SPED 618: Lifelong Integration Understanding Roles

React to these statements in Chapter 3 “These examples are but a few of the many related to the scope and magnitude of changes in health care systems, which continue to impact methods of service delivery for students with special needs” (p.99). Comment on each of the three listed. “Research is clearly supportive of family-school collaborations, indicating that they result in improved academic performance, reduced absenteeism, and improved discipline” (p.121). Do you have examples?

What teams exist? IEP teams Teacher Assistance Teams School Improvement Committees Parent-Teacher Associations

Direct v. Indirect Service Teacher support in the mainstream classroom Teacher support in a consultative manner between special education and general education Justify the benefits and/or the situations surrounding both options

Working with High-Incidence Teams (Correa et al, 2005) Primary functions: –Student assessment –Program evaluation –Provision of instruction Responsible for explicit instruction in a structured program Many professors believe that NCLB is correct in not permitting special educators a dominant role in content instruction. Thoughts?

Low-incidence Teams (Correa et al, 2005) Responsible for teaching students with physical and sensory disabilities and cognitive and neurological impairments Primary functions: (to be critiqued) –Positioning, lifting, and transporting students –Monitoring use of medications and prosthetics –Managing seizures –Modifying aberrant behaviors. Major function is to teach students to synthesize their special related services.

General Educator’s role (Correa et al, 2005) Brings content knowledge Observe students interactions with peers who show appropriate behaviors Most important role is to provide students with appropriate learning experiences Set up an effective classroom environment Should focus on the group

Related Service’s role (Correa et al, 2005) The nature of each person’s role with the child depends on the school and community environment but most importantly the student. Principals and administrators oversee organization, funding, and legal matters as well as program planning and evaluation. Roles of each person may overlap with other person’s roles.

Services (with whom do we collaborate) Audiology Counseling Medical services Occupational therapy Orientation and mobility services Parent counseling and training Physical Therapy Bilingual specialist Vocational educator Psychological services Recreation Rehabilitation counseling School health / Nurse Social Work Speech pathology Transportation ELL or ESOL Vision [Assistive tech services] from Rowley case (1982)

Coteaching options complementary: special education teacher rotates parallel: divided class for more personal interaction station: small groups on specific components alternative: special education reinstructs whole class shared: teachers share equally and instruct interchangeably One teach, one assist (or one teach and one observe)

Continuum of Services LD %ages Regular class42.4 (outside of general ed. class less than 21% of day) Resource Room39.3 (outside of general ed. class between 21 and 60% of day) Separate Class17.4 (outside of general ed. class more than 60% of day) Separate School0.6 (in a private or public separate day school at public expense) Residential Facility0.1 (in a public or private residential facility at public expense) Homebound / Hospital0.2

Inclusion debate from Zigmond & Baker (1995) and McLeskey and Waldron (1995) Instruction is the key issue not the placement (Martin) Special education is sacrificing essential components so that students can be in the company of age peers (Scruggs and Mastropieri) No tailored education plans (Gerber) Serious disabilities still left untouched (Z & B) Students deserve full access to mainstream curriculum (McLaughlin) 2/3 of students with disabilities succeeded across various models Successes cannot be based upon test scores especially for secondary students who have already peaked. Few successes exist in segregated settings (M & W)

Questions Why is it imperative to know each team member’s role and to understand their responsibility and even their supporting theories? How do the coteaching options reflect the roles within the group?