Professional Development-“Resource Review”

Incorporating any article from the Widening the Circle series (or any other professional journal article) into a professional development program can be an investment in the growth and success of educators. By creating opportunities for collaboration and expanding knowledge, conducting a study of the Widening the Circle article (“Resource Review”) empowers teachers to become more effective educators. There are many benefits to holding “Resource Reviews” about instructional practices.

These include:

A. Shared Learning Experiences: “Resource Reviews” encourage collaboration and discussion among educators. By reading and discussing books together, teachers gain insights and perspectives from their peers, enhancing their understanding of diverse teaching methods and approaches.

B. Enhancing Teaching Practices: Engaging in “Resources Review” allows educators to explore new instructional strategies, gain fresh perspectives, and discover innovative approaches to teaching.

C. Personal and Professional Growth: It enables educators to expand their knowledge base, and discover new research findings.

Celebrating Neurodiversity in Faith-Based Schools

Neurodiversity is in every classroom, even in private faith-based schools! When a private school chooses to embrace inclusive educational practices for students with disabilities, the entire community grows richer in the faith. Here are some important considerations for school leaders who say YES to building systems and practices for families.

Lean in to the faith leaders in your community.

Pastors, Rabbis, Priests, and Nuns are valuable models of faith formation on your campus. Include these leaders in your planning to discern the disposition of faculty, staff, board members, students and families for successful inclusion. Review doctrine that can be included in the conversation around why you are an inclusive community. Discuss the writings of faith leaders that emphasize and promote inclusion.

Have open conversations about common beliefs around persons with disabilities.

Do faculty members use labels for students on campus, such as “honors kids,” “inclusion students,” or “tiered students?” These common labels that describe support or enrichment services are one way we move away from person-first language and assign value or expectations to students. Model and expect person-first language among school community members.

Under the federal law, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), the public school where the private school resides is obligated to provide equitable services to any child who is in need of special education or related services. The public school, or Local Education Agency (LEA) is responsible for the process of “identifying, locating, and evaluating” students. This is called “Child Find.”

Steps to the Child Find process:

• When a private school student is suspected of having a disability, the parent contacts the LEA to request an evaluation.
• The LEA has 15 business days to respond to this request.
• The LEA, in partnership with the parent and private school, will collect data to determine if a disability exists.

This data could include:

• Attendance
• Grades/ Report Cards
• Developmental history
• Teacher input
• Standardized test scores, Universal Screeners, Progress Monitoring data
• Previous evaluations (current or expired)

• An LEA representative will coordinate a Review of Existing Data (RED) meeting with the Multidisciplinary Evaluation Team (MET). The MET consists of parents or a surrogate of the child, General Education Teacher, Special Education Teacher, Interpreter of Data, and an LEA representative. Parents can invite other participants, including the current teacher(s) at the private school.
• At the RED meeting, the team will decide if enough data exists to determine if the child is eligible for special education. If enough data exists, the team determines eligibility or ineligibility for special education. If there is not enough data, the parent consents in writing to have additional data collected.
• The LEA assesses students in all areas of suspected disability to obtain the data/ information necessary to make a decision. This can include assessment of cognitive, academic, behavioral, adaptive, emotional, sensory, speech and language, and/or motor skills.
• After consent is obtained, the LEA has 60 days to collect the data and determine eligibility. Evaluators can come to the private school or parents can bring the child to the LEA for testing and data collection.

The Neuroscience

The human brain has an innate ability to perceive and process numbers, a skill deeply rooted in our evolutionary history. Neuroscientific research suggests that our number sense is supported by two primary systems: the approximate number system (ANS) and the object-tracking system (OTS). The ANS allows us to estimate and compare quantities without direct counting, while the OTS helps us keep track of small, distinct objects. These systems work together to form our foundational understanding of numbers, enabling us to develop mathematical reasoning over time. Before students can grasp numerical concepts symbolically, they must first engage in meaningful, visual experiences that build their number sense.

Subitizing and Groupitizing

A crucial component of early numerical understanding is the ability to subitize and groupitize. Subitizing refers to instantly recognizing small quantities (typically up to four) without counting, while groupitizing involves seeing patterns within larger sets to determine quantity more efficiently. These skills allow students to move beyond rote counting and develop a deeper understanding of number relationships. When children engage with materials that encourage visualizing sets of numbers, they strengthen neural pathways associated with mathematical thinking. Without this foundational ability, abstract concepts like addition and multiplication become significantly more challenging to master.

When designing lesson plans, units for instruction over a week or a month, or full semesters of curriculum with assessments to monitor progress along the way, it is beneficial to consider the various ways the content you will use can be accessed by all the students. Providing several ways with which students can view, listen to, read, or create curriculum resources when the lesson is initiated reduces the need to add supplemental resources or accommodations for specific students. ALL students benefit when instruction and assessment is designed for ALL learners.

Accessibility that is Multisensory

Students may have preferences for content that is provided visually through graphs, pictures, or charts, while others may prefer to read about an event or concept to process the information independently before sharing ideas with peers in the class. These preferences may promote engagement with the content for the neurotypical student when there are options for either modality, while engagement may only occur for a neurodiverse student when there is a variety of content to learn from.

Connecting and Enriching

When educators connect prior knowledge with new learning or bridge content from one core area with another, the students’ brains build stronger pathways for the memory of the new learning. This new learning is often richer than recall of facts and can be applied in new situations, used to analyze and evaluate, as well as create original ideas. Exploring patterns, critical features, big ideas, and relationships across core subject areas sets the stage for critical thinking skills that are necessary for all members of our communities.

Meeting the needs of neurodiverse students, dual language learners, curious, and gifted students in every classroom can be a challenge for the most organized educator. Keeping track of accommodations, strategies for success, and learning goals while developing engaging lesson plans and assessments that do not include unnecessary barriers is no small task!

Begin each plan with universal accommodations that ensure each student has equal access to learning and can succeed in the classroom regardless of what makes them unique learners.

Accommodations for Instruction and Environment

• Make directions clear and concise

Begin each direction with an action word, to clearly state what is expected. Keep each step to one line of text, and bullet each step. Make it simple and to the point, so students know where to go next.

• Make vocabulary words memorable

Bold or underline all vocabulary words in every document, for every unit to cue them of important words they need to know.

• Provide a model

Give an example at the beginning of every section, every time, to demonstrate the process for completion. This is essential for math, and equally beneficial in all content areas.

Students with high-incidence learning differences such as ADHD, dyslexia, and the autism spectrum, are present in every faith-based school! Some classrooms may have 4-5 students with learning disabilities that benefit from intentional lesson design for engaging instruction and assessment. Planning for engagement may seem difficult, however, when educators prepare to meet the needs of students with learning disabilities, accessibility is increased and success is possible!

Know the impact

The impact of the neurological and/or biological learning challenges, and the traits that teachers see in the classroom are not choices made by the student. Knowing the educational impact of ADHD, dyslexia, and autism is necessary so that educators can select curriculum resources that are accessible. Students with ADHD will struggle with memory, taking notes, listening to lecture for long periods, and initiating independent work (among other things!). Dyslexia may impact memorization of math facts, understanding spoken language, and require additional time to decode text when reading. Similarly, autism may impact memory, language, and time management skills. Students may require intensive interventions to build these skills, however teachers can proactively plan for their success in the general education classroom.

What is Dyslexia?

Dyslexia is a neurobiological learning disability that affects a person's ability to read, write, and spell. It is not related to intelligence, and individuals with dyslexia have normal or above-average intelligence. Dyslexia can impact various aspects of a person's life, including academic performance, work, and social relationships. It is important to understand the characteristics of dyslexia in order to provide appropriate support and interventions.

According to the International Dyslexia Association, dyslexia affects about 20% of the population and is one of the most common learning disabilities. It can manifest differently in individuals, with symptoms ranging from difficulty recognizing letters and sounds to challenges with reading fluency and comprehension. Dyslexia can also co-occur with other learning disabilities, such as dysgraphia and dyscalculia. Early detection and intervention are key in helping individuals with dyslexia succeed.

The Neurology of Dyslexia

Imagine the brain as a complex network of superhighways with information zooming back and forth at lightning speeds. Now, picture the occipital temporal lobe as a critical junction where words are mapped and processed. In the dyslexic brain, this superhighway may have some unique roadblocks and detours that affect how words are perceived and understood. When a person with dyslexia reads, these roadblocks can create challenges in decoding and recognizing words, impacting their reading fluency and comprehension. Understanding this neurology can provide valuable insights into the experiences of individuals with dyslexia and help us tailor effective interventions and support strategies to enhance their learning experience.

Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS), which can also be referred to as Positive Behavior Supports (PBS) or School-wide Positive Behavior Supports (SWPBS) offer a comprehensive, preventative approach to managing student behavior. With this framework, the focus is on defining and teaching school-wide agreed-upon behavior expectations, promoted through positive reinforcement. PBIS schools collect behavioral data to identify students in need of additional supports and layer in the necessary interventions.

There are five steps to implementing PBIS which must be approached on the school level. All faculty and staff must be invested in the design and implementation. PBIS is not a program. It is a framework from which to approach your system for behavior management but must be tailored to each school culture and community.

■ Define – The faculty must explicitly define the behavior expectations for the school. This begins by developing three to five overarching school goals. Examples include, “Be Respectful, Be Responsible, Be Safe” or “Be Christ-like, Be Safe, Be Prepared.” Once the overall expectations are defined, the school will name the locations of the school where these behaviors should be demonstrated, naming the specific, observable behavior. For example, being safe in the hallway looks like “Students walk at all times; stay in line with face and eyes forward.” You will notice these behaviors are stated in positive terms, rather than saying “No running in the hallway.”

Check-In, Check-Out (CICO) is a research-based behavior intervention that can be utilized for many different target behaviors because it can be customized and the foundation relies on the relationship between the teacher and the student. With CICO, the teacher would work with the student to set an observable behavioral goal. These may be directly related to the PBIS school-wide expectations.

For example, perhaps the student is working on being prepared. In the morning, she would check in with a specific faculty member with whom she had a good rapport. That person would help her get set up for success, reviewing the expectations and making sure she has the materials she needs. Throughout the day, the student would be reminded by each teacher of her goal and the teacher would rate the student on her goal at the end of the class period.

At the end of the day, the student would return to her morning point person to discuss how many points she had earned and if she had met her goal. The student can be working toward a specific incentive in order to motivate the improved behavior

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Nothing is more trying to a classroom teacher than to work with a student with challenging behaviors. Other learning problems, like learning disabilities and speech issues, are easier for a teacher to engender a helping and caring response. The same is not true for students with behavioral issues. It is difficult to feel helpful and want to remediate behav- ioral difficulties when these behaviors are making the teacher’s life miserable. In many cases, the teacher just wants the “behavior problem” and, most often, the child to disappear. Who can blame them? However, this is not the response that is consistent with our Catholic faith. In fact, we are reassured that God continues to love us, even when we are the most unlovable. It is this kind of response that we should emulate and to paraphrase scripture - continue to love the student and hate the behavioral issue.

There is no doubt in anyone’s mind that the behavioral needs of students have changed significantly over the past years. There are many hypotheses for these changes. However, they tend to focus on systems. issues like the changing structures of families, the formative impact of media and the role of technology. Whereas these are all interesting and speculative, focus on the cause tends to get staff to externalize blame and minimize the control that a school can assert. Individually, we might not be able to change the societal factors that may have an impact on behavioral challenges. However, we can assert the control that we do have in an effort to provide the structure and support that students crave in order to increase their success in school.

When a private school enrolls a child with a significant disability, the school needs to discern whether that student needs additional adult assistance to be successful. There are several factors that impact that decision: safety, medical needs, mobility, and finances. Adult assistants can be volunteers or hired aides that may take the title of Inclusion Aide, Paraprofessional, or Special Education Aide.

Safety

The paramount reason to hire an Inclusion Aide is to maintain a safe environment for the child, the class, and the school. The factors that can compromise a child’s safety are their cognitive ability or behavioral challenges. Some students with cognitive challenges may need adult assistance to prepare for transitions, guide them to appropriate locations, and assist during drills, lockdowns, or actual emergencies. When a child exhibits behavioral challenges, they may enter “fight, flight, or freeze” mode. In those instances, having an aide can help maintain safety by making sure they do not flee into an unsafe area or to continue supervising when they freeze in a separate location from the class.

Medical

Students with specific medical concerns may need adult assistance beyond what the classroom teacher can provide. Specifically, students that struggle with toileting consistency due to developmental delays. Parents can choose to waive their privacy rights by having an adult assist with toileting. Some students may need assistance with feeding or other medical necessities

Understanding the WHY

Every teacher encounters students who exhibit challenging behaviors. While maintaining a positive and productive classroom environment is paramount, simply reprimanding these behaviors often yields temporary results. Faith-based school teachers, grounded in love and compassion, seek solutions that go beyond punishment. This is where Functional Behavior Assessments (FBAs) come in.

An FBA is a process that helps us understand the ABCs of a student's behavior: the Antecedent (what happens before the behavior), the Behavior itself, and the Consequences (what happens after the behavior). By analyzing these elements, we can identify the function the behavior serves for the student, allowing us to develop positive interventions that address the underlying cause.

The ABCs of Behavior in the Classroom

• Antecedents: These are the events or situations that trigger a student's behavior. Are there specific academic tasks, transitions, or social interactions that lead to disruption? For example, a student with anxiety may become disruptive during group work (antecedent).

• Behavior: This is the observable action that disrupts the classroom environment. It could be calling out, disengagement, or even physical aggression. Remember, the behavior itself is a form of communication – the student is trying to tell us something.

Teacher Problem-Solving Teams in the Classroom

The cornerstone of a thriving faith-based classroom is a nurturing environment that fosters academic success and spiritual growth for all students. However, every teacher encounters students who face academic challenges or exhibit disruptive behaviors. While our faith compels us to offer compassion and understanding, addressing these concerns effectively requires more than just good intentions.

This is where Teacher Problem-Solving Teams (TPSTs) come into play. These collaborative groups bring together educators from various backgrounds to brainstorm strategies for supporting students with diverse needs. By harnessing the collective wisdom of experienced teachers, specialists, and support staff, TPSTs provide a powerful framework for crafting impactful interventions that align with school values.

The Power of Collaboration

Imagine a student struggling with reading comprehension. Their classroom teacher might initially focus on targeted reading strategies. However, a TPST could reveal additional factors at play. The school counselor might share observations hinting at emotional anxieties affecting focus, while the special education teacher suggests an undiagnosed learning disability. Through this collaborative exchange, a nuanced understanding of the student's needs emerges, allowing the team to develop a comprehensive intervention plan.

An instructional coach is an educational leader who works in a school or district to support teachers in reaching their goals. Effective instructional coaches serve as thought partners, building relationships based on trust and mutual respect and providing reflective, inquiry-oriented feedback rather than making judgments.

The instructional coaching process has three important components:

The classroom teacher: • identify learning goals, provide data. • integrate new practices, invite feedback, meet with the coach weekly to reflect, and ask questions.

The instructional coach: • gather and analyze data with teachers to create goals. • listen and ask questions. • explain teaching practices. • find resources. • provide feedback. • serve as a thought partner.

The administrator: • create a coaching culture for their school and to ensure that policies and systems are in place to support data-driven conversations. • build interpersonal relationships of trust between teachers, leaders, and coaches to improve instruction.

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