EDEE 409 Take Home Midterm

1.  (Chapter 1) (Special Education Foundations) Discuss the role the Civil Rights Movement had on contributing to new approaches in special education. Be sure to include reference to pertinent court cases and legislation to support your discussion.

 Chapter One

During the 1050’s and 1960’s African American students’ were not able to attend school with white students. The civil rights movement that initially focused on the rights of African American students expanded and began to influence thinking about people with disabilities. During this time students with disabilities were recognized as another group who rights often had been violated because of arbitrary discrimination. For children, the discrimination occurred when they were denied access to schools because of their disabilities.

Brown vs. Board of Education the U.S. Supreme Court case established the principle that school segregation denies students equal educational opportunity. The court decision referred primarily to racial segregation, it became the cornerstone for ensuring equal rights for students with disabilities also. This court decision introduced the concept of integration into public education, the notion that the only way to protect students’ constitutional right to equal opportunity was to ensure that diverse student groups learned together. Beginning in the 1960’s and continuing today, parents and others have used the court system to ensure that the civil and educational rights of children with disabilities are preserved.

2.  (Chapter 2)  (Special Education Laws and Services) Identify and explain the tiers of Response to Intervention (RtI).  When is this process implemented and what is its significance for educators and students?   (Suggested resources – the Friend text and the IRIS Center -- http://iris.peabody.vanderbilt.edu/rti01_overview/chalcycle.htm.)

Chapter Two

(RtI):

Response to intervention: A relatively new procedure for analyzing students’ learning problems.

Intervention Phase:

A general education teacher notices a pattern of academic under achievement, inconsistent learning, serious behavior problems, difficulties in social skills, or a persistent physical or sensory problem. When these problems occur, the teacher brings the student to the attention of others who can help decide whether special education services are needed. Intervention assistance teams are the beginning process of helping students suspected of having a disability. Intervention assistance teams generally consist of general education teachers, special services personnel, and an administrator. Teachers who want to bring the student to the team must complete a referral form, on which they describe the student’s strengths and problems and describe efforts they have made to assist the student. If a student does not respond to increasingly intensive interventions or the intervention team believes as an option, the student’s parents are contacted and the assessment process begins. At the point, a multidisciplinary team consisting or parents, educators, and others appropriate-assumes the responsibility for making educational decisions regarding the student.

Initial Decision Making Phase:

Before any discussion of how a students come to receive special education services can proceed, it is essential that teachers understand how central parents are involved all aspects for the referral, assessments, eligibility, planning, and placement process. Following parent’s notification, assessment will begin to identify information about students’ strengths and needs in all areas of concern. Assessments are completed by school professionals and will address any aspect of a student’s educational functioning. The student completes an individual achievement test administered by a psychologist, or special education teacher. Another area is also evaluated in social and behavior skills. This evaluation involves a checklist that the teacher and parents complete concerning the students behavior. Another form assessment is the student’s social and development history. A school social worker may meet with the parents to learn about the student’s family life and major events in their development that could be affecting education. As another assessment component, a psychologist, counselor, or special education teacher observes the student in the classroom and other settings to learn how they respond to teachers and peers in various settings. The exact procedures for assessing a student’s needs vary according to the areas of concern that initiated the assessment process. After the comprehensive assessment of the students has been completed, the multidisciplinary team meets to discuss its results and make several decisions. The first decision the MDT must make is whether the student is eligible under the law to be categorized as having a disability. If team members decide that a disability exists, then they determine whether the disability is affecting the student’s education and from there decide whether the student is eligible to receive services through special education. If the MDT determines the student has a disability affecting their education and is eligible for services according to federal, state, and local guidelines, the stage, is set for detailed planning of the student’s education and related services. The planning is recorded in the students individualized education program. The IEP is the document that outlines all the special education services the student is to receive. The final decision made by the MDT is placement. Placement refers to the location of the student’s education.

Delivery, Monitoring and Revision Phase:

The monitoring process is necessary to ensure that a student’s educational program remains appropriate and that procedures exist for resolving disputes between school district personnel and parents. Annual reviews are the first strategy for monitoring special services. At least once year, a student’s progress toward his annual goals must be reviewed is to see that the student’s best interest are being protected. Not all MDT members who participated in the initial decisions about the student’s disability and educational needs are being protected. Not all MDT members who participated in the initial decisions about the student’s disability and educational needs are required to participate in the annual review. A second monitoring process is the three year reevaluation includes administering all tests and other instruments that were used initially to identify the student as needing special education. This practice enables school districts to continue providing high quality services to students without interruptions that could be used if new permission had to be obtained. In addition to annual reviews and three year evaluations an IEP may need to be revised more frequently than the once per year mandated by the basic requirements of the law. Another strategy for monitoring students receiving special education services is due process. This is a set of procedures outlined in the law for resolving disagreements between school district personnel and parents regarding students with disabilities.

3. (Chapter 3) (Collaboration) You are having a parent conference with Jerome’s father tomorrow about Jerome’s progress in controlling his disruptive behavior. This is the first meeting since initiating a behavior management plan that you and Jerome’s father worked out at your last conference. Using the shared problem-solving model described in chapter 3, describe what you should do to prepare for tomorrow’s conference.  What steps should be taken after the conference?

Chapter Three

• The first thing I would do to prepare for the conference with Jerome’s father is review the behavior management plan that we created and identify that areas the Jerome has had challenges with. The first action in the problem solving model is to discover a shared need, when you problem solve with colleagues and parents, all the participants need to perceive that a problem identification includes gathering information, compiling it, analyzing it, and reaching a mutual consensus about the nature Jerome’s problems. As the teacher I would provide records of Jerome’s disruptive behavior and explain thoroughly the extent of his disruptions and how this behavior does not follow his behavior management.

• It is imperative that all participants believe they can have an impact on the problem, and that they feel accountable for the results of problem solving, and that they contribute constructively to resolving the problem.

• The teacher and the parent have already identified what issues Jerome is having in class and created a management plan. The most critical step in the problem solving process is problem identification. In Jerome’s case the problem had already been identified, but the teacher is having behavior problems that have not been identified and want to keep Jerome’s father aware of the problem. Since this is the first meeting since the plan; as the teacher it is important to explain what the management plan has done this far. The teacher should also tell what positive behavior Jerome had exhibited and then talk about his recent behavior. It is important to let the student know that you are working to help him along with his father. It is also important to identify the problem, not present the problem.

• When the problem has been identified, the next the step is to create a range of options for solving the problem referred to as proposing a solution. Brainstorming is important in this process.

• When the list of ideas has been made, the next step in shared problem solving is to evaluate ideas by considering whether they seem likely to resolve the problem and are feasible. They are number of ways to evaluate ideas in this process. A decision sheet that will state the problem or problems with this sheet it will help encourage Jerome’s behavior. Along with the sheet a generated list of ideas for achieving this goal will also help Jerome.

• The next step in the shared problem solving is to plan specifics. In this step, not only do participants list the major tasks that need to be completed to implement the solution, but they also decide how long to implement the solution before meeting to evaluate effectiveness. This can be done by weekly agenda to his father, and bi weekly phone calls to keep in touch with his father.

• When all the steps are done right in the shared problem solving process the process should be straight forward for the most part. During the implementation, it is helpful and useful to keep track of your records by documenting your efforts and how the intervention affects the student.

• After implementing the solution or solutions it is important to evaluate its effectiveness. In evaluating it is important to look at what solutions worked and what didn’t work. This will give you as the teacher and his father time to modify his plan.

4. (Chapter 5) (Planning Instruction – INCLUDE Strategy) You have just learned that the new student who is to join your class has a speech impairment. The student’s file does not thoroughly describe the areas of strength or need, but rather indicates generally that the student has trouble with articulation. Based on this limited information, outline how you would use the INCLUDE strategy to help meet the educational needs of your new student.

Chapter Five

Since little information is given about the student it is limited of what this student can achieve so it is important as the teacher to use the include model to teach this child.

Step One:

Identify classroom demands. The classroom environment significantly influences what students learn, identifying and analyzing classroom requirements allow teachers to anticipate and explain problems a given student might have or experience. With this student having trouble with articulation and doesn’t speak that well the teacher can create a classroom climate that is accepting of others in the classroom. This allows for the child to feel welcomed. When picking instructional materials the teacher can use telecommunication and audiovisual systems and computers to help assist the student.

Step Two:

Note student learning strengths and needs. They are three areas in this step; academics, social-emotional development and physical development. It is important that teacher focus more on the child’s ability whether the child’s disability. In academics it is important as the teacher to focus on basic skills, such as reading, math, and written assignments. This is important because the student had challenges with speech, so as the teacher you can focus on enhanced literacy instruction. Modeling for the child is also important! Social-emotional development, as the teacher teaching interpersonal skills that will allow the student to make friends in the classroom will help the student. Physical development letting the student participate in group assignments can help the student and build confidence and posture when speaking in front of people.

Step Three:

Check for potential areas of student success. Success enhances student self- image and motivation. Look for strengths in both academic and social emotional areas.

Step Four:

Look for potential problem areas. Student learning needs are reviews within a particular instructional context, and potential mismatches are identified. It is important to identify learning needs. It is important that teacher identify what the child with the speech impairment is able to do with assistance and without. Identify what could be the potential problems would be for the child with a speech impairment.

Step Five:

Use information to brainstorm ways to differentiate instruction. Accommodations and instructional accommodations are typically defined ass services or supports provided to help students gain full access to class content and instruction, and to demonstrate accurately what they know. Having a student that is unable to articulate and doesn’t really speak that well or at all the task can be overwhelming for the teacher. Instructions or curricular modifications are made when the content expectations are altered and the performance outcomes expected of students change.

Step Six:

Differentiate instruction. After accommodations and modifications have been brainstormed, as the teacher you can implement new age appropriate strategies, select the easiest approach first, select accommodations and modifications that as the teacher you can agree with and handle. Give the students choices!!!

Step Seven:

Evaluate student progress. There are many effective teaching practices; it is difficult to predict which will be effective. The most effective way to asses this student is to observe how the student uses the support services for learning and creating a work sample to be put in a folder. You can track effectiveness through grades; observations; analysis of student work; portfolios; performance assessments; and teacher, parent, and student ratings.