New Staff Training: Special Education Overview

NEW STAFF TRAINING:
SPECIAL EDUCATION
WORKING AS A TEAM
TO SUPPORT OUR STUDENTS
MICHELLE FENWICK, DIRECTOR OF SPECIAL EDUCATION
September 2015
WHEN ARE DISABILITIES IDENTIFIED?
Severe Disabilities are typically identified before school age, by
parents & physicians.
Special Education for students with disabilities begins at age 3
through 21.
School Districts are required to participate in Child Find activities
to ensure Special Education and Related Services are provided to
students who meet eligibility without delay.
THE TEACHER IS A DETECTIVE WHO STARTS THE
PROCESS OF IDENTIFYING A SUSPECTED DISABILITY
• Gather such information as:
• What has been the development so far?
• How many years of educational opportunity have they had?
• Have they been responding to that opportunity?
• Discuss this information with experts at the school:
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Special education teacher
School psychologist
Learning Disabilities Teacher Consultant
Basic Skills Instructor
Reading Specialist
• Decide together if I&RS is needed and then when
completed, whether a formal assessment is needed
MODEL: INTERVENTION & REFERRAL SERVICES
(I & RS)
IS THE INTERVENTION USEFUL?
If it is, continue in I & RS. If not trial other interventions.
If referral to the Child Study Team is warranted, REFER.
COMPREHENSIVE SPECIAL EDUCATION
EVALUATIONS INCLUDE…
• IQ Cognitive Functioning by the School Psychologist
• Academic Functioning by the LDT-C
• Social History by the School Social Worker
• Other areas as suspected areas of disability.
HOW IS ELIGIBILITY FOR SPECIAL
EDUCATION SERVICES DETERMINED?
• Only students who meet eligibility criteria for
one or more disability categories may be
considered for special education services
under IDEA.
• Students cannot be considered to have a
disability if there is a lack of appropriate
instruction in reading or math, or if they have
limited English proficiency.
THE SPECIAL ED PROCESS
*90 days
Initial
**60 days
Re-eval
ELIGIBLE FOR SPECIAL ED & RELATED SERVICES
1.
Auditorily Impaired
2.
Deafness
3.
Autistic: Students with the “Autistic” classification
have a pervasive developmental disability that
may impact their ability to interact socially and
communicate, both verbally and nonverbally.
These students are often resistant to changes in
environment and routine, and find comfort in
repetition.
11. Preschool Child with a Disability
4.
Intellectually Disabled (Mild/Moderate/Severe)
5.
Communication Impaired
6.
Emotionally Disturbed
7.
Multiply Disabled
8.
Deaf/blindness
9.
Orthopedically Impaired
10. Other Health Impaired
12. Social Maladjustment
13. Specific Learning Disability (SLD):
basic reading skills
reading comprehension
oral expression
listening comprehension
mathematical calculation
mathematical problem solving
written expression
reading fluency
14. Traumatic Brain Injury
15. Visually Impaired
OR: Eligible for Speech-Language Services
(if Speech is the only service)
THREE PRONGED ASPECT FOR
CLASSIFICATION AS ESERS & ESLS
• “Disability” means
1. Impairment
• AND 2. Impacting on meaningful progress,
• AND 3. Need for special education
NJ
WHAT IS AN
INDIVIDUALIZED EDUCATION PROGRAM?
• An Individualized Educational Plan for a student written
by a multidisciplinary team including:
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parents,
at least one general education teacher,
at least one special education teacher,
a representative of the local education agency, and
the student whenever possible.
IEP DIRECT & 504s
• www.iepdirect.com
954239355
IEP
VS
• Student has been found eligible
via classification, requiring
special education & related
services in order to meaningfully
progress in education.
• There is some federal funding for
students with disabilities who
require an IEP.
• IEP contents are legally binding.
504 PLAN
• Student has been found to have
a disabling condition that
impacts on at least one major
life event (education), requiring
reasonable accommodations in
order to allow appropriate
access to education.
• There is no federal funding for
student with a 504.
• Reasonable accommodations.
• 504 accommodations are
legally binding.
WHAT ARE THE COMPONENTS OF
AN IEP?
• Present level of performance (PLAAFP)
• Measurable goals
• How progress will be measured and reported to
parents frequently
• Related services
• Supplementary aids and services
• Participation in general education
• Accommodations for testing
• Dates of services
• Transition plan by age 16 (or younger)
• Transfer of rights at age of majority
IEP COVER PAGE & MODIFICATION PAGE
IEP PRESENT LEVELS
&
GOALS/OBJECTIVES
INVOLVING PARENTS IN IEP MEETINGS
Remember: A room full of professionals here to analyze your
child
. can be intimidating.
Offer an open-door policy, with an invitation for questions
and suggestions on what can be done at home.
Come prepared with grades, knowing what the students
current stengths in the class are and what the child’s disability
and any other family information.
•
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LWNYnVFL2Cc&feature=related
WHAT IS THE
LEAST RESTRICTIVE ENVIRONMENT?
 Students with disabilities should be educated with
students without disabilities to the maximum extent
appropriate.
 Inclusion is not mandated by IDEIA, LRE is.
 The continuum of services to be considered includes:
◦ General education instruction all day
◦ General education with some special education
assistance
◦ General education along with resource room services
◦ Special education classroom in regular school
◦ Special education school
◦ Homebound or hospital instruction
◦ Instruction in a residential setting
ADAPTATIONS WHEN CREATING AN IEP FOR
A STUDENT WITH A DISABILITY:
• How can we make what we’re trying to teach more
comprehendible?
• Do we need to take smaller steps in getting to the
goal?
• Have we provided enough language support so
students can understand the information and reach
their goals?
WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO MAKE
A GOOD TEAM A GREAT TEAM?
• Communication
• Valued membership
• Respect
• Common goal
• Open-mindedness
• Cooperation
• Sense of humor
WHO IS ON THE EXTENDED TEAM?
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Case Managers (CST)
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Principals
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Content area teachers
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Special subject teacher (music, art, etc.)
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Guidance Counselors
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Cafeteria workers
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Bus drivers
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School nurses
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Related services providers
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Parents
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Others
TEACHER’S ROLE
Teachers…
• Share in identifying learning needs.
• Modify/adapt curriculum or instructional methods.
• Plan & Differentiate Instruction.
• Evaluate the effectiveness of the instruction.
• Involve parents, CST, staff in students’ education.
• Manage and document behavior that impacts on engaged
learning.
• Create a positive learning environment.
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GENERAL ED/SUPPORTED
INSTRUCTION (GESI)
Special Educators &/or Instructional Aides
• Goal should be to collaborate and plan with others in the
room.
• Modify/adapt curriculum or instructional methods.
• Determine who is responsible for maintaining what types of
data.
• Model a positive, collaborative learning environment.
TWO TYPES OF INSTRUCTIONAL
AIDES
Instructional classroom aides: work under the
guidance of both general and special education
teachers to support educational programming.
1:1 Instructional Aides; Shared Aides provide one-toone or small group, instructional and non-instructional
support to individual students that may also include
activities of daily living, health, behavior, etc.
SPECIAL EDUCATION INSTRUCTIONAL AIDE’S
ROLE
Instructional Aides…
– Accept and complete assigned tasks.
– Respect and work collaboratively with others.
– Maintain a positive and caring environment.
– Communicate often with team members.
– Follow policies concerning confidentiality, security, and safety.
TEACHERS TO INSTRUCTIONAL AIDES
• Determine the functions that the Instructional Aide
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is expected to perform.
Decide the task.
Why does it need to be done?
What materials are necessary?
Who will do the task?
How I want the task to be done?
Location of the task?
Decide monitoring and assessment?
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