the child's strengths and weaknesses, what helps the child learn, what limits or interferes with the child's learning, objective data from current evaluations of the child, and how the child's disability affects his or her ability to be involved and progress in the general curriculum. Ability to accept and learn from mistakes. Additionally, you'll want to consider what your artistic pursuits reveal about you trait-wise. Jenn Osen-Foss, MAT is an instructional coach, supporting teachers in using differentiated instruction, interventions, and co-planning. His standardized test scores in math are in the superior range for all subtests. This assessment is sometimes abbreviated as PLP or called present level of academic and functional performance (PLAAFP). April 29th, 2018 - Strengths and weaknesses examples for iep Jun 25 2016 Summarize at the meeting by listing strengths then weaknesses and the next steps That is the Answer (1 of 8): A2A. Too often, IEP teams discuss a students strengths by saying things like What I like about Elana is And these kinds of comments can be hard to connect to the rest of the IEP in actionable ways. Sample IEP Goal:By the end of the third quarter, given a grade-level text, the student will support inferences with at least three pieces of text-based evidence with 80% accuracy on two out of three assignments or assessments. Keep it short. Visual communication. She has not had goals in this area during the past year. Remember your input is critical for helping your childs school develop a full understanding of how your child learns. The teacher can use this form to assess what the child's strengths and deficits are during social behaviors during the school day. Both of the Kansas SDE documents above explain each of the elements within a high-quality PLAAFP statement. Although showing progress and putting in a great deal of effort, it is difficult for Chris to keep up with his peers in math. While he should continue to work on his sentences writing, Steven will need to vary the types of sentences he writes and continue to work on the format for a basic paragraph. Make your narratives shine with a student strength lists guide! A strengths-based IEP often boils down to a shift in mindset. If he can get up and move around, then he is able to complete his work. At a minimum, the PLAAFP statement must contain information that: The measure of the level of a students academic or behavioral performance before a change (e.g., instructional or behavioral practice or intervention) is implemented. List of Strengths and Weaknesses. And explore 10 ways to be an effective advocate for your child at school. Project management. It helps kids see how to make progress by leveraging what theyre good at. Copyright 2014-2023 Understood For All Inc. should be based on the state academic standards, SMART (specific, measurable, attainable, results-oriented, and time-bound), Like other annual IEP goals, they generally, Each goal should draw on two pieces of information. For example, student strengths such as "spontaneous" and "good listener" may not be as effective for student success goals because they are broad student strengths. Doesn't enjoy . It is also common to pick a weakness that is minor or that signals a strength. As you read the present level of performance examples, remember documents which show your childs current level of function are worth putting in with the PLOP statement. Academic strengths are traits and skills that serve students as a strong foundation to excel academically. The information you include will be the stepping stone for the rest of the IEP. Collaborative. Leaders embark on a journey to the bank of success. Procrastination. Is there enough information in the PLAAFP to develop a challenging, ambitious, measurable annual goal? Engaging and Exciting. I focus too much on the details. A student with weaknesses in visual, spatial, or sequential aspects of math may. When working towards an IEP goal, she will ask for help when needed and accept help when offered. Regardless of school, district, or even country, the IEP has similar characteristics: To identify the learner's strengths and weaknesses, to set measurable goals and objectives, to identify the tools and resources (including people) needed, to identify the strategies needed to achieve the goals and finally, as a team, to commit. Weaknesses: Analyzing complex information in a table or chart to draw conclusions about what the data say. Reframe the way the IEP team talks about strengths. An attempt to identify strengths and weaknesses, both academic and cognitive, wherein these strengths/weaknesses are "associated" Identification of a convergence of data points among measures The application is known as "cross battery assessment" or XBA approach General Principles: Leadership skills. He is self-conscious about his reading difficulties and works hard to hide his reading struggles from his classmates. Concerns/Needs: Steven needs to continue to work on writing sentences, varying the types of sentences and writing basic paragraphs. A number or score that describes a students performance in comparison to a nationwide sample of students in the same grade. For example, K avoids games that involve even a little bit of reading, resulting in some conflicts during weekly family game nights, which often involve board games. IEP goals are based upon your child's present levels. The samples have been developed with and informed by consultations with educators and stakeholders. Self Criticism 3. Johnny is very active and energetic. Give this a try instead: flip those immobilizing "weakness statements" into specific strengths and needs statements that point the way toward solutions. The student needs to state what the text literally says plus what it might really mean. Here is a few ideas for how to write a given statement for a student's math or reading IEP goal. Four times out of five, the child must correctly determine the meaning of at least 80 percent of the words or phrases. This weakness often undermines the reading and thinking process. JAVASCRIPT IS DISABLED. Brian Stack, MEd is the principal of Sanborn Regional High School in Kingston, New Hampshire. Your child should have an IEP goal associated with each type of reading struggle. Keep it basic and straightforward, but be truthful in your choice. The results from the evaluation (e.g., standardized tests, progress monitoring data)? Sample IEP Goal:By the end of the school year, the student will read grade-level text orally with accuracy, appropriate rate, and expression at 90 words per minute with 90% accuracy, as measured by teacher records on three consecutive occasions. Sam will learn the class vocabulary words with 90% accuracy in three out of four weekly opportunities. The 4th-grade fall benchmark is 95 wpm on a 4th-grade reading probe. Visual-spatial strengths - Jigsaw puzzles, map reading skills, and sensitivity to the world around them are examples of visual-spatial skills. Its important for IEP goals to be SMART (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Results-oriented and Time-bound). Can she work independently? Information about student performance on the MCAs and District test is critical to understanding the students present level. What This Means:This sample IEP goal aims for a child to use strategies to figure out the meaning of unknown words or phrases. Concerns/Needs: Linda is a good worker, yet still needs reminders to keep her on task. Steven currently participates in a Resource Independent Living Math class. Writing is a weaker area; Student writes a lot when . Project Officer, Sarah Allen. As the name implies, the educational program should be tailored to the individual student to provide the maximum benefit. Your child should have an IEP goal associated with each type of reading struggle. This information is important to What Is Contained In a Preschool IEP Center for . After working with him, it was found that he was including the starting number to be subtracted as he was counting down to get the answer. These list items are grouped into six different categories: Attitude, Academic Skills, Executive Function Skills, Social Skills, Motor Skills, and Sensory Processing Skills. It's important to note that if you start the transition process at age 14, 15, or 16 you will need to repeat the evaluations as your child grows into young adulthood. For example, a 4th-grade student who obtains a grade equivalent score of 2.2 on a reading test is performing at a level equivalent to a typical student at the end of the second month of 2nd-grade. To add to our list of overused-but-handy phrases: Think quality, not quantity. It is our duty as special education instructors to discover and publicize those assets in order to develop them further. Recount the key details and explain how they support the main idea. Really, it is a collaboration for all areas because whether its pre-vocational, whether its social-emotional, whether its math, whether its reading, its not just going to be one person who has information on that. He is making progress in his goal to read more fluently and to use more expression in reading. That information is outdated by the time a students IEP is ready for an annual review, so school personnel will need to collect data prior to the IEP meeting. Linda needs to learn the aspects of budgeting and managing a checkbook. It is merely a representation or guideline to get you thinking on the right track. The Understood Team is made up of passionate writers and editors. Determination 15. __ a fill in the blank option. Looking to help your students shine through strengths-based ieps? Sara requires a lot of support to stay on task, especially to complete her math problems. When writing a profile of the student's strengths, think about the child as a whole. Have you documented everything you think is important? Student strength lists should not focus on student weaknesses or deficits. When a students first IEP is developed, much of the information needed for the PLAAFP is collected in the initial assessment. However, a strength that I believe I have is being able to be well organised. (oi, er, ow, ar, ew). Classroom teachers will want to add their observations, and youll also need to add test scores. Academic Standard:Cite several pieces of textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text. Being detail oriented. Many teachers, especially new ones, find it challenging to, IEP writing strengths and weaknesses examples. What This Means:Reading at grade level is a major challenge for many students with IEPs. This student strength list can also be used during the development of student transition goals. S Susanna B Teaching Strategies Teaching Tools Teacher Resources Mindset Activities Teaching Art Social Emotional Learning Weave strengths into IEP goals. My writing and reading strength is my ability to get a lot of ideas. Using measurement tests is common in IEP goals for reading. If you own a seasonal business: For example, if you own a fruit stand, you might benefit from employing a student or two. Concerns/Needs: Billy needs to continue to develop pre-academic skills in the areas of number concepts and shape recognition to a more consistent level. Cognitive Strengths Weaknesses Comments/Notes Speaks articulately Use this framework to help guide the writing process: __________ has a strong character, is _______________, and is _______________. Julie Rawe is the special projects editor at Understood. He recognizes many body parts and can identify many common animals such as cow, pig, duck, etc. Empathetic. State and district documentation of this information varies. # + [ + R [ [ @ R R R F [ [ ) R ) R R V % @ [ [ %p,Q o : e $ V 0 q x x$ R x$ R [ ! Something that often takes many hits for a child with learning and attention issues. You can look at these typical IEP goals for reading to get a sense of what your childs goals may look like. Jos follows classroom rules and expectations and actively participates in table groups. This student strength list is a tool for you to use when creating student success goals that the student can accomplish. Your child's skills . Do not include detailed information from prior years. Emotional intelligence. An additional IEP goal, focusing on strengths, might be built around advancing vocabulary via Learning Ally audiobooks, or a goal working on more advanced technology skills. Linda has passed her MBST requirements. Student strength lists can help! But as more schools make strides in student-led IEPs and other areas, they may inspire more districts to rewrite their IEP templates. Her math reasoning scores are at the 18th percentile. Many of them have kids who learn and think differently. Exceptional Education Teacher, /wp-content/uploads/module_media/iep01_media/audio/iep01_p06_mclean.mp3. 4. Iep Ethics No Response Strength Base Writing Being A Writer In this resource-rich article, teaching coach Elizabeth Stein makes the case for using an assets-based approach to designing accommodations and writing the IEP. Student strengths are more effective when they have specific behaviors that can be seen, heard, or otherwise observed by others. Student Strengths and Weaknesses: List and 13 Examples for Students | My Strengths and Weaknesses Do you know your strengths and weaknesses? However, it is not sufficient to report only on test scores and class titles. at This School. The table below poses some questions that can help guide that conversation. &. A new case manager or team member reading the Description of Child section should be able to identify the educational needs of the student. When student strengths are utilized, students will become more active and enthusiastic participants in their educations. Comprehension: . Creativity. Her visual memory and visual processing scores are above average, so she learns easily through pictures and images. Procrastination plagues every student's academic career. Special education and related services are based on it, too. Donations are tax-deductible as allowed by law. And, focusing on and cultivating your child's strengths will help build self-esteem. She has realistic work goals and is able to describe what it would take to live on her own. He often is the first student to raise a hand at the beginning of class to remind his peers to be quiet and direct their attention to the teacher. Sing Your Way to Sight Word Success: Free Song for Teaching 'A,' and 'Is. Method: A measure of word recognition, the Test of Word Reading Efficiency (TOWRE), was administered by telephone to a representative population sample of 3,909 same-sex and opposite-sex pairs of 7-year-old twins. She consistently shows good work habits but does not do well in remembering assignments and pacing herself in extended assignments. But theyre going to reach out to the reading teacher as well and get information for how that plays out in the general education classroom. A strengths-based IEP uses student abilities to help work on weaknesses. Steven does struggle with creating sentences and appears to lack confidence in his own ideas. The goal is that the student will be able to correctly sound out 36 out of 40 of the words with these types of syllables. J He continues to need to increase his ability to stay on task despite distractions. Kindness 6. Unfortunately, thats not the norm for most students yet. Understood is a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) charitable organization (tax identification number 83-2365235). The IEP team can begin the process of developing a high-quality PLAAFP statement by holding a discussion that centers around the four elements outlined above: student needs, effect on progress in general education, baseline information, and connection to goals and/or services. When working towards an IEP goal, he is curious about new material and is open to new ideas. The team not only identifies strengths, but leverages them to help address weaknesses. Saras mom reports that Sara frequently cries about completing her math homework. All Rights Reserved. "Great" difficulty figuring out how perimeter, area, surface area or volume . Here are a few examples of common career weaknesses. He needs to improve his skills in subtraction and using strategies to assist him in solving equations. When you have a structure to help you, developing a student strength statement and weaknesses statement is not difficult. Weaknesses must not be looked at with resentment. A strengths-based IEP uses student abilities to help work on weaknesses. Adjusting these templates can help ensure that strengths are discussed throughout the IEP meeting, not just in the first section. Strong Communication Skills and Interpersonal Skills. Very high level of motivation in topics and activities that are of interest. IEP Goals: Strengths and Weaknesses Questionnaire by SPED Helpline 5.0 (1) $3.00 PDF This questionnaire must be completed by the teacher of the student. ThePresent Level of Performance Examples below will help you write an great PLOP section in your childs IEP! It is also possible to include basic character traits such as honesty and talents related to a subject such as math or art. Imagine an Individualized Education Program (IEP) that focuses as much on your childs strengths as it does on your childs weaknesses. His reading and writing standardized test scores are in the above average range, but his classroom performance varies greatly. Progress in the general education curriculum? Pertinent comments by parents and teachers Comments that could lead to classroom modification/adaptations Progress on goals and objectives as well as any other changes since the last IEP Common Mistakes Including eligibility or placement statements Using jargon or vocabulary that is not easily understood Identifying a need for a service (i.e. A primary cause of language comprehension problems is difficulty creating mental images for language. Concerns/Needs: Chris needs to improve reading skills in fluency and comprehension. Physical strengths - Being able to ride a bike is a great example of physical strengths at a young age. That way, you can write the best PLOP statement possible. So if a child has an IEP that has math service and it has reading service, the person who delivers the reading service is going to be the person who actually fills in that part of the IEP. Embed specific strategies into each particular goal, rather than merely listing the strategies on a separate page Use a strengths finder before the IEP meeting. It is difficult for him to start, remain, and finish a (non-preferred) activity. Also mention any ability your child has, because those skills can be the keys for teaching your child. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. Therefore, writing out your own Present Level of Performance Examples for your child will help you find the best ways to provide your child with a positive educational experience! Academic Standard:By the end of the year, read and comprehend literature, including stories, dramas, and poems, in grade-level text complexity band, proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at the high end of the range. Child strengths and weaknesses examples . Sam will use his creativity and interpersonal skills to develop and lead his peers in a class vocabulary game with 90% accuracy in three out of four weekly opportunities. These helpful sentence starters can be best used with the assistance of the student and parents. Weaknesses Literacy A non-reader Unwilling to try to read Poor word attack skills No sight vocabulary Poor vocabulary (PPVT SS=45; TOLD SS=4; 3) Non-fluent when he reads Poor comprehension of reading material Poor sentence recall (TOLD SS=2; CELF=3) Not oriented to writing activities Never reads at home Grandmother a non-reader Comprehension Strengths And Weaknesses Of Oral Reading. A pattern I've noticed throughout my career is that I often feel I could have done more, even if objectively, I've done well. Creative thinking abilities. A child's strengths, interests and talents can build the foundation for a productive and joyful life. Be thorough. What are your Child's Strengths? Comprehension is improving but it may also be a language problem since he does have Autism. : PRESENT LEVEL OF ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT AND FUNCTIONAL PERFORMANCE EDUCATIONAL NEEDS (Description of Child Section of IEP) Strengths/Current Status section: This section describes how the student is presently performing in the classroom and is written in objective, measurable terms. Check out this guide to see the top 13 student strengths and student weaknesses contributing to academic success! Billy can match by color (field of 6) and sort items by colors (field of 4). If there are many areas checked on both sides of the chart, the child may have a pattern of strengths and weaknesses consistent with that of identified GT/LD students. He usually remembers to turn in his Social Studies weekly assignments. Patience. Although she does have a savings account, she does not have a checking account. In the office, a person undergoes many new processes, work, and experiences, so, learning agility is a crucial strength for any professional to perform consistently. Growth Mindset Examples of Student Weaknesses 1. But all IEP goals for reading share some common features: Below are sample IEP goals associated with six reading skills. Trustworthy 2. A well-written Description of Child section must include the following components. He follows the class discussion with para assistance to complete many of the assignments. IEP goals should reflect state academic standards, and they should be SMART and strengths-based. These resources are provided for informational purposes only for those who wish to learn more about the topic(s). He will engage in activities for longer periods of time but can be easily distracted as many children his age are. It is helpful, but not required, to briefly address the students present level in all areas. Examples of Student Strengths 1. Standardized test results can provide accurate information regarding your childs current level of ability. Example weakness 1: self-critical "I can be too critical of myself. An IEP team can use student strengths to develop student success goals within the students iep. Current testing/evaluation results in general terms such as below average/average/above average. Hiring. The contents of this Website do not necessarily represent the policy of the U.S. Department of Education, and you should not assume endorsement by the Federal Government. He is reluctant to show that he needs to use them, his teacher is working on letting him know that it is ok to use other sources, to help him solve problems. In his classroom behavior, he demonstrates responsibility by coming prepared to class with materials ready to learn. 50 Examples of Strengths and Weaknesses for a Job Interview [List] That's why we have decided to give you something more: Every strength and weakness comes with a brief explanation clarifying the meaning of the term. The student's team might include student weaknesses as a part of the student's iep, but they should not be included in the student strength list. Saras standardized reading composite test score is at the 73rd percentile.