Teaching · Related Services

Twenty-six of
forty-five minutes.

Participation is the outcome that matters in PE and at recess, and it is easy to measure: minutes taking part, and which parts of the activity happen independently, with support or not yet. Observe one session per setting and the next goals and the barriers stand out.

Start an observationWhat you get
$5one-time · every device you sign in on
Buy · $5

Included with Caveat Classroom and Whole-school licenses. Or get it in the Related Services toolkit, $99 for 96 items.

Your observations

The worked example is made up: a third grader active for 26 of 45 minutes in PE, held back by long station lines, and for 10 of 25 minutes at recess. Saved on this device only; students are recorded by code.

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What you get

Teaching · Related Services$5 · included with Classroom and Whole-school licenses

What you finish with
A record per student per setting: student code, setting, date, minutes actively taking part and minutes available; ten participation skills marked independent, with support or not yet; what helped and the barriers seen. Works out the share of time active per setting and the counts; flags low participation, safety rules not yet followed and lists skills done with support as the next goals.
Who it is for
School physical therapists, adapted and general PE teachers, occupational therapists and the IEP teams planning participation in PE and recess.
Format
Browser checklist with a saved record per observation. Prints one observation for the team, every observation in a table or a blank form for the gym; downloads a spreadsheet (.csv); exports and imports a file.
Access
$5 one-time, yours on every device you sign in on; the tool opens once you are signed in with it. Included with Caveat Classroom and Whole-school licenses. Also in the Related Services toolkit ($99) and the Teaching Suite pass ($199), and 1 more bundle. Everything you type stays in this browser; nothing is sent to Caveat.
Where it lives
The Related Services space in Caveat Teaching.
Support
Questions about access, an order or a correction: team@caveatacademic.com.

How to use it

  1. Observe a whole session without stepping in, if it is safe.
  2. Time the minutes actively taking part.
  3. Mark each skill as seen today.
  4. Note what helped and what got in the way.
  5. Repeat in another setting and compare.

Start an observation

Raising participation

Four ways to raise participationChange the taskShorter distance, fewer steps, a rolethat fitsChange the equipmentLarger, softer, slower balls; lowertargetsChange the environmentSmoother surface, less waiting, clearboundariesChange the supportA peer buddy, a visual, an adult nearbyFour ways to raise participationChange the taskShorter distance, fewer steps, a role that fitsChange the equipmentLarger, softer, slower balls; lower targetsChange the environmentSmoother surface, less waiting, clear boundariesChange the supportA peer buddy, a visual, an adult nearby
Often the quickest gain is not a new skill but less waiting: two sat-out turns cost more minutes than a missed catch.

Why minutes

Time actively taking part is simple, comparable across settings and close to what families and students care about. It also shows when the barrier is the setup, such as long lines or an uneven surface, rather than the student’s skill.

PE is part of the plan

Under IDEA, physical education is part of special education services, and students with disabilities must have the chance to take part in PE and in extracurricular athletics with the supports they need. Adapted PE is one option the team can consider.

Sources

  1. Individuals with Disabilities Education Act regulations, 34 CFR 300.108 (physical education) and 300.107 (nonacademic services) (ecfr.gov).
  2. World Health Organization. (2001). International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health: participation as an outcome.
  3. SHAPE America. Appropriate instructional practice guidelines for physical education (shapeamerica.org).
  4. U.S. Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights. (2013). Dear Colleague Letter on students with disabilities in extracurricular athletics (ed.gov).

The worked example is made up. This is an observation record, not a standardized motor assessment or a diagnosis. Nothing you type is sent to Caveat. Support: team@caveatacademic.com.