Resource

Check, Please? Guidelines for Documentation of Student Work

Guidelines for the documentation of work of students who are blind or visually impaired

By Liz Eagan

Look Familiar?

woman sitting at desk surrounded by paperwork
Surrounded by mountains of paperwork

Why Document?

  • Chart student progress
  • Record contact with parents/teachers/service providers
  • Accurate IEP objective updating/progress reports
  • Tweak lessons to focus on weakness while expanding on student strengths 
clipboard with lined paper
Clipboard with lined paper

Where to Start?

  • Determine what you want to document
  • Find a form
  • Form not perfect? Adapt it!
  • No form? Make one!

What I Document

  • Contacts from parents/service providers (school district and agency)
  • Student progress (IEP)
  • Student behaviors, as appropriate
  • Observations of student in classrooms
  • Technology use
  • Accommodations used/not used
  • Teacher consults/feedback

IEP Behaviors

  • Whether you’re using percents or fractions, objectives need to be tracked!
  • Some teachers use a grade book (paper or electronic), others use data collection sheets
  • Find a method that will work for you…

“I’ve got this objective, but I don’t know how to document it…”

  • Try a tally sheet type form
  • Easy to utilize and keep up with
  • Adapt an existing form to meet your needs OR create your own!
  • Try using a voice recorder to record your data to put to paper later

IEP Objective Data Collection Example

IEP Objective Data Collection Example
IEP Objective Data Collection Example

Completed Data Collection Example

Completed Data Collection Example
Completed Data Collection Example
percents to fractions

Behavior

  • Behavior happens.
  • We need to document the behavior during the VI sessions to provide continuity in data collection/implementation of a behavior plan.

Objectives

  • to verify the FVE/LMA recommendations are effective
  • the teacher is utilizing said recommendations
  • the student is on task & prepared
  • student is using the technology appropriately
  • the student is an active part of the class
observations for the functional vision evaluation
Observations for the Functional Vision Evaluation

Assessment

  • FVE/LMA (Functional Vision Evaluation/Learning Media Assessment0
  • Technology
  • ECC (Expanded Core Curriculum)

Using forms to help document your assessment helps you to not overlook anything and helps to organize your thoughts/write less

Collaboration

  • Observations complete
  • Evaluations complete
  • Time to discuss the student’s needs
  • Assist the teacher in lesson planning (i.e. unit on Texas…ensure teacher has the tactile graphics/enlargements needed)meet with other service providers
Expanded Core Curriculum Screening Interview Tool
Expanded Core Curriculum Screening Interview Tool
Support Communication Form
Support Communication Form
print recommendations
Print Recommendations

Recommendations

  • We evaluate. We report to the ARD committee. We then provide services, right?
  • The recommendations are often overlooked and not provided.
  • Simplify them.

Record Keeping

  • Information pertaining to the caseload/student
  • District information
  • Scheduling/lesson plans
  • Student attendance
2012-13 Caseload Analysis for __ Vision Department
Caseload Analysis for __ Vision Department
Time Spent Making Materials Outside the School Day
Time Spent Making Materials Outside the School Day

Making Your Own Forms

  • You’ve looked and nothing meets your needs…not even to adapt.
  • Determine what it is you want in the form (behaviors, objectives, etc.)
  • Do you want the form to be a checklist or comments?
  • Sketch it out on paper (easier to make corrections).
  • Open up a Word or Excel document and create it!
  • Keep it simple.

There’s An App for That

  • Super Duper Data Tracker

Closing Thoughts…

  • Document…just do it!
  • Documentation helps verify what you do on a daily basis.
  • Documentation helps when you have ARDs that might be contentious.
  • Documentation helps when others pick up where you’ve left off when changing teachers/districts.
  • It’s the smart thing to do.
  • Keep your documentation.

Resources

  • Leon-Guerro, R et al. Show me the Data! Data-Based Instructional Decisions Made Simple and Easy. AAPC Publishing, Shawnee Mission, KS (2011).
  • Olmstead, Jean E. Itinerant Teaching: Tricks of the Trade for Teachers of Blind and Visually Impaired Students. American Foundation for the Blind, NY (2008).
  • Teacher’s Book of Forms. Remedia Publications (2000).
  • Evals – Evaluating Visually Impaired Students. Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired, Austin (2007).
check please collage