An Individualized Education Program - Essay Example

? Education Upload 6 An Individualized Education Program (IEP) is man d by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). It defines all of the individualized goals of a child found with a disability as defined by federal regulations. This program enables children to achieve educational goals more easily than it would have been under normal conditions. The program must be tailored according to every student’s needs; hence the term, ‘individualized’. The IEP evaluation process must help paraprofessional educators understand each and every student’s disability and how it affects the learning process. Children who have special learning needs are referred to as exceptional students; that is, gifted and disabled children. Gifted children have superior intellectual development and are capable of high performance. Exceptional Student Education (ESE) is indiscriminate and assists each child to progress in school and in the learning environment in general. Overview of evaluation process The program requires that all students be assessed in all areas related to their disabilities while also considering their ability to access the general curriculum in relation to how the disability affects the student’s learning, objectives that relate to the needs of the student, forming goals and choosing a placement in the least restrictive environment possible for the student. Eligibility of the process The IEP outlines each and every step on how the student learns and how the learning is best demonstrated. It also outlines what the educators will do to assist the student learn more effectively. Role of IEP team members The roles of the team members are all set with the main objective of assisting the child in the learning process. Different team members have different roles. Parents- Verify the accuracy of the student’s personal identification information Monitors the student’s level of functioning at home Provides information of the student’s abilities, performance, interests and history Provides information of any behavioral supports that have been successful Outlines issues to be considered in the development and review of an IEP Gives consent for the initiation of the IEP Regular education teacher Provides information on the general curriculum standards Determines any program modifications and the necessary support required for school personnel Representative of the school district Provides specially designed instruction in relation to his qualification Has authority to commit resources School district representative Ensures that relevant services will be provided by the district Identifies placement options available in the district Intervention specialists Drafts objectives for the program on the student’s performance Identify any supplementary aids and services which the student may require in the regular classroom. Professional IEP team members Psychologists Physical therapists Occupational therapists Speech therapists A special educator Vision or hearing specialists Additional specialists in relation to the student’s specific needs IEP Development When the team members meet, they discuss the student’s educational needs and formulate specific short term and annual goals for such needs. Areas deserving specialized attention are also outlined. Services are split into two categories; Those to be provided in the school’s schedule, Those to be provided on a consultative basis Professionals consult with the educators to arrive at strategies to help the student but no hands-on instruction is offered. The program should be reviewed annually to update the set objectives and ensure that the site services are being met and in the right standards. Curriculum needs Every student has the ability to learn and should demonstrate progress in their learning. Further from the regular curriculum, students with disabilities have additional needs to compliment the regular curriculum. Differentiated and focused teaching- reasonable adjustments made to ensure that teaching is differentiated and special provisions in the conditions of assessment. Provision of different year-level curriculum- individual learning plans should be formulated for each student based on the curriculum specified Highly individualized curriculum-this should be based on adjustments to the curriculum content and achievement standards. Accommodations The main objective of accommodations is to ensure that a student with a learning disability has an equal access to the learning environment. They are not designed to give the student an advantage over other students. Classroom and assignment accommodations Allow the student to record lectures on tapes Provide necessary assistance in proofreading written work Provide more time for the student to complete in-class assignments Examination accommodations For essay exams, allow the student to use spelling and grammar assistive devices Allow the student to have the option of taking an oral exam Extend exam time Allow the student to use scratch paper during exams Writing annual measurable goals This indicates what each student ought to learn so as to progress in the general curriculum and to meet specific needs related to their disability. These goals represent the present level statement. Annual goals must be measurable and reasonable in the sense that, at the end of the year, the IEP team can tell what the student has learned and matched with what was expected annual goals include; By the end of the year, the student will be able to use a computer to complete and hand in assignments on time By the end of the year, the student will be able to read a fifth grade textbook and give correct answers to comprehension questions with 90% accuracy By the end of the year, the student will be able to use words to answer questions as opposed to hitting when angry. Special education/ Related services Gifted or students with special needs receive special education through mainstreaming whereby they are taught in classes with non-disabled students during specific periods according to their needs. Related services are services that are required to complement the special education program offered. Such services include; Psychological and counseling services Assistive technology Physical and occupational therapies Assistive technology Any piece of equipment or device, modified or customized, used to improve the functional capabilities of a child with a disability. They range in complexity from low tech to high tech. such devices include; Highlighters Modified paper Laptops Specific software Hearing aids Braille Florida ESOL Consent Decree A Consent Decree signed in 1990 in a District Court gave powers to the court to enforce an agreement between the Multicultural Education Training and Advocacy Incorporation (META) and the Florida State Board Education regarding the identification of students whose native language is not English. The Consent Decree focuses on the following issues; Identification and assessment Access to appropriate programming Access to appropriate categories and other programming for English limited learner students Personnel Monitoring Outcome measures IDEA was enacted to ensure that children with disabilities have the opportunity to receive an appropriate education just like other children. The Florida ESOL Consent Decree was set out to ensure that students whose native language was not English got the chance to access an appropriate education like other children. The relationship between these two programs is that they both involve an equal access to education by every child. These two programs eliminate discrimination in the education sector by ensuring that both the disabled and the Non English speakers have an equal right to education. Upload 10 Theories of motivation Behavioral theory implies that effective reinforcing is the prerequisites of motivation. They are based on quality of work and communicate increasing competence. An effective strategy to achieve this would be by using rewards. Rewards would act as an incentive to motivate students to learn (Avery). Humanistic theory centers on development of the learner as a whole person and their relationship among intellectual, physical and aesthetic needs. To achieve this strategy, a positive classroom climate as well as a well blended teacher to student and student to teacher relationship should be maintained. Cognitive theory implies that learner beliefs, goals and need for understanding are critical for self motivation. To ensure that this theory is effective to the learners, they should set out clear, real and achievable goals which should be measurable and assessed at the end of the learning period. Social theory implies that people learn from one another through observation, discussions and competitions. To motivate learners according to this theory, discussion groups should be encouraged. Group work assignments and contests should be regular to motivate the students to learn. Upload11 Learner differences Intelligence refers to the ability to think, reason, solve problems and acquire knowledge. It is influenced by cumulative experiences and an individual’s genetic makeup. Grouping students according to intelligence differences would be a recommended strategy to minimize the effects of this difference. Discussion groups would also bring the students closer and eliminate incidences of discrimination. Socioeconomic status refers to differences in parents’ income and/or their level of education. This can strongly affect the success of students due to different personalities and attitudes. Students should be taught on how to work as a team and know that unity is strength. It may prove difficult but through teamwork, the students should be able to put their socioeconomic status differences aside from learning. Culture differences among students determine attitudes and behavior patterns. This has a powerful effect on a student’s success. Culturally responsive teaching would be an effective strategy for creating links between a student’s culture and classroom instruction. Needs of exceptional students Gifted students are those whose intellectual capability is superior as compared to students of the same age and class. An accommodation method that could be adopted would be to segregate such students during certain lessons so as to teach them separately with the regular students. This would enable them to be up to par with their capabilities since they are fast learners as compared to the regular students. Sensory impairments refer to the inability to be able to hear. It may be partial impairment or complete impairment. Assistive technology would be best recommended for such students. They should be issued with hearing aids and every lesson should have a specialist in sign language. This would ensure that they do not lag behind the regular curriculum while at the same time receiving special education. The development of special education represents a kind of hidden process. The opinions of students usually remain unknown. In the 20th century special schools were created for many children who have learning difficulties. Moreover, according to 1944 Education Act the education for children with light learning difficulties became even compulsory. The Educational Act issued in 1981 provided more detailed classification of educational necessities for children with disabilities emphasizing the importance of proper assessment policy (Stough & Palmer, 2003, p. 206). "There are important continuities in special educational policy … as well as some significant divergences, yet little is known about the experiences and perspectives of those who were 'included' within the special education sector as a result of these policy shifts" (Armstrong, 2004, p. 4 ). Special education, like many other social phenomena, is the result of competing and usually contrary ideas, practices, philosophies, theories, social interests and policies. Despite the fact that there are a lot of variations and coincidence between them, three theories particularly can be considered as having influenced gravely upon the evolutionary course of special education (Gallagher, 1998, p. 107). The first of these is a theory of exclusion and segregation, which was founded on the base of the eugenics thoughts of the 19th and early 20th centuries. The second is a theory of 'normalization', which influenced educational policy in the second half of the twentieth century. More recently an idea of 'inclusion' has obtained its prominence, especially in the critical literature on special education as well as in the rhetoric, at least, of school practices and government policies (Berlau, 2001, p. 20). For example, Kauffman suggests that children with EBD (emotional and behavioral disorders) are "under identified", though possibly the sticking point is not so much in "under or over identification" (Kauffman, 199, p. 244). There is a point of view that the problem is more with the very concept of identification itself and what is seems to imply for many people. Identification in special education, has, in general, appeared to be a dirty word. "It allegedly perpetuates the negativity of labeling, the segregation of those with disabilities from those without them, and, for many in our field, is the ultimate stigma whereby children are doomed to the "special education hell" of academic and interpersonal failure" (Mostert, 2004, p. 325). Though, for example, Lipsky & Gartner (1996, p. 767) consider: "Special education plays a sorting role, both for those consigned to it and for those students who remain in general education. It limits expectations of the former, and gnarls the attitudes of the latter....Thus, the system of special education, and the attitude towards disability that undergird it, have harmful consequence for both those labeled "disabled" and those not. Among those labeled their capacity is denied and, thus, expectations of them are limited. Those not labeled are encouraged to believe that people with disabilities are limited and, thus, they are encouraged to offer sympathy toward, but not to value the participation of, persons with disabilities. Neither view provides a basis for a society of inclusion and equity". For instance, through Ulrich Beck's (1992) idea of the "risk society", the theory of "inclusion" may be viewed as basing on an alternative articulation of the "issue" as one of "risk management" or, saying in other words, as the "management of excluded populations". The extremely powerful eugenics philosophy of the late 19th and early 20th centuries has resulted in a lasting influence upon educational policy. On the other hand it was grounded on the opinion that the only way to preclude "physical, mental and moral contamination" of the "healthy" population was to recognize and segregate those who were viewed as '"degenerate", preventing them from breeding (Gallagher, 1998, p. 384). In the 2nd half of the 20th century this philosophy was replaced by the theory of "normalization", which admitted the educational needs of children with learning difficulties and suggested schooling opportunities, mostly within a highly expanded segregate special school system. From the 1970s much interest was shown in the policies of integration and this theory was taken up in the Warnock Committee's Report on Special Educational Needs (Armstrong, 2004, p. 5). Later, "inclusive" education has formed an important policy theory. Just after the 1981 Education Act there were some signs of a curtailment in segregated placements but it was in the 1990s that new philosophy began to develop around "inclusive education", informed particularly by the life experiences of people with EBD and their struggles for human rights (Berlau, 2004, p. 95). "However, running parallel to this latter discourse, the 1980s saw a significant shift in educational policy towards marketisation of educational services and an audit-based culture of accountability. The apparent dichotomy between these two perspectives has led to questioning of the 'assimilationist' objectives that seem to underpin 'inclusive' policies" (Mostert, 2004, p. 311). These contradictory theories have created the background against which practical fights over the meaning and aim of educational policy have been fulfilled out: what Gillian Fulcher (1989) has named 'enacted' philosophy. The expanding of special education in the 19th and 20th centuries cannot be viewed without the wider context of the contested aims and structures of the education system as a whole. As we've mentioned above much of the history of special education has been a "hidden history". The history that has been interpreted has to a great extent been that of the policy makers and the professionals who have created the edifice of special education. Thousands of opinions have gone unnoticed in this 'official' history: particularly, the opinions of those whose life roads have been mostly damaged, that is, those who were recognized and categorized as being 'in need' (Armstrong, 2004, p. 9). Felicity Armstrong (2002, p. 437) has argued: "Historical accounts which trace the development of special education only through formal policy making and its documents (i.e. education acts, policy documents) leave out the messiness, variety and unpredictability of policies as they are enacted through social practice. Social practices are socially and culturally rooted within particular political, temporal and spatial contexts. Importantly, what is going on, where, who is involved and in what historical period are all crucial elements in the unraveling of social practice". Minority students A minority student is an exceptional learner due to the fact that they exhibit exceptionality traits. By exhibiting sensory impairment traits, certain considerations should be given to such a student such as; front placement in the classroom, providing hearing aids and providing sign language services by a professional. Issuing the student with complimentary special education in line with the general curriculum and offering related services. Therefore, a minority student is an exceptional learner. Advising the parents on how to handle the learner on different situations would be effective in alerting them on their child’s condition. The parents should also monitor the child’s behavior and report of any incidences to the relevant authorities. Results of a psychological testing are very delicate. Sharing the results with parents should be precise and free of medical terms. They should be advised on how to treat the child and understand the condition at hand. They should know how to observe any behavioral changes and monitor the progress of the child. 1. Instructional strategies Cooperative learning involves organizing classroom activities into academic and social learning experiences. This strategy may be implemented by organizing debates on academic and social platforms. The learning environment will have a twist of fun but yet educative. Project based learning teaches students on how to explore real world challenges and problems. This can be made possible by organizing excursions and educative trips. This would help the learners to have a practical view of what they learnt in class. 2. Culturally responsive teaching involves teaching in a manner that is sensitive to the differences in culture of the students. Learners have differences in culture and this greatly affects learner’s success. Being sensitive in choice of language would be an effective strategy in implementing culturally responsive teaching. Contextualized learning involves students understanding new knowledge in their own way so as to obtain and retain the knowledge. Creating acronyms is an example of this king of learning. By creating such acronyms, new knowledge acquired can easily be understood better as opposed to the formal and technical words used in books. Reference Avery, E. F. (2003). Assessing student learning outcomes for information literacy instruction in academic institutions. Chicago: Association of College and Research Libraries. Armstrong, D. (2004). Experiences of Special Education: Re-Evaluating Policy and Practice through Life Stories. New York: RoutledgeFalmer. Armstrong, F. (2002) 'The historical development of special education: humanitarian rationality or "wild profusion of entangled events"?' History of Education, 31 (5). Beck, U. (1992) Risk Society: Towards a New Modernity. Mark Ritter, London: Sage. Berlau, J. (2001, June 4). Special Education for Everybody? Insight on the News, 17, 20. Fulcher, G. (1989) Disabling Policies: A Comparative Approach to Educational Policy and Disability, Lewes: Falmer Press. Gallagher, D. J. (1998). The Scientific Knowledge Base of Special Education: Do We Know What We Think We Know?. Exceptional Children, 64(4). Kauffman, J. M. (1999). Commentary: Today's Special Education and Its Messages for Tomorrow. Journal of Special Education, 32(4). Lipsky, D. K. & Gartner, A. (1996). Inclusion, school restructuring, and the remaking of American society. Harvard Educational Review, 66, 762-796. Mostert, M. P. (2004). A Response to Kauffman's the Devaluation of Special Education. Education & Treatment of Children, 27(4), 325+. Stough, L. M., & Palmer, D. J. (2003). Special Thinking in Special Settings: A Qualitative Study of Expert Special Educators. Journal of Special Education, 36(4), 206+. Read More