Early intervention: learn what smart districts are doing to identify students' learning disabilities and enhance instruction in pre-k.

Early intervention: learn what smart districts are doing to identify students' learning disabilities and enhance instruction in pre-k. Assessment is everywhere. Even in places where you might not expect to find it. "We could not have a pre-k program without assessment," says Janice Royals, coordinator of the pre-kindergarten program for Atlanta Public Schools Atlanta Public Schools is a school district based in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. APS is run by the Atlanta Board of Education with superintendent Dr. Beverly L. Hall. Currently, the system has an active enrollment of 57,000 students, attending a total of 85 schools: 59 elementary . In Atlanta, and increasingly across the country, Pre-k teachers are relying on assessment to drive instruction and plan activities. Assessment has become a valuable instrument in the K-12 educators' toolbox See toolkit and toolbar. , proving its merit by allowing teachers to identify students' specific learning needs. The next step is using assessment to formulate lesson plans based on students' needs. Linking assessment with instruction enables teachers to better help students meet learning objectives. In many districts, the assessment process begins in kindergarten kindergarten[Ger.,=garden of children], system of preschool education. Friedrich Froebel designed (1837) the kindergarten to provide an educational situation less formal than that of the elementary school but one in which children's creative play instincts would be or first grade. But targeted early intervention ear��ly interventionn. Abbr. EIA process of assessment and therapy provided to children, especially those younger than age 6, to facilitate normal cognitive and emotional development and to prevent developmental disability or delay. and instruction may have an exponential 1. (mathematics) exponential - A function which raises some given constant (the "base") to the power of its argument. I.e.f x = b^xIf no base is specified, e, the base of natural logarthims, is assumed.2. payoff. The earlier districts determine students' specific needs the sooner teachers can devise an educational plan to meet those needs. Diagnosing Developmental Delays developmental delayn.A chronological delay in the appearance of normal developmental milestones achieved during infancy and early childhood, caused by organic, psychological, or environmental factors. "Many kids come to pre-school without a diagnosis [of a developmental delay]. Pre-school is often the first time parents realize there may be a significant developmental delay," explains Wilda Pipkin, special education preschool supervisor for Clayton County Clayton County is the name of two counties in the United States: Clayton County, Georgia (Located in the Atlanta Metropolitan Area) Clayton County, Iowa (Ga.) Schools. "Our end goal is to prep children for kindergarten," continues Pipkin. A multifaceted mul��ti��fac��et��ed?adj.Having many facets or aspects. See Synonyms at versatile.Adj. 1. multifaceted - having many aspects; "a many-sided subject"; "a multifaceted undertaking"; "multifarious interests"; "the multifarious approach to assessment helps Pipkin and her colleagues devise an appropriate plan to meet that goal for all kids. In Clayton County's local birth to three program, pediatricians or parents may identify three- to five-year-olds suspected of having a developmental delay. After parents agree to a referral, the district sends them a developmental checklist. The list provides a broad overview of the child's development, covering items like basic speech skills and the ability to follow two-step directions. The next step is a vision and hearing check to identify specific needs. A preschool diagnostic team, which typically consists of an educational diagnostician, speech and language pathologist and parent interviewer, meets weekly to review referrals and determine whether or not referred children need a full developmental assessment or a speech and language screening. An occupational or physical therapist or psychologist may join the diagnostic team if necessary. For example, if a referral indicates a delay in motor skills development the occupational therapist occupational therapistA person trained to help people manage daily activities of living–dressing, cooking, etc, and other activities that promote recovery and regaining vocational skills Salary $51K + 4% bonus. See ADL. participates in the review process. Children requiring only a speech and language screening are referred to the speech and language pathologist at the school the child would attend at age five. Children requiring a full developmental assessment visit the Preschool Diagnostic Center for an assessment. The district uses a variety of standard early assessment tools including the Betel betel(bē`təl), masticatory made from slices of betel palm seeds (called betel nuts) smeared onto a betel pepper leaf together with other aromatic flavorings and lime paste and rolled up. Developmental Inventory, Developmental Profile A developmental profile is a standardized psychodynamic diagnostic instrument for assessing clinically relevant personality characteristics. It is based on the clinical observation that adult personality characteristics often bear a considerable similarity to the behavioural 2 and Vineland and DAYC assessments. "Regardless of which tool we use, it is important that assessment is play-based," says Pipkin. For example, if the team needs to determine whether a child understands the concept "three," Pipkin may take the child to a play kitchen area to make a cake, asking the child to hand her three eggs. Assessments address five areas: social/emotional skills, gross and fine motor skills The examples and perspective in this article or section may not represent a worldwide view of the subject.Please [ improve this article] or discuss the issue on the talk page.“Dexterity” redirects here. For other uses, see Dexterity (disambiguation). , receptive and expressive language, cognition cognitionAct or process of knowing. Cognition includes every mental process that may be described as an experience of knowing (including perceiving, recognizing, conceiving, and reasoning), as distinguished from an experience of feeling or of willing. and adaptive skills. At the same time, a parent interviewer meets with parents to gather additional data about the child's strengths and weaknesses. The preschool diagnostic team reviews the assessment and parent data to determine the child's eligibility for various preschool programs. Developing an IEP IEPIn currencies, this is the abbreviation for the Irish Punt.Notes:The currency market, also known as the Foreign Exchange market, is the largest financial market in the world, with a daily average volume of over US $1 trillion. After the team reviews its findings it crafts an individualized in��di��vid��u��al��ize?tr.v. in��di��vid��u��al��ized, in��di��vid��u��al��iz��ing, in��di��vid��u��al��iz��es1. To give individuality to.2. To consider or treat individually; particularize.3. educational plan for each referred child. Students qualify for the district's special education preschool program if they score two standard deviations In statistics, the average amount a number varies from the average number in a series of numbers. (statistics) standard deviation - (SD) A measure of the range of values in a set of numbers. below the mean in one area or 1.5 standard deviations below the mean in at least two areas in an initial evaluation. During the initial IEP meeting, the diagnostic team and parents discuss multiple, flexible instructional options based on kids' needs. Children may be referred to one of the district's 18 special education classrooms for one to five days weekly. Options for kids who don't qualify for special education preschool include the district's pre-k/four-year-old program or Head Start with an itinerant ITINERANT. Travelling or taking a journey. In England there were formerly judges called Justices itinerant, who were sent with commissions into certain counties to try causes. therapist providing services during the program. Or the therapist may visit the child's home or day care. IEPs may focus on learning or behavior management behavior managementPsychology Any nonpharmacologic maneuver–eg contingency reinforcement–that is intended to correct behavioral problems in a child with a mental disorder–eg, ADHD. See Attention-deficit-hyperactivity syndrome. strategies as well. "The assessment guides our development of the IEP, but it is important that it is not directly translated into IEP goals and objectives," cautions Pipkin. The other half of the assessment-IEP equation is the understanding that a relationship with the child provides the best foundation for development of skills. Instruction should combine assessment results and observations of the student's interests. If a child loves to throw balls, color or number concepts can be introduced when he is engaged in throwing. In this way, learning becomes relevant and emotionally based. Preschool assessment continues with daily anecdotal anecdotal/an��ec��do��tal/ (an?ek-do��t'l) based on case histories rather than on controlled clinical trials. anecdotaladjective Unsubstantiated; occurring as single or isolated event. observations of children's progress toward IEP goals and objectives. More formal progress reports are sent home every nine weeks. In addition, each teacher collects samples of the child's activities and keeps an ongoing portfolio to share with parents during conferences and meetings. Every spring, formal assessments are conducted as a post-test to determine the direction of children's educational plans, progress toward goals and objectives and development of new goals. Improving Instruction As children transition into kindergarten, the pre-k team forwards assessment results to kindergarten teachers. And, as the primary purpose of assessment is to improve instruction, the pre-k team shares successful strategies with kindergarten teachers. For example, if a child with behavioral challenges requires a visual scheduler (pictorial depiction of daily routine) to maintain behavior, the preschool team provide examples for the kindergarten. In this way, assessment comes full circle--from identifying the behavioral challenge to developing, implementing and disseminating dis��sem��i��nate?v. dis��sem��i��nat��ed, dis��sem��i��nat��ing, dis��sem��i��natesv.tr.1. To scatter widely, as in sowing seed.2. strategies to improve learning. It's important to remember assessment is not an exact science, notes Pipkin. In rare cases, assessment is off the mark. The child may enter preschool with significantly more skills than identified in the assessment process, or new characteristics may emerge indicating an alternate diagnosis. In these cases, the diagnostic team typically waits for a few weeks before holding a second IEP to re-evaluate the child and devise a more appropriate educational plan. Laying the Groundwork For Success "We know that children should have early education to prepare for kindergarten. The only way to know how to teach skills and concepts [needed in kindergarten] is to assess what children know," says Royals. The Atlanta district relies on a variety of assessment tools in its 38 pre-k classrooms. The Brigance assessment provides a quick overview of students' knowledge of body parts, shapes, numbers and more. Teachers administer the basic assessment when students enter and exit pre-k. The Brigance score provides a first indicator of students who may have speech and language or developmental delays or behavior challenges. The heart of the district's pre-k assessment program is a district-created pre-k assessment tool that complements its curriculum. The assessment is comprehensive and covers all domains, says Royals. All domains, in pre-k nomenclature nomenclature/no��men��cla��ture/ (no��men-kla?cher) a classified system of names, as of anatomical structures, organisms, etc.binomial nomenclature , refers to language and literacy skills, large and small motor skills, math concepts, pre-writing and writing, reading readiness This article or section needs copy editing for grammar, style, cohesion, tone and/or spelling.You can assist by [ editing it] now. , interpersonal in��ter��per��son��al?adj.1. Of or relating to the interactions between individuals: interpersonal skills.2. and social skills and self-help skills. Teachers assess all pre-k kids three times annually. Pint-sized students aren't graded; instead teachers check for mastery or progress. "Assessment helps us determine where each child is and what skills we need to emphasize," says Royals. Mastering Skills Atlanta complements its formal assessments with anecdotal staff notes and student portfolios. The notes and portfolios serve a similar purpose: documentation indicating a child's mastery of specific skills. At the next level, it pinpoints students who may need more than extra help. Twenty-five percent to 30 percent of students qualify for speech therapy. "The earlier we identify students and begin speech therapy the better off they are in kindergarten," says Royals. When assessment indicates a developmental delay, the student may be referred to pre-k special education referral team. Assessment also may point to behavior challenges. In these cases, the team helps teachers develop a behavior plan. At the administrative level, Royals uses assessment to guide staff training. For example, if assessment reveals kids consistently not mastering a specific skill, Royals focuses on ways to teach that skill in staff development programs. Comprehensive pre-k assessment also ensures that pre-k classrooms meet state content standards, adds Royals. Finally, assessment is an important part of parent-teacher conferences. Teachers share results with parents and provide suggestions for how to reinforce pre-k skills and concepts. The last piece of the assessment program is the parent evaluation; the district surveys parents about their needs and expectations for the pre-k program and gauge how pre-k meets their needs. Districts that have implemented early assessment programs report that it serves a number of functions: * Identifying developmental delays * Detecting gaps in early skills and concepts * Driving instruction to better prep kids for kindergarten The Kindergarten Connection As kindergarten has become more academic, assessment has become more critical. "Our kindergarten assessment program helps us identify gaps and determine how we can begin to fill those gaps in kindergarten. The longer we go [without assessing students] the larger the gap becomes," says Barbara Wright For the fictional character in the Doctor Who TV series, please see Barbara Wright (Doctor Who)Barbara Wright is a prolific translator of recent French literature. , principal of Commons Lane Elementary School elementary school:see school. in Florissant, Mo. Commons Lane successfully connected the dots between assessment and instruction in kindergarten. Over the last five years, 95 percent of students left kindergarten reading or ready to start reading. The school uses a multi-faceted approach to assessment, beginning in August with a parent interview to help teachers determine each child's strengths and weaknesses. No computer screening programs--STAR Early Literacy and Waterford Early Reading--follow the interview. Kindergarten teachers begin the school year with a firm grasp on which students need to be challenged and which students need extra help. "Assessment is a starting point--not a do-all and end-all," continues Wright. Commons Lane ties assessment and instruction by tapping into retired senior citizens and sixth-grade peer tutors A peer tutor is anyone who is of a similar status as the person being tutored. In an undergraduate institution this would usually be other undergraduates, as distinct from the graduate students who may be teaching the writing classes. to read with students who lack early literacy experiences. Assessment continues on a monthly basis. Tips for Success Early assessment is a commitment and a challenge, but a solid approach will reap long-term dividends for the district and kids. A few tips for upping the odds of a successful program are: * Use a multi-dimensional, play-based approach. Include formal tools, anecdotal observations and family data. * Link assessment to instruction and professional development. The value of assessment is limited if it is not translated into educational gains. * Remember that no tool is perfect and does not substitute for high-quality instruction or professional observations. Lisa Fratt is a contributing editor A contributing editor is a magazine job title that varies in responsibilities. Most often, a contributing editor is a freelancer who has proven ability and readership draw. .