state school for the visually impaired schleswig

Working Group „Europe“State School for the Visually Impaired, Schleswig

Contact: [email protected]

European Agency

Assessment in Practice

Schleswig, March 17th, 2008

State School for the Visually Impaired Schleswig



European Agency



Agenda

Current Situation SfS

Process of Assessment in Practice for SfS

Key Question and Reflections of the Visitors

Steps of Working on Reflections

Goals for SfS and European Agency

State School for the Visually Impaired, Schleswig



European Agency






European Agency



Mandate

Providing special educational support

and consultation services

to children, youth and young adults

with visual impairment

in the least restrictive environment.




European Agency



Implementation

Support and Consulting

Seminars

Courses

Media Center, Administration




European Agency



Personnel Central and decentralized in all of Schleswig-Holstein multidisciplinary competencies and qualifications in one

place – service center

Exchanging, maintaining and developing expertise

Frequent meetings (Schleswig-Tuesday): team meetings, monthly conferences with all staff

Comprehensive work groups and projects internaly

Frequent publication: Info Intern twice a month

Communication via e-mail

Interdisziplinary cooperation with outside agencies




European Agency



Site Visit May 2007

Key Question:

Developing

Multi-Professional Assessment Procedures

in Cooperation

with Mainstream Schools,

Students, and their Families



European Agency



Program• Visiting five sites with mainstream situation

• Visiting a course (Norderlück)

• Talk about psychological assessment (Heinz Gr)

• Talk about functional vision assessment (Anne Hk)

Site Visit May 2007



European Agency



Three Main Reflections

Strengthen the involvement of students and parents in the assessment process

Strengthen inclusion in the way of promoting the positive structure of the SfS

Formalize informal procedures and processes with the purpose of strengthening ongoing assessment in the mainstream setting; setting standards for the procedure usable for all teams at SfS

Site Visit May 2007



European Agency



Further Process

• Finding a group of colleagues working on these goals (80 staff members)

• Transfering the reflections into the daily and present processes to be valuable for SfS

• Finding practical goals to work on(Working Group „Europe“)

Site Visit May 2007



European Agency



SfS Actions

1. Reflection of Visitors

Strengthen the involvement of students and parents

in the assessment process

> Teacher‘s conference on the question of IEPs and how students and parents (teachers) are involved – see summary



European Agency




How can the SfS be active in demonstrating successful inclusion that provides as good an educationas special placements? How can SfS promote a positive

image of inclusion to people who may be in doubt?

Continuing to provide information to outside agencies, schools, professionals through various structure –

see summary of activities

SfS Actions



European Agency




Formalize informal procedures and processes with the purpose of strengthening ongoing assessment in mainstream settings;

setting standards for the procedure usable for all teams at SfS

> Developing a tool based on subjects of the Expanded Core Curriculum for Visually Impaired with the goals of:

o developing more transparencyo providing common understanding about the areas assessed

at SfSo providing a transparent tool to support cooperation with

parents and teachers

SfS Actions



European Agency




Dual Curriculum / Expanded Core Curriculum

Compensatory, Assistive Technology,

Orientation and Mobility, Independent Living, Recreation and Leisure, Career Education,

Social Skills, Self Determination,

Visual Efficiency

SfS Actions



European Agency



Working Group Europe


Goal: to develop a tool based on subjects of the Expanded Core Curriculum for Visually Impaired as a basis for assessment for learning in mainstream settings

Step 1: How are these subjects implemented in the Quality Program developed by SfS?

Step 2: chose two areas exemplary to develop an assessment tool usuable for all teams

SfS Actions



European Agency




Step 1:

Reviewing the Quality Program (ref. EVIT) developed by SfS

> A tool which develops evaluation standards and structures at SfS based on team input and the specific structures of SfS

SfS Actions



European Agency




Step 2:

Chosing two areas exemplary to develop an assessment tool usuable for all teams

> Mobility and Orientation (O&M)

> Social Concept / Self Determination

SfS Actions



European Agency



Working Group Europe:

Development of an Orientation and Mobility

(O&M) Assessment Tool for SfS Teachers

Karin Edigkaufer & Dagmar Hetzke

SfS Actions



European Agency



SfS Actions

Working Group Europe:

Development of an Assessment Tool for SfS Teachers

in terms ofSocial Skills / Self Determination

Petra & Florian Hilgers



European Agency



SfS Actions

Survey on assessment tools already used by colleagues of the SfS led to no results.

Therefore we look for assessement tools designed by other organizations or institutions – especially assesment tools in terms of social skills or self determination.



European Agency



SfS Actions

We found a good basis for our work in the:„Iowa Expanded Core Curriculum (ECC) Resource Guide 2006“.

The ECC defines „learning expectations“ for all parts of the Dual Curriculum.

Learning expactations are finley organized and correlate with different age groups (5-7, 8-10, 11-13, 14-18 years).



European Agency



Additional performance indicators are listed subsequent to each learning expectation to give teachers a chance to evaluate the achievement of each learning expectation.

SfS Actions



European Agency



SfS Actions

Example:

Self Determinations Skills are divided into:

Knowledge and Interpersonal Skills

Self-Knowledge Applications

Acquire Personal Safety Skills



European Agency



SfS Actions

Knowledge and Interpersonal Skills are divided into learning expectations referring to the different age groups – in this example grade 6-8 (~12-14 years old children):

„The student will...

7.1 Discover personal interests, abilities and skills

7.2 Identify and express feelings in an appropiate manner

7.3 Examine behavior and demonstrate self-control.“



European Agency



SfS ActionsTo check the achievments of this learning expactions many performance indicators are given like:

„The student will... Correctly interpret non-verbal expressions of feelings. Deal with relationships in a positiv, respectful manner. Describe situations in which one's actions and behaviors affected others. Value individual differences in self and others ...“



European Agency



SfS Actions

Our next steps:

Review of our translation of the ECC and incorporate German or European conditions into our translation

Authoring a table out of our version of the ECC to get an assessment tool in terms of social skills and self determination like the table for O&M.



European Agency



Site Visit March 2008

Input from the Countries

• Do the other countries work with a Dual Curriculum / Expanded Core Curriculum for students with SEN and what is the procedure?

• How are social skills and autonomy / decision-making abilities in students with SEN assessed in the other countries?



European Agency



Input from the Countries

Goal for SfS and the European Agency:

• Supports developing professionalism in the area of assessments of visual impaired students as a basis for assessment for learning

• Points out the importance of specific professional viewpoints and skills which help completing the picture in the process of assessment for learning




European Agency



Thank you

for your Attention


state school for the visually impaired schleswig

Documents