Robert+Eugene+DeRosa

//  __** Procedures and Protocols To Be Followed By Teachers When a Change in Program Is Being Considered For Special Education Students. **__ //

Before we proceed you will need to familiarize yourself with IDEA and the ramifications your school district can face should you not achieve parental consent to inact or change a classified student's program. Click on the link below: http://www.nj.gov/education/specialed/idea/reauth/6a14GuidanceElectronic.pdf
 * Please pay particular attention to the //Parental Consent// section on page 2 of the file.

To see what programs our school offers, our philosophy on special education, as well as parental rights, click on the link below: http://www.montclair.k12.nj.us/WebPage.aspx?Id=26


 * WHEN PARENTS REQUEST A CHANGE IN THEIR CHILD'S PROGRAM HERE IS WHAT YOU SHOULD DO:**
 * First - Administer a Wide Range Achievment Test (WRAT) to find the grade level at which the student is performing. See your CST for copies of the WRAT.
 * Second - Interview the student to see if this is a move which they are comfortable and open to. Remember, you will be sending this student into another classroom where they may not have friends. This may often cause a student to feel uncomfortable. However, it should not be weighed heavily when making a decision such as adding them to an inclusion classroom. You are trying to acertain whether the student is comfortable with the increase of work and higher expectations.
 * Third - Interview the parent. If the parent wants the school to commit to a more rigourous program then the parent(s) must increase their particiapation as well. This student will require additional help at home with homework, projects, and test and quiz preperation. Make sure the parent(s) understand this aspect as it is paramount.
 * Fourth - Interview the inclusion teacher(s). This is more of an opportunity to prepare and advise the inclusion teacher on the study and behavior habits of the special needs student. Next aquire a work sample from their classroom and see if the candidate for the inclusion class can attend to and complete such assignment.
 * Lastly, have the student complete a writing assignment which details their self esteem, their sentiment toward school work and their homelife. This will corroberate or refute what the student has previously indicated in their interview as well as determine if their writing ability is strong enough to complete grade level assignments.



Next, bring the above listed information to your Child Study Team (CST) for scoring and review. They will schedule a meeting which is mutually conveient for all parties to attend. During this meeting a decision will be made with respect to the student's program. It is during this meeting that you (the teacher) must convey to the CST and the parents your sentiments on a change in program. It can be intimidating to sit across from a parent(s) and tell them that their son or daughter is not ready for an increased workload. However, a student who is thrust into an enviornment for which they are not prepared can cause an unnecesserry regression in their education.

SCORING GUIDE FOR CHANGE OF PROGRAM Next compile the WRAT score with all of your interviews, as well as the students writing sample and score them utilizing the rubric provided below to see if a student is ready to matriculate into an inclusion class.

REMEMBER TO BE SENSITIVE AND EMPATHETIC WHEN TALKING TO PARENTS. Seek first to understand the parent from the parent's point of view. Though joyful, parenting is also stressful at times. Parents of children with special needs may experience increased stress. These stressors are caused by:
 * //__Section 2__//**
 * Concern or sometimes grief for the child and the child's future.
 * Desire that others will accept, care for and appreciate the child.
 * Increased challenges to relationships among spouses, partner, siblings, and other family members.
 * Financial stress from increased bills and forced time off work.
 * Increased time to schedule health or special education appointments for the child.
 * Extra work to assure the child's needs are met.
 * Lack of time to meet responsibilities.
 * Lack of individual or personal time.

Click on the link below which is sponsored by the Center For Children With Special Needs of Washington State. It is a great resource for all teachers to review as conversations dealing with student placement and classification can often be difficult and uncomfortable. This web site will provide you with strategies about what you should say to a parent during the IEP process. http://www.cshcn.org/resources/TalkingwithParents.cfm

Are we pushing children too hard? Children with special needs must have down time to enjoy other activites especially when they are at home. For a special needs student to be successful in the inclusion classroom they will have to allocate more time at home completing homework, projects, and studying to maintain the pace of the class. Is this fair that this student may not have the time in their day to enjoy extra curricular activities? Here is what Psychology Today has to say about this subject: http://www.psychologytoday.com/articles/pto-2613.html

__OTHER IMPORTANT THINGS TO CONSIDER:__
 * //__Section 3__//**

When I was a novice teacher I was fortunate enough to hear Rick Lavoie speak during a workshop. That was the day I learned how to teach special education. I thought I knew previously, but I was wrong. I have found his tips on equality in a special education classroom invaluable and hope you do as well. When making a decision on student placement and all parties (Special Education Teacher, Inclusion Teacher, The Child Study Team, The Parents, and most importantly The Student) agree that inclusion is the best placement, the next thing to do is have the above listed parties watch the following video clip. Here, Rick Lavioe details what fairness should look like in a mainstream classroom. It is imperative that all parties agree with this message for the inclusion model to work. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9TYjYsouroY&feature=related
 * //To Be Fair We Have To Treat Them Differently//**

** Richard Lavoie, M.A., M.Ed. **

Click on this link to learn more about Rick and what he is up to. http://www.ricklavoie.com/gateindex.html

Tips For New Inclusion Teachers Inclusion teaching is the new buzz word in special education. More and more schools are moving away from separate full-time classrooms for special education students. Many students on the higher spectrum of the special needs scales have benefitted from being included in a regular education classroom, thus the name inclusion teaching. But being an inclusion teacher is a totally different area of teaching, with very few teacher education programs or courses to prepare new teachers for their role. Often times, it is an on-the-job training experience. Following are a few tips that will hopefully make life easier for new inclusion teachers. http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1147490/tips_for_new_inclusion_teachers.html

Inclusion At Work In An Elementary School Watch this brief but important video which highlights a boy's success as he attends an inclusion classroom. You will hear the school's and the parents' points of view. Both are on the same page; this is what you are striving toward. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ji3R30PT1PQ&feature=related

Thank you for reading this WIKI page. I hope it helps you better educate the precious students with whom we have the priviledge to work. The Josh Groban song "You Raise Me up" provides me with inspiration and motivation. It is my hope that you listen to and think about your students as the song plays. Click the link below and think of the possibilities. You are responsible for //rasing these children up// so they can achieve anything and everything they hope for. Best of luck!!

Regards,

Robert DeRosa

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jkZ6SmvXOEY YOU RAISE ME UP

When I am down and, oh my soul, so weary When troubles come and my heart burdened be Then, I am still and wait here in the silence, Until you come and sit awhile with me.

You raise me up, so I can stand on mountains You raise me up, to walk on stormy seas I am strong, when I am on your shoulders You raise me up to more than I can be.

You raise me up, so I can stand on mountains You raise me up, to walk on stormy seas I am strong, when I am on your shoulders You raise me up to more than I can be.

You raise me up, so I can stand on mountains You raise me up, to walk on stormy seas And I am strong, when I am on your shoulders You raise me up to more than I can be.

You raise me up to more than I can be.