Special Needs - 1 - Developing an Individualized Plan

Special Needs - 1 - Developing an Individualized Plan

Reflect on the types of plans presented in this lesson and the best practices for writing individualized plans for the online environment Review and compare the two sample individualized student plans provided below. Both sample plans are written for the same student. Keeping in mind the best practices discussed in this lesson, consider the strengths and weaknesses of each plan and decide which you find to be the preferred option for the online environment.

Post in your Blog: Your responses should consist of at least four well-developed paragraphs and address each of the following points:

1. Which plan do you believe is the better option for the online environment (Plan A or Plan B) and why?
2. Using specific examples, discuss the strengths of the plan which you believe make it better suited to the online environment. I believe that Plan B is a better choice over Plan A. Plan B provides more details about the accommodations. It outlines exactly what the teacher and student is responsible for.  There are are many specific examples of the strengths found in Plan B.
1. Description of Accommodations/Services. In plan A the accommodation was listed with little description or guidance. In Plan B, there is guidance with what specifically the teachers should do. For example, Plan A said “Reduce coursework,” while Plan B was specific and stated “Reduce coursework – reduce the number of assignments or the length of assignments. The teacher will determine coursework to be reduced and Sally must be assessed on and demonstrate mastery of standards.” These are specific details in what the teacher should do to help meet these 504 accommodation.
2. Accommodations Geared Toward Online Learning. Plan B seems to be better suited for online learning than Plan A. Plan A states that one accommodation should be  “Preferential seating.” Since there are no seats in an online environment, these accommodations seem pointless. In Plan B there are few accommodations that seem tailored for online learning which include: “Make Sally aware of additional resources, review opportunities/activities and study guides in the course sidebars” and “Check in with Sally at least one time per week via email, phone, synchronous session or other mutually agreed upon communication method to initiate contact relating to her progress and understanding of the material”. While both of these are best practices for all students, with a student like Sally, these two accommodations could really help her be successful and ensure she is getting what she needs to be successful in class.
3. Are there any aspects of your preferred plan you would change to be better suited for the online environment? Please explain.  There are two things about plan B that I would change in order to make it better. First I would take this paragraph out of the “Information Relating to the Disability” section Sally’s teachers report she is a hardworking student and is determined to overcome challenges she faces as a result of her disabilities. Sally is shy and at times may be hesitant to reach out for assistance if she does not have a strong familiarity with her teacher. She is a strong student in the area of math and reading and tests above grade level in these areas. While this information is nice and might provide insight on the student it does not go in this section. This paragraph is talking about the student and their personality and not about the disability. This section should be describing the specific impairment that teh student has that is serving the basis of the disability. The second thing I would change is to update the 504. 504 Plans along with IEPs should be updated every year. This ensures that the accommodations in place are being used and are working. Plan B was last updated in 2017, it is now 2019. Sally’s needs might have changed in the past two years.
4. What are the issues and weaknesses of the plan you decided was not the best choice for the online environment? Even though Plan A was more up to date than Plan B, I did not think that Plan A was the best choice for a couple of reasons. First, it was not as detailed as Plan B. While accommodations were listed, there was no specific guidance on how to implement those accommodations or what they meant. Plan A only called for Sally to have extended time - but not how much time. Should it be 125%, 150% 166%? It was vague, while plan B clearly stated “Extended time on timed assessments - 100% extended time, or double the original amount of time.” Plan A also the student responsibilities was not as clear as it was in Plan B. Plan A Stated “If Sally needs an extension beyond what is outlined in this plan, Sally will communicate with her teacher(s).” But no direction was given as to when that should happen. Whereas Plan B clearly stated that it needed to happen before the due date. Plan A did not seem like it was written for an online environment. It made note of preferential seating which cannot happen in an online environment. There is no way a teacher could put that accommodation into place.