Benchmark – comprehensive report: summary and recommendations | special education

After formal assessments for determining eligibility under IDEA’s 13 disability categories are completed, school-based specialists are charged with summarizing the results to aid team decision making. In turn, specific recommendations are made to ensure school staff and family members fully understand how programming and supports should be implemented to address documented student needs. It is vital that teachers understand how to review assessment results and be an active team member in collaborating with families around the specific recommendations to be implemented. Teachers must be able to advocate for necessary programming and supports while still addressing the questions/needs of family members.

Review the “Report of Psychological Assessment: Scott Smith” to inform the assignment.

As the special education teacher, you have been tasked with summarizing Scott’s psychological report and creating a plan to help him improve his social skills and make better behavior choices in the general education setting.

Using the “Scott Smith Assessment and Recommendations Template” create a plan for Scott.

Include the following:

• Summary: In 100-200 words, summarize the psychological report. Include specific data and observation information that will help guide Scott’s educational goals.
• Goals: Write one behavioral goal related to classroom behavior and one social/emotional goal related to peer interaction. Goals must be measurable and include how to address the target behaviors with a replacement behavior.
• Assessments: In 150-250 words, identify one informal or formal assessment method for measuring Scott’s progress with his behavioral and social/emotional goals. Briefly explain why the assessment is appropriate for progress monitoring, including how bias is minimized.
• Recommendations: Based on information and assessment results in the study, in 100-250 words, include 3-4 total, specific recommendations to manage Scott’s behavior for the school, teachers, and parent, keeping information about Scott and his best interest in mind and in guiding educational decisions.
• Rationale: In 150-250 words, justify your choices as an advocate for Scott. Make sure to explain how your summary, goals, assessment methods, and recommendations minimize bias and advocate for Scott’s needs. Support your choices with 2-3 scholarly resources.
• Parents Collaboration and Conference Plan: Compose a 250-500 word plan explaining the Summary, Goals, Assessments, and Recommendations sections to Scott’s parents in easy-to-understand language. Support your explanations with data analyses, sharing how assessment information led to educational decisions with colleagues, and collaborating with his parents to promote student success. In addition, anticipate possible concerns his parents may have, addressing each with applicable strategies. Conclude your plan with recommendations to meet again with his parents to assess and discuss Scott’s progress.
• Take Home Activity: In addition, create a 125-250 word take home activity for Scott’s parents, consistent with your recommendations. Using encouraging, supportive language, outline a minimum of two engaging at-home strategies for student behavior and social/emotional improvement, considering historical and family backgrounds.