Executive Functioning with Dr. Alina Boie at North Mianus
Dr. Alina Agiurgioaei Boie facilitated a presentation and discussion at North Mianus School for the parent community on executive functioning. This presentation focused on discussing effective ways to foster independence and responsibility in children. Dr. Agiurgioaei Boie also shared various resources and supports that are helpful to children at home, school, and within their peer relationships.
Special Education Bridging Information Sessions
If your child is transitioning, or "bridging," from PreK to kindergarten, elementary to middle schools, or middle to high school and has a 504 or IEP, the SESS department's virtual information sessions to share more about the bridging process. If you couldn't join us, you can watch the recorded presentation which will be posted to the district website following the presentation.
Recorded Bridging Presentations
504 Corner
With Michele Iannello
Accommodations for Standardized Tests
The end of the school year is fast approaching! Along with the usual hustle and bustle that students experience daily, standardized tests, such as SBAC, SAT, and AP exams are also quickly approaching. For students who have an IEP or a 504 Plan, it can be confusing to understand what accommodations will look like on a standardized test.
Many state exams are now digital, with universal tools and supports already embedded in the test. Some examples include: highlighting, marking for review, and a calculator. The Digital PSAT/SAT and digital AP exams are available on the Bluebook application, offering these tools for all students. SBAC exams provide students with even more embedded tools, including a digital notepad, dictionary, line reader, spell check, and math tools such as a ruler and protractor.
Students with IEPs and 504 Plans have even more options. Digital exams allow approved accommodations to be applied to specific student exams. For example, students who have an accommodation of 50% extra time will automatically have that time built into the test. Other accommodations, such as alternate location or preferential seating, are also options for students who need those supports. Paper and pencil accommodations on AP exams look slightly different, so look at this list of common accommodations available to eligible students.
Remember that students should use requested accommodations for standardized tests everyday in the classroom. It can be confusing for a student to have an accommodation for the first time on an exam, and the CollegeBoard (PSAT/SAT/ACT) requires the requested accommodation to be listed as a need on the student IEP or 504 Plan.
We understand that requesting accommodations on standardized exams can be confusing, and we are happy to help ensure that all students have what they need to remove barriers on standardized tests. Your assistant principal or school counselor can help with requesting the most appropriate accommodations for your student. As always, we are here to help! Please do not hesitate to contact me with questions.
Reading Lab
With MaryPat Caldwell
Last month, I continued my discussion of Overcoming Dyslexia by Sally and Jonathan Shaywitz, M.D. In discussing this book, I focused on the importance of evidenced based, high quality instruction that is systematically and explicitly taught with sufficient intensity by a knowledgeable teacher.
This month, I would like to focus on the classroom accommodations that are needed while these skills are being developed, which allow students to access the curriculum, learn with their peers & showcase and build upon their strengths.
Technology, both low and high tech, is one of the best ways to make this happen. These tools build independence as adult support is not needed when grade level text is presented that a student cannot yet decode or when a student can produce ideas for a grade level writing assignment, but they cannot yet get those ideas down on paper. A few of the must-have low and high tech technologies are described below. All of these technologies are available at GPS and easily accessible by students with some teaching and initial support.
Low Tech Tools
1. Graphic Organizers - It is so important for students to learn to organize their thoughts prior to writing. They can be used for writing sentences, paragraphs and essays. Once students learn to follow these organizers, their skills, confidence, and motivation improve.
2. Proofreading Checklists - These checklists support students in editing their work and, if used consistently, will help students develop good writing habits.
High Tech Tools
1. Co-Writer is a word prediction program that requires students to attend to the sounds they hear in words so the computer can predict the words, while giving students high levels of exposure to the most high frequency words. In addition to making writing faster and easier, students practice valuable spelling and reading skills while using this program.
2. Text to Speech - There are many options for students to have grade level text read aloud to them including Snap and Read, Chromebook extensions and/or Bookshare. It is critical that while students are acquiring decoding skills, they continue to access high quality, grade level reading materials to enhance vocabulary, reading comprehension and writing skills. Given students with high level thinking skills, the text they are exposed to cannot be limited to what they can decode.
3. Speech to Text - This is easily accessible using Google Docs. Using this tool, students are able to produce higher quality writing, and they do not shy away from using higher level vocabulary that they cannot yet spell or adding greater details and more complex ideas that would otherwise be too cumbersome to get down on paper. This tool should be used, as a bridge, when composing grade level writing assignments, while simultaneously working on developing writing skills using a pencil and paper even if it is at the sentence level, to start.
Tech Tips
Tech Tip(s)! From our AT Specialist, Meagan White
Looking for the “just right” reading level for an article or text? Try the Diffit website that differentiates any text or generates new text for your student’s specific needs! The website can be used in two ways:
(1) Simply search a topic, choose the reading level and language, and download the adaptive reading passage or
(2) Copy and paste or upload a text passage that you already have and download the adaptive reading passage
It will provide a summary, vocabulary, and comprehension questions and prompts to support the text and level of your student.
Benefits of Diffit include:
Generates new leveled content for students (with citations)
Differentiates existing content for students
Provides vocabulary and definitions from text
Creates challenge work for students
Develops comprehension questions, quizzes, and prompts with answer keys
The Office of Special Education and Student Supports
Email: stacey_heiligenthaler@greenwich.k12.ct.us
Website: https://www.greenwichschools.org/teaching-learning/special-education
Location: 290 Greenwich Avenue, Greenwich, CT
Phone: (203) 625-7493
