Tiffany Poritz

Final case study

Spec 615
5-9-2015

Introduction
Marcus Young is a sixth grade student at Antioch Middle School. Marcus is a
verbal young man with a great sense of humor and is quite quick witted which
can cause him to get into a bit of trouble, at times. Marcus sixth grade science
teacher, Alice Wilson notices avoidance techniques from Marcus in class,
especially when it comes to reading. Marcus will come up with something
humorous to say, to get the class to laugh when it comes time for him to read
aloud. She also notices that when she has Marcus read aloud, 1:1 he is stumbling
over most of the words on the page and still joking about previous jokes blurted in
class. Alice Wilson also observes that during independent work time, he is
working with several people and checking his work with others.
Alice Wilson communicates her concern about Marcus with Daniel Lewis the
sixth grade learning disabilities teacher. The communication results in Alice
Wilson contacting Marcus parents and discussing her concerns with Marcus
reading abilities. Alice Wilson administers the Informal Reading Inventory, to
gather more information on Marcus reading abilities. The Teacher Assistance
Team will meet to discuss information gathered from Marcus teachers, look at his
history in his file, suggest modifications, and special assistance that might help
develop Marcus reading skills.

Daniel Lewis suggest to Alice that she should administer an Informal

Reading Inventory. The
Informal Reading Inventory will help to aide in gathering information about
Marcus strengths and weaknesses in the area of reading. The assessment is an
informal assessment therefore, anyone can administer the inventory. Currently,
informal information is collected and discussed. A formal referral and parent
consent have not been received to refer Marcus for special education, at this
time. Alice Wilson administers the Informal Reading Inventory to add to the
Teacher Assistance Team meeting. View the next page for the results from the
Informal Reading Inventory.
The Teacher Assistance Team reviews the information and discuss
monitoring Marcus reading. If Marcus does not make appropriate progress after
3-4 months in an intervention they would meet again to decide if Marcus should
be referred for a Comprehensive Examination to determine if he meets criteria for
eligibility and placement in special education.

Informal Inventory Results

Administered by Alice Wilson, 6th grade teacher at Antioch Middle School
Word List: List 1
Level

Number of

Text

Error

Preprimer

errors
One error

There

Three

Level
Primer
Level 1

No errors
Three errors

Level 2

Six errors

Come
Once
Where
Five
Made
Same
People
Read (long e)
Town

Com
On/c/
Were
Fiv
Mad
Sam
Pep/le
Rad
ton

Text

Error

Make

Mac

Smile

Sim/le

Word Recognition 95%

Window

inference
Willow

Comprehension 70%

Children

Kids

Laughed

Teacher pronounced

woman

in (insertion) wo

Oral Reading Form A

Level
Preprimer

Word Recognition 100%

level

Comprehension 100%

Primer

Word Recognition 98%

Level 1

man (long 0),

sequencing,
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Oral Reading Form A continued

Level 2
Preprimer
Primer
Level 1
Level 2
Level 3
Level 4

Word recognition
100%85%
100%
Comprehension
90%10%
90%
80%
30%

Large

vocabulary
Error Type
Lag

House

Hos

Wide
Often

wid sequencing
Vocabulary,
Vocabulary, sequencing,
Teacher pronounced

Wolves

cause effect, inference,

Fox

Beyond

main idea, character

I dont know

Meadow

analysis
Teacher pronounced

Forest

for/et

Through

Teacher pronounces

Garden

Gr d en

Gate

Gar

Beautiful

Teacher pronounced

Morning

Moving

more

Most
Inference, main idea,
sequencing, cause
effect

Silent Reading Comprehension Form B

Listening

Level

Comprehension

Level
Level
Level
Level
Level
Level
Level

Score
100%
100%
90%
100%
80%
80%
60%

D
1
2
3
4
5
6
7

Comprehension Form

REFERRAL FORM
SPECIAL EDUCATION AND RELATED SERVICES
Form R-1 (Rev. 7/06)

________________Antioch________________ SCHOOL DISTRICT

[x] Initial

Reevaluation

Name of child(Last, first, middle)

Date of birth

Grade

School

Young, Marcus

1/13/2003

6th

Antioch Middle School

Name of parent or legal guardian

Address (Street, city, state, zip)

Young, Julie

115 W. Antioch St. Antioch, IL 55555

Telephone
area/no.

Person making referral/title

Date parent notified of intent to refer

Alice Wilson

3/5/2014

414-312-0000
Method of notifying parent of intent to refer

Conference

[X] Phone call

Written

Is an interpreter needed?

Yes

[x]

No

Parents or adult students native language or other primary mode of communication if other than
English (specify):

Childs native language or other primary mode of communication if other than English (specify):

Date of receipt of referral by school district/LEA _____3/5/2014___________________

(month,day,year)
(Note: the date the district receives the referral begins the 15 business day timeline in which to
complete the review of existing information and notify the parents of whether additional assessments
are needed.)

State reason you believe this child has a disability (impairment and a need for special education) - such
as academic and non-academic performance and medical information; any special programs, services,
interventions used to address this students needs and the results of those interventions, etc.

Marcus is being referred for a suspected learning disability in the area of reading. Marcuss
teachers notice a struggle with reading across content areas. Teachers have observed that Marcus
rarely reads on his own. When asked to read aloud, Marcus uses different avoidance techniques to
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avert reading and create disruptions in the classroom. When asked to read independently with the
teacher, Marcus stumbles on many of the words.
Marcus was given an informal assessment consisting of the Informal Reading Inventory and
Oral Reading Miscue Analysis. When given the IRI, the findings were as followed when given a
word list, Marcus had one error at the preprimer level, no errors at the primer level, three errors at
level one and six errors at level 2. Of the errors made, it was noted that Marcus has difficulty with
phonics that include long vowel sounds, dropping the endings, and recognizing some site words.
Marcus was also given the oral reading form where he struggles with 14 errors at level 2. Marcus
showed signs of struggling with words in context and decoding. At a level 2 (equivalent to 2 nd grade)
Marcus scored 85% for word recognition and 10% for comprehension. There were two other areas of
the test that were administered to Marcus.
The other two areas of assessment that Marcus received were the Silent Reading
Comprehension Form B and Listening Comprehension. At level 4 Marcus scored a 30% in
comprehension. Marcus showed signs of struggling with vocabulary, sequencing, cause effect,
inference, main idea, and character analysis. However, at grade level Marcus scored 80% in listening
comprehension. When assessing for the ceiling, Marcuss scored 60% comprehension at level 7 (1
grade level above). Marcus scores are showed more in detail on pages 5-7.
The team would like to refer Marcus for further assessments to determine if he is eligible for a
suspected learning disability in the area of reading. Based on classroom observations, teacher
concerns, and informal assessments the team would like to continue with the referral process.

If the child is transitioning from a Birth to 3 Early Intervention Program, and the district was invited by
the designated lead agency to participate in the transition planning meeting, document the date of the
meeting and who attended for the LEA or explain why the LEA did not attend:

[X]

N/A

10

NOTICE OF RECEIPT OF REFERRAL AND

START OF INITIAL EVALUATION

Form IE-1 (Rev. 12/10)

Notice sent with Statement of

Parental Rights
___________________

________________Antioch__________________ SCHOOL DISTRICT

[If you need this notice in a different language or communicated in a different way, or have
questions about this notice, please contact _Department of Instruction_____
at _____608-266-3390_____]

Dear _____Mrs. Alice Young_______________________________

On __3/5/2015______________, the school district received a referral to evaluate your child

___Marcus Young___________________ to determine whether he/she has a disability (impairment
and need for special education). The individualized education program (IEP) team is responsible for
this evaluation and will conduct this evaluation at no cost to you. You are a participant on the IEP
team. You may include others on the IEP team who have knowledge or special expertise about your
child.

You and your child (if appropriate) are IEP team participants
In addition, the following people are being appointed to the IEP team by the school district
Role

Name, if known

Representative of local educational

agency (LEA) authorized to commit
the resources of the LEA

Jane Smith, Principal

Special Ed. Teacher(s)

Daniel Lewis
Tiffany Poritz

Regular Ed. Teacher(s)

Alice Wilson, 6th grade teacher

Related Services Personnel

11

Others

Marcus Young, student

Alice Young, mother

For SLD evaluation using response

to intervention only*, a licensed
person who is qualified to assess data
on individual rate of progress using a
psychometrically valid and reliable
methodology.

Jay Ingerson, school psychologist

For SLD evaluation using response

to intervention only*, a licensed
person who has implemented
scientific, research-based or evidencebased, intensive interventions with
the referred pupil.
For SLD evaluation using response
to intervention only*, a licensed
person who is qualified to conduct
individual diagnostic evaluations of
children.
*A public agency may designate a public agency member of the IEP team to also serve in these roles, if criteria are met.

Other options, if any, such as the selection of IEP team participants which were considered and the
reason(s) they were rejected and a description of any other factors relevant to the proposed action:

[X]None

IEP team participants will first review existing information available on your child, including
information provided by you. The IEP team will then determine what, if any, further evaluation is
necessary to assist in making a determination of whether your child has or does not have a disability
and his or her educational needs. You will be sent a notification of this determination within 15
business days of the school district receiving the referral to evaluate your child. This notification
will be sent by 3/20/2015
(month/day/year)

If the IEP team determines that additional assessments and other evaluation materials are necessary,
the school district needs your written consent (permission) before administering any assessments or
other evaluation materials to obtain further information about your child. You will be informed
about what assessments or other evaluation materials will be given before they are administered.
You will also be informed of the names of the individuals who will conduct those evaluations, if
12

known at the time of the notice. Upon completion of the evaluation the IEP team will prepare an
evaluation report which will include documentation of your childs eligibility for special education.
You will be provided with a copy of the evaluation report.

Within 60 calendar days of receiving your consent for evaluation or being provided with a notice that
no further assessment of your child is necessary, the IEP team will meet to determine whether your
child has a disability and to identify his or her educational needs. If the IEP team determines that
your child is a child with a disability, the team will meet to develop an IEP to address your childs
needs and determine a placement to carry out the IEP within 30 calendar days. You will be provided
with a notice of placement and a copy of your childs IEP. The school district needs your written
consent (permission) before initially providing special education to your child. If it is determined
that your child is not a child with a disability, you will be provided with a notice of that finding.

If at any point during an IEP team meeting to determine your childs eligibility for special education,
develop an IEP, or determine a placement, you or other IEP team participants believe that additional
time is needed to permit your meaningful involvement, additional time will be provided subject to
the time limitations described above. This IEP team process may be concluded in one meeting or
may require more than one meeting depending on individual circumstances.
You and your child have protection under the procedural safeguards (rights) of special education law.
Please read the brochure of parent and child rights enclosed with this notice. In addition to district
staff, you may also contact ________DPI___________________at ___________________ if you
have questions about your rights.

Sincerely,

__________Tiffany Poritz, Special education teacher________

Name and Title of District Contact Person

EVALUATION REPORT
Form ER-1 (Rev. 10/06)

13

_________________Antioch__________________________ SCHOOL DISTRICT

Name of Student _Marcus Young________________

TYPE OF EVALUATION:

[X]

Initial

Reevaluation

DATE ON WHICH ELIGIBILITY DETERMINATION WAS MADE ____3/5/2015__________________

(month/day/year)

THIS EVALUATION REPORT AND DETERMINATION OF ELIGIBILITY INCLUDES THE

FOLLOWING (check all that apply)

[X]Information from review of existing data

Additional documentation required when

child is evaluated for a specific learning
disability

[X] Information from assessments and other sources

Documentation for determining Braille

needs for a child with a visual impairment

[X] Determination of eligibility for special

Education

INFORMATION FROM REVIEW OF EXISTING DATA

A. Summary of previous evaluations

Marcus does not have any prior evaluations. He is a 6th grade student that is being referred for his first evaluation
for a suspected disability in the area of reading.

B. Information provided by parents

Marcus mom states that he is full of energy when he comes home from school. Marcus loves to be active and
crack jokes. When it comes time to doing homework, Marcus will try several different avoidance techniques
such as wanting more time to play video games, complaining that he has a headache, and doesnt feel well. When
14

mom is able to get Marcus to sit and do homework, he struggles with work independently. Most of the time (80%)
Mom needs to sit with Marcus and work with him 1:1 to complete homework. Mom notices that when Marcus
needs to complete his reading homework, he refuses. The few times that mom is able to get Marcus to read he
tries to rush through his words, causing him to skip words, drop the endings off, or completely miss the word
altogether. Marcus has disliked reading since he was in 2 nd grade. His dislike for reading has noticeably increased.

C. Previous interventions and the effects of those interventions

Marcus has not received any research based interventions, at this time.

D. Current classroom-based, local or state assessments

Marcus was given an Informal Reading Inventory. The results conclusively provide the team with evidence that
Marcus struggles at a level 2 in phonics, oral reading, silent reading, and his independence increases at level 7 for
listening comprehension. See pages 5-7 for the full details of the Informal Reading Inventory.

E. Current classroom-based observations

Marcus likes to be the center of attention in the classroom. Marcus will crack jokes when it comes time to
independent reading or when it is his turn to out loud. When observed during a 90 minute Language Arts block
Marcus was off task 60% of the time. When Marcus was off task he would be out of his seat, walking around the
room, and talking to his friends. While Marcus talked to his friends he would have his homework assignments
with him and asking classmates what they put down for answers. When Marcus was asked to return to his seat, he
would comply appropriately 85% of the time. When Marcus did not comply, 15% of the time, he would be
cracking jokes to the class before going back to his seat where he would not complete his work. It was also
observed that Marcus tried several avoidance techniques to get out of reading. Such techniques included not
having his independent reading book with him, claiming he couldnt read because his eyes hurt and he was too
tired, and Marcus would set his head down until the teacher stood next to him prompting him. Marcus would
then comply and start reading stumbling on several words and making jokes about his mistakes.

F. Observations by teachers and related service providers

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Marcus teachers have observed that Marcus tries many avoidance techniques to get out of reading. Such
techniques include cracking jokes or getting off topic from the task at hand. When reading 1:1 with a
teacher it is observed that Marcus stumbles over words. Marcus also has difficulty with dropping vowels
at the ends of words. When it comes to independent work time, Marcus will check his work closely with
peers. Marcus has a difficult time working independently (3 of 5 opportunities).
When Marcus works with others he does not contribute productively to the task at hand. Marcus
will listen to his peers and write down the answers. Marcus does not provide ideas to his partner or group.
Marcus will ask questions but the questions are not clarify what he peers mean but rather what the
answer is. Marcus rushes to complete work so that it is done not for understanding of the learning
objective.

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If assessments or other evaluation materials were not administered in accordance with the instructions
provided by the publisher or producer of the assessments describe the extent to which there were
variations in administration from standard conditions such as qualifications of the evaluator or methods
of assessment administration including the language or other mode of communication that was used in
assessing the student. [x] N/A

17

DETERMINATION OF ELIGIBILITY FOR SPECIAL EDUCATION

A. This student meets the criteria for one or more of the following impairments:

Check all that apply:

Autism

Orthopedically Impaired

Cognitive Disability

Other Health Impairment

Emotional BehavioralDisability

Speech or Language Impairment

Hearing Impairment

Traumatic Brain Injury

Specific Learning Disability

Visual Impairment (complete ER-3, Determining

(complete ER-2, Additional

Braille Needs)

Significant Developmental Delay (first consider

documentation required for

specific learning disabilities)

other areas as the primary disability)

[X] None found (complete C. below)

B. For each impairment identified, document how the student meets the criteria:

C. Were impairments considered and rejected?

[X]

Yes

No

(If yes, document which one(s) and how the student did not meet the criteria)
The suspected disability Marcus Young was considered for was Specific Learning Disability in the area of
reading. At this time Marcus does not meet eligibility for a student with a Specific Learning Disability. The team
rejected eligibility because he has not undergone interventions to show that he is not making adequate progress in
a research based intervention in the area of reading. The team will reconvene in 3-4 months after Marcus as
undergone reading interventions (in the area of phonics, decoding, and fluency) to discuss if he would meet
eligibility at a later date. Marcus will be progress monitored and further data will be collected on his reading
abilities and possible areas of deficit.

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D. By reason of the impairment(s) identified, does this student need or continue to need special
education?

Yes

Yes

[X] No
[x] Yes

[X]

No (In order for the IEP team to determine that the student needs special education,
the IEP team must answer yes to question 1 AND list needs under 2b and/or 3
below)

1. Does the student have needs that cannot be met in regular education as structured?
(If yes, list the needs below. Use reverse side or attach additional pages if needed)

(If no, there is no need for special education).

2. Are there modifications that can be made in the regular education program to allow the
student access to general education curriculum and to meet the educational standards
that apply to all students? (Consider adaptation of content, methodology and/or delivery
of instruction.)
If yes,
a) List modifications that do not require special education. (Use reverse side of page
or attach additional pages if needed)
- Check for understanding after reading assignments
- Pre-teach new vocabulary
- Reciprocal teaching of new vocabulary words
- Chunk letters practice vowel combinations
- Create words lists and practice daily
- Provide level readers / pair share

b) List modifications that require special education. (Use reverse side of page or attach
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additional pages if needed)

[X]

No

(If no, go to question 3).

3. Are there additions or modification that the child needs which are not provided through
the general education curriculum? (Consider replacement content, expanded core
curriculum, and/or other supports.)
(If yes, list below. Use reverse side of page or attach additional pages if needed)

Yes

[X]

No

At this time Marcus Young does not qualify as a student with a learning
disability. Marcus has not undergone the necessary steps to meet the
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eligibility criteria. Marcus is still within the referral process. Marcus will begin
a tier 3 intervention in reading where he will be progress monitored. The IEP
team will meet again after the completion of 2 research based interventions.
It is recommended for Marcus to receive Tier 3 interventions in the
area of reading. Intervention recommendations include Rewards and Great
Leaps. Marcus will receive 8 weeks of intervention in Rewards. Marcus will be
progress monitored in the area of fluency by Aimsweb. After the first 8 weeks
of completion, Marcus will receive another 8 weeks of intervention using the
Great Leaps intervention. Marcus will receive at least 10 minutes a day for
intervention time. Marcus will then continue to be progressed monitored in
the area of fluency. See the next 3 pages for Reading Intervention goals
appropriate for Marcus needs.

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Reading Intervention Goals

Antioch Middle School
Student Name: Marcus

Grade: 6th grade

Young
Intervention: Great

Intervention Frequency:

Leaps

10 minutes/day for 8 weeks

Date of birth:
1/13/2003

Measurable intervention goal to enable the student to progress in the general

education curriculum, and to meet other educational needs.

When given 4th grade words and phrases, Marcus will accurately read and reread words to increase his fluency rate from 65 words per minute to 100
words per minute when reading in all settings.

Procedures for measuring the students progress toward meeting the annual goal.

Aimsweb progress monitoring, teacher observation, and reading 1:1 with the
teacher and peers

22

Reading Intervention Goals

Antioch Middle School
Student Name: Marcus

Grade: 6th grade

Young
Intervention: Great

Intervention Frequency:

Leaps

10 minutes/day for 8 weeks

Date of birth:
1/13/2003

Measurable intervention goal to enable the student to progress in the general

education curriculum, and to meet other educational needs.

Marcus will increase reading readiness skills in the area of decoding measured by
the Informal Reading Inventory from a level 2 to a level 4 with 85% accuracy, as
measured by running records, probes, anecdotal records, and work samples.

Procedures for measuring the students progress toward meeting the annual goal.

Aimsweb progress monitoring, teacher observation, and reading 1:1 with the
teacher and peers

23

Reading Intervention Goals

Antioch Middle School
Student Name: Marcus
Young
Intervention: Rewards

Grade: 6th grade

Date of birth:
1/13/2003

Intervention Frequency:
10 minutes/day for 8 weeks

Measurable intervention goal to enable the student to progress in the general

education curriculum, and to meet other educational needs.

Marcus will increase reading comprehension by reading a 4 th grade passage and

answering comprehension based questions with 80% accuracy.

Procedures for measuring the students progress toward meeting the annual goal.

Teacher observation, Informal Reading Inventory, work samples

Communication Plan
24

Based on Marcus needs in the area of reading and the need for
research based interventions Marcus will begin his first intervention
immediately. Parents will be notified of Marcus performances bi-weekly by
email or telephone depending on the parents preferred method. Parents
will then receive an Intervention report after the completion of the first
reading intervention by letter and a follow up telephone call.
Parents will receive another intervention report after the completion of
the second reading intervention. Data that was collected during the
intervention will be presented at the team meeting. The team will meet after
3-4 months of interventions to discuss Marcus eligibility for the suspected
disability in the area of reading.

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