Grading in Special Education

It depends where you are and what you teach…

Grading – the sped teacher’s arch nemesis!!

  It makes me sad to thinking of teachers who think that students who have an IEP should automatically be underperforming in all aspects. 

  Some of our special education students excel in reading and only have a math deficit, others only a writing deficit. In addition, our students should be able to perform tasks at (or close to) grade level with appropriate accommodations. 

  In our district resource teachers provide progress reports on IEP goals during the same time general education teachers are entering report card grades. We do discuss with each other how students are performing in both environments.

  In special education our primary focus is the students IEP goals. If a student continues to fail then a need to reconsider accommodations, the level of support the student gets in the general education and IEP goals are appropriate.

  It is recommended to add a disclaimer in the comments section to see IEP progress report for more detailed progress at their instructional level. It can also be indicated on the grading system for elementary students those assignments were modified or accommodations given. That way students who are still working 2-3 years below their peers can still make A’s and B’s. 

 

Who is responsible for grading?

Depending on where you are, but generally if the general education teacher has the students for 60% or a subject or more, then they are the teacher of record, though you can of course provide grades to them to include. Same goes if reversed, then you are the teacher of record. If it is 50/50, the classroom teacher is still the teacher of record, but you provide grades to average in with theirs for a more complete grade. 

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