How Access Pertains to Disproportionality and English Language Learners

1
How Access Pertains to Disproportionality and
English Language Learners

• Wendy Bauman
• The Access Center
• Improving Outcomes for All Students K-8

2
 The Access Center Improving Outcomes for All
Students K-8Located at the American Institutes
for Research1000 Thomas Jefferson St. NW,
Washington, DC 20007Ph 202-944-5300 TTY
877-334-3499 Fax [phone]e-mail
accesscenter_at_air.org website
www.k8accesscenter.org
3
Presentation Outline

• Define access to the general education curriculum
• Discuss the relationship between Access,
  Disproportionality and English Language Learners
  (ELLS)
• Explain how the Access Center can help to improve
  access to the general education curriculum for
  students with disabilities
• Question and Answer/ Strategy sharing period

4
What is Access?

• In Individual with Disabilities Education Act
  (IDEA) 1997,
• 300.26 (b)(3)(iii)  Specially-designed
  instruction means adapting, as appropriate to the
  needs of an eligible child under this part, the
  content, methodology, or delivery of instruction-
  
•        (i) To address the unique needs of the
  child that result from the child's disability
  and
•       (ii) To ensure access of the child to the
  general curriculum, so that he or she can meet
  the educational standards within the jurisdiction
  of the public agency that apply to all children.

5
What is Access?

• The Access Centers Concept of Access
• A Bridge to Affective Access
• Connecting research to practice to progress
• The Access Centers Framework
• Active engagement in learning the content and
  skills that define the general education
  curriculum.     

6
What is Access?

• Importance
• Mandated by IDEA 97
• Carried forth in No Child Left Behind, 2002
• Inclusion is about placement access is about
  services

7
Access, Disproportionality, and ELLS

• How does access to the general education
  curriculum relate to disproportionality and to
  the needs of English Language Learners?

8
Access, Disproportionality, and ELLS

• Areas to be addressed
• Identification for special education services
• Placement in education settings and services
• Classroom Instruction
• Highly Qualified Personnel
• Assessment Content and Methods

9
Access, Disproportionality, and ELLS

• What kind of decisions are inhibiting access?
• Specific concerns related to minorities and ELLS
• Strategic Interventions

10
Identification

• Issue of Access
• Removal from the general education classroom
• Lowered expectations and goals

11
Identification

• Disproportionality and ELLS
• Cultural and linguistic difficulties or
  differences mistaken for a disability
• Cultural disconnect between students and teacher
• Lower Expectations
• Lack of Advocate
• Materials
• Assessment

12
Identification

• Strategic Interventions
• Prereferral Interventions
• Teacher Assistance Teams (TAT)
• Skills Promoted through Arts, Reading and
  Knowledge (SPARK)
• Prereferral Assessment Model (PAM)

13
Placement

• Issue of Access
• Learning goals, instructional methods and
  assessment techniques may not be as strenuous
• Specific disability categories more like to be
  placed in more restrictive environment

14
Placement

• Disproportionality and ELLS
• Type of placements
• Incongruous services

15
Placement

• Strategic Interventions
• More sensitive assessments
• Grouping Strategies
• Part Time Placements

16
Instruction

• Issue of Access
• Not able to accommodate different learning styles
• Teaching styles and materials
• Inherent curricular barriers

17
Instruction

• Disproportionality and ELLS
• Ability to adapt to the needs of diverse learners
• Linguistic and cultural disconnect with classroom
  content, materials, or instruction
• Teaching Styles

18
Instruction

• Strategic Interventions
• Culturally appropriate pedagogy
• Pre-existing knowledge
• Learning Strategies
• Peer Assisted Learning Strategies (PALS)
• Universal Design (UD)

19
Highly Qualified Personnel

• Issue of Access
• Insufficient training for teaching diverse
  students
• Lack of Support
• Lack of Certified Special Educators

20
Highly Quality Personnel

• Disproportionality and ELLS
• Shortage of culturally and linguistically diverse
  educators
• Insufficient understanding of diverse students
• Insufficient understanding of diverse teaching
  materials and strategies

21
Highly Quality Personnel

• Strategic Interventions
• Teacher Training Programs
• Professional Development Activities
• Community Involvement Activities

22
Assessment

• Issue of Access
• Testing methods and content can lead to
  inaccurate results
• With NCLB provisions, students with disabilities
  must be included

23
Assessment

• Disproportionality and ELLS
• Insensitive tools and methods
• Language and cultural barriers

24
Assessment

• Strategic Interventions
• Curriculum Based Assessment
• Multiple Assessment Approach
• Include UD Principles

25
To Recap

• Looked at the areas of identification, placement,
  instruction, personnel, and assessment
• Discussed issues of access and how related to
  disproportionality and ELLS
• Offered strategic interventions to help improve
  access for students

26
How the Access Center can Help

• National technical assistance center
• Funded by the Office of Special Education
  Programs (OSEP)
• Overarching Aim
• To help state educators, TA systems,
  districts, schools, and individuals build
  capacity to enhance the ability of students with
  disabilities to engage in and learn from the
  general education curriculum

27
How the Access Center can Help

• Located in Washington DC at the American
  Institutes for Research
• Principal Investigator
• James Hamilton, Ph.D.
• Project Co-Directors
• Judy Shanley, Ph.D.
• Don Dailey, Ph.D.

28
Target Audiences

• State and local administrators
• State and local educators
• National, state, and local TA providers
• Parents and families

29
Our Framework for Access

• A Bridge to Affective Access
• -Connecting research to practice to progress
• The Access Centers Framework
• - Active engagement in learning the content and
  skills that define the general education
  curriculum.
• - Factors that influence access

30
Our Customized Assistance

• Three types of services
• Web-based
• Technical Assistance Liaison Activities
• Access Exchange Community

31
Our Partners

• Regional Resource Center Network
• Mountain Plains Regional Resource Center
• Center for Applied Special Technology (CAST)
• Council for Chief State School Officers (CCSSO)

32
Structure of the Access Center

• Regional Technical Assistance Liaison Teams
  aligned with the 6 Regional Resource Centers
• Content teams that focus on specific content
  areas as well as overarching educational areas

33
Website

• www.k8accesscenter.org

34
(No Transcript)
35
(No Transcript)
36
 The Access Center Improving Outcomes for All
Students K-8Located at the American Institutes
for Research1000 Thomas Jefferson St. NW,
Washington, DC 20007Ph 202-403-5000 TTY
877-334-3499 Fax [phone]e-mail
accesscenter_at_air.org website
www.k8accesscenter.org
37

• This content was developed by staff at The Access
  Center Improving Outcomes for All Students K-8,
  funded by U. S. Department of Education, Office
  of Special Education Programs and housed at the
  American Institutes for Research. Retrieved
  today's date, from the World Wide Web
  http//www.k8accesscenter.org