National Agenda Goal #8, the Expanded Core Curriculum
This is a survey regarding the Expanded Core Curriculum and how we are presently
meeting needs for students in Connecticut. The goal is to find out what is happening
now specifically with regard to Goal #8 of the National Agenda, not necessarily what
should or will happen in the future. Your answers should reflect what you are currently
doing with your caseload.
Are you:


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A BESB education consultant
An itinerant teacher hired by a town(s)
A CREC contractor
How many students are currently on your caseload? _______
How many have braille use or instruction in their IEP? ________
How many are visual learners? __________
How many are nonacademic children who are MH/DB? ______
These are the key elements of the ECC which we will be assessing in the survey:
Compensatory skills and communication
Orientation and Mobility
Social interaction
Independent living skills
Recreation and leisure
Career education
Use of assistive technology
Compensatory skills for students who are braille readers
Think of the total amount of direct service time you spend with braille reading
students. Then look at the following direct service activities, and write in the blank the
percentage of your total direct service time you generally devote to each item. Write
N/A for activities you do not generally spend time on.
___teaching organizational skills
___teaching literary/Nemeth braille codes
___tutoring/assisting with homework for regular education curriculum
___teaching tape recorder use (or other devices like Victor Pro)
___teaching listening skills (Listen & Think, for example)
___preparing vision portfolio with student
___other major activities you spend direct service time on—be specific (be sure they
are not covered under other areas of the ECC)
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
___________________________
Think of the total amount of consultation time you spend with braille reading
students. Then look at the following consultation activities, and write in the blank the
percentage of your total consultation time you generally devote to each item. Write
N/A for activities you do not generally spend time on.
___paraprofessional training (teaching braille, materials prep, etc.)
___Materials preparation (for student use in regular ed program)
___lesson preparation (for direct instruction in compensatory skills)
___observing student
___consultation with parents
___in-service training to teaching staff (formal and informal)
___consultation with staff (teaching staff, administrators)
___other major activities you use consult time for
In general, how much time do you PPT braille readers for:
Elementary student: Direct service________ Consultation________
Middle School student: Direct___________
Consultation________
High School student: Direct_____________ Consultation________
Students who are print or auditory readers
Direct service activities: (as before, put percent of your total time)
___teaching organizational skills
___tutoring/assisting with homework (for regular education subjects)
___teaching listening skills (Listen and Think, for example)
___teaching tape recorder use
___teaching handwriting
 Signature only
 General handwriting skills
___instruction in use of low vision aids (CCTV, magnifiers, etc.)
___functional vision assessments
Consultation time:
___lesson preparation (for direct instruction in compensatory skills)
___materials preparation (for student use in reg. ed. classes)
___paraprofessional training
___consultation with teaching staff
___consultation with parents
___in-service training you provide in the school
___observing student
Orientation and Mobility
Do you have students who are receiving mobility? __________
Are they receiving mobility from a certified mobility instructor? __________
If not, who is providing mobility instruction? __________________________
If you are providing instruction, are you dually certified in vision and O&M?___
Do you have students who need mobility but are not receiving services at this time?
_________
Social Skills
Are you providing direct instruction for social skills? _______________________
Do you assist in writing social goals for the IEP? ______________
Do you refer students to other resources for social skills development? _______
Are there resources that you need, but are unavailable? __________
Explain _____________________________________________________
Independent Living Skills
Do you provide direct instruction in daily living skills for your students? ________
Did your professional preparation program provide you with the skills and techniques
necessary to teach adaptive daily living skills the students need? ______________
Do you assist in writing goals in this area for the IEP? __________________
Do parents participate in the instruction? _____________________________
Do other team members participate in this instruction? __________________
If so, who? ______________________________________________
Recreation and Leisure
Do you routinely assess the engagement of your students in leisure activities? ______
Do you provide direct instruction in these areas? _____________________________
Do your students have leisure skills goals in their IEP? ___________________
Technology
Do you feel qualified to give your students direct instruction in the use of assistive
technology? ____________________________________________________
If not, is your student able to get instruction from a qualified person? ______________
Do you teach touch typing? _____________
What technology services would you purchase that you feel your students need and
are not currently available? _____________________________________________
Career Education
For your students who are transition age (14 and above), are they receiving transition
services? _____________ From whom? __________________________________
Do they have transition goals in their IEP? _________________________________
Have your students participated in job shadowing? ______________________
Through VR? __________________________________
Through the school/community? ____________________________
For all areas of the expanded core curriculum, consider the following:
What outside resources do you use to assist you with meeting your students’ needs:
Check all that apply:

Perkins Outreach programs/Carroll Center programs

Outside evaluators with expertise in blindness (Specify who you have used, and
what they addressed)
__________________________
__________________________
__________________________
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Braille class for paraprofessionals
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BESB in-service training for teachers and paraprofessionals
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Hadley School courses? Which ones? ________________________________
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Community resources ______________________________________________
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School resources _________________________________________________
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Other services providers (OT, PT, etc)
What assessment tools or evaluation materials are you using to assess your students
progress/needs in all areas of the expanded core curriculum?
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________