Changes in legalisation have affected the work of teachers by creating three new expectations.
These expectations are:
1. To provide alternative methods of assessment for students with disabilities.
2. To arrange a learning environment that is as normal or as ‘least restrictive’ as possible.
3. To participate in creating individual educational plans for students with disabilities.
Expectation 1: Provide Alternative Assessments
In the context of students with disabilities, assessment refers to gathering information about a student in order to identify the strengths of the student and to decide what special educational support, if any, the student needs.
In principle, of course, these are tasks that teachers have for all students. Assessment is a major reason why teachers give tests and assignments, for example, and why they listen carefully to the quality of students’ comments during class discussions.
For students with disabilities, however, such traditional or conventional strategies of assessment as tests and assignments, often seriously underestimate the students’ competence (Koretz & Barton, 2003/2004; Pullin, 2005).
Depending on the disability, a student may have trouble with:
• Holding a pencil
• Hearing a question clearly
• Focusing on a picture
• Marking an answer in time even when he or she knows the answer
• Concentrating on a task in the presence of other people
• Answering a question at the pace needed by the rest of the class
Traditionally, teachers have assumed that all students either have these skills or can learn them with just modest amounts of coaching, encouragement and will power. For many other students, for example, it may be enough to say something like: “Remember to listen to the question carefully!” For students with disabilities, however, a comment like this may not work and may even be insensitive. A student with visual impairment does not need to be reminded to “look closely at what I am writing on the board”. Doing so will not cause the student to see the chalkboard more clearly, though the reminder might increase the student’s anxiety and self-consciousness.
There are a number of strategies for modifying assessments in ways that attempt to be fair and that at the same time recognise how busy teachers usually are.
These strategies include:
1. Supplementing conventional assignments or tests with portfolios. A portfolio is a collection of a student’s work that demonstrates a student’s development over time. It usually includes some sort of reflective or evaluative comments from the student, the teacher, or both (Carothers & Taylor, 2003; Wesson & King, 1996).
2. Devising a system for observing the student regularly and informally recording notes about the observations for later consideration and assessment.
3. Recruiting help from teacher assistants who are sometimes present to help a student with a disability; an assistant can often conduct a brief test or activity with the student and later report on and discuss the results with the classroom teacher.
Expectation 2: Arrange a Least Restrictive Environment
A ‘least restrictive environment’ is defined as the combination of settings that involve the student with regular classrooms and school programs as much as possible. The precise combination is determined by the circumstances of a particular school and of the student.
Examples:
A young child with a mild cognitive disability may spend the majority of time in a regular classroom, working alongside and playing with non-disabled classmates and relying on a teacher assistant for help where needed.
An individual with a similar disability in high school, however, might be assigned primarily to classes specially intended for slow learners, but nonetheless participate in some school-wide activities alongside non-disabled students.
The correct ‘least restrictive environment’ for each individual student will vary depending on the following types of factors:
• The severity of the disability
• The level of resources in a given school, e.g. number of teaching assistants
• The teacher’s perception of how difficult it is to modify the curriculum
Expectation 3: Create an Individual Education Plan
An individual education plan (IEP) should be created by a team of individuals who know the student’s strengths and needs.
The team should include:
• The classroom teacher
• The resource or special education teacher
• The student’s parents or guardians
• A school administrator e.g. a vice-principal
• Other external professionals depending on the disability, e.g. a psychologist, physician or speech therapist
An IEP can vary from student to student, but it usually includes the following core elements:
• The student’s current social and academic strengths
• The student’s current social or academic needs
• The educational goals or objectives for the student for the coming year
• Details about special services to be provided to the student
• Details about how progress will be assessed at the end of the year
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It is sometimes hard to modify certain assessments for the child as the government does not allow it. It is easier in years where there are not specific tests.
Technically how does it works I don't know but it is a very time consuming and lengthy process.Hope it would be working.
sometimes expectations become the hurdle in the process of teaching these kind of kids,but still it helps us to have a guideline.As I have just got into it.so I am finding all the information useful and effective.
good course
I understand from the text that existing regulations regarding disability and education affect the way that classrooms are organised and work taught. Does this also explain why the need for TA's has increased? In some schools in the UK TA's are favored and some they are frowned upon, I suppose that it depends on the needs of the children in the class
How does a teacher, on their own enable a child with SEN needs to develop and learn at their own pace within a mainsteam school setting?
i have read the notes for teacher's responsibilities for special education do assessments by supplementing conventional assignment using portfolios to collect student work which demonstrates their developement includes evaluative comments and recording comments. making notes with the with the help of teacher's assistant
The idea of inclusion is great and fair for the person with disability and create better people of the other kids that learn to accept the difference and to support other needs ( one of very important roles of school ), and at length a better society, but practically is difficult to incorporate everybody needs and rights in a over crowded classroom and under budget school system.
I'm looking at going into teaching young people with SEN in a pupil referral unit. Looking at the modules I can see that the course is going to be of great use.
Hi, I feel I have not put my work in a correct order there for. I need 2-3 hours to check all my answers from the Module Topic again. On the first days of August I did revision Modules. I did the topics, one by one. I want to keep in order my portfolio in my ring binder. I need to check and see that I have the required information of my printed notes. I would like to feel satisfied of all studies I do. This program is new to me. This is my first time of studying on line. I would like to get a good understanding of how this program is working. I would like to get a tutor with whom I may discuss what I done and if my answers are satisfied.