By Sara Finegan  

To my way of thinking, there are two kinds of IEP goals:  remedial ones, and compensatory ones.  They are equally good; it is their purposes that differ.  A good IEP may contain some of both.

Remedial goals

A remedial goal is one which is intended to teach a student a skill which he has missed somewhere along the line.  I think of it as filling in a hole in the foundation of a child’s learning:  without this particular skill, progress in on grade-level standards is not achievable.

It’s important when considering remedial goals to choose ones which are reasonable and which are possible.  

I’ve written before about goals related to learning multiplication facts.  After fifth grade, I don’t think that should be a part of IEPs.   Knowing multiplication facts requires memory skills and sequencing.  Many kids really struggle with this – it may be a developmental thing and they’ll catch up later, or they may never get it.  

If parents really want the child to learn the multiplication tables, they can work on it at home.  Memorizing facts should not be an IEP goal.

Reasonable and possible remedial goals are ones which we believe a child can achieve with support and precise interventions.  

For example, we may discover that a sixth grade student doesn’t know what synonyms and antonyms are, and cannot use them in writing or to make meaning in reading.  This is something that has been taught in prior years, and is essential to progress in reading and writing. 

The student hasn’t “gotten it” in the general ed class,  so obviously a more direct and scaffolded approach is necessary.   Small group instruction or even a quick mini-lesson followed by 5-minute daily practice sessions could do the trick.  

Compensatory goals

Compensatory goals are ones which are designed to help a child perform a grade level standard with the necessary supports.  The goal is related to an academic standard, and it, as well as the benchmarks, specifies the types of supports that will be provided. 

Generally, we like to move from more to less.  

Lots of students have writing goals.  If the grade level standard requires that a child produce multi-paragraph essays (introductory paragraph with thesis statement, transition phrases, body paragraphs each with main idea and 3-5 supporting facts as well as a conclusion, and summary concluding paragraph, etc.) then that is the basic goal.  

Does the child need graphic organizers and visual prompts?  Checklists and rubrics?   A writing buddy?   Word banks and spellcheck?  

A goal might look like this:

“Given a topic, checklist of required assignment components, graphic organizer with word bank and rehearsal, Diana will produce a five-paragraph essay (introductory paragraph, 3 body paragraphs, conclusion) using compound sentences, rich vocabulary and proper spelling/punctuation, on 3 occasions with 80% accuracy as measured by checklist or rubric.”

If the child’s deficits are greater than Diana’s, perhaps the goal will read as follows: 

“Given a topic, checklist of required assignment components, and graphic organizer, Sam will use Dragon Speak or similar software to dictate 3 paragraphs, each with a main idea and 3-5 supporting details, on 3 occasions with 80% accuracy as measured by checklist or rubric.”

How about math?  Well, if Josh doesn’t know his multiplication facts in the fifth grade, he’s still going to have to be able to solve big multiplication problems.   As I said, Josh doesn’t need to learn to memorize.  He needs to learn strategies that will bridge the gap between his inability to memorize and fifth grade math problems.  Take a grade level standard and modify it.  How about one of these?

“Given 5 three-digit multiplication problems, a partial products template and a multiplication chart, Josh will show his work for each step in correctly solving them on 4/5 occasions with 80% accuracy.” 

Here, Josh is using compensatory strategies (multiplication chart and a partial products template) to do the same work as his grade-level peers.

Or

“Given 10 two-digit multiplication problems requiring knowledge of 8s facts and 9s facts, Josh will use compensatory strategies such as using the sum of the digits to write down his 9s facts and repeated addition to correctly solve them on 4/5 occasions with 80% accuracy as measured by student work.” 

If Josh can quickly jot down the 9s multiplication facts by writing 1 through 9 down the side of a page and then writing 1 through 9  up in the next space, he doesn’t need to have the nines memorized.  Similarly, if he can count on his fingers and write down the 8s through addition, he’s good to go!
 
Not every IEP needs both kinds of goals. 

Some kids are so close to grade level that they just need minimal supports in order to do the work that is required in their class.  Remedial goals might not be necessary.   Use your best judgment.

What I can say is that…

Only in IEPs for kids who are so severely disabled that the team decides they cannot access general education curriculum at all should you consider you omitting compensatory goals. 

Yes, a non-verbal child with autism who struggles with sensory issues can do some activity to demonstrate a component of a grade-level science standard.  It might be something simple, like correctly labeling the parts of a plant, or something more complex, such as growing a bean and making a chart of daily measurements.  

In a Special Day Class or a general ed class, our kids with IEPs are supposed to be accessing the gen ed curriculum.  They must have compensatory goals.

autism · benchmarks · case manager · compensatory · example · IEP goals · IEPs · math goals · multiplication · non-verbal · possible · reasonable · remedial · severe disability · support · writing goals · writing IEP goals

By Sara Finegan

A really good IEP goal requires some thinking and reviewing of student work.  It also requires that you really know the standards for the subject area and grade level the student is in now, or will be in the coming year.  

GOAL!!!

It helps to identify what the baseline is for the student and to state it explicitly with as  much precision as possible.   

• Does Betsy write a paragraph that has a topic sentence and supporting details but no conclusion? 
• Does Joe write short, choppy sentences without detail?  How often?   70% of the time?   6/10 times?  
• Does Abby successfully solve three-step math problems using a “how-to” chart 60% of the time?  
• Can you say that Bobby correctly answers comprehension questions with 65% accuracy after reading a second grade text?

Looking at that baseline and comparing it to the grade-level standard will show you exactly what to write in  the goal.  

 If the grade-level standard states that a student will use both compound and simple sentences in written work, and Josh uses simple sentences 90% of the time in independent writing, or will write compound sentences 60% of the time with maximum prompts, then the goal will be that Josh write using a combination of some sort (be specific) on 4/5 occasions, with 85% accuracy. 

Once you have the baseline and the goal, you need to start backwards planning.  What specific things does the student need to be able to do, with what kinds of support, on the way to achieve what goal?  If Josh needs maximum prompts to write compound sentences, what benchmarks are appropriate?  Here are a few:

1. How about starting out by having him combine simple sentences using prepositions and conjunctions?   A benchmark might be  “Given 10 simple sentences, a rehearsal and prompts as needed, Amy will use prepositions and/or conjunctions to make 5 compound sentences, on 4/5 occasions with 80% accuracy as measured by student work.”
2. Can Josh already combine sentences but only with maximum support?  Reduce the number of prompts.  Maybe “Given a student-written text, a rehearsal and no more than 2 prompts, Josh will revise two paragraphs by combining simple sentences into compound ones, on 4/5 occasions with 80% accuracy.”
3. Perhaps a later benchmark might read “Given a topic, graphic organizer and word bank, rehearsal and a visual prompt, Josh will write 3 compound sentences containing appositive or prepositional phrases, on 4/5 occasions with 80% accuracy as measured by student work.”

I like to have at least three measurable, data-based benchmarks for each goal.  Sometimes I write as many  as five–it just depends on the complexity of the goal.   As for the spacing intervals, the norm is to schedule them around the end of marking periods.  This is ok most of the time, but there are times when you need to set dates closer together.  

Recently, a colleague asked me not to write so many benchmarks, because it creates too much work; we have to write progress reports for each benchmark interval.     I replied that perhaps it creates more work for me, since I’m the one who will have to write the progress notes, but that’s not likely. 

A really good case manager is constantly collecting data, reviewing it and planning from it.  It takes me 3-4 minutes to write a progress note for a benchmark, because I have a notebook or folder with the data I need right at hand. 

I’m not afraid of hard work or more work; I’m afraid of what will happen if I start cutting corners on IEPs because I don’t want to work as hard as I do.

(Photo by popofatticus, Creative Commons Attribution 2.0)

backwards planning · baseline · benchmarks · collecting data · customized goals · generic goals · grade-level standards · IEP goals · IEPs · individualized · measurable · Sara Finegan · specific · standards-based · tips · writing IEP goals

By Sara Finegan

One of the coolest things about writing IEPs is that you get to create customized goals for the student.  

Once you know and understand a student’s learning style and deficits, you pinpoint the specific needs of the student and design measurable goals with objectives or benchmarks spaced at reasonable intervals throughout the year.    

This creates a roadmap for all of the support providers and teachers who are working with the student.

One of the most awful things I’ve discovered in  my consultations with parents and districts from around the country is how generic and inappropriate many goals are.    

• They aren’t measurable.   What the hell does “will improve in-class attitude by 50% ” mean?
• They aren’t standards-based.   There is no reason why a 14-year old should have a goal to learn the multiplication facts.   If he doesn’t know them by heart yet, he needs to use other strategies.   Any math goals should be related to the standards for his grade level, not third grade.
• They aren’t specific.    If I never again see a goal like “given a topic Danny will write a 5-paragraph essay that fulfils 70% of the requirements for the assignment” , I will be a happy woman.   Really?   Which 70%?   What can he already do, and what does he need to learn how to do?
• They aren’t customized to student needs and learning styles.   Many districts have an IEP system online, and in many cases there’s a drop-down menu of goals available.  The thing that most teachers don’t know is that these goals were never intended to be used as-is and the district administrators assumed we’d use them only in a pinch.   Generic goals have to be revised to match the student.  

We special ed teachers and case managers simply cannot allow ourselves to take shortcuts and use drop-down menus on this part of an IEP.  

There is absolutely no excuse for generic, mushy goals.   None.    

There’s a reason that special ed teachers have a smaller class or caseload size than general ed teachers:   we have more complicated work to do to create and fulfill individual education plans.   Not “group” education plans.

customized goals · generic goals · IEP goals · IEPs · individualized · measurable · specific · standards-based

By Richard Finegan

Paraeducators–classroom aides in special education, including one-on-one aides–can do any number of things to help a child.  But a recent Google search I ran across got me thinking in terms of 10 (not to be confused a David Letterman Top Ten List).  All of this needs to be coordinated with your teachers of course, but here are my suggestions:

1. Never underestimate the child’s abilities. I like to observe a  new student for a couple of days before I read his or her IEP so I can see how he or she  compares to the other students, what the child’s behavior is like, etc, before I see what others have observed.   Be sure to read the “Present Levels of Performance” in the IEP so you know what they can already do.  Do not assume a child can’t do something just because he or she is in special education or is identified with autism or a “learning disability.”

2. Focus on the child’s strengths, not on the child’s deficits. Is he a visual learner?  Kinesthetic?  Does she type well?  Is he crazy about animals?  Does she love Harry Potter?  Find out as much as you can about the children’s areas of interest and strength and use these in creative ways to help them succeed at tasks or in subjects where they may have difficulty.

3. Build the child’s confidence. You do this not with false praise but with an honest appraisal of his or her strengths and successes, acknowledgement of areas in which the child can improve, and by giving him or her opportunities to practice new skills not yet mastered.

4. Allow the child to make mistakes.  We are quick to tell kids they learn from their mistakes and just as quick to not allow them to make them. It is tempting for an aide, especially a one-on-one, to correct the child’s work on the spot.  Don’t edit the child’s assignments for him.  It does NOT reflect poorly on you as an aide if the child’s work is imperfect.  It does reflect poorly on you if the child’s work is actually your work.

5. Gradually remove supports (the level of  assistance you provide a child).  Do not get stuck providing a certain level of support because it is comfortable for you and the child.  If you help with word processing, make the child take over more of that task.  If you reduce the assigned math homework, gradually increase the amount the child is expected to do.  I don’t throw the term lazy around carelessly, but I know (when I was new at this) that I have caused at least one child to become lazy because it was easier for me to do some things than deal with his unwillingness to do them himself.

6. Help the child get and stay organized. If you’re like me, you may first have to get organized yourself.  Make sure the older children use a calendar (agenda, planner) to keep track of assignments.  Color code folders to keep track of homework in different subject areas.  Whatever it takes.  But always coordinate with parents because no organization will work for long if it isn’t reinforced both at home and at school.

7. Don’t do for the child what his or her classmates routinely do for themselves.  Assuming no physical impediment, of course, make the child take responsibility for having daily supplies, following classroom routines, turning in homework, etc.  If the child depends on you for these things, you have failed.

8. Give the child responsibility for composing any writing assignment.  Writing is a two-step process: (1) putting thought into words–composing–and (2) putting words into text–typing or handwriting.  If a student cannot or will not handwrite or word process, it may be permissible to have the child dictate to you.  In that case, take down what he or she dictates word for word.  Ask where to put in punctuation.  Don’t correct as you go.  Let the child read what was dictated and make his or her own revisions.  Only then would I suggest any corrections or improvements.  Gradually remove this level of support.

9. Allow the child to interact with peers, even if those interactions aren’t always positive.  Some of our kids will have social interaction issues and do poorly in partner or group work.  If we work with them one-on-one we will want to minimize their friction with other students.  We should resist the temptation to step in and mediate all disputes or difficulties.  Let them learn from working through these problems.

10. Do not get into a power struggle with a child.  Back off.  Don’t threaten consequences you aren’t prepared to impose.  Keep your composure.  (Remember why you do this.  These kids are great!)

Remember your role is to help the child become independent.  When the child no longer needs you, you have succeeded!

abilities · autism · classroom aides · composition · confidence · dictation · general education · IEPs · Inclusion · independence · learning disabilities · mistakes · one-on-one · organization · paraeducator · paraprofessionals · peer interactions · praise · present levels · Richard Finegan · role · special education · strengths · supports

By Richard Finegan

         I am a para-educator; specifically, a Spec Ed Tech; a special education classroom aide whose job exists only because of a legal document (the Individualized Education Plan or IEP) that says one or more special education students in the classes to which I am assigned need additional classroom support. 

         That is, they need more help than can be provided by the classroom teacher alone.

         In my particular case, I “shadow” one student to all his classes.  He’s in general education 100% of the time, because his difficulties are not academic.

         We used to be called one-on-one aides but our school district, in its infinite wisdom, declared “There are no more one-on-one aides!”  This was loudly announced in a large public meeting of para-educators I attended two years ago, even while I was assigned full time to one student, which continued until the end of that year. 

          For most of last year, I was again assigned full time to one student.  So far this year I have been assigned full time to one student.  And the person who loudly declared in a public meeting of para-educators that “There are no more one-on-one aides!” is still working as some mid-level administrator for the same school district. 

         Go figure.  She doesn’t even know what the hell is going on in the classrooms of the schools she administers. But she knows the party line!  Bet she’s a Republican. (Did I just say that?  Sorry.)

So anyway, where was I.  Oh, yes…

         I don’t really care what they call me.  Or whether the principal of the school I’m assigned to even recognizes me as a member of his or her staff.  (I’m convinced more than one thought I was a substitute teacher which is why they kept seeing me on campus.)

         Now in my seventh year, at my fifth school and almost all in general ed classes, I pretty much operate under the radar, usually reporting infrequently to one vice principal (we have three in our high schools) and otherwise being left to fend for myself.

         I learned early that the very last person from whom to seek advice about what your role is as a para-educator in the general education classroom is the general education teacher.  They will frequently think:

• You’re there to make their copies.
• You’re there to accompany kids to the office when they give them a referral for some misbehavior.
• You’re there to take attendance.
• You’re there to post grades.
• You’re there to keep the “special ed kids” quiet so they can teach the other students.

         While this is not a universal attitude by far, it is certainly common.  Here’s my advice if you are new to this and don’t exactly know what you should be doing: 

1)  Never forget that you only have a job because a certain kid (or kids) in that classroom have IEPs.  Get copies of the IEPs  to learn precisely what additional supports which children need.  If they aren’t routinely provided to you, insist on them.  You cannot do your job if you don’t know what particular support you are supposed to provide to each child.

2)  Once you have identified those kids with IEPs and what they need, then you proceed to help any kid in that class who needs help.  You do not unnecessarily segregate your kids from the rest of the class and single them out (unnecessarily) from everyone else.  Ideally, the kids without IEPs should not know who you are there to help, or perhaps even why you are there at all.

3)  Remember that you are not the teacher’s personal assistant.  Sometimes easier said than done, but if a general ed teacher is treating you like a “girl Friday,” then you should contact your supervisor and express your concerns, always in terms of what you are not able to do for your kids because of what you are being asked to do for the teacher.

         We may not be certificated, but we are professionals with a legal role to play (much like the speech pathologist or the occupational therapist) determined by the students’ IEPs. 

         We deserve to be treated as co-workers in the classroom, not as go-fers.

classroom aides · general education · IEPs · Inclusion · one-on-one · paraeducator · Paraeducators · paraprofessionals · role · special education