Naomi Lara
Dr. Robinson
GED 500
Summer 2015
Paper #1: FBP Qualitative Reconstruction
Foreshadowed Problem
The purpose of the research was to determine the effects on student perception and progress if general education teachers and special education teachers were given training and resources to develop more meaningful frameworks for collaboration. In order to more equitably serve students in special education general education teachers will need opportunities to gain a deeper understanding of information contained in an IEP and be better equipped to provide prevention and intervention strategies that will support all learners in reaching their academic and behavioral potential.
Introduction and Background of the Study
Throughout my
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As a result of the shift, resource specialist teachers were now employed by OFL and under the direct supervision of the principal. After sitting in as assistant principal on several IEP meetings, it was clear that general education teachers did not have a deep understanding of the goals and objectives written in their student’s IEPs indicating little to no collaboration occurring between general and special education staff. The research focus then shifted to trying to determine the overall knowledge and comfort level of general education teachers when reading and understanding IEP goals and monitoring and communicating progress towards those goals. Another research goal was to gain a deeper understanding of what skills general education and special education teachers needed to develop in order to build a truly collaborative culture that enhances student success.
My actual field based project research was quantitative in nature. This paper discusses the process as well as outlines what I would do differently to conduct the same project through qualitative research methods.
Demographics
Opportunities For Learning Public Charter Schools is an independent study program that serves students in 7th through 12th grade, with schools located throughout California and in multiple states. This study was conducted in the Long Beach/Capistrano Region of OFL. The
By implementing this idea in Area Two schools to support special education students, we will create a more data driven approach to increasing student achievement. By following this idea the team will also do a better job of implementing professional development and mentorships that greatly increase teacher effectiveness. The idea will also increase understanding of the diversity of the schools and promote community involvement by establishing more open communication with the parents and the community to support their students’ needs. The leadership teams will work together to set goals and objectives to support achievement in all grade levels. They will develop a framework for good communication between teachers and leaders so there is
It was with wild fanfare that the state’s Republican legislature and Republican Governor enacted their reforms for the state’s public school system. Among the panaceas was charter schools, a ‘90s education fad that gives individual parents the right to send their children to state-approved public charter schools at public expense. Politicians reasoned that less-bureaucratic charter schools would teach students better than traditional public schools because charter schools wouldn’t be subject to the same mandates that the state had heaped upon public schools. Furthermore, traditional schools would be forced to compete with charter schools as they lured thousands
The first day of school is a rite of passage for most children. The step from home or day care to school is huge: they are a big kid now. However, sometimes the local Public School, especially in rural or economically challenged areas, can be an uncertain, questionable and scary place, and yet parents are expected to entrust them with their five or six year old child. Some years ago, when my daughter was ready to enter school, she and I had just such an experience, and we began to seriously search for an alternative school for her to attend. What we discovered was a Charter School: a possible solution for parents, enabling them to take more control of their child’s education. For my daughter and
Special education teachers no longer may identify themselves as teachers of just a specific category of students. Rather, they must identify themselves as teachers of all students and be willing to provide whatever support is needed to meet the varied needs of students. Likewise, students should not be identified as self-contained or resource, but as students needing specialized instruction and supports for specific skills/subject areas for specific amounts of time in either a special education setting or a general education setting.
Public education has had a negative effect on students; it’s often because of the bigger class sizes, poor test scores, and high crime in the surrounding areas. Public schools need to revise their system to determine what’s the best fit for their student’s educational needs. All children who live in a school district have a right to attend a district school. Many parents would like more options and opportunities for their child, and would like to be involved in their child’s education. Charter schools are part of the answer for a better educational choice for children’s academic achievement. Charter schools have many successful methods and continue to pave the way for children’s education needs .
Beakstead, personal communication, October 31, 2013). Alternately, another student’s area of concentration might be based solely on independent living skills at home or with caretakers, and less focused on academic goals. As the goals are implemented by the special education team the student’s achievements can be evaluated daily, weekly, or monthly and in independent and group settings until mastery of the IEP goal is achieved, and where the learning goals of the IEP are age and skill level appropriate and address the future needs of the student. Additionally, these experiences encourage opportunities to practice new knowledge and skills, where teacher-directed and student feedback is available, and where instructional practice and student expectations can be reflected on and adjusted if necessary (Johnson-Gerard, 2012).
Charter schools are unique public schools that is allowed the freedom to be more innovative while being held accountable for advancing student achievement. These charter schools are not private schools, they do not charge for tuition and they are open to all children within specific boundaries. Research has demonstrated that charter schools make picks up in the urban community with students who have veritably been undeserved by traditional state funded schools. Charter schools outscored their traditional school peers in 25 of the 41 cities in math, and 23 of the 42 cities in reading. On average, charter schools had no significant impacts on student’s achievement. Charter schools help enhance student learning, empower the utilization of new and imaginative educating strategies, and give schools an approach to move from a lead based to an execution based arrangement of responsibility. Public schools are like charter schools except for the freedom that a charter school has. And private school is based on tuition and that is funded by charities and tax holders in that community.
In 1991 the Public Law 94-142, the Education for All Handicapped Children Act was replaced by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. This law was passed to provide free and appropriate public education to every child with a disability. It requires that each child with a disability “have access to the program best suited to that child’s special needs which is as close as possible to a normal child’s educational program” (Martin, 1978). The Individualized education program (IEP) was developed to help provide a written record of students’ needs and procedures for each child that receives special education services. The IEP will list all the services to be provided, the student's performance level, academic performance, and
Charter schools have an interesting history with origins that are most often overlooked. Since the enactment of the first charter school legislation in Minnesota in 1991, charter schools have grown rapidly to over 6,000 in forty-two (42) states and the District of Columbia (Karp & Heitner, 2013; CREDO, 2013). Originally, charter schools were teacher-operated schools serving students struggling inside the traditional system (Karp & Heitner, 2013). Accordingly, charter schools were established to operate outside the reach of administrative bureaucracy and politicization among many city school boards (Karp & Heitner, 2013).
Charter schools are a relatively new concept for education in the United States. Originally, states created charter schools through legislation in Minnesota in 1991 (Raymond). The schools gained in popularity as more states began passing laws to allow their creation. By 2012, 41 states have charter schools, and they educated over two million students (Sanchez). Regardless of a person’s opinion about these institutions, they undoubtedly have a large impact on education in the United States. In recent years, the number of charter schools has risen astronomically. Between 2003 and 2013, these schools increased from 3000 to 6500 (“Fast
Collaboration in the world of education has become an increasingly popular method of addressing a variety of school issues, such as curriculum design, behavioral plans, professional development and management of resources. One of the areas in which collaboration is becoming more popular is co-teaching in special education, where special education teachers and general education teachers share the planning and instruction responsibilities for inclusion classrooms (Friend & Cook, 2010). As academic standards for the education of students with disabilities are held to the same standards as their typical peers due to the No Child Left Behind Act and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, the co-teaching model has been increasingly
The purpose of the study by Carter, Prater, Jackson, & Marchant (2009) was to describe teachers’ perceptions of collaborative planning processes when using the model developed by Prater to plan adaptations and accommodations for special needs students. Prater developed the curriculum, rules, instruction, materials, environment (CRIME) collaboration model. The four steps of the CRIME process are to (a) evaluate the curriculum, rules, instruction, materials, and environment of the general education classroom; (b) list the student’s learning and behavioral strengths and limitations; (c) compare the environment of the classroom with the student’s profile to identify learning facilitators and barriers; (d)
The special education teacher interviewed, showed me that she uses the teaching/individual goals related to each student’s IEP. The teacher always tries to excel and reach the needs to relate
Many charter schools are known for their rigorous programs that challenge students to fulfill specific requirements that are different from traditional schools. Charter schools also value the idea of cultivating students with a talent for arts, technology or music (Chen). Institutions such as charter schools may be viewed as open or loosely constructed based on the unique guidelines displayed in each school’s charter, but in reality this is untrue because the individuality of each charter is what allows each student to excel based on the personalization and attention given to every single student who attends. A charter school has the potential to reach out into the community and help children who are not able to fit in at a traditional public school and it may allow the student to learn from a new perspective. Any child is allowed to apply to a charter school and they are admitted on a first-come, first served basis or through a lottery. The decision is not made on race or sex of the child and there is a fair chance for every student. A charter school is a great alternative to private school because there is no tuition fee at a charter school which is run by the state. Operators of the charter schools are able to provide children with a school that will create new and improved services which are lacking in the public school districts (“Charter School FAQ”). A charter school can also help
Only two of the 24 students being served in the researcher’s rural school district could explain when and why they were placed in the special education program, the purpose of the IEP meeting, and accommodations available to help them succeed. These same two students were the only two to attend their annual IEP meeting. When asked by the researcher why the students did not attend the IEP annual meeting the most common response was, “They don’t need me.”