Team+7+Executive+Functioning

=Team 7: Executive Functioning= Focus: The focus of this inquiry will be on:

__**1) groundwork/background/research on executive functioning**__ --What is a good working definition for executive functioning skills that we could provide to staff and parents? -- How much do gen ed and special ed teachers really know and understand what executive functioning skills are? --What is the developmental sequence for executive functioning skills? --What could we learn from a district-wide survey on current levels of student executive functioning skills? --What can we learn from the research literature in terms of application and intervention? --How significant is the need for explicit instruction in order to build executive functioning skills? --Which students are most impacted by difficulties with executive functioning (subpopulations - Aspergers's Disorder, AD/HD, ASD, LD, Cognitive Impairments, ELL, EC, gender)

__**2) intervention and application**__ --What approaches/strategies might improve a student's planning and organizational skills? --How will the use of intervention impact the student's skill of self-monitoring (materials management)? --How are we organizing the curriculum at each level? Where are the gaps or opportunities to do so (RtI)? --How do we implement an executive functioning skills curriculum throughout the district (follow one student's response to strategies and intervention, explore a class-wide or grade-wide implementation of a research-based curriculum?) --Where are the skill gaps for students within the district in terms of executive functioning skills? --Are there toolkits/resources (outside of the Rush Program) for us to consider utilizing? --Should we look at consumables from Rush program?

__Rationale:__ This purpose of this inquiry is to conduct a review of resources on executive functioning, to create an annotated bibliography for teachers, and to develop an intervention toolbox. The purpose of this project is to conduct research on enhancing executive functioning skills for students in District 39. Executive functioning (EF) is gaining prominent attention as a vital skill area-effecting students’ success in academic and social spheres. Executive functions are those capacities that enable people to engage successfully in independent, purposeful, self-directed behavior (Lezak, 1995). Planning, organizing, self-monitoring, regulating emotional and behavioral responses, and working memory skills are areas of EF that need to be developed in students. In line with with many goals on the school, district and state levels, this project seeks to expand faculty expertise on EF.

While some specific EF skills are included in the Second Step curriculum (e.g., Skills for Learning) and in Habits of Mind, there is a need for greater awareness of how to explicitly teach these skills and to provide EF interventions, for the benefit of both general and special education students. This proposal advances the district’s initiative on 21stcentury teaching that requires teachers to become more knowledgeable regarding how students are taught and how our students learn. Also, i n line with the district’s Connected objectives, promoting EF skills in the classroom will help create optimal conditions for learning.

There is a need for research on best practices to reframe our understanding of EF skill deficits and to enhance teachers’ awareness of interventions to promote students’ skills. Therefore, the purposes of this project are

1) To create a toolbox of interventions for teachers to develop students’ executive functioning skills 2) To provide a teacher guide with an annotated bibliography of reference materials and applications 3) To plan for the future extension of this project, including a parent guide, possible speaker series, the use of technology tools, and further research. 4) To develop a curriculum for exec. functioning with goals, scope, and sequence


 * Inquiry to Data and Calendar**