presentation Discuss technology, such as apps, etc. support the work and that ca
ID: 665374 • Letter: P
Question
presentation
Discuss technology, such as apps, etc. support the work and that can help students in shifting behavior.
How can technology contribute to the support of students who experience trauma?
Is new technology on the horizon? If so, what might it look like?
What technology is available? New stuff?
* Reinforcement applications/accessible on a smartboard
*How to build reinforcement visual cueing to be placed on a desk, individualized for students
* Device for tracking how often a student demonstrates a behavior (progress monitoring)
- Determines if strategies are working
(Team dialogue ): your team will prepare a HALF HOUR presentation (with time for questions) that addresses the following:
1. Describe your 'system challenge (messy problem) clearly and succinctly to the audience and why it is important to us as leaders. Summarize the interagency/ interdisciplinary 'system' issues involved.
2. Present a sketch of your case example to hand out to the group. The purpose of your case example is to interpret your system problem through the 'lens* of an individual/family. Help the audience 'see the system problem from the point of view of the individual student/family.
3. Discuss the relevant role and responsibilities and needed coordination among special education, general education, counseling professionals, community professionals, and others to address the problem and create solutions (consider how the Community of Practice framework could apply to your system challenge and potential solutions).
4. Project forward to the future and present potential solutions and alternatives and choose among these alternatives. Summarize at least one of your recommendations for policy makers related to your 'challenge [Remember, part of policy implementation is finding out what alternative solutions are needed and building on previous research on what we know works or does not work, so that policy choices can be made.]
• Don't forget: Shore something that you have learned about the collaborative team process, or have come to appreciate about one anther's experiences that were useful in understanding your system challenge (this item asks that you reflect on the team process and share 'lessons learned).
Note: If you think 30 minutes is much too short, imagine if you had to present at a Congressional hearing, in which they would give you only 3-5 minutes to make your case for your recommendations.
Explanation / Answer
Technology is an ever changing medium in the world we live in today. Schools across the world are increasingly integrating technology into the classroom each day. The use of technology is both beneficial for the students and the teacher. One source of technology that has proved to be beneficial in the classroom is a Smart Board. Some benefits of Smart Boards include the increase in interactive instructional tools, create more interest and motivation among students, display attractive graphics, improve lectures with audio-visual tools, provide better instructional materials, and can also cater to all learning styles. In such a setting, this new technology enables a quality learning environment. The goal of integrating a Smart Board into the classroom is to improve student achievement and increase their technology literacy. This can be done with both the teacher and the students' efforts.
A Smart Board is technology created by SMART Technologies. It is an interactive projection display that projects the computers video output. A Smart Board operates with the combination of the interactive whiteboard, a computer, a projector, and a Smart Board software. The projection screen is available as a white board or as a display frame that fits over a plasma screen. The board can either be mounted or portable. The device is touch screen that allows the operator to manipulate content with the touch of a finger. Functions on the Smart Board such as scrolling and mouse click works the same way as it would on a computer. The Smart Board typically comes with four digital markers: red, blue, black, and green, and one digital eraser. The markers and eraser are housed in the pen tray. The markers work digitally, and do not actually contain any ink. The technology is in the pen tray; when a pen or the eraser is removed the optic sensors detect its absence. A touch from the pen, a finger, or any other object will then appear in that color of pen removed from the tray. Below the pen tray are two buttons. One button is used like a right click on the computer for functions such as; copy, paste, select all, etc. The other button brings up a traditional key board, displayed on the screen that by touch can be used. Only one finger can be on the board at once though, so you cannot rest your hand on the board with your fingers on the home row as you would on a computer. The computer and board work hand-in-hand together. When something is done on the computer, it appears on the Smart Board and vice-versa. Smart Board Software is needed for your computer to use to actually connect your computer to the Smart Board. The software is called Smart Notebook and is suitable for both Windows and Mac operating systems. Smart Notebook is a content delivery platform and is similar to PowerPoint. It includes animations, templates, manipulatives, and other useful tools for creating lesson plans and presentations. SMART Technologies has several other software programs that work with a Smart Board for specific content areas.
Advantages
Smart Boards have many advantages in the classroom. First of all, there are many benefits of Smart Boards for students in the classroom. This electronic whiteboard is interactive and great for demonstrations. Students would enjoy an interactive Smart Board lesson because the subject would come alive and bring reality into the classroom. Smart Boards provide a means of learning for all students, including students with different learning styles. Most students learn by actually doing and physically interacting with a medium, so Smart Boards would give students the opportunity to explore and manipulate concepts of a lesson. Also, students of every grade level show increased motivation and enjoy the interaction that the technology offers. The use of a Smart Board would capture the attention of students and also encourage participation.
There are many advantages for students with the use of Smart Boards, however teachers also benefit by using this technology. For instance a lesson incorporating the use of a Smart Board engages not only the students, but also the teacher. During the lesson the teacher would be modeling that he/she is also interested in the lesson; therefore reinforcing that they are lifelong learners. Another advantage for the teacher is that it gives them instant access to many electronic resources. For example, the Smart Board provides instant internet access during a lesson, so a student's unanswered question can be answered immediately instead of waiting a day or two. Another huge advantage of Smart Boards is that teacher can plan lessons with so much more imagination. With the use of the Smart Board teaching any concept is possible and easier. Pages can be automatically saved, printed, emailed, or even pasted into a website. Flip-charts, all sorts of document, and presentations all can be created. The possibilities are endless. Another positive aspect about Smart Boards is that the software comes with ready made layouts. Layouts can be found on the internet, some created by SMART and others created by other teachers across the world. The layouts can be modified to fit each teachers own lesson appropriately. This would come in handy for teacher who do not have a lot of time to create a lesson.
Disadvantages
Like any other technology, Smart Boards also have disadvantages. First, Smart Boards are very expensive. The cost of the actual board, the software, projector, and installation fees are very high; approximately $1000, but can vary depending on model and year. For school districts, such a rural school and smaller schools that already have low funding, this can be a problem as they do not have as much access to such technology. Because of the high cost, if a school district is able to purchase this technology, the school may only be able to afford one or two. That means that not every teacher will have access to the Smart Board. Even if a portable Smart Board on wheels is purchased, teachers still would have to check out the Smart Board for use in their classroom. Not all students would have access to this technology. Also, teachers need to be trained to use this new technology. The software can be challenging to learn and practice is often needed to become an expert. A lot of time and money needs to be invested into the training process. Another downfall of Smart Board technology is that most Smart Board specialist come from outside the school district. Teachers do not have easy access to someone with the knowledge and questions cannot be answered right away. Also, some teachers may pick up the information quickly, whereas others may need additional training or support before they feel comfortable incorporating the Smart Board into their classroom. For these teachers, the new technology may be too overwhelming and cause disruptions and frustrations in the classroom due to lack of proper training. The technology would then be only a hindrance rather than a help in the classroom.
Another disadvantage of Smart Boards is that they require maintenance. Like other electronic equipment, Smart Boards also need to be kept working properly and installed with the proper updates. Most of the time teachers are the ones that need to find the time and download these updates, which may cause a problem. This may require additional technology assistants to be hired to help with problems that arise with the Smart Board and also keep the Smart Board updated.
Smart Boards can also be a problem if they are not working correctly on a given day. A teacher would always need to have a back-up lesson plan or activity in case the technology crashes. Additional time would need to be put into planning each day for the teacher.
Incorporation into the Classroom
There are many ways that a Smart Board can be used in a classroom. First, there are many different tools that accompany the software on a Smart Board. Some of these include the camera tool, drawing tool, split tool, and many, many more. The camera tool would allow teacher to take a picture of the screen. This would be useful if class time was running, the teacher could take a picture of the screen and what place they are in the lesson and then start right back at that place the next day. The drawing tool could also be very useful. It allows teachers and students to draw shapes or objects which would become useful for a geometry lesson. Also the split tool allows teachers to split the screen into two screen. This would be useful in a math classroom so that the teacher could show a problem on one side and then also show the work on the other side of the screen without having to click back and forth between screens. These are just three examples of some of the tools that the Smart Board software offers. There are many, many more that teachers can explore and find ways to use them in their classrooms.
One classroom use idea for the Smart Board would be to introduce fractions to younger students in elementary grades. The teacher would prepare an interactive activity where the students would have to go up to the board to identify different fractions. For example, the teacher could have different objects, some the same and some different, and the students would have to come up with the fraction of like objects compared to those of different objects. Since only one person can be up at the Smart Board at a time, the other students would be trying to figure out the problem on their own personal whiteboards. Students could then take turns going up to the board and demonstrating their knowledge to the class. All students would then be eager to come to interact with the board and practice their skills.
Another classroom activity incorporating a Smart Board, that teacher could use in an intermediate classroom setting, would be the frog dissection application. This application shows a frog on the board along with all the tools and materials needed to complete the dissection. The teacher could set up the lesson by teaching the students the different terms and procedure of dissecting the frog. Then instead of having to buy the frogs for dissection, the students could actually do it virtually. The application allows for exploration and dissection of the frog, just like an actual frog would allow for. This is a good way to bring reality into the classroom with the use of Smart Boards. Students would still have the same opportunities to learn, just with the use of the new technology.
A useful classroom Smart Board activity to use for high school students in a history class would be to have them research a certain time period. Then they would be in charge of creating an interactive story about a character from that time period. They could focus on such things as what they would wear, where or how they would work, family life, and/or including other aspects as well. After creating their presentation they would present and teach it, getting the class involved with what they learned.
There are so many learning possibilities for classroom use of the Smart Board. These are just a few, but there are endless options of how to incorporate this new technology into the classroom.
Conclusion
Technology is found everywhere in this world so it only seems right to begin incorporating it into the classroom. One way to do this is by purchasing a Smart Board and incorporating it into daily lesson plans. Smart Boards are interactive and fun for both the students and teachers and have proved to be beneficial. In order to be beneficial for the students though, teachers need to make it interactive and get the students involved with each activity presented on the board. With increased involvement and engagement, the students will gain more knowledge and become excited about school and learning. The goal of technology incorporation is to increase students' learning, which is something the Smart Board can accomplish.
Children, adolescents and teens in your classroom have experienced or are experiencing ongoing trauma.
According to studies from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 60% of adults report experiencing abuse or other difficult family circumstances during childhood and 26% of children in the United States will witness or experience a traumatic event before they turn four.
The impacts of trauma can be far-reaching, long-lasting, and impact students' ability to access their education. There are small ways, however, that we can make our classrooms more friendly and supportive to students mangaging the impacts of trauma.
As with many strategies to support a sub-group of students, these strategies can positively support most students with or without a history of trauma.
1. Communicate with counselors or social workers. Besides providing specific information about your students, these are great resources for more information about recognizing and understanding the impacts of trauma.
2. Provide structure and consistency. Write the agenda on the board. Use entry and exit routines. When a student knows what to expect, it can help her to feel safe.
3. Ease transitions. Give time warnings ahead of activity transitions (“3 minutes until we switch groups...”). Warn ahead of doing something unexpected, such as turning off the lights or making a loud sound. If possible, prepare students for fire drills.
4. Provide choice. People with trauma history experience a lack of control. Provide safe ways for students to exercise choice and control within an activity and within the environment (choice of seats, choice of book, etc).
5. Develop strengths and interests. Focus on an area of competence and encourage its development to contribute to positive self-concept.
6. Be there. A lot of working with students with trauma history is just showing up, every day, and accepting the student no matter what behaviors emerge. Be an adult in that student’s life who is going to accept him and believe in him, no matter what - children can never have too many supportive adults in their lives.
7. Make an “out” plan. Create a way for a student to take space if she feels triggered or overwhelmed during class. Designate a space in the school building or outside where you will know where to find her if she needs to take time for a sensory break or to regulate her emotions. You can also provide a box or kit of sensory calming tools a student can use (Silly Putty, coloring, puzzles).
8. Take care of yourself. One of the most important things to remember. If you work with even just one student who experienced trauma, you can experience vicarious trauma or compassion fatigue. Use your own support system and make time to do things that fill your tank.
Additional resources for supporting students who have experienced trauma:
The National Child Traumatic Stress Network: http://www.nctsn.org/ , especially the Child Trauma Toolkit for Educators: http://www.nctsn.org/resources/audiences/school-personnel/trauma-toolkit
Masschusetts Advocates for Children's Trauma and Learning Policy Initiative: http://massadvocates.org/tlpi/
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Child Maltreatment information: http://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/childmaltreatment/index.htm
SMART Board interactive whiteboards have flexible, intuitive features that help teachers and students adapt to the challenges of the 21stcentury classroom while enriching learning for all. The products are also supported by comprehensive training and professional development programs, backed by solid warranties, and chosen more often than all other interactive whiteboard brands combined. From a usability perspective, SMART’s robust hardware and easy-to-use software are perfect for the demands of the classroom. Moveable tool bars, height-adjustable screens, pen-and-finger operation and other options allow even severelyphysically disabled students an opportunity to participate in lessons. This versatility also
gives teachers a broad range of options for accommodating diverse abilities, creating differentiated lessons and appealing to every learning style.
SMART invented the interactive whiteboard in 1987.Today, it continues to drive innovation by supporting a research and development team of
more than 200 scientists, engineers and other specialists. It remains focused on providing the best user experience by actively collaborating with teachers and students – each new version of software or hardware incorporates features and
suggestions from classrooms around the world.
Choosing a SMART Board interactive whiteboard is an investment in industry-leading classroom technology for both teachers and students for many years to come
Pupils can spend as much as 40% to 50% of their school day involved in listening to their teacher. However, as studies have indicated (Journal of the American Medical Association) 14.9% of children aged from 6 to 19 years may suffer some form of hearing loss. Similar studies have also shown that around 80% of pupils may have some form of occasional hearing loss during their time at school.
In a recommendation published by the UK Department of Education & Skills (DfES) “Building Bulletin '93” it states that ‘All children benefit from improved speech clarity, not only those with permanent or temporary hearing loss. Academic performance has been shown to improve for all class members with improvements noted in task behaviour, attentiveness,understanding of instructions, less repetition required, better attendance and improved levels of verbal recognition.Furthermore, due to the clarity of speech from the teacher, similar improvements in learning performance are also noted in students for whom English is a second language.’
More recently Government legislation in the USA, UK and Europe requires that new schools in particular need to comply with a minimum standards of acoustic performance in classrooms. Effective levels of speech recognition for pupils is considered paramount and the use of sound reinforcement systems is also viewed as an ideal solution..
A typical sound reinforcement system provides the teacher with a wireless or infrared microphone (more usually a lapel or pendant type) which links to an amplifier and loudspeaker system.
Sound reinforcement systems raise the level of the teacher's voice but are intended to be non-intrusive. These systems have been in use quite extensively in the USA over the past 15 years or so and are seen as a significant opportunity to improve academic performance in the UK and in Europe.
In line with the UK DfES equipment recommendations, systems have been developed to meet the needs of the classroom. With a choice of microphones with either radio frequency or infrared wireless transmitters, there are a variety of solutions available providing a range of benefits.
Infrared transmitters are becoming more popular as they limit the signal to the confines of the one classroom, enabling many systems to be used in a single school without suffering the interference problems associated with RF wireless systems. Systems may have integrated receivers and amplifiers or more cost effective solutions have separate receivers that can be connected to existing classroom sound systems associated with interactive whiteboards. Speakers should be placed to provide an effective sound pressure level throughout the classroom for best effect and may be ceiling or wall mounted.
SMART Board interactive whiteboards help you transform the classroom in the
following ways:
•
Integrating SMART Board interactive whiteboards into the classroom creates
an interactive, technology-enhanced and media-rich environment, enabling
teachers to reach students in more visual, real-world ways
•
The SMART Board interactive whiteboard helps teachers prepare students for
careers in a knowledge-based marketplace. Along with SMART Notebook
collaborative learning software, it is an excellent vehicle for developing critical-
thinking, collaboration and problem-solving skills.
•
SMART Board interactive whiteboards enhance students’ proficiency with
technology. Beginning in 2012, this proficiency will be measured in schools for
the first time, so it’s important to make technology part of the classroom.
•
By using the SMART Board interactive whiteboard with SMART Response,
educators can formally and informally assess student understanding anytime
during a lesson. See page 5 for more information
The combination of a SMART Board interactive whiteboard and SMART Notebook
software is proven to help teachers improve student performance in many ways:
•
Research consistently shows that having interactive whiteboards in the classroom
helps raise student achievement levels in a wide range of subject areas
•
The digital nature of lessons taught using SMART Notebook software brings
a new and engaging element to students in all subject areas, from language
arts to mathematics. It helps teachers deliver lessons in a more impactful and
memorable way.
•
By enabling teachers to serve the different learning styles of their students,
the SMART Board interactive whiteboard can help improve learning outcomes
for all students:
•
SMART Board interactive whiteboards appeal to kinesthetic learners,
who can come up to the interactive whiteboard and manipulate objects
or solve problems
•
Teachers can reach auditory learners by embedding sound directly into
lesson activities on the interactive whiteboard
•
Teachers can motivate visual learners by playing video files directly
in SMART Notebook software on the interactive whiteboard, or by
recording lessons as they happen on screen. For example, teachers can
record the elements of a math problem and play them back on a loop.
The SMART Board interactive whiteboard helps jump-start classroom transformation while
providing a basis for long-term reform. This double-edged benefit is due to the following:
•
The SMART Board interactive whiteboard is recognized around the world as
an intuitive, easy-to-use product. It is adopted quickly and enthusiastically by
educators, so it has immediate and long-lasting effects.
•
SMART Board interactive whiteboards are designed with low total cost of
ownership in mind
•
SMART Notebook software receives regular upgrades, so the potential of the
SMART Board interactive whiteboard will actually increase over time. Plus, these
upgrades are provided at no cost.
•
Any object can be used to replace pens that are lost, broken or stolen, with
absolutely no impact on the learning experience
•
The SMART Board interactive whiteboard is extremely durable, and its longevity
is witnessed every day by educators who have used the same board for five years
or longer
•
SMART provides a wealth of lesson content and resources that are constantly
evolving, giving educators the tools they need to easily integrate the technology
into the classroom
4
|
Application Guide
•
By using the SMART Board interactive whiteboard with SMART Response,
educators can add assessment to lessons and adapt their strategies to reach
all students. See page 5 for more information.
ARRA objective – Make a short-term investment with long-term gains
The SMART Board interactive whiteboard helps jump-start classroom transformation while
providing a basis for long-term reform. This double-edged benefit is due to the following:
•
The SMART Board interactive whiteboard is recognized around the world as
an intuitive, easy-to-use product. It is adopted quickly and enthusiastically by
educators, so it has immediate and long-lasting effects.
•
SMART Board interactive whiteboards are designed with low total cost of
ownership in mind
•
SMART Notebook software receives regular upgrades, so the potential of the
SMART Board interactive whiteboard will actually increase over time. Plus, these
upgrades are provided at no cost.
•
Any object can be used to replace pens that are lost, broken or stolen, with
absolutely no impact on the learning experience
•
The SMART Board interactive whiteboard is extremely durable, and its longevity
is witnessed every day by educators who have used the same board for five years
or longer
•
SMART provides a wealth of lesson content and resources that are constantly
evolving, giving educators the tools they need to easily integrate the technology
into the classroom
ARRA objective – Enhance education for students with disabilities
Several features of the SMART Board interactive whiteboard help teachers provide
students with disabilities with an excellent education:
•
SMART Board interactive whiteboards are an inclusive classroom
technology, offering students multiple ways to learn material, express ideas
and demonstrate understanding
•
Because SMART Board interactive whiteboards are touch-enabled, they allow all
users to interact with the interactive whiteboard:
•
Younger students and those with fine-motor challenges can operate
SMART Board interactive whiteboards by using not only a stylus or finger,
but also a fist or any object they can hold comfortably, such as a tennis ball
•
Students who cannot type or write can still benefit from lessons and
participate in activities using SMART Notebook features like drag-and-drop
•
Educators can use SMART Board interactive whiteboards to adapt material for
students with visual challenges
•
The SMART Board interactive whiteboard enables teachers of deaf students to keep
their hands free of pen tools, which can interfere with signing
•
In addition to capturing student interest, SMART Board interactive whiteboards
give ongoing visual reinforcement to instruction, offering students another sensory
channel to help them process information
refer to this pdf.
http://www.rand.org/content/dam/rand/pubs/technical_reports/2006/RAND_TR413.pdf
What is progress monitoring?
Progress monitoring is a scientifically based practice that is used to assess students’ academic performance and evaluate the effectiveness of instruction. Progress monitoring can be implemented with individual students or an entire class.
How does progress monitoring work?
To implement progress monitoring, the student’s current levels of performance are determined and goals are identified for learning that will take place over time. The student’s academic performance is measured on a regular basis (weekly or monthly). Progress toward meeting the student’s goals is measured by comparing expected and actual rates of learning. Based on these measurements, teaching is adjusted as needed. Thus, the student’s progression of achievement is monitored and instructional techniques are adjusted to meet the individual students learning needs.
What are the benefits of progress monitoring?
When progress monitoring is implemented correctly, the benefits are great for everyone involved. Some benefits include:
Overall, the use of progress monitoring results in more efficient and appropriately targeted instructional techniques and goals, which together, move all students to faster attainment of important state standards of achievement.
Who should be practicing progress monitoring?
Anyone who is interested in improving results for children should be implementing progress monitoring. Whether you are a regular educator, special educator, related service provider, administrator, or family member, you should be interested in implementing research-based progress monitoring practices.
What challenges face progress monitoring?
Are there other names for progress monitoring?
Progress monitoring is a relatively new term. Some other terms you may be more familiar with are Curriculum-Based Measurement and Curriculum-Based Assessment. Whatever method you decide to use, it is most important that you ensure it is a scientifically based practice that is supported by significant research.
In today's education climate, school success is defined as ensuring achievement for every student. To reach this goal, educators need tools to help them identify students who are at risk academically and adjust instructional strategies to better meet these students' needs. Student progress monitoring is a practice that helps teachers use student performance data to continually evaluate the effectiveness of their teaching and make more informed instructional decisions.
To implement student progress monitoring, the teacher determines a student's current performance level on skills that the student will be learning that school year, identifies achievement goals that the student needs to reach by the end of the year, and establishes the rate of progress the student must make to meet those goals. The teacher then measures the student's academic progress regularly (weekly, biweekly, or monthly) using probes—brief, easily administered measures. Each of the probes samples the entire range of skills that the student must learn by the end of the year, rather than just the particular skills a teacher may be teaching that week or month.
This is the key difference between student progress monitoring and mastery measurement approaches, such as teacher-made unit tests. Mastery measurement tells teachers whether the student has learned the particular skills covered in a unit, but not whether the student is learning at a pace that will allow him or her to meet annual learning goals. By regularly measuring all skills to be learned, teachers can graph changes in the number of correct words per minute (reading) or correct digits (math) and compare a student's progress to the rate of improvement needed to meet end-of-year goals. If the rate at which a particular student is learning seems insufficient, the teacher can adjust instruction.
To track student progress, the teacher graphs a line between the student's initial level of performance on a specific skill and the end-of-year goal. Then, the teacher plots the level of performance as each probe is administered. After noting the pattern of progress, the teacher can adjust instruction to improve student learning. If the student's performance falls below the line, the teacher may use more intense instruction (in small groups or one-on-one), reteach the material, or provide additional opportunities for the student to practice certain skills.
Although schools can develop the probes themselves, developing enough equivalent, alternate probes for frequent measurement at each grade level is daunting for many schools. Therefore, they often turn to commercially available products, most of which are computer-based and can automatically graph the progress of individual students. Available products range in cost from under $200 to several thousand dollars. Information about resources and tools recently reviewed by the National Center for Student Progress Monitoring can be found at www.studentprogress.org.
What We Know
Research has demonstrated that when teachers use student progress monitoring, students learn more, teacher decision making improves, and students become more aware of their own performance. A significant body of research conducted over the past 30 years has shown this method to be a reliable and valid predictor of subsequent performance on a variety of outcome measures, and thus useful for a wide range of instructional decisions (Deno, 2003; Fuchs, Deno, & Mirkin, 1984; Good & Jefferson, 1998).
Although student progress monitoring (then called curriculum-based measurement) was initially developed to assess the growth in basic skills of special education students, specific research has validated the predictive use of this method in early literacy programs (Good, Simmons, & Kameenui, 2001) and in the identification of general education students at risk for academic failure (Deno, 2003). In addition, some evidence shows the reliability and validity of student progress monitoring procedures in evaluating the progress of English language learners (Baker & Good, 1995).
Fuchs and Fuchs (2002) conducted an analysis of research on student progress monitoring that considered only experimental, controlled studies. These researchers concluded that
When teachers use systematic progress monitoring to track their students' progress in reading, mathematics, or spelling, they are better able to identify students in need of additional or different forms of instruction, they design stronger instructional programs, and their students achieve better. (p. 1)
What You Can Do
Student progress monitoring fits well into the routine of the classroom. The probes can be administered quickly, and the results are immediately understandable and easy to communicate. In some classrooms, students graph their own progress and find it motivating to “make the line go up.” The following example shows how a 3rd grade teacher might use student progress monitoring.
During the first week of school, Ms. Cole includes as part of her initial probe of all students in her class an oral passage-reading test. She selects several 3rd grade-level reading passages and has each student read aloud for one minute while she notes any errors. She uses this assessment to identify any students at risk of scoring below grade level in oral reading fluency on the state end-of-year reading test. In reviewing the scores, Ms. Cole sees that six students have low scores, placing them at risk.
Ms. Cole determines each of these student's current reading rate (correct words per minute) as well as the level that student must attain by the end of the year to demonstrate grade-level reading fluency, and graphs a line indicating the necessary rate of growth. Using different but equivalent-level passages, Ms. Cole then administers a one-minute probe to each student each week, graphs the number of correct words the student reads per minute, and compares that score with the goal line.
After six weeks, Ms. Cole sees that the rate of growth for two students is relatively flat, indicating that the reading instruction she is providing for them is not effectively moving them toward their end-of-year goal. Ms. Cole decides to provide 15 minutes of additional reading instruction focusing on particular reading skills to those students each day, and to monitor their progress twice weekly.
After three more weeks, Ms. Cole sees that the growth rate of one student has improved significantly. She discontinues the extra reading instruction but continues to monitor the progress of that student weekly. The second student still shows relatively flat progress, so Ms. Cole refers the student to the school reading specialist, who provides remedial services and continues to monitor the student's progress twice weekly.
Educators Take Note
Deno (2003) points out that because this process was originally designed for use in individualized special education,
The most effective uses of CBM in the formative evaluation of individual student programs almost certainly occur in settings where individual (special) education teachers have the time and skills to respond to the charted progress of individual students. (p. 190)
Researchers are now finding that schools can also use student progress monitoring effectively to support regular education students and special education students in inclusive classrooms. As Fuchs and Fuchs (1998) found, using student progress monitoring with larger groups requires extra effort. But many teachers will find this strategy worth the effort because it provides a powerful tool that can help them adjust instruction to ensure that all students reach high standards.
References
Baker, S. K., & Good, R. H. (1995). Curriculum-based measurement of English reading with bilingual Hispanic students: A validation study with second-grade students. School Psychology Review, 24, 561–578.
Deno, S. L. (2003). Developments in curriculum-based measurement. Journal of Special Education, 37, 184–192.
Fuchs, L. S., Deno, S., & Mirkin, P. (1984). Effects of frequent curriculum-based measurement and evaluation on pedagogy, student achievement, and student awareness of learning. American Educational Research Journal, 21, 449–460.
Fuchs, L. S., & Fuchs, D. (1998). Treatment validity: A unifying concept for reconceptualizing the identification of learning disabilities. Learning Disabilities Research & Practice, 13, 204–219.
Fuchs, L. S., & Fuchs, D. (2002). What is scientifically-based research on progress monitoring? (Technical report). Nashville, TN: Vanderbilt University.
Good, R., & Jefferson, G. (1998). Contemporary perspectives on curriculum-based measurement validity. In M. R. Shinn (Ed.), Advanced applications of curriculum-based measurement (pp. 61–88). New York: Guilford Press.
Good, R. H., Simmons, D. C., & Kameenui, E. J. (2001). The importance and decision-making utility of a continuum of fluency-based indicators of foundational reading skills for third-grade high stakes outcomes. Scientific Studies of Reading, 5, 257–288.
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