Supporting Students with Disabilities in General Education

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Supporting Students with Disabilities in General
Education

• Perkie Cannon
• Special Education Consultant
• Learning Resource Center North Satellite
• Office of Special Education Programs
• New Jersey Department of Education
• perkie.cannon_at_doe.state.nj.us
• [phone]

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Agenda

• New Jerseys vision for students with
  disabilities
• Array of supports
• Collaborative elements necessary for effective
  support in general education

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New Jerseys Vision for Students with Disabilities

•  
• Maximize the development and learning of
  students with disabilities by ensuring access to
  the general education curriculum and their
  equitable participation in general education
  programs and post-secondary environments with the
  following outcomes

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New Jerseys Vision for Students with Disabilities

• Students with disabilities will
• Learn the knowledge and skills needed for
  independence
• Attain high academic standards
• Build and maintain friendships and relationships
  with others in the community
• Pursue meaningful careers and secure productive
  employment
• Participate effectively in a democratic society
  and
• Be fully included in the economic, political,
  social, cultural and educational mainstream of
  New Jersey and the nation.
• New Jersey Special Education Steering
  Committee
• 
  March 2000

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Newarks Message from Marion Bolden

• We will continue to provide all of our young
  people with equal access to educational
  opportunities
• Message from the superintendent
  http//www.nps.k12.nj.us/super.html

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Supports in General Education
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Supports in General Education

• Do your IEP teams discuss the following?
• The supplementary aids and services and program
  modifications the student needs to enable access
  to instruction and progress in the general
  education curriculum, within the general
  education class
• Supports for school personnel that are needed to
  enable the student to access instruction and
  progress in the general education curriculum,
  within the general education class

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Supports in General Education

• Supplementary aids and services are provided in
  the general education classroom to enable
  students with disabilities to be educated to the
  maximum extent appropriate with nondisabled peers.

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Supports in General Education

• Decision making for selection of supports
• For each subject area
• Consider the format of instruction (e.g., whole
  group, flexible small group, activity-based)
• Consider the task/activity demands (e.g., pacing,
  complexity, criteria for success)
• Consider the materials and equipment that are
  used
• Consider other elements of the classroom learning
  environment (e.g., physical layout, lighting)
• Consider how student learning and progress are
  evaluated

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Supports in General Education

• For each subject area
• Consider how supports might be provided within
  the existing structure and routine of the general
  education classroom and by whom (e.g., classroom
  teacher or peers)
• Consider providing consultation services to the
  classroom teacher before considering other direct
  adult in-class supports
• Consider least intrusive supports
• Monitor effectiveness of supports
• Plan to fade intensity of supports over time,
  whenever possible

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Supports in General Education

• Include, but not limited to the following
• Curricular or instructional modifications or
  specialized instructional strategies
• Assistive technology
• Consultation services
• Teacher aides
• Related services
• Integrated therapies
• In-class supplementary instruction
• In-class resource program instruction

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Collaboration

• Definition to work together in a joint effort
• What are some characteristics of good
  collaborative teams?
• What are benefits of collaborative teamwork?
• For teachers
• For students
• For families

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Elements for effective implementation of supports

• Collaboration
• Sharing information
• Student
• Curriculum and classroom routines
• Communication
• Problem-solving
• Planning
• Materials

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Student Information

• Student Profile
• Students strengths and abilities
• Areas of difficulty
• Effective learning and behavioral strategies
• Instructional Supports
• Learning Objectives

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Activity

• Review Jakes student profile.
• What did you learn?
• How is this helpful?

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Curriculum Information

• Curriculum information should be shared with
  special education staff.
• Review the Curriculum Overview form and
  Planning Questions.
• What is helpful about this form?
• How could you use this at your school?

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Classroom Information

• What information is needed regarding the
  classroom routine?
• Review the Assessment of Classroom Procedures.
• How would this be helpful to a teachers aide, an
  in-class resource teacher, or a consulting
  teacher?
• When should this information be discussed?

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Communication Strategies

• Communication Strategies Ideas
• On the fly
• In writing (notes, email, notebook, lesson plans,
  materials to be used)
• During class time
• Combined classes
• How do teachers currently communicate with each
  other, with Child Study Team, and/ or with
  teacher aides?
• What are additional ideas for increasing
  communication between special education and
  general education staff members?

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Planning for Instruction
Curriculum
Instructional Delivery
Individual Accommodations
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Planning for Instruction Mapping out the Year

• Initially
• Monthly
• Weekly
• Daily

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Planning

• What information for planning can be shared
  outside of face-to-face time?
• What information for planning needs to be shared
  in face-to-face time?
• Are the needs for individual students
  accommodations/modifications addressed in
  planning for instruction?
• How often is student progress being monitored,
  including the effectiveness of supports, to
  inform needs for adjustment to instruction?

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Planning for Instruction Finding the Time

• Now, lets look at some ideas for scheduling and
  creating meeting time.
• While there is no perfect solution, here are a
  few strategies you might consider.

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Materials

• Do special education teachers have copies of
  classroom texts, including teachers editions?
• Is there a space or a desk for adult staff
  members who co-teach?
• Are there other considerations for material needs
  for Special Education staff members?

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TEAM

• Together
• Everyone
• Achieves
• More

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Final Thoughts

• Coming together is a beginning
• Keeping together is a process
• Working together is success.
• 
  -Henry Ford