Closing the Educational Gap for Students with Disabilities Kristina Makousky

Accommodations: More time, breaks, quiet environment, some one to read or translate, assistive technologies Why Special Support Students with learning disabilities have the right to equal education and it is our job as educators to try and provide for them all the opportunities and resources available to accommodate their disability and provide for them the chance to learn. Modifications: Adaptive equipment, oral instead of written assessment, varied standards

Demographic Statistics  As of 2011, more than 6 million school-age children in the United States receive special education services  The number of students with disabilities in Minnesota has slightly increasing.  In 2010, students with disabilities represented 13.5% of total education for grades K-12. The number increased from 108,810 students in 2007 to 111,794 in 2010 (a 2.5% change).  The gap between the graduation rate for all students and students with disabilities has been widening from 6.3% in 2007 to almost 7% in  3 in 10 Children in the Juvenile Justice System Have Learning Disabilities  In the southern US, 30 percent of kids in juvenile justice facilities have been diagnosed with learning disabilities. Yet only 22 percent are receiving special education services.

Demographic Statistics  Minnesota is a “high inclusion” state  White students with disabilities make up the largest share in special education (70.2%), followed by Black (12.4%), and Hispanic (8.2%).  When viewed by race or ethnicity, Black students with disabilities continue to have a higher rate of placement in more restrictive settings than any other racial or ethnic group.  In 2010, almost two thirds of students with disabilities surveyed were either enrolled in a post-secondary institution or competitively employed (62.8%).  In this same survey 20.3% of students with disabilities report they are neither enrolled in an educational program nor employed other

Statewide Assessments Minnesota Comprehensive Assessments (MCAs)  Regular assessments using grade level academic content standards MCA-Modified  Based on modified achievement standards  Student must fail to meet proficiency standards on the regular MCA for two consecutive years Minnesota Test of Academic Skills (MTAS)  Alternate assessment against alternate achievement standards  For students with the most significant cognitive disabilities  Student is assessed with an alternate assessment

 % of students with disabilities in the Minnesota school system participated in state assessments  Combined proficiency scores had been steadily improving  There was an increase from 55.7% proficiency in 2007 to 59.4% in 2010  Students that take the MTAS show a much larger percentage of proficiency (88.3%) (84.6%) then those that take the MCA (52.6%) (76.9%) or modified MCA (34.4%) (62.1%)  Under the ESEA Title I, the MDE set a target for all students of 88.0% proficiency in math for grade 3, and 60% in grade 11 for 2010, which were not met by students with disabilities.  Under the ESEA Title I, the MDE set a target of 84.1% proficiency in reading for grade 3, and 79.9% in grade 10 for 2010, both of which were not met. *(5 th grade math ) *(5 th grade reading ) Data Source: MDE Assessment Database ( ) Test Scores

Support Structure Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)  federal special education law  public schools serve the educational needs of students with disabilities  parents participate in the team that discusses Child Find  school districts must try to find students who need special education services  Schools screen all children for learning disabilities  In Minnesota screening starts at birth

Pre-Referral Interventions  Teacher must facilitate 2  Pre-planed and outlined  Documentation of results  recommend student for eval. Educational Evaluations  assessments tests  Gather student records  determine if the student needs special education

Individualized Education Program (IEP)  Required for all special education students  Outlines services and support the school will provide  Developed by team including teachers and parents  Must be developed prior to student participation Must Include:  How the student is currently performing in school  How the student can achieve educational goals in the coming year  How the student will participate in the general education curriculum

Best Practice  Accommodations and assistive technology are not meant to lower expectations of what a student with a disability can learn or accomplish. They are intended to "level the playing field" in order to give the student a realistic chance to succeed in school.  If a student has been formally diagnosed with a learning disability, the accommodations that he or she needs should already be listed in their IEP

Incorporating Adaptive Curriculum  Collaborate with special education teachers and para professionals  Get to know your students  Consider adaptations for each lesson  Be aware of students needs in their IEP  Provide opportunities for physical movement  Have a structured classroom with lots of visuals  Post and review schedules and classroom rules  Plan transition times  Provide opportunities for students to work in small groups  Have flexible means of engagement as students learn  Multiple means of representing content (visual, oral or kinesthetic)  Differentiate instruction  Teach learning strategies along with content material  Employ active learning strategies that allows students to reflect  Use assessments to help inform instruction and monitor student progress  Be patients and understanding

References National Center for Learning Disabilities. Minnesota Disability Law Center. Identifying and Evaluating Students For Special Education Services. mn.gov/mnddc/resources/factsheets/Identifying_and_Evaluating.htm. Minnesota department of Education: Special Education Administration. education.state.mn.us/MDE/SchSup/SpecEdComp/ Casey, Meghan. 3 in 10 Children in the Juvenile Justuce System have learning disabilities. NCLD Policy & Advocacy. 3-in-10-children-in-the-juvenile-justice-system-have-ld. Minnesota Department of Education Minnesota Annual Report on Special Education Performance. Land, Sue. Effective Teaching Practices for Students in Inclusive Classrooms. education.wm.edu/centers/ttac/resources/articles/inclusion/effectiveteach/.