Special Education in the General Education Classroom

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The Many Paths of Special Education
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Overview

• February 8, 2006
• The Law
• GUHSD
• Referral Process
• 504 plans
• IEPs

• February 14, 2006
• Accommodations
• Modifications
• Collaboration and grading
• Discipline Procedures
• District Resources

3
The Law

• IDEIA- Individuals with Disabilities Education
  Improvement Act (2004)
• 6th amendment to PL94-142 (1975)
• Federal education law that forms foundation for
  Special Education throughout the country
• 4 major rights
• Free Appropriate Education
• Fair Assessment Procedures
• LRE- Least Restrictive Environment
• Parent Involvement

4
GUHSD

• Provides Special Education services to students
  with learning disabilities, mild and significant
  disabilities at all comprehensive high schools
• Alternative sites are available for students with
  significant medical, emotional and behavioral
  disabilities.
• Student with significant disabilities over the
  age of 18 attend a variety of transition programs

5

Special Education Enrollment by School as of
2/6/06
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Alternative SitesSchool 9th
10th 11th 12th Total
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District Totals
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Teacher/Student/Classroom Strategies

• Talk to parent and/or counselor
• Review assignments with student/parent
• Look for a pattern in behavior/grades
• Look at organizational skills/ study habits
• Discuss tutoring options
• History of mental health issues
• History of health problems

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Referral Process

• Pre-referral Process
• Student referred only after the resources in
  general ed have been considered and utilized
• SST- Student Study Team- student, parent, school
  administrator, counselor, general ed teachers,
  school psychologist
• Discuss interventions to meet student needs
• Possible recommendations classroom strategies,
  referral for 504 Plan, referral for special ed
  assessment

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Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act

• Federal civil rights law
• To qualify, individuals must have a condition
  that substantially limits a life activity such as
  walking, seeing, hearing, speaking, breathing,
  learning, working
• 504 Plan specifies accommodations and
  modifications to level the playing field
• 504 Plan is reviewed yearly

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Referral for Special Education Assessment

• Referral can be made through a SST meeting,
  school personnel or by parent
• Referral is given to school psychologist
• School Psychologist provides parents an
  evaluation plan and related documents (15
  calendar days)

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• Assessment team (school psych, sp ed teacher,
  nurse and other specialists) has 60 calendar days
  to conduct evaluation and have a meeting
• Initial Referral IEP Meeting- present findings
  and discuss eligibility
• Team determines types of services (if any)

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Educational conditions which qualify a student to
receive services

• Emotional Disturbance
• Other Health Impairment(ADD, ADHD)
• Speech/Lang. Impairment
• Specific Learning Disability
• Traumatic Brain Injury

• Autism
• Hard of Hearing
• Deafness
• Visual Impairment
• Multiple Disability
• Orthopedic Impairment
• Mental Retardation

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• Once the IEP is written, goals, accommodation and
  modifications are given to teachers
• IEP is reviewed on a yearly basis- Annual Review
• General education teachers attend AR and report
  on progress

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Reflective Response

• Attend an IEP
• or 504 meeting

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More to come on