Help with new Special Education Laws

[mrsfrogss]

What are other schools doing about the new Special Education Laws?
Is co-teaching an option in your school? Are all students included with appropriate accommodations and modifications? Is pulling out still an option at your school? We just had a staff meeting and everyone is complaining about the additional grading and lack of support. What are issues is your school?

[jodimples]

I know with my district, we're waiting for federal and state Special Education laws to align. We're not quite sure which direction to take. I don't think anyone is. Ideally, all students should be outfitted with appropriate accomodations and modifications. Yet, some professionals are confused by the definition of accomodation vs. modification. Pulling out is always an option, it depends on the set up of your school. At my school, we have actual RSP Math and Language Arts classes kids go to instead of being pulled from another subject. The issues at my school are: pressure to improve test scores, finding time to help all the kids, and accomodating every child enrichment function.

[Unregistered]

Think of accommodations as those things you will do for the individual student. Think of modifications as what you will do within the curriculum. For example accommodations could be extended time; preferential seating, etc. Modification of curriculum could be material at functional level; high interest low reading level. etc.

[Unregistered]

One of the first tasks is to team up with (in our case) a counselor to access training and grant monies to finance them. The best training I have been to to date was _Special Needs in the General Classroom: Strategies That Make It Work--Good for All, Critical for Diverse Learners_ by Susan Gindras Fitzell, M. Ed. Her strategies are indeed good for all and do indeed work.

The second task is to establish a good working relationship between the teaching team and establish what format is going to be used. As a regular ed teacher, I present the content material, and my (wonderful) co-teacher and I both coach all of the students through the work. With alphabetical reserved seating, only the teaching team knows for sure who the special needs students are.

The third task is to establish the class situation with the students. To all of the students I present my understanding of NCLB--the teachers are highly qualified and every student will make progress. The regular ed students will model appropriate behavior and assist one another with learning. The special needs students will not reduce the class to playtime. Much of their work will be in groups in which they will all help each other in learning AND will learn socializing skills (get to know each other).

My classroom arrangement is five rows of six desks each. Two rows face three rows. Teachers move up and down the center. All seats are preferential and reserved seating. There is no back of the class. I tell the students that the A- and B-students sit in the front three rows, and in my classroom there is no fourth row. I carry my weekly seating chart with me to award points, daily grades, etc. The seating chart is formatted on graph paper. Each seat is represented with a 4x5 block with the student's name and phone contact number. The bottom two rows give me a block for attendance and a block for points/grades. My cell phone (off) is handy in my fannypack--I tell the students that if I need to call their parents, I will do it on the spot.

Most of my students came from the back of the class in middle school--they took classes in putting on makeup, plucking eyebrows, or looking at picture magazines. The remainder were top students because they handed in something, whether it was done right or not. My class is a tremendous shock for both types. Most have undiagnosed special needs. The special needs students fit right in.

[Unregistered]

ACCOMMODATIONS are what you need to provide to "level the playing field" to enable the student to complete the same assignments given to general education students. Same work, just some ACCOMMODATIONS are needed so that the sp ed student may be successful.

Example: Extended time to complete assignments; Use of manipulatives to complete math assignment may be needed by a sp ed student; Shortened Spelling list includes SAME words as given to general ed students, but less words required for the sp ed student; or reduced quantity of work where sp ed student completes only odd or even numbered problems (50%) on a page of math assigned to gen ed students.

MODIFICATIONS are when general education curriculum, as it exists, needs to be "modified" (changed) to enable the students to complete tasks successfully. This is when DIFFERENTIATION of lessons and assignments becomes crucial, in order to meet the needs of individual students. (All "good" teachers include differentiation in their lessons to meet individual student needs, whether gen ed or sp ed student).

Example: Spelling lists are MODIFIED (changed somehow), as when an alternate list consisting of a given word family for sp ed student vs. words of given spelling patterns are provided for gen ed students; or a related but alternate (perhaps a bit simplified, less complex) assignment provided for sp ed student. Sp ed student's work is actually MODIFIED (changed) from that of gen ed students.

In any case, the IEP team determines both ACCOMMODATIONS and MODIFICATIONS that are NEEDED to enable the sp ed student to be successful and continue to make steady forward progress in their education.

[disanders]

I just wanted to say a quick "thank you" for the most comprehensive discussion of modifications and accommodations I have seen to date. I have taught special ed for 5 years (17 years total teaching experience)< but this is the first year for full inclusion. Neither the general ed nor the special ed teachers received much training in the process-I will forward this description to the rest of my department!:)

[Unregistered]

Another great way to look at it is: Accomodations affect HOW you teach. Modifications affect WHAT you teach. Accomodations are changes in how the Essential Elements (TEKS) are presented. Modifications affect what TEKS are presented. Modifications involve changing the grade level, changing the expected objectives, reducing the objectives, etc...

Some things such as reducing assignments can be both.
If you shorten a testassignment by eliminating the more difficult questions you are Modifying.

If you shorten it by eliminating duplicated questions without eliminating any objectives, it is an accomodation.

The first would be for a child w/ below grade level IEPs.
The secong would be for a child with an attention issue, Autism, Aspergers, Behavioral issues, etc. that is on grade level.

I am doing a power point this summer at Texas Parent to Parent on this topic. If you would like me to send you a copy of it in August, email me at tfolks@austin.rr.com and I'll e-mail it out as soon as I finish it.

Thanks,
Teri Folks