KNOWING YOUR LEARNING COMMUNITY

SPECIAL POPULATION FOCUS STUDENT CASE STUDY

A Special Population student is defined as: a student who is identified for special education, a student with a disability, an
advanced learner, a student with behavioral issues, a student with emotional issues, or a student with a combination of special
instructional needs. In choosing your Special Population student consider the order of priority as follows:
A student on an IEP if you have a student on an IEP he/she must be your special population focus student
A student with a 504 Plan
An advanced learner

Directions:
1. With the help of your practicum supervisor, and/or site/district resource personnel, the information you have
gathered within Knowing Your Learning Community, and your classroom instructional practices, complete
the focus student case study.
2.

If an item does not apply to your focus student you may leave that section blank.

3.

Unless otherwise noted, you may answer each question with a bulleted or numbered list.

4.

If this focus student is also an English Language Learner, complete the English Language Learner section of
this case study. You may not count this student as both a Special Population Focus Student and an English
Learner Focus Student.
Special Population Focus Students First Name:

Dian

Directions: Highlight the items below that best describe your Special Population Focus Student.
On an IEP

On a 504 Plan

Advanced Learner

Above Grade
Level

At Grade Level

Below Grade
Level

SST (Student Study

Team)

Other (explain)

Based upon your district/sites formal MultiTiered Intervention System, list the specific
support your focus student receives.

- Small group reading instruction for beyond level readers

- Differentiated learning expectations for class assignments

List any modifications as outlined in the IEP.

- The student does not have an IEP

List any Accommodations as outlined in the

IEP, 504 Plan, SST (consider instructional,
environmental, and assessments).
Identify the areas of concern dealing with
behavior as identified on IEP, 504 Plan, SST,
and/or through your teacher observation.

List any positive behavior supports that are to

be put in place based upon the IEP, 504 Plan,
SST.

List any Assistive Technology is utilized for

this student.
any item, piece of equipment, or product system, whether
acquired commercially, modified, or customized that is used
to increase, maintain, or improve functional capabilities of
individuals with disabilities.

Next scheduled IEP, 504 Plan, SST Meeting?

Briefly explain how you determined this
student is an Advanced Learner.

The student was assessed at the beginning of the year.

- Identified 26/26 uppercase and lower case letters
- Could identify 26 consonant and short vowel sounds
- Can read 21 high frequency words
- Student can explain his reasoning in complete sentences
- Observed that student has a very rich vocabulary and learns
new vocabulary easily

List any outside-of-class activities your

Special Population Focus Student
participates.

- Violin and Piano lessons

State/ Site/District Assessment Results

State Assessments & Results: None

Site Assessments & Results:
According to our grade level checklists, he knew 26/26 upper
case and lower case letters. He could name 26 consonant and
short vowel sounds. He also knew 21 high frequency words.
District Assessments & Results:
MAP Test ELA shows that the student scored High in
Foundational Skills, Literature and Informational standards,
and Language and writing. He scored High Average in
Vocabulary use and functions. MAP Test Math shows that he
scored High in Operations & Algebraic Thinking,
Measurement and Data, and Geometry. He scored high
average in Numbers and Operations.

List your Special Population focus students

academic strengths and areas of challenge.
Consider the areas outlined in the CCSS
(reading, writing, speaking and listening and
language), vocabulary acquisition, mastery
of academic content standards and lesson
objectives.

Strengths:
- Explaining his thinking
- Reading high frequency words
- Using picture clues and knowledge of initial sound-to-letter
relationship to decode non CVC words
- Can use sound-to-letter correspondence to decode CVC
words
- Excellent comprehension skills

If you focus student is an English Learner,

do not address this question. A similar
question is asked on the EL portion of the
case study found below.

Challenges:
- Needs to practice reading with fluency
- Needs prompting and support when speaking in front of
peers

List your Special Population focus students

social and behavioral strengths and
challenges.

Strengths:
- Follows directions the first time
- Works well independently
- Does not blurt answers, raises hand for permission to speak
- Loves to model classroom procedures for peers
Challenges:
- If not given enough warning, he will talk to peers about his
thoughts on topic while teacher is instructing or giving
directions
- Show impatience with other students if they do not how to
respond to a question, or if they do not understand a
classroom procedure

List any instructional strategies, student

activities, technology, grouping
configurations, etc. that you have successfully
used in supporting your Special Population
focus students mastery of academic content
standards and learning objectives.

- Partner-talk, especially with a student who is lower

performing

- Think time so that it gives others a chance to catch up with

his thought process

- Small group instruction to go at a faster pace with other

students who are also higher performing

- Allowing student to work independently on creative

projects

- Asking student to suggest ideas on how to accomplish tasks

or class assignments

List the challenges you face in meeting the

needs of your Special Population focus
student.

- Keeping the student engaged after finishing main tasks

- Supporting the student when prompted to speak in front of
peers

- Providing learning experiences that challenge the student to

think critically

List any support services this student

currently receives both in and out of your
classroom.

- Small group reading instruction

- There is no Gifted and Talented Education program at our

List the school, district, and/or community

resources that you will use to help meet the
needs of your Special Population focus
student?

- Collaborate with teaching cohort to suggest other strategies

school site

to make learning more rigorous

- Research strategies for differentiating learning on

educational blogs and websites

- Make use of Im Done box in the classroom to ensure

that early finishers are still engaged in a relevant learning

activity after they complete their primary task

NOTE: If your Focus Student is also an English Language Learner, complete the section below. If your
Focus Student is not an English Learner, you may leave this section blank.
If you have access to your focus students CELDT scores, complete the section below by identifying his/her
levels using the abbreviations below.
Beginning = B

Reading

Writing

Early Intermediate = EI

Speaking

Listening

Intermediate = I

Overall

Early Advanced = EA Advanced = A