1. Overview of Today’s Special Education
Chapter 1

2. Who is Thomas Ellenson? What is the key????
What advantages do you see that Thomas has over other children with disabilities?
What are the obstacles that Thomas faces in life?
What can you do???

3. “For whom the bells tolls;”
How does disability affect most of us as we age?
Who else does it affect and how?
What are value-guided practices and state- of-the-art practices?
Look at Figure 1: Which one stands out to you and how can you address this value in your life?

4. Who Are the Students? Number of students served Gender of students
Provisions of gifted education
Disability categories
Labels and language
# students served: in school year, 272,454 infants and toddlers (birth-2) or 2.2% received early intervention services; 680,132 preschool children (ages 3-5) or 6% - U.S. Dept. of Ed. 2005
More than 6 million students ages 6-21 receive some form of special education (9.05% of school enrollment)
Gender: male-to-female ratio varies 1.5 to 1 and 3.5 to 1. In the category of EBD 2.2 to 1 to almost 6 to 1
Provisions of gifted: special ed. also serves students who have unusual gifts and talents: less than 2/3 of the states have mandates requiring services for gifted education.
Disability category: see figure 1-2
Labels and Language: Person first language

5. Who Are Special Education Personnel?
Approximately 401,705 special education teachers were employed in
At least 1 special education vacancy was present in 97% of school districts in the U.S.
85% of the workforce are female
86% are white
Average age is 43
59% have a masters degree
Average teaching experience is 14 yrs.
577,476 are non-certified in
Paraprofessionals account for 87% of these positions

6. Overview of Special Education
During the early and middle decades of the 20th century:
Completely excluded students with disabilities in public education
Schools often classified students as having disabilities when they did not have disabilities

7. Judicial Decisions 1954 Brown vs. Board of Ed. 1972 PARC
1975 Education of All Handicapped Students Act (Pl )
2004 reauthorized IDEA
PARC: provided FAPE, educate students with disabilities in the same schools, procedural safeguards
Ed. ACT: equity of opportunity, full participation, independent living, economic self-sufficiency
IDEA: Part B categories from ages 3-21, Part C birth -2 early intervention programs

8. IDEA: Six Principles Zero reject Nondiscriminatory evaluation
Appropriate education
Least restrictive environment
Procedural due process
Parental and student participation

9. No Child Left Behind Act - See pg. 21
Accountability for results
School safety
Parental choice
Teacher quality
Scientifically based methods of teaching
Local flexibility

10. Entitlements and Other Services
Rehabilitation Act (16 yrs of age)
Vocational rehabilitation
Job training
Supported employment
Tech Act
Assistive technology

11. 504 Anti-discrimination statute Violations investigated by OCR
Funding pulled for non-compliance
Definition of impairment very global
May qualify under Sec. 504 but not qualify for special education

12. ADA Expanded 504 into private sector
Public facilities must be accessible
TDD services
Criticized due to expansiveness
Specifies “reasonable accommodations”
Major Provisions
Employment
Transportation
Public accommodations
Government
Telecommunications

13. Eligibility for Special Education
Individual must have 1 of the 12 disability conditions identified in federal law (MR, SLD, BD, speech or language impairment, vision loss, hearing loss, orthopedic impairments, other health impaired, deafness-blindness, multiple disabilities, autism, and TBI
Student’s demonstrate a need for specialized instruction and related services in order to receive appropriate education