Maria Nguyen
Math
Grades 9th-12th
Focus Students Assignment
1. Information on your student teaching placement
District: Manheim Township
Content: Math
Grade Level: 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th
Types of classes: Pre-Algebra, Pre-Algebra co-taught, CP Trig/Pre-Calc
2. District Information
Who receives special education services and EL services in your District?
Any students who are determined eligible for special education services through the
process outlined below receive special education services at Manheim Township District. There
is a total of 883 students receiving special education services which is 14.8% of student
enrollment in the district.
In the district there is a total of 252 active English Learners which makes up for 4% of
student enrollment. 46 countries and 33 languages are represented. The top 5 languages are
Spanish, Swahili, Vietnamese, Nepali, Arabic, and Turkish.
Describe District processes and procedures for eligibility for special education
and EL services.
Manheim Township School District follows state regulations in the identification process
to determine eligibility for special education services. The school psychologists evaluate students
to determine if they meet the required statistically significant discrepancy according to the
Discrepancy Model. The first part of this test involves assessing if the student performs
adequately for their age or grade by determining if the student is placed at or below the 10th
percentile. Other factors used to determine eligibility for special education put into consideration
Maria Nguyen
Math
Grades 9th-12th
by the evaluation team are the adequacy of prior instruction, confounding behavioral issues, and
level of English proficiency.
Similarly, the district also follows PA’s Department of Education English Learner
Identification Procedure to determine the eligibility of students for English Learner services. The
procedure has a total of fourteen steps. The first step is to conduct a Home Language Survey
given to all parents upon their child’s enrollment. Then a family interview is conducted to
determine if the student has potential eligibility for English Learner Services. Steps three and
four involve looking at the student’s past records including if they had an IEP and their past
academic records. The fifth step involves testing the student through various screeners including
the K Screener, K Model, WIDA screener or WIDA MODEL screener. If the student’s scores
indicate that they meet the criteria for being identified as an English Learner, then they proceed
to the next steps which are to screen the student for native language proficiency and then for
limited or interrupted formal education (LIFE). The next step, step eight, is to determine the most
appropriate language instruction educational program (LIEP) for the student. Steps nine and ten
regard informing the parents of the program and getting their approval. The final steps of the
procedure involve notifying the school of the student’s identification and placement, initiating an
active service record in the district, and scheduling the student based on program placement and
English language proficiency.
3. Student Information
Student A is in my co-taught Pre-Algebra class.
She works very well by herself and prefers this over working collaboratively with her
peers. However, she does do well in working with the teacher in small groups as she is more
comfortable to ask questions in this setting. Individual check-ins with the teacher help her to
Maria Nguyen
Math
Grades 9th-12th
make sure she is on task. Nevertheless, she is overall definitely focused during class, gets her
work done, and is not easily distracted by others. Her specific areas for differentiating content
include direct instruction in math application skills and REM with her special education teacher
for monitoring her math goal. To differentiate product, it is helpful for her to adapt summative
assessments and receive extended time for assessments. Finally, her specific areas for
differentiating process include the use of proximity and verbal or visual prompts to redirect
attention to the task.
Student A is definitely motivated by affirmation from teachers as well as the proximity of
the teacher to keep her on task. Another thing that motivates her is grades as she wants to do well
and often asks about her grades. One of her interests outside of class is music.
Her math annual goal according to her IEP is that given a timed math concept and
application assessment, she will solve in writing with 10 points per 8 minutes at a 7th grade level
with 80% accuracy on 3 consecutive probes given every other week. So far, she has met the goal
of 10 points with 80% accuracy twice but not in a row. So, she still has to make this mark three
times in a row in order to reach this goal.
Student B is also in my co-taught Pre-Algebra class.
Specific ways listed in Student B’s learning profile to differentiate product include
modifying content prioritizing key ideas, using an interpreter to read test directions and allowing
use of a word-to-word translation dictionary. Ways to differentiate process for Student B include
using pictures and gestures, providing background knowledge prior to instruction, using word
walls and word blanks, working with a peer buddy, encouraging drawing as a way of responding,
and reading information aloud. Learning preferences for Student B include asking teachers
questions one-on-one with the use of google translate rather than asking in front of the whole
Maria Nguyen
Math
Grades 9th-12th
class. A strength of Student B’s is his strong understanding of math, as well as his desire to
conceptually understand the material. Another strength is how neat his work and attention to
mathematical notation.
As far as interests outside of school interests Student B expresses interest in music as
well as soccer. He has a great sense of humor and enjoys using sarcasm both to his peers and
teachers. Student B is strongly motivated by teacher affirmation and stays on task especially with
one-on-one attention. As his parents are very involved with his academics and keep him
accountable, having a strong communication with home motivates Student B as well.
Regarding the language proficiency levels, Student B is at level 1 (entering) for listening,
speaking, and writing such as discussing by tracking the speaker, recounting by briefly
describing content topics using visual support, and explaining by producing short answer
responses. His learning goals for listening, speaking, and writing are at level 2 (emerging)
including discussing by recognizing intonation used to achieve various purposes of
communication, recounting by restating key information using content-specific terms, and
explaining by using transitions and connectors to show casual relationships or procedures.
However, in reading Student B is at a level 2 (emerging) such as processing arguments by
making connections between statements that make claims and those providing evidence and has
learning goals in level 3 (developing) processing arguments by identifying the purpose and the
audience.
4. Sources Used
I used the Manheim Township District website to collect information regarding the statistics
of of students receiving Special Education and English Learners services as well as the eligibility
process to receive Special Education services. To gather information regarding the eligibility
Maria Nguyen
Math
Grades 9th-12th
process to receive English Learners services, I contacted the head of the English Learner
Department in the school who forwarded to me the PA Department of Education English Learner
Identification Procedure document which the district follows. To get specific information
regarding Student A I accessed her IEP. To get specific information regarding Student B I
accessed his English Learner Profile. I observed both students in class to take note of their
personal learning preferences and strengths. I also had conversations with both co-teachers from
this class to ask about the students’ interests, proximity to learning goals, as well as learning
preferences. Thus, specifically I talked to my mentor teacher about the students as well as the
Learning Support co-teacher.