students at this age can be difficult as students tend to disengage during these years (Ruis, 2012). So how can we encourage and motivate students with disabilities at the middle school level to engage academically ensuring they will be college and career ready? One answer is to do effective student centered transition planning. Future planning based on student decision making motivates students to reach their goals. The following activities will ensure that effective transition planning is in place for students with disabilities at the middle school level, thus preparing and motivating students to be college and career ready.

• Include students with disabilities in all school wide activities assuring that they have the same opportunities as their peers. This includes providing accommodations outlined within the IEP during classroom lessons/experiences.

• Provide an opportunity for career exploration (e.g., attending career fairs, taking exploratory classes, visiting places of business, providing guest speakers, offering mentorships, and researching different careers).

• Include the student in all aspects of planning, developing, and implementing the IEP. Keep the process student centered and student driven.

• Use transition assessments. Assessments should be age-appropriate, and used to determine appropriate measurable post-secondary goals. Multiple assessments should be used to identify strengths, preferences, interests, and needs. Use a portfolio/depository or other tracking system to keep assessment information available for future years. This will ensure that assessments are not unnecessarily repeated year after year.

• Utilize IEP information such as accommodations and assistive technology when administering transition assessments. This includes providing supports when online and paper/pencil inventories or assessments are used.

• Develop goals that take into account the student’s strengths, preferences, interests, and needs. What are we doing year after year to ensure that progress is being

made toward achieving the goals? How are we helping students work towards their annual goals as steps in eventually achieving their post-secondary goals?

• Complete and use Academic and Career Plans. They need to be developed in conjunction with the IEP. Post-secondary goals have a broader focus in middle school, becoming more specific as the student moves towards graduation.

• Share high school diploma information and requirements for graduation with the student. Help students understand how their post-secondary goal determines their course of study. (e.g., Employment goal: Student will be a teacher after completing the required college program for licensure. Course of study: Student needs to be working towards a diploma that will prepare him/her for college level courses.) (VDOE Middle School Transition Core Work Group, 2012)

There are on-line Web sites that are specifically designed for students in Virginia. Encourage middle school students to visit the following:

• A Life for Me Cyber community where middle

Motivating Middle School Youth to be

College and Career Ready

Motivating Middle School Youth to be

College and Career Ready

school aged youth with disabilities can share things they are good at, find out more about the things they really like to do, and think about the things that are really important to them. www.alife4me.com/

• Virginia Career View Virginia Career VIEW (Vital Information for Education and Work) is recognized as the Commonwealth’s Career Information Delivery System for all students in grades K-8 in Virginia. www.vacareerview.org/

• Virginia Education Wizard Let the Wizard help you choose a career, get the information you need to

pursue your career, enroll in one of Virginia’s community colleges, pay for college, transfer to a four-year college or university, and get answers to your questions about your future. www.vawizard.org/vccs/Main.action

ReferencesRuiz, E.C. (2012). Research summary: Setting higher expectations: Motivating middle graders to succeed.Retrieved January 9, 2013, from http://www.amle.org/portals/0/pdf/research/Research_Summaries/Motivating.pdf

VDOE Middle School Transition Core Work Group. (2012). Key transition points for middle school students. Richmond, VA: VA Department of

Education, Office of Special Education and Student Services.

9The TTAC Telegram – February/March 2013

“You ought to know better!” How many times have you heard these words barked at a student? How many times have you uttered them to a student in your own classroom or when you encountered a child in the hallway, cafeteria, playground, or parking lot? During my earlier teaching days, I sure did. If I allow myself to reminisce (I cringe a bit) because before I had ever heard of School-Wide Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (SWPBIS), I expected the kids who walked through my classroom door to automatically know how to behave. And not only behave, but behave according to my expectations. Think about this for a minute. Reflect on the different values, experiences, and knowledge you have about what is appropriate behavior. Now think about how many different people make up a school building, students and adults alike. Each person comes from a different set of life lessons. Imagine the different definitions and expectations each person in the building has and what each one believes demonstrates good school behavior. So, no, people don’t “just ought to know” what you want them to know. About six years into my teaching career I attended a SWPBIS workshop. Life for me as a teacher, and later as a school principal, changed forever. For the first time in my life, I realized that I was responsible for TEACHING my students what behaviors were expected from them rather than TELLING them because I was the boss. The

Bobby Knight philosophy that I had been raised to obey, “My way or the highway,” no longer seemed right.

Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports is a system based on a framework that establishes fundamental evidence-based academic and behavioral practices to achieve improved and positive academic and behavior outcomes for students (OSEP, 2009).

PBIS emphasizes a three-tiered implementation of interventions approach. Tier 1 is primary, proactive prevention supports for all students. A definition of 3-5 school-wide positively stated expectations are developed, visibly present throughout the school building, and taught just like an academic lesson would be taught on any subject matter.

A recognition system for positive behavior is established where all school employees are trained to watch and acknowledge students when the children demonstrate these school-wide behavior expectations. Data collection is organized and processed in a manner that allows “data mining” to occur. Specifically, the data reporting system should show the what, who, where, when, and why of behavior incidents (both positive and negative) in a school. Tier 2 is the secondary level where the focus of interventions is in place to assist students who struggle with the primary preventions. Data provides information where students require specific assistance. An example of Tier 2 intervention is Check-in/Check-out (Crone, Hawken, & Horner, 2010). Tier 3 is known as the tertiary prevention level. Students receiving Tier 3 supports still require level 1 and 2 interventions but also need targeted individualized support. An example of a Tier 3 intervention is a comprehensive and collaborative assessment of the problem by appropriate professional staff. Based on the results of the assessments,

supports are custom tailored to the specific needs the student requires. Wraparound planning is utilized to assist students in this tertiary tier.

Developing a PBIS framework of supports does take effort. I am sorry to say, but there is no pixie dust packet that is delivered to schools where the teachers or principals can pinch a bit

Teaching Both Academics AND Behavior: SWPBIS Framework for Student Success

Jaclyn Nickel, M.S. Ed., Coordinator, VDOE Region 5 TTAC @ JMU, Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) of Virginia Systems Coach

10 The TTAC Telegram – February/March 2013

of sparkle between their fingertips and sprinkle it over the rooftops or desktops to make everyone respond perfectly. There is no magic wand that one can wave and utter “PBIS, PBIS, PBIS” and see miraculous behaviors occur. Change takes work. But like anything in life worthwhile, you get from it what you put into it. Most importantly, when a school implements Schoolwide Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports with fidelity, research supports powerful positive impacts. Sugai and Simonsen (2012) provide impressive data about schools that implement SWPBIS:

“Schools that are effective in their implementation have (a) more than 80% of their students and staff who can indicate the desired positive behavioral expectations for a given school setting, (b) high rates of positive acknowledgements for contributing to a positive and safe school climate, ( c) have more than 70-80% of their students who have not experienced an office discipline referral for a disciplinary rule infraction. (Lewis & Sugai, 1999; Sugai et al., 2000; Taylor-Greene et al., 1997).

Most importantly, SWPBIS helps establish a physically and emotionally safe learning environment for all stakeholders. Charles Payne, University of Chicago professor, sums it up pretty well when he says, “You can create all the pockets of good instruction you want, [but] if the organizational environment doesn’t support [the change], it is likely to destroy it.” Professor Payne goes on to declare profound positive impacts documented in several school divisions that implement SWPBIS with fidelity (Baltimore City Public Schools,

Montgomery County Public Schools in Maryland, and New York City Public Schools) such as graduation rates, attendance, and increased college readiness (Sheehy, 2012).

We are educators and we do know better. Students need us to teach them both academics and positive behavior expectations. The only “highway students should be hitting” is the one that guides them towards greater goals like graduation, careers, and positive healthy lifestyles. For more information on SWPBIS please visit www.pbis.org.

ReferencesCrone, D., Hawken, L., & Horner, R. (2010). Responding to problem behavior in schools (2nd Ed.): The behavior education program. The Guilford Practical Intervention in the Schools Series. New York: Guilford Press.

OSEP Center on Positive Behavioral Interventions & Supports Effective Schoolwide Interventions. (May 2009). What is School-Wide Positive Behavioral Interventions & Supports? Retrieved January 7, 2013, from http://www.pbis.org/common/cms/documents/WhatIsPBIS/WhatIsSWPBS.pdf

Sheehy, K. (November 12, 2012). Education, Culture, Not Curriculum, May be Key to High School Reform. U.S. News & World Report, Education. Retrieved January 7, 2013, from http://www.usnews.com/education/blogs/high-school-notes/2012/11/12/culture-not-curriculum-may-be-key-to-high-school-reform_print.html

Sugai, G., & Simonsen, B. ( June 19, 2012). Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports: History, Def ining Features, and

Misconceptions. Storrs, CT: University of Connecticut, Center for PBIS & Center for Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports.

11The TTAC Telegram – February/March 2013

Amanda Armstrong, M.Ed., BCBA, Coordinator, VDOE Region 5 TTAC @ JMU

“Friends.” That word alone can bring a flash of pictures and memories to your mind. Those memories from childhood may have occurred at school, in the neighborhood, at church, or even from a play date that your mom set up. As an adult those memories are typically from work, college, or through some mutual friend or loved one. Friends help us to create a social identity, but when placed in a social group such as work or college you have the necessary social abilities to thrive. Wikipedia (2012) defines social identity as the portion of an individual’s self-concept derived from perceived membership in a relevant social group. The reality is if you have no social ability you will never be part of a relevant social group.

Individuals with autism more often than not struggle with their social identity in silence, causing them to develop social coping and camouflaging mechanisms to “act” as those around them would want them to. Both of these coping and camouflaging strategies can contribute to clinical depression (Attwood, 2009). As educators we must begin at pre-school encouraging self-esteem and self-awareness that will prepare our students for establishing healthy friendships in adolescence and adulthood.

To begin improving an individual’s social ability, it is important to get to know the individual and establish target goals that can be evaluated for progress. Developing goals, objectives,

and strategies to improve social ability starts with data. Data from observing nonverbal behavior, person-to-person interactions, self-reports, and direct assessments through rating scales or checklists. Keep in mind that any assessment should include the parents, as students will present different skills as home than at school and visa versa.

Payton et al (2008) established an acronym, SAFE, that includes key evidence-based teaching practices to build student’s social, coping, stress management, and conflict resolution skills.

SAFE stands for:• Use a Sequenced set of

activities to develop social and emotional skills in a step-by -step fashion;

• Use Active forms of learning, such as role-plays and behavioral rehearsal that provide students with opportunities to practice social and emotional skills;

• Focus attention on social and emotional learning, with at least eight sessions devoted to social and emotional skill development; and

• Explicitly target particular social and emotional skills for development, with skills identified in lessons’ learning objectives (CASEL, 2008, pp.2-3).

For more information about social and emotional learning, see:http://casel.org/why-it-matters/what-is-sel/

All of the SAFE strategies can be used in conjunction with the NPDC (National Professional Development Center on Autism Spectrum Disorders) evidence-based practices for autism.

• When Sequencing a set of activities, use task analysis and visual supports to further individualize the concept for the student with autism.

• To establish Active forms of learning, use video modeling, social narratives, and peer-mediated interventions.

• Focus attention on social and emotional learning through naturalistic interventions, parent implemented interventions, self-management, and social skills groups.

• Explicitly target particular social and emotional skills for development through social skills groups, peer-mediated instruction, and naturalistic interventions.

A full list of the evidence-based practices for children and youth with

AUTISM IS NOT AN ISLAND

autism and how to implement them can be found at http://autismpdc.fpg.unc.edu/content/briefs.

Developing goals, objectives, strategies, and monitoring the data for progress are as important for teaching social abilities as they are in teaching academic skills. Like all skills, social abilities can be enhanced if they are explicitly “taught” rather than assuming they will be “caught” (Sweet & Snow, 2003).

Have you ever heard this quote from John Donne: “No man is an island, entire of itself?” It simply means human beings do not thrive when isolated from others. Students with autism do not need to live in isolation but do need to establish a social identity to thrive in life.

Additional Resource:http://www.autisminternetmodules.org

ReferencesAttwood, T. (2009). The complete guide to Asperger’s Syndrome - Girls and women who have Asperger’s Syndrome. Retrieved January 4, 2013, from http://www.tonyattwood.com.au/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=917:girls-and-women-who-have-aspergers-syndrome&catid=215:girls-and-women&Itemid=720

CASEL. (2008). Social and emotional learning (SEL) and student benefits: Implications for the Safe Schools/Healthy Students core elements. Washington, DC: National Center for Mental Health Promotion and Youth Violence Prevention, Education Development Center.

Payton, J., Weissberg, R., Durlak, J., Dymnicki, A., Taylor, R., Schellinger, K., et al. (2008). The positive impact of social and emotional learning for kindergarten to eighth‐grade students: Findings from three scientific reviews. Chicago: Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning.

Social identity theory - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. (n.d.). Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Retrieved January 4, 2013, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_identity_theory Sweet, A. P., & Snow, C. E. (2003). Rethinking reading comprehension. New York: The Guilford Press.

The National Professional Development Center on Autism Spectrum Disorders. (2010). Retrieved January 4, 2013, from http://autismpdc.fpg.unc.edu/content/briefs

The focus of this year’s TTAC Telegram is on providing our readers with information on assisting students to be “college and career ready.” My question to you: Are your students ready?

w Are your students using assistive technology (AT)?

w Is it documented on their IEP?

w Is it included in their transition plan?

w What AT will your students need to be successful after high school?

A communication device may be your student’s voice. The word prediction and speech to text software he uses to write and edit may be his key to college. The digital reading software may be her lifeline to a career.

Are you aware that Virginia General Assembly passed House Bill 382ER in February, 2012 that provides for:

“Transfer of assistive technology devices by a school division. Provides that a school division may transfer assistive technology devices purchased by the division for a child with a disability to (i) a different school division to which the child transfers; (ii) a state agency that provides services to a child with a disability upon the child’s graduation or when a school division ceases to provide

special education services for the student; or (iii) the parents of a child with a disability, or the child with a disability if the child is age 18 or older and has capacity to enter into a contract.”http://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?121+sum+HB382

The Virginia Department of Education’s Assistive Technology project and the Virginia Assistive Technology System (VATS) http://www.vats.org are collaborating on a guidance document that will provide school divisions with information on definitions, transfer agreements, and methods of transfer.

HB 382ER represents legislation that can give students the opportunity to continue to use the AT provided by their school division after completion of their K-12 education. This could be their key to being college and career ready! So, Get AT?

For additional information on AT, please go to: www.ttaconline.org/atsdp

Got AT?Got AT?Carol Wiegle, M.A., Coordinator, VDOE Region 5 TTAC @JMU

14 The TTAC Telegram – February/March 2013

LINKING SELF-DETERMINATION & COLLEGE AND CAREER READINESSJohn McNaught, M.Ed., Self-Determination State Coordinator, VDOE Region 5 TTAC @ JMU

Education is filled with buzzwords and catch phrases. One of the latest hot topics is “college and career ready.” What does this mean and where did it come from? Is there a link between self-determination and college and career readiness?

In his Address to Joint Session of Congress on February 24, 2009, President Obama said:

“I ask every American to commit to at least one year or more of higher education or career training. This can be community college or a four-year school; vocational training or an apprenticeship. But whatever the training may be, every American will need to get more than a high school diploma.”

The idea of being college-ready means more than just applying to a traditional four-year college. Today college-ready means being prepared for any post-secondary education or training experience. Some skills identified as important include proficiency in reading, writing, communications, teamwork, critical thinking, and problem solving.

Being career-ready is more than having a job. A career provides an opportunity for advancement and/or mobility; a job does not. Career-ready can than be seen as having the skills necessary to qualify for and succeed in a chosen career.

So, college and career readiness refers to the content knowledge, skills, and habits that students must possess to be successful in post-secondary education or training that leads to a sustaining career (The Definition, 2012).

A generation ago, a high school diploma was a pathway to a career. Times have changed. (What is college and career ready? 2009).

• Thirty five years ago, only 12% of U.S. jobs required some post-secondary training or an associate’s degree and only 16% required a bachelor’s degree or higher

• Nearly eight in ten future job openings in the next decade in the U.S. will require postsecondary education or training.

• By contrast, only 22% of future job openings will be “low skill” and accessible to those with a high school diploma or less.

Let’s look at these numbers a little differently to put our current situation in perspective. Of 100 middle school students, 93 say they want to go to college. Of those 93 students, only 70 will graduate from high school. Of the high school graduates, just 44 will enroll in a college or university. And just 26 of those enrolled in college will

successfully earn a college degree (The problem, 2012).

As we examine current statistics and face the challenge of college and career readiness for all students, it is apparent that something needs to change in our approach. The underlying theme to many of the skills mentioned in the definition of college and career ready is self-determination. It is just as important to cultivate youth competent in English and math as it is to empower youth to be problem solvers, decision makers, and critical thinkers. Research points to higher levels of self-determination in students with disabilities lead to a greater likelihood of obtaining post-school employment and experiencing success in their adult lives (Wehmeyer & Palmer, 2003).

While the link between self-determination and college and career readiness is apparent, how and when do we combine the two ideas? The Virginia Department of Education’s I’m Determined Project (www.imdetermined.org) has done the hard work for you. Lesson plans (www.imdetermined.org/life_lines) were developed and field-tested by general and special education classroom teachers. Elementary, middle, and high school lesson plans focus on core component areas of self-determination and are linked to corresponding Virginia Standards of

15

Application Criteria: *Young person with a disability, 14 years and older at time of Summit.

*Young persons under age 18 must have a parent/guardian attend.

         

              REGISTER  NOW!  

   

2013  Youth  and  Parent  Summit    Leaders  of  Tomorrow  

   

Register  Online:  http://www.imdetermined.org./youth/youth_summit_application/    

It  is  recommended  that  your  application  content,  essay,  slide  presentation,  or  video  be  thought  out  and  written  before  completing  this  online  application  and  submitting  it.      

 

June 19-21 2013 at James Madison University

The TTAC Telegram – February/March 2013

Learning for all grade levels.

It makes little sense to teach self-determination skills in isolation, much like it makes little sense to teach algebra in isolation. Today’s youth want to know “Why do I need to learn this?” and “How does this knowledge help me reach my ultimate goal(s)?” Combining the I’m Determined lesson plans with Virginia Standards of Learning addresses both of these issues.

ResourcesWhat is college and career ready? (2009). Retrieved December 3, 2012, from http://www.ncpta.org/parent/Files/CollegeandCareerReady.pdf.

The Definition. (2012). Retrieved December 3, 2012, from www.epiconline.org

The Problem. (2012). Retrieved December 3, 2012, from http://www.epiconline.org

Wehmeyer, M., &Palmer, S. (2003). Adult outcomes for students with cognitive disabilities three years after high school: The impact of self-determination. Education and Training in Developmental Disabilities, 38, 131-144.

I’m Determined. 2012. Retrieved December 3, 2012, from http://www.imdetermined.org

According to Marilyn Friend (2005), co-teaching is when two or more teachers share physical space in order to actively instruct a blended group of students, including students with disabilities. Murawski and Dieker (2013) argue that, to be considered a co-teaching situation, all students in a classroom must be supported by general and special educators who co-plan, co-instruct, and co-assess together. Co-teaching is just one service delivery option that may be appropriate for students with disabilities. It allows a student to be instructed in a classroom with his general education peers with supportive access to the general education curriculum. In order to provide this option for students with disabilities, as well as other students who may be struggling academically, many schools in Region 4 have embraced the practice of co-teaching.

Research on co-teaching describes a number of “models” that have been found effective in supporting students and providing them with opportunities for successful academic outcomes. In considering which models or approaches to use, co-teachers must first understand the subject content for which they are responsible and reflect on their individual skills and expertise related to that content. If one teacher is highly proficient in teaching the content, does the other teacher have organizational and problem-solving skills that can strengthen and support student learning in this content

area? Is one teacher experienced in differentiating instruction and, thus, able to enhance some or part of a lesson so that all students are given opportunities to apply knowledge in a variety of activities and experiences? Co-teaching pairs should always consider their individual strengths and skills as they co-plan for co-instruction and co-assessment in their classroom.

It is also important for co-teachers to invest time and energy in building a solid working relationship. They must have open discussions about their philosophies and beliefs on teaching. This means addressing topics such as classroom rules and routines, student expectations (i.e., engagement, participation, behavior, effort, etc.), personal instructional style, preferred assessment methods, and so on. Co-teachers do not have to agree on every issue. But they must discuss the issues critical to their classroom and negotiate and decide on how they will handle each within the instructional period. A good resource for beginning dialogue on issues is the book Critical Conversations in Co-Teaching: A Problem-Solving Approach by Chapman and Hyatt (2011). The authors detail partnerships they have examined over the years and provide valuable tools for communication starters for co-teachers. In addition to the tools and explanations provided in the book, there are corresponding reproducible documents available for download at: go.solution-tree.com/specialneeds.

Once co-teachers have a shared understanding of what they, as individuals, can bring to the instructional situation, they can begin to strategically determine their roles within the partnership. They should outline their individual responsibilities with respect to instruction, behavior management, problem-solving, and decision-making. Ultimately, they will develop a plan to deliver quality instruction and provide meaningful learning opportunities that lead to successful academic outcomes for their students. There is one essential question that should be at the core of building any successful co-teaching team. In their most recent book, Leading the Co-Teaching Dance, Murawski and Dieker (2013) ask: How is what co-teachers are doing together substantively different and better for kids than what one teacher would do alone?

We know from our work in the schools in Region 4 that a number of you are successfully co-teaching and can easily provide a list of powerful answers to this question. You may now be focusing on sustaining those co-teaching practices that have been successful while continuing to work on improving others. Some teachers may be facing the challenges of laying a good foundation on which to build effective co-teaching practices. Regardless of where you are in the process, a plethora of valuable resources on co-teaching are available to you for checkout through the

Lynn Wiley, Ph.D., VDOE TTAC at GMU

ON LAYING A GOOD FOUNDATION FOR CO-TEACHING

17The TTAC Telegram – February/March 2013

TTAC-GMU library. Our library contains current research-based materials on different approaches to co-teaching, issues related to differentiation and inclusive practices and co-teaching, as well as a number of tools that can be used by teams to build relationships and improve instructional practices. Why not consider leading a discussion group on one of these topics at a school leadership meeting? Perhaps you could facilitate a book study with the co-teaching teams at your school. For more information on co-teaching resources, please visit our library catalog at http://kihd.gmu.edu/library/. Information on related events and web shops can also be accessed on TTAC Online at http://www.ttaconline.org/. Feel free to contact the TTAC at GMU through our web site at: http://ttac.gmu.edu/ or by clicking on the staff tab on our home page.

Thank you for caring so deeply about providing effective, co-taught instruction to students, to include those with disabilities. It will be a wonderful day when the majority, if not all, of the co-teaching teams in schools throughout Region 4 can respond to the question posed by Murawski and Dieker by saying: “My

co-teacher and I work daily to plan, instruct, and monitor student progress together. We feel we deliver solid and effective instruction that has resulted in improved academic outcomes for our students, as demonstrated through the ongoing assessment data we collect. We both feel, and the data provides us with evidence, that we are better together than either one of us would be alone.”

Below are a few resources on co-teaching that are available in our TTAC library. They contain current information on

Resources used in the written text above:

Chapman, C., & Hyatt, C.H. (2011). Critical Conversations in Co-Teaching: A Problem-Solving Approach. Bloomington, IN: Solution Tree Press.

Friend, M. (2005). The Power of 2: Making a Difference Through Co-Teaching (2nd ed.) Facilitators Guide and DVD. Bloomington, IN: A Forum on Education Publication.

Murawski, W., & Dieker, L. (2013). Leading the Co-Teaching Dance: Leadership Strategies to Enhance Team

Outcomes. Arlington, VA: Council for Exceptional Children.

More resources on co-teaching:

Beninghof, A.M. (2012). Co-Teaching That Works: Structures and Strategies for Maximizing Student Learning. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Tomlinson, C.A., & Imbeau, M.B. (2010). Leading and Managing a Differentiated Classroom. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.

Burrello, L.C. (Executive Director). (2010). Instructional Power. (DVD). Bloomington, IN: A Forum on Education.

Hosted by Marilyn Friend. Co-Teachers Share Instructional Techniques.

Burrello, L.C. (Executive Director). (2010). Releasing the Power. (DVD). Bloomington, IN: A Forum on Education.

Hosted by Marilyn Friend. District and School-Based Leaders on Inclusive Schooling and Co-Teaching.

KELLAR LIBRARY LINE-UP

What’s in YOUR library at VDOE’s TTAC at GMU?

February/March 2013 Featuring some of our Most Wanted resources. . .

COACH 3: Choosing Outcomes and Accommodations for Children – A Guide to Educational Planning for Students with DisabilitiesMichael F. Giangreco, Chigee J. Cloninger &

Virginia S. Iverson; Call number: 371.9 GIA 2011This is a guide to educational planning for students ages 3 to 21 with disabilities who are in supported general education settings. It provides an effective process for developing individualized educational plans that promote inclusive opportunities for students with a range of developmental disabilities. The companion cd provides fillable forms and tools to help successful implementation.

Leading the Co-Teaching Dance: Leadership Strategies to Enhance Team OutcomesWendy Murawski & Lisa Dieker; Call number: 371.9 MUR 2013This newly published resource discusses how to implement

co-teaching using research-based best practices, strategies, resources, techniques, and materials needed to establish and maintain successful co-teaching teams.

The Early Childhood Coaching Handbook Dathan D. Rush & M’Lisa L. Shelden; Call number: 372.21 RUS 2011This guidebook walks professionals step by step through the coaching process and shows them what best

practices look like. It includes practical, easy-to-use coaching tools.Jackie Petersen, MLS, VDOE TTAC at George Mason University

19Improving the lives and productivity of persons with disabilities

Helen a.KellarInstitute

for Human disAbilities VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF

EducationThe TTAC Telegram – February/March 2013

Critical Conversations in Co-Teaching: A Problem-Solving ApproachCarrie Chapman & Cate Hart Hyatt; Call

number: 371.148 CHA 2011This is a practitioner's guide to building a quality collaborative relationship through critical conversations. It uses practical examples and real-life stories to show how co-teaching strategies make a positive difference for students.

Early Learning Environments That WorkRebecca Isbell, Rebecca & Betty Exelby; Call

number: 372.21 ISB 2001Full of practical ideas, this guide helps teachers transform classrooms into beautiful and meaningful spaces that will stimulate the development and transition of young children while providing adults with a great place to work.

Grandparenting a Child with Special Needs Charlotte E. Thompson; Call number: 649.15 THO 2009This is a guide for

grandparents covering everything from coming to terms with a diagnosis,

helping with transition, researching and accessing resources, and how to have fun and spend quality time with a grandchild with a disability.

Skills for Success: A Career Education Handbook for Children and Adolescents with Visual Impairments

Karen E. Wolffe, Editor; Call number: 371.911 SKI 1999This is a practical guide that applies the principles of career education to the specific needs of visually impaired students in the lower and middle grades.

LINKing Authentic Assessment & Early Childhood Intervention: Best Measures for Best PracticesStephen J. Bagnato,

John T. Neisworth & Kristie Pretti-Frontczak

How can early childhood professionals make informed decisions while selecting assessment materials that meet recommended practices? This book contains professional ratings and reviews of 80 authentic, widely-used assessment tools for children birth to age 8.

Teachable Transitions: 190 Activities to Move from Morning Circle to the End of the DayRae Pica; Call number: 372.21 PIC 2003This book includes activities to keep preschoolers engaged and interested throughout the day.

Working with Families of Young Children with Special NeedsR. A. Williams (editor); Call number: 371.904 WOR 2010This book presents research-based best practices for serving families of children with special needs from birth to age 6. It includes over a dozen reproducible checklists and forms to help implement the techniques and transition strategies described.

If you like these, search our catalog for more @

http://kihd.gmu.edu/library

No time to come to the library? No problem!

Most items can be mailed to your school or home address.

To request one of the items above or any other materials available for checkout, please contact Region 4 TTAC Librarian

Jackie Petersen, jpetersk@gmu.edu or 703.993.3672Library location: Finley Hall, Room 116, GMU Fairfax Campus

20 The TTAC Telegram – February/March 2013

Professional Learning Opportunities

For conferences, events, on-line opportunities, and so much more, please visit:

TTAC ONLINE EVENTS AT: http://www.ttaconline.org/staff/s_events/s_events.asp?disability=true

VDOE TTAC @ GMU EVENT CALENDAR AT: http://ttac.gmu.edu/events

Virtual TechKnowledgy ConferenceOpen until October 2013For information, visit: www.ttaconline.org/atsdp

Featured EventFeatured Event

4400 University Drive, MS 1F2Fairfax, VA 22030