Coronavirus and Schools: Progress Reporting for the Fourth Quarter
CORONAVIRUS UPDATE
Your Pool Counsel has resisted many efforts to have us recommend language for fourth quarter goal-specific progress reporting. We have been reluctant to offer sample language because the content of each progress report will vary depending on individual circumstances. To determine what your progress reporting statements will offer, you must ask three questions about your “continuity of education” instruction for students with disabilities:
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Did we offer this student any synchronous or asynchronous instruction or any off-line activities, or both, that was generally applicable to this goal area? The instruction would not necessarily have to mirror the specially-designed instruction in each child’s IEP or target specific goals. For example, if you offered the child synchronous or asynchronous reading instruction, but did not include specific decoding instruction related to each child’s decoding levels, you would be able to answer this question affirmatively and could issue a reading goal-specific progress report.
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Did we collect any information concerning each child’s participation? Did we, for example, record log-on attendance for synchronous instruction or collect completed off-line work? Even if we did not collect information concerning participation, we can still create a progress report, as you will see in the examples below.
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Do we have any actual progress monitoring data specific to the targeted skill and measurement criteria for this particular goal? If, for example, the goal measures reading accuracy and fluency using a “words correct per minute” benchmark and we were able to administer some cold oral reading fluency probes on line, or if the goal measures overall reading comprehension using a Lexile score and the student was able to engage in on-line reading program activities that generated a Lexile, we would be able to answer this question affirmatively, even if the number of progress monitoring opportunities was far less than it would have been in school. Even if, however, we did not do any progress monitoring, we can still create a progress report, as the examples below will illustrate.
Examples.
You offered instruction in the particular goal area and you know the child’s level of participation, but you did not do progress monitoring:
During the fourth quarter, _______ was offered a combination of synchronous and asynchronous reading instruction and related off-line activities. He participated regularly in these activities. The limitations inherent in virtual instruction precluded the collection of progress monitoring in this goal area. Baselines for this goal will be reestablished when school reopens.
or—
During the fourth quarter, ______ was offered on-line synchronous social skills instruction once weekly and office hours with his counselor. Her participation was inconsistent. We were unable to progress monitor this goal remotely. Goal-specific baselines will be reestablished when school reopens.
or—
During the fourth quarter, ______ was offered asynchronous Math instruction and related off-line work sheets. He completed 8 of 10 work sheets with an average of 87 percent accuracy. We were unable to progress monitor this goal specifically. Goal-specific baselines will be reestablished when school reopens.
You offered instruction in the particular goal area, but you did not record the child’s level of participation and you did not do progress monitoring:
During the fourth quarter, ______ was offered asynchronous written language lessons twice weekly. Baselines for this goal will be reestablished when school reopens.
You offered instruction in the particular goal area and you were able to take a few progress monitoring probes, but you did not record the child’s level of participation and you did not do progress monitoring:
During the fourth quarter, ______ was offered synchronous and asynchronous math instruction and off-line worksheets for reinforcement. We were only able to take two probes of his third grade problem-solving accuracy remotely. Those probes indicated an accuracy rate of 72% on 4/15/20 and 78% on 5/2/20. Baselines for this goal will be reestablished when school reopens.
You did not offer instruction or activities related to the particular goal area:
During the fourth quarter, _____ did not receive instruction in this area. Baselines for this goal will be reestablished when school reopens.
or—
During the fourth quarter, limited online resources prevented the implementation of any instruction in this goal area. Baselines for this goal will be reestablished when school reopens.
or—
During the fourth quarter, the lack of stable internet connectivity prevented the implementation of any instruction in this goal area. Baselines for this goal will be reestablished when school reopens.
These are just examples, of course. The exact content of your progress reporting will vary depending on your responses to the above three questions. Remember also that progress reporting for the fourth quarter will be required only if you are reporting grades of some sort—including “pass/fail”—for the general population as part of your “continuity of education” plan. If you are not doing so, the IDEA’s “at least as often” progress reporting requirement is not triggered.