Grading Students with Disabilities

“Real" Math or “Creative” Math

by

Cathy Sartain

Cathy Sartain Industries LLC

832.465.6825

cathysartainindustries@comcast.net

cathysartainindustries.com

For additional information, contact Cathy Sartain at cathysartainindustries@comcast.net or 832.465.6825

Top 10 Points to Ponder

In

Establishing Grading Practices for Students with Disabilities

1. Grades should be meaningful. Grades for students with disabilities

should communicate progress in content in the same manner as grades

for students without disabilities

2. Grades should be fair. When determining how to grade students with

disabilities, consideration should be given to any disability related

need(s) that may impact the ability to follow district grading policies and

procedures.

3. Grades should be equitable. Students with disabilities must also

demonstrate academic achievement and that academic achievement is

reflected in the grade (ALL students must work for their grades!)

4. Decisions on grading should be discussed AND documented in the IEP. These are

the 3 D’s of grading: discuss, decide and document.

5. IEP Team considerations for determination of appropriate grading decisions

should be based on 1) curriculum expectations, 2) place of instructions, 3)

disability-related needs, and 4) what is a meaningful measure of progress

6. Report cards are not the same as IEP Progress Reports. The report card

communicates progress in the entire scope of the curriculum that the student is

responsible for learning. The IEP Progress Report communicates progress

towards attainment of an annual goal. Think of the analogy of a piece of fruit

(IEP Progress Report) and a fruit salad (Report Card).

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7. Students with disabilities are NOT guaranteed a passing grade of 70. Students

with disabilities must 1) have an appropriate IEP and 2) all responsible parties

must implement the IEP. If both of those conditions are met, and the student is

making a failing grade that are not disability-related, then the student may

receive that failing grade.

8. Students with disabilities can have grades that are weighted differently, for

class ranking purposes, as long as the district is determining weights of

individual courses based on the rigor of the course content and not on a

student’s special education status.

9. Report cards can contain asterisks or other symbols to indicate to parents an

exception to the generally applicable grading scale. This is not the case with

Transcripts!

10. Grades for students with disabilities CANNOT be based solely on effort.

According to TEC § 28.0216, a district shall adopt a grading policy each year

that:

Must require a teacher to assign a grade that reflects a student’s

relative mastery of an assignment

May not require an assignment of a minimum grade without

regard to quality of work

May allow a reasonable opportunity to make up or redo

assignments and tests a student has failed

In other words, districts should be making purposeful decisions about how to grade

students with disabilities. The decisions need to:

Be individualized

Be based on disability-related needs

Be documented in the IEP

Result in meaningful and authentic grades

Be implemented

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Table Talk

Identifying Concerns and Creating Solutions

Concerns Causes Solutions

Subjects: ( as discussed) __Eng __Rdg __Math __Sci

__SS __Other_____

NOTE: IEP progress reports will be completed on students with disabilities concurrent with the issuance of report cards. The district Special Services Grading Guidance Manual provides further assistance in selection of grading options and ARD Committee documentation. However, it is the ARD Committee that makes all IEP decisions based on individual student need.

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Sample 12:Decision-Making Guide for Determining Grades XXXX ISD

Department of Special Services

When determining grading options for each subject area, consider the following:

Impact of student's disability on involvement and progress in the same curriculum as nondisabled students

ARD/IEP discussion of PLAAFP, goals, accommodations and/or modifications, assessment decision, other specialized supports, and instructional setting

Each content area

IF: THEN:

Curriculum Expectations

Instructional Setting

State Assessment

HS Graduation Options

* Grading Options ARD Documentation

TEKS

Grade level TEKS with or without accommodations

General Education and/or Special Education

STAAR STAAR L TAKS - High School only

Distinguished, Recommended, or Minimum AND pass state assessment, OR

Minimum AND participate in state

assessment

1. District policies, or 2. District policies with

grading accommodationsa

1. Go to Alter Assignment Screen, write Follow District Policies/Procedures

2. Determine appropriate grading accommodation, go to Alter Assignment Screen, describe accommodation, using Notes section if needed

TEKS Modified

Grade level TEKS with modifications Student meets all 3 Participation Requirements (PRs) for modified assessment (grades 3-11)

General Education and/or Special Education

STAAR Modified TAKS Modified – High School only

Minimum only, AND one from below:

A. participate in state assessment B. successful completion of IEP C. demonstrate employability, self

help skills or access agency services

1. District policies, or 2. District policies with grading accommodations

a

and/or 3. Alternate grading system

b

1. Go to Alter Assignment Screen, write: Follow District Policies/Procedures 2. Determine appropriate grading accommodation, go to Alter Assignment Screen, describe accommodation, using Notes section if needed 3. Determine appropriate rubric, go to Alter Assignment Screen, write See Attached Rubric

TEKS Essence

Grade level TEKS based on Essence Statements, pre-requisite skills, and independent living skills Student meets all 5 PR’s for alternate assessment (grades 3-11)

General Education and/or Special Education

STAAR Alternate

Minimum only, AND one from below:

A. participate in state assessment B. successful completion of IEP C. demonstrate employability, self

help skills or access agency services, OR

No longer meets age eligibility and has completed IEP requirements

2. District policies with grading accommodations

a

and/or 3. Alternate grading system

b

4. Progress noted through IEP goals and objectives in lieu of report card

c

2. Determine appropriate grading accommodation, go to Alter Assignment Screen, describe accommodation, using Notes section if needed 3. Determine appropriate rubric, go to Alter Assignment Screen, write See Attached Rubric

4. Go to Alter Assignment Screen, write See Notes, give explanation of rationale

*Taking a modified assessment in any content area will result in Minimum Graduation Plan

a Grading accommodations DO NOT substantially change performance criteria of course content. (Examples: Grades determined from work completed in class, etc.) 2 b Alternate grading systems DO substantially change performance criteria and grade student on individual levels of performance. (Examples: rubrics, etc.) c The ARD committee determines that the IEP progress report is the most appropriate measure of academic progress, and student will not receive a report card. This option is only available for students in PPCD-5

th grade that are in a self-contained classroom and whose curriculum is defined by the goals and objectives specified in the IEP. A staffing with special services supervisory staff is required prior

to selection of this option.

Subjects: ( as discussed) __Eng __Rdg

__Math __Sci

__ SS __Other ___

2010 Cathy Sartain Industries, LLC

Sample 9: XXX ISD Guidance for Selection of Grading Accommodations

Option “a” from Decision-Making Guide for

Determining Grades

Students with disabilities will be graded in accordance with XXX ISD grading policies and procedures unless otherwise determined by an ARD committee. Any variation to the district guidelines must be documented in the IEP and based on the student’s disability-related needs.

Grading accommodations do not substantially change the performance criteria of the course content. Examples of grading accommodations are outlined below. These are listed as examples only, not an exhaustive list.

Rationale for Grading Accommodation

(Refer to FIE and PLAAFP)

Type of Grading Accommodation

ARD Documentation

Disability Related Needs: Major Grades Examples:

Deficits in long-term retrieval

Deficits in attending for long periods of time

Deficits in attention and concentration

Deficits in acquiring basic knowledge

Deficits in specific academic skills (i.e., LD in reading comprehension, math calculation)

Significant test anxiety

Deficits in cognitive processing speed

Deficits in cognitive processing

Deficits in abilities to initiate and complete tasks

Deficits in fine or gross motor functioning

Deficits in abilities to organize materials

Benchmarks/checkpoint

Unit tests

Six Week tests

Semester tests

Projects

Notebook/Binder check

Lab/Group project

Student’s average will consist of __major grades and __minor grades.

Student’s average will be based on __% for major tests and __% for minor grades.

Additional points will be given for corrections on missed test items.

When an alternative assignment is used in lieu of a test, lab, or group project, as specified in student’s instructional accommodations, the grade count same % as original test.

Points will not be deducted for spelling, punctuation or capitalization errors except when assessing those skills.

Major grades will count as daily grade.

Semester exams will be weighted __% of final grade.

Drop __ of lowest test grades for each grading period.

Student’s major tests will not include essay or short answer questions and will match EOC requirements.

Benchmarks are not required as major test grade.

Teacher and/or student will schedule to re-test/make-up test.

No penalty for make-up test completed within __days.

Minor Grades

Daily assignments

Homework Quizzes Lab/Group work

No penalty to grade for classroom __notebook check; __warm-up activity.

Grades will be determined from work completed in class.

When an alternative assignment is used in lieu of a written assignment, lab, or group work, as specified in student’s instructional accommodations, the grade will count same % as original assignment.

Drop __lowest; __daily; __homework grade(s) per grading period.

Teacher and/or student will schedule to re-do/make-up assignments.

No penalty for make-up work completed within __days.

Math Fluency Probes will __not count as grade; __be graded on number of problems completed within the time limit.

Subject: ☐ ELAR ☐ Math ☐Science ☐Social Studies ☐Other, ________

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Sample 13: Grading Rubric for Students on Modified or Alternate Curriculum in the General Education Setting

This rubric may be used with students who are receiving instruction on a modified or alternate curriculum and who are being assessed

on modified or alternate achievement standards in a general education setting.

Criterion 4 3 2 1

Transitions

Appropriately moves from

one activity to another with

limited to no assistance

Appropriately moves from

one activity to another with

limited assistance

May move from one activity

to another with assistance or

guidance

Refuses to move from one

activity to another with

assistance or guidance

Participation and Effort

Actively engaged; stays in

chair and/or work area;

stays on task and

participates with limited or

no disruptions

Adequately engaged; stays in

chair and/or work area; often

participates and has minimal

off-task behavior and

disruptions; responds to

redirection

Minimally engaged; partially

stays in chair and/or work

area; some effort to

complete task or participate;

somewhat disruptive

behavior but responds to

redirection

Not engaged; out of

chair/work area; little or no

effort to complete task or

participate; is disruptive

and rarely responds to

redirection

Communication

Consistently verbalizes in

an appropriate manner to

express wants, needs,

emotions and thoughts with

limited to no assistance

With guidance, consistently

attempts to verbalize in an

appropriate manner to express

wants, needs, emotions and

thoughts with some assistance

Rarely verbalizes or

communicates wants, needs,

emotions and thoughts

Inappropriately verbalizes

or communicates wants,

needs, emotions and

thoughts

Completion of Assignment

Completes from 76% to

100% of class/subject

assignments

Completes from 51% to 75%

of class/subject assignments

Completes from 26% to 50%

of class/subject assignments

Does not complete any

assignments

Academics

Response Mode:

W-Written

Ve-Verbal

P-Physical

Vi-Visual

The student demonstrates a

beginning awareness of

TEKS based content

demonstrated by

involvement in an activity

with a teacher or peer 4 of 5

attempts.

__

The student is beginning to

develop a beginning

awareness of TEKS based

content demonstrated by

involvement in an activity

with a teacher or peer 3 of 5

attempts.

__

The student’s beginning

awareness of TEKS based

content is emerging as

demonstrated through

involvement in an activity

with a teacher or peer 2 of 5

attempts.

__

The student does not

demonstrate a beginning

awareness of the TEKS

based content presented.

__

Total

Comments: Raw Score: ___________/20

Converted % Score: ___________%

Sample 12: STAAR-Alternate

Academic Grading Rubric

Complexity Level Three

Student Name: Date:

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Subject: Essence Statement:

Activity:

Verb: ______________ Presentation of Supports and Materials Provided: Verbal/Auditory Physical Visual

Criterion 4 3 2 1 0

Academics The student demonstrates

mastery of TEKS based

content by applying

knowledge to answer

questions/complete tasks

using a variety of materials.

The student demonstrates an

understanding of TEKS based

content by applying

knowledge to answer

questions/complete tasks 4 of

5 opportunities.

The student is beginning to

understand TEKS based

content by applying

knowledge to answer

questions/complete tasks 3 of 5

opportunities.

The student demonstrates

emergent understanding of

TEKS based content by

applying knowledge to

answer questions/complete

tasks 2 of 5 opportunities.

The student does not

understand TEKS based

content and cannot apply

knowledge to answer

questions/complete tasks

Response Mode:

Verbal

Physical

Visual

Participation

The student demonstrates

the ability to maintain

participation throughout the

task/activity.

The student demonstrates the

ability to maintain

participation with minimal (1-

2) redirection throughout the

task/activity.

The student demonstrates the

ability to maintain participation

but required moderate

redirection (3-5) during activity

.

The student was able to

partially maintain

participation but required

significant redirection (>5).

The student was unable to

participate enough to

complete the activity.

Cueing and

Prompting

The student correctly

completed the task without

cueing or prompting.

The student chose the correct

answer with minimal cueing

(1-2) during the task/activity.

The student chose the correct

answer but required prompting

(1-2) during the task/activity.

The student chose the correct

answer but required

significant (>2) cueing and

prompting.

The student was unable to

choose the correct answer

with/without significant

cueing and prompting.

Total

Comments:

Raw Score: _________ X2 = _________/24 = ________

Converted % Score: _________________