Educational Support process forms
One of the challenges faced by Educational Support Teams, and remedial teachers in general, is maintaining an informative and objective record of observations, recommendations, permissions and goals. The files provided here show the progression of communication used at Aurora Waldorf; they are offered as just one possible example of ways to build and strengthen communications within the faculty, and between the school and parents of students needing support. At AWS, this progression of forms is stored in a separate EST file cabinet, not in the main student records.
Of course, forms are not meant as a substitute for careful, empathetic and holistic observation; rather, they help sustain balance and teamwork. In “From Symptom to Reality”, Rudolf Steiner indicated the following: “We must learn to see through the picture-nature of man to his spiritual archetype. And this will happen as we go on into the future; man will, as it were, become transparent to his fellow-man. The way his head is formed, the way he walks: all this will be seen with an inner insight and sympathy altogether different from what the men of today are as yet inclined to evolve. For the only way to learn to know the human being in his Ego is to cultivate this understanding of his picture-nature, and thus to approach him with the underlying feeling that everything outer physical eyes can see of him is related to the true supersensible reality of man, as a picture painted on canvas is to the reality it represents.”
Step 1: Request for Assessment. When a parent or teacher wants the EST to formally observe a student, parent permission is of course needed. This form also provides a "paper trail" for cases when parents have decided not to pursue the possibility of support services for their student.
—> View Form
Step 2: Request for Support Services. This is an internal, confidential form in which the class teacher is asked to begin to provide more detail about possible goals of a support program. Once this is filed, a meeting with parents can be scheduled to discuss the recommended program (and any parent input at this step can be recorded by the class teacher or EST member based on discussion with the parent).
—> View Form
Step 3: Inventory of Readiness for Classroom Tasks. Before beginning services, it is very helpful to have as much information as possible. This form may be filled out by the class teacher independently, or recorded during an EST - Teacher meeting.
—> View Form
Step 4: Developmental/Sensorimotor History. We have found it is always helpful to have a baseline of early-childhood information about every student, and we request this form for all students entering first grade. Not every parent returns the form at that time, so we often need to re-request it before initiating services.
—> View Form
Step 5: Support Services Description and Permission. The final step is to maintain clear written communication about goals, and times and frequency of pullout lessons, as well as again an option for parents to record declining services.
—> View Form
Additional ideas for EST forms
Second Grade Assessment Report. I have found that a report to parents that numerically/graphically displays relative areas of strength and weakness is helpful as a basis for objective conversation. I had previously reported the results of assessments only with adjectives; at times words alone failed to convey a level of concern, or level of no concern.
—> View document
Guide to the Second Grade Assessment. This form goes out to parents along with the above.
—> View document
Confidential Class Summary of Second Grade Assessments. This printout is meant to provide a clear, concise and objective guide for the class teacher, of factors to consider in addressing learning needs and styles.
—> View document
First Grade Ripeness and Readiness. Page 1 provides developmental aspects that can be observed by early childhood teachers, and then passed along to the Extra Lesson teacher who will complete the evaluation with each individual child. At Aurora Waldorf, the incoming first grade teacher often will participate, and record page 2.
—> View document
Child Study. Pages 1 and 2 of this document are given to parents of a prospective study child, to let them know the purpose and process; the balance contains suggestions for topics to be covered during the study.
—> View document
Classroom Observation Ideas. Carefully observing every child – not just the ones “we know” need remedial attention – never fails to reveal new understanding. In these pages you will find a collection of observation points, forms and resources that I have used over the years to supplement the First Grade Readiness Screening and the Second Grade Extra Lesson Developmental Assessment processes that are standard at my school. These can be filled out by the class teacher and/or remedial teacher. A team effort is always the best!
—> View Form
One of the challenges faced by Educational Support Teams, and remedial teachers in general, is maintaining an informative and objective record of observations, recommendations, permissions and goals. The files provided here show the progression of communication used at Aurora Waldorf; they are offered as just one possible example of ways to build and strengthen communications within the faculty, and between the school and parents of students needing support. At AWS, this progression of forms is stored in a separate EST file cabinet, not in the main student records.
Of course, forms are not meant as a substitute for careful, empathetic and holistic observation; rather, they help sustain balance and teamwork. In “From Symptom to Reality”, Rudolf Steiner indicated the following: “We must learn to see through the picture-nature of man to his spiritual archetype. And this will happen as we go on into the future; man will, as it were, become transparent to his fellow-man. The way his head is formed, the way he walks: all this will be seen with an inner insight and sympathy altogether different from what the men of today are as yet inclined to evolve. For the only way to learn to know the human being in his Ego is to cultivate this understanding of his picture-nature, and thus to approach him with the underlying feeling that everything outer physical eyes can see of him is related to the true supersensible reality of man, as a picture painted on canvas is to the reality it represents.”
Step 1: Request for Assessment. When a parent or teacher wants the EST to formally observe a student, parent permission is of course needed. This form also provides a "paper trail" for cases when parents have decided not to pursue the possibility of support services for their student.
—> View Form
Step 2: Request for Support Services. This is an internal, confidential form in which the class teacher is asked to begin to provide more detail about possible goals of a support program. Once this is filed, a meeting with parents can be scheduled to discuss the recommended program (and any parent input at this step can be recorded by the class teacher or EST member based on discussion with the parent).
—> View Form
Step 3: Inventory of Readiness for Classroom Tasks. Before beginning services, it is very helpful to have as much information as possible. This form may be filled out by the class teacher independently, or recorded during an EST - Teacher meeting.
—> View Form
Step 4: Developmental/Sensorimotor History. We have found it is always helpful to have a baseline of early-childhood information about every student, and we request this form for all students entering first grade. Not every parent returns the form at that time, so we often need to re-request it before initiating services.
—> View Form
Step 5: Support Services Description and Permission. The final step is to maintain clear written communication about goals, and times and frequency of pullout lessons, as well as again an option for parents to record declining services.
—> View Form
Additional ideas for EST forms
Second Grade Assessment Report. I have found that a report to parents that numerically/graphically displays relative areas of strength and weakness is helpful as a basis for objective conversation. I had previously reported the results of assessments only with adjectives; at times words alone failed to convey a level of concern, or level of no concern.
—> View document
Guide to the Second Grade Assessment. This form goes out to parents along with the above.
—> View document
Confidential Class Summary of Second Grade Assessments. This printout is meant to provide a clear, concise and objective guide for the class teacher, of factors to consider in addressing learning needs and styles.
—> View document
First Grade Ripeness and Readiness. Page 1 provides developmental aspects that can be observed by early childhood teachers, and then passed along to the Extra Lesson teacher who will complete the evaluation with each individual child. At Aurora Waldorf, the incoming first grade teacher often will participate, and record page 2.
—> View document
Child Study. Pages 1 and 2 of this document are given to parents of a prospective study child, to let them know the purpose and process; the balance contains suggestions for topics to be covered during the study.
—> View document
Classroom Observation Ideas. Carefully observing every child – not just the ones “we know” need remedial attention – never fails to reveal new understanding. In these pages you will find a collection of observation points, forms and resources that I have used over the years to supplement the First Grade Readiness Screening and the Second Grade Extra Lesson Developmental Assessment processes that are standard at my school. These can be filled out by the class teacher and/or remedial teacher. A team effort is always the best!
—> View Form
