edtpa special education handbook

Special Education

Assessment Handbook January 2013

edTPA_SpecEd_02

edTPA stems from a twenty-five-year history of developing performance-based assessments of teaching quality and effectiveness. The Teacher Performance Assessment Consortium (Stanford and AACTE) acknowledges the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards, the Interstate Teacher Assessment and Support Consortium, and the Performance Assessment for California Teachers for their pioneering work using disciplinespecific portfolio assessments to evaluate teaching quality. This version of the handbook has been developed with thoughtful input from over six hundred teachers and teacher educators representing various national design teams, national subject matter organizations (AAHPERD, ACEI, ACTFL, AMLE, CEC, IRA, NAEYC, NAGC, NCSS, NCTE, NCTM, NSTA), and content validation reviewers. All contributions are recognized and appreciated.

This document was authored by the Stanford Center for Assessment, Learning and Equity (SCALE) with editorial and design assistance from Pearson. Copyright © 2013 Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University. All rights reserved. The edTPA trademarks are owned by The Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University. Use of the edTPA trademarks is permitted only pursuant to the terms of a written license agreement. Pearson and its logo are trademarks, in the U.S. and/or other countries, of Pearson Education, Inc. and/or its affiliates.

edTPA Special Education Assessment Handbook

Contents Introduction to edTPA Special Education ................................................................................ 1 Purpose ..................................................................................................................................................................1 Summary of Tasks ..................................................................................................................................................1 Structure of the Handbook ......................................................................................................................................5 edTPA Tasks Overview ..........................................................................................................................................6

Task 1: Planning for Instruction and Assessment ................................................................ 10 What to Think About .............................................................................................................................................10 What Do I Need to Do?.........................................................................................................................................10 What Do I Need to Write? .....................................................................................................................................13 How Will the Evidence of My Teaching Practice Be Assessed? ...........................................................................16 Planning Rubrics...................................................................................................................................................17

Task 2: Instructing and Engaging the Focus Learner(s)....................................................... 22 What to Think About .............................................................................................................................................22 What Do I Need to Do?.........................................................................................................................................22 What Do I Need to Write? .....................................................................................................................................23 How Will the Evidence of My Teaching Practice Be Assessed? ...........................................................................24 Instruction Rubrics ................................................................................................................................................25

Task 3: Assessing Learning .................................................................................................... 30 What to Think About .............................................................................................................................................30 What Do I Need to Do?.........................................................................................................................................30 What Do I Need to Write? .....................................................................................................................................31 How Will the Evidence of My Teaching Practice Be Assessed? ...........................................................................32 Assessment Rubrics .............................................................................................................................................33

Professional Responsibilities.................................................................................................. 38 Special Education Context for Learning Information ............................................................ 39 Special Education Evidence Chart.......................................................................................... 40 Task 1: Artifacts and Commentary Specifications.................................................................................................40 Task 2: Artifacts and Commentary Specifications.................................................................................................41 Task 3: Artifacts and Commentary Specifications.................................................................................................42

Special Education Glossary..................................................................................................... 44

Copyright © 2013 Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University. All rights reserved.

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Introduction to edTPA Special Education Purpose edTPA is a nationally available performance assessment of readiness to teach for novices. The assessment is designed with a focus on learning and principles from research and theory. Successful teachers

 develop and apply knowledge of varied learner needs  consider research and theory about how learners with varied needs are best supported to learn

 develop learner knowledge and skills using individual education plan goals, 1 content standards, and ongoing assessment to select instructional objectives

 provide individualized instruction and instructional and performance adaptations and accommodations

 attend to generalization and maintenance of newly learned knowledge and skills  reflect on and analyze evidence of the effects of instruction and other supports on individual learning, and use this information to inform future instruction and selection of instructional content As a performance-based assessment, edTPA is designed to engage candidates in demonstrating their understanding of teaching and learning in authentic ways.

Summary of Tasks In this assessment, you will select two learners with special needs and develop and teach 3–5 consecutive lessons (referred to as a learning segment) designed to meet the needs of the two focus learners. A learning segment prepared for this assessment should provide access to the curriculum content reflected in the learning segment and support the focus learners, as needed, to demonstrate their learning. If you are teaching in a context where instruction occurs one-to-one instead of in a group setting, you may work with one focus learner. However, you must complete a rationale as to why your learning segment has only one focus learner.

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A plan that sets forth individualized learning goals and benchmarks and required supports and services for an individual

learner with exceptional needs. When capitalized, it refers to a plan required under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Early childhood special education is guided by the Individual Family Service Plan (IFSP), which includes, in part, plans for interventions and direct support by the special educator for the learning and development of young learners (as opposed to family supports, which are also included in the IFSP). Some private facilities are not subject to IDEA, and develop their own plans for individual learners. The term “individual education plan,” uncapitalized, refers to any of these plans for guiding the individualized learning and support of learners with exceptional needs.


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You will develop learning targets for the focus learner(s) as follows:

 If the focus learner(s) is/are working on academic content (which may be functional academics or early literacy/numeracy for some learners) in literacy, mathematics, social studies, or science, you will select one learning target related to one of these content areas. You will select an academic or functional academic learning target whether or not there is a related individual education plan goal. You will select a second learning target in another curricular area representing a skill needed by the focus learner(s) to support access to instruction or to demonstrate learning for the academic or functional academic learning targets. At least one of the learning targets must be related to a goal in the learner’s individual education plan. If two focus learners have different needs, there may be two different learning targets to provide appropriate support.

 For other focus learner(s), you will document instruction and support for two learning targets for each learner in different curricular areas identified in the individual education plan.

 Curricular areas include academics (including functional academics and early literacy/numeracy), independence (functional/adaptive), expanded core curriculum (for visually impaired learners), learning strategies, or social skills. The learning segment should be aligned to relevant academic or nonacademic standards and/or goals/benchmarks specified in each focus learner’s individual education plan, and reflect appropriate adaptations of the learning environment, content, and instructional strategies. This learning segment may be planned and taught in either a group or individual setting, according to usual practice in your teaching context. You will complete three tasks for edTPA: 1. Planning for Instruction and Assessment 2. Instructing and Engaging the Focus Learner(s) 3. Assessing Learning


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The Cycle of Effective Teaching and edTPA Tasks The three edTPA tasks represent a cycle of effective teaching. The planning task documents your intended teaching, the instruction task documents your enacted teaching, and the assessment task documents the impact of your teaching on the learning of the focus learner(s).

These tasks and the evidence you provide for each are framed by your understandings of your focus learner(s) and his/her/their learning. As you develop, document, and teach your lessons, you will reflect upon the cyclical relationship among planning, instruction, and assessment, keeping your focus learner(s)’ at the center of your teaching.

Evidence of Teaching Practice: Artifacts and Commentaries To complete the assessment, you will submit artifacts and commentaries as evidence of how you planned and implemented instruction for your focus learner(s).

 Artifacts represent authentic work completed by you and your focus learner(s). These include lesson plans, copies of instructional and assessment materials or data collection procedures, video clips of your teaching, and a work sample for each focus learner.

 Commentaries are your opportunity to describe your artifacts, explain the rationale behind their choice, and analyze what you have learned about your teaching practice and its impact on your focus learner(s). Note that although your writing ability will not be scored directly, commentaries must be clearly written and well focused.


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When preparing your artifacts and commentaries, refer to the rubrics frequently to guide your thinking, planning, and writing. Refer to the Special Education Evidence Chart for information about how your evidence should be formatted for electronic submission.

Evaluation Criteria The evidence you submit will be judged on five components of teaching practice: 1. Planning 2. Instruction 3. Assessment 4. Analyzing Teaching 5. Language/Communication You will provide evidence for the planning, instruction, and assessment components within the corresponding tasks. You will provide evidence for the analyzing teaching component across all three tasks. You will provide evidence for the language/communication component in planning, as well as in the instruction AND/OR assessment task. The rubrics used to score your performance are included in the handbook and follow the directions for each task. The descriptors in the five-level rubrics address a wide range of performance representing the knowledge and skills of a novice ranging from not ready to teach (Level 1) to the advanced practices of a highly accomplished beginner (Level 5).


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Structure of the Handbook The instructions on the following pages guide you in putting together the artifacts and commentaries required within the three tasks of edTPA. Within each task, instructions are organized into four sections: 1. What to Think About 2. What Do I Need to Do? 3. What Do I Need to Write? 4. How Will the Evidence of My Teaching Practice Be Assessed? Additional requirements and resources are available to you in this handbook: 2

 Professional Responsibilities: guidelines for the development of your evidence  Context for Learning Information: prompts used to collect information about your instructional context

 Evidence Chart: requirements for electronic evidence submission, including supported file types, number of files, response length, and other important evidence specifications

 Glossary: definitions of key terms; roll your cursor over each glossary term marked with a dotted underline or refer to the Special Education Glossary.

Review all instructions carefully before beginning to teach the learning segment to ensure that you are well prepared for all tasks. If you are submitting artifacts and commentaries to Pearson for official scoring, refer to the Pearson website, www.edTPA.com, for complete and current information before beginning your work.

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Your preparation program will have additional resources, including the Making Good Choices document, that provide

guidance as you develop your evidence.


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edTPA Tasks Overview What to Do

What to Submit

Evaluation Rubrics

Task 1 Planning: Planning for Instruction and Assessment ► Select two learners 3 as a focus for this assessment. ► Obtain required permissions for videorecording from parents/guardians for your focus learner(s) (or, if appropriate, each focus learner) and other adults appearing in the video. ► Provide relevant context information.

 Part A: Context for Learning Information  Part B: Lesson Plans for Learning Segment  Part C: Instructional Materials  Part D: Assessments and/or Data Collection Procedures

► If the focus learner(s) is/are working  Part E: Planning Commentary on core academic, functional academic, or early literacy/numeracy content (literacy, mathematics, social studies, or science), identify  one learning target related to one of these content areas as well as to relevant academic standards and/or goals/benchmarks in the individual education plan AND  one learning target in another curricular area 4 representing a skill needed by the focus learner(s) to access instruction or demonstrate learning for the academic or functional academic learning target. (This target may differ for two learners with different needs for support. At least one of the two learning targets for each focus learner must be related to an individual education plan goal.

Planning Rubrics Rubric 1: Planning for Alignment and Development of Knowledge and Skills Rubric 2: Planning Challenge and Support for Focus Learner(s) Rubric 3: Justification of Instruction and Support Rubric 4: Supporting Language/Communication Development for Access and Performance Rubric 5: Planning Assessments to Monitor and Support Learning

► For other focus learner(s), identify two learning targets for each learner in different curricular areas specified in the learner’s individual education plan. 5 3

You may work with one focus learner, but in your commentary, you must provide the rationale for why your setting/learner

needs do not allow for developing and teaching lessons to two focus learners. 4

Curricular areas include academics or functional academics (including early literacy and early numeracy), independence

(functional/adaptive), expanded core curriculum (for visually impaired learners), learning strategies, or social skills. 5

Because you will be videorecording your instruction, for privacy reasons, learning targets where the learner would appear

unclothed (e.g., bathing or toiletry) are not suitable for this assessment.


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What to Do

What to Submit

Evaluation Rubrics

Task 1 Planning: Planning for Instruction and Assessment (continued) ► Obtain or collect baseline data for knowledge and skills related to the two learning targets for each focus learner prior to the beginning of the learning segment. ► From the learning targets and the baseline data, develop lesson objectives that can be achieved in a 3–5 lesson learning segment. ► Design a learning segment of 3–5 lessons that provides access to curriculum and instruction and supports the focus learner(s) in meeting the lesson objectives. You will document instruction, support, and assessment for both learning targets for each focus learner. ► Analyze language/communication demands for one key learning task. For focus learner(s) with a learning target in the academic curriculum, this should be the language/communication of the appropriate discipline. ► Write and submit a lesson plan for each lesson in your learning segment, including the daily collection of assessment data to monitor each focus learner’s progress toward lesson objectives. ► Select and submit key instructional and support materials needed to understand what you and the focus learner(s) are doing. ► Submit copies of all assessment tools or descriptions of data collection procedures. ► Respond to commentary prompts prior to teaching the learning segment.


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What to Do

What to Submit

Evaluation Rubrics

Task 2 Instruction: Instructing and Engaging the Focus Learner(s)  Part A: Video Clip(s) ► Identify lessons to videorecord and videorecord your teaching.  Part B: Instruction ► Check the video and sound quality, Commentary analyze your teaching, and select the most appropriate video clip(s) to submit. ► If teaching a group, obtain required permissions for videorecording from parents/guardians of learners who might appear in the video and who are not a focus learner. ► Select 1–2 video clips (no more than 20 minutes total). The interactions in the clip(s) should demonstrate how you engage and support the focus learner(s) in an individual or group setting and in developing and applying the new knowledge and skills. ► Analyze your teaching and the learning of the focus learner(s) in the video clip(s) by responding to commentary prompts.


Instruction Rubrics Rubric 6: Learning Environment Rubric 7: Engaging the Focus Learner(s) Rubric 8: Deepening Learning Rubric 9: Supporting Teaching and Learning Rubric 10: Analyzing Teaching Effectiveness

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What to Do

What to Submit

Evaluation Rubrics

Task 3 Assessment: Assessing Learning ► Use the baseline data, the daily assessment records, and the final assessment to analyze focus learner(s)’ progress. For some lesson objectives, the final assessment record will be the final assessment. ► Submit one copy of the completed daily assessment record for each lesson. ► Select and submit one learner work sample (for each focus learner) from the end of the learning segment for one learning target to help illustrate the conclusions you reach in your analysis. This must be the learning target in academics (including functional academics or early literacy/numeracy) for learners working in this area. The work sample(s) may take the form of a test, an assignment, or a video clip of performance. ► Document the feedback you gave to the focus learner(s) for the final assessment, either on the work sample itself, as an audio clip, or as a video clip. ► Analyze evidence of the focus learner(s)’ understanding and use of the targeted language/communication from (1) the video clip(s) from the instruction task, AND/OR (2) the learner work samples from the assessment task. ► Analyze the data on learning progress, and plan for next steps by responding to commentary prompts.

 Part A: Learner Work Sample(s)  Part B: Completed Daily Assessment Records

Assessment Rubrics Rubric 11: Analyzing Focus Learner(s)’ Performance

 Part C: Evidence of Feedback

Rubric 12: Using Feedback to Guide Further Learning

 Part D: Assessment Commentary

Rubric 13: Learner Use of Feedback


Rubric 14: Analyzing the Focus Learner(s)’ Use of Language/Communication Rubric 15: Using Assessment to Inform Instruction

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Task 1: Planning for Instruction and Assessment What to Think About In Task 1: Planning for Instruction and Assessment, you will describe your plans for the learning segment and explain how your instruction is appropriate for the focus learner(s) and the content you are teaching:

 For each focus learner, what does your learner know, what can s/he do, and what is s/he still learning to do?

 What does each focus learner need to learn to make progress toward the selected learning targets (academic or nonacademic)?

 What are the important knowledge and skills you want the focus learner(s) to develop within the learning segment?

 What instructional strategies and learning tasks will you design to support access, learning, and curriculum-related language/communication?

 How will you monitor and record each focus learner’s progress toward lesson objectives?

 How is the teaching you propose informed by your knowledge of your focus learner(s)? Task 1 prepares you to demonstrate and analyze the effectiveness of your teaching of the planned learning segment.

What Do I Need to Do?  Select two learners 6 with an individual education plan 7 as a focus for this assessment. To protect confidentiality, in the commentaries and all other written materials, refer to your focus learner(s) by first name(s) only or in general terms (“Learner 1”).

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You may work with one focus learner, but in your commentary, you must provide the rationale for why your setting/learner

needs do not allow for developing and teaching lessons to two focus learners. 7

A plan that sets forth individualized learning goals and benchmarks and required supports and services for an individual

learner with exceptional needs. When capitalized, it refers to a plan required under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Early childhood special education is guided by the Individual Family Service Plan (IFSP), which includes, in part, plans for interventions and direct support by the special educator for the learning and development of young learners (as opposed to family supports, which are also included in the IFSP). Some private facilities are not subject to IDEA, and develop their own plans for individual learners. The term “individualized education plan,” uncapitalized, refers to any of these plans for guiding the individualized learning and support of learners with exceptional needs.


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 Obtain permission for videorecording instruction from the person(s) who has/have the legal right to grant permission for the focus learner(s)—the parent/guardian of your focus learner(s) or your focus learner(s) (if appropriate)—prior to planning the learning segment. (Note that you will also need to obtain the same permission for any other learners appearing in the video.)

 Provide context information using the Context for Learning Information provided at the end of this handbook (no more than 3 pages, including prompts) and by responding to the Planning Commentary prompts.

 Identify two learning targets for each focus learner as the learning segment focus.  If the focus learner(s) is/are working on academic (including functional academic or early literacy/numeracy) content in literacy, mathematics, social studies, or science, select a learning target related to one of these content areas. You will select an academic or functional academic learning target whether or not there is a related individual education plan goal. In addition, identify a learning target in another curricular area representing a skill needed by each focus learner to access instruction or demonstrate learning for the academic or functional academic learning target. For each focus learner, at least one of the two learning targets must be related to an individual education plan goal. If two focus learners have different needs, there may be two different learning targets to provide appropriate support, resulting in a total of three learning targets including a common academic learning target.

 For other focus learner(s), select a learning target for each focus learner in two different curricular areas 8 that are specified in the individual education plan that can be addressed in the same learning segment.

 Obtain or collect baseline data for knowledge and skills related to BOTH learning targets for each focus learner prior to the beginning of the learning segment, to inform planning. From the learning targets and the baseline data, develop lesson objectives that can be achieved in a 3–5 lesson learning segment.

 Design a learning segment of 3–5 lessons to provide access to curriculum and instruction and support the focus learner(s) in meeting the lesson objectives. For each focus learner, you will describe and document instruction and support for two lesson objectives 9 in each lesson in the curricular areas of the learning targets (for work in content areas, in the academic curriculum and a target skill to support progress toward the academic learning target). Your instruction and support may focus on additional lesson objectives, but you will only document two for this assessment.

 Analyze language/communication demands for one task. Choose one key learning task with language/communication demands that recur across the learning segment. Analyze the verbal/nonverbal, oral, written, and/or symbolic language or communications that focus learner(s) will need to learn to understand or produce in order to access the learning task and demonstrate learning. For the focus learner(s) with a learning target in

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Because you will be videorecording your instruction, for privacy reasons, learning targets where the learner would appear

unclothed (e.g., bathing or toiletry) are not suitable for this assessment. 9

If two focus learners working on an academic (including functional academics or early literacy/numeracy) objective need

different areas of support, then you will document three learning objectives for each lesson—one common academic (including functional academics or early literacy/numeracy) objective and one support objective for each focus learner.


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literacy, mathematics, social studies, or science, this language/communication demand should be the language/communication of the appropriate academic discipline. For focus learner(s) using augmentative or alternative communication, the language/communication demand may be other forms of communication.

 Write a lesson plan for each lesson in your learning segment. Be sure to number your lesson plans. Your lesson plans should be detailed enough that a substitute or other teacher could understand them well enough to use them. If your teacher preparation program requires you to use a specific lesson plan format for this assessment, be sure to include the information described below.

 Your lesson plans should include the following information:  State-adopted learner academic content standards, modified standards, or alternative standards that are the target of learning (Please list the number and text of the standard. If only a portion of a standard is being addressed, then only list the relevant part[s].)

 Relevant individual education plan goals and benchmarks for the focus learner(s)  Lesson objectives with measurable criteria  Assessment tools and data collection procedures to monitor progress toward the lesson objectives (Include a final assessment at the end of the learning segment to compare to the baseline data. For academic learning targets, this should be an assignment, performance assessment, or a test.)

 Instructional strategies and learning tasks, including any modifications or accommodations to meet individual focus learner(s)’ needs, for example, the learning environment, group composition, assistive technology. Include what you, other adults, other learners, and the focus learner(s) will be doing.

 Plans for teaching toward generalization, maintenance, and/or self-directed use of knowledge and skills

 Resources and materials, including any modifications or accommodations for the focus learner(s)

If instruction of the focus learners occurs in a group setting, write lesson plans for the group, including any adaptations for each focus learner’s needs. If you are co-teaching and usually co-write plans, you should take the lead role in writing the plans, highlighting modifications, accommodations, or other support or supplemental instruction for each focus learner.  Submit your original lesson plans. If you make changes while teaching the learning segment, you will have opportunities to reflect on changes in the Instruction and Assessment Commentaries.

 Select and submit key instructional and support materials needed to understand what you and the focus learner(s) are doing (no more than 5 additional pages per lesson plan). The instructional materials might include written support materials, graphic organizers, task analyses, or checklists.


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 Submit copies of all assessment tools and/or a description of data collection procedures. You should keep a daily assessment record to monitor each focus learner’s progress toward all lesson objectives.

 Respond to prompts in the Planning Commentary section below prior to teaching the learning segment.

See Task 1: Artifacts and Commentary Specifications for instructions on electronic evidence submission. The evidence chart identifies supported file types, number of files, response length, and other important evidence specifications.

What Do I Need to Write? In Task 1: Planning for Instruction and Assessment, you will write

 lesson plans  a description of your context for learning  commentary explaining your plans

Planning Commentary Respond to the prompts below (no more than 11 single-spaced pages, including prompts). 1. Context for Learning a. Provide information about the context in which you teach so that another educator can understand your teaching decisions for the instruction in the learning segment. Address the following:

 Type of setting (e.g., first grade classroom in an elementary school, selfcontained classroom, a home, a job site)

 Your role in the focus learner(s)’ instructional program (e.g., teach all academic subjects plus support a behavioral plan; pull out of general education classroom for supplementary instruction in reading; coordinate services to the family and model working with the focus learner)

 The schedule for instructional time with the focus learner(s) for the learning segment focus (e.g., Tuesdays for 15 minutes; every day for six hours with two hours on reading instruction)

 The primary language of instruction, if other than English (e.g., ASL) b. Describe any district, school, or cooperating teacher, or student teaching requirements or expectations that might affect your planning or instructional delivery (e.g., prescribed reading curriculum). c. Identify any textbook or instructional program you primarily use for instruction for the learning targets. If a textbook, please provide the title, publisher, and date of publication.


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d. If group instruction, describe the size and composition of the group (e.g., 6 special education learners; 3 learners with IEPs and 23 general education learners). e. If your teaching setting allows you to work with only one focus learner, describe what about the setting prevents you from working with two learners. 2. Focus learner(s) information a.

For each focus learner, identify the two learning targets selected for the learning segment.

b.

Describe each focus learner’s exceptionality (strengths and challenges) and its potential impact on instruction for the learning targets.

c.

List the goals and benchmarks in each focus learner’s individual education plan relevant to achieving the learning targets.

d.

For each focus learner, list any special accommodations or modifications in the learning environment, instruction, or assessment required by the individual education plan and relevant to the learning targets.

e.

Describe any behavior management plans.

f.

If you are providing instruction to only one focus learner because of learner needs, describe why the learner needs one-on-one instruction.

3. Knowledge of Focus Learner(s) to Inform Teaching of the Lesson Segment For each of the categories listed below (3a–d), describe what you know about each focus learner as related to the lesson objectives of the learning segment in relation to BOTH of their learning targets. What does each learner know? What can each learner do? And, what is s/he learning to do? a. Prior learning and experiences, including prerequisite knowledge and skills related to the lesson objectives. When relevant to lesson objectives, refer to baseline data obtained prior to the beginning of the learning segment. b. Social and emotional development (e.g., impulse control, ability to interact and express themselves and their feelings in constructive ways, ability to engage and persist in individual and collaborative learning, social connectedness). When relevant to lesson objectives, refer to baseline data obtained prior to the beginning of the learning segment. c. Personal, family, community, and cultural assets (e.g., each focus learner’s interests and strengths, relevant lived experiences, and self-management skills; family supports or resources; cultural expectations; community supports or resources) d. If relevant, any other information about the focus learner that will influence your instructional planning (e.g., other needs and strengths in areas such as motor skills or language/communication). When relevant to lesson objectives, refer to baseline data obtained prior to the learning segment. 4. Supporting Learning Respond to prompts 4a–e below. As needed, refer to the instructional materials you have included to support your explanations. Your explanation should address both learning targets for each focus learner. Use principles from research and theory Copyright © 2013 Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University. All rights reserved.

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to support your explanations, that is, explain why your plans will support learning for each focus learner and describe how they provide challenge that is appropriate for each learner. a. Explain how the following guided your choice of the lesson objectives, learning tasks, materials, and supports, including any adaptations, modifications, or accommodations.

 The focus learner(s)’ prior learning and experiences  The focus learner(s)’ interests and personal/family/cultural/community assets  The focus learner(s)’ individual education goals and benchmarks. If you selected an objective that addresses a support skill not reflected in the individual education plan, justify why it is appropriate for the focus learner(s) at this time. b. If there is not at least one learning target linked to the general education or early childhood curriculum, justify why that is not appropriate for the focus learner(s), given the learning needs. c. Explain how your choices provide each focus learner with the appropriate level of support and challenge needed to access and engage with the curriculum and instruction. d. Explain how the plans for instruction are sequenced in the learning segment to build connections between each focus learner’s prior learning and experiences and new learning. e. Explain how, throughout the learning segment, you will help the focus learner(s) to generalize, maintain, or self-manage the knowledge, skills, and supports, as appropriate. 5. Supporting Language/Communication for Access and Performance Respond to the prompts 5a–e below to explain how your plans support each focus learner’s academic or curriculum-related language/communication development. a. Language Demand: Language/Communication Function. Select a language/communication function that

 the focus learner(s) is/are expected to understand or use across lessons  is closely related to one or both learning targets Examples of language/communication functions include retelling a story, explaining a mathematics problem-solving strategy, signaling or initiating a turn during peer discussion, answering open-ended questions, stating an opinion, commenting on a picture, requesting by selecting a picture from a checklist. b. Choose one learning task where each focus learner has an opportunity to practice the language/communication function. For a focus learner with a learning target in literacy, mathematics, social studies, or science, this language/communication should be relevant for communication in the appropriate academic discipline. In which lesson does the learning task occur? (Give the number of the lesson or day in your lesson plans.)


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c. Given the learning task identified, describe the following key curriculum-related language/communication demands that each focus learner needs to understand and/or use in order to have access to the curriculum and instruction and to demonstrate learning.

 Language Demands: Vocabulary and/or Symbols: Spoken, written, or demonstrated vocabulary and/or symbols

 Other Language Demands: Additional language demands needed to understand and use the vocabulary to access the learning task and demonstrate learning, such as syntax or discourse. Include nonverbal communication and augmentative and alternative communication as appropriate. d. Describe each focus learner’s language/communication skills/needs relative to the language demands identified in 5a and 5c. What does the learner know, what can the learner do, and what is s/he learning to do? As relevant, address skills/needs in English, the primary language (if other than English), and the use of augmentative and alternative communication or other assistive technologies. e. Describe the instructional supports (during and/or prior to the learning task) that help the focus learner(s) acquire, generalize, maintain, and successfully use the targeted language/communication identified in prompts 5a and 5c. Include, if needed, the use of augmentative or alternative communication. 6. Monitoring Learning Explain how the assessments and the daily assessment record for each focus learner will provide evidence of

 progress toward the lesson objectives  generalization and maintenance, or self-directed use of learned skills  the conditions under which each focus learner was or was not successful

How Will the Evidence of My Teaching Practice Be Assessed? When preparing your artifacts and commentaries, refer to the rubrics frequently to guide your thinking, planning, and writing. For Task 1: Planning for Instruction and Assessment, your evidence will be assessed with rubrics 1–5, which appear in the following pages.


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Planning Rubrics Rubric 1: Planning for Alignment and Development of Knowledge and Skills How do the candidate’s plans build knowledge and skills 10 aligned to individualized education plan goals and benchmarks? Level 1 11

Level 2

Level 3

Level 4

Level 5

Individualized education plan goals and benchmarks, standards (if applicable), lesson objectives, and learning tasks and materials are not aligned with each other.

Individualized education plan goals and benchmarks, standards (if applicable), lesson objectives, and learning tasks and materials are loosely or inconsistently aligned with each other.

For each focus learner, individualized education plan goals and benchmarks, standards (if applicable), lesson objectives, and learning tasks and materials are consistently aligned with each other and coordinate with state standards as appropriate.

For each focus learner, individualized education plan goals and benchmarks, standards (if applicable), lesson objectives, and learning tasks and materials are consistently aligned with each other and coordinate with state standards as appropriate.

Lesson objectives include clearly defined measurable outcomes for each focus learner’s performance.

Lesson objectives include clearly defined measurable outcomes, and build on each other to connect each focus learner’s prior learning, experiences, and new learning.

Level 4 plus: Lesson objectives include clearly defined measurable outcomes. Plans for instruction build on each other to connect the focus learner(s)’ prior learning, experiences, and new learning and incorporate strategies to enhance generalization and maintenance and/or selfdirected use of knowledge and/or skills.

10

The desired learning outcomes for the learning segment. Knowledge and skills includes conceptual understanding and the knowledge of how and when to use knowledge,

concepts, skills, and strategies to shape behavior and performance (not merely discrete knowledge and skills). 11

Text representing key differences between adjacent score levels is shown in bold. Evidence that does not meet Level 1 criteria is scored at Level 1.


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Planning Rubrics continued

Rubric 2: Planning Challenge and Support for Focus Learner(s) How does the candidate use knowledge of the focus learner(s) to tailor strategies to provide and support access to challenging curriculum and instruction? Level 1

Level 2

Level 3

Level 4

Level 5

There is little or no evidence of planned supports.

For each focus learner, planned supports loosely tie to lesson objectives or the learning targets of the learning segment.

For each focus learner, planned supports tie to lesson objectives and the learning targets of the learning segment.

For each focus learner, planned supports tie to lesson objectives and the learning targets of the learning segment.

AND

AND

AND

Level 4 plus: Plans include contingency points where the candidate can make adjustments to learning tasks and/or supports.

Learning tasks and supports generally reflect each focus learner‘s prior learning, experience, and needs or superficially address each learner’s strengths 14 and social/emotional development.

For each focus learner, learning tasks and supports provide appropriate 15 levels of support, reflecting strengths AND/OR social/emotional development.

For each focus learner, learning tasks and supports provide appropriate levels of support and challenge, 16 reflecting each learner’s strengths, social/emotional development, and interests.

OR Learning tasks and supports 12 reflect general characteristics of each focus learner’s prior learning, experience, and needs. 13 The tasks, materials, or supports are not appropriate to each focus learner’s age or needs. OR Learning tasks and supports do NOT tie to lesson objectives and /or do NOT reflect required modifications and accommodations.

AND Plans call for engaging each focus learner in using his/her knowledge of strengths and needs to selfmanage supports or challenges.

12

Learning environment, tasks, materials, accommodations, modifications, assistive technology, and/or scaffolding Learning needs include individualized education program plan goals, benchmarks, accommodations, modifications, assistive technology, and/or scaffolding as well as other needs identified and justified by the candidate in order to achieve the lesson objectives. 14 Strengths relative to the learning target may come from prior learning, lived experiences, language and communication development, or family/cultural assets. 15 Appropriateness of levels of support determined by each focus learner’s baseline data, prior learning, experiences, and needs 16 Appropriateness of challenge determined by each focus learner’s baseline data, prior learning, experiences, and needs 13


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Rubric 3: Justification of Instruction and Support How does the candidate use knowledge of the focus learner(s), research, and/or theory to justify decisions? Level 1

Level 2

Level 3

Level 4

Level 5

Candidate’s justification of instruction or support strategies is either missing or represents a deficit view of at least one focus learner.

Candidate’s justification of instruction and support strategies makes vague or unclear connections to research and/or theory, OR the strengths and the needs of at least one focus learner.

Candidate’s justification of instruction and support strategies makes general connections to research and/or theory AND the strengths and the needs of each focus learner.

Candidate’s justification of instruction and support strategies makes clear connections to research and/or theory and each focus learner’s strengths and needs with specific adaptations for each focus learner.

Candidate’s justification of instruction and support strategies makes clear and consistent connections to research and/or theory and each focus learner’s strengths and needs with specific adaptations for each focus learner. Candidate justifies selection of strategies that support maintained, generalized, and/or selfdirected use of knowledge or skills for each focus learner.


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Rubric 4: Supporting Language/Communication Development for Access and Performance How does the candidate identify and support language/communication demands to provide access to the language function and learning targets? Level 1

Level 2

Level 3

Level 4

Level 5

Language/communication demands identified by the candidate are not consistent with the selected language function or learning target(s).

Candidate identifies vocabulary and/or symbols as the major language demand associated with the language function. Attention to additional language demands is superficially related to other language/communication demands of the learning target(s).

Candidate identifies vocabulary and/or symbols AND other language/communication demands related to the learning target(s) and language function.

Candidate identifies vocabulary and/or symbols AND other language/communication demands related to the learning target(s) and language function.

Supports for the targeted language/communication demands provide access to the learning task and/or demonstration of learning for EACH focus learner.

Candidate justifies why the supports for the targeted language/communication will provide access to the learning task and/or demonstration of the language function and the learning target(s) for each focus learner.

Level 4 plus: Candidate justifies why the supports move each focus learner toward maintenance and generalization, or selfdirected use of the targeted language/communication function, vocabulary, symbols, or other identified language demands.


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Rubric 5: Planning Assessments to Monitor and Support Learning How are the assessments and daily assessment records selected or designed to provide evidence of the focus learner(s)’ progress toward the lesson objectives? Level 1

Level 2

Level 3

Level 4

Level 5

The set of assessments and daily assessment records are not aligned to the lesson objectives and will provide little or no evidence of each focus learner’s progress.

Assessments and the daily assessment records are loosely aligned to the lesson objectives, and provide limited evidence to monitor each focus learner’s progress during the learning segment.

Assessments (including baseline data) and the daily assessment records are aligned to all lesson objectives and provide evidence for monitoring each focus learner’s progress at different points in the learning segment.

Assessments (including baseline data) and the daily assessment records are aligned to all lesson objectives and provide evidence for monitoring each focus learner’s progress at different points in the learning segment.

Level 4 plus: The set of assessments and the daily assessment records are strategically designed to provide diagnostic information about where each focus learner might need additional support to make further progress and work toward generalized and maintained, or self-directed use of knowledge and/or skills.

OR Some lesson objectives are not assessed.


Assessments reflect appropriate levels of challenge and support in light of each focus learner’s specific strengths, needs, and lesson objectives.

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Task 2: Instructing and Engaging the Focus Learner(s) What to Think About In Task 2: Instructing and Engaging the Focus Learner(s), you will demonstrate how you engage and support your focus learner(s) in learning.

 How does the learning environment demonstrate respect for and rapport with each focus learner, enhance self-determination, and support engagement in learning?

 How do the strategies engage and motivate your focus learner(s) in learning tasks to achieve the lesson objectives?

 How are you connecting new learning to each focus learner’s prior knowledge, skills, and personal, cultural, or community assets?

 How are you using strategies and materials to scaffold instruction for the focus learner(s)?

 How will you elicit and build on each focus learner’s responses to provide feedback and facilitate reasoning and problem solving to apply new learning?

 How will you use evidence from your instruction to examine and change your teaching practices to more effectively meet each focus learner’s needs for acquiring, generalizing, maintaining, and/or self-directing use of the target knowledge and skills?

What Do I Need to Do?  Obtain required permissions for videorecording. Before you record your video, ensure that you have the appropriate permission from the parents/guardians of your learners (or, if appropriate, the learners themselves) and from adults who appear in the video. Adjust the camera angle to exclude individuals for whom you do not have permission to film.

 Examine your lesson plans for the learning segment and identify challenging learning tasks in which you and your focus learner(s) are actively engaged. Clip(s) should provide a sample of how you interact with focus learner(s) to support their learning.

 Identify lessons to videorecord.  Provide 1–2 video clips (totaling no more than 20 minutes) that demonstrate how you establish a positive learning environment and engage and support the focus learner(s) to develop and apply the targeted knowledge and skills.

 The video clip(s) can feature the focus learner(s) alone or within a group of learners. The instructional setting should be the normal setting used for such instruction.


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 (Optional) Provide evidence of the focus learner(s)’ understanding and use of the targeted language/communication. You may provide this evidence with your video clip(s) from Task 2 AND/OR through learner work sample(s) submitted in Task 3.

 Videorecord your teaching. Tips for videorecording your class are available from your teacher preparation program.

 Select 1–2 video clip(s) to submit and verify that clip(s) meet the following guidelines:  A video clip must be continuous and unedited, with no interruption in events.  Check the video and sound quality to ensure that you and your focus learner(s) can be seen and heard on the video clip(s) you submit.

 Do not include the name of the state, school, or district in your video. Use first names only for all individuals appearing in the video.

 Respond to prompts listed in the Instruction Commentary section below after viewing the video clip(s).

 Determine if additional information is needed to understand what you and the focus learner(s) are doing in the video clip(s). For example, if there are graphics, texts, or images that are not clearly visible in the video, or comments that are not clearly heard, insert digital copies or transcriptions at the end of the Instruction Commentary (no more than 2 pages).


What Do I Need to Write? Instruction Commentary Write the Instruction Commentary (no more than 8 single-spaced pages, including prompts) by providing your response to each of the prompts below. 1. Which lesson or lessons are shown in the clip(s)? Identify the lesson(s) by lesson plan number. 2. If applicable, provide any additional information (beyond that provided in Task 1) needed to understand the learning environment or interactions seen in each clip. 3. Promoting a Positive Learning Environment Refer to scenes in the video clip(s) where you provided a positive learning environment.

 How did you demonstrate mutual respect for, rapport with, and responsiveness to enhance self-determination and support engagement in learning for each focus learner, individually and/or as part of the group?


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4. Engaging and Motivating the Focus Learner(s) Refer to examples from the clip(s) in your explanations. a. Explain how your strategies engaged and motivated each focus learner to develop and apply the targeted knowledge and skills. b. Describe how your instruction linked each focus learner’s prior learning and personal, family, cultural, and/or community assets with new learning. 5. Deepening Learning during Instruction Refer to examples from the clip(s) in your explanations. a. Explain how you elicited and responded to each focus learner’s performance to promote application of learning. b. Describe opportunities provided to each focus learner to apply feedback to improve performance. 6. Supporting Teaching and Learning Refer to examples from the clip(s) in your explanations. a. For each focus learner, explain how your materials, supports, and instructional strategies support his/her learning in relation to the lesson objectives and how they reflect the learner’s development, age, and needs. b. For each focus learner, describe how your instructional materials and instructional and support strategies facilitate the development or application of a self-directed learning strategy. 7. Analyzing Teaching Refer to examples from the clip(s) in your explanations. a. What changes would you make to your instruction to better support learning related to the lesson objectives? b. Why do you think these changes would improve the learning of each focus learner? Support your explanation with evidence of each focus learner’s performance and principles from theory and/or research as appropriate.

How Will the Evidence of My Teaching Practice Be Assessed? When preparing your artifacts and commentaries, refer to the rubrics frequently to guide your thinking, planning, and writing. For Task 2: Instructing and Engaging the Focus Learner(s), your evidence will be assessed using rubrics 6–10, which appear in the following pages.


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Instruction Rubrics Rubric 6: Learning Environment How does the candidate demonstrate a respectful learning environment that supports the focus learner(s)’ engagement in learning? Level 1

Level 2

Level 3

Level 4

Level 5

Candidate demonstrates disrespectful behavior toward any learner OR allows disruptive/disrespectful behavior to interfere with learning.

The candidate demonstrates respect for the learner(s).

The candidate demonstrates rapport with and respect for the learner(s).



Candidate provides a positive learning environment that supports the lesson objectives.

Candidate provides a learning environment that balances learning challenge with support needs relative to the lesson objectives.

Candidate provides a learning environment that balances learning challenge with support needs relative to the lesson objectives, with opportunities for selfdetermination.

OR The candidate does not respond in a timely manner to safety issues.

Candidate provides a learning environment that serves primarily to control each learner’s behavior, and minimally supports the lesson objectives.


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Instruction Rubrics continued

Rubric 7: Engaging the Focus Learner(s) How does the candidate actively engage the focus learner(s) in developing knowledge and skills to reach the lesson objectives? Level 1

Level 2

Level 3

Level 4

Level 5

In the clip(s), the focus learner(s) are predominantly passive, inattentive, or out of control while candidate provides instruction or intervention.

Candidate uses motivational and engagement strategies to create engagement in the learning task.

Candidate uses explicit motivational and engagement strategies to create active engagement in developing the desired knowledge and skills of each focus learner.

Candidate uses explicit, individualized motivational and engagement strategies to create active engagement in developing the desired knowledge and skills of each focus learner.

Candidate fluently uses explicit, individualized motivational and engagement strategies to create active engagement in developing the desired knowledge and skills of each focus learner.

There is little or no evidence that the candidate links the focus learner(s)’ prior learning with new learning.

Candidate makes vague or superficial links between the focus learner(s)’ prior learning and new learning.

Candidate links each focus learner’s prior learning to new learning.

Candidate links each focus learner’s prior learning AND each focus learner’s personal, cultural, or community assets to new learning.

Candidate prompts each focus learner to link prior learning and personal, cultural, or community assets to new learning.


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Rubric 8: Deepening Learning How does the candidate elicit and monitor focus learner(s)’ responses or performance to support progress toward meeting individualized learning targets? Level 1

Level 2

Level 3

Level 4

Level 5

Candidate talks throughout the clip(s), providing the focus learner(s) with few opportunities to respond.

Candidate primarily uses superficial prompts to elicit learner responses.

Candidate elicits each focus learner’s responses to apply new learning related to the lesson objectives.

Candidate elicits responses and builds on each focus learner’s reasoning or problem solving to apply new learning.

Level 4 plus: Candidate prompts each focus learner to evaluate his/her own learning in a developmentally appropriate manner.

OR Materials or candidate responses include significant inaccuracies that are not corrected and that will lead to focus learner misunderstandings or misdirected focus learner performance.

Candidate evaluates the focus learner(s)’ responses only as correct or incorrect.


Candidate provides each focus learner with accurate and specific feedback (verbal or nonverbal) and opportunity to apply feedback to subsequent responses.

Candidate provides each focus learner with accurate, specific, and detailed feedback (verbal or nonverbal) and opportunity to apply feedback to subsequent responses.

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Rubric 9: Supporting Teaching and Learning How does the candidate support learning? Level 1

Level 2

Level 3

Level 4

Level 5

The candidate uses support or instruction strategies that are vague, inaccurate, or unrelated to the lesson objectives OR are developmentally inappropriate OR are not matched to the learner(s)’ needs.

Candidate uses general instructional strategies and generic supports and materials that are related to lesson objectives.

Candidate uses explicit instructional strategies and specific supports and materials that are related to lesson objectives.

Candidate uses explicit instructional strategies and individualized supports and materials that are related to lesson objectives.

Instructional strategies, supports, and materials are developmentally appropriate for the focus learner(s) and superficially match their needs.

Instructional strategies, supports, and materials are developmentally and age appropriate for the focus learner(s) and match their needs.

Instructional strategies, supports, and materials are developmentally and age appropriate for the focus learner(s), and match their needs and capitalize on their strengths. .

Level 4 plus: Instructional strategies and supports address focus learner(s)’ development or application of a developmentally appropriate self-directed learning strategy.


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Rubric 10: Analyzing Teaching Effectiveness How does the candidate use evidence to evaluate and change teaching practice to meet the focus learner(s)’ individual learning needs? Level 1

Level 2

Level 3

Level 4

Level 5

Candidate proposes changes unrelated to the learning needs of the focus learner(s).

Candidate proposes changes that are focused primarily on improving directions for learning tasks or task/behavior management.

Candidate proposes changes that address each focus learner’s needs related to the lesson objectives.

Candidate proposes changes that address each focus learner’s needs related to the lesson objectives.

Level 4 plus: Changes are justified with principles from research and/or theory related to evidence-based practices.

Changes are supported with general descriptions of appropriate research and/or theory.

Changes are connected to specific and appropriate research and/or theory.


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Task 3: Assessing Learning What to Think About In Task 3: Assessing Learning, you will analyze each focus learner’s progress and his/her use of the targeted language/communication:

 How will you gather evidence and make sense of what each focus learner has learned?

 How will you provide meaningful feedback to each focus learner?  How will you use evidence of what each focus learner knows and is able to do to plan next steps in instruction?

 How will you identify evidence and explain each focus learner’s use of language/communication that demonstrates the development of the targeted knowledge and skills?

What Do I Need to Do?  Use the baseline data, the daily assessment records, and, if different from the daily assessment record, the final assessment to analyze EACH focus learner’s progress toward reaching the lesson objectives for his/her two learning targets. Address focus learner(s)’ strengths and continuing needs in your analysis.

 Submit a copy of the completed daily assessment record for each focus learner for each lesson.

 Select and submit one learner work sample (for each focus learner) from the final assessment for one learning target to help illustrate the conclusions you reach in your analysis. If one of the learning targets is literacy, mathematics, social studies, or science, then the work sample should be the final test, performance assessment, or assignment. The assessment should be the work of the focus learner alone, not a product constructed as part of a group. A work sample can be a product (e.g., test, completed class assignment), a time-stamp reference (no more than to 2 minutes) for a video clip submitted in Task 2, or an additional video clip of no more than to 2 minutes.

 Document the feedback you gave to each focus learner for the final assessment, either on the work sample itself, as an audio clip, or as a video clip.

 Respond to prompts listed in the Assessment Commentary section below after analyzing each focus learner’s progress.

 If relevant, submit the chosen assessment including the directions/prompts for the assessment. Attach it (no more than 2 pages) to the end of the Assessment Commentary.


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 Provide evidence of each focus learner’s understanding and use of the targeted language/communication. You may choose evidence from video clip(s) submitted in Task 2 and/or learner work samples submitted in Task 3.


What Do I Need to Write? Assessment Commentary Write the Assessment Commentary (no more than 8 single-spaced pages, including prompts) by providing your response to each of the prompts below. 1. Analyzing Focus Learner(s)’ Performance a. Identify the lesson objectives from the learning segment measured by each daily assessment record. b. Describe any changes in the assessments, daily assessment records, and/or lesson objectives from what was described in the lesson plans, and explain why changes were made. c. If a work sample is an excerpt from video from Task 2: Instructing and Engaging the Focus Learner(s), provide a time-stamp reference here. d. Summarize each focus learner’s progress toward the lesson objectives. This summary can be presented in a chart or described in several paragraphs. e. Analyze what each focus learner appears to understand or do well and where s/he continues to struggle or need greater challenge, including any patterns in misunderstandings, errors, confusions, or needs. Be sure to cite evidence from your summary (above) as part of this discussion. f.

Analyze connections between each focus learner’s outcomes and instruction, support, and/or the learning environment. How did your instruction, support, or modifications of the learning environment lead to each focus learner’s progress on or attainment of lesson objectives? Cite evidence from the assessments to support your conclusions. Cite evidence from the learner work sample(s), the baseline data, daily assessment records, and final assessment (if different from the daily assessment record) as needed, to clarify or illustrate your summary and analyses.

2. Feedback to Guide Further Learning Refer to specific evidence of submitted feedback to support your explanations. a. In what form did you submit your evidence of feedback for each focus learner for the final assessment?

 Written directly on work samples or in a separate document  In an audio file Copyright © 2013 Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University. All rights reserved.

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 In a video clip from the instruction task (provide a time-stamp reference) or in a separate video clip b. Explain how feedback provided to each focus learner addresses his/her individual strengths and continuing needs relative to the lesson objectives measured. c. How will/did you support each focus learner to apply the feedback to guide improvement within the learning segment or in subsequent learning activities? d. How will/did you support each focus learner to move towards self-assessment, self-instruction, and/or self-correction? 3. Evidence of Language or Communication Understanding and Use

You may provide evidence of understanding and use of the targeted language/communication with your video clip(s) from Task 2 AND/OR through a learner work sample(s) provided in Task 3. Refer to examples from the clip(s) (with time stamps) and/or each focus learner’s work sample as evidence.

 Explain the extent to which each focus learner had opportunities to understand and use the targeted language/communication demands (function, vocabulary, symbols, and other demands) to access the learning task and to demonstrate learning. 4. Using Assessment to Inform Instruction Consider what you know about each focus learner and the effectiveness of your instruction/intervention and the learning environment when designing next steps. Connect your next steps to your analysis of each focus learner’s performance for both learning targets. Support your decisions with principles from research and/or theory, particularly as it relates to evidence-based practices, when appropriate.

 Describe next steps for instruction to reinforce current progress toward or attainment of the lesson objectives and/or to support further progress, generalization, maintenance, and/or self-directed use of knowledge, skills, or future learning. Consider all aspects of instruction, including support and environmental modification, as appropriate.

How Will the Evidence of My Teaching Practice Be Assessed? When preparing your artifacts and commentaries, refer to the rubrics frequently to guide your thinking, planning, and writing. For Task 3: Assessing Learning, your evidence will be assessed using rubrics 11–15, which appear in the following pages.


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Assessment Rubrics Rubric 11: Analyzing Focus Learner(s)’ Performance How does the candidate demonstrate an understanding of focus learner(s)’ performance with respect to the learning targets? Level 1

Level 2

Level 3

Level 4

Level 5

The analysis is superficial or inadequately supported by either the learner work sample(s) or the daily assessment record.

The analysis focuses only on whether or not the focus learner(s) did or did not achieve all the lesson objectives.

The analysis draws upon knowledge of each focus learner and focuses on patterns of the following:  each focus learner’s strengths and errors  levels or types of supports for each focus learner to understand each focus learner’s progress toward all lesson objectives.

The analysis focuses on knowledge of each focus learner and focuses on details within patterns of the following:  each focus learner’s strengths and errors  levels or types of supports for each focus learner to understand strengths and needs in each focus learner’s progress toward all lesson objectives.

Level 4 plus: The analysis makes clear and plausible connections between each focus learner’s outcomes relative to the lesson objectives and specific elements of the instruction or learning environment.

OR The lesson objectives, daily assessment record, and/or the work sample are insufficiently aligned with each other. OR One or more lesson objectives did not contain explicit, operationally defined criteria for meeting the objectives.


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Assessment Rubrics continued

Rubric 12: Using Feedback to Guide Further Learning What type of feedback does the candidate provide to focus learner(s)? Level 1

Level 2

Level 3

Level 4

Level 5

Feedback is unrelated to the lesson objectives OR is inconsistent with the analysis of learning.

Feedback addresses only errors OR strengths generally related to the lesson objectives.

OR

OR

For each focus learner, feedback is accurate and addresses both strengths AND needs related to specific lesson objectives.

Feedback contains significant content inaccuracies.

Feedback consists solely of nonspecific praise.

For EACH focus learner, feedback is accurate and primarily focuses on either errors OR strengths related to specific lesson objectives, with some attention to the other.

Level 4 plus: Candidate describes how s/he will guide each focus learner to use self-correction and to evaluate his/her own strengths and continued learning needs specific to lesson objectives.


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Rubric 13: Learner Use of Feedback How does the candidate provide opportunities for focus learner(s) to use the feedback to guide their further learning? Level 1

Level 2

Level 3

Level 4

Level 5

Opportunities for applying feedback are not described.

Candidate provides vague explanation for how each focus learner will use feedback to adjust current performance/responses.

Candidate describes how each focus learner will use feedback on his/her strengths and areas of need to adjust current performance/responses, as needed.

Candidate describes how s/he will guide each focus learner to use feedback on his/her strengths and areas of need to adjust current and subsequent learning or performance/responses.

Level 4 plus: Candidate describes how s/he will guide each focus learner to use feedback to generalize and maintain, or self-direct use of skills, use of knowledge, or future learning.

OR Candidate provides limited or no feedback to inform focus learner(s)’ performance/responses.


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Rubric 14: Analyzing the Focus Learner(s)’ Use of Language/Communication How does the candidate analyze the focus learner(s)’ use of language/communication to access the learning task and demonstrate learning? Level 1

Level 2

Level 3

Level 4

Level 5

Candidate identifies language/communication that is superficially related or unrelated to language demands (function, 17 vocabulary, and additional demands) associated with accessing instruction and/or demonstrating learning.

Candidate provides evidence of each focus learner’s use of vocabulary 18 associated with the language/communication function.

Candidate explains and provides evidence of each focus learner’s use of the language/communication function as well as vocabulary OR additional language/communication demand(s) 19 associated with the learning target(s).

Candidate explains and provides evidence of each focus learner’s use of the language function, vocabulary AND additional language demand(s) associated with the learning targets.

Level 4 plus: Candidate explains and provides evidence of learners’ generalization, or selfdirected use of the targeted language/communication.

Language use may be decontextualized or unrelated to performance.

17

The selected language/communication function is the verb identified in Planning Commentary Prompt 5a (retell, explain, initiate, etc.).

18

Spoken, written, or demonstrated vocabulary, including symbols in academic texts or signs in augmentative or assistive communication.

19

These are additional language/communication demands identified in the Planning Commentary Prompt 5c (vocabulary and/or symbols to access or demonstrate learning, plus

syntax or discourse and AAC, as appropriate).


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Rubric 15: Using Assessment to Inform Instruction How does the candidate use conclusions about what each focus learner knows and is able to do to plan next steps in instruction? Level 1

Level 2

Level 3

Level 4

Level 5

The next steps are not achievable or do not follow from the analysis.

Next steps focus solely on reteaching, more practice, and/or pacing.

Next steps are:  achievable;

OR

Next steps are described in sufficient detail to understand them but not to provide the logical connection to current instruction.

Next steps propose changes to instructional strategies with reference to each focus learner and current instruction.

Level 4 plus: The candidate is able to use the analysis to understand implications for each focus learner’s individual education plan goals, other instructional strategies, and/or curriculum.

Next steps are not relevant to the lesson objectives assessed. OR Next steps are not described in sufficient detail to understand them.


Next steps are described in sufficient detail to understand the logical connection to current instruction. Next steps are loosely connected with research and/or theory.

 provide logical, wellsequenced instructional strategies to address specific identified needs of each focus learner; and  are logically connected to current instruction.

Next steps are connected with research and/or theory.

Next steps include evidencebased practices justified with principles from research and/or theory.

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Professional Responsibilities Refer to the following table for an overview of your professional responsibilities in developing evidence for edTPA. If you are submitting artifacts and commentaries to Pearson for official scoring, refer to the Pearson website, www.edTPA.com, for complete and current information before beginning your work. Whether or not you are submitting to Pearson, you should fulfill the professional responsibilities described below

Responsibility

Description

Protect confidentiality

To protect confidentiality, please remove your name and use pseudonyms or general references (e.g., “the district”) for your state, school, district, and cooperating teacher. Mask or remove all names on any typed or written material (e.g., commentaries, lesson plans, learner work samples) that could identify individuals or institutions. During video recording, use the focus learner(s)’ first name(s) only. Before you record your instruction, ensure that you have the appropriate permission from people with the legal right to give permission—a parent/guardian of the learner(s) or (if appropriate) your learner(s) and from adults who appear in the video recording. Permission must be obtained for all learners who appear in the video, even if they are not focus learners. Your program will provide you with procedures and necessary forms to obtain these permissions, according to agreements with the school or district in which you are student teaching or completing your internship. If your program does not provide the necessary forms, you may refer to the sample forms found on the Pearson website. The release forms are not to be submitted with your materials, but you should follow your campus policy for retaining them. Provide citations for the source of all materials that you did not create (e.g., published texts, websites, material from other educators). List all citations by lesson number at the end of the Planning Commentary. As part of the assessment, you will document the alignment of your lesson plans with state-adopted academic content standards or alternative/modified standards or Common Core State Standards that are the target of learning. Refer to the education agency website for your state to obtain copies of relevant standards for this assessment. Follow the guidelines for candidate support found at www.edTPA.com as you develop your evidence for edTPA. Although you may seek and receive appropriate support from your university supervisors, cooperating/master teachers, university instructors, or peers during this process, the ultimate responsibility for completing this assessment lies with you. Therefore, when you submit your completed work, you must be able to confirm your adherence with certain statements, such as the following:  I have primary responsibility for teaching the focus learner(s) during the learning segment profiled in this assessment.  I have not previously taught this learning segment to the focus learner(s).  The video clip(s) submitted show me teaching the focus learner(s) profiled in the evidence submitted.  The focus learner(s)’ work included in the documentation is that of my focus learner(s), completed during the learning segment documented in this assessment.  I am sole author of the commentaries and other written responses to prompts and other requests for information in this assessment.  Appropriate citations have been made for all materials in the assessment whose sources are from published text, the Internet, or other educators.

Acquire permissions

Cite sources

Align instruction with state standards

Follow the guidelines for candidate support at www.edTPA.com


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Special Education Context for Learning Information Use the Context for Learning Information to supply information about your school/classroom context.

About Learner 1 1. First Name (optional): ________________ 2. Age: ______ 3. Gender:

 Male ______  Female ______ 4. Grade level: ______ 5. Primary language:

 English ______  Bilingual in English and other language (please identify): _________________  Other language (please identify): _________________ 6. List any type of augmentative or alternative communication used by the learner (e.g., communication boards, signing, AlphaSmart keyboard, optical-characterrecognition devices, speech generation technology):

About Learner 2 1. First Name (optional): ________________ 2. Age: ______ 3. Gender:

 Male ______  Female ______ 4. Grade level: ______ 5. Primary language:

 English ______  Bilingual in English and other language (please identify): _________________  Other language (please identify): _________________ 6. List any type of augmentative or alternative communication used by the learner (e.g., communication boards, signing, AlphaSmart keyboard, optical-characterrecognition devices, speech-generation technology).


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Special Education Evidence Chart Your evidence must be submitted to the electronic portfolio management system used by your teacher preparation program. Your submission must conform to the artifact and commentary specifications for each task. This section provides instructions for all evidence types as well as a description of supported file types for evidence submission, number of files, response lengths, and other information regarding format specifications.

Task 1: Artifacts and Commentary Specifications What to Submit

Supported File Types

Part A: Context for Learning Information

Number of Files

Response Length

Additional Information

Min

Max

.doc; .docx; .odt; .pdf

1

1

No more than 3 pages, including prompts

 Use Arial 11-point type.  Single space with 1" margins on all sides.

Part B: Lesson Plans for Learning Segment


1

1

N/A

 Submit 3–5 lesson plans in 1 file.  Within the file, label each lesson plan (Lesson 1, Lesson 2, etc.).

Part C: Instructional Materials


1

1

No more than 5 pages of KEY instructional materials per lesson plan

 Submit materials in 1 file.  Within the file, label materials by corresponding lesson (Lesson 1 Instructional Materials, Lesson 2 Instructional Materials, etc.).  Order materials as they are used in the learning segment.

Part D: Assessments and/or Data Collection Procedures


1

1

N/A

 Submit assessment instruments and/or a description of data collection procedures, as appropriate for the lesson objectives measured, in 1 file.  Within the file, label assessments/procedures by corresponding lesson (Lesson 1 Assessments/Procedures, Lesson 2 Assessments/Procedures, etc.). For assessments/procedures used in multiple lessons, order and label by lesson when first used.

Part E: Planning Commentary


1

1

No more than 11 pages, including prompts

 Use Arial 11-point type.  Single space with 1" margins on all sides.  Respond to prompts before teaching the learning segment.


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Part A: Video Clip(s)

Part B: Instruction Commentary

Number of Files

Response Length


Min

Max

flv, asf, qt, mov, mpg, mpeg, avi, wmv, mp4, m4v

1

2

No more than 20 minutes total running time

 Before you record your video, obtain permission from the parents/guardians of learners (or, if appropriate, each focus learner) and from adults who appear in the video.  Refer to Task 2, What Do I Need to Do? for video clip content and requirements.  When naming each clip file, include the number of the lesson shown in the video clip.


1

1

No more than 8 pages of commentary, including prompts

 Use Arial 11-point type.  Single space with 1" margins on all sides.

If needed, no more than 2 additional pages of supporting documentation

IMPORTANT:  Insert documentation at the end of the commentary file if  graphics, texts, or images that you or the learners are using are not clearly visible in the video  portions of the video are inaudible  If submitting documentation, include the video clip number, lesson number, and explanatory text (e.g., “Clip 1, lesson 2, text from a whiteboard that is not visible in the video,” “Clip 2, lesson 4, transcription of a learner response that is inaudible”).


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Part A: Learner Work Sample(s)

For written work sample(s): .doc; .docx; .odt; .pdf

Number of Files Min

Max

0

2

Response Length


For written work sample(s): N/A

For written work sample(s):  Use correction fluid, tape, or a felt-tip marker to mask or remove learners’ names, your name, and the name of the school before copying/scanning any work samples.  On each work sample, indicate the learner number (Learner 1 Work Sample, Learner 2 Work Sample) and refer to them accordingly in the Assessment Commentary.  When naming each work sample file, include the learner number.  If your learners’ writing is illegible, write a transcription directly on the work sample.

For video work sample(s): No more than 2 minutes total running time

For video work sample(s): flv, asf, qt, mov, mpg, mpeg, avi, wmv, mp4, m4v

For video work sample(s):  When naming each clip file, include the number of the learner shown in the video clip.

Part B: Completed Daily Assessment Records


1

1

N/A

IMPORTANT: Do not submit an additional file for Part A if the learner work sample is shown in the video clip(s) from the instruction task. Provide a time-stamp reference (no more than 2 minutes) in the Assessment Commentary.  Submit one copy of the completed daily assessment record for each learner for each lesson in 1 file.  Within the file, label each record (Lesson 1 Daily Assessment Record for Learner 1, Lesson 2 Daily Assessment Record for Learner 1, etc.).

(Continued on next page)


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Task 3: Artifacts and Commentary Specifications (continued) What to Submit


Part C: Evidence of Feedback

Part D: Assessment Commentary

Number of Files Min

Max

For written feedback not written on the work samples: .doc; .docx; .odt; .pdf For audio feedback: flv, asf, wmv, qt, mov, mpg, avi, mp3, wav, mp4, wma For video feedback: flv, asf, qt, mov, mpg, mpeg, avi, wmv, mp4, m4v

0

2


1

Response Length


N/A

 Document the location of your evidence of feedback in the Assessment Commentary.  If feedback is not written on the learner work samples or recorded on the video clip(s), submit only 1 file for each learner—a document, video file, OR audio file—and indicate the learner number (Learner 1 Feedback, Learner 2 Feedback) in the corresponding feedback.  When naming each feedback file, include the learner number.

IMPORTANT: Do not submit an additional file for Part B if your feedback is  written on the learner work samples  shown in the video clip(s) 1

 Use Arial 11-point type. No more than 8 pages of commentary,  Single space with 1" margins on all sides. including prompts

Plus no more than 2 pages of an analyzed assessment, if relevant


IMPORTANT: Insert a copy of the analyzed assessment, including directions/prompts.

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Special Education Glossary Source citations for glossary entries are provided as footnotes in this section. academics: Core content in the general education curriculum. For some learners, these may be functional academics, that is, academic skills as they are used in the community, early literacy, or early numeracy. Examples of these include: reading signs in the community, rounding costs up to the next dollar, retelling stories, holding books right side up and turning pages from left to right when role-playing reading, and counting a small number of objects. alternate or modified achievement standards (if adopted by your state): Alternate achievement standards are adopted by states for learners with the most significant cognitive disabilities and are based on the grade-level content, but at reduced depth, breadth, and complexity. Modified achievement standards are for learners who can master grade-level content, but whose disabilities require more time for mastery. Not all states adopted alternate or modified achievement standards. artifacts: Authentic work completed by you and your focus learner(s), including lesson plans, copies of instructional and assessment materials, video clip(s) of your teaching, and the learner(s)’ work samples. Artifacts are submitted as part of your evidence. assessment (formal and informal): “[R]efer[s] to all those activities undertaken by teachers and by their [learners] . . . that provide information to be used as feedback to modify teaching and learning activities in which they are engaged.” 20 Assessments provide evidence of learners’ prior knowledge, thinking, performances, or learning in order to evaluate what learners understand and how they are thinking or reacting under specific conditions. Informal assessments may include such things as learner questions and responses during instruction and teacher observations of learners. Formal assessments may include such things as performance records as well as traditional academic assessments such as quizzes, homework assignments, and projects. assets (knowledge of learners):

 personal: Refers to specific background information that learners bring to the learning environment. Learners may bring interests, knowledge, everyday experiences, family backgrounds, and so on, that a teacher can draw upon to support learning.

 cultural: Refers to the cultural backgrounds and practices that learners bring to the learning environment, such as traditions, languages, worldviews, literature, art, and so on, that a teacher can draw upon to support learning.

 community: Refers to common backgrounds and experiences that learners bring from the community where they live, such as resources, local landmarks and institutions, community events, practices, and so on, that a teacher can draw upon to support learners in developing and applying learning. 20

Black, P., & Wiliam, D. (1998). Inside the black box: Raising standards through classroom assessment. Phi Delta Kappan.

Retrieved from https://www.measuredprogress.org/documents/10157/15653/InsideBlackBox.pdf


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assistive technology: Any item, piece of equipment, or product system, whether acquired commercially, off the shelf, modified, or customized, that is used to increase, maintain, or improve the functional capabilities of children with disabilities. 21 baseline data: The level at which the behavior occurs before an intervention is implemented. This information is gathered at the beginning of an assessment period for later comparative use. Baseline data can be gathered in a variety of ways (e.g., systematic observations, teacher made tests, curriculum-based measures, task analysis assessment, standardized tests). commentary: Submitted as part of each task, and along with artifacts, make up your evidence. The commentaries should be written to explain the rationale behind your teaching decisions and to analyze and reflect on what you have learned about your teaching practice and the learning of your focus learner(s). electronic submission: Your evidence is submitted electronically through the electronic portfolio management system used by your teacher preparation program. Your submission must conform to the specifications listed in the Special Education Evidence Chart. engaging the learner(s): Using instructional and motivational strategies that promote active involvement of the learner(s) in learning tasks designed to support acquisition and application of knowledge and skills related to specific lesson objectives. Engagement in learning contrasts with learner participation in learning tasks that are not well designed and/or implemented and do not increase learning. evidence: Consists of artifacts that document how you planned and implemented instruction AND commentaries that explain your plans and what is seen in the video recording(s) or examine what you learned about your teaching practice and the resulting learning. Evidence should demonstrate your ability to design lesson plans with instructional supports that deepen learning, use knowledge of your focus learner(s) to inform instruction, foster a positive learning environment that promotes learning, monitor and assess focus learner(s) progress toward lesson objectives, and analyze your teaching effectiveness. Your evidence must be submitted electronically using the electronic portfolio management system used by your teacher preparation program. exceptionality: Patterns of strengths and needs common to groups of learners who are significantly different from an established norm. These strengths and needs may be cognitive, emotional, behavioral, medical, social, and/or physical. expanded core curriculum: Body of knowledge and skills needed by learners with visual impairments due to unique, disability-specific needs. For example, orientation and mobility skills, self advocacy, career education, recreation, and leisure. generalization: “The transfer of learned information from particular instances to other environments, people, times, and events.” 22

21

Office of the Federal Register. (1991, August 19). Federal Register. (Vol. 56). p.41272.

22

The IRIS Center for Training Enhancements. Generalization. (n.d.). In IRIS Center’s online dictionary. Retrieved from

http://iris.peabody.vanderbilt.edu


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independence skills: Also called functional or adaptive skills. The skills and knowledge needed for everyday living, including the knowledge and skills for personal life, home life, work life, recreation and leisure, and participation in local communities. These enhance learner abilities in diverse areas, for example, to interact with peers and adults; develop selfhelp skills in daily activities such as eating, dressing, toileting, and so on; function appropriately for their age and culture in community settings such as stores or public transportation; and adapt to new situations. individual education plan: A plan that sets forth individualized learning goals, benchmarks, and required supports and services for an individual learner with exceptional needs. When capitalized, it refers to the Individualized Education Program plan required under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Early childhood special education is guided by the Individual Family Service Plan (IFSP), which includes, in part, plans for interventions and direct support by the special educator for the learning and development of young learners (as opposed to family supports, which are also included in the IFSP). Some private facilities are not subject to IDEA, and develop their own plans for individual learners. The term individual education plan, uncapitalized, refers to any of these plans for guiding the individualized learning and support of learners with exceptional needs. knowledge and skills: The desired learning outcomes for the learning segment. Knowledge and skills are meant to include not only discrete knowledge and skills but also conceptual understanding and the knowledge of how and when to use knowledge, concepts, skills, and strategies to shape behavior and performance. language/communication: Verbal/nonverbal, oral, written, symbolic, or demonstrated language/communication used to access and demonstrate learning in a curricular area. Curriculum-related language/communication is the means by which learners develop and express content understandings, including use of augmentative or alternative communication. Regardless of the area of focus, there are language/communication demands that teachers need to consider as they plan to support learning of content. These language demands include vocabulary/symbols, language functions, syntax, and discourse for both receptive and expressive language.

 discourse: Discourse includes the structures of written, oral, symbolic, and demonstrated language, as well as how members of a discipline or participants in a community or home context share information and construct knowledge. Discourse within specific contexts often has distinctive features or ways of structuring language (text structures) that provide useful ways for the content to be communicated. 23 In community and home contexts, this includes using and understanding language specific to the setting to accomplish tasks typical of the context, such as using the correct tool and part in following directions as a plumber’s apprentice, determining the price of a can of soup from the sign, or understanding how to respond differently to the question, “How are you?” when asked by a friend or your employer. Structures in different contexts include sentence starters to structure responses to common questions, the grammar of sentences and organizational structures of longer texts that help in interpreting meaning, and conventions for graphs and charts.

23

Quinn, H., Lee, O., & Valdés, G. (2012). Language demands and opportunities in relation to next generation science standards for ELLs. Retrieved from http://ell.stanford.edu/sites/default/files/pdf/academic-papers/03Quinn%20Lee%20Valdes%20Language%20and%20Opportunities%20in%20Science%20FINAL.pdf


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 language/communication demands: 24 Specific ways that language is used by learners to understand what to do to participate in learning tasks, and to demonstrate their learning or perform appropriately in the context.

 language/communication functions: The purpose and focus of a communication. Common language functions include asking, responding, commenting, describing, comparing, sequencing, analyzing, and interpreting. The language/communication function is often represented by active verbs within lesson objectives.

 language/communication supports: Strategies that are used to build learners’ curriculum-related language/communication within a learning task. Strategies involve modeling the appropriate language/communication for learners to use in a learning task as well as opportunities for guided practice, generalization, and maintenance. Language supports also include assistive technology and other mediators.

 syntax: The set of conventions for organizing symbols, words, and phrases together into structures (e.g., words composed of letters or symbols in braille, sentences, graphs, tables). 25

 vocabulary: Spoken, written, or demonstrated vocabulary (e.g., bigger, multiply, wet, cold, compare, next, >, $, ASL signs for “since” in different contexts, picture cards for a communication board, nonverbal social cues or nonverbal signals such as raising your hand to indicate you want to speak). learning environment: The designed physical and emotional context, established and maintained throughout the learning segment to support a positive and productive learning experience for the learner(s), with appropriate modifications, adaptations, and accommodations to meet individual learner needs. learning segment: A set of 3–5 lessons that build one upon another toward learning targets, with a clearly defined beginning and end. learning strategies: “Instructional methods employed to help [learners] to read, comprehend, and study better by helping them to strategically organize and collect information.” 26 Examples include describing steps in a strategy, using a mnemonic to recall steps, and identifying when to use a strategy. learning target: A learner outcome that is achieved over time by meeting related lesson objectives. learning task: An activity that engages the learner(s) in developing, practicing, generalizing, and/or maintaining knowledge and skills related to one or more specific lesson objectives. Learning tasks may be scaffolded to connect prior knowledge to new knowledge and include guided practice and feedback to a learner. In a curricular area to develop motor skills, a learning task might focus on developing the fine motor skills or eye-hand coordination to cut up a piece of chicken with a knife and fork. In an academic curricular area, a learning task might be answering comprehension questions about a passage from a chapter book. A 24

O'Hara, S., Pritchard, R., & Zwiers, J. (2012). Identifying academic language demands in support of the common core standards. ASCD Express, 7(17). Retrieved from http://www.ascd.org/ascd-express/vol7/717-ohara.aspx

25

Zwiers, J. (2008). Building academic language: Essential practices for content classrooms. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

26

The IRIS Center for Training Enhancements. Learning Strategies. (n.d.). In IRIS Center’s online dictionary. Retrieved from



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learning task in the social curricular area might be learning to recognize and describe one’s feelings. lesson objectives: Measurable learning outcomes to be achieved by the end of the lesson that, over time and combined with other instructional objectives, enable a learner to reach one or more larger learning targets. maintenance: “In behavior assessment, term used to describe the extent to which a learner’s behavior is self-sustaining over time.” 27 motor skills: Fine and/or gross motor skills. problem solving: Applying acquired knowledge in new and unfamiliar situations, actively engaging in thinking processes. 28 prompt: In the context of instruction of the learner, supports (e.g., pictures, videos, verbal or written statements, color cues) put into place prior to instruction that increase the likelihood that the learner will give a correct response or perform a correct behavior or task. Another way prompts are used in instruction is a question or guidance (verbal or nonverbal) during instruction to guide the learner to think about something or do something different that will lead to a more appropriate or deeper response. In the context of an assessment, a question or direction to guide the learner to do a task that can be assessed to determine learner progress toward lesson objectives. In the context of the candidate and edTPA, a prompt is a commentary question or direction to which the candidate responds to provide a rationale, reflection, or analysis. rubrics: Subject-specific evaluation criteria used to score your performance on edTPA. These rubrics are included in the handbook following the directions for each task. The descriptors in the five-level rubrics address a wide range of performance representing the knowledge and skills of a novice not ready to teach (Level 1) to the advanced practices of a highly accomplished beginner (Level 5). scaffolding: A process in which a teacher adds supports for learners to enhance learning and aid in the mastery of tasks. There are several types of scaffolds. In one, a teacher supports learners by “systematically building on their experiences and knowledge” while they are learning new skills (instructional scaffolding). 29 Another type of scaffold is the use of written prompts and cues to help learners to perform a task or to use a given strategy (material scaffolding). A third type is a method of instruction whereby a teacher begins by specifying the steps in a task or instructional strategy and then goes on to model those steps for his or her class while verbalizing his or her thought process (task scaffolding). self-determination: A combination of skills, knowledge, and beliefs that enable a person to engage in goal-directed, self-regulated, autonomous behavior. An understanding of one's strengths and limitations, together with a belief of oneself as capable and effective are 27

The IRIS Center for Training Enhancements. Maintenance. (n.d.). In IRIS Center’s online dictionary. Retrieved from

http://iris.peabody.vanderbilt.edu 28

Mercer, C.D., Mercer, A.R., & Pullen, P.C. (2011). Teaching students with learning problems (8th ed.). Columbus, OH:

Pearson. 29

The IRIS Center for Training Enhancements. Scaffolded instruction. (n.d.). In IRIS Center’s online dictionary. Retrieved from



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essential to self-determination. When acting on the basis of these skills and attitudes, individuals have greater ability to take control of their lives and assume the role of successful adults in our society. 30 For learners with severe and profound learning challenges, this may take the form of making choices between alternatives or learning to communicate wishes or needs. self-directed learning strategies: Alternatively referred to as self-regulated learning or selfmanagement strategies, involve teaching learners to modify and regulate their own behavior. Such strategies enable learners to regulate their own behavior, without external control and allow them to become active participants in their own learning. The strategies include, but are not limited to, using self-managed cues or prompts (auditory, visual, tactile) to regulate behavior, self-instruction, self-monitoring, self-evaluation, self-reinforcement 31 and self-correction. social skills: The knowledge, skills, and competencies necessary to initiate and maintain positive social relationships with peers, teachers, family, and other community members, including recognizing and managing emotions, perspective taking, establishing pro-social goals, problem solving, and using a variety of interpersonal skills to meet challenges.

30

Field, S., Martin, J., Miller, R., Ward, M,. & Wehmeyer, M. (1998). A practical guide for teaching self-determination. Reston,

VA: Council for Exceptional Children. 31

Wehmeyer. M. (2002, September). Promoting the self-determination of students with severe disabilities. CEC Today.

Retrieved from: http://www.cec.sped.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=CEC_Today1&TEMPLATE=/CM/ContentDisplay.cfm&CONTENTID=2228


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edtpa special education handbook

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