Creating Responsive Learning Environments Mercer, Ch. 1

Prominent Values in Schools Turn to page 5 With a partner discuss Table 1.1 How would these different values conflict? How would you adapt to both values?

Cognitive Characteristics Metacognitive Deficits Low Academic Achievement Poor Memory Attention Problems Perceptual Disorders (Each partner take one and prepare to explain)

Affective & Behavioral Characteristics Poor Social Skills Poor Self-Concept Poor Motivation Debilitating Mood States Adaptive Behavior Deficits Disruptive Behavior Withdrawal (Each group take one and discuss)

Designing IEPs PLOP Annual goals and benchmarks Related services Program modifications Explanation to which the child will not participate with nondisabled children in the regular class Statement modifications in statewide or district wide assessments Projected date for the beginning of the services Anticipated frequency, location, and duration of services Statement of how the child’s progress toward annual goals Statement of how parents will be regularly informed

Annual Goals Must relate to the PLOP Must be measurable Example: PLOP: Jill orally reads 6 th grade material at a rate of words per minute and correctly answers 30-40% of factual comprehension questions asked orally Annual Goal: By June 15 Jill will orally read 7 th grade material at words per minute with 0-2 errors and correctly answer % of factual questions.

Short-term objectives Stepping stones toward annual goal Must be measurable Should have at least 2-3 for each annual goal Example: Obj. 1 By Dec.1 Jill will read 6 th grade material orally at words per minute with 0-2 errors and correctly answer 60% of factual comprehension questions Obj. 2 By March 1 Jill will read 6 th grade material orally at words per minute with 0-2 errors and correctly answer more than 70% of factual questions

General Education Class Special Materials and Consultation Itinerant Services Resource Room Assistance Inclusion with co-teaching

Regular Education Initiative (REI) Major revisions on how services are provided Disagreed with the dual system of special education and general education Recommended the continuum of special education services be eliminated Students with disabilities be educated totally in the general education environment

Rationale for REI Some students with LD or EBD do not qualify for special education Special education stigma Special education emphasizes failure rather than prevention With rigid eligibility requirements does not promote cooperative school-parent relationships

Inclusion Movement Little evidence exists to support the education of students in segregated settings The world is an inclusive community Need to prepare students to learn and grow within communities similar to the world they live in

Rationale for Inclusion Placing student in integrated or inclusive settings is morally right Identifying and labeling students within special education is harmful Special education placements have not proven effective Through collaboration, the educational needs can be met Placing students with and without disabilities together teaches youngsters to understand and appreciate individual differences

Rationale for Continuum of Alternative Placements Special education placements are necessary to meet the intense and diverse needs of students with disabilities Parents have fought hard for services over the years, inclusion threatens the loss of service options Continuum of placement options is mandated by law General education teachers are not prepared to work with students with disabilities Many general education teachers do not support inclusion No clear evidence that inclusion is appropriate for all students with disabilities

Models for Teachers Teaching Teachers Collaborative Consultation Teacher Assistance Teams Coaching Peer Collaboration Cooperative Teaching