Darcy Becerra EDSE 5322 Professor Lopez September 6,2020 IRIS Module – The Pre-Referral Process 1) The benefits of the pre-referral process are that it: (a) provides a forum for teachers and other team members to discuss how to meet the students’ needs; (b) empowers general education teachers with a variety of strategies to better serve diverse learners; (c) prevents overrepresentation from a particular group of students in special education; and (d) improves communication between parents and the school by involving families in the process 2) The six stages of the pre-referral process are: Stage 1: Initial concern regarding a student’s progress - This stage begins when someone be it a teacher or parent begins to have concerns about a student’s academic or behavioral performance. The concern may be formal or informal. Examples may include failing grades, lack of motivation, non-compliance with teacher requests, and major life changes. Stage 2: Information gathering - In this stage, a variety of information is gathered by different school personnel. The referring teacher or school counselor may collect information on instructional methods, strategies, and materials used, the student’s skill level, background knowledge and experiences, school and home expectations for behavior and academic performance and classroom behavior management techniques. The most useful tool for information gathering are informal assessments. Stage 3: Information sharing and team discussion - In this stage, the team meets to begin reviewing collected information and discuss ideas and interventions that may help the student. The team may include a varying number of members and anyone who has experience using and designing instructional techniques. The information is shared in a way that promotes student success. There are many forms used during this stage that include important and relevant information about the student. Stage 4: Discussion of possible strategies - In this stage, members brainstorm strategies they believe will meet the needs of the student. One or more strategies may be selected for each area of concern. Additionally, the team may identify appropriate accommodations to address the specific needs of the student in the general education classroom. Stage 5: Implementation and monitoring of strategies - In this stage, the plan is implemented and the student’s progress is monitored by the classroom teacher. The data collected during this stage will be used to help the team determine the effectiveness of the intervention. The curriculum based measurement and behavior recording sheets are reliable and effective tools to do so. Stage 6: Evaluation and decision making - During this final stage, the pre-referral team reconvenes to review the collected data and determine whether a student has made progress. Either the teacher will continue the intervention or the team will determine whether the strategy should be continued or modified, a new strategy should be tried, or whether the student should be referred for special education. 3) It is important to begin the initial team meeting with a discussion of the student’s strengths because it concentrates the attention on what the student can already do, what the student’s interests are, what motivates the student, and what areas the student is already succeeding in. The group will then remain focused on potential solutions to enhance their abilities and help them grow in the areas of concern. 4) During Stage 1, the general education teacher will report their concerns regarding Walker’s academic or behavioral performance to his parents and other school personnel. The general education teacher may even report on the strategies and interventions they have used thus far. During Stage 2, the general education teacher will gather their notes from conversations with Walker’s parents and other school personnel. Additionally, Walker’s teacher will collect samples of his reading classwork and homework to have evidence to back up their concerns. Since Walker’s academic performance has rapidly declined, the general education teacher may want to provide work samples and tests from before and after the assignment to show the drastic change. During Stage 3, the general education teacher will share their major concerns about Walker (i.e. lack of comprehension, failing assessments, abundant reminders to complete tasks) and how these behaviors are interfering with his progress. The general education teacher will highlight Walker’s strengths and review all the data that has been collected. The team will also discuss how Walker’s health ailments are interfering with their performance. During Stage 4, the teacher alongside the team will determine Walker’s primary concerns and how to best address these concerns. During Stage 5, the teacher will implement instructional strategies to improve Walker’s comprehension and reading fluency in addition to behavior check-ins to boost Walker’s motivation and ensure he is following directions. The teacher will monitor the success with these interventions as determined by Walker’s progress. During Stage 6, the teacher will reconvene with the team to decide if the strategies are producing success in order to continue or revise the intervention and continue to monitor progress as long as the primary concern has remained the same. 5) I would include the following individuals on Walker’s pre-referral team: the general education teacher, the school psychologist, the school nurse, and Walker’s parents. The general education teacher would provide data, notes, and information on Walker’s reading skills and his behavior in the classroom. The school psychologist would provide a detailed account of Walker’s attitude and behavior in school specifically focused on his lack of motivation and difficulty attending to his work. The school nurse should be included as this individual is equipped to provide support and health care of Walker being that he has a broken leg and minor concussion. Finally, Walker’s parents would air their concerns and listen to the team’s observations and recommendations. In conclusion, I believe this cohesive team would be able to accurately address all of the factors that affect Walker’s learning. 6) Based on all of this information, Kevon is an appropriate candidate for the pre-referral process. It is evident Kevon’s comprehension skills are diminishing and his grades prove he is not having much academic success. Perhaps Kevon has some cognitive delays despite his high social skills and love for learning. In my opinion, Kevon would benefit greatly from some extra help and services outside of the instruction that the general education teacher is providing.
