STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES

Created June, 2007

IDEA ensures that:

1. Students with disabilities have meaningful access to the general curriculum through improvements to the individualized education program (IEP)
2. Students with disabilities are included to general education reform efforts related to accountability and high expectations, which focus on improved teaching and learning

Role of regular education teacher

1. At least one regular education teacher must be included in the IEP meeting if the student "is or may be participating in the general education environment."
2. Play and active role in decisions regarding interventions, strategies, and appropriate school personnel to assist the student in the general education environment
3. Implement all components of the IEP, as applicable
4. Assist in the development of accommodations and modifications necessary to facilitate the student's success in the general curriculum

Accommodations

1. Accommodations must be implemented as outlined in the IEP. Any staff responsible for the education of a student with a disability is also responsible for the implementation of accommodations outlined in the IEP.
2. Accommodations should be utilized to minimize the impact of the student's disability in his/her learning and performance.
3. Accommodations must also be outlined for state-and district-wide assessments.

Types of accommodations

1. Accommodations may supplement or adapt the general education curriculum by adding content enabling students to achieve a deeper understanding or higher level of mastery than is called for in the curriculum guide.
2. Accommodations may infuse content from an alternative curriculum in order to give students the prerequisite skills they may be lacking.
3. Accommodations may select fewer objectives, deleting those for which the student lacks necessary prerequisite skills.
4. Accommodations may include teaching parts of objectives, or steps leading up to mastery of certain objectives.
5. Accommodations may include varying instructional approaches or altering assessment methods to reflect student strengths and compensate for weaknesses.
6. Accommodations may include selecting objectives from an earlier grade level within the curriculum.
7. Accommodations may include supplementing the general education curriculum with other instructional components such as Braille instruction, sign language, orientation and mobility training.
8. Accommodations may include accommodating for skills that the student does not have and is not likely to quickly acquire.
9. Accommodations may include replacing general curriculum with alternative curriculum that better meets the needs of students with severe disabilities.

Assessment accommodations

1. Assessment accommodations should be allowed if it:
2. Is used routinely by the student in the instructional environment.
3. Is based on the student's instructional need.
4. Doesn't give students with disabilities an advantage over other students.
5. Doesn't change the nature of what is being tested.
6. Cannot threaten test security or the integrity of the test.

Assessment accommodation types

1. Types of assessment accommodations include:
2. Administration accommodations -Changes in how the assessment is administered (read test to student, large print, Braille, etc.)
3. Timing accommodations -Changes in duration, timing or scheduling of an assessment (extended time, multiple sessions, etc.)
4. Response accommodations -Changes in the way students are expected to respond to assessment materials (use of scribe, word processor, calculator, etc.)
5. Setting accommodations -Changes in location or physical environment in which an assessment is administered (individual, small group, etc.)

For the future

1. Special Education law is requiring a move to more inclusion of special education students into regular education classrooms.
2. Special education services will no longer be a separate place for learning for most special education students, but a set of services and supports designed to help individuals be successful in the general education environment.
3. IEPs will begin focusing on general education curriculum with accommodations and modifications necessary to facilitate a student's success in the general curriculum.
4. All teachers need to be prepared to have more special education students in the regular classroom.

Questions

1. If you have any questions concerning this presentation, please contact:

 Erin Altemeyer, Special Services Director

1444 Old Highway 66

Bourbon, MO 65441

(573) 732- 3293

altemeyere@warhawks.k12.mo.us