Student Support Services

Philosophy: Our goal is to help identify and assist students who need accommodations and/or modifications of their instructional plan in order to ensure that they have access to their most successful educational experience. We will seek to work as a team with families to provide identified additional support for classroom teachers working with these students.

Student Support Team: Parents/Guardians, Inclusion Specialist (IS), Homeroom and Specialist Teachers, Shadow Aides, Other Professionals.

Who may refer a student: Any person directly involved or responsible for the educational progress of a particular student may request consideration. Typically, students are identified upon enrollment or through direct teacher observation.

When to refer a student: As part of normal classroom procedure, it is always the homeroom teacher’s primary responsibility to review the files of all incoming students prior to the beginning of the year, debrief with any previous instructors, and develop a baseline working knowledge of the students’ individual needs. As our Student Support Services program evolves, an ongoing collection of documentation will be generated for identified students. When any new and exceptional experiences of a student’s progress suggest that he/she may benefit from a more intentionally monitored proactive intervention strategy, a referral may be made. A teacher should be prepared to identify observable indicators in one (or more) of the following areas: academic (exceptionally high or low), social/emotional, attention, fine/gross motor, and disability.

Process:

  1. Teacher fills out pre-referral form and includes reference to all available documentation.
  2. If necessary, the IS will observe the student and take notes.
  3. If it is determined that it is needed a parent meeting will be set up.
  4. Student’s file and any test results will be reviewed by the IS and relevant staff before coming together as a team to develop a support plan.
  5. There will be a follow-up meeting with parents and relevant staff to finalize the support plan. All teachers, specialists, and parents will receive a copy.

Report Cards:

  • Student accommodations will be noted in the teacher comment section.
  • Students who receive modifications will have a notation listed next to those subjects that are modified. This is noted on the report cards.
  • Support plans will be attached to the report cards along with the anecdotal progress letter to parents.
  • In order to accurately monitor growth toward the curriculum standards, it is important that a student’s Personal Growth Assessment and Academic Achievement Code accurately reflect how that student is functioning in relation to the expected grade level benchmark. The anecdotal progress report helps describe any unique expectations or observations.

Who receives accommodations and/or modifications?

In a truly differentiated classroom, all students benefit from strategies designed to address varied learning strengths. For our purposes, our Inclusion Specialist will focus attention on assisting the classroom teacher in assimilating:

  • Any student who is accepted for enrollment with a previously designed Learning Plan or has been referred by professional education specialist and comes with testing and analysis suggesting the benefits of an accommodation or modification.
  • Students who have been identified through the St. Madeleine Sophie Support Plan process.

What is an accommodation?

An accommodation is typically a variation in how a student accesses information and demonstrates learning. The goal is to provide a student with equal access to learning. This could include: extra time on tests/assignments, computers for written work, extra text books, oral tests, audio books.

What is a modification?

A modification is an adjustment in what a student is expected to learn. These changes allow the student to meaningfully participate in his/her classroom. This could include: shortened assignments, alternate assignments, or anything that changes the curriculum.

Important Note: An Individualized Educational Plan (IEP) is terminology usually used in the public system to describe a financially supported legal agreement for specialized service. IEP’s carry a specific set of operational rules and rights. A Student Support Plan or Student Learning Plan represents a joint blueprint for partnership in order to assist a student to be as successful as is reasonably possible given the resources available. It is not a legal document but rather a fluid set of strategies and proposals. At St. Madeleine’s we offer a Student Support environment. It acknowledges the mission of the parish to welcome a wide diversity of God’s children.

Questions?  Contact Jessica Patterson, Vice Principal, 425-747-6770 x201 or jpatterson@stmadsophie.org.

Information for English Language Learners (ELL)