Video: ASL Presentation

The following is a student presentation used for assessment. The presentation is in American Sign Language (ASL). An English interpretation is attached in script form.

Translation Script:

I am in grade 6 and my project is about European explorers. It is for social studies and I am going to be talking about Jacques Cartier.

“Jacques Cartier’s Life” Jacques was born on December 31, 1491 in St. Malo, France in a village known as Brittany. His father’s name was Jamet Cartier. His mother’s name was Geseline Cartier. He had no sisters and brothers and he grew up on the water. He studied navigation and later became a respected seaman.

Jacques married Marie Catherine des Granches. They didn’t’ have any children.

Jacques’ first voyage was April 20^th, 1534. Jacques left St. Malo for his first voyage because King Frances, the King of France, ordered him to find a passage to Cathay. If he failed he was to look for gold, diamonds or riches. Jacques arrived to Kanata, a First Nations’ Village. He kidnapped 2 men who were the chief’s sons. Jacques failed his voyage

On his second voyage, King Frances ordered him to try to find the Northwest Passage and to build a settlement. Jacques arrived at Newfoundland and Labrador in July and the search began. Jacques again kidnapped the chief.  Jacques passed his second voyage.

Jacques’ third voyage was in May of 1541. He set sail with 5 ships and 1,500 men. They travelled to the St. Lawrence River. During that time, Jacques searched for gold near Mount Royal. They tried but were not successful however they found quartz and iron pyrite also known as fool’s gold. Jacques thought that the quartz itself was diamonds because they looked very similar.

Jacques died Sept 1, 1557. He died from a disease known as Scurvy.  Scurvy is when open sores form, your teeth fall out, your gums bleed, your muscles become weak and death is possible.

Jacques Cartier named Canada because of a misunderstanding. 2 First Nations people explained the name of their village was Kanata. Jacques thought that was the name of the country therefore the country was named Canada.

I’m finished.

Reference:Student presentation. European Explorers, Jacques Cartier. Kezia Wall-DiGiuseppe. Presented on 12 March 2013 at E.C. Drury School for the Deaf. Parental permissions granted by Linda Wall.

Video: Assessment Preference

The video clip shows Kezia's response to the question, "What type of assessment to you prefer and why?" Her response interpreted in English: My favourite kind of assessment is a presentation because I am a confident signer. I enjoy researching information about a person or something because I can learn something new.


Reference:Student presentation. European Explorers, Jacques Cartier. Kezia Wall-DiGiuseppe. Presented on 12 March 2013 at E.C. Drury School for the Deaf. Parental permissions granted by Linda Wall

Growing Success Assessments for Deaf and Hard of Hearing

Examples of Assessments, volunteered for the purpose of this assignment.

Contributing Teachers included: 

- Teacher of ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder) Class

• Oral Language Teacher
• JK/SK Teacher
• Grade 6 Teacher

Type of Assessment	How it is used
Anecdotal notes	to remember information about what has been completed to note process: how well students are working on a project or performance, how well they implement feedback, group work, research skills. Students are able to demonstrate knowledge through ASL that may not be captured on a written test or quiz to monitor IEP specific tasks
Observation	to monitor IEP specific tasks to observe speech sounds, how students attend to teacher’s mouth movements, demonstration of students’ oral language
Checklists Teacher made Nippising District Developmental Screening	to monitor IEP specific tasks track student progress toward goals plan for instruction assess students’ developmental milestones to help understand student behavior
Dave Syndrey Learning to Listen sounds	provides information about the student’s listening performance
SPICE – Speech Perception Instructional Curriculum	assesses student’s auditory stimuli, serves as a guide to help the teacher determine where to start with the student and to create lessons
Rubrics & Achievement Charts	determine student performance measured by specified criteria
Tests and quizzes	assess students’ knowledge of concepts taught
Webquests (using Edmoto)	students respond to research questions and are assigned point values specific to each question
Written research project & Presentations (Powerpoint, posters, pamphlets, booklets, fliers, etc.)	students are usually able to choose the medium unless the medium is the focus of the assessment.  assess research skills assess aspects of the curriculum: “oral” language, critical thinking skills
KWL	assessment for learning
Performance based tasks - experiments - performances (drama)	assess student’s knowledge peer assessment self assessment
Journal reflections	self reflection, self assessment
Artwork	demonstrate expectations taught in the lesson self assessment
Portfolio	indicates progress, improvement, accomplishment identify challenges the students encounter
Question & Answer	check student comprehension monitor progress

References:

Crips, Jeri. Personal Interview.  1 March 2013.

Email. Derek Bell. Assessment Practices. Email to Lynn Clarke-Lee. 28 Feb 2013.

Email. Anita Khory. Assessment Practices. Email to Lynn Clarke-Lee. 1 March 2013.

Ugryn, Kasia. Social Studies, Science and Arts Assessment. Shared with Lynn Clarke-Lee. 1 March 2013.

FAS and Growing Success

One of the most unique challenges for Special Education teacher is dealing with the diverse and often difficult behavioural and academic learning needs of an exceptional student who suffers from the affects of fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD).

One of the desired outcomes for this assignment was to look into the special needs for the variety of students in the alternative education class presented in the case study - and one of those special needs was of students living with the affects of FASD.

The following link is provided to a wonderful resource from the government of Alberta in regards to teaching students with FASD.

Not only does this resource offer definitions of FASD, but also practical activities that are congruent with the learning styles of students who are effected by the disorder.

Chapter One: Definitions

Chapter Two offers context to the disorder, exposure, and the development of the exceptional student who suffers from this disorder.

Chapter Three includes useful classroom strategies and necessary social skills for the students in this type of environment in order to make the Growing Success type assessments mean something to the individual student. 

Chapter Four focussed on building a positive classroom environment for the student with FASD, which is crucial for the case study, as the success of peer and self assessment strategies outlined in the Growing Success document hinge on the welcoming and positive environment.

Finally, Chapter five focussed on the individual developmental needs of the individual with FASD and this can be linked to the types of as learning activities that would be most beneficial for a student with the FASD exceptionality.

Programming for Student's with Special Need's Series, http://education.alberta.ca/media/377037/fasd.pdf Teaching Students with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder: Building Strengths, Creating Hope, Alberta Learning.

Amazing List of Diagnostic Assessment Tools

The Provincial Schools Branch’s List of 

Pre-Approved Diagnostic Assessment Tools

(2012-2013)

Pursuant to the Policy/Program Memorandum (PPM) No. 155 entitled Diagnostic Assessment in Support of Student Learning, the following is a list of the Pre-Approved Diagnostic Assessment Tools used in PSB schools during the 2012-13 school year.

• Diagnostic assessment is used to identify a student’s needs and abilities and the student’s readiness to acquire the knowledge and skills outlined in the curriculum expectations. 
• Information from diagnostic assessment helps teachers determine where individual students are in their acquisition of knowledge and skills, so that instruction can be personalized and tailored to provide the appropriate next steps for learning.
• This list of assessments does not include special education assessments or large-scale assessments.

Braille Literacy / Low Vision or Blind Education Assessments

• Assessment of Braille Literacy Skills (ABLS)
• Learning Media Assessment of Students With Visual Impairments

American Sign Language / Deaf Education Assessments

• American Sign Language Test Battery  
• American Sign Language Proficiency Assessment (ASL-PA)
• Sign Talk Centre for Children assessment (STCC)
• The Carolina Picture Vocabulary Test (CPVT)

English Language

• Language Assessments
  • Assessment of Basic Language and Learning Skills (ABLLS)
  • Bader Reading and Language Inventory (BRLI)
  • Brigance Comprehensive Inventory of Basic Skills–2 (CIBS-2)
  • Kaufman Test of Educational Achievement 2 (KTEA-II)
  • Manipulative Visual Language assessments (MVL)
  • Michigan Literacy Progress Profile assessment (MLPP)
  • Ontario Comprehension Assessment (OCA)
  • Ontario Curriculum Exemplars 
  • Peabody Individual Achievement Test revised (PIAT-R)
  • Stanford Achievement Test - Hearing Impaired edition (SAT-HI) 
  • Test of Adolescent Language (TOAL-4)
  • Woodcock Johnson III – Test of Achievement (WJ-III)

Reading Assessments

• Academy of Reading assessments 
• Analytical Reading Assessment 9^th edition 
• Comprehension, Attitude, Strategies and Interest Assessment (CASI)
• Developmental Reading Assessment-Second Edition (DRA-2)
• Dolch Sight Word Checklist
• Durrell Analysis of Reading Difficulty – 3 (DARD-3)
• Empower Reading program assessments
• Fountas & Pinnell Reading assessment
• Pat Myrtle Benchmark Assessment  (PM Benchmark)
• Phonological and Strategy Training Program assessments (PHAST)
• Reading A-Z assessment
• Reading Plus assessments
• Slosson Oral Reading Test-Revised (SORT-R3)
• Test of Reading Comprehension (TORC-3) 

• Writing Assessments
  • Ontario Writing Assessment (OWA)
  • Test of Syntactic Ability (TSA)
  • Test of Written Language (TOWL-4) 
  • Written language samples

• Spelling Assessments
  • Informal Diagnostic Spelling Test – Kottmeyer
  • Morrison McCall spelling assessment

Mathematics

• Academy of Math assessments
• Harcourt Math Assessment
• Junior Undiscovered Math Prodigies assessments (JUMP)
• Math Makes Sense
• Ontario Curriculum Exemplars
• Ontario Numeracy Assessment (ONAP)
• Prompt Intervention in Mathematics Education (PRIME) Assessment
• Stanford Achievement Test – Hearing Impaired edition (SAT-Hi)
• Test of Early Mathematics Ability (TEMA-3)
• Woodcock Johnson III – Test of Achievement (WJ-III)

 Home Visiting Program / Resource assessments

• Alternate Curriculum and Assessment Guide (ACAG) for the Congenitally Deafblind (CDB)
• Assessment of Basic Language and Learning Skills (ABLLS)
• Assessment of Braille Literacy Skills (ABLS)
• Carolina Curriculum for Preschoolers with Special Needs
• Communication Matrix assessment
• Language Sampling 
• Manipulative Visual Language assessments (MVL)
• Sensory (Kids) Impaired – Home Instruction Language Development Scale (SKI-HI DS)
• Teacher Assessment of Grammatical Structures (TAGS)
• The Carolina Curriculum for Infants and Toddlers with Special Needs assessment
• The Oregon Project for Visually Impaired and Blind Preschool Children

Revised and updated January 25^th, 2013

Assessment information gathered and contributed by:

Linda Ritchey, Principal, Sir James Whitney School for the Deaf

Jeanne Leonard,Principal, EC Drury School for the Deaf Elementary

Antony McLetchie, Principal, EC Drury School for the Deaf Senior School and Robarts School for the Deaf

Kelly Michalicka, Principal, Resource Services

Martin Smit, Principal, Sagonaska Demonstration School

Diane Johnstone, Principal, Trillium Demonstration School

John Barry, Principal, Amethyst Demonstration School

Martha Martino, Principal, W Ross Macdonald SchoolLinda Ritchey

Compiled by: Desiree Smith, System Curriculum Principal, Provincial Schools Branch

Growing Success Document Summary

Growing Success Assessment Evaluation and Reporting in Ontario Schools (2010) outlines policies and practices for assessment, evaluation, and reporting. These policies and procedures were enacted in September 2010. The 159 page document including glossary and references contains a great deal of information for educators. The intention of this summary is to highlight references to students with special needs within the document. This summary will focus on the first 70 pages as Jason has created similar highlights for the remaining sections. 

Fundamental Principles

One of the 7 fundamental principles listed on page 6 directly relates to students with special needs. The second principle: support all students, including those with special needs, those who are learning the language of instruction (English or French), and those who are First Nation, Metis, or Inuit. 

The context section of this chapter refers to the Education for All (2005) quote: 

Treating all children exactly the same means that children who need accommodations or modifications to the program in order to succeed will be disadvantaged. Some students require more or different support than others in order to work at a level appropriate to their abilities and needs (p. 5). 

Growing Success then goes on to explain, 

For some students, therefore, assessment, evaluation, and reporting will be based on modified expectations. For a few other students, where the expectations in the Ontario curriculum do not form the basis of all or part of their program, assessment, evaluation, and reporting may be based on alternative expectations. In addition, accommodations must be provided for many students with special education needs (p.7)

Quotations regarding fairness and inclusive education can be found on page 8. 

Assessment FOR Learning and AS Learning

Chapter 4, page 32 provides an Assessment Framework listing “3 key processes” that, although are not specifically directed at students with special needs, are critical for choosing effective IEP goals:

• establishing where the learners are going in their learning;
• establishing where they are in their learning;
• establishing what needs to be done to get them to where they are going. 

Evaluation

Chapter 5 discusses evaluation as it relates to students with special needs. 

For students with special education needs and English language learners who may require accommodations but who do not require modified expectations, evaluation of achievement will be based on the appropriate subject/grade/course curriculum expectations and the achievement levels, as described in Chapter 3. For students who require modified or alternative expectations, evaluation of achievement will be based on the modified or alternative expectations rather than the regular subject/grade/course curriculum expectations (p. 38).

Page 41 explains the meaning of the code “R” and its use in reporting in Grades 1-8. “R” signifies student achievement that is below level 1. It states, 

In Grades 1 to 8, students with an Individual Education Plan [IEP] who require modified or alternative expectations and beginning English language learners with modified expectations would rarely receive an “R”.

Reporting Student Achievement

Pages 61-63 of Chapter 6 provide information regarding how to report on the following for both elementary and secondary students with special needs:

• IEP with Modified Curriculum Expectations
• IEP with Alternative Learning Expectations
• IEP with Accommodations Only

References

Growing Success Assessment, Evaluation, and Reporting in Ontario Schools, First Edition, Covering Grades 1 to 12, 2010, Ministry of Education. 

Ontario. Expert Panel on Literacy and Numeracy Instruction for Students With Special EducationNeeds. (2005). Education for all: The report of the expert panel on literacy and numeracy instruction for students with special education needs, Kindergarten to Grade 6. Toronto: Author.

Parent's Guide to Growing Success (from Peel)

I have had many questions about assessment and what the Growing Success Policy means from parents during parent's night. Seeing as interim reports are coming out around now, I thought I'd post a useful Parent's Guide, put together by the Peel Board:

http://schools.peelschools.org/_layouts/PDSB.SWebCreate/Resources/ParentMonographGrowingSuccess.pdf

  

Peel’s Growing Success  

Parent Monograph Series: 

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

The seven fundamental principles are reiterated on this site, as well as a clear explanation of the context of the policy and definition of the document.

This FAQ page is written clearly and consistently for a parent to understand the changes in assessment since they were a student and it offers the parent an insight into what their child is experiencing in terms of current assessment, as well as the purpose behind that assessment.

Citation:

CISESS, Peel District School Board,
http://schools.peelschools.org/_layouts/PDSB.SWebCreate/Resources/ParentMonographGrowingSuccess.pdf, November 2012

Interesting Resources

Textbook Resources:
Davies, A., Herbst, S., and Reynolds, B. 2012.  Leading the Way to Assessment for Learning: A Practical Guide 2nd Edition.   Connections Publishing Courtenay, B.C.

Gregory, K., Cameron, C., and Davies, A. 2011. Knowing What Counts- Self-Assessment and Goal Setting 2nd Edition. Building Connections Publishing Inc. Courtenay B.C.

Gregory, K., Cameron, C., and Davies, A. 2011. Knowing What Counts- Setting and Using Criteria. 2nd Edition.  Building Connections Publishing Inc. Courtenay B.C.

Growing Success: Credit Recovery

Credit Recovery page 83 of the Growing Success Document:

-designed to help day school students meet expectations of a course they have completed but have received a failing grade.
-must be taught by qualified teacher
-no limit on credits one can recover

Guiding Principles

-part of whole school culture, equal weighting as other course delivery
-not a replacement during intial credit attempt, including SPEC-ED supports
-an option for any studnet that fails, determination by credit recovery team
-final credit granting is done by principal
-access granted by principal but must be okayed by student
-teacher of initial program must supply credit recovery teacher with relevant information
-must have real and credible educaitonal value. Student must achieve overall course expectations
-students must be able to achieve expectations in a variety of ways
-available to every student in publicy funded schools
-final mark should refelct achievement of overall course expectations.  Could be based soley on performance in credit recovery or may include results from initial attempt at course expectations.

Credit Recovery Team

-Subset of student success team, responsible for placing student in credit recovery process.
-minimum must be comprised of principal (designate, usually VP), student success teacher, guidance head, where appropriate other staff (support staff, subject teachers, spec ed head (designate))

Every student who fails a course has the following options:
-repeat entire course
-night school
-summer school
-credit recovery

If credit recovery is chosen...subject teacher must provide

-final percentage mark for the course-breakdown of all percents

-reasons supporting a recommendation for credit recovery

http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/policyfunding/growsuccess.pdf

Citation:

Growing Success Assessment, Evaluation, and Reporting in Ontario Schools, First Edition, Covering Grades 1 to 12, 2010, Ministry of Education

Special Education in the Growing Success Policy

In respect to Special Education:

Students with Special Education needs are on page 70-74...

-Mentions Special education being available to any child that requires. pg 70
-IEP explains program and any accomodations/modifications pg 70
-Assessment for special Education is to improve student learning pg 71
-Assessment and Evaluation to pg 71 :      

specify and verify student needs
support accurate decisions about student's program
support other decisions-referrals, screening, classification, instructional planning
help determine interventions to enable student to demonstrate achievement

-Instructional level must be determined by educational assessments, conducted by teachers, and professionals Pg 71
-teachers should use a variety of assessment tools: portfolios, journals, observation, rubrics,tests, projects, and self- and peer assessment.

Use assessment to determine whether student requires:

-no accomodations or modifications
-accomoadtions and/or modified learning expectations
-an alternative program, not derived from the currciulum expectations for a subect/grade or a course


Accomodations Pg 72

-students may require accomodations to allow them to participate in the currciulum.
eg. visual supports to clarify verbal instructions, assistive devices, human suport
- alternate method for student to show understanding- take tests orally or extra time
-alternate settings more suitable for student

Modified Expectations pg 72

-Changes made to grade level expectations in order to meet a students needs. Modifications may include expectations under a different grade level..or decrease in the number of exectations relative to curriculum expectations

Alternative Learning Expectations pg 72

-help students learn and develop skills that are not in the ontario curriculum
-eg. social skills, speech remediation, personal care programs

-could be a combination of alternate and regular curriculum expectations or could be student is only in alternate education planning

Large-Scale Assessment (EQAO)pg 73

-Accomodations are in the IEP for large-scale assessments.
          Literacy test
          Grade 9 Math
          Primary and Juniour assessment of reading, writing, and mathematics

http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/policyfunding/growsuccess.pdf

Citation:

Growing Success Assessment, Evaluation, and Reporting in Ontario Schools, First Edition, Covering Grades 1 to 12, 2010, Ministry of Education