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00:00:00 --> 00:00:05 Welcome to Your Morning Boost, your daily leadership advice to help you lead your school community.
00:00:05 --> 00:00:09 Brought to you by AWB Education and sponsored by Grundmeyer Leader Services,
00:00:10 --> 00:00:14 where together we are transforming education, one leader at a time.
00:00:15 --> 00:00:16 Now here's your host, Adam Bush.
00:00:17 --> 00:00:21 Hey, good morning and welcome back to Your Morning Boost. It is Friday. Happy Friday.
00:00:21 --> 00:00:24 Welcome. You've made it through the week. Today, we're wrapping up our series
00:00:24 --> 00:00:28 on Section 504. we're going to talk about the importance of follow-up.
00:00:28 --> 00:00:33 So once a 504 plan is in place, it is crucial to monitor its effectiveness.
00:00:33 --> 00:00:36 We need to regularly check in with the student, their parents,
00:00:36 --> 00:00:39 and their teachers to see how things are going.
00:00:39 --> 00:00:42 And really, the goal is we want to try to answer the question,
00:00:42 --> 00:00:45 are the accommodations working as intended?
00:00:45 --> 00:00:50 Is a student making progress towards school? Are they able to access school?
00:00:50 --> 00:00:55 For example, if a student with ADHD is receiving some extra breaks to help them manage their focus.
00:00:56 --> 00:00:59 We need to monitor whether these breaks are actually helping them stay on task.
00:00:59 --> 00:01:02 And is this starting to show some improvement in their academic performance?
00:01:03 --> 00:01:07 If not, we're going to need to adjust the plan and pull that team back together.
00:01:07 --> 00:01:12 Maybe we need to try a different accommodation, or maybe we just need to modify the existing one.
00:01:12 --> 00:01:16 Perhaps the student would benefit from a, I don't know, a standing desk instead
00:01:16 --> 00:01:19 of extra breaks, or maybe they need a combination of strategies.
00:01:19 --> 00:01:23 Either way, we need to find out whether or not what we're doing is working.
00:01:23 --> 00:01:27 And regular communication and collaboration, that's going to be the key to this.
00:01:27 --> 00:01:29 Try to solicit some teacher feedback.
00:01:30 --> 00:01:33 Occasionally, maybe once a month or so, send an email out and have teachers
00:01:33 --> 00:01:37 provide some valuable insights on how the accommodations are impacting the students
00:01:37 --> 00:01:38 learning in the classroom.
00:01:38 --> 00:01:42 You can go in and observe this as well. teachers maybe observe
00:01:42 --> 00:01:45 how the how the student is using the accommodations and provide
00:01:45 --> 00:01:48 some anecdotal notes on their effectiveness and teachers can
00:01:48 --> 00:01:52 track progress on assignments quizzes tests see if the student is making academic
00:01:52 --> 00:01:56 gains if they're if they're accessing that education better than they were previously
00:01:56 --> 00:02:00 without the accommodation and really think about some informal check-ins I mean
00:02:00 --> 00:02:04 regular meetings are great to be it's awesome to be able to do that or once
00:02:04 --> 00:02:07 a month like I said send out that form or an email,
00:02:07 --> 00:02:11 but even some brief conversations between teachers and the 504 team that can
00:02:11 --> 00:02:16 provide some opportunities to discuss the student's progress and identify any challenges.
00:02:16 --> 00:02:19 Just grabbing somebody in the hallway real quickly and just asking that quick
00:02:19 --> 00:02:24 question to see how things are going. The other part is to get some information from our parents.
00:02:24 --> 00:02:27 Parents are invaluable partners in the 504 process.
00:02:28 --> 00:02:31 They can help observe what the student is doing at home, provide some insights
00:02:31 --> 00:02:35 to how the accommodations are impacting their behavior are learning outside of school?
00:02:35 --> 00:02:40 Are we seeing some more success in school, which is leading to some more confidence outside of school?
00:02:40 --> 00:02:44 A lot of times that can just simply be because we're able to access the education
00:02:44 --> 00:02:47 that unfortunately our impairment was getting in the way of previously.
00:02:48 --> 00:02:51 Parents can share some observations with teachers, collaborate on strategies,
00:02:51 --> 00:02:53 again, for supporting the student at home and at school.
00:02:54 --> 00:02:57 We want parents to partner with us in education all the time,
00:02:57 --> 00:03:01 but especially any time we have a student that's got a little extra challenge on their plate, too.
00:03:01 --> 00:03:05 Try to work with the parents to get them to communicate with you and also be a partner in that plan.
00:03:06 --> 00:03:09 And obviously, we want parents to actively participate in the 504 meeting if
00:03:09 --> 00:03:13 you do pull that meeting together to look at new accommodations.
00:03:13 --> 00:03:16 The other part to think about is can you get some student feedback?
00:03:16 --> 00:03:20 And this might be when it's appropriate. It might depend on the age of the student
00:03:20 --> 00:03:23 or the ability of the student. But when it's appropriate, include that student's
00:03:23 --> 00:03:25 perspective. That's pretty crucial.
00:03:25 --> 00:03:29 Students can participate in our 504 meetings and share their thoughts on how
00:03:29 --> 00:03:31 the accommodations are working for them.
00:03:31 --> 00:03:35 Students, they can use journals. Maybe if they're not as comfortable talking
00:03:35 --> 00:03:38 in front of a group of adults, I get that. Journal it instead. Write it down.
00:03:38 --> 00:03:42 Maybe keep some checklists or some other tools or something that helps reflect
00:03:42 --> 00:03:45 on their own learning and how the challenges that they're facing,
00:03:45 --> 00:03:48 maybe how these things are starting to work for them or how the accommodations
00:03:48 --> 00:03:49 are starting to be effective.
00:03:50 --> 00:03:53 This can start with some initial conversations too, really informal stuff.
00:03:53 --> 00:03:56 It doesn't have to be anything that has to be at a 504 meeting.
00:03:56 --> 00:04:01 It can simply just be a teacher or a counselor or somebody just checking in
00:04:01 --> 00:04:05 with the student, have an open and honest conversation, understand their experiences
00:04:05 --> 00:04:09 a little bit, which is going to help gather some feedback for that 504 plan in the future.
00:04:09 --> 00:04:12 Anyway, just actively soliciting feedback from teachers, parents,
00:04:12 --> 00:04:17 and the student, that is going to ensure that that 504 plan is truly effective
00:04:17 --> 00:04:21 and that it continues to meet the evolving needs of the student.
00:04:21 --> 00:04:24 Thanks for listening this week. I hope these episodes have given you a better
00:04:24 --> 00:04:28 understanding of some Section 504 law and ADA law, and again,
00:04:28 --> 00:04:31 how to effectively support students with disabilities in your school.
00:04:31 --> 00:04:34 We'll be back next week with some new topics. Have a great weekend.
00:04:35 --> 00:04:36 You have certainly earned it.
00:04:36 --> 00:04:39 Thanks for listening again. We will talk with you again on Monday.
00:04:39 --> 00:04:43 You have been listening to Your Morning Boost by AWB Education in partnership
00:04:43 --> 00:04:48 with Grundmeyer Leader Services. You can find out more about our services by
00:04:48 --> 00:04:50 clicking on the links in the description.
00:04:50 --> 00:04:55 Remember, you are doing this vital job that only a few can do.
00:04:55 --> 00:04:59 So until next time, thank you for your service to your community.