Meeting the Needs of Special Education Students…

Meeting the Needs of Special Education Students;

The Impact for Regular Education TeachersPresented by: Jennifer Shoup & Pamela Kramer

Consultants, Central Susquehanna Intermediate Unit

Classroom Learning & State Assessment

Learning Objectives:Participants will:

Identify IDEA components that address meeting the needs of special education students in inclusive settings

Link accommodations to student strengths and needs

Utilize strategies to make necessary accommodations in the reg. education classroom

Investigate allowable test accommodations and how they are linked to student need

Provided Resources

The General Educator’s Guide to Special Education, Jody L. Maanum (2nd Edition,2004)

2004 Accommodations Guidelines, Pennsylvania Department of Education (February 2004)

IDEA Overview

Free appropriate public education Special education Definitions Participation in assessments IEP team Procedural Safeguards / timelines Discipline Least restrictive environment

Knowing your student

Intelligence and Perception Patterns

Stability & Maturity

Interaction & Relationship

Maturity & Coordination

Role - Regular Education Teacher Active IEP Team Participant Familiarity with each IEP Implementation of Accommodations /

Specially Designed Instruction Progress Monitoring Collaboration with Para-educator Collaboration with Special Education

Professionals

Specially Designed instruction… Specially designed instruction consists of

adaptations or modifications to the general education curriculum, instruction, instructional environments, methods, or materials for exceptional students. Such specially designed instruction must go beyond the services and programs that a student would receive as part of general education, and must be designed to meet the unique needs of the student.

(Pennsylvania Department of Education, 1997).

Classroom Accommodations

Setting Timing / Schedule Presentation Response

Determining Accommodations Familiarity with student’s IEP Knowledge of accommodations needed

and implemented within classroom setting

Communication with student & special education professional(s) re: accommodations

Knowledge of & reference to 2004 Accommodations Guidelines & / or PSSA Administration Manual

Selecting PSSA Test Accommodations

NecessaryAppropriate

Allowable

PSSA Test Accommodations

Changes in Test Environment

Assistive Devices / Special

Arrangements

Adapted Test Forms

Other Accommodations

Changes in Test Environment Time

Place

Grouping

Other

Assistive Devices / Special Arrangements

Calculator

Typewriter / Word processor

Dictionaries / Thesauri

Bilingual Dictionary (without

definitions)

Paper, templates & highlighters

Adapted Test Forms

Braille Edition

Large Print Edition

Signed Version

Audiotape

Other Accommodations

Student marks in answer booklet Dictation to a test administrator (Scribe) Reading Aloud Marking an answer booklet at

student direction Providing Visual Cues Simplifying Directions

Implications for teachers in the Urban Setting…

are the same for those in a rural or suburban setting

All students come to us with varying degrees of need and are the responsibility of a team of professionals

Resources Pennsylvania Department of Education

http://www.pde.state.pa.us/pde Pennsylvania Training & Technical

Assistance Networkhttp://www.pattan.k12.pa.us/

Special Education List serve – to join join-specialed@lists.cas.psu.edu

Regional Intermediate Unit

Service Learning

The interaction of knowledge and skills with personal

experience is key!

Benefits All Students!

Learning Objectives Identify the benefits of incorporating

Service-Learning opportunities into lesson plans for all students

Identify specific Specially-Designed Instruction considerations to ensure success

Investigate examples and resources for further consideration in planning Service-Learning opportunities

What is Service Learning?

It is a combination of or link between

Community Service

And

Academic Study (active, purposeful learning)

Students are provided an opportunity to learn and develop through active participation in an organized, well though-out service experience that includes the element of providing for an actual community need and is coordinated and linked to learning objectives.

Service-learning provides an avenue in which reciprocal benefit for both the community and the students involved is achieved.

Service-learning is a method through which:

Citizenship

Academics subjects

Skills &

Values are taught

More than just volunteering

Although volunteering is a valued activity it differs from services-learning!

Three Basic Components

Effective Service Learning includes:

Sufficient preparation

Performing the Service

Analyzing the experience (by participants)

Instructional Strategy

Service-Learning is an instructional strategy which involves many different methods of teaching, it can engage students who don’t respond well to traditional classroom practices.

It appeals to high-level students – allows them to reach beyond the standard curriculum

Service-Learning

Can be used in any subject area

Works at all age levels, even with the very young

Service Learning OpportunitiesThe key to developing good service

learning opportunities is to plan ahead!

Should be integrated into the students’ academic curriculum

Should provide students with the opportunity to use newly-learned skills

Should provide a valuable service to the community

Keys

Plan for all students to participate• Inclusion means that all students, regardless of ability,

can fully participate Developing a community needs

assessment (One way to ascertain information about the community facility you will be using)

• Is it wheelchair accessible? • What are the operating hours?• What type of transportation is available?• Does the staff have experience in working with kids

with disabilities?

Keys (cont.) Developing a community needs

assessment, cont.• What type of health care/emergency system is

in place?• Is there a way to communicate with

students/staff should a need arise?

Develop clearly defined goals for your service learning project that incorporate both the aspects of learning and service.

Ensuring All Students Participate Plan for all students to participate Know the students who participate Review IEP’s of those students who

receive special education services (504 students) Understand strengths and needs of

students Functioning levels Specially-designed instruction

Ensuring All Students Participate Investigate and assess the

environment(s) in which students will be accessing as a part of the project

Develop strategies and make necessary adaptations/accommodations to ensure all students can participate fully in the project

Project Examples

Individual Projects

Group Projects

Citizenship

Belonging: Students experience community belonging

Authenticity: Service provided is valued because it is meeting a real need

Community Expertise: Students are able to learning with and from community members

Awareness: Students become effective citizens through civic awareness.

Student ownership

• Student Driven: Projects should involve appropriate challenge and risk-taking

• Adventure: Projects involving appropriate challenge and risk-taking

• Partnerships: Students and adults are equal partners

• Self-Awareness: Students explore their strengths to set goals and solve problems

• Student Matters: Students learn they have the power to make a difference

Visual Representation

Photography can be an effective tool for use when special education students are involved. It allows them to express themselves in ways

that they may not otherwise be able to because of physical and or cognitive impairments

Art Theater Music

Outcomes

Community Outcomes

Student Outcomes

Resources

• www.kodak.com great resource for lesson plans involving photography

• www.pitt.edu/-psla/PSLA/Specialeducation.html

• http://epicenter.nationalserviceresources.org

• www.servicelearning.org