Academic+Child+Case+Study

Case Study Rubric

 * ====**Accomplished Practice**==== || ====**Unacceptable**==== || ====**Acceptable**==== || ====**Target**==== || ====**Comments**==== ||
 * ====Assessment - #1 – Selects, administers, and interprets various informal and standardized instruments for assessing students academic performance and social behavior.==== || ====No evidence provided of interpreting and incorporating student’s IEP objectives and other assessment data in designing instruction==== || ====Uses more than one form for evidence provided for interpreting and incorporating student’s IEP objectives and other assessment data in designing instruction==== || ====Uses multiple forms of evidence **(3 or more)** for interpreting and incorporating student’s IEP objectives and other assessment data in designing instruction==== || ==== ==== ||
 * ====Assessment/Learning Environments #1 and #9 – Modifies instruction and align students needs, instructional settings and arranges learning; Uses techniques to align student needs, instructional settings, and activities==== || ====Does not collect assessment information to modify instruction==== || ====Collects assessment information on student performance/environment and provides a modification==== || ====Collects assessment information on student performance/environment on an ongoing basis and provides numerous modification as needed==== || ==== ==== ||
 * ====Instruction - #10 Identify student performance outcomes for planned lessons and plans and conducts lessons with identified students performance and learning outcomes==== || ====No planning occurs==== || ====A plan is developed that identifies performance and learning outcomes==== || ====A **long term plan** is developed that identifies performance and learning outcomes and is continuously monitored and modified==== || ==== ==== ||
 * ====Reflection # 10 - Uses data from his/her own learning environments as a basis for reflecting upon and experimenting with personal teaching practices==== || ====Does not identify areas of change – data not present==== || ====Experiments with changing planning practices with limited data on student learning outcomes – data organized but not aligned with instruction==== || ====Meaningful changes in instructional planning based upon student performance data. – Data organized and aligned with instruction==== || ==== ==== ||

==== You are going to do a semester case study on a student with a disability in an academic area. You will base your case assessment information, the student’s IEP goals and objectives and work samples. You will design an intervention plan based on the assessment and work sample information and then monitor the student’s progress during the semester. ====

====** I. Identification of the Participant and Context: ** You will discuss the context of the school and the classroom as well as discuss the background of the student. Include supportive information such as the student’s IEP goals/objectives, assessment information, and general discussion of the student’s strengths and weaknesses. ====

====Bonneville Elementary School is a **high poverty** school. They are borderline Title I (just a couple more percent from qualifying). Their school population is very **diverse** which means, they have a **large Hispanic population** being in Florida as well as a **large ESE population**.====

====I chose K.T., a sweet 1st grade female Hispanic student. Ms. Wright and I take her from her newly hired 1st grade teacher and take her to the classroom across the hall in Building 9 to another 1st grade class for our Math 'Push In' each day from 1:25 to 1:50pm. I also take her later on in the afternoon for Reading Mastery Level 1 'Pull Out.'====

====** II. Assessment and Analysis of Initial Work Samples: ** You will collect two work samples from one student in an academic area. In addition to other assessment information (both formal and informal), the student’s IEP goals and objectives, you will analyze the samples in terms of the strengths and weaknesses the student. In addition, discuss the circumstances in which the work samples were collected (examples might be the final product of a writing process or this was the student’s first exposure to the skill or material, etc). You should not mention the student’s name. ====

====In concordance with the Math Curriculum that Bonneville Elementary is using called **Envision Math**, I implemented the **Math Diagnosis and Intervention System (Grade I Diagnostic Test, Form A) in the beginning of the internship.**====

[[file:fl_math_diagnose_pearson.pdf]]
==== ====





It is a 55 item Diagnostic Test so I divided it over 3 days for K.T. to finish. The test is broken down in the following sections:

 * ====Numbers, Place Value, Money, and Patterns (11 items)====
 * ====Basic Facts (18 items)====
 * ====Computation with Whole Numbers (12 items)====
 * ====Measurement, Geometry, and Data Analysis (8 items)====
 * ====Problem Solving (6 items)====

Following are K.T.'s results:

 * Numbers, Place Value, Money, and Patterns: 5/11 items
 * Basic Facts: 7/18 items
 * Computation with Whole Numbers: 8/12 items
 * Measurement, Geometry, and Data Analysis: 5/8 items
 * Problem Solving: 1/6 items

**Effects of disability on participation in general curriculum:**
====K.T.'s performance is slightly below grade level expectation based on kindergarten end of year checklists. In addition, she **needs much re-direction and prompting to stay focused** as she is **easily distracted**. When she starts a task, she will notices anything that goes on around her such as a boy holding a pencil, and will then completely **disregard her current task**. This affects her performance towards grade level expectation.====

**Present Level of Educational Performance: (Communication)**
====K.T. presents difficulty answering comprehension questions, explaining word relationships and defining words by category, function and attributes. She also presents difficulty understanding and using language concepts (ie. half, whole, first, last).====

**Effects of disability on participation in general curriculum:**
====K.T.'s receptive and expressive language disorder interferes with her ability to communicate her ideas and thoughts effectively in the classroom. She needs to improve her vocabulary skills, comprehension skills as well as her ability to use grammatically correct sentences during conversations.====

**ACCOMMODATIONS/CURRICULUM MODIFICATIONS/ SUPPORTS FOR SCHOOL PERSONNEL:**

 * ====Small Group for Instruction/testing====
 * ====Additional time for assignments/tests- allow breaks====
 * ====Guides/prompts for specified tasks====
 * ====Read (non-reading) assessment questions as needed====
 * ====Extra think time to respond====
 * ====Allow use of book during tests/ESOL strategies====
 * ====Concrete objects, pictures, graphics/Alternate response====

** Analysis of Initial Work Samples: **

====** III. Intervention Plan/Design for Instruction: ** Design learning goals and objectives in the academic area for the student based on the information you collected and her strengths and needs. Based on the learning goals, design an intervention plan for your target student based on your goals. ====

Learning Goal #1
Knowing that word problem-solving takes an extra time, K.T. will benefit from a Problem Solving Recording Sheet that she can use to organize the information whenever there is a set of word problems in a Math exercise.
 * K.T. will increase the number of correct answers when encountering a word problem-solving using a Problem Solving Recording Sheet.**

**Intervention:**
K.T. will learn to use a Problem Solving Recording Sheet Teaching Tool as seen below.

K.T. will increase her writing numbers the proper way (correct direction) and reduce her number inversion by practicing writing numericals 0 to 9.
 * Learning Goal #2**

K.T. will practice writing 0 to 9 using the 0 to 5 and 6 to 10 intervention system sheets as seen below.
 * Intervention:**



1. Make and attach a **visual strip/reference guide** to the student's desk and notebook so that there is a model for those symbols that give trouble. Help the child build the habit of looking at the model each time she needs to write a letter or a number.
 * Other Interventions Related to Learning Goal #2:**



2. Have student work on a 15x15 dry erase board for a few minutes each day. Take one troublesome symbol and draw it about a foot high. Have the student trace over it ten times with a dry erase marker and then erase it, or trace over it with her finger. Have her name the symbol each time she goes over it. Do this activity daily until he no longer reverses that numeral. Using gross motor muscles will help the student internalize directionality and correct letter formation.

K.T. will increase time on task (paying attention to whole group guided instruction and independent practice) and sustain her overall attention in Math class.
 * Learning Goal #3:**


 * Interventions:**

1. When K.T. starts out listening but loses concentration midway, work her name into the lecture. "And K.T. knows, ..." 2. Reduce distracting stimuli. For example, when K.T. begins to fiddle with an object, ask that it be put away. If it is taken out again, take it, but tell the student you will return it later. 3. Break an assignment into segments and provide a reward for each segment accomplished. 4. Use a peer buddy to remind K.T. to stay on task.

====K.T. will increase her 1st grade level subtraction skills and comprehend the idea of having some, taking some away, and finding how much is left. She will also increase her skill in identifying the part she knows and the missing part in a subtraction problem.====
 * Learning Goal #4:**


 * Interventions:**

1. K.T. will utilize color counters and other manipulatives to solve subtraction problems. 2. K.T. will practice writing the **missing parts and draw a picture representation to write a number sentence.** (see below) 2. She will also follow the subtraction intervention lesson **using drawings and representations** in the Subtraction Intervention Sheet.









====** IV. Instructional Decision Making: ** Systematically collect work samples and assessment information for the remainder of the semester and analyze the progress student is making based on your intervention plan. Discuss your instructional decision making in relation to the activities and intervention design. You should collect at least 6 more sets of work samples/and or assessment information and discuss your instructional decision making. Include all collected work samples/assessment information with dates with your project. ====


 * Work Sample 1: 09/21/10**

In the work sample below, K.T. started using multiple strategies in tackling the Independent Practice.
 * She circled important information in the word problem. (She needs to practice underlining what she knows and circling what she needs to find out)
 * She is drawing pictures of the 'missing part' to solve her problem and write her subtraction sentence.
 * In problem 4, she used a one-to-one correspondence to get to the answer of 9-6.
 * In the Algebra part, she used the 'part-part' drawing (dots and circles) to get to the whole and to also find the other missing part.


 * Work Sample 2: 10/25/10**

In the work sample below, clearly, K.T. is **drawing a picture to help her write her number sentence. (Learning Goal #4 & Intervention)** She works more effectively when she can see a visual representation of a problem. On items 4 and 5, she even started putting the number itself inside each circle to help her with her accuracy.


 * Work Sample #3: 10/26/10**

Below is K.T.'s portion of the Florida Test for Topic 4. She is utilizing the visual help of the 2-color counters to help her arrive to her answers. She is also improving in her handwriting of each numbers. No reversals! With this Topic Test, one of her accommodations is using her **visual/reference guide** that I purchased for her. She uses the number line to find correct answers.


 * Work Sample #4: 11/3/10**

Below is a harder concept for K.T. to begin the topic with because it involved 'thinking addition to 8 to subtract.' However, she is using her knowledge of **'part-part-to-whole' mats** to help her think of a whole number and then think of 2 parts to make her addition and subtraction sentences. (Learning Goal #4 and Interventions)

Below, K.T. is showing improvement in her ability to answer and complete more math problems **independently.** She is able to do this by continually using her **visual/reference guide with number line,** her knowledge of **drawing a picture/representation** to help her find the answers and she's also using another technique that her regular teacher taught the whole class which is to draw a line matching each number to the same number to make sure that all numbers are accounted for
 * Work Sample #5: 11/08/10**




 * Work Sample #6: 11/12/10**

Below, K.T. is demonstrating her independent grade level skills in **Problem Solving** by being able to read and complete the problem and specifically drawing a picture to find the correct answer on items 16 & 17 and part of 18.



** V. Analysis of Student Learning: ** Use your on-going analysis of the student work to profile the student learning and progress the student is making.
For this Academic Child Case Study, I implemented **2 types of Self-Management Strategies** to help K.T. record her progress. I believe what an article in Teaching Exceptional Children magazine says about the overarching goal in education is to enable students to become independent and self-sufficient individuals who are able to manage their behaviors without the assistance of others. (Cooper, Heron, & Heward, 2007; Lan, 2005). When students are able to manage their own behaviors (also known as **self-regulation)**, they do not rely on external controls, such as teacher prompting to get their work done.

I created a **Self-Monitoring Sheet** involving stars. K.T. will get to color each star for every correct problem she does in Math class each day. This is a nice colorful visual display that will motivate K.T. as she improves her academic skills.

[[file:GH_Self_Monitor Graph Sheet.pdf]]
The **2nd Self-Management Strategy** I implemented is a **Self-Assessment** Strategy where K.T. will assess her performance on what she's learned, from whom she learned it from, what materials and manipulatives she used, and a 1-4 stars to grade herself.



Reflect on what you have learned from this project.
Conducting this Academic Child Case Study really challenged my knowledge and pushed me into exploring different types of assessments and then finding just the right interventions to help an ELL student who is struggling with 1st Grade Math. I was intimidated in the beginning of the Case Study and quite unsure of where to look for resources. After approaching different Math teachers at Bonneville Elementary School including my supervising teacher and searching for just the right tools by doing in**ternet research, borrowing books from other teachers and from the media center** and taking full advantage of the **Math curriculum** being used called Envision Math, I was able to pull together a **comprehensive and cohesive project**.

After doing initial 1st grade readiness checklist and assessment on my carefully chosen student, I started my quest to look for instruction and interventions that will guide my student in helping her achieve her goals reflected in her IEP. Being able to co-teach in her classroom enabled me to focus on her and make sure that she get the extra attention she needed to keep up with her peers. I was able to stay on top of her and work on her individually on most days. Throughout the semester, I've seen her confidence level in Math go up as she makes connections between topics and as concepts start making sense to her.

If there is one thing I could change, I would like to have more time to focus on just one of the 2 Self-Management Strategies (Self Monitor Star Chart & Self- Assesment Sheet) I gave her so that she can master using one tool before using another self-management tool.

There are many things I would like to continue with K.T. such as using manipulatives and visuals when learning concepts and being able to use her Problem-Solving Strategies as well as using the most of her visual guide.

A plan that I have for K.T. in the future is to have a **weekly student progress report** which is made up of a letter to her parents documenting the specific topic discussed that week and other timely teacher feedback. This will strengthen communication with parents and enforce school-to-home involvement of parents. Below is a sample of such letter:

Now I can say that through all the classes I've taken at UCF along with all the real-world applications I discovered, I feel prepared and competent to help and equip my future students succeed in their Math endeavor!