© 2013, 2009, 2006, 2003, 2000 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. William L. Heward Exceptional Children An Introduction to Special Education Tenth Edition

Chapter 2 Planning and Providing Special Education Services

Focus Questions  Why must the planning and provision of special education be so carefully sequenced and evaluated?  What are the intended functions of prereferral intervention?  What does the disproportionate representation of students from diverse cultural and linguistic groups in special education say about the field?  How do collaboration and teaming impact the effectiveness of special education? 2-2 Heward Exceptional Children, 10e © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Focus Questions (cont.)  How should the quality of a student’s individualized education program (IEP) be judged?  Is the least restrictive environment always the general education classroom? Why?  What elements must be in place for a student with disabilities to receive an appropriate education in inclusive classrooms?  In what ways has special education been most successful? What are the field’s greatest shortcomings and challenges? 2-3 Heward Exceptional Children, 10e © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

The Process of Special Education Prereferral Intervention Provide immediate instructional and/or behavioral assistance Response to intervention-more formal and systematic process Evaluation and Identification All children suspected of having a disability must receive a nondiscriminatory multi-factored evaluation Program Planning An individualized education program must be developed for children identified as having a disability Placement The IEP team must determine the least restrictive educational environment that meets the student’s needs Progress Monitoring, Review, and Evaluation The IEP must be thoroughly and formally reviewed on an annual basis 2-4 Heward Exceptional Children, 10e © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Disproportionate Representation Concerns Disproportionate representation of students from culturally and linguistically diverse groups in special education Are children wrongly placed in special education programs resulting in being denied appropriate educational interventions? Are children overlooked because of their membership in specific ethnic groups resulting in being denied access to needed special education? Causes Are students from some ethnic groups more likely to have a disability? Do inherent problems in the referral and placement process bias the identification of “minority” children? 2-5 Heward Exceptional Children, 10e © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Disproportionate Representation Factors that Contribute to Disproportionality  Incongruity between teachers and culturally and linguistically diverse students and families, which may lead to biased referrals  Inaccurate assessment of culturally diverse students  Ineffective curriculum and instructional practices for culturally diverse students 2-6 Heward Exceptional Children, 10e © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Collaboration and Teaming Special education is a team game The team plans, delivers, and evaluates the program of specially designed instruction and related services to meet unique needs. Collaboration Teachers are better able to diagnose and solve problems in the classroom when they work together Coordination - ongoing communication and cooperation to ensure that services are provided in a timely and systematic fashion Consultation - team members provide information and expertise to one another 2-7 Heward Exceptional Children, 10e © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Collaboration and Teaming (cont.) Teaming Multidisciplinary team - composed of professionals from different disciplines who work independently of one another; each member conducts assessments, plans interventions, and delivers services Interdisciplinary team - characterized by formal channels of communication between members; although each professional usually conducts discipline-specific assessments, the interdisciplinary team meets to share information and develop intervention plans Transdisciplinary teams - Members seek to provide services in a uniform and integrated fashion by conducting joints assessments, sharing information and expertise across discipline boundaries, and selecting goals and interventions that are discipline-free 2-8 Heward Exceptional Children, 10e © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Collaboration and Teaming (cont.) Co-teaching One teaching/one helping Parallel teaching Station teaching Alternative teaching Team teaching 2-9 Heward Exceptional Children, 10e © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Individualized Education Program (IEP) IDEA requires that an IEP be developed and implemented for every student with disabilities between the ages of 3 and 21 Individualized family service plans are developed for infants and toddlers from birth to age 3 The IEP team must include the following members: Parents General education teachers Special education teachers LEA representative An individual who can interpret evaluation results Others at the discretion of the parent or school The child with a disability whenever appropriate 2-10 Heward Exceptional Children, 10e © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

IEP Components ○ A statement of present levels of academic achievement and functional performance ○ A statement of measurable annual goals ○ A statement of how the child’s progress will be assessed ○ A statement of special education and related services and supplementary aids and services ○ An explanation of the extent to which the student will not participate with non-disabled children in general education ○ A statement of any Individual assessment accommodations ○ The projected date for the beginning and duration of services ○ Beginning at age 16, an individual transition plan must be developed 2-11 Heward Exceptional Children, 10e © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

IEP Functions and Formats IEP functions to provide teachers and families with the opportunity to be realistic about children’s goals and creative in how to meet these goals a measure of accountability for teachers and schools IEP formats vary widely across school district The IEP is not the same as curriculum; IEP objectives are not comprehensive enough to cover the entire scope and sequence of what a student is to learn 2-12 Heward Exceptional Children, 10e © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Least Restrictive Environment (LRE) LRE is the setting that is closest to a general education classroom and also meets the child’s special educational needs LRE is a relative and wholly individualized concept Removal from the general education classroom should take place when the severity of the disability is such that an appropriate education cannot be achieved Placement must not be regarded as permanent Proper placement for a child is determined by the IEP team 2-13 Heward Exceptional Children, 10e © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

A Continuum of Services Least Need for Specially Designed Instruction & Supports Many Number of Students General education classroom Student receives a prescribed program under the direction of the general education classroom teacher General education classroom with consultation Student receives a prescribed program under the direction of the general education classroom teacher, who is supported by ongoing consultation from the special educator(s). General education classroom with supplementary instruction and services Student receives a prescribed program under the direction of the general education classroom teacher and also receives instruction and related services within the general education classroom from the special educator and/or a paraeducator. Resource room Student is in the general education classroom for the majority of the school day but goes to the special education resource room for specialized instruction for part of each school day Heward Exceptional Children, 10e © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

A Continuum of Services (cont.) Most Need for Specially Designed Instruction & Supports Few Number of Students Homebound or hospital Student receives special education and related services at home or in a hospital program Residential school Student receives special education and related services from specially trained staff in a residential facility in which children receive care or services 24 hours a day. Separate school Student receives special education and related services under the direction of a specially trained staff in a specially designed facility (day program). Separate classroom Student attends a special class for most or all of the school day and receives special education and related services under the direction of a special education teacher Heward Exceptional Children, 10e © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Inclusive Education Inclusion means educating students with disabilities in general education classrooms The LRE principle requires that students with disabilities be educated in settings as close to the general education classroom as possible Placement in a special education setting does not guarantee that a child will receive the specialized instruction he or she needs Cooperative learning activities provide a strategic approach for integrating students with disabilities in both the academic curriculum and the social fabric of the classroom 2-16 Heward Exceptional Children, 10e © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Promoting Inclusion with Cooperative Learning  Cooperative learning activities provide a strategic approach for differentiating instruction and integrating students with disabilities into both the academic and social fabric of the classroom.  Cooperative learning arrangements should include Group goals Individual accountability  Classwide Peer Tutoring is a research-based form of cooperative learning 2-17 Heward Exceptional Children, 10e © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Arguments For Full Inclusion Full inclusion is the belief that the continuum of alternative placement should be dismantled and all students with disabilities placed in general education classes. Advocates of full inclusion contends that the LRE legitimates restrictive environments Confuses segregation and integration with intensity of services Is based on a readiness model Sanctions infringements on people’s rights Requires people to move as they develop and change Directs attention to physical settings rather than to the services and supports people need

Where Does Special Education Go from Here? The promise of a free, appropriate public education for all children with disabilities is an ambitious one. It will make educational opportunities a reality for all disabled children our schools healthier learning environments for all children IDEA has far-reaching effects in place of the once-prevalent practice of excluding children with disabilities, school now seek the most appropriate way of including them There are problems and concerns with the implementation of IDEA Insufficient funding from the federal government Excessive paperwork, unclear guidelines, and inappropriate groups of students with disabilities Overrepresentation of students from diverse groups Lack of training or support for general education teachers when students with disabilities are included in their classrooms