Teaching Students with Disabilities Department of Exceptional Children Alamance Burlington School System July 12, 2012

Warm fuzzy…

Why should we include students with disabilities? Opportunity for all students to access grade level curriculum Diverse and stimulating environment Membership in a community Opportunity for peer models and development of friendships Enhancement of self-esteem Development of respect, positive attitudes and appreciation for diversity Recognition that all students have strengths No Child Left Behind and IDEA mandate

All students must be taught the Standard Course of Study or an extension All students must be taught the Standard Course of Study or an extension All students must participate in state assessments All students must participate in state assessments All children must make adequate yearly progress (AYP) All children must make adequate yearly progress (AYP) Exceptional Children (EC) make up one of the AYP groups in a school Exceptional Children (EC) make up one of the AYP groups in a school Regular and special education teachers must work together for all groups of children to show growth in learning Regular and special education teachers must work together for all groups of children to show growth in learning No Child Left Behind

Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) promotes the inclusion of increasing numbers of students with disabilities as full participants in rigorous academic and general education curriculum and assessment (Villa, Thousand, & Nevin, 2006).

A lot to know… See gold handout for education acronyms Look to others for help!

Eligibility Areas (see blue handout…) Autism (AU) Serious Emotional Disability (SED) Deaf-Blindness Hearing Impaired (HI) Multiple Disabilities (MU) Intellectually Disabled (ID) – Mild (IDMI) – Moderate (IDMO) – Severe (IDSE) Other Health Impaired (OHI) Specific Learning Disabled (SLD) Speech Impaired (SI) Traumatic Brain Injured (TBI) Developmentally Delayed (DD) Visually Impaired (VI) Orthopedically Impaired (OI) Deafness

Accessing Prior Knowledge – What do you Know?! Pyramid Game Partner A faces the board Partner B faces away from the board Clue giver lists terms that pertain to a category

50 POINTS50 POINTS50 POINTS 100 POINTS 200 POINTS Ways to make.25 Grade 5 Math Things that are parallel perimeter Types of graphs area Types of angles

50 POINTS50 POINTS50 POINTS 100 POINTS 200 POINTS Grade 7 Math Probability & Statistics (24% of SOL test) MODE SCATTERGRAM INFERENCE STEM & LEAFFREQUENCY QUARTILE 5, 6, 6, 6, 7, 8, 9

50 POINTS50 POINTS50 POINTS 100 POINTS 200 POINTS Areas of Eligibility for Special Education Services Other Health Impaired Autistic Deaf-Blind Serious/ Emotionally Disabled Intellectually Disabled Learning Disabled

Autism (AU) Developmental Disorder Affects social interaction with others Difficulty with verbal & nonverbal communication May show lag in motor development and/or impairment in emotional and social development Resistance in environmental change or change in daily routines Engagement in repetitive activities and stereotyped movements This is a spectrum disorder and includes students of varying ability levels and social skill acquisition – Asperger syndrome (Bateman and Bateman, 2006)

Serious Emotionally Disabled (SED) Inappropriate interpersonal behavior Long standing patterns of behavior Inability to learn that cannot be explained by intellectual, sensory or health factors General pervasive mood of unhappiness or depression Inappropriate behaviors or feelings under normal circumstances This includes acting out behaviors and internalizing behaviors and or emotions Tendency to develop physical symptoms or fears associated with personal or school problems. (Bateman and Bateman, 2006)

Deaf-Blind, Hearing Impaired, Visually Impaired, Deafness Deaf/Blind: both hearing and visual impairments Hearing Impaired: mild to moderate hearing loss Visually Impaired: partially sighted to functionally blind Deafness: severe hearing impairment

Multiple Disabilities (MU) Cognitive or behavioral disability in combination with another disability

Intellectually Disabled Includes: – Mild (IDMI) – Moderate (IDMO) – Severe (IDSE; Severe- Profound) Deficits in Adaptive Behavior and cognitive ability

Orthopedically Impaired (OI) Severe orthopedic impairment Congenital Abnormalities (clubfoot, absence of some member, etc) Physical and/or motor development (Bateman and Bateman, 2006)

Other Health Impaired (OHI) Chronic or acute health problems Heart conditions Chronic Lung Disease Tuberculosis Asthma Sickle Cell Anemia Epilepsy Leukemia Genetic Impairments Tourette’s Syndrome Attention Deficit/ Hyperactivity Disorder

Specific Learning Disabled (SLD) Discrepancy between ability and achievement Basic reading, reading comprehension, written language, math calculation, math reasoning, listening comprehension, oral expression More than half of students with disabilities qualify in this category

Speech Impaired (SI) Articulation – the way you make sounds Language – sentence structure, understanding what someone is saying, responding appropriately to others

Traumatic Brain Injured (TBI) Head injury that causes difficulty with learning, communicating, behavior, social and/or physical skills

Developmentally Delayed (DD) Age 3-7 Delay in cognitive, behavioral and/or adaptive development

Appropriate accommodations allow students to... Actively participate in instructional activities and assessments Actively participate in instructional activities and assessments Learn the curricula, skills, and/or IEP goals being taught Learn the curricula, skills, and/or IEP goals being taught ***Purpose is not to give the students an unfair advantage, but to “level the playing field” by providing access to instruction and assessments

Common Classroom Accommodations and Modifications Preferential seating Modified grading Modified assignments Copy of notes Graphic organizers Audio tapes Word processor Study guides See pink handout

NC state testing modifications & accommodations Per NCDPI, in order for a student to receive a modification/ accommodation on the EOG/ EOC test, it must be documented on the IEP and must be used routinely during instruction and similar classroom assessments The IEP is a legal document and services therein must be provided. This is the law and your responsibility!

Test Administrator Reads Test Aloud May NOT use for tests measuring reading comprehension May NOT use for tests measuring reading comprehension May include: reading EVERY word, reading words upon request, not reading numbers May include: reading EVERY word, reading words upon request, not reading numbers

Multiple Testing Sessions Allows test to be administered during several “mini-sessions” based on individual need Allows test to be administered during several “mini-sessions” based on individual need Time for testing and time for break should be indicated on IEP Time for testing and time for break should be indicated on IEP

Scheduled Extended Time Allows tests to be administered on a scheduled extended period of time Allows tests to be administered on a scheduled extended period of time Must specify the maximum amount of scheduled extended time (e.g. twice the amount given to non-disabled peers) Must specify the maximum amount of scheduled extended time (e.g. twice the amount given to non-disabled peers)

Testing in a Separate Room Allows a student to take a test in a separate room in a one-on-one or small group administration Allows a student to take a test in a separate room in a one-on-one or small group administration Maximum number of students for “small group” determined by LEA Maximum number of students for “small group” determined by LEA

Student Marks Answers in Test Book Allows student to circle his/her responses to test questions directly in the test book Allows student to circle his/her responses to test questions directly in the test book students who don’t know how to mark or are unable to mark students who don’t know how to mark or are unable to mark students not attentive enough to mark answer appropriate on a separate answer sheet students not attentive enough to mark answer appropriate on a separate answer sheet Should try to teach students to use standard bubble sheet if appropriate Should try to teach students to use standard bubble sheet if appropriate

Dictation to a Scribe Allows student to dictate his/her responses to test questions to a scribe who records the responses Allows student to dictate his/her responses to test questions to a scribe who records the responses Student may dictate letter, read aloud entire answer, and pointing to correct answer Student may dictate letter, read aloud entire answer, and pointing to correct answer Student may direct manipulation of protractor or ruler Student may direct manipulation of protractor or ruler Can limit score on statewide assessments Can limit score on statewide assessments

How do I know my students’ modifications & accommodations? EC case managers should provide general education teachers with documentation of which students have an IEP and their modifications and accommodations before the students come to school – sample EC Info Spreadsheet.xls sample EC Info Spreadsheet.xls

How do I document? The following are some sample forms that general education teachers have created to document use of modifications and accommodations Use these or create your own – CYA! Contact us for electronic versions – Testing Modification Log 1.doc Testing Modification Log 1.doc – testing modifications log 2.doc testing modifications log 2.doc – testing modifications log 3.doc testing modifications log 3.doc

Samples for you to see… Testing logs – us for electronic versions… EC student info spreadsheet

IEP Meetings – Why should you attend? You are the expert for curriculum and can provide meaningful discussion for determining schedules and state testing programming Your feedback on modifications/ accommodations and progress helps to develop/ change the student’s IEP IT’S the LAW – An IEP is not in compliance without a general education teacher present

Confidentiality Any and all information about EC students is confidential and should only be shared with those who have direct educational contact and interest in the student Copies of modifications, etc. should be kept in a secure location Be careful about use!

Accommodations Dictation to scribe Read aloud Marks in book Multiple test sessions Testing in a separate room Extended time

Things Associated with: Modifications and Accommodations: Read-aloud Read-aloud Multiple Test Sessions Multiple Test Sessions Extended Time Extended Time Testing in a separate room Testing in a separate room Marks in book Marks in book Dictation to Scribe Dictation to Scribe Things Associated with: Modifications and Accommodations: Read-aloud Read-aloud Multiple Test Sessions Multiple Test Sessions Extended Time Extended Time Testing in a separate room Testing in a separate room Marks in book Marks in book Dictation to Scribe Dictation to Scribe Things Associated with: Modifications and Accommodations: Read-aloud Read-aloud Multiple Test Sessions Multiple Test Sessions Extended Time Extended Time Testing in a separate room Testing in a separate room Marks in book Marks in book Dictation to Scribe Dictation to Scribe Things Associated with: Modifications and Accommodations: Read-aloud Read-aloud Multiple Test Sessions Multiple Test Sessions Extended Time Extended Time Testing in a separate room Testing in a separate room Marks in book Marks in book Dictation to Scribe Dictation to Scribe Things Associated with: Modifications and Accommodations: Read-aloud Read-aloud Multiple Test Sessions Multiple Test Sessions Extended Time Extended Time Testing in a separate room Testing in a separate room Marks in book Marks in book Dictation to Scribe Dictation to Scribe Things Associated with: Modifications and Accommodations: Read-aloud Read-aloud Multiple Test Sessions Multiple Test Sessions Extended Time Extended Time Testing in a separate room Testing in a separate room Marks in book Marks in book Dictation to Scribe Dictation to Scribe

Things Associated with: Modifications and Accommodations: Read-aloud Multiple Test Sessions Extended Time Testing in a separate room Marks in book Dictation to Scribe

Using your expertise...

What school-level support is available?

EC Central Office Department -see pink handout

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