First schools have inclusion so most k12 instructors have students with some form of disability either physical , mental, medical or learning in there classes, whether it is established and known or not. Students are only removed from general instruction ,in Georgia, if it has been assessed through a SST that they need a very specialized setting and attention. Otherwise, students are "mainstreamed" and by law can not be placed into a separate classroom based on their academic skills or learning ability unless a specific testing has been done and SST tried repeatedly and failed. After this lengthy process another assessment will be reviewed and an IEP will be put in place and this plan will be worked and adjusted as necessary. Now, I didn't understand this until I read the legal precedents for this requirement. For legal purposes educators want to try everything before labeling students, moving them from mainstream classes and starting an IEP. Because by law education should be available to disabled students and at the least restrictive availability. Now this plan is very specific in all areas of learning as they relate to the student.
"According to Section 300.138 of the IDEA regulations, each state must demonstrate that children with disabilities are included in general state and districtwide assessment programs, with appropriate accommodations and modifications if necessary. States must also develop guidelines for the participation of children with disabilities in alternative assessments for those children who cannot participate in those state and districtwide assessment programs."
If these plans or so very detailed and help students who have documented disabilities. What does this do for the student whose disability hasn't been diagnosed or documented or for the student who has a documented disability and is still going through the SST program. They miss out on a tremendous area of learning that is not geared to them at all. Also, if the number of students which have specifically learning disabilities has jumped significantly in the last 6-7 years and we have inclusion then why isn't there more funding for all teachers to have training in special education for classroom instruction?
In my state I have noticed that more schools which specialize in educating students with disabilities have sprung up and those with established curricula have broadened their base or grown in enrollment and now with the state giving vouchers for IEP students to go to private schools enrollment has jumped significantly for these schools. I am still very concerned for the student whose parents do not know how to advocate on their behalf and circumnavigate the system to get their child the help that they need. What good is a program if it is not really available to all that need it. How are we helping students who need the services if we never know they need the services. For the parent who does not know that the law says that their child can not be "moved" from a regular class to a remediated class without a SST and eventually an IEP. I think all students deserve a true opportunity to achieve greatness and I believe that we should be teaching more from special education vantage point with our curricula than we do.
No comments:
Post a Comment