communication plan

Alyson Barillari, Associate Superintendent

Thomas Dugan, Director of Special Education

Marion Bolden, Superintendent

A RESOURCE GUIDE

FOR INTEGRATING TEACHER AIDES INTO LESSON PLANS

Professional Development Staff

For Code & Procedure’s Questions, Call: Mitchel Gerry, Mary Hart,

Sakinah Springs, or Sandy Bruno at (973) 350-5811

For Technology Questions, Call Joe Fonseca at (973) 481-5398

OUR GOAL IS

BEST PRACTICES IN NEWARK’S

SPECIAL EDUCATION PROGRAMS

Newark Public Schools Office of Special Education’s Professional Development Center

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Acknowledgements	Page 3
Code and Statutory Mandates - Why do teachers have to integrate teacher aides into lesson plans?	Page 4
Teacher and aide team building	Page 5
How do teachers integrate teacher aides into lesson plans?	Pages 6 - 8
Two templates for lesson plans that integrate teacher aides into lesson plans	Pages 9 - 10
Five sample lesson plans that integrate teacher aides into lesson plans	Pages 11 - 18
Teacher aides and classroom management	Pages 19 -20
Utilizing IEPs to guide the integration of teacher aides into lesson plans	Pages 21 - 23
Student observation and monitoring forms that teacher aides can utilize	Pages 24 - 27

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Office of Special Education's Resource Guide Committee

 

Peter Altbuch, Supervisor

Vivian Brown, Resource Teacher Coordinator

Mitchel Gerry, School Psychologist

Kathy Greenwald, Resource Teacher Coordinator

Mary Hart, Learning Disabilities Teacher Coordinator

Sakinah Springs, School Social Worker

Holly Williams, Resource Teacher Coordinator

Glenda Wimberly, Resource Teacher Coordinator

 

 Special thanks to Vivian Brown, Kathy Greenwald, Holly Williams, and Glenda Wimberly for their sample lesson plans and templates of lesson plans that can be utilized by staff as guides in this endeavor.

The following Resource Teacher Coordinators from the Office of Special Education will be available to provide additional guidance on the process of integrating teacher aides into lesson plans:

 

                               

Bennett, Celeste	973-705-3777
Brown, Vivian	973-733-6940
Columbo, Nick	973-424-4339
Greenwald, Kathy	973-424-4335
Vasquez, Aida	973-424-4334
Watts, Linda	973-733-6994
Williams, Holly	973-424-4499
Wimberly, Glenda	973-424-4336

    

 

Code and Statutory Mandates

Why are teachers being required to integrate assigned teacher aides into lesson plans?

The No Child Left Behind Act states that teacher aides must work “under the direct supervision of a teacher”.

What does it mean that teacher aides must work under the "direct supervision of a teacher"?

1. The teacher prepares the lessons and plans the instructional support activities the paraprofessional carries out, and evaluates the achievement of the students with whom the paraprofessional is working; and

2. The paraprofessional works in close and frequent proximity with the teacher.

*NOTE - teachers do not evaluate teacher aides, nor do they formally observe teacher aides as part of the evaluation process!

How can teachers meet NCLB’s statutory mandate and improve special education programs?

1. Teachers must fully integrate assigned aides (capacity, program, IEP) into all lessons and activities, during which the aide is assigned. The aide's assigned responsibilities must be aligned with students' IEPs, Title I's allowable activities, best practices that improve student performance, and the district's grade level curriculum.

2. By delineating teacher aide responsibilities on lesson plans for all daily subjects and activities, possible conflicts between teacher & teacher aide will be minimized. In addition, the lesson plans serve as a road map or guide, specifying who will perform each daily responsibility, thereby ensuring NCLB’s mandate that the teacher aide works under the direct supervision of the teacher. Clearly, by collaborating with the teacher aide in delineating responsibilities, mindful of Title 1’s allowable activities, better ensures his/her buy-in and implementation.

The No Child Left Behind Act delineates the following allowable activities for teacher aides:

1. One-to-one tutoring for eligible students, at times when students would not otherwise be taught by a teacher;

2. Assist with classroom management, such as organizing instructional and other materials (see classroom management activities pages xx-xx);

3. Provide assistance in a computer laboratory;

4. Conduct parental involvement activities (see parent involvement activities pages xx-xx);

5. Provide support in library/media center;

6. Act as a translator;

7. Provide instructional services to students under the direct supervision of teacher.

Team Building Activities Before Teachers Integrate Teacher Aides Into Lessons

Teacher - Aide teams must decide on respective responsibilities before developing and implementing lesson plans. They must meet regularly to plan for these activities. These planning activities should seek to decide on each others strengths and weaknesses, with the clear caveat that the teacher is the educational leader in the class who is legally responsible for planning, directing, and implementing instruction.

Team Building Activities

Having two adults (teacher and teacher aide) sharing the same space requires specific attention and responsibilities and duties to avoid conflicts. Therefore, to maximize team effectiveness, the team must decide:

1. How to address each other?

2. Who does what, when, where and how?

3. How the workload will be shared?

4. What strategies for classroom management/discipline issues and positive behavioral supports will be employed?

5. What to do when students need to be acknowledged?

6. Who is responsible for monitoring student movement within and outside the classroom?

7. What classroom routines and procedures will be used for homework class work, school supplies and materials, and tests?

8. How and when is it appropriate for teacher and/or aide to gain the other’s attention respectfully and without undermining their respective positions?

9. How to share ideas?

10. How to provide accommodations for students who require it?

11. When will planning time for teacher/aide teams be scheduled to meet and collaborate on the delivery of educational services to assigned and shared students?

12. How to address other issues that arise?

How would teachers integrate teacher aides responsibilities into lesson plans?

To illustrate this process, as well as provide a template and examples, we must first determine the format of lesson plans. Although the format of lesson plans can vary from district to district, schools within the same district, and teachers within the same school, they generally include 4 sections and teacher aides can be integrated into any/all of these sections as follows:

1. Objective

2. Activities to accomplish objective

3. Evaluation of whether lesson accomplished objective

4. Follow up activities

Objective stated in terms of what students will learn or be able to do after the lesson - If teacher begins instructing one group of students, the teacher aide can be assigned activities to prepare subsequent groups of students for the lesson. These teacher-selected activities could tap students’ prior knowledge (e.g. skills, motivation, relevance, academic and life experiences, etc.)

Activities to accomplish objective – Clearly, based on the objective and the nature of the lesson, there are a huge number of activities the teacher aide can assist in. Two activities that tend to transcend most lessons are:

1. Materials - Teacher aides can ensure that assigned student(s) have all required materials for lesson (e.g. pencil, eraser, homework, textbook, notebook, eyeglasses, etc.). If the student(s) doesn’t have these necessary materials the teacher aide can notify parent(s) and track this preparation of student(s) on teacher-selected form(s). On the lesson plan, teachers may want to use an abbreviation, such as “materials” and have it reference a pre-selected list of activities teacher aide will assist in.

2. On task behavior(s) - The teacher aide can assist in increasing students’ time on task during lesson with activities like the following. On the lesson plan, teachers may want to use an abbreviation, such as “on-task” and have it reference a pre-selected list of activities teacher aide will assist in.

a. Ensuring that students follow established classroom procedures for:

· Smooth transitions between activities;

· Routine housekeeping chores (e.g., requests for assistance, supplies, use the bathroom, etc.) and

· Instructional tasks.

b. Preparing teacher-selected materials for lessons and ensuring that students have needed materials for lessons;

c. Preparing student for lesson with clear, direct statement of expectations, restating directions, giving additional examples, etc.

d. Requesting student to verbally repeat teacher instructions, before beginning assigned written work;

e. Reviewing key words with student;

f. Checking that student has the correct text, place and materials;

g. Checking student's seatwork and providing ongoing feedback;

h. Providing encouragement and reinforcement for on-task student behavior;

i. Providing reminders and redirections for off-task student behavior; touching student’s shoulder, sitting by student(s), signaling student(s) with prearranged signal; and

j. Supervising the student on the computer as an extension of the lesson with practice of the taught skill;

Evaluation of whether lesson accomplished objective - The teacher aide could work with selected students during seatwork, when skills and/or information is reinforced, to provide:

1. Timely, corrective feedback on student's short answer (e.g., multiple choice, True/False, matching, etc.) class work, where the teacher provides the answer key.

2. Teacher- selected reinforcement (e.g. verbal praise, smiley face, points, etc.) when student completes assigned class work and homework.

3. Encouragement for student’s accomplishments, the effort they expend, and their personal gratification.

See also section on observation and monitoring forms

Follow-up activities - Teacher aide(s) can ensure that student(s) are aware of teacher-selected follow-up activities and that they can assist student in recording in a consistent place (e.g., homework pad). On the lesson plan, teachers may want to use abbreviations, such as “homework” and “parent” and have them reference a pre-selected list of activities teacher aide will assist in.

1. Homework Completion – Teacher aide can:

1. Ensure that student(s) copy all homework assignments in designated place (e.g. homework pad) and bring home needed books and materials.

2. Check that all materials needed for homework are organized and placed in the book bag;

3. Provide teacher-selected home learning ideas, materials, and guides to families in how to help student(s).

4. Record each student's completion of assigned homework on a teacher-selected form.

5. Provide timely, corrective feedback on student's short answer homework assignments (e.g., multiple choice, True/False, matching, etc.), where the teacher provides the answer key.

6. Provide positive verbal and/or visual feedback when the student completes homework;

7. Model self-checking on homework chart when work is done daily;

2. Parental involvement - Teacher aides can play a significant role in increasing parental involvement. They can:

a. Assist in providing information to families about their child's progress,

b. Share strategies that have proven successful in the classroom and gather information from families about strategies that have worked at home;

c. Help families identify their concerns to share with the classroom teacher;

d. Assist a parent with limited English proficiency to communicate with the teacher;

e. Help the family identify and locate resources to assist them;

f. Assist teachers to develop periodic classroom newsletters for parents that contain tips for helping children learn in the home, fun activities to do as a family, and other useful ideas;

g. Contact parents periodically by phone or postcard, focusing on students’ successes and upcoming activities for students and families;

h. Establish a routine method for parents to review their children's work on a regular basis (for example, using manila envelopes or folders to send student work home each week with a place for parents’ comments on the front cover); and

i. Implement additional feedback opportunities for parents and family members such as surveys on current program issues.

Clearly, the possible teacher aide responsibilities, which can be designated in each lesson plan are only limited by Title I, the IEP, the curriculum, the teacher aide’s contract, and teacher’s creativity. Since most of the teacher aide’s assigned responsibilities will be frequently repeated in all lessons and activities, the teacher, aide and school-based administrator should decide on agreed upon abbreviations, or codes, for selected activities. For example, “TA routines, rules, on-task, etc.” could mean that the teacher aide must ensure that assigned students adhere to classroom routines, rules, and remain on task. (However, the first time an abbreviation is used, it must be spelled out.)

Should teacher aides be provided with the teacher’s entire lesson plan?

Clearly, in order for the teacher aide to know his/her assigned responsibilities for each subject during the day, he/she needs something to refer to. The teacher may decide to highlight the relevant sections of the lesson plan and provide the teacher aide a copy. Or, the teacher may decide that giving each assigned teacher aide his/her own written responsibilities, like the one below, may be easier for teacher and teacher aide.

Two Lesson Plan Templates that Teachers May Want to Utilize and/or Modify

Lesson Plan Template 1

SUBJECT:

CURRICULUM CORRELATION:

TOPIC:

OBJECTIVE:

MATERIALS:

INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES/PROCEDURES (teacher/teacher aide):

Teacher actions:

Teacher Aide actions:

ACTIVITIES (teacher aide/student): ACCOMMODATIONS/MODIFICATIONS:

Teacher aide actions:

Student actions:

EVALUATION/ASSESSMENT:

FOLLOW UP/ENRICHMENT (i.e. Media Center, Tech Lab., Sci. Lab, etc, etc, etc):

HOMEWORK:

ADDITIONAL TEACHER AIDE ASSIGNMENTS:

Lesson Plan Template 2

Sample Lesson Plan #1: Elementary Reading

Teacher: ____________________________ Date: ____________

C.C.C.S.: 3.1G Goal: 4.1

Subject: Reading Grade: 3

Topic: Identifies Literary Elements

Objectives:

Students will be able:

- identify the main characters in a short story.

- analyze characterization by determining what a character is and does

from the character’s words, actions, and the author’s description of the

characters.

Materials:

Overhead projector, overhead transparency, overhead markers, chart paper, markers, highlighters, pens, post-its, The Stories Julian Tells , sheet protectors, chart handout

Teacher Aide: Gathers, organizes, and prepares the materials necessary for the lesson.

Instructional Strategies/Procedures:

· Asks students specific questions about famous actors to determine what they know about their appearances, traits, actions, and well-known sayings. Remind them of story characters that they have read about as well.

· Writes their responses on chart paper.

· Provides guided practice with the first paragraph. Call on volunteers to identify one of the main characters and an action. The teacher will notate their responses on the transparency film.

Teacher Aide:

· Provides support to students by encouraging them to participate in the discussion.

· Monitors student off task and on task behavior.

· Gives praise to those students who are on task.

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Activities:

· During silent reading, the students will highlight the main characters in the short story using the sheet protector over the page in their textbook.

· Next, students will write specific information about the main characters regarding their appearance and their actions on the post-its. Then, each student will record that information on his or her chart.

Teacher Aide:

· Distributes highlighters, pens, charts, and post-its to each student.

· Monitors the students by walking around the class to ensure that each student is and remains on task.

· Works with a target group to provides additional support.

Evaluation/Assessment:

· Assesses through observation of each students’ learning by their comments and their ability to answer questions effectively during discussion.

Teacher Aid:

· Provides praise or acknowledge students when they are successful (e.g. pat on the shoulder, a big smile, or a thumb up).

· Grades the finish product of the students.

Follow-up/Enrichment:

· Creates a Bio-Poem using one of the main characters in the story.

· Uses a character graphic organizer to analyze another character in the story.

Teacher Aide:

· Provides a sample of a completed Bio-Poem.

Homework:

· Assigns another short story to provide additional practice and reinforcement

of the concepts taught.

· Answers questions that relate to the main characters in the short story.

Teacher Aide:

· Monitors the students to ensure that they have written their homework

assignments and that the appropriate books and/or handouts are

packed for home.

Additional Teacher Aide Assignments:

· Maintains an on-going journal to write anecdotal notes pertaining to students’ behaviors during each lesson.

Sample Lesson Plan #2: Elementary Reading

Sample Lesson Plan #3: Elementary Math

SUBJECT: 3rd Grade Math (Everyday Math)

CURRICULUM CORRELATION: Standard 4.1

TOPIC: Place Value Through Ten-Thousands in Whole Numbers

OBJECTIVE: The student will read and write numbers to the ten thousands place.

MATERIALS: Everyday Math Textbook, Math Journal, Teaching Master, pg. 57 & 58;

Base 10 Blocks; Place Value Chart, calculators, highlighters, post-its

INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES/PROCEDURES (teacher/teacher aide):

Teacher will: dictate #’s aloud, - present numbers in symbols and words; - present place value chart on board/transparency; -write several 5 digit numbers on chart

Teacher aide will: -repeat #’s to individual/small group as needed; -point to/highlight targeted value on chart

ACTIVITIES (teacher aide/student):

Students will: -count by 100s & 1000s; - display counts on calculators; -fill in digits on Place Value Chart; - identify by saying and/or underlining digit said by tchr.

Teacher Aide will: -assist students by highlighting/pointing to targeted value; aid students with calculator use; reinforce place value concepts with Base 10 blocks

EVALUATION/ASSESSMENT: Student will identify specified digit, -read and write specified numbers through ten thousands; -add numbers with regrouping to the 10,000s place

FOLLOW UP/ENRICHMENT (i.e. Media Center, Tech Lab., Sci, Lab, etc., etc., etc.):

Math Center Activity – “Continue the Counts”

HOMEWORK: Home Link 5.1; Math Masters p. 263 (Frames and Arrows)

ADDITIONAL TEACHER AIDE ASSIGNMENTS: Assist students with on-task behaviors, praise targeted students, re-direct individual if necessary.

Lesson Plan Sample #4 - (Secondary English)

Subject: English

CCCS : Standard 3.2 (Writing) Curriculum Goal: 4.1

Topic : Short Stories

Objective : The student will be able to define the elements of plot: exposition, inciting incident,

conflict ,climax, resolution.

Materials : Text-Prentice Hall Literature/Platinum Level, Overhead projector, writing journals, pencils

Instructional Strategies/Procedures – (Teacher/Teacher Aide):

- Teacher provides information through lecture/discussion on ‘elements of plot’.

- Teacher explains how our lives are made up of little stories, little episodes we tell other people about.

- Examples are what you did over the weekend, something exciting that happened to you at practice, what you

saw on TV, etc.

- Question: Can you think of ‘little’ stories from your life? (Illicit student responses )

- Teacher Aide: repeats question to student(s) (individual or small groups. Encourage student

participation.

- Teacher provides information through lecture and graphic organizers, identifying how

the story starts from the beginning, middle, and the end of the story. Authors of stories and novels tell

stories the same way, exposition, inciting incident, conflict, climax, and resolution. These things are

called ‘elements of plot’ . Question: What are the ‘elements of plot’?

- Teacher Aide: repeats question to individual/small groups. Encourage student(s) participation.

Procedures: Teacher (modeling) outlines (on overhead) elements of plot as students provide ‘feedback’. All students outline same in journals.

- Teacher Aide: assists individual/small groups with outlining in journals.

Activities : Students break up into pairs, each person will take turns telling a short story. The listener will jot

down: A) where story is taken place B) the events that lead to conflict C) intensifies

during the rising action D)the high point of interest or suspense E) the events leading to the conclusion.

Students will then label and share elements of his/her partner’s story. Teacher collects assignments.

Accommodation : (Scribe) Teacher Aide: assists student(s) as the ‘recorder’ of his/her story and guides

students in labeling the elements.

Evaluation/Assessment : Grades based on completion of assignment and oral presentation. Students will have to

recognize elements of plot on paper.

Follow up/Enrichment : Additional practice identifying elements in short stories. (working in groups,

think-pair-shares, with teacher-aide assistance.)

Homework: Watch a TV program and list/label ‘elements of plot’.

Additional Teacher Aide Assignments: monitor off- task behaviors, praise on-task behaviors.

LESSON PLAN SAMPLE #5 – SECONDARY

SUBJECT: Foundation Mathematics

CURRICULUM CORRELATION: CCCS: 4.5 - course proficiency 11

TOPIC: Total & Average Distance – One Dimension

OBJECTIVE: Students will be able to develop a rule or strategy for finding the location that minimizes the total distance in any size linear village

MATERIALS: Text Book- Mathematics: Modeling Our World, over-head projector, graph paper, pencils

INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES/PROCEDURES:

THE TEACHER WILL:

a.) explain purpose

b.) preview vocabulary associated with linear villages

c.) illicit prior knowledge Re: patterns

d.) model-provide examples

e.) question to check for understanding

THE TEACHER AIDE WILL:

a.) circulate classroom for on task behavior

b.) assist students with locating patterns

c.) ensure students have supplies

d.) provide assistance with vocabulary

ACTIVITIES: Lesson 2 – Activity 2 Developing Linear Village pp. 19-21

- Students will examine fire station locations – begin with villages that have 2 houses

- Move the fire station to different locations

- Determine the total distance

- Change locations and repeat process

- Add more houses

- Look for patterns

- Present specific procedures and conclusions

- Be prepared t defend your rule & prove that it works for any size linear village

THE TEACHER AIDE WILL: Implement Accommodations/Modifications as directed by teacher

a.) repeat directions given by teacher, in small steps ( in as few words as possible)

b.) number & sequence the steps in the task

c.) use enlarged graph paper to write problems

EVALUATION/ASSESSMENT: Design a linear village to give to another group to see if they can find quickly the location that minimizes total distance

HOMEWORK: Draw a map of your neighborhood – using procedure learned in class calculate total distance between your home and school

Classroom management activities

The successful implementation of lessons requires good classroom management. Teacher aides can be an integral part in daily classroom management. For example, they can assist in developing, monitoring, and enforcing classroom rules and procedures. Consequently, the teacher’s daily lesson plans for any and all subjects/periods can reflect any, or all, of the following activities for individual students, selected groups of students, and/or the entire class. On the lesson plan, teachers may want to use abbreviations, such as “rules” and “procedures” and have them reference a pre-selected list of activities teacher aide will assist in.

1. Classroom rules

a. Facilitate the participation of student(s) in the development of classroom rules;

b. Facilitate the participation of student(s) in printing and posting the classroom rules;

c. Ask student(s) to recite classroom rules and procedures in his/her own words;

d. Ask students to identify appropriate and inappropriate classroom behaviors based on the rules;

e. Acknowledge and reward student behavior, which complies with classroom rules and procedures;

f. Apply teacher selected sanctions to student behavior that violates classroom rules;

g. Assist in contacting parent(s) to keep them informed about student's adherence to classroom rules and routines;

2. Classroom procedures –

a. Storing personal belongings;

b. Using the bathroom or the water fountain;

c. Distributing and collecting materials and assignments;

d. Getting the teacher's attention;

e. Lining up;

f. Movement within the classroom or to other school areas;

g. The proper way to head papers;

h. Taking down assignments;

i. Handing in and returning homework, class work, projects, and tests;

j. Scheduling and monitoring routine classroom procedures smoothly and with the least disruption as possible:

i. Greeting students as they enter the classroom to identify possible problems that require interventions;

ii. “Before – Class – Starts Activities to facilitate transition

iii. Facilitating transitions (e.g., taking attendance, tardiness, leaving the room, etc.)

iv. Bulletin boards,

v. Grades, make-up work, home work collection and distribution)

k. Rewarding students for a variety of reasons &/or to engaging them in the overall process, the TA can will assist in assigning students to daily classroom tasks he/she enjoys, such as collecting homework, book inventory, operating audio-visual equipment, serving as classroom reporter, area monitor, supply manager, or bus ticket monitor, providing community service within the building (helping librarians clean and shelve books), and engaging in peer tutoring;

Utilizing IEPs to Guide the Integration of Teacher Aides into Lesson Plans

Even if we agreed upon the format of the lesson plan, the teacher would have to search the following IEP sections to help guide them in determining the specific responsibilities of assigned aides (capacity, program, or IEP aides):

1. PLEP statement – other needs

2. Goals and objectives

3. Supplementary aids and services

4. Related services

5. Behavioral Intervention Plans

6. Test accommodations

7. Supports for school personnel

8. Statement of special education and related services, where the teacher aide’s assigned schedule should be delineated.

Consequently, the NPS has a new form to request an IEP aide. This form delineates the rationale for the teacher aide and all his/her responsibilities. When this form is filled out a copy is given to the teacher and the assigned aide, which should minimize his/her respective IEP searches for designated responsibilities.

Lesson plans for assigned teacher aides to help address behavioral problems

IEPs frequently include a teacher aide to prevent and/or address challenging student behavior. Based on the IEP requirements, Teacher Aides can be utilized in an array of activities, such as the following, for an individual and/or group of students:

1. Help student(s) identify the:

a. Factors, including events and/or feelings that may contribute to inappropriate behaviors (utilizing ABC Form – see page xx);

b. Rule or procedure that the inappropriate behaviors violate and the consequences

c. Off-task or otherwise inappropriate behavior, chart this behavior, indicating the frequency, duration, time of day, period or circumstances under which the behavior is most likely to occur, and interventions that are most and least successful in avoiding or minimizing his inappropriate behavior vs. those interventions that escalate the behavior;

d. Factors that support his/her ability to behave appropriately in the classroom (utilizing ABC Form) and how they can be utilized to prevent and address behavioral problems;

e. Goals, including alternative behaviors and reinforcements for achieving goals;

2. Once the causes of misbehaviors are hypothesized, either in the IEP, or with the above activities, a teacher aide can also perform the following activities to prevent and/or address behavioral problems:

a. Give attention, verbal cues, or non-verbal cue (e.g., thumbs up) for desired behavior;

b. Provide opportunities for student movement throughout the day;

c. Help to restructure student's activity patterns to avoid settings and situations, which lead to acting out behavior;

d. Use proximity as a tool, move close to the child before she becomes agitated;

e. Gently touch the child to help her stay on task unless otherwise specified in the IEP;

f. Give direct verbal cue, quietly explain what is expected;

g. Offer a choice when possible;

h. Move the child into a different or smaller group &/or work with student individually when possible problems could occur;

Student Observation and Monitoring Forms that teachers can utilize when assigning responsibilities to teacher aides

A teacher's aide can be indispensable in observing and monitoring challenging &/or maladaptive student behaviors, if they are provided with the correct tools. In this section of the “Resource Guide” we provide a few observation and recording forms that can be modified to meet the specific needs of the teacher, aide, and students.

Challenging Behavior – Monitoring frequency and identifying possible causes -

The above observations can provide the teacher with baseline data on the frequency of the challenging behavior (Behavior = B), what seems to precipitate it (antecedents = A), and what the student may be seeking (consequences = C) by engaging in these challenging behaviors. The teacher and aide will then be in a better position to develop and monitor interventions that address these challenging behaviors utilizing &/or modifying the traditional “ABC” perspective of behavior.

Off task behavior – Limits engaged academic learning and frequently disrupts the teaching & learning process. The previous observation and recording form could help, may be modified, with the following considerations, or different forms may be more appropriate:

How do we Measure Off-task & On-task Behavior(s)?

On task behavior would indicate that the student is doing what he/she is doing what was assigned (e.g. seat work, paying attention to lesson, participating in class discussion, participating in group project, etc.) On the other hand, off-task behavior can be divided into three broad categories and you may want to include the descriptions as a "key" in the observation form:

1. Off-task motor (OTM) - Instead of working on assigned task, the student is out of seat, constant and noticeable fidgeting, playing with objects (e.g. pencil, toys, etc.) and/or other children, making inappropriate gestures, acting silly, hitting, biting, or throwing things, fighting with others, etc.

2. Off-task verbal (OTV) - Instead of working on assigned task, the student is calling out, talking to someone when prohibited, making noises, etc. and

3. Off-task passive (OTP) - Instead of working on assigned task, the student is looking around, daydreaming, looking out window, coming to class late, delaying starting assigned task, etc.

We could have the aide record the occurrence of the on-task and off-task behavior at predetermined units of time. For example, based on the above definitions, the aide could record a student's off-task behavior for thirty 10-second intervals equally spread out over five major subjects &/or types of assigned tasks. On a very simplistic level, forms like the following, could be utilized daily by the teacher aide before intervention(s) to establish baseline data and during/after the intervention(s) to determine the intervention(s) effect(s):

The teacher and aide can utilize the data collected to arrive at baseline data and the possible impact of interventions by simply counting the numbers of on task and off task behaviors, or comparing them, to arrive at rates of on and off task behaviors.

Daily Summary

The teacher aide can also summarize the daily incidents of targeted behavior for individual and/or groups of students, utilizing a form like the following. The teacher &/or the teacher aide could review this form daily with the student, providing appropriate feedback on the student’s effort &/or progress.

Class work/homework/grades

By providing the teacher aide with a form like the one below, they can assist in monitoring and providing meaningful feedback on students’ performance in an array of academic areas:

Summarizing and Providing Feedback on Observed Student Behavior

The data on observation and monitoring forms, like those cited above, could be summarized at regularly scheduled intervals (e.g., weekly, biweekly, etc.) by the teacher &/or the teacher aide to record progress and provide feedback to student and parents. This progress report can be reinforcing alone but it can also be used to provide contingent reinforcement to the student.

The above chart(s), with a note like the following can be sent home regularly by the teacher and the aide to keep parent(s) informed of the student’s progress:

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