Parent and Family Presentation Presented by: Suzy Stidham

Agenda Hello and welcome parents and families! We are here today to inform you about exceptional learners and the educational direction within our school system.

We will cover some essential areas of interest. Also, we will discuss each acronym in depth and its meaning pertaining to your child or children.

•  IDEA

•  IEP

•  RTI

•  LRE

•  UDL

Individuals with Disabilities Act - IDEA IDEA – A landmark federal law that was passed in 1975: the Education for All Handicap Children Act, which was also known as PL 94-142* (Hallahan, Kauffman, Pullen, 2015). In 1990 this law was amended to become the Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA). In 1997 it was amended again and reauthorized in 2004 but the name has not changed. This federal law known as IDEA ensures that all children and youths with disabilities have the right to a free, appropriate public education (Hallahan, Kauffman, Pullen, 2015).

Major Provisions of IDEA

Each state and locality

must have a plan to ensure

Identification: Extensive efforts to screen and identify all children and youths with disabilities. FAPE: Free Appropriate Public Education. Ensures every student with a disability has an appropriate public education at no cost to the parents or guardian. Due Process: The rights of the parents and student to information and informed consent before the student is evaluated, labeled, or placed, and the right to an impartial due process hearing if they disagree with the school’s decisions. Parent/Guardian, Surrogate Consultation: The student’s parents (or guardian) are consulted about the student’s evaluation and placement and the educational plan; if the parents (or guardian) are unknown or unavailable, a surrogate must be found to act for the student. LRE: Least Restrictive Environment. The student is educated in the least restrictive environment consistent with his or her education needs and, insofar as possible, with students without disabilities. IEP: Individual Education Plan. A written individualized education program that is prepared for each student with a disability, including levels of functioning, long-term goals, extent to which the student with not participate in the general education classroom and curriculum, services to be provided, plans for initiating and evaluating the services, and needed transition services (from school to work or continued education.) Nondiscriminatory Evaluation: The student is evaluated in all areas of suspected disability and in a way that is not biased by his or her language or cultural characteristics or disabilities. Evaluation must be by a multidisciplinary team, and no single evaluation procedure can be used for the sole criterion for placement or planning. Confidentiality: The results of the evaluation and placement are kept confidential, though the student’s parents (or guardian) may have access to the records. Personnel Development, In-service: Training for teachers and other professional personnel, including in-service training for general education teachers, in meeting the needs of students with disabilities (Hallahan, Kauffman, Pullen, 2015).

Individualized Education Program (IEP) What is an IEP? The legal document that describes the educational services a student receives. IEPs vary greatly in format and detail from one child to another as well as schools (Hallahan, Kauffman, Pullen, 2015). Federal and state regulations don’t specify exactly how much detail must be included in an IEP, only that it must be a written statement developed in a meeting of a representative of the local school district, the teacher, the parents or guardian and (whenever appropriate) the child. Also, it must contain much information related to the technical requirements of IDEA in addition to the heart of the plan; its instructional components (Hallahan, Kauffman, Pullen, 2015). •  The student’s needs have been carefully assessed •  A team of professionals and the parents have worked

together to design a program of education to best meet the student’s needs.

•  Goals and objectives are stated clearly so that progress in reaching them can be evaluated.

RTI – Response to Intervention * What is RTI? * How does RTI work? * What is a multi-tiered model?

Response to intervention (RTI) refers to a students change (or lack of change) in academic performance or behavior as a result of instruction (Hallahan, Kauffman, Pullen, 2015). RTI is designed for use when making decisions in both general education and special education, creating a well-integrated system of instruction and intervention guided by child outcome data (National Center for Learning Disabilities, 2015). Response to Intervention (RTI) is a multi-tier approach to the early identification and support of students with learning and behavior needs (National Center for Learning Disabilities, 2015). •  First Tier: Universal screening to identify students who may

be at risk of academic failure. •  Second Tier: The student usually receives small group

instruction by a teacher or highly trained assistant three to four times a week with a research validated program.

•  Third Tier: Includes more intensive intervention provided by a special educator in an appropriate placement to be determined by the student’s individualized education program (IEP.)

More on RTI –Response to Intervention Teachers or school psychologists use screening instruments to identify those students who may be at risk for school failure. Progress monitoring assessments are frequent, quick and easy measures that teachers administer at regular intervals and provide information on whether a student is learning as expected. Curriculum –based measurement (CBM) is a common form – it involves student responses to their usual instructional materials (Hallahan, Kauffman, Pullen, 2015).

Even though RTI isn’t a special education program, it can help general education teachers pick up on early signs of learning issues. It can also play an important role in helping schools determine who qualifies for special education services (Morin, 2014).

The hallmarks of effective home-school collaboration include open communication and involvement of parents in all stages of the learning process. Being informed about your school's RTI process is the first step to becoming an active partner (National Association of School Psychologists, 2006).

1.  How do teachers track student progress? 2. How is RTI related to Special education? 3.  How can parents be involved in the RTI process?

Least Restrictive Environment (LRE) Least Restrictive Environment – The law states, “To the maximum extent appropriate, children with disabilities, including children in public or private institutions or other care facilities, are educated with children who are not disabled, and special classes, separate schooling, or other removal of children with disabilities from the regular educational environment occurs only when the nature or severity of the disability of a child is such that education in regular classes with the use of supplementary aids and services cannot be achieved satisfactorily” (Goldberg, 2010).

•  In essence, it means that the student with the disability should have the opportunity to be educated with their peers whom are not disabled.

•  Also, the student’s life should be as normal as possible.

Least Restrictive Environment - LRE (2) Educators often use the term inclusion to describe teaching students with disabilities in the same environment as their age peers who do not have disabilities.

Schools, ours included, generally use four methods to help students with disabilities participate in the general education classroom.

1.  Collaborative consultation

2.  Co-Teaching and other team arrangements

3.  Curricula and instructional strategies

4.  Accommodations and adaptations (Hallahan, Kauffman, Pullen, 2015).

Universal Design for Learning (UDL) This serves as the general purpose of making learning accessible to more students in inclusionary programs (Hallahan, Kauffman, Pullen, 2015). The idea is that with modifications of representation (materials) expression (methods of communication), and engagement (how students respond to curriculum), teachers can include a much wider range of students in a typical classroom (Hallahan, Kauffman, Pullen, 2015). Individuals bring a huge variety of skills, needs, and interests to learning. Neuroscience reveals that these differences are as varied and unique as our DNA or fingerprints (National Center on Universal Design for Learning, 2014). Section508 of the Rehabilitation Act requires that all federal agencies must ensure equal access by those with and without disabilities to new electronic and information technology as well as information and services (Hallahan, Kauffman, Pullen, 2015). Meaning, as educators, we may use assistive devices for students with exceptional needs.

•  What purpose does it serve?

•  How does it help students with disabilities?

Who can you contact for additional support?

Other avenues to consider •  A school psychologist and/or an

occupational therapist; •  A speech and language

pathologist (sometimes called a speech therapist);

•  A physical therapist and/or adaptive physical education therapist or teacher;

•  A medical specialist; and others

•  Indiana Department of Education www.doe.in.gov/specialed •  National Center for Learning disabilities www.ncld.org •  Learning Disabilities Association of America www.ldaamerica.org

Conclusion This concludes our presentation. Thank you all so much, for coming tonight and exhibiting your interest in learning about the many different options and help available for exceptional learners and you, their parent or guardian. Hopefully, this presentation helped clarify any misconceptions or questions you may have had. I truly believe that all students with exceptional needs or without, learn in a variety of ways. If you have further questions or clarifications please feel free to contact me or our administration at anytime during normal school hours.

Reflection

The topics I chose were primarily ones that I have encountered thus far during my path into becoming an educator. I know this will change as I grow as a student and eventually a teacher. Most of the topics I have selected to highlight seem to be consistent in most of the suburban and or urban school settings. Although any topic with exceptional learning is important, IEPs and RTI seem to impact me more as a learning student/teacher. IDEA was brought up in my special education observations recently as well. I wanted to also choose something I had some knowledge from prior experience. As previously stated, I know this will change as I start to directly come in contact with most of the special education and or exceptional learner topics.

References Fitch, S. (2014, May 6). Retrieved from http://susanfitchdesign.blogspot.com/2014/05/news-and-new-illustrations.html Forsythe, G. (2015). UDL. Retrieved from https://www.pinterest.com/pin/65302263321516232/ Goldberg, D. (2010, May). Least Restrictive Environment (Legal, Judicial and Practical meaning) | Special Education & IEP Advisor. Retrieved from http://www.specialeducationadvisor.com/least-restrictive-environment-legal-judicial-and-practical-meaning/ Hallahan, D. P., Kauffman, J. M., & Pullen, P. C. (2015). Exceptional learners: An introduction to special education. Indiana Department of Education. (2015, October). Office of Special Education | IDOE. Retrieved from http://www.doe.in.gov/specialed Learning Disabilities Association of America. (2015, October). Support and Resources for Parents. Retrieved from http://ldaamerica.org/parents/ Morin, A. (2014, July 11). Understanding Response to Intervention | What Is RTI? - Understood. Retrieved from https://www.understood.org/en/school-learning/special-services/rti/understanding-response-to-intervention National Association of School Psychologists. (2006). RTI: A Primer for Parents. Retrieved from http://www.nasponline.org/resources/factsheets/rtiprimer.aspx National Center for Learning Disabilities. (2015, September). What is Response to Intervention (RTI)? | RTI Action Network. Retrieved from http://www.rtinetwork.org/learn/what/whatisrti National Center on Universal Design for Learning. (2014, July 31). What is Universal Design for Learning | National Center On Universal Design for Learning. Retrieved from http://www.udlcenter.org/aboutudl/whatisudl NYC Department of Education. (2015, October). - Least Restrictive Environment - New York City Department of Education. Retrieved from http://schools.nyc.gov/Academics/SpecialEducation/programs/environment/default.htm ScootPad. (2015). RTI. Retrieved from https://scootpad.uservoice.com/knowledgebase/articles/226152-how-to-use-scootpad-as-a-tool-to-facilitate-rti Special Education Resource. (2015). Retrieved from http://specialeducationresource.whoknowsaguy.com/resource-center/7-steps-iep-process