The purpose of the SES Student Learning Plan (SLP) is to assist low-performing students in meeting state
and school district expectations in academic proficiency in reading, language arts, and mathematics. The
SLP must reflect each student’s program with instruction that is focused, intensive, and tailored to meet the
individual needs of the student. The SLP is the primary vehicle for communicating the parent, district, and
provider commitment to addressing the unique educational needs of a student.
20 U.S.C.A. Section 6316; United States Department of Education
325 W. GAINES STREET • SUITE 514 • TALLAHASSEE, FL 32399-0400 • (850) 245-0509 • www.fldoe.org
A-1. What is a Student Learning Plan (SLP)?
A-2. What is the purpose of the Student Learning Plan?
A-3. What are the objectives of the Student Learning Plan process?
A-4. What is the responsibility of the school district related to the development and
A-5. What are the responsibilities of state-approved SES providers related to Student
A-6. What is the process for developing, implementing, and evaluating Student Learning
B-1. What are the critical elements of the Student Learning Plan?
B- 2. What is meant by “consultation with parents”?
B-3. How should consultation between the SES provider, district, and the student’s parent
B-4. What is the first step in developing a student’s Student Learning Plan?
B-5. What are measurable goals?
B-6. What are SMART goals?
B-7. What are specific examples of measurable goals?
C-1. How should FCAT data be used to develop Student Learning Plans?
C-2. What resources are available related to the FCAT that can be used to develop Student
C-3. How can the resources be used to develop effective Student Learning Plans?
The No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act requires each school district to enter into an agreement
with the state-approved supplemental educational services (SES) provider selected by a parent.
This agreement is recognized in Florida as the Student Learning Plan (SLP) and must be
developed in consultation with the student’s parents and the provider. The plan must include a
statement of specific achievement goals for the student, how the student’s progress will be
measured, and a timetable for improving achievement that, in the case of a student with
disabilities, is consistent with the student’s Individual Education Plan (IEP) under the Individuals
with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). The SLP must also describe how the student’s parents
and teacher will be regularly informed of the student’s progress.
The purpose of the SLP is to develop academic goals for students’ SES sessions. The SLP
should reflect each student’s program with instruction that is focused, intensive, and tailored to
meet the individual needs of the student. The SLP is the primary vehicle for communicating the
parent, district, and provider commitment to addressing the unique educational needs of the
student. The SLP provides an opportunity for parents, providers, and districts to collaborate to
ensure that students’ needs are appropriately addressed.
The SLP process has several objectives. First, the SLP documents the student’s present level
of educational performance, the student’s progress in his or her current curriculum and program,
his or her strengths, and his or her priority educational needs in reading/language arts and
mathematics. Second, the SLP identifies those goals and objectives that will allow the student
to be successful in an appropriate curriculum or tutoring program. Finally, the SLP identifies the
supplemental services that are needed and will be provided for the student to be successful.
It is the responsibility of the school district to develop procedures consistent with the
requirements of NCLB related to the development, implementation, and evaluation of students’
SLPs.
School districts are required to enter into an agreement with each SES provider chosen by a
parent. 20 USCA Section 6316(e)(3)(A) requires the school districts to develop, in consultation
with parents (and the provider chosen by the parents), “a statement of specific achievement
goals for the student, how the student’s progress will be measured, and a timetable for
Pursuant to NCLB, it is the school district’s responsibility to ensure that an agreement is
completed for each student participating in SES and that each agreement contains the
information required under the law. In most cases, the provider will complete the plan for each
student based on the provider’s curriculum, instruction, and assessments consistent with their
approved application. The school district maintains final responsibility for reviewing and
approving all agreements developed by providers and for making sure that all agreements,
developed by the school district or by a provider on behalf of the school district, are completed
for all students participating in SES and contain all required information. In general, this is a
collaborative effort involving a student’s parents, a representative from the student’s school or
the school district, and the provider selected by the parent.
The school district and provider should function as a team to develop the SLP. Each team
member is responsible for bringing information to the process, including but not limited to, the
most recent results of each student’s performance on state and/or district-wide assessments,
the student’s classroom performance, provider assessments, observations by the teacher or
parent, and other existing and relevant student plans such as an individual educational plan
(IEP) or English language learner (ELL) plan.
A provider is responsible for meeting the terms of its agreement with the school district,
the school district in consultation with the student’s parents and the provider.
teachers of that progress.
the school district in consultation with the student’s parents and the provider.
The provider must ensure that the instruction and content of the supplemental services are
consistent with the instruction used by the school district and aligned with the Sunshine State
Standards. The curriculum and instruction must be designed to help students attain proficiency
in meeting the state’s academic achievement standards.
arts and/or mathematics. Academic goals and FCAT tested benchmarks should be stated
specifically for each deficiency that will be addressed. Goals should be prioritized based on
educational need in the content area using appropriate diagnostic assessments. The
measurable goal(s) should focus on the knowledge or skills that will enhance the student’s
performance and assist in achieving the desired outcome.
.
Continuous progress monitoring of academic performance is necessary for many reasons.
Continuous progress monitoring enables teachers to detect a student’s academic difficulties
early and modify or accommodate the curriculum and instruction. Students should be aware
of their progress and can use the information for goal-setting and motivation. Information
from progress monitoring will reinforce the efforts of teachers and parents who are supplying
the supplemental instruction and increase the probability that such services will be effective.
Frequent progress monitoring will help inform tutors, teachers, and parents of the student’s
progress toward meeting the annual stated goals. It is recommended that a student’s
progress be monitored at a minimum of once each month. This will enable the tutor, parent,
and teacher to determine if the academic intervention and support is effective, and if not, to
revise or make accommodations to the instruction to reflect a more effective intervention.
are provided to students as soon as possible in the school year, but no later than October
15 of each school year. The timetable should include the length of each tutoring session,
the frequency of the sessions, and the duration (i.e. end of the school year).
provided regularly, and the format should provide information that is directly related to the
specific goals for an individual student in a way that is easy to understand. It is
recommended that a student’s progress be reported to parents at least once a month.
Federal law, codified under 20 USCA Section 6316 (e)(3)(A), requires consultation with a
student’s parents as part of the development of the student’s individual agreement. School
districts and providers must offer parents a genuine opportunity to consult on the terms of their
child’s individual student agreement.
The school district must be able to demonstrate that the district and provider have made
reasonable efforts to consult with the parent of each student who has requested SES. This may
include attempts to reach parents through telephone, email, home visits, school events, or other
means. For example, some districts suggest that after a provider documents three different and
genuine attempts at reaching a child’s parent, the school site facilitator will attempt to contact
the parent via phone or backpack reminder.
To facilitate parents’ participation in the consultation process, the school district could indicate
on its SES enrollment forms that the school district is required to consult with parents during the
development of individual student agreements and that parents’ participation in this process is
expected and appreciated. Additionally, the school district could provide an opportunity for
parents to express their preferred method of consultation on the enrollment form.
School districts and providers should develop and offer additional opportunities for parents to
become involved with the development of the SLP. Some practices may include an SLP Fair
where parents and providers can meet with school level personnel to develop the SLP and a
policy that allows for consultation over the telephone which allows school personnel to
document the telephone consultation.
The district and provider are encouraged to document the required consultation of all three
parties. The school district and provider should be flexible and offer several meeting times and
locations to meet the needs of a parent. If physical attendance of a student’s parent is not
possible, the school district may choose to permit a telephone consultation between the SES
provider, school district personnel and the student’s parent. The school district may allow other
forms of documentation to ensure the consultation takes place, such as e-mail documentation.
The school district and the provider should make a reasonable effort to ensure face-to-face
consultation occurs. However, the expectation is that all three signatures are obtained. The
school district cannot use the consultation requirement to deny a student access to SES
services.
Gathering information related to a student’s current level of academic performance is the first
step in developing a SLP. The SLP team members must use the information to establish a
baseline of the student’s current functioning level in order to develop measurable annual goals
and determine what services are needed to meet the needs of the student.
It is important that the current level of performance statement is written in a way that is clear to
all participants. The goals must be measurable so that student progress during the tutoring
sessions can be easily monitored and reported.
The current level of academic performance should contain information on the following:
•
Specific information about the student’s achievement and performance on a variety of
assessments and observations
•
Strengths and weaknesses of the student based on the diagnostic assessments
•
Informal data and observations
B-5. What are measurable goals?
A measurable goal is an
individualized, specific statement of what the student needs to learn
and how well it must be accomplished. The measurable goals must clearly communicate what
the student is expected to accomplish and specify the criterion or measure that will be used to
determine whether or not the student has achieved the goal. Measurable goals should reflect
the student’s most critical academic needs that are to be addressed during the tutoring
sessions. The measurable goals set up the process for how progress can be measured and
reported to meet the requirements of the SLP.
To be measurable, a goal must include a clear description of what the student is expected to
learn and the criterion or measure that will be used to show if the goal has been achieved.
Bateman and Herr (2003) suggest four indicators to test whether or not a goal is measurable. A
measurable goal must:
•
Reveal what to do to measure whether the goal has been accomplished
•
Yield the same conclusion if measured by several people
•
Allow a calculation of how much progress it represents
•
Be understood without additional information
B-6. What are SMART goals?
Project SMART (2000) suggests the acronym SMART for writing measurable goals. The
acronym SMART has a number of slightly different variations, which can be used to provide a
more comprehensive definition for goal setting:
S
- specific, significant, stretching
M
- measurable, meaningful
A
- agreed upon, attainable, achievable, acceptable, action-oriented
R
- relevant, realistic, reasonable, rewarding, results-oriented
T
- time-based, timely, tangible, trackable
Specific
goals
should be straightforward and emphasize what the team wants to happen for
the student. A specific goal outlines the what, why, and how of the SMART model.
•
WHAT
are you going to do? Use action words such as direct, organize, coordinate, lead,
develop, plan, build etc.
•
WHY
is this important to do at this time? What do you want to ultimately accomplish?
•
HOW
are you going to do it?
Measurable
goals
should show a change in student performance. A measurable goal
addresses how the team will know when the student has reached his or her goal. For example,
the student will show a 25 percent increase in the correct number of words read in one minute
on grade level probes. A measurable goal shows the specific target to measure and the
5
instrument used to measure it. “The student will improve his or her reading skills” is not a
measurable goal. A measurable goal has the following benefits:
•
Keeps students and teachers on track
•
Helps students and tutors reach the target dates
•
Allows parents and students to monitor the progress toward reaching the goal
Agreed upon
goals
support the collaborative effort involving a student’s parents, a
representative from the student’s school (or the school district), and the provider selected by the
parent. These individuals should function as a team to develop the SLP and agree upon the
goals. Each team member is responsible for bringing information to the process, including but
not limited to the most recent results of each student’s performance on state and/or district-wide
assessments, the student’s classroom performance, provider assessments, observations by the
teacher or parent, and other existing and relevant student plans such as an academic
improvement plan (AIP), individual educational plan (IEP), or Limited English Proficiency (LEP)
plan. It is the responsibility of the school district to develop procedures consistent with the
requirements of NCLB related to the development, implementation, and evaluation of students’
SLPs.
Relevant goals
are goals which are tied to the Sunshine State Standards and help students
reach or exceed grade level achievement. The benchmarks for the Sunshine State Standards
refer to a description of the content or skill that must be learned to achieve the standard. The
Sunshine State Standards, benchmarks, and grade level expectations provide the framework
for the curriculum used in Florida schools. It is not necessary to duplicate this information on
the SLP.
Realistic goals
are written to bring the student closer to achievement at or above grade level.
Realistic goals are not written to be easy to ensure student success.
The goal must be based on the current academic performance of the student. For example, a
goal of learning to use every Latin prefix and suffix with 100 percent proficiency in two days is
not realistic for an elementary student. It is more realistic to set a goal of learning the Latin
prefixes of pre-, post-, and non- in context. The student can then work toward mastery of these
prefixes gradually and build upon these successes.
Timely goals
should specify a clear timeframe such as “by the end of the tutoring sessions”, “in
twelve weeks”, “by the end of the year”, etc. Putting an end point on the goal provides a clear
target to work toward. If a timeframe is not established, there is no urgency to take action.
B-7. What are specific examples of measurable goals?
Measurable goals are derived directly from the data regarding the student in the current levels
of academic performance statement. All members of the SLP team are involved in developing
the goals, which will be used by tutors to focus instruction and measure progress. The
measurable goals may be written as either an overall goal based on end of the year
assessments or short-term goals based on the specific diagnostic or progress monitoring data.
There may be several short-term goals which are all tied to the one overall goal.
The SLP team may elect to use short-term objectives, benchmarks, or a combination of the two.
The difference between the overall goal and short term goals is subtle. Short-term goals
describe sub-skills or intermediate steps toward reaching the overall goal and are generally
written using the same format as a measurable goal.
Regardless of whether overall goals or
short-term goals are used, the SLP team must be able to monitor the progress the student is
making toward the goal and to report that progress to parents.
6
Type of Goal
Measurable Goals
Assessment Tool
Overall Goal
By the end of 2007, Johnny Jones will make one
year’s growth as measured by a change in the
Developmental Scale Score (DSS) on the FCAT.
FCAT
Short-term Goal
By the end of the tutoring sessions, Johnny Jones’
oral reading fluency will increase from 60 correct
words per minute to 90 correct words per minute
as measured by DIBELS progress monitoring
assessments.
DIBELS progress
monitoring
assessments
Short-term Goal
By the end of the first month of tutoring, Johnny
Jones will show an increase of 20 percent in sight
words recognized using teacher-created flash
cards of the 200 Dolch sight words.
Dolch sight word lists
Sample goals from Student Learning Plans
Examples of Non-Measurable Goals
Examples of Measurable Goals
Identifies words and constructs meaning from
text, illustrations, graphics, and charts using
the strategies of phonics, word structure, and
context clues.
Sally will be able to verbally identify the
meaning of words in context when reading
grade level texts with 80 percent accuracy.
The students will increase their knowledge of
grade appropriate vocabulary.
By the end of the tutoring sessions, Bobby’s
Dolch sight word recognition will improve by
50 percent when assessed orally using
flashcards.
Increases comprehension by rereading,
retelling, and discussion.
By the end of the tutoring sessions, Desiree
will be able to answer in writing specific
questions recalling details from grade level
passages with 80 percent accuracy.
Student will use basic elements of phonetic
analysis including hearing, segmenting,
substituting, and blending sounds in words.
By the end of the tutoring sessions, Jamal will
be able to orally segment words of five
phonemes with 80 percent accuracy.
Student will be able to communicate ideas and
information, be able to write stories,
informative pieces, and contribute ideas during
group writing activities.
By the end of the tutoring sessions, Ramon
will be able to write an expository passage of
at least three paragraphs on a given topic. The
passage will include at least three support
details and have a clear beginning, middle,
and end.
The student will improve grade level math
skills.
By the end of the school year, Johnny will
make at least one year’s growth as measured
by a developmental scale score increase of at
least 231 points.
The student will read better by the end of the
tutoring sessions.
By the end of the tutoring sessions, Sylvia’s
oral reading rate will improve by at least 25
percent as measured by correct words read
per minute on grade level DIBELS passages.
7
USING FCAT DATA TO DEVELOP Student Learning Plans
C-1. How should FCAT data be used to develop Student Learning Plans?
•
Obtain student data from the school district
•
Review results as reported by Cluster and convert to percentages (points received/points
possible)
•
Examine Benchmarks within each Cluster
•
Review content Focus for the Benchmark
•
Prioritize content and generate goal
C-2. What resources are available related to the FCAT that can be used to develop
Student Learning Plans?
The Department has developed many resources that can be used to assist in the development
of a student’s SLP, including the
FCAT Summary of Tests and Design
(see
http://fcat.fldoe.org/pdf/fc05designsummary.pdf). This document provides a summary of the
content categories for the FCAT Sunshine State Standards in reading and mathematics,
including the approximate percent of the raw-score points derived from each content category.
For example, in reading for grades six through eight, 30-55 percent of the points is derived from
the main idea, plot, and author’s purpose; while 15-25 percent of the points is derived from
comparison and cause/effect. For grade three in mathematics, 30 percent of the points is
derived from number sense, concepts, and operations. The document also includes the length
of reading passages for each grade level, which is helpful in providing adequate and appropriate
practice for students that is aligned to the FCAT. This document can be used to assist in
categorizing specific academic deficiencies, identifying priority educational needs for a student,
prioritizing the amount of time that should be designated for particular Sunshine State
Standards strands, and aligning curriculum and instruction to the Sunshine State Standards
tested benchmarks.
•
Understanding FCAT Reports for 2008
(http://fcat.fldoe.org/fcatUnderstandReports.asp)
o
Provides overview of FCAT and achievement levels
o
Explains district, student, and parent reports
o
Describes content assessed on the FCAT for reading and mathematics
•
Content Focus for FCAT
(http://fcat.fldoe.org/fccontentfocus.asp)
o
Defines the specific content measured by each FCAT test item for each grade level
o
Provides the number of points for items in each category and the content focus for each
item
C-3. How can the resources be used to develop effective Student Learning Plans?
•
Concentrate on tested Benchmarks (http://fcat.org/fcatis01.asp)
•
Review the released test items and look at the answer for the item as this provides the direct
alignment to the Sunshine State Standards Benchmark (http://fcat.fldoe.org/fcatrelease.asp)
•
Teach within a context and not in isolation
•
Use and develop questions that are of the same cognitive rigor and complexity as those that
are on the FCAT (http://fcat.fldoe.org/fcatitem.asp)
•
Use Mathematics terminology (http://fcat.fldoe.org/fcatrelease.asp)
8
APPENDIX
Sample Student Learning Plan
REFERENCES AND RESOURCES
Bateman, Barbara D. & Herr, Cynthia M. (2003).
Writing Measurable IEP Goals and Objectives.
IEP Resources, Attainment Company, Inc., Verona, WI.
Diagnostic Assessment in Reading
(2000-2006) Wireless Generation, Inc., accessed at
http://www.wirelessgeneration.com/solutions/overview.html.
Florida Dept of Education,
Making Annual Goals, Short-Term Objectives, and Benchmarks
Measurable
, TAP: 312526 accessed at http://www.fldoe.org/ese/pdf/y2005-2.pdf.
Meyers, P.J. (1998)
Creating SMART Goals
,
Attitude is Everything
, accessed at
http://www.topachievement.com/smart.html.
Nikitina, Arina, (2006)
SMART Goals
, accessed at
http://www.goal-setting-guide.com/smart-
goals.html.
9
NCLB— Supplemental Educational Services
______________ County Schools
Student Learning Plan (SLP)
Student: Student ID: Grade:
School: School ID:
SES Provider:
SES Provider ID #:
PURPOSE OF SUPPLEMENTAL SERVICES
Supplemental educational services are being offered to this student to increase her/his academic
achievement. These services may include academic assistance such as tutoring, remediation and other
educational interventions, consistent with the content and instruction used by the school district. These
services are also aligned with Florida’s academic content standards (ESEA section 1116(e)(12)(C)].
PARENT AGREES TO:
Participate in the development of the SES academic plan.
Participate and ensure that his/her child actively participates in the learning process.
Ensure that his/her child attends the scheduled sessions for the duration of the Parent/District/Provider
Agreement.
NOTE:
Transportation to and from is the responsibility of the parent/guardian unless other arrangements
have been agreed upon as follows: (add special circumstances)
______
N/A
_________________________________
The provider and/or district will contact you if attendance appears to be a problem.
SES PROVIDER AGREES TO:
Participate in the development of the SES academic plan.
Provide services in accordance with all applicable civil rights and according to the approved application on
file with the Florida Department of Education.
Not disclose to the public at any time the identity of the student receiving SES without prior written
consent from the parent.
Provide services to the student according to the following schedule:
Beginning date: _________ Ending date: __________________
Type of services :
Individual
Small group
Large group
On-Line
Meeting Time: _______________ Days of the Week: __________________________________
Location of sessions _________________ Location # ____________
Regularly report progress to parents and the school district and/or school as follows:
weekly
every two weeks
monthly
other (explain) _____________
SCHOOL BOARD AGREES TO:
Participate in the development of the SES academic plan.
Provide available student performance data to the provider in a timely and accurate manner. The district
will also provide information to the provider on the goals and accommodations required in the IEP, 504 or
ELL plan.
Monitor the implementation of the SES program.
Provide support to parents and providers in the implementation of the SES program.
Special Services:
None
Attach copy of student’s IEP, 504 or ELL Plan to SLP
English Language Learner
Exceptional Education
Program
504 Plan
10