Topic: Teacher Training for Inclusion (http://lrs.ed.uiuc.edu/students/jmccrthy/eol469/paper.html)

Written by: Janeen McCarthy

Critiqued by: Megan Forness

Janeen's policy proposal is a very worthwhile effort. I know from personal experience how difficult it can be to accommodate students with special needs in a regular classroom. She provides a very solid background to support the importance of such a policy. She also does an excellent job siting current cases and laws that are applicable to this topic. The six bullet point outlining specific concerns and issues are well thought out and appropriate. Perhaps this list could also include the role of the Special Education staff in this endeavor. Concerning Assessment, it is important for teachers to understand how the current state standardized testing program (ISAT and PSAE in 2001) apply to students with disabilities. A reference to the web site of the Illinois State Board of Education may be of some value here (http://www.isbe.state.il.us).

The guidelines for implementation of such a policy are only touched upon. I realize that this is only a framework for the policy, so I wonder what some of the major components of the policy will be. Because I now am employed by the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE), I feel that I must inquire about the reference to the State Board's role in this policy. Including the concept that ISBE will "support this policy by establishing and implementing a pilot program for provision..." I wonder what Janeen has in mind specifically. Which division/divisions in the agency would help in this process? In what specific ways would ISBE "support" this endeavor? Financially? By providing consultants? This could use some elaboration as well.

In general, this policy seems to be a very important document which could ultimately improve the education of several students with disabilities through its effective implementation. I think it is a policy for which there are no losers. I applaud Janeen's effort and look forward to reviewing the final version of this policy.

Grammatical suggestions (in red):

 

Dear Mr. Gilmore:

 

I am presently taking a course in School Law. It is through this course that several concerns have come to mind in regard to the inclusion of Special Education students into my class. I understand that it is the right of each of these students to be educated with his/her peers within the classroom setting. My concern begins with the fact that as a general education teacher without any special education training, that I might be unable to meet the individual goals of these special education students. I feel very fortunate to have several very competent Special Education Teachers within our building/district that have readily made themselves available to collaborate and help with modifications, strategies and give support in order to make this inclusion work. I wholeheartedly support the philosophy behind Inclusion because it is the same philosophy I have always had as I have faced a new class of students. I firmly believe that each student is different and that all children have special needs - whether they are seen as abilities or disabilities is all in the way one looks at it. It is the job of our jobs as their teachers to do everything possible we can to meet those needs. When examining the educational opportunities available for a child with a disability, educators are expected to focus primarily on the child's best interest. When state and local school officials are examining the alternatives for educating a child with a disability, the child's needs are a principal concern. All of the educational and legal aspects can seem very overwhelming for a general education teacher who does not have any special education training in his/her background.

 

Public education of a child with a disability occurs in the public school system, a public institution entrusted with the enormous task of serving a variety of often competing needs; needs of both the disabled student as well as the needs of the non disabled students. In the eyes of the school official, each need is equally important, and each child is equally deserving of his/her share of the school's limited resources. Ridgely School has been working with the inclusion of special education students in their regular classrooms and has also have begun to develop some teacher training materials for this Inclusion. This is, in part, some of the training from which that I feel other teachers would benefit. from. I have found the training materials that have been made available to me to be very informative and helpful. But, I feel that it is just as important that I have more detailed training for myself, along with just as other teachers and assistants that are working in the rooms where Inclusion is taking place. should have training. We presently have three Special Education classes in our building as well as many resource students with an I.E.P. (Individual Educational? Plan). Many of these students are currently a part of this inclusion program at Ridgely, and more students with I.E.P.s will be placed in the near future. There have been and continue to be many court cases that support a the student's right to be in the regular classroom. "In Oberti v. Board of Education of the Borough of Clementon School District (1992), it was decided that inclusion is a right, not a privilege, and that school districts must consider placement in general education settings with the use of so supplementary aids and services before considering more restrictive alternatives (Osborne & Dimattia, 1994).

 

In light of all of the legal decisions, the changes in regular education classes and the additions to a the general education teacher's teaching responsibilities, I feel that a policy should be developed that will provide the much needed information and training to make inclusion successful for everyone involved. Even though support for inclusion by the Springfield Public Schools District #186 can be found in the Board of Education Policy Manual, a policy on Teacher Training for inclusion Inclusion does not presently exist in the Board of Education Policy Manual for the Springfield Public Schools District #186's Board of Education Policy Manual (last revised on 2/7/94). Through research in my School Law class I have encountered amendments that were made to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) in 1997. "The new IDEA legislation ensures that states provide more mechanisms for general and special education teachers to receive quality professional development to learn about the newest advances in the field." (CEC Today, vol.3 no.10, June 1997.)

 

Due process and all of the legal proceedings and policies that establish the rules in education and are designed to ensure equal opportunities in education for all students with disabilities. These processes should be explained, understood, and carried out by both general and special education teachers.

 

Support Even though support for inclusion Inclusion by the Springfield Public School District #186 can be found in the Board of Education Policy Manual which states its commitment to the concepts of equal access to quality education for every student in the District regardless of race, creed, color, gender, national origin or disability does occur. The current policies in this area simply state that there will be equal educational opportunity (600.01). Absent from these documents is I didn't find a policy that would help educators to carry out these goals. The Special Education Programs provided by District 186 (policy 630 with the citation: 17-2.2a Individual with With Disabilities Education Act, 20 USC 1400 et. seq. 23 IL Administrative Code Sec.226.20)) states that educational services will be made available to all students regardless of any disability which may prohibit full participation in the regular education program. These services shall follow the District's Special Education Policies and Procedures and all applicable laws, rules and regulations. The District's policy (640.02) supports making instructional arrangements of grouping students for instruction with the aim of being able to place each student in an appropriate and comfortable learning situation. It is their belief that grouping should be as flexible as possible, with provisions for altering the grouping as often as necessary to fit the specific purpose involved. The Board recognizes that the grouping of students for instructional purposes is an educational decision which can best be made by the professional staff directly involved in a given situation. The grouping patterns within a school or within a classroom, therefore, shall be the responsibility of each principal Principal with input provided by the respective staff. The grouping of students in a classroom shall be required to be consistent with the adopted District curriculum and/or guidelines.

 

 

Legal History

 

Historically, it was much more convenient to remove a disabled child from the mainstream than to try to integrate them in schools. Progress has been made over the years through case law and federal legislation.

 

In 1975, education changed with the passage of a law affecting those people with disabilities. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act which is a law that requires all children with disabilities to be provided with a free and appropriate education. This law has changed the way educators work with students with disabilities. In the past, the diversity among students was met by creating special classes. These special education classes often existed as separate, self-contained classrooms. (Methods METHODS for Teaching, TEACHING page 238).

 

A child with a disability is entitled to receive a free appropriate public education. This means that special education and related services must be available and be specifically designed to meet the unique needs of the child. The following state and federal laws and regulations guarantee that a child with a disability has an equal opportunity to benefit from public instruction. All school districts are required to provide a free and appropriate public education for all children with disabilities who are age 3 through 21. History shows it was more convenient to remove the disabled from the social mainstream than to integrate them in schools or provide jobs or training. Progress can be traced by case law and federal legislation, including the 1975 Education for All Handicapped Children Act, the 1973 Rehabilitation Act (Section 504), and the 1990 Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and 1997 amendments.

 

Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), P.L. 101-476, formerly The Education for All Handicapped Children Act, P.L. 94-142???reference???

 

Public Law 101-476 (IDEA) - The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) is a law that was originally passed in 1975 by the United States Congress guaranteeing that all children and youth (ages 3 through 21) with disabilities receive a free appropriate public education (FAPE). IDEA also ensures that the rights of children and youth with disabilities and their parents are protected.

 

34 Code of Federal Regulations Part 300 (the implementing regulations for IDEA) - Under IDEA, a child with a disability may have a physical, emotional, learning, or behavioral problem that is educationally related and requires special education and related services. Categories for which a child may be eligible include such things as Autism, Deaf-Blindness, Developmental Delay, Emotional / Behavioral Disorder, Hearing Impairment, Mental Impairment, Multiple Impairment, Orthopedic Impairment, Other Health Impaired, Specific Learning Disability, Speech and/or Language Impairment, Traumatic Brain Injury, and Visual Impairment and Blindness. Federal definitions for each area may be found at 34 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) 300.7 and state definitions may be found at 23 Illinois Administrative Code 226.552. A child must meet all the requirements listed in the Illinois State Board of Education Rules and Regulations for Special special Education.

 

Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 - Section 504 was the first federal Civil Rights Law to protect the rights of people with disabilities. It prohibits discrimination in:

- the education of students with disabilities

- vocational education programs

- college programs and other post-secondary education programs

- employment

- health, welfare, and other social service programs; and

- other programs and activities that receive federal funds.

 

Section 504 requires an evaluation to determine whether or not a child meets the criteria to be eligible for services under Section 504. If a child is eligible for services the school district is required to provide an appropriate education. This may mean modifying the regular education program and providing any necessary services.

 

Section 504 is relevant to schools because all schools receive federal funds. For this reason schools cannot exclude or discriminate against children and adolescents on the basis of a disability. Schools are required to have written policies and procedures regarding Section 504 and make any reasonable accommodations to make programs accessible to children with disabilities.

 

The School Code, Article 14

 

23 Illinois Administrative Code 226 (implementing regulations for the School Code, Article 14) - The special education regulations, 23 Illinois Administration Code Part 226, define screening as the process of reviewing all children in a given group with a set of criteria for the purpose of identifying certain individuals for evaluations who may be in need of special education. All school districts are required to have written procedures for actively locating, identifying and evaluating children who might need special education and related services, including all school children attending private, charter, and/or religiously affiliated schools.

 

23 Illinois Administrative Code 226 Part 375 (student records)

 

Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964

 

Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972

 

Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)

 

Education Department General Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) (34 CFR 76)

 

23 Illinois Administrative Code 226 Part 210 (private schools)

 

Public Law 99-457 (Early Intervention)

 

In 1986, P.L. 99-457 was passed authorizing states to establish early intervention programs for infants and toddlers with disabilities and their families. The focus is to provide services to infants and toddlers, ages birth through 2, during the most critical developmental period.

Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)

-The ADA, passed in 1990, gives civil rights protections to individuals with disabilities. More specifically, it mandates equal opportunity for persons with disabilities in employment, public accommodations, transportation, state and local government services, and telecommunication.

 

Public Law 105-17

 

Amendments were made to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) in 1997. Not all parents of children with disabilities view mainstreaming as feasible or desirable. The 1997 Individuals with Disabilities Education Act supports a movement away from full inclusion back to special education's roots in individualized learning.

 

 

Educational objectives of the Teacher Training for Inclusion Policy

 

The Board of Education Policy Manual states that the principal Principal shall communicate to parents the philosophy and rationale for the grouping of students for instructional purposes in an ongoing manner. With this in mind I feel that it too is the responsibility of the principal Principal to communicate with the teachers using this same philosophy and rationale and ask what he/she needs in order to properly educate these students. Teachers need to know the legal parameters surrounding the accommodations that must be made in their classrooms. A policy which includes training would be one way to require a teacher to understand and implement the appropriate educational plan for each student. The educational objectives of this policy will center around the concerns that without the proper training general classroom teachers could will unknowingly not provide or be unable to accommodate the special needs of all students.

 

Specific concerns and issues I would like to see included are:

• Does the Administrator understand his/her responsibility for the communicating and implementation of each students' I.E.P. and/or inclusion plan?
• Does the general education teacher understand the legal mandates that go goes along with inclusion Inclusion?
• Does the general education teacher know how to create an environment conducive to learning that is safe yet challenging with the opportunities for growth?
• Does the general education teacher understand that accommodations need to be made, and a student's I.E.P. must be followed?
• Goals
• Assessment
• (omit this bullet)

 

Guidelines for implementing the Teacher Training for Inclusion Policy

 

Springfield Public Schools District #186 will establish set up guidelines for teacher training focussing on making adaptations in instruction for students with mild disabilities in the general education classroom. These guidelines will be the center of the Teacher Training for Inclusion Policy. This policy will be included in the updated Board of Education Policy Manual.

 

The State Board of Education will support this policy by establishing and implementing a pilot program containing for provisions for of these teachers in conjunction with the new policy developed by the Springfield Public Schools District #186.

 

In schools where inclusion is taking place, the general and special education teachers as well as the Special Education staff will become a collaborative team.

 

The general education teachers will receive training to help prepare them to teach children with disabilities. This training will provide guidance for teachers to make individual accommodations and adaptations for particular students when necessary. This will include effective instructional strategies providing teachers some knowledge on how to obtain information and skills in individualizing, adapting and modifying instruction for students.

Last Updated 12/3/99