Student Summary Sheet: Share Information with Teachers

  • Situation

    I’m a primary school special educator in a large school district where students transition to several different upper elementary schools when they leave second grade.  Due to the size of our district, it’s nearly impossible to meet with all of the receiving teachers for my students at the end of the school year.  I’d like these teachers to know more about my kids before they start in the fall.  I know they’ll get the IEPs, but I wondered if you had any suggestions on how I can help the new teachers learn about my students?

  • Summary

    Try a Student Summary Sheet to help you share important student information with receiving teachers in a concise, user-friendly format. Your knowledge of – and experience with – the student can be an invaluable resource that receiving teachers may appreciate, especially when faced with all the challenges of a busy new school year!

    The student summary sheet is a way to condense pertinent information into a one page document that can be easily shared among teachers and relevant staff members who will interact with the student.

    Information may include: relevant medical concerns, stressors/dislikes, action plan (for when behavior support is needed), preferred activities and interests, things the student may have issues with, and strengths/skills. You may also include additional fields that you find are relevant for the staff who will work with the student.

  • Definition

    A Student Summary Sheet condenses pertinent information about the student into a one-page document that can easily be scanned and sent on to the next environment in an email, or as a hard copy.  It highlights the student’s strengths and skills, areas where the student may need extra assistance, and strategies that can increase his/her success, among other considerations.

  • Quick Facts

    • Child's Age: 3-5, 6-10, 11-13, 14-17, 18+
    • Planning Effort: Moderate
    • Difficulty Level: Easy
  • Pre-requisites

    • Student Summary Sheet

    • knowledge of/experience with student

     

  • Process

    1. Download the Student Summary Sheet from the Documents and Related Resources section below.

    2. Think about the most important information you want to share with the new teacher(s) in each part of the form.  (It may help you select what information to include if you think about what you wish you had known about the student before he started in your classroom!)

    3. Refer to the student’s IEP if you need additional information to complete the summary.  (i.e. Present Levels, Positive Behavior Support Plan, etc.)

    4. The comment section may be used to invite the receiving teacher(s) to connect with you to talk about additional ways to support the student throughout the transition – and the new school year.

    5. Make sure to include your contact information so teachers can reach you easily.

  • Documents and Related Resources

    student summary sheet (PDF)

     

    student summary sheet (Word document)

     

    IEP at a Glance (related answer on this site)

     

    Setting up a Structured Classroom (Watson Institute Resource)

     

    If you have questions or concerns about the Watson Institute’s use of this information, please contact us.