Ashley Walser

11/5/16

EDAD 543
Assignment #6

Framing a Complicated Situation using a Teaching and

Learning Stance
Developing your Coaching and Mentoring Skills
AWSP Focus Standards:
Criterion 1 Creating a Culture
1.2 Engages in essential conversations for ongoing improvement
1.3 Facilitates collaborative processes leading toward continuous improvement
Criterion 2 Ensuring School Safety
2.2 Provides for social, emotional and intellectual safety
Criterion 3 Planning with Data
3.4 Assists staff to use data to guide, modify and improve classroom teaching and
student learning

Describing the Complicated Situation: The Child Study Process at our elementary
school has historically been initiated through teachers that are looking for support for a
student who is struggling academically or socially/emotionally in their classroom. Last
school year we had a total of six child study meetings that were initiated by parents or
through outside family resources (doctors, advocacy programs, etc.) through written
requests for special education testing. According to WAC 392-172A-03005 a parent of
a child may, initiate a request for an initial evaluation to determine if the student is
eligible for special education. The request will be in writing, unless the person is unable
to write... Within twenty-five school days after receipt of the request for an initial
evaluation, make a determination whether or not to evaluate the student. The school
district will provide prior written notice of the decision that complies with the
requirements of WAC 392-172A-05010. In the first month of this school year we have
had a total of six parent written request child study meetings. This matches our total
number of parent-initiated meetings for the entire 2015-16 school year. As a child
study team we are wondering why we are having this high increase in parent initiated
child study meetings. Teachers are wondering why parents are initiating child study
meetings before discussing their concerns with them. Factors impacting this dilemma:
We have increased our communication of the child study process with parents
over the past two years. Our team created a pamphlet for families that
describes the child study process that is accessible in our buildings office.
Parents are sent home notes from child study meetings and are invited to followup meetings.

Ashley Walser
11/5/16

EDAD 543
Assignment #6

The new SBAC assessment scores are directly sent home to parents. This is a
new assessment and we do not currently have a consistent building based
communication system to give context for the SBAC scores.
Interviews: I wanted to pick three people to interview that had different perspectives
on the situation and held different stakes in this dilemma. I first interviewed the school
psychologist that is a part of our child study team and is in charge of assuring we are in
compliance with the WACs associated with parent referrals. The second person I
interviewed was a teacher who had two different parent initiated child study meetings
this school year. One of the parent-initiated meetings came through a family advocacy
program the second came from a verbal parent request. This teacher has been a part
of the child study team in the past and has initiated multiple child studies in the past.
In order to better understand the parents who are initiating meetings I was hoping to
interview a parent advocate as my third person, but we were unable to meet. For my
third perspective I interviewed another teacher who has had a parent-initiated child
study meeting this school year. This teacher brings an opposite perspective of the
second teacher I interviewed, in that she is vocal about her preference to not interact
with the child study process. The following is a summary of my interviews.
School Psychologist: She began this interview stating that the middle school is
experiencing this same dilemma. When asked what is happening, the school
psychologist stated that parents have learned how to read the state testing
forms and in response to low scores think that their children are in need of
specially designed instruction. She believes that parents do not understand
what it means to be tested for special education (having a qualifying disability)
and the spectrum of interventions that exist in our district. In this situation she
believes that the child study team is who holds power. This team includes the
parent, special education teacher, administrator, general education teacher and
any teachers who have worked with the student. She hopes that parents leave
the child study meeting feeling confident that we are watching their childs
progress. She wants them to have a good understanding of where their childs
performing. As a team she wants us to catch if there is a need for testing. As a
team she views our next steps as taking parent requests one at time. She
discussed the idea of sending out information detailing the spectrum of student
supports to the general population, but thought that it may be confusing and
create a spike in parent referrals. From this situation she learned that there are

Ashley Walser
11/5/16

EDAD 543
Assignment #6

a lot of levels to where students are performing and a student has to be

significantly below for special education.

All students need to be instructed at

their level through differentiated instruction.

Teacher 1: The first teacher I interviewed detailed the difference between her
two parent initiated child study meetings this school year. One was a new
student to the district that she was planning on bringing up to the child study
process. Parents also shared their concern with her and initiated the process.
The second meeting was initiated through a family advocacy program in
collaboration with a parent. When asked what was happening this teacher
described that the SBAC scores coming home to parents is a cause to this
dilemma. The explanation associated with this document is confusing and does
not give parents a picture of how their child is performing in relation to the whole
student body. Teacher 1 described a variety of people who have power in this
situation. First is the child study team. The teacher has power in what
assessment data they bring to the team and how they present the child. The
parent has power because they can become more direct and bring a written
request for testing. The family doctor has a lot of power in what they choose to
report. The student has power in their actions at school and home. She would
like an outcome to be a paper we can give parents detailing look-fors for
requesting special education testing versus other steps that can be taken (like
meeting with the teacher). She does not ant a system to get parents to be the
only advocate. Teacher 1 discussed equity for parents. There is a theme of
more affluent parents accessing our child study system. From this situation she
learned that children who have parents that go through this process have an
advantage over parents who do not have knowledge of this process.
Teacher 2: The second teacher interviewed highlighted that what is happening is
associated with SBAC scores that parents receive. Assessment scores are what
parents discuss when they feel like their child is not succeeding. The second
teacher was honest in stating that she prefers to not come to child study
because she feels like she comes away with changes she needs to make, instead
of the student. Her view is that students have power in their work habits. She
emphasized that parents have all of the power. She feels that the parents are
not listening to the teacher perspective. This makes her feel cornered. If a
student is not doing well she feels that the parents put blame on her. In the

Ashley Walser
11/5/16

EDAD 543
Assignment #6

classroom she feels like providing instruction in classroom engagement is

important. When students are not held accountable at home to complete work
she feels that their progress is out of her hands. As a next step she feels that
the focus for parents should not be on child study.
Reflection: I feel like overall the interviews went well. Hearing from various
viewpoints helped me see a common thread in conversations, which was the need to
explain SBAC assessment scores to parents. It also brought up points that I never
thought about, like equitable parent access to child study. The people I interviewed felt
comfortable honestly sharing their viewpoints. Initially they were worried that they
were not answering questions correctly, but I shared that what I am looking for is their
honest viewpoint. All interviews happened in different settings. I interviewed the
psychologist in my room, teacher 1 in the staff room and teacher 2 in her classroom.
They picked the settings of their interviews. I continue to feel like I am a relational
leader; I enjoy building relationships with others and learning from others. As a leader I
feel like I strength I hold is in being calm and approachable. I would like to continue to
work on being able to hold a conversation while taking notes. Possibly I need to record
conversations and take notes on them afterwards.

Assignment #6 AWSP Standard Growth

Standard
Indicators of growth
Criterion 1 Creating a Culture
- Held difficult conversations while
1.2 Engages in essential
maintaining trust in conversations
with others.
conversations for ongoing
- Held conversations that assist in
improvement
gaining the perspective of a diverse
1.3 Facilitates collaborative
group of stakeholders.
processes leading toward
continuous improvement
Criterion 2 Ensuring School Safety
2.2 Provides for social,
emotional and intellectual safety

Discussed practices that provide for

the social emotional safety of
students.

Criterion 3 Planning with Data

3.4 Assists staff to use data to
guide, modify and improve
classroom teaching and student
learning

Discussed dilemmas within programs

with staff that assist them in using
data to guide, modify, and improve
classroom teaching and student
learning.