Planning for the Next School Year
And we’re down to the finish line! Was this school year a success for your child? If not, do you know what went wrong and have ideas for new strategies? Hopefully you followed our advice back in our April blog, and worked on a progress check with your child. But even if you didn’t, it’s not too late to review the highs and lows of the past school year – or too early to begin planning for the next.
Honest Appraisal
The end of the year is a great time for an honest appraisal with your child. What were their wins, and what worked? What didn’t work so well, and what changes might help in the future? You may have some great ideas, but it’s equally important to give weight and attention to your child’s perceptions. The school year is over, and what’s done is done. Reviewing successes and failures as data points rather than judgement points can help open the door to an honest discussion with helpful input and greater buy-in.
Take Notes
It’s not enough just to assess the past year’s progress – the point here is to use this data to strategize for next year. Make a chart, an Excel Spreadsheet, a simple bulleted list, or whatever makes the most sense to you and your child. Start off positive, with successful strategies. Did sitting in the front of the room help minimize distractions for your child? Or did you learn that anywhere in the room is okay, as long as it’s not next to the window? And what about academics? Does your child benefit from a movement break to concentrate, or perhaps a fidget?
It's equally important to list strategies that didn’t work. Did moving your child’s seat right next to the teacher’s increase anxiety rather than productivity? Do they shut down with open-ended queries, but are able to showcase their knowledge with specific questions?
Schedule a Meeting
While you won’t know who your child’s teacher/teachers are until closer to the beginning of the school year, the principal and special education team continue to work over the summer. Schedule a meeting while your information from this past year is still fresh in everyone’s mind. You can call an IEP periodic review, a 504 meeting, or just an informal meeting to discuss and exchange information. Bring your notes, talk specifics, and keep the emphasis on setting up your child for success next year rather than things that went wrong this past year. And frankly, this type of discussion with key decision makers over the summer could also help the team as they consider teacher and class assignments for next year.