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High-Leverage Practices for Students with Disabilities

HLP6: Use Data to Make Adjustments to

Improve Student Outcomes

Happy May! The theme for this month is based on the sixth high-leverage practice from High-Leverage Practices (HLPs) in Special Education: Use student assessment data, analyze instructional practices, and make necessary adjustments that improve student outcomes. Keep reading for resources and more!

Leveraging Outcomes by Focusing on Individualized Needs of Students who are DHH

The Florida Department of Education, Bureau of Exceptional Education and Student Services created a Theory of Action using the six key practices from the National Center on Education Outcomes. The first key practice starts with using data well. To support this key practice, FDOE collects and shares a variety of data points which the Technology and Learning Connections (TLC) curates on their Data Tools page (TLC, n.d.). Everyday, educators are asked to collect data and are provided an abundance of school and district assessment data. Multidisciplinary teams are tasked with using data to drive the response to intervention (RtI) process to close educational gaps. In order to optimize outcomes, the team must agree to carefully monitor educational progress. How is progress monitoring different for students who are deaf/hard of hearing (DHH)?


Differentiated hearing levels is an access issue that creates barriers to learning causing the students to not perceive the same amount of communication information that is made available to peers with typical hearing. Access to language is needed to develop cognition, literacy, and academic achievement. Many factors can impact how the student has access to language. Therefore, assessment and evaluation of students who are DHH is a complex process. 


Teachers of the Deaf/Hard of Hearing (ToDHHs) should advocate for assessments that take into account the students’ deaf or hard of hearing identity as well as their racial and cultural affiliations which may also include the Deaf community. The student should be assessed in their native language or primary mode of communication (e.g., ASL, augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) device, spoken English, spoken Spanish, etc.). An ASL interpreter should be a last resort. 


Florida schools are using evidence-based practices to implement reading instruction and interventions (Section 1011.62 (9)(a), Florida Statutes). The ToDHH must advocate that “no single practice will be effective for every student" (McLeskey et al., 2017). Students who are DHH have unique language considerations that may require evidence-based interventions designed for students who are DHH. If the student is not making sufficient growth, the team may need to examine additional factors that may need to change such as the assessments being used, the services being rendered, and/or the student’s placement.


ï»żAll students have the right to a free and appropriate public education (FAPE) in the least restrictive environment (LRE) in order to have the opportunity to succeed. The team providing the evaluations should be highly qualified and understand the factors impacting the students who are DHH, so they are appropriately assessed to provide FAPE in the least restrictive environment in order to make adequate yearly progress. Salvia et al. (2013) states, â€œThe end goal of assessment is improved educational outcomes for students.”

National Appreciation for Teachers, Interpreters, and Speech-Language Pathologists

May is full of national appreciation celebrations for educators and support staff. May 2-6, 2022 is National Teacher Appreciation Week. May 4, 2022 is Interpreter Appreciation Day. May 18, 2022 is National Speech-Language Pathologist (SLP) Day. Thank you to the exceptional teachers, interpreters, and SLPs who support students who are deaf/hard of hearing (DHH) in Florida! RMTC-D/HH is grateful for the opportunity to work alongside you all to optimize outcomes for students who are DHH.

News from RMTC-D/HH

TA-Live!

Join RMTC-D/HH for the LAST TA-Live! discussion session of the 2021-2022 school year! During the 2021-2022 TA-Live! series, RMTC-D/HH dove deep into the CEEDAR Center and the CEC’s High-Leverage Practices in Special Education and how teachers of the DHH can utilize these practices through the lens of their specialized knowledge of students who are DHH.


Before the next scheduled discussion participants will be encouraged to:


Don’t worry! RMTC-D/HH will continue the HLP series in the 2022-2023 school year!

When?

The last scheduled discussion for the 2021/2022 school year will be on May 11, 2022 from 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. EST (1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. CST)

Register

Thinking on THIRDSday

Join RMTC-D/HH for the LAST Thinking on THIRDSdays of the 2021/2022 school year. Led by RMTC-D/HH staff, this opportunity allows district personnel the opportunity to pose and respond to peer inquiries about the education, planning, programming, and needs of students who are D/HH. RMTC-DHH is delighted to welcome Dr. Jennifer Johnson of the Child Safety Collaborative to join in the conversations in May!

When?

The last event will be May 19, 2022 from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. EST (3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. CST).

Register

Returning Materials & Summer Break

As the end of the school year approaches please take a look around your classroom, office, or home for any stray RMTC-D/HH materials (DVDs or books) that may have been misplaced or pushed aside during the school year.


If you need a return label please fill out the Request Services Form. RMTC-D/HH can send you a prepaid label so there is no charge to you. We appreciate your cooperation in getting our materials returned so others can use them.


TA-Live!, Thinking on THIRDSdays, and Tech Notes may be taking a break for the summer, but RMTC-D/HH will not be. Should you need any assistance please do not hesitate to reach out to us!

RMTC-D/HH Teacher Spotlight

Know an educator (e.g., teacher, SLP, interpreter, educational audiologist, paraprofessional) who is doing amazing things with students who are D/HH? Fill out the nomination form to nominate someone or even yourself!

RMTC-D/HH spotlights teacher of the deaf/hard of hearing (ToDHH) Kasey Hutchinson and speech-language pathologist (SLP) Amy Kuespert as they model collaboration through data collection to ensure positive student outcomes. The theme of this spotlight was based off of the sixth high-leverage practice (HLP from the CEEDAR Center and the CEC’s publication High-Leverage Practices in Special Education. HLP6 states, "Use student assessment data, analyze instructional practices, and make necessary adjustments that improve student outcomes."


Kasey Hutchinson has been a Teacher of the Deaf/Hard of Hearing for four years. She has been with Pinellas County Schools for two years since graduating with her Masters in Deaf Education and Hearing Science from The University of Texas San Antonio. She has provided itinerant and auditory therapy services for students who are D/HH within the least restrictive environment of general education classrooms and now teaches in a total communication D/HH Pre-K classroom.


Amy Kuespert has been a Speech-Language Pathologist at Cross Bayou Elementary School for 23 years, since graduating from Florida State University. She provides speech and language services to many different students, including students who are D/HH, in Pre-K through 5th grade. She took two sign language classes in college, but the real ASL instruction came from practicing with students and colleagues over the years.

Expanded Skills Spotlight

Standing Up For Me: Summary of Performance

Standard:

SP.PK12.DH.6.9: Participate effectively in the development of own Summary of Performance, maintaining a portfolio of materials and resources to prepare for and succeed in postsecondary settings.


Brief description of the lesson:

The Standing Up For Me curriculum was developed in Florida and designed to advance the self-determination and self-advocacy skills of youth in exceptional student education (ESE). The 2012 version of this curriculum covers the primary, intermediate, middle and high school grades and includes classroom materials, activities, and evaluations. Training to use the curriculum can be requested from Project 10. In the high school level a lesson titled “Understanding My Rights and Responsibilities, Part 1,” students address their Summary of Performance.


The Summary of Performance (SOP) documents a “child’s academic achievement and functional performance,” including “recommendations on how to assist the child in meeting the child’s postsecondary goals.”


Florida educators may also request the Project10 training, "The Florida Summary of Performance: Requirements and Suggested Practice".

Have an idea or lesson plan for Expanded Skills standards? Submit your idea by filling out the RMTC-D/HH Expanded Skills Lesson Submission form.

Resources:


In order to keep all the resources in one place, RMTC-D/HH has created a LiveBinder that is categorized by the twenty-two “High-Leverage Practices for Students with Disabilities” from the CEEDAR Center and CEC. To see the resources available by each category, check out the LiveBinder!

Resources from the RMTC-D/HH Media and Materials Loan Library:


The below resources are from the Media and Materials Loan Library* that have relevance to the high-leverage practice "HLP6: Use student assessment data, analyze instructional practices, and make necessary adjustments that improve student outcomes."


*Florida stakeholders can borrow these and many other resources from RMTC-D/HH's Media and Materials Loan Library, for FREE. Each material comes with a return label, making even the shipping at no charge to the borrower.


The Data Collection Toolkit (#1932): Collecting data on behavior, academic skills, and IEP goals is an essential step in showing student progress—but it can also be a complicated, time-consuming process. Take the worry and stress out of data collection with this ultra-practical resource, packed with the tools you need to organize, manage, and monitor critical information on your students' progress. You'll discover proven, stress-free data collection techniques used by real teachers, with strategies and shortcuts developed through the author's extensive teaching and consulting work. You'll also get first-person classroom examples, quizzes, definitions of key terms, and a complete package of reproducible forms and tools. An essential resource for special educators, general educators, and paraprofessionals, this toolkit will help you become a "classroom detective" who collects the right data, analyzes it skillfully, and uses it to solve each student's challenges.


Steps to Assessment - A Guide to Identifying Educational Needs for D/HH Students (#1943): The focus of this guide is appropriate assessment practices for children from transition to school at age 3 through high school. Categories of assessment are presented, as are ways to tease out information from assessment results to illustrate how to identify needs to support eligibility. A variety of assessments are described for each assessment area. Case studies are provided that show how the teacher can choose appropriate test instruments and interpret the results, including determining possible goal areas. A section describing self-learning application activities helps readers to integrate the information into daily practice and makes this Guide the perfect subject of a Professional Learning Community. Teachers who use this guide will have a much better understanding of the vulnerable areas of development due to hearing loss, how the areas interconnect, and ultimately how they are the experts in using the ‘deaf lens’ to contribute to their evaluation teams and service planning. This information will assist educators of the deaf/hard of hearing, educational audiologists and specialist speech language pathologists in being able to advocate with school teams for appropriately tailored assessment and program planning for students who are deaf or hard of hearing.


Starting with Assessment: A Developmental Approach to Deaf Children’s Literacy (#1891): “Based on the premise that effective instruction must be geared toward each student's learning needs, this landmark text provides in-depth discussion of research-based principles for assessing deaf children's skills and areas of need. Literacy instruction and planning are discussed. Reproducible checklists and assessment tools in such areas as reading, writing, conversational language competence, student self-assessment, and parental input are included. A must-read manual for administrators, teachers, teachers-in-training, literacy specialists, support staff, and parents.” (Clerc Center, 2021)

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C. O. A. C. H. (#1939): “C.O.A.C.H. is a ‘How to’ and “What to do” book for the development of skills for secondary students. The program uses a problem solving model of C.O.A.C.H. – Concern- Observe- Access- Collaborate- make it Happen to address access and communication needs. The book includes: rationale for the instruction model, step by step directions, goals and activities, assessments, and reproducible worksheets. Each section addresses specific aspects of advocacy and develops underlying skills to support application. Learn how to guide your students to handle their use in specific situations and to develop skills they will use for a lifetime.”

RMTC-D/HH Family Corner

Family Corner is a section for professionals that will address how they can help parents to be more involved and be more collaborative. This section will be from the perspective of a parent of a child who is deaf and has other disabilities and who also happens to be an educational professional. Depending on the topic, this section may deal with how to approach parents on the topic or help educators understand the parents’ perspectives.

What families should know about: HLP6 - Use student assessment data, analyze instructional practices, and make necessary adjustments that improve student outcomes.


When working with parents, every educator at some point will hear one of the most important questions a parent will ask. It will be one that requires an honest, yet empathetic answer. It will also require a willingness to devote the necessary time to answer the parent. That question is “Why?”. 


Why does a child need a particular service? Why are you, as the professional, coming up with a particular determination? Why is this happening? Why are you approaching services and supports this way? Why? And you must be able to provide that answer.


In most cases, the best answer is the one supported by facts. In this case, those facts are student assessment data, what that data means, and how you are using it to determine needs and develop those individual services for that child. The HLPs state (McLeskey et al., 2017, p. 48), "Ongoing communication of assessment results assists with implementing effective IEPs and ensuring desirable outcomes for students with disabilities." Communicating the “why” to the family helps build trust by ensuring the family that you are using the best available information to provide the child with the free and appropriate education that child deserves.

DID YOU KNOW?

Transition Assessment and Goal Generator - Alternative


Transition Assessment Goal Generator - Alternative (TAGG-A) is now available on the TAGG website, and it's FREE until September 1st! TAGG-A is specifically designed for students in grades 9-12 or 18+ programs who are assessed on alternative academic standards and/or do not anticipate either competitive employment or regular admission into postsecondary education.

FAQs - Summer Camps and Scholarships



Summer is near! Time to ask the questions
 What summer camp options are available for children who are DHH? What scholarships are available for students who are DHH?


RMTC-D/HH answers both of these questions! Check out the Summer Camps FAQ and the Scholarship FAQ for more information.

Summer Camps for DHH
Scholarships for DHH

Upcoming Events: Save the Date!



Check out the RMTC-D/HH 2021-2022 Calendar for more upcoming events!

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RMTC-D/HH provides Tech Notes as a free resource to teachers, professionals, and parents around the state in order to pass along potentially useful information and expand the knowledge and opportunities available to educators and families of children who are deaf/hard of hearing. This email was funded by the Florida Department of Education Bureau of Exceptional Education through federal assistance under the Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA), Part B funds. The information included does not reflect any specific endorsement by any parties involved.

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References:

Florida Department of Education [FDOE]. (n.d.) National Center on Educational Outcomes –6 Key Leadership Practices: Florida Department of Education (FDOE) Bureau of Exceptional Education and Student Services Theory of Action. https://www.fldoe.org/core/fileparse.php/7672/urlt/Theoryofaction.pdf?msclkid=5869abe9ba9311ecb21bee7d60e8b73b 


Fla. Stat. § 1011.62. 


McLeskey, J., Barringer, M-D., Billingsley, B., Brownell, M., Jackson, D., Kennedy, M., Lewis, T., Maheady, L., Rodriguez, J., Scheeler, M. C., Winn, J., & Ziegler, D. (2017, January). High-leverage practices in special education. Arlington, VA: Council for Exceptional Children & CEEDAR Center. https://ceedar.education.ufl.edu/hlps/   


National Center on Educational Outcomes [NCEO]. (n.d.). Key practices. http://www.movingyournumbers.org/key-practices 


Salvia, J., Ysseldyke, J., and Bolt, S. (2013). Assessment in special and inclusive education. Wadsworth: Belmont, CA.


Technology and Learning Connections [TLC]. (n.d.). Data tools. https://www.tlc-mtss.com/data-tools

Suggested Citation:

Resource Materials and Technology Center for the Deaf/Hard [RMTC-D/HH]. (2022, May). HLP6: Make adjustments to improve student outcomes. Tech Notes. https://www.rmtcdhh.org/tech-notes-archive/