Caseload
The roster of students a special education teacher or case manager is responsible for.
A caseload is the group of students a special education teacher or case manager is responsible for coordinating. Caseload size varies widely — a resource-room teacher in one state might manage 15 students, while a co-teacher in another might manage 30. Many states set a cap by disability category or grade band, but the definitions differ.
Each student on the caseload carries a bundle of responsibilities for the case manager: scheduling SDI, collecting progress-monitoring data, coordinating related-service providers, writing progress reports, organizing the annual review meeting, communicating with families, and ensuring accommodations are delivered in the general education classroom.
Caseload is distinct from class size. A teacher may have a caseload of 18 (students they case-manage) but teach only 10 at a time in a given period. Both numbers matter, but they measure different things.
Related terms
- IEPA legally binding written plan for a student with a disability that spells out the specialized instruction and services the school will provide.
- SDISpecially Designed Instruction: the adapted content, methodology, or delivery of instruction a student with an IEP needs to make progress.
- Service MinutesThe specific number of minutes per week (or other interval) of special education and related services an IEP commits the district to deliver.
Managing Caseload day-to-day?
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