Details: Read the case study to inform the assignment that follows and prepare this assignment according to the APA guidelines found in the APA Style Guide
Case Study: Ana, is in the 9th grade, Age 14
Background Information
Ana’s mother, who became pregnant while in high school, is a single parent who completed her GED after Ana’s birth. Her mother works full-time. Ana’s parent never married and her biological father has had very limited contact with her. Ana has no siblings, but does have two male same-age cousins. Her mother wants Ana to finish school, as she wants her to be different from other family members.
Medical Information
Ana had delayed physical growth from second grade to eighth grade. Her mother took her to a physician during that time and no medical problems were reported. She has received regular medical check-ups with no noted medical concerns and no significant medical history.
School History
Ana entered kindergarten at age 5 after one year of preschool as a model student in the developmental preschool program at the neighborhood school. Her daycare was provided by her maternal grandmother prior to starting kindergarten. Ana has attended schools in her grandmother’s neighborhood and has had no grade retentions.
Attendance
Ana has missed an average of 10 days of school from grades K through 7. She had 50 days of absence in grade 8 and missed the first several weeks of grade 9. Ana has had no disciplinary referrals in any grades up to present time.
Grade 8 (last academic year)
Ana was absent at least 1 day per week starting mid-first quarter in the eighth grade. Her absences increased to two or more each week by winter break. By this time, a pattern of tardiness to school in the morning also began. Ana’s mother reported to the guidance counselor, “She’s refusing to get up in the mornings…lags in getting dressed…complains of tiredness and lethargy.” Ana then arranged to stay in the guidance office to complete work independently, two hours per day in the afternoon.
Soon she was absent as many days as she attended and by April, Ana rarely attended school at all.
Grade 9 (current academic year)
Ana’s physical growth seems to have stopped. At 5’1”, Ana is petite and smaller than most of her peers. She attended the first two days of classes, and then did not attend again for two weeks. She is interested in playing high school sports. She has trouble making friends and keeping connections with peers, but does like teachers and converses easily with them. She has no behavior problems or referrals. She does have trouble completing homework and keeping up with notes in classes and has failing grades in several classes.
Testing and Evaluation
Ana was given both verbal (WISC) and non-verbal (UNIT) IQ testing. Both tests placed her in the average intelligence range with an IQ of 105.
Woodcock-Johnson III Tests of Achievement
Please see attachment below.
Classroom Teacher Input
Ana’s English teacher reports that Ana is able to write complete sentences, but is unable to complete a paragraph that follows the topic sentence. She often spells words incorrectly on her final draft. Additionally, she has difficulty sounding out words, which affects her reading fluency and her reading comprehension. Currently, Ana can independently read a seventh grade text with 80% comprehension. According to a teacher given reading inventory, Ana reads 40WPM correctly at a seventh grade level.
Interventions Prior to Special Education Referral
- Attendance secretary makes daily calls to home
- 1-to-1 sessions with guidance counselor
- Building consultation team
- Schedule changes
- Truancy petition to Juvenile Court Intake
- Small group instruction for reading
- Small group instruction for writing
- Extended time to complete writing tasks
Reason for Referral
Ana has an escalating pattern of absenteeism, decreasing socialization with peers at school and in the community, has failing grades, and very low self-acceptance/self-concept.
Interviews
Guidance Counselor:
– Ana spontaneously smiles and converses with him; says she is comfortable in the guidance office; says she wants to be in school to please her mom and to participate in sports; tells the guidance counselor she likes him.
Mother:
– She does not insist Ana go to school or leave the house if she does not want to.
Ana:
– Says she thinks she is a “freak” – tiny, odd looking, biracial
– Says other kids make fun of her because she is so small
– She tears up when she talks about herself; voice quivers
– She acknowledges adults (smiles, “thank you”, responds to questions)
– Says she likes adults, would rather talk with adults than peers
– Does ask questions, initiates comments with adults
– Has a good vocabulary and speaks fluently
– Says she wants to make her mother happy and proud of her, but does not think she can
– Says she likes sports, but is “too small” to play them
– Says she is “close” to mother and grandmother
Community
Ana has had no law enforcement involvement and no court appearances. She has had no formal placements out of home and does not spend time with friends or participate with church or youth groups.
Assignment:
Part 1: Present Level of Academic Achievement and Functional Performance (PLAAFP)
Using the Ana Case Study information, write a 400-500-word Present Level of Academic Achievement and Functional Performance (PLAAFP).
Your PLAAFP should include:
- Student strengths;
- Evaluations;
- Performance in classes,
- Influences of language, culture, and family background;
- Strengths, preferences, and interests in nonacademic areas; and
- Any other relevant issues.
Part 2: Annual Goals
Write two measurable behavioral goals and two measurable academic goals for Ana. Goals should include:
- A specific, measurable skill/behavior to be achieved in this goal; and
- A specific measurement tool or assessment strategy
In addition, include a baseline for each goal that identifies the present level of the student related to the skill stated in the goal.
Part 3: Rationale
Provide a 375-500-word rationale that clearly discusses and defends how each annual goal makes sense based on the PLAAFP and also how each goal is measurable.
BAR Woodcock-Johnson Scores
Cluster | Score |
Broad Reading | 82 (low average range) |
Broad Math | 99 (average range) |
Broad Written Language | 87 (low average range) |
Subtest Scores | |
Letter-Word Identification | 85 |
Reading Fluency | 81 |
Passage Comprehension | 91 |
Calculation | 93 |
Math Fluency | 101 |
Applied Problems | 104 |
Spelling | 86 |
Writing Fluency | 87 |
Writing Samples | 98 |
How to solve
Grand Canyon University PLAAFP and Annual Goals Case Study Discussion Nursing Assignment Help
Part 1: Present Level of Academic Achievement and Functional Performance (PLAAFP)
Based on the information provided in the case study, Ana demonstrates both academic and functional challenges that impact her overall performance. It is important to consider her strengths, evaluations, performance in classes, influences of language, culture, and family background, as well as her strengths, preferences, and interests in nonacademic areas. Additionally, any other relevant issues should be taken into account when creating Ana’s PLAAFP.
Ana’s strengths include her ability to converse easily with teachers and her good vocabulary. She also demonstrates a positive attitude towards adults and initiates conversations with them. In terms of evaluations, Ana’s IQ testing placed her in the average intelligence range with an IQ of 105. However, she struggles with reading fluency, comprehension, and writing skills. According to her English teacher, she is able to write complete sentences, but struggles with organizing her thoughts to form a paragraph. She also has difficulty with spelling and sounding out words, which affects her reading fluency and comprehension. Ana can independently read a seventh-grade text with 80% comprehension and reads at a rate of 40 words per minute (WPM) correctly at a seventh-grade level.
Ana’s performance in classes is currently failing in several subjects due to her challenges with reading and writing. Her low self-acceptance and self-concept also contribute to her academic struggles. In terms of influences, Ana’s family background and her biracial identity may impact her feelings of being different from her peers. It is important to consider these social and cultural factors when designing interventions and support strategies.
Outside of academics, Ana expresses an interest in participating in sports. This interest can be used as a motivator and incorporated into her education plan. It is also crucial to address her emotional well-being, as she demonstrates low self-esteem and feelings of being a “freak.” These issues may contribute to her absenteeism and decreasing socialization with peers.
Overall, Ana’s PLAAFP should focus on addressing her challenges in reading fluency, comprehension, and writing skills, as well as her low self-esteem and self-concept. Strategies to promote her interests in sports and connect her with supportive peers should also be considered.
Part 2: Annual Goals
1. Measurable Behavioral Goal: Increase Ana’s attendance rate to at least 95% for the academic year.
– Measurement Tool: Daily attendance records
Baseline: Ana has been absent an average of 10 days per school year, with a significant increase in grade 8 and the first few weeks of grade 9.
2. Measurable Behavioral Goal: Improve Ana’s socialization skills by participating in at least two extracurricular activities or clubs.
– Measurement Tool: Extracurricular activity records
Baseline: Ana currently has difficulty making friends and maintaining connections with peers.
3. Measurable Academic Goal: Improve Ana’s reading fluency to achieve a rate of 80 WPM at a seventh-grade level.
– Measurement Tool: Weekly reading fluency assessments
Baseline: Ana currently reads at a rate of 40 WPM at a seventh-grade level.
4. Measurable Academic Goal: Enhance Ana’s paragraph writing skills to include a topic sentence, supporting details, and a concluding sentence.
– Measurement Tool: Monthly writing samples
Baseline: Ana currently struggles with organizing her thoughts to form a paragraph and often misspells words in her final drafts.
Part 3: Rationale
Each annual goal is designed to address specific areas of weakness identified in Ana’s PLAAFP and is measurable to track her progress effectively.
Goal 1, increasing Ana’s attendance rate, directly addresses her escalating pattern of absenteeism. By setting a measurable target of at least 95% attendance, it provides a clear objective for Ana to work towards. The measurement tool of daily attendance records will allow for consistent monitoring of her progress. The baseline of an average of 10 days of absence per school year establishes a starting point for improvement.
Goal 2, improving Ana’s socialization skills, addresses her challenges in making friends and maintaining connections with peers. Participating in extracurricular activities and clubs will provide opportunities for Ana to interact with like-minded individuals and develop social skills. The measurement tool of extracurricular activity records will track her involvement and progress. The baseline of struggling with socialization establishes the need for improvement in this area.
Goal 3, enhancing Ana’s reading fluency, focuses on improving her reading rate to 80 WPM at a seventh-grade level. Struggling with reading fluency and comprehension impacts Ana’s overall academic performance. Weekly reading fluency assessments will measure her progress, and the baseline of reading at 40 WPM provides a starting point for improvement.
Goal 4, enhancing Ana’s paragraph writing skills, addresses her difficulty in organizing her thoughts and spelling correctly. This goal aims to improve her writing skills by including a topic sentence, supporting details, and a concluding sentence in her paragraphs. Monthly writing samples will serve as a measurement tool, allowing for ongoing evaluation of her progress. The baseline of struggling with paragraph writing establishes the need for improvement in this area.
The rationale behind each goal is to address Ana’s specific academic and functional challenges, aligning with her PLAAFP. The goals are measurable to ensure ongoing monitoring of her progress and to adjust interventions as necessary. By focusing on these goals, Ana will have the opportunity to enhance her academic skills, increase her socialization, and improve her overall academic achievement and functional performance.
