SDIs - Expanded Form

Placement

• Provide access to the Learning Support room for IEP goal work, habits of success, academic support, or transition planning. LS staff available for online support during remote learning.

• Allow flexible scheduling to address priorities identified in the IEP.

• Place in a __ (subject) class that includes opportunities for tiered activities and differentiated instruction appropriate for the student's present levels. (RE teacher may want to consult with LS teacher.)

Less Frequently Used:

• Place in a replacement special education __ class in the LS room.

• Place in co-taught classes for core academics when available.

In-Class Instruction

• Modify curriculum to focus on big ideas and essential concepts. Adapt tasks to match instructional levels and IEP goals.

• Provide preferential seating to minimize distractions.

• Provide verbal prompts or visual cues to redirect to stay on task.

• Break multi-step directions and tasks into simpler chunks, and monitor student progress. Provide assistance when needed.

• Use explicit instruction (I DO, WE DO, YOU DO) to teach essential concepts and skills, focusing on high rates of student success.

• Allow extra response time for student to process information and respond to questions (approx. 7 seconds).

• Speak to student at a slower rate (approx. in the 120 wpm range).

• Provide guided notes when requiring more than 1 paragraph of note-taking.

• Allow use of calculator.

• Provide visual review/summary (i.e., bulleted list of key concepts) before assessing and/or moving on to next concepts/unit.

• RETENTION SUPPORTS (for working memory deficit): Break assessments into smaller, manageable chunks. Provide review immediately before giving each chunk of assessment. If necessary, provide cue cards or notes to use during assessment.

Grading & Assessments

• Allow flexible grading options such as exempting tasks or providing alternative assessments and assignments to reflect priorities identified in the student's IEP.

• Test on big ideas and essential concepts to match student's instructional levels and IEP goals.  Simplify assessments (word banks, fewer choices, etc.).

• Provide adapted tests and quizzes (no more than 3 choices for multiple choice, matching chunked in groups of 5 or fewer, word bank for fill-in-the-blank with no extra choices, etc.) w/ goal of decreasing adaptations (RE and/or LS teacher discretion).

• Chunk information on tests and quizzes, using explicit instruction to guide student step by step.

• Read quizzes/tests aloud. If staff member is not available to read aloud during test, administer at a later time. (Available online for remote learning)

• Allow option to have tests/quizzes read aloud during test or later.

• Provide extended time for tests & quizzes (as requested by student and in conjunction with RE teacher & LST discretion).

• Permit verbal answers on quizzes and tests for lengthier answers.

• Provide accurate, completed study guides for student OR check study guides for accuracy at least 2 days prior to tests.

• Provide option of redoing assignments or retaking tests w/ extra remediation until mastery is demonstrated (at discretion of RE and/or LS teacher).

• Allow P/F grading option for computer classes based on effort in class.

• If student does not turn in an assignment, the teacher should identify the assignment as "Missing" in PowerSchool, and student will have at least 3 additional school days to submit the assignment for full or partial credit. Teacher has discretion to award full credit or impose a slight grade deduction (less than 10% deduction) in order to promote accountability and self-regulation.

Assignments

• All independent assignments given to student should be adapted to independent reading level (approx. grade level __).

• Provide supervised time in class to complete assignments.

• Adapt assignments/projects to reduce complexity, emphasizing big ideas and concepts.

• Encourage use of the "enable dictation" setting on Chromebook to assist with spelling/writing.

• Use graphic organizers & pre-writes to organize paragraphs and essays. 

• Limit number of homework problems in math (just enough to demonstrate comprehension and mastery).

• Provide a written timeline of due dates for longer projects.

• Provide an extra set of textbooks for home.

• Chunk assignments into small sections (i.e., 5 math problems at a time, one paragraph due as part of a 5 paragraph essay, etc.), giving reinforcement for each completed part before giving next segment of task. Provide checklist of steps.

• Provide accuracy checks on assignments (i.e., have student complete a problem/step, then check for accuracy & continue).

• Grade writing on content, not grammar or spelling (except in English or in coordination with English teacher).

• Provide extended time to complete assignments up to two days without penalty.

• Provide plenty of white space on assignments/tests to minimize the likelihood of student becoming overwhelmed.

• Provide graph paper for math work, or provide larger white space to organize written work.

• When not assessing the writing format/process, have student answer in an outline format or verbally.

Homework & Independent Assignments

Homework and all independent assignments should meet the following criteria: 1) the student can successfully complete the assignment with no assistance; 2) can complete the assignment in a reasonable amount of time; 3) the assignment focuses on essential understandings and big ideas that have lasting relevance.

Behavior & Focus

General:

• Provide opportunities for student to move & help teacher with tasks.

• Provide strategic breaks when student demonstrates tension, frustration, or distraction (teacher discretion).

• Provide student with choices for academic tasks.

• Provide frequent positive reinforcement (i.e., verbal praise, free time incentives, contract rewards, or other incentives).

• Provide specific, positive praise.

• Emphasize positive affirmations with student, and sandwich correction between positive affirmations. Use objective, non-judgmental language when sharing corrective communication with student.

• Allow student to move around in the room/chair to help with focus as long as it doesn't disrupt the learning of others.

• Provide strategic opportunities for movement when student is observed to be pacing the floor (i.e., run an errand, get a drink, etc.).

• Allow discrete use of fidget items during class as needed.

• Allow student to take a self-break/brain-break when requested.

• When student engages in negative self-talk ("this is so boring ... this is too hard, etc."), provide redirection and prompts, reminding student of goal to increase positive self-talk. (NOTE: The LS team has been informally tracking occurrences of negative self-talk and providing direct behavioral instruction and coaching re: the value of positive self-talk.)

• Remind student to wait to be called on when answering questions in class (vs. blurting out).  (NOTE: The frequency for the previous SDI is per observed distraction.)

Autism - SDIs that have proven helpful for some students:

• Provide notice of change in plans/schedule.

• Deliver valuable reinforcement for appropriate behavior on an intermittent schedule (catch student being good - use praise, proximity, smiles, thumbs up, etc., but keep it unpredictable - variable ratio gets best results). The student needs their attention "tank" filled up and values adult attention.

• Do NOT attend to student when  yelling/talking out. Do not directly correct the misbehavior or talk about it. Instead, direct student to DO something instead. Provide simple, neutral, matter-of-fact directions with few words (i.e., "Sit here"). Direct w/out rewarding student with attention.

• For disrespectful or inappropriate language, direct student to move to a quiet place away from people with NO discussion of why & NO explanation of rules. Direct student to do something (i.e., the task that the student should have been doing). In general, withhold attention from inappropriate behavior when safe to do so.

• After a few minutes of appropriate behavior, return student to their original seat. Direct student to do something. Continue to catch student being good.

Special School Closure Notations