Executive Functioning (EF) skills are a bigger indicator of school readiness and predictor of academic success than IQ.

EF skills are an umbrella term for the cognitive processes of planning, working memory, attention, problem solving, mental flexibility, verbal reasoning, mental flexibility, and emotional self regulation.  These skills impact time management, organization, initiation of tasks, multi-tasking and planning ability, and making connections between past experiences and current actions.

Essentially, they help students set a stage for and engage in learning!

EF skills are required for learning!  

What are the signs that EF skills are impacting a student?

-forgetting multi-steps for solving problems
-forgetting multi-step directions
-daydreaming in class
-being easily distracted
-trouble starting tasks independently
-difficulties with organization
-losing things frequently
-time management difficulties
-being unable to finish assignments on time
-struggling with transitions
-forgetting names, directions, homework assignments

So what can we do for our students who need a little EF support?  Well, we can start with some classroom accommodations!

Executive Functioning Accommodations:
*Visuals!  (i.e. picture schedules)
*Alert to transitions
*Step-by-step instructions in simple language supported with visuals
*Color code steps in directions
*Graphic organizers
*Timers!  (i.e. iPads, sand timers, laptops)
*Cue student prior to being called upon
*Provide an outline of notes for lectures
*Highlight keywords
*Use a highlighted strip of paper for reading
*Sign-off on student agenda daily
*Provide checklists for completion of tasks, including editing checklists
*Preferential seating (i.e. away from distractions, near good models, close proximity to a teacher)

​And for your students who have EF disorders, we can support them with IEP goals!

Here are some sample Executive Functioning IEP goals and objectives:

Given direct instruction, XXX will develop the ability to attend to individual tasks and will improve his/her executive functioning skills through the use of learned strategies for attention and organization in 3 out of 5 observable opportunities by the end of the IEP period.

1. Given support and visual cues, XXX will create a system for organizing personal items in his/her locker/desk/notebook/homework agenda in 3 out of 5 observable opportunities.

2. Given direct instruction and visual supports, XXX will be able to independently and successfully navigate a structured routine within the general education classroom in 3 out of 5 observable opportunities.

3. After explicit and direct instruction, XXX will develop a self regulatory plan for carrying out multi-step tasks (i.e. completing homework, writing an essay, doing a project) and given practice, visual cues and fading adult supports, will apply the plan independently to new situations in 3 out of 5 observable opportunities.

4. Given direct instruction and visual supports, XXX will attend to independent, small group, and whole class instruction and activities with no more than 2 verbal prompts in 3 out of 5 observable opportunities.

Given direct instruction through a cognitive enhancement program, XXX will independently apply learned strategies to improve executive functioning skills in 3 out of 5 observable opportunities by the end of the IEP period.

1. Given support and visual cues, XXX will select and create a system for organizing assignments and school work in 3 out of 5 observable opportunities.

2. Given support and fading adult support, XXX will use a checklist and/or visual schedule to independently complete tasks in 3 out of 5 observable opportunities.

3. Given a task or activity, XXX will indicate and gather what items are needed to complete the task in 3 out of 5 observable opportunities.

4.  Given a task or activity, XXX will create a plan to complete the task in 3 out of 5 observable opportunities.

Given direct instruction, XXX will develop the ability to attend to individual tasks and will improve his/her executive functioning skills through the use of learned strategies for attention and organization in 3 out of 5 observable opportunities by the end of the IEP period.

1. XXX will arrive at class with required materials for daily assignments (i.e. paper, pen, pencil, notebook, textbook, chromebook) in 3 out of 5 observable opportunities.

2. XXX will arrive to class on time in 3 out of 5 observable opportunities.

3. XXX will identify and follow rules in lunchroom, bathroom, halls, and/or bus in 3 out of 5 observable opportunities.

4. XXX will identify and follow rules as specified in each class in 3 out of 5 observable opportunities.

Given direct instruction and fading adult support, XXX will remain on task and work independently on classroom tasks in 3 out of 5 observable opportunities by the end of the IEP period.

1. Given direct instruction and fading adult support, XXX will independently begin an assigned task from a prearranged schedule with fading adult support in 3 out of 5 observable opportunities.

2. Given fading adult support, a divider or cubby for distractions, and/or preferential seating, XXX will ignore distractions in environment by continuing to focus on own work in 3 out of 5 observable opportunities.

3.  Given fading adult support, a divider or cubby for distractions, and/or preferential seating, XXX will work steadily on task for length of time required by the teacher when given an assignment or activity in 3 out of 5 observable opportunities.

4. Given direct instruction and fading adult support, XXX will attempt to independently resolve problems with an assignment before asking for help in 3 out of 5 observable opportunities.

So what does this service look like on a student's IEP? Well, that depends. And it mainly depends on the student. Ask yourself,"What does the student need?" 

Does the student struggle with initiating tasks? Perhaps that means that a student needs 5 minutes at the start of each lesson for instruction on initiating the task. That might mean gathering and organizing materials. It may also include breaking down the task into manageable steps.

Does the student struggle with attending to tasks? Maybe this student needs direct training on using checklists or strategies for focus. This may mean a 5 to 10 minute small group on attending strategies with some additional support in the classroom on how to implement those attending strategies.

Each student is different. Determine the need and develop a plan to bolster that need into a strength!

Happy teaching!

By Miss Rae

The most important component of special education - next to the students - is the data!  

Data is a special educator's lifeline.  

We employ data for eligibility determinations.  We use it to monitor progress toward a student's IEP goals.  We use it to set goals for students, determine extended year programming, report at meetings, and qualify our statements in meetings and on special education documents.  We need the data to justify the TEAM's decision about a student's plan.

We know the importance of data.

The hard part is tracking it!

Here's how I do it?

FIRST

I review at my students’ IEP goals and objectives.  During this process, I pair each objective with an assessment.  For example, if a student has a sight word reading goal using the Fry Word List, I pull out the Fry Word List.  

When I’m finished pairing assessments, I set a schedule for each probe.  I typically begin the year with a full battery of assessments to obtain a baseline for a student’s goals and objectives.  Some objectives are then tested weekly. For example, I will complete a weekly running record on a student’s reading. Other objectives I may assess monthly.  This may be a student’s writing objective regarding a narrative piece of writing. As a result, I will plan to have a completed narrative writing piece once per month.  I put this schedule into my Google Calendar and check this step off of my To Do List! 

THEN
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I organize my students’ goals and objectives along with the assessments I have chosen for each on tracking forms.  All forms contain a student’s name, goal(s), and objectives. The forms, then, vary by the assessment schedule. For example, some goals and/or objectives may need a spot for weekly tracking while others may need a monthly.  

When a student is assessed, I record the score (AKA the data) directly onto the form along with the date.  This keeps my data all on one form that I can pull out on the spot when it is needed.

So, if a parent states “Ben says he completes all of his work, but you lose it,” you can pull out your trusty form with evidence that Ben has completed 30 percent of his assignments in the last month.

Or when it’s time to write Special Education progress reports, you don’t have to dread it.  The data is at your fingertips.

The tool I use for this is my IEP Data Collection Progress Monitoring Forms and Cards for this.  

You can grab my IEP Data Collection Progress Monitoring Forms and Cards from Miss Rae’s Room Teachers Pay Teachers Store HERE!

If you need to track behavioral data, check out my BEHAVIOR Data Tracking Forms & Points Sheets!

Next

I break out the three-hole punch and get wild!  I keep all of my tracking forms in a binder (because I grew up in the 80s, okay?!).  

When my caseload is on the small side, it makes my life easier to organize my binder sections by student.  In this way, when I need my data for a particular student, I can quickly find it, and I don’t have to flip from section to section when I am writing reports.

However, as caseloads sometimes grow over the years, it has become more efficient to have the sections organized by assessments.  So when my Google Calendar alerts me that I need to test math fact fluency, I can quickly flip to the section containing the sight word assessments and tracking forms for that probe.  

I also keep reference sheets in my binder for easy access.  For example, I always keep a reference page that correlates reading levels from Fountas and Pinnell to Reading A-Z to lexile levels.

Finally

Some data needs to be tracked more frequently.  For example, lagging skills in executive functioning, behavior, attention, and social emotional capacities often needs to be tracked within a 30 minute time period or during one subject area.  

The binder can become too cumbersome when to employ for frequent data tracking.  Often times, I clip my forms to clipboards for easy access. The forms I use can be copied onto cardstock and cut smaller to be placed on a key rings for easy access as well.
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If I have access to an iPad or tablet, I use Google Forms.  You can make a simple form that enables you to just hit a button each time the data needs to be recorded.  Google Forms will save the data, and when needed, Google Forms will compile the data into one spreadsheet for analysis when it’s needed.

And there you have it!  

Your data is tracked!  Now, you can continue on with just being a teaching rockstar!  ;)

~By Miss Rae

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