1. Challenges with Secondary Special Education
January 13, 2009

2. Challenges of Secondary Special Education
Quality and quantity of services inferior to elementary services
Repetition or continuation of elementary level programs
Teachers use strategies and instruction not validated for secondary students
Materials are often intended for elementary students or secondary students without disabilities

3. Issues Relevant to Adolescents with Disabilities
Reduced rates of academic success
Increased drop out rates
Increased rates of delinquency
Lower attendance in post-secondary education
Lower employment rates
Reduced earning power
Lower rates of satisfaction with adult life

4. Roles of the Secondary Special Education Teacher
Co-teach in general education
Consult with general educators
Coordinate work experiences
Provide vocational instruction
Develop
Complete assessments
Schedule and attend meetings
Remediate basic skills
Teach learning strategies
Promote social and emotional growth
Support students in their content area classes, and
Teach functional living skills

5. A Disconnect
“participants felt that the general education curriculum and classroom teachers were not responsive to student needs, often to the extent that they advocated for more self-contained special education classes” (Wasburn-Moses, 2006, 27).