One of All-in!’s program goals for the 2018-2019 school year is to continue to develop clear practices for sharing data as a means to shape the narrative about our work. One of the main forums for sharing this kind of data is through our end of cycle meetings, where Seneca staff have the opportunity to provide updates on students’ progress toward their academic, behavioral, and/or social emotional goals.
I have recently had the pleasure of sitting in on two separate end of cycle meetings, each for students in special education who are receiving academic, behavioral, and clinical supports in service of their Individualized Education Program (IEP). As a program, we have been working over the years to refine these meetings. This year, program leadership made intentional efforts to ensure that end of cycle meetings reflect our efforts to work as a transdisciplinary team, asking that clinicians, academic interventions specialists, and student support assistants meet with general education teachers, administrators, and when possible, parents and students, to co-present on student progress.
I have recently had the pleasure of sitting in on two separate end of cycle meetings, each for students in special education who are receiving academic, behavioral, and clinical supports in service of their Individualized Education Program (IEP). As a program, we have been working over the years to refine these meetings. This year, program leadership made intentional efforts to ensure that end of cycle meetings reflect our efforts to work as a transdisciplinary team, asking that clinicians, academic interventions specialists, and student support assistants meet with general education teachers, administrators, and when possible, parents and students, to co-present on student progress.
While I can imagine that it takes a lot of logistical effort to bring this group of people together in one room, I walked away from these meetings with a deep sense of why it is worth the effort. We talk a lot about the negative impact of soiled systems on students and families. All too often students with complex needs experience disjointed supports that leave families feeling frustrated and overwhelmed. When support providers are not collaborating as a united front, parents may experience that certain crucial needs go overlooked. On the flip-side, they may experience a barrage of uncoordinated communication – receiving three different updates from three different providers who are working on three different sets of goals with students – without any clarity around how the work of each provider compliments the other or contributes to the overall academic success of the student.
I believe that the parents in attendance at these two end of cycle meetings had quite a different experience. The clinician, student support assistant (SSA), and special education teacher were each able to clearly articulate how their goals were tied to the student’s IEP and how the interventions they used addressed the student’s unhelpful internal working model(s). It was clear that the general education teacher worked in close relationship with the all three providers and that strategies that these experts were developing in their work with the student were translated into the classroom environment. When one SSA shared that the student had met one of their behavioral goals, everyone expressed their excitement and their belief that the student was ready to take on a new challenge. When one parent shared her dreams for her student, each provider was able to make the connection between the specific goals they were working on with the student and how it would contribute to their success. It felt holistic, it felt coordinated, and it felt like true teamwork in service of one student.
I understand that creating truly integrated systems of care is a complicated, messy, and challenging endeavor. But I walked away from these meetings with a renewed sense of why it is one of the most important pieces of work. I just want to take a moment to say thank you to each of you for the part you play in bringing this level of coordination and integration to your work. I can confidently say that it has quite an impact on the experience of our students and families.
I believe that the parents in attendance at these two end of cycle meetings had quite a different experience. The clinician, student support assistant (SSA), and special education teacher were each able to clearly articulate how their goals were tied to the student’s IEP and how the interventions they used addressed the student’s unhelpful internal working model(s). It was clear that the general education teacher worked in close relationship with the all three providers and that strategies that these experts were developing in their work with the student were translated into the classroom environment. When one SSA shared that the student had met one of their behavioral goals, everyone expressed their excitement and their belief that the student was ready to take on a new challenge. When one parent shared her dreams for her student, each provider was able to make the connection between the specific goals they were working on with the student and how it would contribute to their success. It felt holistic, it felt coordinated, and it felt like true teamwork in service of one student.
I understand that creating truly integrated systems of care is a complicated, messy, and challenging endeavor. But I walked away from these meetings with a renewed sense of why it is one of the most important pieces of work. I just want to take a moment to say thank you to each of you for the part you play in bringing this level of coordination and integration to your work. I can confidently say that it has quite an impact on the experience of our students and families.
Blog Post Written By: Jenny Ventura, Director of Model Implementation and Assessment
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