MIDAS Teacher Module #5: Juan’s Educational Profile

Student: Juan | Grade: 5

Student Overview

Juan is a fifth-grade multilingual learner with Down syndrome. He was born in the U.S. and diagnosed with Down syndrome after birth. He is the youngest child of three. The parents speak Spanish at home, though Juan speaks English with his siblings. Juan enjoys school and is socially interactive, using spoken language with his peers.

Educational History

Pre-K

• No preschool experience.
• Early Childhood Screening identified potential developmental concerns with school readiness delays.
• Juan was screened for English language proficiency.

K-5

• In kindergarten, Juan was referred by the general education classroom teacher to be evaluated for special education services.
• Based on the evaluation results, Juan was found eligible under developmental cognitive disability and began special education and other related services in a self-contained special education classroom.
• In kindergarten, Juan was also referred and found eligible to receive English language development (ELD) services as a multilingual learner.
• In 3rd and 4th grade, Juan met most of his standard-based IEP goals and participated in the state's alternate assessments.
• Based on the previous data, the IEP team completed a re-evaluation at the beginning of Juan's 5th-grade year. The re-evaluation information, alternate assessment proficiency levels from 3rd and 4th grade, and IEP data assisted the IEP team in determining that a change of instructional standards and placement was necessary. The IEP team agreed to create a transition plan to move Juan from the alternate academic achievement standards to the general academic achievement standards.

5th Grade Reading Literary Unit Plan (Reading and Writing)

State Standard

Determine the theme of a story, drama, or poem from details in the text, including how characters in a story or drama respond to challenges; summarize the text.

Unit Essential Learnings

• Reading comprehension and critical thinking
• Elements in a story include plot, theme, character development, and point of view.
• Details that support the main idea to read and comprehend
• Retell a story chronologically

Demonstration of Understanding

All students will show understanding by:

• Participating in text-to-self connections from the read-aloud activity of a novel
• Writing a summary of the story using specific and unique vocabulary and reference materials (e.g., dictionaries, glossaries)

Instructional Approach

Juan, as a fifth-grade multilingual learner with Down syndrome, needs direct instruction and the ability to access the fifth-grade reading standards (e.g., analyzing characters, understanding theme, citing textual evidence, etc.) and content language. This requires collaborative input from the general education, special education, and multilingual learner teachers. Here’s an example of their possible roles in the instruction of Juan.

Collaborative Shared Instructional Focus

The instructional focus will center on:

• Access to grade-level, standards-based curriculum for Juan
• High leverage practices, including differentiation to meet his academic, cognitive, language, and social-emotional needs
• Inclusive practices that promote participation with peers
• Language development across the content areas
• IEP goal alignment with academic and functional instruction

Ex: Instructional Approach of a Read-Aloud Literacy Activity

Juan’s Individualized Learning Goal (Aligned to Grade 5 Standards):

With visual and verbal support, Juan will identify key details and main ideas in grade-level texts, embedding UDL considerations and guided instruction.

Material: Wonder by R. J. Palacio is a popular novel about a young boy, Auggie, who has a facial difference, as he navigates school challenges and makes new friends. The story has universal themes like empathy, kindness, and perseverance, which are important for students like Juan.

Let's discuss how to use Wonder in literacy activities with Juan, especially on reading comprehension, vocabulary building, and writing.

• Pre-Reading Activities: Setting the Context - Introduce key concepts and vocabulary
  • Activity Ideas:
    • Visual aids
    • Simple definitions
    • Flashcards- e.g., word “surgery”/other side “picture of a doctor
    • Practice in short sentences or repeat, e.g., Auggie has had surgery to help him with his face
    • Discuss theme - what kindness means, e.g., show pictures of different people helping each other, smiling, or comforting someone, and ask, "What do you think is happening in this picture?"
    • Follow-up: "Can you think of a time when someone was kind to you?" This helps connect the theme to personal experiences.
• Read-Aloud with Interactive Components- Encourage asking questions, making predictions, and reflecting on the book's themes
  • Activity Ideas:
    • Discuss character traits:
      • "How do you think Auggie feels about going to school?"
      • "What do you think makes a good friend?"
      • Visual Support: Use pictures of characters and have Juan match the name with the picture. You can add simple sentences about each character: “This is Auggie. He is brave.”
    • Predicting the Story: Before each section, look at the cover title and predict what will happen:
      • How do you think Auggie feels today?
      • After reading, discuss whether the predictions were correct, and discuss any surprises or new things learned.
    • Using Visuals: While reading, pause and show pictures or use interactive tools (like a whiteboard or chart) to help illustrate key events.
      • Ex: When Auggie first goes to school, you can reinforce the setting with a picture of a school or a child with a backpack.
• Writing Activities - Connect with the story and express thoughts
  • Activity Ideas:
    • Journal Prompts Based on Characters’ Emotions: Write or draw about how a character feels in that part of the story after reading a chapter.
      • Ex: "How do you think Auggie feels when meeting his new classmates? Draw how you think he feels."
      • Help complete sentence starters like: "Auggie feels _______ because _______."
      • Word Bank with relevant vocabulary from the book that he can use to express ideas and access new vocabulary. Ex: “friendship,” “brave,” “kindness,” or “smile.”
• Vocabulary and Comprehension Activities - Build vocabulary and ensure comprehension to understand the theme better
  • Activity Ideas:
    • Character Descriptions: After reading about a character, create a word cloud for that character. Write words that describe their feelings, actions, or appearance.
      • Ex: Create a list of words or phrases that describe Auggie (with your help if needed) and write short sentences about each.
    • Sequencing: After reading a chapter or section, ask to sequence key events from the story.
      • Ex: Provide three pictures representing events from the chapter, and have Juan put them in order.
      • Ex: Use sentence strips to help arrange the events correctly, such as “Auggie meets his new friends” and “Auggie faces his first day at school.”
    • Personal Connections between events in Wonder and one's own life
      • Ex: Has something similar ever happened to you at school? How do you think Auggie feels in this part of the story?”
    • Visual Journal: Draw or write about feelings and connect them to the book’s themes to deepen understanding of the story.
• Post-Reading Activities - Reinforce literacy skills while exploring the book’s themes
  • Activity Ideas:
    • Creating a Friendship Poster or Drawing: Use words and pictures from the story of Auggie with his friends and labeling the qualities that make them good friends (e.g., kind, helpful, brave).
      • Ex: "What makes a good friend?" Juan can draw or write about how Auggie’s friends helped him feel included
    • Generalization of Skills: Apply learned concepts across different subjects or settings.

Assessment Data Analysis

Benchmark Assessment Data

Strength Areas

• Communicates verbally, both spoken and written
• Reads and understands short sentences without visuals
• Uses spoken and written English and spoken Spanish

Gap Areas

• Reading comprehension of longer, complex passages.
• Using specific vocabulary
• Writing summaries in an organized structure.

Reliability Considerations

• Consistency of Data: If the same tool was used consistently across time and with other students. If Juan shows consistent growth across multiple data points (e.g., progress monitoring, classroom observations, formative assessments), the team is more likely to feel confident in the data's reliability.
• Appropriateness of the Assessment: Were assessment conditions appropriate and similar to other assessments (e.g., no distractions, proper time given)?: Information about the benchmark literacy assessment administration did not indicate if it was designed or adapted for students with cognitive disabilities and multilingual backgrounds. Results may not be reliable for Juan.
• Alignment with IEP Goals: The benchmark data should align with classroom performance, teacher observations, and previous assessments. The team will likely feel more confident if Juan’s progress on the benchmark assessment aligns with his IEP literacy goals and other individualized support.
• Cultural and Linguistic Responsiveness: Given Juan's multilingual background, assessments that account for his language background would give more trustworthy results.
• Educator Feedback: Do teachers and specialists feel the data reflects Juan’s abilities?

Classroom Assessment Data

Formative Assessment Data

• Reading Skills
  • Read aloud words in context: Struggled with decoding and phonics of specific letter-sound relationships in unfamiliar words.
  • Timed readings: Fluency was slower due to cognitive processing and a lack of consistent exposure to English reading materials. Reads word by word and two-word phrases, with three-word phrases emerging
  • Comprehension checks: Processing and retaining information, recalling details, making inferences, and summarizing main ideas took longer, especially when the content was linguistically complex.
• Writing Skills

• • Daily journaling: Followed basic sentence structures and common words, but was more challenged to use longer sentences with new key vocabulary words that are not typical for a native English speaker.
  • Dictations: Spelling patterns had consistent errors and challenges in generating diverse words (beyond basic vocabulary) in expressive language.

Summative Assessment Data

• Class Observations: Listened and followed directions with repetition and stayed on task with occasional prompts to complete work
• Reading comprehension: Matched relevant images of story elements and vocabulary to sequence a story with peer-assisted support
• Writing expression: Reflected on the message of a story using examples from the story that support the message with one-on-one assistance and teacher team collaboration

Team Analysis

• Strengths: Excels in visual learning, hands-on activities, and social skills, and engages in specific aspects of grade-level content.
• Support needs: Reading comprehension, written expression, or executive functioning (e.g., organization, memory), particularly in language-heavy text.
• Accessibility considerations:

• • Language development: Focus on accessibility strategies that support language development, such as using visuals, simplified texts, language scaffolds, and Universal Design for Learning (UDL): e.g., using videos, audio resources, and manipulatives and demonstrating understanding (e.g., through oral presentations or visual projects instead of written reports).
  • Curriculum: Use differentiated Instruction to help Juan access grade-level standards and might receive simplified versions of assignments, with visual supports, hands-on learning experiences, or assistive technology to aid in comprehension.

Instructional Plan

Based on updated information (e.g., assessment data, team observations, and Juan's current progress), the next step is to integrate personalized supports into the general education curriculum in a targeted, collaborative way with the SPED, and MLL teachers—so Juan can access grade-level content meaningfully, while continuing to build his language and foundational skills. The next step is to take what’s known about Juan now—his strengths, challenges, and current progress—and embed that insight directly into general education instruction with UDL through:

• scaffolded tasks,
• Integrate language skills of oral and writing into the content area of teaching,
• co-teaching,
• and routine progress monitoring.

This ensures Juan is included, challenged appropriately, and steadily progressing toward academic and IEP/language goals.

Next Step: Integrate Targeted, Tiered Supports into General Ed Instruction

1. Prioritize Essential Standards & Skills

• Focus on depth over breadth—choose learning goals aligned to Juan’s IEP and language proficiency.
• Ex: Instead of reading long passages, focus on identifying key ideas using shortened, adapted texts with visuals.

2. Design Scaffolded Lessons Aligned to Those Goals

• Co-plan lessons where Juan can:
  • Work with peers using visuals, sentence frames, and manipulatives
  • Practice core language and concepts in a supported format
• Embed multilingual and special education strategies (e.g., modeling, chunking tasks, pre-teaching vocabulary)

• Juan uses a graphic organizer with picture prompts
• Reads a simplified passage
• Uses a sentence starter: “The main idea is…”

3. Use Co-Teaching or Push-In Support

• Coordinate SPED and MLL teachers' push-in support during content lessons to allow in-the-moment scaffolding, station rotations, and parallel teaching.
• Use flexible grouping so Juan receives targeted help without being pulled out unnecessarily.
• A SPED or MLL teacher supports Juan during collaborative work, helping translate language goals into real-time academic support.

4. Apply Ongoing Formative Assessment

• Use weekly formative checks (exit slips, visuals, oral responses) tailored to Juan’s needs.
• Track academic progress and language growth with support from MLL teacher.
• Adjust the instruction and support based on how Juan responds.

5. Reflect and Adjust in Weekly Team Meetings

• Review what worked (e.g., Juan engaged more during group work when visuals were used)
• Identify needed changes (e.g., shorten assignments or adjust pacing)
• Plan for next week’s lessons collaboratively

Practical Strategies to Help IEP Teams Co-plan Effectively Weekly:

Co-planning as an IEP (Individualized Education Program) team can be challenging with limited time, but it's possible with strategic organization and clear priorities. Here are practical strategies to help IEP teams co-plan effectively weekly:

1. Set a Standing Weekly Time (Even if Short)

• Consistency is key: Schedule a recurring 15–30 minute block weekly.
• Can be before/after school, during a shared prep, or virtually.

2. Use a Shared Planning Tool

• Digital platforms like Google Docs, OneNote, or Trello can help everyone contribute asynchronously.
• Keep a shared IEP planning template with:
  • Weekly goals/objectives
  • Accommodations/supports
  • Progress monitoring notes
  • Upcoming deadlines or concerns

3. Define Weekly Focus Areas

Instead of trying to cover everything, rotate focus:

• Week 1: Academic accommodations
• Week 2: Behavioral supports
• Week 3: Progress monitoring data
• Week 4: Family communication, upcoming meetings

4. Assign Roles to Save Time

• General Ed Teacher: Shares curriculum plans for the week
• Special Ed Teacher: Aligns supports/accommodations
• Multilingual learner Teacher: Links cultural resources to new content language
• Service Providers: Note specific pull-out or push-in needs
• Case Manager: Oversees documentation, ensures compliance

5. Asynchronous Communication

• Use a shared communication log or voice memos
• Example tools: Voxer, Google Keep, Slack, email summaries

6. Focus on One Student per Week

• Rotate through your caseload—spotlight one student weekly for deeper discussion.
• Prevents burnout and ensures attention to detail.

7. Use "IEP-at-a-Glance"

• Quick-reference sheets for each student can help team members know accommodations and goals without pulling the full IEP.
• Keep these updated and accessible to save time in meetings.

8. Prioritize Urgent/Upcoming Needs

Start meetings with:

• “What’s urgent this week?”
• “Any student in crisis?”
• “Any IEPs due soon?”

Sample Weekly Co-Planning Agenda (20 min)

0-5 minutes: Quick updates from each team member

5-10 minutes: Review on student (rotation basis)

10-15 minutes: Plan academic/behavioral supports for next week

15-20 minutes: Assign action items and confirm next steps

Example: Weekly IEP Team Co-Planning Template

Week of: ___________________

Team Members Present:

• GE Teacher: __________________
• SPED Teacher: ______________
• MLL Teacher: _________________
• Others(Psychologist/OT/PT/Speech, etc.): __________________
• Case Manager: __________________

1. Quick Updates (5 min)

• Any major student issues or celebrations?
• Attendance/behavior concerns?
• New parent communication?

Notes:

2. Student Spotlight (5-10 Min)

Student name______________________________

• Area
• Strengths
• Current Challenge
• Weekly Goal Focus
• Accommodations to emphasize
• Data to collect or monitor
• Family communication needed

3. Instructional Planning & Supports (5 min):

• ELA
  • What's being taught?
  • Accommodations/supports
  • Who's responsible?
• Math
  • What's being taught?
  • Accommodations/supports
  • Who's responsible?

4. Action Items & Follow-Up (Last 2-3 min)

• Task
• Person Responsible
• Due Date

Next Week’s Student Spotlight: __________________

Continue Effective Strategies

• Graphic organizer + sentence frame of main idea + details with icons and read with peer buddy to identify the main idea in adapted passages and help to stay focused
• Used visual models successfully in a small group
• Front-load key vocabulary with images or videos and gestures
• Text-to-speech device (optional)
• Level-adapted text with visuals

Add New Supports

• More modeling before independent work
• Practice identifying key details with visuals before the next lesson
• Shortened writing tasks for the next lesson
• Simplified text version with fill-in-the-blank format
• Share verbally or with support from a sentence card
• Group shares the main idea with the educational assistant's support
• Model think-aloud strategy, highlight text, model using sentence frame “The main idea is ___ because ___.” State the main idea verbally and in writing in short paragraphs
• Sticky notes or color-coding tools

Progress Monitoring

• Data team sharing, including assessments, observations, anecdotal notes, and work samples
• Gauge support needs for independent reading and writing practices

Resources

TIES Center: The 5-15-45 Tool - Collaborative Co-Planning

https://tiescenter.org/topics/inclusive-instruction/5-15-45-tool

NCEO: English Learners with Disabilities Toolkit

https://nceo.info/Resources/series/english-learners-with-disabilities-toolkit