Download SIMS letter for parents Sept 2021

A Team
Approach
SHARING
DATA EFFECTIVELY
Dear Parents/Guardians,
We are off to a great start this school year! Our students have settled into a groove and have
been learning so many wonderful things already. As students engage in the learning process,
teachers are tasked with constantly assessing their knowledge, which is a part of
academic growth. As a parent/guardian, you can support your child’s learning in a number of
ways.
One way to support your child’s learning is joining us as a part of your child’s educational team.
We’ve all heard the saying, “TEAMwork Makes the DREAM Work!” Well let me tell you, very few
things ring more true than that. With this being said, in the coming weeks you will be asked to
attend a Data Sharing meeting in which assessment results for your child will be discussed
pertaining to the following areas:
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social functioning (communication skills, social relations)
acquisition of knowledge and skills (including literacy)
adaptive skills
daily living, self-reliance and self-determination
These four areas are key parts of a process referred to as Student Improvement Measures and
Summary (SIMS). The SIMS process is a mandate from the Virginia Department of Education for
all private day and residential schools to complete for each student placed in a private facility.
The SIMS process involves collecting data surrounding the 4 components in the bulleted
listed above. As a team we will use various sources of information to assist us as we describe your
child’s functioning across situations and settings, compare his/her behaviors and skills to peers of
the same age, and use a 7-point rating to rate each area.
You are an important part of the data sharing process. There are many ways you will be able to
provide teachers with information about your child’s interests and/or challenges. One way is by
discussing what your child’s academic progress should look like. These conversations can help the
team make sure that we are promoting your child’s learning in the school, home, and
community. You may also want to involve your child in the data sharing process by asking
your child to review his/her previous classwork assignments, homework, and tests/quizzes with
you to see if you can recognize any patterns in his/her academic performance. If your child can
not find any past work for you, ask your child’s teacher for work samples to be sent home.
As a team we would like to meet on the following date to discuss your child’s SIMS data with you.
Please plan to meet on ___________________________ at ______________ am/pm. Our
meeting will most likely last about 20 minutes.
Please indicate your meeting preference:
in-person
_________ virtual (a link will be provided for you closer to your meeting date)
We appreciate you in advance for the teamwork we are about to embark on as we work to ensure that your child
reaches his/her greatest potential for this school year.
Best regards,