Errors in School Records: More Common Than You Might Think
Today we’re wrapping-up our discussion about the ways that GPS Education Consulting works to empower and support parents, caregivers, and school staff to: identify, & rectify the significant issues that arise from errors and omissions in documentation within educational records.
To recap our last few posts:
Unfortunately, errors & omissions in Educational Records are very common & impact many students.
Remember: School staff are under-resourced and stretched too thin. Even with the best of intentions, educators don’t operate in a vacuum. When they are being asked to do so much, it’s impossible to do everything well.
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Today, we’re discussing some of the ways that insufficient resources & increasing needs in schools often contribute to increased errors and omissions in educational records:
School staff are rarely in positions where they are only expected to work on documentation. They have the enormous responsibility of teaching and supporting students.
When choosing between: A) supporting an upset student, B) providing legally-mandated services & instruction to students, etc., and C) completing paperwork with fidelity… Most educators are kind and compassionate individuals who will devote their time and attention to supporting students in need. As a result, they often rely on strategies to increase efficiency to complete documentation (e.g., Copying/pasting from older documents written for that learner, or from other documents written for different learners; Providing qualitative descriptions that lack objective data, etc.)
School staff are trained to be educators, not lawyers/stenographers. They might not have the knowledge and skills needed for accurate and efficient documentation despite their best efforts.
Staffing shortages contribute to:
A scarcity of trained individuals to complete these specialized responsibilities,
Miscommunications in distribution of roles/responsibilities, and
A disorganized, inconsistent, & piecemeal approach to supporting students throughout the year.
Burnout – impacts the quality of documentation and motivation to “get it right.”
Schools take a team approach. Involving many different experts in decision-making and discussions has so many benefits (it’s also legally-required), but it also introduces inherent challenges. Specifically, when there are many folks who have some degree of responsibility for the outcome, it is easier for things to fall through the cracks if people are assuming others will fix it (e.g., Relying on the team’s input to catch and correct errors from the first draft, etc.)
These factors often contribute to confusion, errors, and omissions within educational records, and, unfortunately these can have negative repercussions for your learner’s future that range in severity from trivial to life-altering.
Not ready to proceed with our services? No worries! Here are some tips to help encourage accurate documentation:
Document information/concerns (IN WRITING) as soon as possible after it occurs.
Be specific and objective.
Be organized.
Be Respectful.
Advocate for more resources/funding for your learner’s schools.
Get involved in School Board Meetings and have your voice heard!
Best,
Evan Gallena, Ed.S., NCSP
Founder & Lead-Consultant: GPS Education Consulting L.L.C.
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Together, as one… Navigating the path to school success!
