Meeting the Needs of Exceptional Students

1. Meeting the Needs of Exceptional Students Roles Rights Responsibilities

2. We provide services… …not places.

3. If we did the things we are capable of, we would astound ourselves. Thomas Edison

4. 13 Disability Categories Autism Deaf-blindness Deafness Emotional Disturbance Hearing Impairment Mental Retardation Orthopedic Impairment Other Health Impairment Specific LD Speech/Language Traumatic Brain Injury Visual Impairment Multiple Disabilities

5. Our kids arenormal. Theyjust aren’ttypical. Jim Delisle

6. Types of Support

7. Levels of Support Itinerant Supplemental Full Time

8. Students with IEPs and special edu staffBlue – 2008-2009 Red – 2009-2010 Cheltenham Elementary School 31 Students w/ IEPs 27 4 Special Education Teachers 4 6 Paraeducators 6 Glenside Elementary School 42 Students w/IEPs 30 5 Special Education Teachers 4 10 Paraeducators 9 Myers Elementary School 26 Students w/IEPs 23 3 Special Education Teachers 2 6 Paraeducators 6 Wyncote Elementary School 48 Students w/IEPs 44 5 Special Education Teachers 4 7 Paraeducators 8

9. Students with IEPs and Special Education staff Elkins Park School 97 Students w/IEPs 109 11 Special Education Teachers 10 15 Paraeducators 15 Cedarbrook Middle School 101 Students w/IEPs 87 11 Special Education Teachers 10 10 Paraeducators 14 Cheltenham High School 161Students w/IEPs 185 11 Special Education Teachers 14 4 Paraeducators 7

10. Pre-referral Interventions Differentiation of instruction, assessment, homework, and grading RtII data collection and tiers of support

11. It’s not about what you teach It’s about what they learn

12. Evaluation Process

13. Request Evaluation Report (ER or GWR) Individualized Plan(IEP or GIEP) Evaluation Process

14. Defining Inclusive Practices Supplementary Aids & Supports Inclusive Practices LRE Full Inclusion FAPE Mainstreaming Continuum Of Services 14

15. History of Special Education in Public Schools Brown vs. Board of Education------------------50’s PARC Consent Decree-------------------------1971----------FAPE Public Law 94-142-----------------------------1975----------LRE Oberti Decision--------------------------------1993 No Child Left Behind-------------------------2001 Gaskin Settlement---------------------------2005

16. Defining Inclusive Practices What are the implications of these laws, court decisions and settlements for educators in our schools today? 16

17. IDEA

18. Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) Reiterates that ……Special education is NOT a place but rather a service that should be delivered to the student in the LRE. • Any placement outside the general education classroom must be justified by the child’s disability related need • Students must have meaningful access to same age peers without Disabilities • Schools must provide supplementary aids and services in the general education classroom or other integrated settings • SaS’s should be designed to provide meaningful educational benefit • Involvement in music, art, physical education, school trips, activities and extracurriculars is included • Funding is never an appropriate reason for a more restrictive placement • States must maintain a full continuum of placement options to meet the needs of children who do need specialized treatment or residential placement

19. INCLUSIVE EDUCATION IS . . . IS the “law” a culture / belief system / philosophy the right thing to do IS NOT room 122 down the hall something that you “do” only for certain rooms / teachers / students

20. Inclusion Meaningful educational benefit What does this mean? What is success? How do we define success? academic emotional social behavioral belonging!!

21. “Whether students' needs have been met is reflected not only by whether they have attained certain objectives, but by the impact that educational experiences have had on their lives."(Giangreco, 1994)

22. PSSA ProficiencyReading Threshold 63% Past Five Years – IEP Percentages 3-56-89-12 • 2005 42.0 31.4 31.3 • 2006 39.9 36.0 N<40 • 2007 39.9 43.3 26.7 • 2008 30.2 47.6 24.5 • 2009 38.6 41.6 N<40

23. PSSA ProficiencyMath Threshold 56% Past Five Years – IEP Percentages 3-56-89-12 • 2005 41.2 29.9 22.9 • 2006 42.5 33.3 N<40 • 2007 53.7 36.0 24.5 • 2008 44.4 35.4 14.3 • 2009 53.2 38.8 N<40

24. Key Question for IEP Teams… “What can be done to allow a child to remain in the general education classroom and receive specially designed instruction by adapting the content, methodology, or delivery of instruction to ensure access to the general education curriculum?”

25. Supplementary Aids and Services Available to all students who need them (Universal Design for Learning) Designed to provide meaningful educational benefit (academic, emotional, behavioral, social, feeling of “belonging”) Provided in a manner that avoids stigmatizing students

26. Supplementary Aids and Services Fact Sheet(Etscheidt & Bartlett, 1999)

27. Specially DesignedInstruction

28. If I’m going to sing like someone else, then I don’t need to sing at all. Billie Holiday

29. Some people are always grumbling because roses have thorns; I am thankful that thorns have roses. Alphonse Karr

30. Accommodations

31. A bonus associated with learning to make modifications is that you can then use these to help all learners.

32. Not only will this help you reinforce the idea that all people learn differently, but it will also help youteach that everyoneneeds extra helponce in awhile. (Golomb & Hammeken, 1996)

33. TeacherPrep in PA 9 credits in inclusion PreK-4 and 4-8 Dual certification

34. The ultimate goal is for students with disabilities to be in every classroom; but this will be a process and take time to be realized.

35. Additional supports added for teachers / students 2009-2010 school year Autistic Support Specialist Inclusion Facilitator Ongoing supports: Special Education Teachers Paraeducators Behavior Analyst Occupational Therapist Physical Therapist Speech and Language Therapist

36. Cost of Special Education Specialized programs Transportation costs Litigation

37. “Belonging” If we are to create schools in which students feel welcomed and part of a community, then we must begin by creating schools that welcome the diversity of all children. Kunc, Norman

38. Photo creditsAll photos used with permission under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike license (http://creativecommons.org/) “Stained Glass Collage” by BEV Norton (http://www.flickr.com/photos/catchesthelight/441095426/) “Lost In Thought” by John Bolland (http://www.flickr.com/photos/johnbolland/1544108261/) “Front Door” by Maureen K (http://www.flickr.com/photos/mimk/368957054/) “Light From Heaven” by ishrona (http://www.flickr.com/photos/ishmaelo/212317535/) “Writing Notes With Grammy” by Don LaVange (http://www.flickr.com/photos/wickenden/3245260680/) “Green” by Abdullah AL-Naser (http://www.flickr.com/photos/abraj/209175604/) Thorn by Rohit Matoo (http://www.flickr.com/photos/mar00ned/193863350/) Singing Child by Dan Foy (http://www.flickr.com/photos/orangeacid/2082431790/) “final exam” by dcJohn (http://www.flickr.com/photos/dcjohn/74907741/)