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Therightsofstudentswithdisabilitiesmustbehonored—butitcanbeatoughbalancingactwhenbehavior impacts the classroom. By Caralee Adams

Ten-year-old Bill Hutchison is in the fourth grade inDickerson, Maryland. He has three brothers and sis-ters. He likes to watch theDisney channel. He enjoysplaying his toy electric guitar.

And this past February, his elementaryschool asked a judge to issue an orderkeeping him out of the classroom.

According to court records, Bill—whohas Down syndrome and ADHD—has bitten, struck, tripped, and attempted tostrangle teachers and other staff mem-bers at his school, Monocacy Elementary,in the past year. After these incidents,Frederick County Public School officialstook an unusual step: They applied for a10-day restraining order to prevent

WHEN IS “CHALLENGING BEHAVIOR” TOO MUCH?

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the boy from entering the school. Court action was not his teachers’ or

the school district’s first course of action.The decision turned upon the conflictbetween the school and Bill’s parentsabout whether inclusion was working.School officials say no. They believe Billwould be better served in a special educa-tion school. Bill’s parents, Michelle andWilliam Hutchison, want their son to stayat Monocacy with a new behavior planthat plays on Bill’s strengths.

While officials cannot comment on a

case that is still before the courts, Pam Pencola, director of special educa-tion and psychological services inFrederick County says, “it’s very rarethat students are not able to have theirneeds met in an inclusive environment.We believe in providing a safe learning environment for all students and we’rehighly successful in most cases.”

The Monocacy Elementary case high-lights the delicate balance that teachersand schools must strike as they ensurethe rights of students with disabilities to

learn in the least restrictive environmentwhile maintaining the learning communi-ty for the school as a whole. The issue isof growing concern, as more studentswith serious behavior issues are beingplaced in mainstream classrooms.

Many Children Have BenefitedTeachers and experts suggest that inclu-sion works best with the right supportsin place: a school-wide emphasis onpositive discipline, proper training, ade-quate funding, support in the classroom,and strong communication. Above all,shaping the behavior of all childrenrather than policing misdeeds can set thegroundwork for successful inclusion.

Although disputes such as the one at Monocacy Elementary grab the head-lines, inclusion has been a success formost. “The lawsuits, in the scheme ofthings, are few in number when you lookat the millions who have benefited fromthese laws,” says David Riley, executivedirector of the Urban Special EducationLeadership Collaborative in Newton,Massachusetts. “This is challenging andculturally, we have a long ways to go.”

Jonathan McIntire, a director ofExceptional Student Services forOrlando, Florida schools, agrees. “It’sassumed that a lot of these kids are badguys, but often the behavior is a manifes-tation of their disability.” Schools withsafety issues for children with disabili-ties often lack knowledge and resources,he says.

The Challenge of InclusionWhile most teachers and experts support the goal of inclusion, many areincreasingly pushing for modifications, or “responsible inclusion”—especiallywhen faced with aggressive or violentkids. “Special education has been its ownworst enemy,” says Ron Nelson, associ-ate professor and co-director of the cen-ter for At-Risk Children’s Services at theUniversity of Nebraska in Lincoln. “Wehave pushed for inclusion, even thoughwe don’t know how to make it work.”

Some kids’ mental health needs arebeyond what a general education schoolcan deliver, says Nelson. “Schools have

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You have to assume all kids are competent andgood,” says the Orlando director of Exceptional StudentServices. “Get rid of the labels and see the child as a child.”“

TO COME

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become the de facto mental healthprovider for children yet they are not setup for that.” Through implementing apositive behavior model that emphasizesroutines, clear expectations and propersupervision, most kids can be successful,says Nelson. But not all.

Diane Connell, professor of special edu-cation at Rivier College in Nashua, NewHampshire, agrees. Full inclusion isn’talways the way to go, she says. While nor-malization is important, placing kids withdisabilities in general education settingsmay not be in the best interest of thechild when the classroom is not set up tomeet the child’s special needs. “Studentneeds should take priority,” she says.

Phil Hatlen, superintendent for theTexas School for the Blind and VisuallyImpaired in Austin, says he has an aver-sion to total inclusion because it is a“one-size-fits-all” approach to educationthat doesn’t take into account thediverse population of children withvision impairments.

“Responsible inclusion means thechild goes into regular classroom withthe skills needed to participate,” he says.

A Teacher’s PerspectivePat Curtenbach is a teacher who knowshow to develop those skills in the class-room. At Elliott Elementary School inLincoln, Nebraska, five out of the 17 students in her fourth-grade classroomhave special needs. Communication withthe previous year’s teachers and a strongspecial education team helps her managethe students’ varying needs, from behav-ior disorders to learning disabilities toone who uses a wheelchair. While her 35years as a teacher equips Curtenbach tohandle her classroom’s diversity, it is alot for younger teachers to process andmore training is needed, she says.

To keep behavior problems at bay,Curtenbach tailors her approach to thechild’s disability. For instance, for a stu-dent who is very concrete in his think-ing, she will give him five tickets at thebeginning of the day and when he is noton task, she asks for a ticket.

Being proactive with discipline poli-cies has helped the school maintain a

safe environment. “We respond clearlyand swiftly to kids who aren’t safe,” she says. “If you are throwing things or hitting, it’s immediately dealt with.”

Students are told that being treatedfairly doesn’t mean that everyone istreated the same. So when students aredisciplined differently because theirbehavior is a result of their disability, it is not an issue, she adds.

Creating a Safe EnvironmentBesides modeling, what can teachers doto create a successful, safe environmentfor all students? Plenty, say experts.n SET CLEAR POLICIES. Many problemsare preventable with a strong schoolcommunity that emphasizes positive discipline, says Ron Nelson. Work withadministrators and colleagues to setclear expectations and routines thateveryone understands. Anticipate prob-lem areas, such as line-up or lunchtime,and make sure there is adequate supervi-sion. Have consistent consequences for

inappropriate behavior and promote positive behavior. Research shows thatdiscipline policies that reinforce goodbehavior are much more effective thanpunitive models, adds Riley. And commu-nication is everything. n ADOPT THE RIGHT ATTITUDE. Too often,teachers and other staff members under-estimate the ability of students with emo-tional issues. “You have to assume all kidsare competent and good,” says Florida’sMcIntire. “When you hear the termsautism or emotional disability, some peo-ple have stereotypes they hold on to thatmight not be accurate. Get rid of thelabels and see the child as a child.”n HAVE INFORMATION AT HAND. McIntiresays that sometimes kids with behavioralissues transfer from one school to anoth-er and parents want them to have a“fresh start.” So they don’t tell the staffabout the child’s challenges. Then thechild doesn’t get the needed support and ends up acting out aggressively.

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“The best thing is to demand access tostudent files quickly and get informationfrom the previous educator who hadexpertise on what did or didn’t work,”says McIntire. There is an assumptionthat there is an efficient exchange ofinformation, but in fact the level of com-munication varies from case to case.n KEEP EVERYONE IN THE LOOP. “Make sure everyone who works withthe child is included in decisions,” saysSue Masterson, a principal in Janesville,Wisconsin, and president of the NationalAssociation of Elementary SchoolPrincipals. It’s crucial that the parentsagree with the plan and that they keepyou informed about the behavior chal-lenges of their child.

Nelson suggests that teachers need toidentify and address the child’s underly-ing problems. McIntire adds: “In mostcases, if you understand the nature of

the disability and the need of the childbecause of the disability, then you canstructure the situation so the child doesn’t behave poorly.”n HAVE A PLAN AND REVIEW IT. The teamthat knows and works with the studentshould develop a contingency plan forwhen aggressive behavior happens, saysRosemarie Young, a principal inLouisville, Kentucky, and past presidentof the NAESP. She advocates monthlyteam meetings to give progress reportsand discuss the roles in serving some ofthe most challenging students.

“Suspension and expulsion should beour last resorts,” says Skiba. “Schoolsshould have the right to remove childrenwho are dangerous to themselves or others. But it can be a crutch used in the absence of clear expectations, well-trained staff, school-wide rules, and preventive options.”n ASK FOR HELP. “Often the most diffi-cult kids are put with the best teachers

and that can ratchet up burnout,” saysLisa Thomas, assistant director of educa-tional issues at the American Federationof Teachers. Advocate for support per-sonnel, paraprofessionals, and teachermentors to assist yourself and other,more novice, teachers. n SEEK TRAINING. “The behaviors I seeare more challenging than in the pastand teachers need training,” saysMasterson. “They need to know how tode-escalate a potentially volatile situa-tion.” This means training on body pos-ture, choice of words, and more, she says.n WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS.

Today’s parents are more educated andequipped with information to lobby forthe rights of their children with disabili-ties. “When you deal with our children,you are dealing with our hearts. Schoolsneed to know that,” says Sherri Trapp,whose 12-year-old son Tyler is autistic.“Our children are just as special as allthe other kids.” nn

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seminars to prepare for his own job of evaluator.

PRINCIPAL INSIGHT #10:How do you view merit pay? Bob Cancro of Monmouth CountyAcademy says there’s no way to beobjective about merit pay, and that’s theproblem. “You can’t control who comesinto a classroom,” he explains. “How doyou equalize the roster and compare ateacher of AP calculus to a teacher whohas eight special education students?”

The hardest thing about merit pay,says Ron Landman of SwampscottMiddle School, is that education is a con-tinuum, and a second-grade teacher maybe reaping the benefits of what the childlearned the year before. How is it fairthat a teacher gets a bonus for that?

But Yvonne Chan is a fan of thesebonuses—to a point. She says VaughnNext Century Learning Center has a performance pay system, and from the

principal to the cafeteria workers, everyone takes part. The caveat is thatstaff members receive extra money forthe skills that they themselves demon-strate. “It’s not tied to student out-comes,” notes Chan, “and only a verysmall portion is even tied to school per-formance.” Merit pay aside, principalswish they could pay teachers moreacross the board, though many wouldalso like to ditch the tenure system.

PRINCIPAL INSIGHT #11:What do you do when a parentcomplains about a teacher?The first step in dealing with parentalcomplaints is usually to ask whether theparent has spoken to the teacher yet.Most principals want the two to meetbefore taking any action. Dr. YvonneChan does things a little differently,though. She says she’ll meet alone withthe parent to help him or her frame theissues so that they are less emotionallyfraught. She’ll investigate the problem,then meet with the teacher privately to

hear his or her side of things andrespond to the complaint. Finally, shebrings both parties together. She givesthem options as to how to proceed andlets them decide. “It’s my job to resolveproblems,” she says, “but I don’t believethere’s just one solution to anything.”

PRINCIPAL INSIGHT #12:What are your ultimate goals as principal? Raising student achievement, providing a safe and exciting learning environment,offering teachers all the resources possi-ble to teach students – these top the list of goals for most of our principals.But they also point to a ‘higher goal’, one that drives them and is the reasonmany went into education in the firstplace. “When I leave, of course I want to leave the school in better shape thanwhen I arrived,” explains Larry R. Barnes of Milford Elementary. “But what I really want is to have made a difference to students.” There’s some-thing you two have in common! nn

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