Keene School District
Tutor Study Committee
Tutor Guidelines for Students with Special Needs
Revised: June 15, 2009
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I.
Introduction & Philosophy
Inclusion is not a model. It is a belief that all children have the right to access to a quality
education in the least restrictive environment and to be taught by qualified professional
staff. Inclusion is integration of students with disabilities into the regular education
setting to the maximum extent possible while meeting their individual needs as defined by
their individualized program and IEP. In order to support student success there is a need
for creativity, flexibility and training to develop programs that are universally designed to
meet the needs of all learners.
It is important to note that a short or long-term goal for any student assigned a tutor
should be to increase the student’s independence and self-advocacy skills thereby
reducing and ultimately eliminating the need for the tutor. A goal to this effect shall be
included in the IEP of every student with a tutor.
Every school must have a child-study team in place. Every school must use a scientific,
research-based tiered intervention approach for all children either receiving or being
considered for special education services. Response to scientific, research-based
intervention (RtI) means the process by which individual student instruction and academic
performance is evaluated using research based models of instruction prior to identifying a
child with a learning disability as detailed in Ed 1107.02.
II.
Definitions
Shared Tutor – a support staff who works, under the direction of a special education
teacher, with students in small groups. A shared tutor should not work with one student
all the time, but should share a portion of his/her work with at least one other child. The
shared tutor is a related service. This service should be noted on the student’s IEP related
service block as “Rehabilitative Assistance - Assigned to a class where aid assists small
groups”. The amount of tutor time required to support the student and the times of day,
specific activities and where the student needs this support should be clearly and
specifically identified. If a shared tutor is identified as a related service there must be a
corresponding IEP goal addressing independence.
1:1 Tutor - a support staff who works, under the direction of a special education teacher,
with students individually for one or more of the following conditions: significant academic
deficits, hygiene, mobility, communication, behavior management, nutrition, medications,
bladder & bowel care and personal care. A 1:1 tutor should work with one student at a
time, all of the time. The 1:1 tutor is a related service. This service should be identified in
the related service block (“Rehabilitative Assistance - Assigned to Class With Support of
1:1 Assistant) of the student’s IEP and should specify the amount of tutor time required.
The assignment of a 1:1 tutor is discouraged since it fosters dependency on the part of
the child, tutor and parents, reduces opportunity for true student-to-student interaction
and friendship and reduces scheduling flexibility within the school.
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Home Based Tutor – These tutors are generally certified teachers who provide
individual, out of school or home-based instruction to children who are unable to
participate in a regular or special education program in school.
Accommodation - any change in instruction or evaluation determined necessary by the
IEP team that does not impact the rigor and/or validity of the subject matter being taught
or assessed. Accommodations are practices and procedures in the areas of presentation,
response, setting, and timing/scheduling that provide equitable instructional and
assessment access for students with disabilities. Appropriate accommodations do not
reduce learning expectations.
Modification - any change in instruction or evaluation determined necessary by the IEP
team that impacts the rigor and validity, or rigor or validity, of the subject matter being
taught or assessed.
III. Interventions to Try Before the Consideration of Tutorial Services (Form SE1 A)
1. Attention
a. Quiet Area
b. Study Carrel
c. Study Partner
d. Simplify directions
e. Maintain eye contact
f. Color, visual cues
g. Seating near teacher
h. Reduce auditory and visual
distractions
i. Mental break
j. Movement break
k. Outside consultants
l. Increase regular and special education
consultation
m. Incentive Plan
2. Organization
a. Homework assignment book
b. Word processor for writing/editing
c. Maintain visible agenda/directions
d. Break tasks/directions into small steps
e. Pre-formatted notebooks
f. Course outline with time line
g. Clear structure and routine
h. Increase regular and special education
collaboration
i. Student returns to teacher/sped
teacher for additional help
j. Complete functional behavior
assessment and implement by
existing staff
k. Incentive Plan
3. Academics
a. Reduce length of assignments:
b. Preteach concepts
c. Visual aids
d. Tactile aids
e. Consultation with staff
f. Modify curriculum
g. Extended time
h.
i.
Change format of written work
Modify student schedule to
reduce/limit unstructured and/or
stressful/anxiety producing situations
j. Peer teaching and cooperative
learning when learning of typical
peers is not adversely impacted
k. Related service providers to model
whole class and small group activities
l. Team teaching with SPED teacher
during difficult classes and small
group activities
m. Develop and document alternative
strategies for instruction when initial
methods fail
n. Increase accommodations when
necessary
o. Increase regular and special education
collaboration
p. Increase sped services
q. Small group/individual instruction
r. Incentive Plan
s. Student returns to teacher or special
education teacher for additional help
t. Use collaborative programs or
other placements if doing so is
less restrictive than a tutor.
4.
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
f.
g.
h.
i.
j.
k.
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Social/Emotional/Behavioral
Praise, reward appropriate behavior
Skillstreaming/social skill curriculum
Morning meeting
Assign responsibilities that
increase status with peers
Focus on interest &
accomplishments
One on one time with teacher
Sending encouraging notes
Individual behavior contract
Home/school notebook
Time out
Individual or group counseling
l. Relaxation program
m. Modify student schedule to
reduce/limit unstructured time
and/or stressful/anxiety producing
situations
n.
Increase accommodations
when necessary
o.
Increase reg./sped
collaboration
p.
Increase SPED services small
IV.
q.
r.
s.
group or individual instruction
Complete functional behavior
assessment and implement by
existing staff
Incentive plan
Use collaborative programs or
other placements if doing so is
less restrictive than a 1 on 1
tutor.
Guidelines for Determining if a Tutor is Warranted for a Student
These guidelines should be used initially and at each annual review of every child
with tutorial services in his/her IEP to determine if the tutor service should
continue. (Use: Intensive Needs Checklist) Anytime the IEP TEAM is considering
assigning or continuing a tutor the Director of Special Education or Special Education
Coordinator must be contacted. The Special Education Director or Special Education
Coordinator will observed the child prior to finalization of the student’s IEP.
These guidelines are not intended to be all-inclusive and exceptions may be made based
on individual considerations and needs by the Director of Special Education and/or the
Superintendent.
A tutor may be an appropriate accommodation if the student has been identified with an
educational disability, and is in need of specialized instruction, and...
1.
... is unable to access the general education curriculum with the existing supports
available to all students. Access to the general education curriculum is defined here as
the ability to participate in the teaching and learning in the general education
classroom/setting in spite of documented accommodations and modifications, and
other universal design strategies employed by the classroom teacher.
2.
... poses a serious safety threat to him or herself or to others. If this is the case a
functional behavioral assessment (FBA) and a behavior intervention plan (BIP) must
have been developed and implemented.
3.
... requires continual teacher prompts during and after instruction, and has not
responded to documented interventions (charted data required). In addition, a
functional behavioral assessment (FBA) and a behavior intervention plan (BIP) must
have been developed and implemented.
4.
... requires assistance for basic life skills: bladder and bowel care, hygiene,
communication, mobility, nutrition, personal care, medications, and/or behavior
management.
5a. ... cannot successfully participate independently within a structured group of peers,
and/or
5b. ... cannot successfully participate independently within an unstructured group of
peers.
6. … did not, nor is likely to, attain their goals for achievement as demonstrated on the
NWEA Measures of Academic Performance profile.
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Once it has been determined that a child should receive tutorial services, the decision as
to whether the tutor will be shared (serves more than one student) or 1:1 (serves the
student alone) will be made by the IEP Team.
V.
References
Mueller, P. and Murphy, F. (2000). Determining When A Student Requires
Paraeducator Support. Teaching Exceptional Children, Vol. 33, #6, pp 22-27.
The Council for Exceptional Children, Arlington, VA.
Keene School District Special Education Tutor Job Description. June 11, 2002.
Agreement Between the Keene Board of Education and the Keene Tutors
Association. July 1, 200_ to June 30, 200_.
Giangreco, Michael. “Be Careful What You Wish for…”: Five Reasons to Be
Concerned About the Assignment of Individual Paraprofessionals. TEACHING
Exceptional Children, May/June 2005, pp 28-34.
NH Department of Education: New Hampshire Rules for the Education of Children
with Disabilities. June 30, 2008.
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