Fort McMurray Public School District Life Skills Program
Witten and developed by Kevin Verberk
Doing What’s Best for Kids Fort McMurray Public School District - Life Skills Program 2
Kevin Verberk
Table of Contents Life Skills Program Map ...... 3 Program Parameters ...... 4 The Life Skills Program’s Broad and Specific Strands ...... 5 Functional Academics ...... 5 Functional Literacy ...... 5 Functional Numeracy ...... 5 Daily Activity Skills ...... 6 Social Skills / Vocational Skills ...... 6 Personal Living Skills ...... 6 Physical Literacy ...... 6 Specific Learner Outcomes ...... 7 Functional Literacy ...... 7 Functional Numeracy ...... 9 Social Skills / Vocational Skills ...... 12 Personal Living Skills ...... 14 Physical Literacy ...... 18 Individual Program Plans and the Life Skills Program ...... 20 Step 1: Determine what will be in the IPP ...... 20 Assessing Knowledge and Skills ...... 20 Determining Appropriate Accommodations ...... 21 Step 2: Write the IPP using the Life Skills Program Learner Outcomes ...... 23 Writing IPP goals ...... 23 Intervention Strategies and Assessment Procedures ...... 27 Step 3: Implement and regularly review the IPP ...... 28 Reviewing IPPs and Communicating with Parents ...... 28 Updating IPPs throughout the Year ...... 29 Step 4: End of the Year Update and Review ...... 30 Timeline for Teaching Life Skills ...... 33 Appendices ...... 35 Life Skills Assessment Summary Report (Attach to IPP)...... 36 ABC Chart ...... 38 Index ...... 40 Fort McMurray Public School District - Life Skills Program 3
Kevin Verberk Life Skills Program Map
Life Skills
Functional Personal & Physical Literacy Academics Interpersonal skills
Personal Functional Social Skills / Personal Living Functional Literacy Numeracy Vocational Skills Skills Learning Goals
Level 1 Learner Outcomes Level 1 Learner Outcomes Level 1 Learner Outcomes Level 1 Learner Outcomes Level 1 Learner Outcomes
Level 2 Learner Outcomes Level 2 Learner Outcomes Level 2 Learner Outcomes Level 2 Learner Outcomes Level 2 Learner Outcomes Level 3 Learner Outcomes Level 3 Learner Outcomes Level 3 Learner Outcomes Level 3 Learner Outcomes Level 3 Learner Outcomes Level 4 Learner Outcomes Level 4 Learner Outcomes Level 4 Learner Outcomes Level 4 Learner Outcomes Level 4 Learner Outcomes
Learner Outcomes + Specific Learning Needs as outlined in the Individual Program Plan (IPP) = STUDENT SPECIFIC LEARNING GOALS
Figure 1: The Life Skills program is broken down into three broad stands and five specific strands, which are completed over a four year duration. Each strand is then broken up into specific learner outcomes, which are rated in levels based on difficulty. These learner outcomes will be completed with accommodations based upon the student’s personal learning capabilities as outlined in their Individual Program Plan (IPP). Also, personal learning goals may be incorporated into the life skills program for each student however; the focus is on the mandated learner outcomes. Fort McMurray Public School District - Life Skills Program 4
Kevin Verberk
Program Parameters The Life Skills Program at Fort McMurray Composite High School is designed for students with intellectual or developmental disabilities at the secondary level that achieve below the minimum academic requirements for the Vocational Individualized Program (VIP) at Composite High School. The program is set up into four levels of academic achievement, all based on the same five specific strands (functional numeracy, functional literacy, social skills, personal living / employability skills, and physical literacy skills). Students must complete all level one learner outcomes in order to graduate from the life skills program.
The difficulty in academic achievement for each level was determined by:
The minimum requirements necessary for supported-independent living after high school (Level 1 outcomes) The minimum requirements for entry into the Keyano College (of Fort McMurray) Transitional program (Level 2 outcomes) The basic skills required for work experience after secondary school (level 3 outcomes) The minimum academic requirements for entry into the Composite High School VIP program (Level 4 outcomes)
24 hour care facility
Figure 2: The parameters for the four levels of academic difficulty and the learner outcomes. Although most students will be at different levels in two or more of the five strands, these difficulty levels are set up to create a progression in knowledge and skills, and thus progressing post-secondary opportunities, for the student.
The program parameters were used in the development of the Life Skills Program to set goals for each of the students to work towards during their four or more years in the program based on their personal desired outcomes upon graduation. Students that fail to complete the level one learner outcomes will be best suited in a 24 hour care facility such as a group home environment. The LS program will still benefit these individuals as they will gain independence within their living situation as they work on the lower level learner outcomes. In the next section, each of the five strands will be explained in relation to these outcomes and the learner outcomes that encompass them. Fort McMurray Public School District - Life Skills Program 5
Kevin Verberk
The Life Skills Program’s Broad and Specific Strands
Functional Academics
The broad strand of functional academics focuses on the academic knowledge and skills that are necessary for a student to live independently in their post-secondary lives. With a focus on numeracy and literacy that relate to real world and everyday experiences, functional academics provide students the framework to be able to complete basic tasks independently, and at the higher level outcomes, learn skills necessary for meaningful employment after secondary school.
Functional Literacy The learner outcomes under the specific strand of functional literacy focus on reading, writing, communicating, and understanding the English language. Learning to read a flyer, a map, or a menu is the focus of the most basic levels of the functional literacy strand. Learner outcomes in higher levels focus on reading and understanding short stories, using a dictionary or thesaurus, comprehending information read, developing graphaphonic and syntactic knowledge, and analyzing texts using higher orders of thinking. Exploring the world around them, and the various media and texts that it encompasses is also part of this strand, developing critical thought and becoming a more knowledgeable member of society.
Functional Numeracy Functional Numeracy in the life skills program focuses on the basic mathematics skills necessary to live independently, such as counting, adding and subtracting, using money, budgeting finances, and understanding time. In upper levels, learning to budget finances and skills necessary for working in a retail environment are also part of the curriculum. Using tactile manipulates alongside worksheets and interactive activities, students will gain the knowledge and skills necessary to achieve the numeracy goals set out in their IPPs. Fort McMurray Public School District - Life Skills Program 6
Kevin Verberk
Daily Activity Skills
The broad strand of daily activity skills focuses on socialization skills and practical knowledge necessary to excel in ordinary society. These skills include being able to self-regulate their own behaviour, socialize with others in a variety of settings, advocate for their rights and needs, and all the skills necessary to survive on one’s own, such as using home appliances, cooking, cleaning, and basic hygiene. Daily living skills such as how to fill out an envelope and paying your bills also tie into the other strands such as numeracy and literacy.
Social Skills / Vocational Skills The social skills strand gives students the opportunity to learn how to engage each other, self-regulate themselves, and create meaningful relationships that are mutually beneficial. This strand encompasses mostly what would be considered the hidden curriculum, but also includes some direct instruction, role playing, and discussion seminars to guide students along the way. The learner outcomes that the student will be focussing on will largely depend on the student’s behaviour and social needs. In the upper level learner outcomes, students will learn about their rights, and get a general idea of citizenship and a sense of community. Several vocational skills, such as writing a cover letter and a resume, fall under the functional literacy strand. Vocational social skills include how to dress and act professionally, how to ask and answer appropriate questions, and exploring a variety of careers that they may be interested in.
Personal Living Skills The strand of personal living skills involves the required practical skills to survive on one’s own, apart from reading, mathematics, and interpersonal skills. This strand includes basic hygiene, use of small and large appliances, travelling on a bus, grocery shopping, folding laundry, and taking care of pets. Students need to have the minimal skills required to live on their own with assistance in order to pass the level one outcomes of the personal living skills program. In the upper levels of the program, students will learn skills required to find success at a work situation, buy their own groceries, go to the bank, send and receive mail / emails, use a computer, and utilize other public services independently.
Physical Literacy
The broad strand of physical literacy focuses on the student having the knowledge of him or herself to stay safe, be healthy, and have a good understanding of their physical self. Students in the life skills program need to be aware of what makes them unique, both physically and psychologically from others, so that they can excel on their own terms. At the very least, the students will have the self-awareness to not put themselves in danger and be able to explain their behaviour, and some students will be able to name and describe their diagnosis, if they have one, and the particular challenges and adaptations to their lifestyle it requires.
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Kevin Verberk
Specific Learner Outcomes
Functional Literacy
Specific areas of development: Comprehension of texts, purpose of texts, applications to self, building vocabulary, literacy in the community, and citizenship and world awareness.
Note: Some of the learner outcomes for functional literacy are adapted from the First Steps® map of development key indicators. The students participating in the life skills program will range from the role play phase (which is the earliest phase), to the transitional phase of development, when they would be at an ability level to enter the VIP program.
Level 1 FL1A - Comprehension of texts - The student will listen to and demonstrate comprehension by talking about significant ideas from text. FL1B - Purpose of Texts - The student will know that print carries a message, but is only be able to read topics of interest AND will utilize their own background knowledge and accompanying pictures when understanding text. FL1C - Applications to Self - The student will make links from text to personal experiences when reading or listening. FL1D - Building Vocabulary - The student will recognize and spell their own name in print. FL1E - Literacy in the Community - The student will be able to recognize the meaning basic signs in the community (E.g. Walk/don’t walk, washrooms, store names, etc…) FL1F - Citizenship and world awareness – The student will understand that they are part of a larger community and name aspects of the community that they interact with. They will also understand why people work and what impact volunteering can have on the community.
Level 2 FL2A - Comprehension of texts - The student will recall the topic of text, explicit ideas from text, and can link an action and its consequences. FL2B - Purpose of Texts - The student will locate text appropriate to their purpose (E.g. getting a cookbook because they want to cook a recipe) and will explore a variety of texts and will display a basic understanding of the relationship between the author and the reader in texts. FL2C - Applications to Self - The student may express an opinion on text, but may not be able to justify it. FL2D - Building Vocabulary - The student will use sight-word identification strategies to determine words and will rely on pictures and beginning letters to determine unknown words. The student will identify all the letters of the alphabet by their name and sound. FL2E - Literacy in the Community - The student will be able to recognize the meaning basic signs in the community (E.g. Walk/don’t walk, washrooms, store names, etc…) FL2F - Citizenship and world awareness – The student will understand that they are part of a larger community and name aspects of the community that they interact with. They will be able to comprehend events in the community, and have a basic opinion about these events.
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Kevin Verberk
Level 3 FL3A - Comprehension of texts - The student will read and explain the main ideas and explicit information in a text. FL3B - Purpose of Texts - The student will be able to select text for interest, purpose, and readability using a variety of methods (internet, library information system) Also, the student will understand how the author may write for an intended audience or purpose (format and content). FL3C - Applications to Self - The student will express and justify personal responses to text (E.g. I like this because…) FL3D - Building Vocabulary - The student will use decoding strategies such as chunking and sounding out phonemes to determine unknown words, but may lose focus or meaning when reading and writing difficult words. FL3E - Literacy in the Community - The student will be able to read street signs and understand basic public displays (E.g. store names, restroom signs, direction signs, prices of items, etc…) FL3F - Citizenship and world awareness – The student will understand that they are part of a larger community and name aspects of the community that they interact with. They will also understand that they are also a part of a provincial, national, global community. They will be able to comprehend events in the community, and have a basic opinion about these events.
Level 4 FL4A - Comprehension of texts - The student will identify the main idea with supporting points from text. FL4B - Purpose of Texts - Locates text appropriate to the purpose and audience (ex search engines, libraries, and other appropriate resources) and will identify how authors persuade readers, and how people may interpret various texts’ differently. FL4C - Applications to Self - The student will express and justify personal responses to text (E.g. I like this because…) and will be able to think in basic abstract situations (If I were living in another place / time…) FL4D - Building Vocabulary - The student will identify and read some uncommon or subject-specific words and will use a wide range of reading strategies when learning uncommon words (reading on, rereading, chunking, etc…) FL4E - Literacy in the Community - The student will be able to read all basic public messages and street signs in a variety of contexts (E.g. warnings labels, notices, regulations, policies, etc…) FL4F - Citizenship and world awareness – The student will understand that they are part of a larger community and name aspects of the community that they interact with. They will also understand that they are also a part of a provincial, national, global community. They will be able to comprehend events in a local, provincial, and national community, and have a basic opinion about these events. Fort McMurray Public School District - Life Skills Program 9
Kevin Verberk
Functional Numeracy
Specific areas of development: Handling money, budgeting, time, schedules, basic math (Shapes, addition, subtraction, multiplication), kitchen math (fractions), measurement
Note: In teaching the use of money, using credit cards, debit cards, and learning finances needs to be discussed with parents or guardians. If there is an approach that is currently in place at home, start there and expand to increase their independence within this structure.
Level 1 FN1A - Handling Money – The student will understand the use of money to exchange for goods and services. The student will understand how to use cash, but may not know how to calculate the exact amount of change they are to receive. The student will learn to pay the total plus at least one dollar in paying for good, and expect change. FN1B - Budgeting – The student will understand the concept of budgeting for necessities. With assistance, the student will be able to prepare a weekly budget, and divide cash into areas that the budget covers. The student will then know to only spend money on items that they have previously budgeted for. FN1C - Time – The student will understand the basic divisions of time (morning, noon, afternoon, evening, and night), and the activities that are appropriate for these times. The student will also understand the date, month, and year and understand how the date or day of the week can influence activities. FN1D - Schedules – The student will understand the concept of a daily schedule and routine. They will understand that certain events can or should be complete within certain time frames (E.g. Businesses are only open during the day, block 2 class happens after block 1, the bus comes at the end of the day to take me home) FN1E - Basic Math – The student will understand basic two-dimensional shapes and will be able to add and subtract one-digit numbers. The student will be able to count by 1’s from 0 - 100. FN16 - Kitchen Math – The student will understand the difference between empty, half full, and full. FN17 - Measurement – The student will be able to use a personal reference in measuring distance (E.g. length of their feet or hands)
Level 2 FN2A - Handling Money – The student will understand the use of money to exchange for goods and services. The student will understand how to use cash or an Interac card, but may not know how to calculate the exact amount of change they are to receive. The student will learn to pay the total plus at least one dollar in paying for good, and expect change. FN2B - Budgeting – The student will understand the concept of budgeting for necessities. With assistance, the student will be able to prepare a weekly budget, and divide cash into areas that the budget covers. The student will then know to only spend money on items that they have previously budgeted for, using either cash or an Interac card. The student will also be able to consider long-term financial goals and understand the concept of saving money for long-term expenses. Fort McMurray Public School District - Life Skills Program 10
Kevin Verberk
FN2C -Time – The student will understand how to tell time to the nearest five minutes on an analogue clock and to the minute on a digital clock. The student will also understand the concept of dates, weekends, and holidays and how these impact their daily lives. FN2D - Schedules – The student will understand the concept of a daily schedule and routine. They will have an understanding of the times that events occur (ex TV show on at 5pm, block 2 class starts at 10:15am, the bank closes at 5pm), but may need assistance in adhering to prescribed schedules. FN2E - Basic Math – The student will understand basic two-dimensional shapes and will be able to add two-digit numbers and subtract one-digit numbers. The student will be able to count by 1’s from 0 - 100. The student will be able to count by 1’s, 2’s, 5’s, and 10’s to the tenth multiple. FN2F - Kitchen Math – The student will understand how to use measuring spoons, but will not be able to add fractions in these measurements. FN2G - Measurement – The student will be able to use a ruler to measure distance to the nearest inch or centimetre, and liquid to the nearest litre.
Level 3 FN3A - Handling Money – The student will understand the use of money to exchange for goods and services. The student will understand how to use cash, cheques, or an Interac card. The student will be able to use all coins to pay for something, but may not be able to calculate how much change they are to receive. They will know to expect change if they pay over the amount requested. FN3B - Budgeting – The student will understand the concept of budgeting for necessities. The student will be able to manage their own money, with indirect supervision. The student will then know to only spend money on items that they have previously budgeted for, using either cash or an Interac card. The student will also be able to consider long-term financial goals and understand the concept of saving money for long-term expenses. FN3C - Time – The student will understand how to tell time to the minute on an analogue clock and digital clock. The student will also understand the concept of dates, weekends, and holidays and how these impact their daily lives. FN3D - Schedules – The student will understand the concept of a daily schedule and routine. They will have an understanding of the times that events occur (ex TV show on at 5pm, block 2 class starts at 10:15am, the bank closes at 5pm), and will be able to independently adhere to schedules. FN3E - Basic Math – The student will understand all two-dimensional and some three-dimensional shapes and will be able to add and subtract two-digit numbers. The student will be able to count by 1’s, 2’s, 5’s, and 10’s to the tenth multiple. The student will also be able to do basic multiplication problems using a multiplication table. The student will recognize all numbers from 0 - 1000. FN3F - Kitchen Math – The student will understand how to use measuring cups and spoons, but will not be able to add fractions or large numbers in these measurements. FN3G - Measurement – The student will be able to use a ruler to measure distance to the nearest quarter inch or centimetre, and liquid to the nearest 100 ml. The student will also understand the concept of measuring speed in km. Fort McMurray Public School District - Life Skills Program 11
Kevin Verberk
Level 4 FN4A - Handling Money – The student will understand the use of money to exchange for goods and services. The student will understand how to use cash, cheques, Interac, or a credit card. The student will be able to use all coins to pay for something, and calculate how much change they are to receive. The student will also understand conventions related to tipping money for services. FN4B - Budgeting – The student will understand the concept of budgeting for necessities. The student will be able to manage their own money, with indirect supervision. The student will then know to only spend money on items that they have previously budgeted for, using either cash or an Interac card. The student will also be able to consider long-term financial goals and understand the concept of saving money for long-term expenses. The student will understand how credit works, and, with assistance, be able to make purchases on credit and understand when purchasing on credit is appropriate. FN4C - Time – The student will understand how to tell time to the minute on an analogue clock and digital clock. The student will also be able to understand the basics of time management (E.g. Time left to complete a task, time required to do something). The student will also understand the concept of dates, weekends, and holidays and how these impact their daily lives. FN4D - Schedules – The student will understand the concept of a daily schedule and routine. They will have an understanding of the times that events occur, and can be flexible with their daily schedule to accommodate these (E.g. Take the bus at 3:30pm to get to the store before it closes at 4:30pm), and will be able to independently adhere to schedules. FN4E - Basic Math – The student will understand all basic two and three-dimensional shapes and will be able to add three-digit and subtract two-digit numbers. The student will be able to count by 1’s, 2’s, 5’s, and 10’s to the tenth multiple. The student will also be able to do basic multiplication problems using a multiplication table. The student will recognize all numbers from 0 - 1000. FN4F - Kitchen Math – The student will understand how to use measuring cups and spoons, and will have a basic understand of how to add fractions in food measurements (E.g. 1/3 cup plus 1/3 cup = 2/3 cup) FN4G - Measurement – The student will be able to use a ruler to measure distance to the nearest eight inch or centimetre, decimetre, or metre. The student will also be able to measure liquid to the nearest 100 ml. The student will understand the concept of measuring speed in km and predict approximate measurements for a variety of objects and situations. Fort McMurray Public School District - Life Skills Program 12
Kevin Verberk
Social Skills / Vocational Skills
Specific areas of development: Self-regulation, types of harassment, Communication skills, job knowledge, job- related skills, self-advocacy and human rights.
Note: In implementing the social skills curriculum, the teacher may need to collaborate with family members and others in the community to develop a hidden curriculum that teaches the desired learner outcomes.
Level 1 SV1A - Self- Advocacy and human rights – The student will act in ways that show respect for self and others, but may not be able to explain how others should be treated. SV1B - Self-Regulation - The student will be able to self-regulate their negative social behaviour to the extent that they are not posing any threat to their or anyone else’s health. The student will also be able to self-regulate non-dangerous actions with direct supervision and prompting. SV1C - Harassment - The student will understand what actions are considered harassment to others, and will not actively harass others on a near-consistent basis (consistency requirement based on severity of harassment). SV1D – Communication Skills – The student will be able to communicate with the general public, independently or using assistive technology to make basic requests, utilize some public services, and respond to an emergency situation. The student will also be able to listen to familiar people, understanding and responding to requests and suggestions. SV1E - Job knowledge – The student will participate in volunteer positions and under direct supervision and guidance and will decide whether or not they enjoy doing particular tasks. SV1F - Job-related skills – The student will understand the tasks that they are to do in a volunteer or work- experience position and will be able to, with direct supervision, complete tasks related to a volunteer or work experience position that they wish to acquire.
Level 2 SV2A - Self-Advocacy and human rights - The student will have a basic understanding of how to treat others and how they should be treated and have a basic understanding of why this is. SV2B - Self-Regulation – The student will be able to self-regulate their negative social behaviour with self- prompting techniques on a near-regular basis, and will be able to identify the behaviour they did after the fact, and will be able to consider various reasons as to why they acted the way they did and to think of strategies to handle the behaviour at another time. SV2C - Harassment - The student will understand and identify harassment in general, and will think of various people to talk to if they are being harassed. SV2D – Communication Skills – The student will be able to communicate with the general public, independently or using assistive technology, to express desires and feelings, make requests, utilize public services, participate in a discussion, create unique ideas, and listen and respond to requests. Fort McMurray Public School District - Life Skills Program 13
Kevin Verberk
SV2E - Job knowledge – The student will participate in volunteer positions and under direct supervision and guidance and will decide whether or not they enjoy doing particular tasks. The student will also consider what they wish to do for a job or volunteer position after secondary school. SV2F - Job-related skills – The student will understand the tasks that they are to do in a volunteer position and will be able to, with indirect supervision, complete tasks related to a volunteer or work experience position that they wish to acquire.
Level 3 SV3A - Advocacy and human rights - The student will have an understanding of how others should be treated, and how others are allowed to treat them. They will be able to make suggestions of what to do in general if they were not treated properly. SV3B - Self-Regulation – The student will be able to self-regulate their negative social behaviour with self- prompting techniques on a near-regular basis. The student will also be able to understand personal antecedents to the negative behaviour, and have developed strategies to deal with these occasions. SV3C - Harassment - The student will understand and identify harassment in general, and will think of appropriate actions in response to harassment. SV3D – Communication Skills – The student will be able to communicate with the general public, independently or using assistive technology, to express desires and feelings, make requests, utilize public services, participate in a discussion, create unique ideas, and listen. The student will also be able to consider the ideas of others, and explain why they do or do not agree with the ideas. SV3E - Job knowledge – The student will participate in a work experience or volunteer position in an area of interest to them. The student will consider what they wish to do for a job or volunteer position after secondary school, and will research the job and learn about the specific skills, education, and training they will require to obtain this job. SV3F - Job-related skills – The student will understand the appropriate procedures in job attainment (resume, applications, professionalism, courtesy, interview procedures, and work ethic), but may need to develop some of these skills to meet the standards required for the job position they wish to acquire.
Level 4 SV4A - Self-Advocacy and human rights - The student will have a basic knowledge of their fundamental rights outlined in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, and what to do if their rights are breached. SV4B - Self-Regulation – The student will be able to self-regulate their negative social behaviour with learned techniques on a regular basis. The student will also be able to consider both antecedents and setting events that cause a negative social behaviour, and steps to avoid or handle these occasions. SV4C - Harassment - The student will understand and identify different types of harassment (emotional, sexual, psychological, and financial), and will think of appropriate actions in response to harassment. SV4D – Communication Skills – The student will be able to communicate with the general public, independently or using assistive technology, in any context or situation. The student will also be able to consider the ideas of others, explain why they do or do not agree with the ideas, and understand how to compromise in making a new suggestion. Fort McMurray Public School District - Life Skills Program 14
Kevin Verberk
SV4E - Job knowledge – The student will participate in a work experience or volunteer position in an area of interest to them. The student will consider what they wish to do for a job after secondary school, and will research the job and learn about the specific skills, education, and training they will require to obtain this job. They will also consider whether this job is a realistic goal that can accommodate for their particular challenges. SV4F - Job-related skills – The student will understand the appropriate procedures in job attainment (resume, applications, professionalism, courtesy, interview procedures, and work ethic), and will be able to adequately present these skills relative to the employment position they wish to have after school.
Personal Living Skills
Specific areas of development: Hygiene, cooking, healthy eating, laundry, knowledge of medication, public transportation, public facilities, use of technology, personal information.
Level 1 PLS1A - Hygiene - The student will be able to, with minimal assistance and prompting, maintain basic self- hygiene in tooth brushing, bathing, hand washing, and wearing clean clothing. PLS1B - Healthy Eating - The student will be aware of which foods are healthy are which are unhealthy, and will be able to practice, with assistance, healthy eating and dietary moderation. PLS1C – Food Preparation - The student will be able to differentiate between what is food and what is not, and be able to independently find food and eat it. The student will also be able to heat food using a microwave or toaster with assistance and prompting. PLS1D - Laundry - The student will be able to participate in washing and folding laundry, but may not be able to use large appliances or fold all types of clothing. PLS1E - Medication - The student will be able to know how to take their medicine independently, but may need assistance organizing their medicine. The student will know the purpose of medicine in general, but may not know what their medicine does specifically. PLS1F - Public Transportation – The student will be able to use public transit with assistance, prompting, and direct supervision. PLS1G - Public Facilities – The student will be able to participate in public facilities such as the bank, post office, shopping mall, grocery store, schools, libraries, and government buildings with assistance, prompting, and direct supervision. PLS1H -Use of Technology – The student will be able to use any assistive technology with prompting and direct supervision. The student will also be able to use a computer for basic tasks such as checking email, conducting a search, and basic editing of a document with prompting and direct supervision. PLS1I - Personal Information – The student will be able to say and spell their name, and say their address and phone number, their parents’ names, the school they attend, and the city/town that they live in. Fort McMurray Public School District - Life Skills Program 15
Kevin Verberk
Level 2 PLS2A - Hygiene - The student will be able to independently maintain basic self-hygiene in tooth brushing, bathing, hand washing, and wearing clean clothing. Also, the student will regularly floss, clean their home, and care for a pet (if applicable) with minimal assistance and prompting. PLS2B - Healthy Eating - The student will be aware of which foods are healthy are which are unhealthy, and will be able to independently practice healthy eating and dietary moderation. PLS2C - Food Preparation - The student will be able to independently prepare food using a microwave or toaster and will also be able to make meals using basic kitchen tools, small appliances, a stove, or oven with assistance and prompting. PLS2D - Laundry - The student will be able to wash and fold laundry, using the appliances and folding all clothing types, with assistance and prompting. PLS2E - Medication - The student will be able to know how to take their medicine independently. The student will also be able to sort and organize their medication with supervision. The student will know the purpose of medicine in general and will have a basic understanding of what their medications help with, but may not know what each specific medication does. PLS2F - Public Transportation – The student will be able to use public transit with supervision. PLS2G - Public Facilities – The student will be able to participate in public facilities such as the bank, post office, shopping mall, grocery store, schools, libraries, and government buildings with supervision and prompting. PLS2H - Use of Technology – The student will be able to use any assistive technology with supervision. The student will also be able to use a computer for basic tasks such as checking email, conducting a search, and basic editing of a document with supervision. PLS2I - Personal Information – The student will be able to say and spell their name, and say their address and phone number, their parents’ names, the school they attend, and the city/town, province, and country that they live in. Fort McMurray Public School District - Life Skills Program 16
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Level 3 PLS3A - Hygiene - The student will be able to independently maintain basic self-hygiene in tooth brushing, bathing, hand washing, flossing, shaving, wearing clean clothing, maintaining a clean home, and caring for a pet (if applicable). Also, the student will prepare food hygienically with minimal assistance and prompting. PLS3B - Healthy Eating - The student will know the basic food groups described by Canada’s Food Guide, and will be able to independently practice healthy eating and dietary moderation. PLS3C - Food Preparation - The student will be able to independently prepare food using basic kitchen tools and small appliances and be able to make meals using a stove or oven with prompting and direction. PLS3D - Laundry - The student will be able to sort, wash, and fold laundry, using the appliances and folding all clothing types, with supervision. PLS3E - Medication - The student will be able to know how to sort, organize, and administer their medicine independently. The student will know the purpose of medicine in general and will have a basic understanding of what their medications help with, but may not know what each specific medication helps with. PLS3F - Public Transportation – The student will be able to use public transit independently, but may not be able to know specific details about timing and route options. PLS3G - Public Facilities – The student will be able to utilize public facilities such as the bank, post office, shopping mall, grocery store, schools, libraries, and government buildings with supervision. The student will have a basic understanding of the purpose of various public facilities. PLS3H - Use of Technology – The student will be able to use any assistive technology independently. The student will also be able to use a computer for basic tasks such as checking email, conducting a search, and basic editing of a document. Furthermore, the student will be able to use other programs and websites with supervision and assistance. PLS3I - Personal Information – The student will be able to say and spell their name, and say their address and phone number, their parents’ names, the school they attend, the elementary school they had previously attended, the courses they are currently taking, their diagnosis (if they have one), and the city/town, province, and country that they live in.
Level 4 PLS4A - Hygiene - The student will independently maintain hygiene in themselves and their home, including proper hygiene practice in food handling and preparation. PLS4B - Healthy Eating - The student will know the basic food groups described by Canada’s Food Guide, and will be able to independently practice healthy eating, and will intuitively select food from all of the food groups. PLS4C - Food Preparation - The student will be able to independently prepare food using basic kitchen tools and small appliances and be able to make meals using a stove or oven with supervision. PLS4D - Laundry - The student will be able to independently sort, wash, and fold laundry, using the appliances and folding all clothing types. The student will also be able to locate and understand basic washing instructions on clothing labels. Fort McMurray Public School District - Life Skills Program 17
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PLS4E - Medication - The student will be able to know how to sort, organize, and administer their medicine independently. The student will know the purpose of medicine in general and will have a basic understanding of what each of their medications helps with. PLS4F - Public Transportation – The student will be able to use public transit independently, and will have a basic knowledge of route options and pick-up times. PLS4G - Public Facilities – The student will be able to independently utilize public facilities such as the bank, post office, shopping mall, grocery store, schools, libraries, and government buildings. The student will have a basic understanding of the purpose of various public facilities. PLS4H -Use of Technology – The student will be able to use any assistive technology independently. The student will also be able to use a computer for a variety of purposes, with only introductory assistance. PLS4I - Personal Information – The student will be able to say and spell their name, and say their address and phone number, their parents’ names, the school they attend, the elementary school they had previously attended, the courses they are currently taking, their diagnosis (if they have one), the medication they take, their doctor’s name, and the city/town, province, and country that they live in. Fort McMurray Public School District - Life Skills Program 18
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Physical Literacy
Note: All sexual health learner outcomes must be consulted with parents prior to teaching. Parents must agree with the topics being taught in sexual health education to their child. Also, a bilateral approach (both at home and school) to teaching sexual health must be agreed upon for the best education of the student.
Level 1 PL1A - Understanding of Diagnosis - The student will be able to communicate when he or she displays a behaviour related to their personality or diagnosis (E.g. “I was sad, mad, loud, or I hit someone, etc…) PL1B - Health Self-knowledge - The student will act in ways that are not self-harming, but may not be able to vocalize their physical limitations. PL1C – Participation in physical activities - The student will be able to, with direct assistance, prompting, and supervision, participate in activities to improve their physical health. (E.g. Swimming, walking, sports, etc.) PL1D – Dietary Restrictions and Allergies - The student will be aware of specific foods that they like and others they cannot eat, but may not be aware of why they cannot eat specific foods. PL1E – Sexual Health – The student will understand public versus private places, and which activities are appropriate for each place. The student will also have an understanding what gender they are. The student will also understand healthy bodily functions and feelings that are applicable to their sex (menstruation, urination/defecation, arousal, curiosity, etc.)
Level 2 PL2A - Understanding of Diagnosis - The student will be able to identify and communicate behaviours specific to their diagnosis or their personality, but may not be able to identify the specific name of their diagnosis PL2B - Health Self-knowledge - The student will know ways of improving their physical health, but may not know their physical limitations and how to live within them. PL2C – Participation in physical activities - The student will participate in ways to monitor and improve their health, but will need assistance in some activities. (E.g. Swimming, running, sports, etc.) PL2D – Dietary Restrictions and Allergies - The student will be aware of specific foods that they like and others they cannot eat, and can explain what happens if they eat food that they cannot eat (E.g. sensitivity, allergy, health-related dietary needs, religious dietary obligations) PL2E – Sexual Health – In addition to expectations outlined in PL1E, the student will also understand their sexual orientation, what it means to have a boyfriend or girlfriend, and have an understanding of whether or not they are interested in such a relationship. The student will also know and communicate the proper names for their reproductive organs. Fort McMurray Public School District - Life Skills Program 19
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Level 3 PL3A - Understanding of Diagnosis - The student will be able name their diagnosis and its symptoms, but may not understand the cause or internal biological details specific to their condition. PL3B - Health Self-knowledge - The student will know ways of improving their physical health within their personal limitations, but may not have the self-regulatory skills to stay within these limitations. PL3C – Participation in physical activities - The student will participate in activities to monitor and improve their health with supervision. (E.g. Swimming, running, sports, etc.) PL3D – Dietary Restrictions and Allergies - The student will be aware of specific foods that they like and others they cannot eat, and can explain why they cannot eat certain foods, and what happens if they do. (E.g. sensitivity, allergy, health-related dietary needs, religious dietary obligations) PL3E – Sexual Health – In addition to expectations outlined in PL1-2E, the student will also understand what it means to date another person (i.e. what a date is, proper etiquette and social customs, and what social norms apply to those who are dating). The student will also have knowledge of what masturbation is, having knowledge of safe and socially acceptable practices regarding masturbation (e.g. private place, by oneself, using safe and appropriate objects, cleaning up afterwards, etc.)
Level 4 PL4A - Understanding of Diagnosis - The student will know the name and symptoms of their diagnosis, and will have a basic knowledge of the cause of their disability. PL4B - Health Self-knowledge - The student will know ways of improving their physical health within their personal limitations, and will be able to self-regulate their activities to monitor their health. PL4C – Participation in physical activities - The student will be able to independently participate in activities to monitor and improve their physical health. PL4D – Dietary Restrictions and Allergies - The student will be aware of specific foods that they like and others they cannot eat. He or she will explain why they cannot eat certain foods, what happens if they do, and what to do if they eat foods they shouldn’t. (E.g. sensitivity, allergy, health-related dietary needs, religious dietary obligations) PL4E – Sexual Health – In addition to expectations outlined in PL1-3E, the student will have a basic understanding of the reproductive organs of the opposite sex, as well as a basic understanding of normal bodily functions related to the opposite sex.
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Individual Program Plans and the Life Skills Program Writing a program plan for students in a secondary-level alternative life skills program at the secondary level is mandatory across Canada. These plans are essential because they organize and give students in accommodated or modified programs the necessary structure to have success in secondary school. The learner outcomes in this document are only as beneficial as the degree to which they can be successfully implemented and executed within an effective individual program plan. This section details a four step process for both creating an effective program plan, and properly executing it in a life skills program. Remember, this document is created for the student, parents, and educators, and should be written in a method that can be understood by all people involved.
Step 1: Determine what will be in the IPP
Summary: Conduct diagnostic assessment using personal and standardized diagnostic assessments. Meet with parents, the LAC, options teachers, the student (if applicable), and EAs to gather ideas and opinions for the student’s goals and accommodations. Use assessments, opinions from other stakeholders, previous IPPs, cumulative files, and professional judgements to complete the Life Skills Assessment Summary Report.
For approximately the first six weeks of a new school year, the life skills teacher should be meeting with parents, the learning assistance coordinator (LAC), EAs, and consulting previous IPPs and cumulative files to familiarize themselves with the students. They should review previous academic and psychological assessments, and determine the student’s focus for the year. The two most important parts of the IPP that should be reviewed and updated yearly are the IPP goals and the accommodations. Therefore, learning what the student’s goals should be, and what accommodations are necessary for them to achieve these goals are essential.
Assessing Knowledge and Skills The first step is to assess the student’s current knowledge and skills at the beginning of the year, a process referred to as diagnostic assessment. Although looking at past assessments can be beneficial, students may have developed or regressed in knowledge and skills since the most recent assessment or the previous assessment may not be valid for a variety of reasons. The easiest and most efficient method of conducting an assessment is to use a standardized assessment such as the Brigance Transitional Skills Inventory or the Fountas and Pinnell Literacy Assessment. The benefit to using these systems is that they provide a consistent assessment between educators, are already created by professionals, and provide measurable benchmarks for tracking student progress.
However, the conveniences of these assessments are not without their limitations. Firstly, no one assessment covers every single learner outcome in the life skills program, nor do their benchmarks clearly transfer to the criteria for the post-secondary exits of this program. Secondly, many of these assessments can be quite costly and not be a viable option for every school or district. Thirdly, the assessments are often changed and updated over time, creating an inconsistent assessment over the course of a student’s school career. Fourth, these assessments are often American and have content in assessment that may not relate to our students (e.g. the use of the imperial measurements, American currency, and terminology not used in Canada). Lastly, these assessments are often very rigid when conducted with the author’s intentions, and can often lead to complications when implementing Fort McMurray Public School District - Life Skills Program 21
Kevin Verberk accommodations. Because of these limitations, teacher should be cautious in using only standardized assessments, and shouldn’t rely on them for assessing every learner outcome in this program.
Over the course of the first six weeks of school, the teacher should be combining standardized assessments, teacher-created assessments, and professional judgement based on interaction to determine the student’s knowledge and skills for each learner outcome. The teacher should be able to determine at which level the student is presently performing for each learner outcome, and to what degree are they reliant on scaffolding and prompting to perform at this level. A convenient table for the teacher to complete to display this information is located in appendix 1 of this document. Once the table is filled in, use this information, along with the desires of all stakeholders involved to determine the focus of the students learning and thus the IPP goals for the year.
Determining Appropriate Accommodations All students in the life skills program will require accommodations put in place if they are to achieve their full academic potential. Since the Life Skills Program is an alternative program which digresses vastly from the provincial curriculum, it is implied that the all students in the Life Skills Program have modifications in their curriculum. However, the accommodations needed to be successful in life skills and in options courses will differ from student to student.
In determining which accommodations will benefit the student, consider the physical and cognitive limitations that differ them from a typical student, and focus on these in creating their accommodations. Consulting with previous support staff, teachers, parents, and past IPPs is also beneficial. Accommodations fall into three categories: environmental, instructional, and assessment accommodations.
Environmental accommodations – These accommodations are what you will put in place in the classroom and/or school. They describe how the student will interact with peers, the teacher, course material, and the school apparatus.
Instructional Accommodations – These accommodations describe how the student should learn course material, and how it should be delivered by teachers and EAs.
Assessment Accommodations – These accommodations describe how all assessments should be accommodated for the student. These accommodations apply to all standardized assessments, as well as all diagnostic, formative, and summative assessments.
Having clearly defined accommodations is beneficial for parents, support staff, professional consultants, options teacher, and the Life Skill teacher. For options teachers, who may have little or no experience in special education, clearly defined accommodations give direction for teaching course material to the student. Consultants who may wish to perform psych assessments may benefit from knowing which accommodations are routinely given to the student. Life Skills teachers and support staff can benefit from clearly defined accommodations because this will ensure they are consistently given for assessments from year to year, providing more consistency and therefore more valid results.
Figure 3 on the following page gives examples of possible accommodations that may be appropriate to any life skills student. Some accommodations may fall under more than one category. Note that having EA support is not Fort McMurray Public School District - Life Skills Program 22
Kevin Verberk listed as an accommodation. These accommodations describe what needs to be in place for the student to be successful. Additional support staff may be necessary in providing this accommodation, but the support itself is not the accommodation. If there is any additional support staff they should be listed in the coordinated support services section of the program plan.
Environmental Instructional Assessment Accommodations Accommodations Accommodations Buddy/peer tutoring Alternative work space Extended time limits Note-taking assistance Strategic seating Verbatim scribing Duplicated notes Proximity to instructor Oral responses, including audiotapes Contracts Reduction of audio/visual stimuli Alternative settings Reinforcement incentives Study carrel More frequent breaks High structure Partnering Minimizing of background noise Assistive devices or adaptive Ability grouping Quiet setting equipment Augmentative and alternative Use of headphones Prompts to return student’s communications systems Special lighting attention to task Assistive technology, such as text-to- Assistive devices or adaptive Augmentative and alternative speech software equipment communications systems Graphic organizers Assistive technology, such as Non-verbal signals speech-to-text software Organization coaching Large-size font Time-management aids Colour cues Mind maps More frequent breaks Reduced/uncluttered format Concrete/hands-on materials Computer options Manipulatives Extra time for processing Tactile tracing strategies Reduction in the number of tasks Gesture cues used to assess a concept or skill Dramatizing information Visual cueing Large-size font Tracking sheets Colour cues Reduced/uncluttered format Computer options Spatially cued formats Repetition of information Rewording rephrasing of information Extra time for processing Word-retrieval prompts Taped texts
Figure 3 Examples of Student Accommodations (Source: The Individual Education Plan (IEP): A Resource Guide (2004) Ontario Ministry of Education): Any of these accommodations could be implemented in the IPP of a Life Skills student. Outlining accommodations for Life Skills students is beneficial for parents, gaining more insight on how to child is learning; for options teachers, who get important insight on how to accommodate the student’s learning needs; and for consultants and administration who have an accurate picture of how the student is learning and should be assessed. Some accommodations require teacher’s be more specific than this template suggests. For example, if computer options are an accommodation, specifying what those options are is necessary. Fort McMurray Public School District - Life Skills Program 23
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Step 2: Write the IPP using the Life Skills Program Learner Outcomes
Summary: Consider which accommodations would be beneficial for the student, considering environmental, instructional, and assessment accommodations Determine the student’s areas of development from the assessment summary report and professional judgement. Construct long-term goals, determining which format for writing IPP goals is appropriate. Construct short-term objectives for IPP goals, ensuring that they follow the SMART criteria.
Note: IPPs should be completed and signed and submitted to the LAC by mid-October
There are two methods for writing program plan goals using the life skills program, and the method you use will depend on the learning needs of each student. When creating a program plan for a student in life skills, the only area that should change is how the program goals are written, as well as the short term objectives.
It should also be noted that options teachers should be involved in the process of creating and updating IPP goals. This can be done in two ways; they may be able to monitor progress of a life skills goal or short-term objective in their class, or they may choose to add their own IPP goals in addition to yours. So long as the knowledge and skills that are the focus for the student are tracked properly for both the Life Skills Program and any options classes, then either strategy is sufficient.
Writing IPP goals In the Fort McMurray Public School District, program goals are organized by having two to five long-term goals per student, with around three short-term objectives per goal. See Figures 4 & 5 for an example of this organizational structure. Long term goals can be based on just one learner outcome outlined in this document (Fig 4), or on a category or theme of learning that will have short-term objectives related to multiple learner outcomes in this document (Fig 5). Some common learner themes can be any of the 5 learner strands (functional literacy, functional numeracy, social / vocational skills, personal living skills, or physical literacy) or another broad theme that takes outcomes from multiple strands (e.g. independence, transitioning in or out of the program, or behaviour)
When creating short-term objectives, ensure that they follow the SMART acronym, meaning that they are specific, measureable, attainable, relevant, and timely. Here is a brief description of what each of these mean:
Specific – Make a very concrete task for the student to do. Another person should be able to read the goal and easily understand, in black or white terms, the task required in completing the goal. Measurable – The goal should be able to be understood in the degree by which the goal is achieved. This increases goal accountability, and gives parents, EAs, future teachers, and community members aware of the student’s abilities at the end of the year. Attainable –It is important to challenge our students to learn and grow in all areas of learning. However, goals should also be attainable and realistic. There is no point in creating goals for students that they will not achieve. Having goals that are unattainable can be misleading for all Fort McMurray Public School District - Life Skills Program 24
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stakeholders at the beginning of the year and disappointing for these people at the end. It is vital for teachers to reassess goals throughout the year to ensure that they are still challenging the students, but are still attainable as well. Relevant – There are many learner outcomes in the Life Skills Program, but not all may be relevant to the students all the time. Although the teacher will cover all the areas of the program throughout the year, the focus for the student should be customized to their learning needs, abilities, and the desires of all stakeholders involved. Timely – The difference between a goal and a pipedream is a timeline. Timeframes on goals allow everyone to understand the pace that learning is expected to occur. Timeframes are not a solemn commitment however, and if a student is achieving the goal at a different pace than expected, it is the teacher’s responsibility to reassess the timeframe of the goal, and possibly the expectations of the task as well. Short-term objectives for goals can be set anytime throughout the year, but should not extend beyond the current school year.
In the first goal structure (see Fig 4), one the learner outcomes are used as the long term goal, with short-term objectives elaborating and being specific aspects of this goal. In this example, the goals are all based on the learner outcome (SV1D, Communication Skills). This specific area of learning is very important for this student as it encompasses an entire long-term goal. Each short-term objective is related to this long-term goal (Conversation Skills), and in this case has timeframes that end in the middle and at the end of the school year. This strategy is most beneficial when a single learner outcome is significant for the student. Other areas of learning, even within the same strand, may be covered in other IPP goals.
In the second goal structure (see Fig 5), one strand or category of learning is selected, and short-term objectives are derived from learner outcomes in this document. In addition to the five strands in this document, some common learner themes could be independence, transition in or out of the program, or behaviour. These alternative themes could take learner outcomes from multiple strands, and may include a personal learning goal not outlined in this document.
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Goal #1 Long-term Goal: Abdullah will expand upon and increase his communication skills to be able to make requests to familiar communication partners effectively and to begin conversational communication skills (SV1D) Current Level Of Performance: Abdullah presently can communicate requests for basic needs with a familiar language partner. Abdullah needs to be prompted to make the request for something approximately 50% of the time.
Short-term Objectives Intervention Strategies Assessment Progress Review Procedures
Implement strategies Observation of Jan 2012 – Goal By December 2011, Abdullah will use devised by ReSett Performance tasks completed one script to start a conversation with meeting team a familiar language partner. Encourage written scripts and assistive technology for communication Provide the tools to make a bilateral approach to promote communication at home and school. By December 2011, Abdullah will Implement strategies Observation of Jan 2012 – make a request to a foreign language devised by ReSett Performance tasks Approaching. Abdullah partner. meeting team Checklists can make the request Encourage written scripts to a non-familiar and assistive technology partner when prompted for communication to ask them. Provide the tools to make a bilateral approach to promote communication at home and school. Encourage communication outside of the classroom (particularly in art class) By June 2012, Abdullah will use 4 Provide visual supports to Observation of Jan 2012 – different scripts to start conversation show communication Performance tasks Approaching. with a familiar language partner, and options for carrying Abduallah is able to will be able to carry on a conversation conversations have a conversation that goes back and forth two times. Have transitional with 2 interchanges worksheets to show with heavy prompting continuity between school and home and a script. Encourage written scripts and assistive technology for communication. Figure 4: Example of a long term IPP goal implementing one learner outcome with short-term objectives detailing different aspects of the outcome. In this example, one learner outcome (conversational skills) is the focus in this IPP goal. Thus, it must be very important for this student to develop their conversational skills if it is going to be the focus of one entire long-term goal. Also, this example shows how there are some short-term objectives that end mid-year, and others that conclude in June. Other common examples where one learner outcome could be the focus of an entire goal could be job-knowledge, hygiene, or dietary restrictions and allergies. Fort McMurray Public School District - Life Skills Program 26
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Goal # 2 Long-term Goal: Jacob will decrease his negative behaviour through increasing his self-regulating skills, self-advocacy skills, and gradually eliminating obsessions that contribute to negative social behaviour.
Current Level Of Performance: Jacob can tell when he is getting upset, but has difficulty communicating his feelings, and advocating for what he needs to avoid negative behaviours. Jacob currently needs to have a train toy around at all times at home, and requires a picture in visible range at all times during school. Jacob will consistently get distracted over a picture or toy, which sometimes leads to poor academic performance or dangerous situations when attention is necessary. Jacob currently exhibits negative behaviour on a regular basis in all environments.
Short-term Objectives Intervention Strategies Assessment Progress Review Procedures
SV1A – By June 2012, Jacob will Prompting Anecdotal notes Dec 2011 – express how he is feeling and Approaching. Jacob
express if he is getting angry prior to Adding scripts to needs prompts to getting at least twice per week. describe his feelings Springboard Lite Behaviour Log
SV1B – By June 2012, Jacob will be Non-violent crises Behaviour Log Dec 2011 – Goal met able to self-regulate his negative intervention descalation without consistency. social behaviour to the extent that strategies Jacob is learning to they he is not posing a threat to his or adapt his behaviour anyone else’s health more than 3 consistently. times per week at school.
By June 2012, Jacob will no longer Gradual Release Observation of Dec 2011 – obsess over trains at school. He will Performance Approaching. He only interact with train toys during Other age appropriate currently takes classroom work breaks and at home. alternatives alternative toys to school, and only looks at a picture or YouTube video, during breaks only.
Figure 5: Example of a long term IPP goal implementing several learner outcomes, using the template from Fort McMurray Public School District. In this example, one category is selected as a long term goal (independence), with short-term objectives being derived from the program goals in this document. The short term objectives focus on being SMART (Specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and timely)
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Intervention Strategies and Assessment Procedures In the IPP format used in the Fort McMurray Public School District each short term objective requires an interviention strategy and an assessment procedure. Both of these sections must be filled out at the beginning of the year, and may be edited throughout the year.
Intervention Strategies – Refers to the actions and resources that teachers, EAs, and parents will provide in helping the student achieve this goal. Some common examples of interventions strategies are ensuring a particular accommodation is consistently giving, providing verbal / physical cues, gradually decresing supports, provide a particular resource for the student at home or school.
In some cases, you may need to get creative in coming u with intervention strategies. For example, I once assited a diabetic student in setting an alarm on his iPod to remind him to check his blood at regular times throughout the day. Allowing the iPod out during school hours, and assissting him in setting up the alarm both count as intervention strategies for that particular short-term objective.
Assessment Procedures – Refers to the method that the teacher will use in measuring the progress of this goal. When short-term objectives were written to be measureable, here is where you will determine how they will be measured. Common assessment procedures include performance tasks, checklists, behavioural logs, and observation and anecdotal notes. If observation and anecdotal notes are used as an assessment procedure, especially if that is the promary method of measuring the completion of the short-term objective, be sure to keep a record of the observations so that they can be referred to later.
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Step 3: Implement and regularly review the IPP
Summary: Store IPPs in a confidential place for reviewing at least once per month. Provide instruction and assessments for students in areas relevant to their IPP goals and accommodations. Communicate and provide resources for parents and EAs to best implement goals both at school and home. Set up meetings with parents at three times per year to update and review IPPs and ensure consistency with social and personal living goals being achieved at home and school. Meet with options teachers to discuss possible concerns regarding student learning and modified programming.
In Life Skills, several goals will require a joint effort from both school and home for the goal to be successful. Most commonly hygiene, communication, and independence goals all require a bilateral approach between school and home. Therefore, ongoing communication between parents, consultants, and teachers is essential for the success of many goals.
Lesson plans should cover all of the relevant learner outcomes that all of the students are addressing throughout the year. This benefits all students because it allows them to review and retain previously learned concepts, and for students who’s lesson is the focus of their IPP to benefit from a collaborative learning environment. Assessing all students in particular concepts is great to report to parents that skills are being retained on the long-term, and gives data to the teacher if an old familiar concept needs to be revisited.
Reviewing IPPs and Communicating with Parents Once all the IPPs have been finished and signed by the learning team, a copy of each IPP should be kept in a binder in a confidential place for review throughout the year. As the year progresses, IPPs should be reviewed at least once per month to ensure that lessons are still relevant to the IPP, to remind staff of which accommodations are in place, and to monitor the progress of their program goals. If you determine that a goal should be edited or an accommodation be revisited, be sure to let parents and EAs know what changes you have made in the program for that student. You may need to conduct an assessment for changing some goals to ensure changing the program is the right decision.
Throughout the year, the teacher should set up meetings with the parents, and if necessary, the EAs and the LAC should be present as well. If an EA should be present during the meeting, try to book the meeting during school hours so it doesn’t conflict with their hourly pay schedule. These meetings can be done during Parent-Teacher Interview nights; however, each meeting should have at one half hour scheduled, and up to an hour if there are any major changes to report in the student or the program. For IPP meetings, be sure to provide the parent a copy they can take with them, and a copy for them to sign and keep for your files. Be prepared with some student work that relates to their IPP goals, and show data tracking if it applies to the student.
Whenever am in-person or over-the-phone meeting takes place, be sure to briefly outline the meeting in the “parent contact” section of the IPP. Communicating by other means such as email or text messaging is allowed for day-to-day communication, but all confidential information should only be communicated over the phone or in Fort McMurray Public School District - Life Skills Program 29
Kevin Verberk person, in order to protect the personal information of your students. In some cases, it will be very difficult to get the parents in the school for a meeting, or even to schedule an over-the-phone meeting. In these cases, after all attempts are made to schedule a meeting, send two copies of the IPP home with either the student or in the mail, and leave a note for the parent to review and sign the IPP at the back and return either in the mail or with the student. If the IPP is sent in the mail, insert a postage-paid envelope with the IPPs.
For goals and short-term objectives that require data tracking to be completed, make sure that you are keeping up-to-date with these forms. To make the process more manageable, try to have five or fewer ongoing data tracking sheets, have an outline that makes filling out data fast and easy, and allow EAs to assist in tracking data whenever possible. Be sure to review any templates for data tracking you’ve made to see if they should be edited or scrapped altogether. Look at the appendices at the back of this book for some examples of data tracking sheets for students. Also, many pre-made testing programs have academic data tracking that may be beneficial for your records. If you use these, you may need to adapt them to suit your needs.
Updating IPPs throughout the Year IPP goals and short-term objectives should be reviewed, and if necessary, updated on a regular basis. Progress reviews for IPP objectives should be done at least three times per year, and should be up to date before every parent meeting. Under the progress review section, there should be the month and year, a brief description of the student’s progress, and the name of the teacher who wrote the progress update. Here is an example:
Other examples can be found in figures 4 & 5. Although details are beneficial in the progress review, they are still intended to be brief, as there may be up to 15 or 20 short-term objectives June 2012 – needing to be updated. If the student has met the objective, then a simple “goal reached” with Approaching. John the month and year is sufficient. If they are still approaching the goal, be specific as to what can add and subtract single digit their current capabilities are, using facts of what they can do, and approximate percentages of numbers with consistency if possible. manipulatives. – If a short-term objective has been completed before the end of the year, it may need to be Verberk updated so that the student is still challenged to achieve more before the end of the year. In other cases, where a student may have several steps to achieve the long-term goal, then the goal can remain completed and not edited for the remainder of the school year.
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Step 4: End of the Year Update and Review
Summary: Fill in final progress updates for each short-term objective. Fill in the assessment summary report for the student and note any changes in the academic year. Fill in goal summary and recommendations for next year. Meet with learning team and get the IPP signed and put in cumulative file.
When filling in the final progress updates for each short-term objective, the procedure is the same as it was throughout the year (see previous page). You will put the month and year of the update, a brief description regarding the progress of the short-term objective, and your last name at the end. If a previous update was stated as “goal / objective completed”, then a new update for June is not necessary. At the end of the year, a new assessment summary report should be attached to the IPP, detailing any improvements or decline in the student’s knowledge and skills.
In addition to the regular updates throughout the year, there are some additional sections in the Fort McMurray Public School district IPP template that require completed at the end of the school year. Filling in this section effectively is critical as it communicates the current status and future direction for the student and helps ensure a consistent program for the student in future years. These sections give the student and his/her parents information and recommendations regarding the student in a brief and attainable format. The sections include goals and objectives achieved, strategies that worked well, goals and objectives requiring ongoing focus, support services required, recommendations for next year, and current year goal summary. What follows is a description on how to complete these sections.
Goals and objectives achieved – In this section, a brief description of their newly learned skills and capabilities, as outline in their IPP, should be outlined here. The best way to organize this is to include a short paragraph on each long-term goal and on the short-term objectives achieved within each goal.
Strategies that worked well – In this section, focus on accommodations that were effective this year, as well as teaching strategies that were conducive to learning for the student. If there was a learning style that was apparent here (such as visual, auditory, or kinaesthetic), it would be beneficial to highlight this information here. Also, behavioural or classroom management strategies that worked well for the student could be included.
Goals and objectives requiring ongoing focus – In this section, report on which goals have not yet been completely achieved, or are still important to expand upon for the student. Many long-term goals could take more than one school year to complete, so they should be discussed here.
Support services required – In this section the teacher should discuss accommodations, counselling or consultant services, or any other support that will be required for the upcoming year for the student. A good example of this would be to schedule for psycho-educational assessments near graduation so that the student may qualify for post-secondary support services. Adding them to a consultant’s client list may be mentioned if new needs arise during the school year. Note that it should not be written that additional EA support is Fort McMurray Public School District - Life Skills Program 31
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required for upcoming years. Since the IPP can count as a legal document, commitments to add EA support should not be casually added to this document with the approval of the Director of Student Services. If direct support and supervision is required, this can be added to this section, without a disclosure of a guarantee of added EA support.
Recommendations for next year – In this section, the teacher should exercise their professional judgement as to what direction the student should take for the next school year. Some goals may be worth expanding on, while others should not. New long-term goals may be suggested, and changes in the future of the student’s life should be considered (e.g. moving, transition, future career aspirations, or personal health).
Current year goal summary – This section provides a review of each of the long-term goals set during the academic year. The best way to structure this section is to create a numbered list to organize the long-term goals, a short version of the goal in bold, and a summary of their progress that follows for each long-term goal. This section should casually highlight their strengths, areas of improvement, and next steps regarding the goal.
Once the IPP has been completed, the teacher should arrange to meet with the learning team to discuss the student’s progress, have the IPP signed, and submitted to the student’s cumulative file for review next year. In cases where getting the parents in for a meeting and the students have already finished school for the year but their IPP has yet to be signed, the teacher should submit two copies of IPP in the mail with a pre-paid and addressed envelope for returning the signed copy, along with detailed instructions for what to do and how to contact you if they would like to set up an over-the-phone meeting regarding their child’s program. Fort McMurray Public School District - Life Skills Program 32
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Teaching Life Skills Teaching a Life Skills classroom is like no other teaching experience. This section details important aspects which make the Life Skills Program unique, gives tips on effective program delivery, and gives advice referencing contemporary texts on professional and pedagogical practices for LS educators. Whether this is your first year in teaching or you have taught for thirty years in several programs, every teacher will benefit from the information presented in this section. While the curriculum section gave you the “what to teach”, this section will give you the “why we teach” and effective strategies on “how to teach” in Life Skills.
Future Headings for the Life Skills Program
Assessment for Life Skills o Assessment as, of, and for learning o Psycho-assessment in life skills Edmonton Regional Education Consulting Services and professional assessments Universal Design for Learning Lev Vygostsky – Scaffolding (Assessment for learning) Mainstream inclusion and life skills o Recycling program Work Experience programs and Life Skills Differentiated Instruction o Content, process, ad product o Making a Difference: Meeting diverse needs with Differentiated Instruction, Government of Alberta Diversity o Gender, age, physical ability, physical appearance, learning style, social background, economic background, geographic background, cultural background, linguistic background, religious beliefs, family lifestyle / occupations Assistive technology in life skills Behaviour assessment in life skills Role of field trips in life skills Role of the Educational Assistant in Life Skills Parent roles Post-secondary options o Group homes and day programs o Keyano transitional program o Work options o Funding options Hidden curriculum in life skills Guide for students moving out of province or country Guide for students moving to Alberta into FMPSD Guide for students moving from within Alberta to FMPSD Annotated bibliography of Life Skills resources Fort McMurray Public School District - Life Skills Program 33
Kevin Verberk Timeline for Teaching Life Skills The purpose of this section is to provide educators a general overview of the most important tasks that should be completed by the Life Skills teacher throughout any given school year.
Late August October Talk / meet with parents (Meet parents and Create and deliver lessons December new students in person) Weeks 1-2 – Finish diagnostic assessment Create and deliver lessons Set up class for school year Schedule all field trips in semester 1 (attach report to IPP) Finish swim program for semester one Meet with principal, EAs, LAC, district Determine which students require consulting services and book Begin mid-year Brigance / personal student services director, and other special meetings with ERECS summative assessment education teachers to discuss goals for the Begin swim program, continue hot lunch program Relax and enjoy your winter break! school year Weeks 2-3 – Have IPP meetings with parents and sign IPPs
Week 4 – Submit all IPPs
Semester 1 August September October November December January
January November September Create and deliver lessons Create and deliver lessons Determine student needs and create and deliver lessons based Continue hot hunch program Continue swim and hot lunch program on those needs. Finish mid-year Brigance / personal Meet with ERECS consultants and establish a plan for Week 1 - Start diagnostic assessment (Brigance and own summative assessment (attach report to students with consulting services for the school year. assessments) IPP) Weeks 3-4 – Parent-teacher interviews – collect Week 2 - Schedule bussing for hot lunch program. Meet with ERECS consultants for assessment data to show for parents Send home permission forms for swim program progress and support in service delivery Review formative assessments and add progress Week 3 - Draft IPP goals for each student and updates reviews to IPPs where applicable Weeks 3-4 – Set up work experience / transition placements Finish up semester 1 for semester 1 Supervise exams, prepare classroom for Week 4 – Schedule IPP meetings with parents for weeks 2 & 3 semester 2 in October. Update IPPs
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June Create and deliver lessons Week 1 - Finish end of year summative February April Brigance / personal assessments Create and deliver lessons Create and deliver lessons Week 2 - Complete final IPP updates and fill in Weeks 1-2 – Set up work experience / Finish swim program for semester 2 recommendations for school year transition placements for semester 2 Receive information from LAC regarding Weeks 2-3 - Have IPP meetings with parents Weeks 2-3 – Have IPP meetings with new students and plan to meet prospective and sign/submit IPPs parents and sign/submit IPPs students and parents. Weeks 3-4 – Supervise exams. Week 4 – Attend teacher convention Relax and enjoy spring break! Clean and organize classroom and prepare for in Edmonton next school year Add relevant assessments to cumulative file
Semester 2 February March April May June
March May Create and deliver lessons Create and deliver lessons Begin Swim program for semester 2 and continue Meet with ERECS consultants for progress and hot lunch program support in service delivery and updates Meet with ERECS consultants for progress and Weeks 2-4 – Begin end of year summative support in service delivery and updates evaluations Set up field trips for semester 2 Meet prospective students and parents. Set up transition plan into the LS Program Weeks 3-4 – Begin transition plan for future LS students Fort McMurray Public School District - Life Skills Program 35
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Appendices The following appendices are designed to act as tools you will use in Life Skills to help in organizing, assessing, and delivering this program to students. Here you will find a detailed explanation of each appendix and instructions and tips in using them. The appendices are formatted in a lighter colour to make greyscale printing and photocopying more practical.
Appendix 1: Life Skills Assessment Summary Report –This form is used for summarising each individual student’s knowledge and skills in relation to the learner outcomes outlined in the curriculum section of the LS program. A form should be filled out for every student at the beginning, middle, and end of every school year and attached to the IPP. During diagnostic assessment at the beginning of the year, this assessment report will serve as a guide to creating your IPP goals, making obvious the necessary areas of development for the school year. When comparing to the diagnostic report, the mid-year and end-of-year reports are an effective tool for showing change and growth in the students’ abilities over time and will guide IPP updates and review meetings.
Appendix 2: ABC Charts – This form is used for data collection when tracking negative behaviours. This is especially useful if you wish to track various types of negative behaviour, and determine what short and long-term factors contribute to this behaviour. If there are common trends that cause behaviour, reducing these or teaching the student how to deal with them appropriately is a pre-emptive strategy for reducing the negative behaviour. By having consistent consequences for particular behaviours, this gives consistency and clear expectations for the student from everyone involved in the learning team, thus providing the best chances for success.
To use an ABC chart, the learning team needs to think of a list of problem behaviours you wish to track. Then, as a team, determine the antecedents; the short-term causes of the problem behaviour (working with an undesirable peer or support staff, travelling outside the classroom, taking medication, short-term change in routine, etc). Then as a team, create a list of appropriate and consistent consequences for behaviour. These are tracking the in consequences list (e.g. time spent apart from peers or staff, removal of reward, removal from the premises). Lastly, determine the precipitating factors; the long-term causes of the problem behaviour (stress from home, poor sleep, illness, long-term change in routine, etc.). Using a numbered legend at the bottom of each sheet allow for a numerical input for typical precipitating factors, antecedents, behaviours, and consequences, making for efficient data collection.
Appendix 3: Behaviour Log – This form is useful for long-term tracking of behaviour Fort McMurray Public School District - Life Skills Program 36
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Appendix 1: LS Assessment Report Page 1 of 2
Life Skills Assessment Summary Report (Attach to IPP) STUDENT: ______
DATE RANGE: ______
Type of assessment (circle one): Diagnostic Mid-year Summative End-of-year Summative
Legend FD – Fully Dependent NPS – Needs Prompting / Scaffolding FI – Fully Independent (> 90% of the time) * = This learner outcome is the focus of their IPP goals
Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Level 4 FD NPS FI FD NPS FI FD NPS FI FD NPS FI Functional Literacy Text Comprehension FL1-4A Text Purpose FL1-4B Applying text FL1-4C Building Vocabulary FL1-4D Community literacy FL1-4E World Awareness FL1-4F Functional Numeracy Handling Money FN1-4A Budgeting FN1-4B Time FN1-4C Schedules FN1-4D Basic Math FN1-4E Kitchen Math FN1-4F Measurement FN1-4G Social Skills / Vocational Skills Self-Advocacy SV1-4A Self-Regulation SV1-4B Harassment SV1-4C Communication Skills SV1-4D Job Knowledge SV1-4E Job-related Skills SV1-4F Fort McMurray Public School District - Life Skills Program 37
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Appendix 1: LS Assessment Report Page 2 of 2
Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Level 4 FD NPS FI FD NPS FI FD NPS FI FD NPS FI Personal Living Skills Hygiene PLS1-4A Healthy Eating PLS1-4B Food Preparation PLS1-4C Laundry PLS1-4D Medication PLS1-4E Public Transit PLS1-4F Public facilities PLS1-4G Technology PLS1-4H Personal information PLS1-4I Physical Literacy Diagnosis knowledge PL1-4A Health knowledge PL1-4B Participation in activities PL1-4C Dietary Restrictions PL1-4D Sexual Health PL1-4E
Strengths: ______
Areas for Improvement: ______
Next Steps: ______
______Teacher Name (Please Print) Teacher Signature Date
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Appendix 2: ABC Chart Template- LS Program Page 1 of 1 Appendix 2: ABC Chart Student: ______
Date / Time: Staff involved:
Location: Other people involved:
Precipitating Factors Antecedent Behaviour Consequence Notes Imposed Unintentional
Notes:
Date / Time: Staff involved:
Location: Other people involved:
Precipitating Factors Antecedent Behaviour Consequence Notes Imposed Unintentional
Notes:
Legend Common Precipitating Factors Common Antecedents Common Behaviours 1 – ______A – ______1 – ______2 – ______B – ______2 – ______3 – ______C – ______3 – ______F – Failed Attempt
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Headings for the Life Skills Program
Assessment for Life Skills o Assessment as, of, and for learning o Psycho-assessment in life skills Edmonton Regional Education Consulting Services and professional assessments Universal Design for Learning Lev Vygostsky – Scaffolding (Assessment for learning) Mainstream inclusion and life skills o Recycling program Work Experience programs and Life Skills Differentiated Instruction o Content, process, ad product o Making a Difference: Meeting diverse needs with Differentiated Instruction, Government of Alberta Diversity o Gender, age, physical ability, physical appearance, learning style, social background, economic background, geographic background, cultural background, linguistic background, religious beliefs, family lifestyle / occupations Assistive technology in life skills Behaviour assessment in life skills Role of field trips in life skills Role of the Educational Assistant in Life Skills Parent roles Post-secondary options o Group homes and day programs o Keyano transitional program o Work options o Funding options Hidden curriculum in life skills Annotated bibliography of Life Skills resources
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Index
learner outcomes, 3, 4, 8 A Life Skills, 3, 4, 6, 21, 25 Literacy, 8, 9 Assessment, 2, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25 M B Measurement, 10, 11, 12 Basic Math, 10, 11, 12 Medication, 15, 16, 17, 18 Budgeting, 10, 11, 12 Money, 10, 11, 12
C P
CommunicationSkills, 13, 14, 15 Personal Information, 16, 17, 18 personal learning goals, 3 D Personal Living Skills, 7, 15 Physical Literacy, 7, 19 Daily Activity Skills, 7 program parameters, 4 Public Transportation, 15, 16, 17, 18 F
First Steps, 8 S Fort McMurray, 4 Schedules, 10, 11, 12 Functional Literacy, 6, 8 Self-Advocacy, 13, 14 Functional Numeracy, 6, 10 Self-Regulation, 13, 14 Social Skills. See Social Skills / Vocational Skills H Social Skills / Vocational Skills, 7
Harassment, 13, 14, 15 Healthy Eating, 15, 16, 17 T Hygiene, 15, 16, 17 Technology, 16, 17, 18 Time (Student understanding), 10, 11, 12 I
Individual Program Plan. See IPP V IPP, 3 VIP (Vocational Individualized Program), 4, 8 Vocational Skills. See Sociial Skills / Vocational Skills K
Keyano College, 4 W work experience, 4, 13, 14, 15 L world awareness, 8, 9
Laundry, 15, 16, 17, 18
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