Professional Development Meeting Notes

Friday, December 2
Presenters
Maria Wood - Liaison Program Coordinator for WACSEP(Whittier Area Cooperative
Special Education Program)
Joanne Foland - Consulting Director of Education and Satellite Support Services for
Opportunity Schools
Tiffany Martinez - Special Education Teacher

Maria Wood - How to fill in WACSEP forms

WACSEP is well-known for its special needs programs. It is a consortium of
seven school districts in the area, plus the private schools within the same area.
They provide comprehensive educational assessments for free. The
assessments are analyzed by qualified school psychologists, therapists, and
special education teachers.
WACSEP also provides many support services for teachers and parents. They
have training classes like a how to teach students with autism, a community fair
in February, opportunites for special needs students like surfing lessons and
places to get their haircut, and informational and educational videos.
We were given a handout of multiple possible WACSEP forms we might have to
fill out for students.
When we fill out WACSEP referral forms for our students, WACSEP will help with
the vocabulary we use if necessary. They will be the ones to inform the parents if
their students have special needs. We do not have to be afraid of consequences
from parents. Sometimes, parents are relieved that someone else sees what they
see and that it is not just them and their parenting.
If the teachers do not evaluate students honestly and fill in the forms properly,
then the students might not get the help they need. Since students can only be

up for another evaluation every three years, if they miss getting help this time
around because of a technicality. This may cause them to fall far behind in high
school or even college. For example, if they have an IEP in high school that says
they get extra time for tests, then the student can also get extra time on SATs or
ACTs, etc. Their IEP follows them to college where they can get help for their
needs.
There will be no IEPs or 504s without the proper assessment and referral
process first.
If parents are not open to getting their student tested when a teacher
recommends it, then the teacher should inform the administrator who can then
approach the parents again. Meanwhile, teachers should make notes on report
cards regard a students special needs or areas where they are struggling, etc.
On report cards, if a student does have an IEP or 504, then any accommodations
or modifications need to be noted.
WACSEP has provided our school with a large book of possible interventions to
help students before the referral process even gets started so that we can better
evaluate them. Having the book of strategies gives teachers ideas of what to do,
and then when teachers write the evaluation, they can indicate which strategies
were used with what results.

Joanne Foland
We were given her PowerPoint presentation entitled Accommodations,
Modifications, and Differentiated Instruction: Better Outcomes for Classroom
Performance.
Students learn differently, they have different memory retrieval skills, they have
different organization skills, they have different personalities, etc.
Differentiated instruction is basically using accommodations.
Accommodation = Changes HOW the student shows mastery
Modification = Changes WHAT the student shows mastery of

 Lowers/alters expectations
Grading is different
Content is not as extensive
Grid of Nine is a set of nine possible curriculum accommodations and
modifications.
Some students need to use graphic organizers all the time.
Teachers need to employ good teaching strategies all the time.
Using mnemonics and songs are beneficial for many students, not just those with
special needs.
It is ok to have different things for different students. The other students know
that those with special needs may require something to be customized.

Tiffany Martinez
She went over a variety of accommodations and modifications.
We talked about certain students with special needs who actually have an IEP or
504. Grid of Nine sheets were passed out for most of these students with their
individual accommodations/modifications indicated. The following students were
discussed:
Emma: Special needs student
She was rejected for more special services because of how
teachers filled out the forms.
I need to implement more of her 504 plan.
Ashley: Special needs student
I need to get work samples from her.
She will possibly be rejected for special services because of how
teachers filled out the forms and because in the discrepancy
between her grades and what teachers are saying about her ability.
She has high enough grades because her mother does her
work at home.

 I need to do more in-class essays/writing to avoid her

mother doing her work.
Andria: Special needs student
I need to implement more of her 504 plan.
Scott: Special needs student
I need to review and implement more of his IEP.
Tristan: Special needs student
I need to review and implement more of his IEP.
Maritza: Special needs student
I need to review and implement more of her IEP.
Eric: Possible special needs student
I need to evaluate and analyze his work to see if an official
observation is needed.
Yohan: Special needs student
I need to review and implement more of her IEP.
Teachers are to write down consistent, repetitive accommodations used for a
particular student, not a one-time thing or general accommodations used for the
entire class (like using visuals or having free-choice options, etc.)
Teachers need to mark in accommodations in the grade book.
I need to remember to ask for all special needs student information at the
beginning of the school year so teachers are aware of accommodations and
modifications to implement.
Maybe we can fill in WACSEP forms during staff meetings so teachers can
collaborate and the special education teacher can give us advice on how to word
things correctly?