Assessment, data-driven intervention, and motivation are all part of the great idea known as the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. It is a great IDEA.
The passage of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) has changed the world for children with special needs. After a long history of exclusion, these children now have access to a free and appropriate education (FAPE). For those working under the mandates of IDEA, working towards the successful achievement of academic goals and being accountable for that achievement are important elements of every teaching moment. However, success is not easy to define. It means different things to different people. Success can also have a different meaning under different circumstances. What matters, is that every student achieves the level of success that they have the capacity to reach. So, with so many ways to define success, is there a way to make a determination of academic success for special needs students that is unbiased and consistent? In the school district in my state, in everything we do, in every decision we make, there is the constant question, “What does the data say?” Using data removes the variability of definitions and eliminates the potential for bias in decisions.
Educators use data to drive new programs. For example, currently, we are looking at the data for graduation rates of our special education students. Through this data, we will be able to determine if more should be done to help retain these students through graduation. The data will help the district allocate funds, perhaps over other concerns, such as teen pregnancies which also have a high priority. With limited resources and great need, it will be the data that drives the decision.
My school district uses data from the state summative tests (SAGE) to determine what improvements the school as a whole needs to make. If the data shows that the school isn’t meeting certain criteria, then a targeted improvement plan is initiated. Once again, the data will drive the funding to provide more resources, e.g. additional reading and math specialists or new technologies.
More importantly, we use data daily to decide interventions and to determine eligibility for special education services. The first step in the referral process is to have teachers implement research-based and/or peer-reviewed interventions and provide documentation to the school’s local case management team. IDEA requires the collection and documentation of data. A method that is currently used for struggling students is Response to Intervention (RTI). Teachers must report using standard measures on incidents of behaviors, antecedents, and outcomes, together with their frequency. They must report on the success of academic and behavioral interventions, their duration and frequency of use, and the types and variety of interventions used. They also report any formative assessments, where the student is in a more natural environment. Finally, SAGE test scores and classroom assessment data are included. It is only after a compilation of all existing data by the local case management team that a determination can be made if there should be a referral for a full evaluation for special education services.
Data collected during the evaluation process and for subsequent assessments helps students, parents, and teachers become aware of strengths, weaknesses, and talents. Knowing is the first critical step. With the right data from quality assessments, teachers can then take the steps for creating precise interventions that target a student’s strengths in order to form a bridge across the weaknesses. Consistent follow-up data will prove or disavow the effectiveness of a given intervention strategy.
In an article titled, “Smart IEP’s,” Robert Mager is quoted, “If you’re not sure where you’re going, you’re liable to end up someplace else. If you don’t know where you’re going, the best-made maps won’t help you get there (Wright & Wright, p. 115).” How true this statement is! The article proceeds to explain the importance of creating IEPs that are not only smart but measurable. Compliance with IDEA in sections 34 CFR 300.138(b)(1)-(3) and 300.137(b) specifically address this need. Goals must be used to assess progress, and students with disabilities must participate in regular assessments, whether they require accommodations or alternative forms of assessment. Section 34 CFR 300.139 mandates that a report of progress is made (ED.gov, n.d.).
High-stakes testing has been a consequence of states complying with federal mandates. It is a personal opinion that high-stakes testing such as SAGE is not beneficial to the development of a student’s attitude for success. The stress that has been placed on our special students to take this test containing content that is beyond their capabilities has been detrimental. SAGE has been a source of discouragement, unnecessary stress, and tears. Having had the opportunity to administer the test, the content for many is not only beyond some of our special needs students’ abilities, but confusing. It is overwhelming to see children’s eyes filled with despair from taking this test. Authentic assessment is vital to informing interventions and high-stakes testing has a place in the evaluation process, but there should be a better test and under better circumstances to accomplish the same objective.
IDEA has more benefits, however than detriments for our special students. One such benefit is the mandate for including parents in the IEP process. In reflecting on the mandate for parental involvement, it is a personal belief that the adults in a child’s life most often set the course for how that child experiences success and failure. Attitude and aptitude are not the same, yet there is a correlation between how well that child adjusts to their disability. Thomas Edison is an example of an individual who used his strengths to overcome his weaknesses. He struggled in school and many suggest had a reading disability and possibly ADD. Edison states in his biography, “My mother was the making of me . . . she was always so true, so sure of me (Beals, 1999, p. 1).” Edison suffered many failures but had the self-confidence to keep trying.
Assessment, data-driven intervention, and motivation are all part of the great idea known as the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. It is a great IDEA.
References
Beals, G. (1999). The Biography of Thomas Edison. Retrieved from http://www.thomasedison.com/biography.html
ED.gov. (n.d.). http://idea.ed.gov/explore/home
Wright, D., & Wright, P. (). Smart IEPs. Retrieved from http://www.wrightslaw.com/bks/feta2/ch12.ieps.pdf
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