Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Twice Exceptional Asking for online assignment list

As we enter our first (and last) year with an IEP, DS17 is already behind on assignments. He has a guided study hall next-to-last class of the day with his case worker, who is supposed to be going over his daily assignments and their status with him. When I asked DS to show me his assignment notebook, it turned out he had not been using it, and didn't even carry it around school. He was quite surprised when I turned around in the school driveway and sent him in to get it from his locker. *I* was quite surprised when he had it in his hand when he came back out. Sure enough, completely empty. I had him fill it in I with the day's assignments from memory. Scary thought, I know. Every day is like that. He might have something written in, but not everything. I don't know if it's complete or not, because I have no way to check. Until PowerSchool shows up with 0s.

So, I specifically asked the case worker to go over the assignment notebook every day and to check against the teachers. It is especially important to do it at school when he can contact teachers for clarification and get a timely response. They do respond later in the evening, but maybe not if a kid starts the last assignment after 10:00.

Almost a week later, that check is not going on. I've requested a meeting with the case worker, DS, and me to address the methods to be used to achieve the "turn in homework on time, 80% of the time" goal. Only one teacher has a class website, and the pertinent pages are all on Google Drive where I don't have permissions. I talked to the Help Desk who fluttered "NO parents have that access". I explained about the IEP; case managers don't have access either. Criminy.

No other teachers post the assignments online. He is a senior in two APs, two "Beyond AP" (Multivariable calc, for example), and and honors course.

The question I have is: If I request it via the IEP, which has an explicit goal regarding homework turn-ins, are DS' teachers required to follow my request to have all their assignments posted online?

You should be able to request anything, but your requests don't have to be followed. My understanding is that legally, the teachers have to do something to try to help him achieve his goals, but they don't have to do the thing that you want. If you can show data that the thing they want to do is not working for your son, you can get them to change it, but again, they have the discretion about what to change it to.

Did the case worker agree to go over daily assignments with him when you asked? What did s/he say when asked about the empty notebook?

If the teachers don't already have assignments posted online, I think you're going to find it very difficult if not impossible to get them to do that. Better to come up with a system that is more suited to dealing with a single child - for example, email him assignments (and then you have to make sure he checks his email every day).

Before school started, the caseworker told me in an email that going over daily assignments was a given in the supported study hall, and reiterated that in our beginning-of-the-year IEP meeting.

The study hall is to include weekly Friday Updates from the caseworker, but when the first one read that things were fine, I noted the two outstanding assignments from the first week, and asked if DS was bringing his assignment notebook to class. I got no reply. A week later, I mentioned checking in study hall again. A week after that, I asked that "now that DS has his assignment notebook in hand, please continue to check it with him every day so that he can clarify with his teachers if necessary and be sure to bring home needed materials." I haven't heard from the caseworker since that first Friday Update. Hence, setting up a meeting.

Emailing assignments will be the next thing I ask for. Getting him to check is another thing! (Everyone knows the kids don't check their school emails. Even my son at university says the only students who check are theater students, to find audition postings and castings!)

If this is in your IEP as a goal/accommodation, then the IEP isn't being followed, and that's how you need to follow up. I don't think that it's reasonable to request teachers post daily assignments online - it's been our HS experience that some teachers do this, some post on their board, some hand out assignment lists by unit or the month etc. As the parent of a highly disorganized child who's spent years working with that child to help them learn how to successfully manage keeping track of homework, my suggestion is to instead look at what will work for the student to help the student keep track, and include that as an accommodation in the IEP. Chances are it might not look like what would help you or me keep track

Our schools emphasized daily planners for all students in elementary and middle school, but that just didn't ever work for my ds. His phone is what works best for him - he has an app where he can take notes, save pictures and set reminders. He's also allowed use of his cell phone specifically for this purpose as part of his 504 plan. This isn't the one and all great total solution - prior to his finding his app, I also spent several years asking him specifically what he'd done in class each day (after school) and what his homework was, writing it down for him at home, and double checking that it was done and in his notebook(s) to take back to school the next day. For our ds, it took years to become functional with respect to this type of organization. Since your ds has a study hall and case worker check-in at the end of each day, going over his planner (or whatever works for him to track assignments) is a good plan for handling homework and learning organizational skills - and it's a *really* typical IEP accommodation/goal.

Best wishes,

polarbear

@polarbear - would you mind sharing the name of the app?

I would be happy to.... but I'll have to wait until my ds is home so I can ask him. I think it's Notability... but not 100% sure.

pb

Thanks, Polarbear. The goal is to turn in homework 80% of the time, on time. There is no accommodation associated with it, and no methods/techniques mentioned. Since he is turning in 80% of all homework, but none of it in one particular class, he is technically meeting the goal though failing a class. I tried to address that vague language in our IEP meeting in August, but the meeting was running toward 4:00 and they all had to get on to their other responsibilities. I'd love to talk with the caseworker about clarifying the language, applyling techniques and tools, and adding all that to the IEP...if he would respond.