CTE Teachers and Special Populations

CTE Teachers and Special Populations Rick Peterson, Ph.D., LMFT, CFLE Lakshmi Mahadevan, Ph.D. Reviewed May 2008

Learning Objectives • Acquaint participants with services of the CTSP Center • Introduce four instructional modules of knowledge based on needs assessments • Content overview of the four modules

CTSP Center • Educational library • Resources related to CTE, special education, career assessment • Instructional videos • Interactive website

Issue • According to the TEA website, over one million Texas high school students are enrolled in career and technology education (CTE) classes as of the year 2005. • TEA data also confirm that over 25% of the more than 500,000 special education students in Texas go through career and technology classes every year.

Serving Students with Special Needs • The purpose of CTE programs is to enable students to gain entry-level employment in a high-skill, high-wage job and/or to continue their education. • Given this, students with special needs are often placed in CTE classes to give them the best chance of gainful employment or moving on to higher education. • While CTE programs have demonstrated a great deal of success in achieving post-secondary goals for their students, teachers continue to face difficulties in adequately serving students with special needs due to inexperience and training in the area of special education.

CTE Special Population Needs Assessment • CTE teachers and subject matter experts were asked what their educational needs were in working with special populations. • The educational issues that rose to the top were in four critical areas: • Legal Issues • Transition Assessment • Instructional Strategies • Classroom and Behavior Management

Educational Product Development • Designed instructional modules to cover the 4 areas using identified best-practices • Modules include • DVD • Instructional manual • FAQs answered • Modules available through workshops and via CTSP Center website. • Next step is to make them available through online learning courses.

Best Practices in Legal Issues • Objective: Acquaint CTE teachers with six laws affecting all those serving students with special needs. • Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) • Carl D Perkins Vocational and Technical Education Act • Vocational Rehabilitation Act (consists of Section 504) • Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) • Family Educational and Privacy Rights Act (FERPA) • Elementary and Secondary Education Act (Now No Child left Behind)

Attend the ARD meetings. • Ask the committee members key questions. • Be aware that such issues as instructional aide can be provided for at the meeting. • Consider signing the IEP document on the back if you are not satisfied about the program or are concerned with your lack of acquaintance with the child.

Transition statement under IDEA • Importance of accommodations and modifications • Only 20% of the 40% funding allocated to CTE has reached us.

Transition Assessment • Objective: Acquaint CTE teachers with the components of transition assessment and methods to match program competencies with student ability. • Importance of transition plan at the age of 16 as required by IDEA. • Tools of formal assessment – interests, aptitudes, personality traits and other career-related affective/employability skills.

Learn about informal assessments • To ensure appropriate placement in your classes: • Attend the ARD/IEP meeting • Carry a detailed program description • Consider preparing a Basic Skills Inventory Checklist

To ensure that students have acquired all competencies: • Identify exit points • Use standards based evaluations • Create a comprehensive program skills inventory

Instructional Strategies • Objective: Acquaint CTE teachers with instructional strategies and appropriate use of accommodations and modifications for blended classrooms. • Become familiar with blended classrooms • Learn how to identify multiple modalities or learning styles in your classroom • Select appropriate instructional strategies

Strategies for entire classroom - direct instruction • For small groups – small group instruction – “cooperative learning” • Differentiated learning for individual students • Be aware of differences between accommodations and modifications • Accommodations – same standard using different modes of instruction/evaluation • Modifications – adjusting methods so that students with severe disabilities have an improved chance

Understand your role in the ARD process • Create a CTE program inventory identifying exit points

Classroom/Behavior Management • Objective: Acquaint CTE teachers with strategies for classroom and behavior management. • Understand the impact of the environment on behavior. • Examine the influence of • Academic • Relational • Physical

Three levels of program implementation • Universal • Targeted • Selected

ABC Plan • Identify antecedent • Count behavioral occurrences, intensity/duration and time of occurrence • Identify Consequence • Implement plan • Change Antecedent • Examine impact • Change consequence if needed • Ensure that your plan is ongoing

Questions?

CTE Teachers and Special Populations