New Class Work
Professional Development: IEPs, Inclusion, and Team Teaching
Special educators need to understand how to include and engage general educators in the IEP process. They also need to have a firm understanding of the research behind inclusive classrooms for special education students, the benefits of inclusion settings, and their potential drawbacks.
Refer to the “Individualized Education Program (IEP) Blank Template” and the “New Your City Board of Education Individualized Education Program Blank Template” as needed to inform the topic assignment.
Create a 15-20 slide digital presentation for professional development for general education teachers on the topics of IEPs, inclusive classrooms, and team teaching.
Address the following within the presentation:
- Explain each major section of an IEP.
- Describe what an inclusive classroom setting looks like, and when it may be the most beneficial setting for students with disabilities; include specific examples of students with disabilities being appropriately placed in an inclusive setting.
- Describe three team teaching models; include benefits and drawbacks of each.
Include a title slide, reference slide, and presenter’s notes.
Your digital presentation should include graphics that are relevant to the content, visually appealing, and use space appropriately.
Use the IEP template examples to inform the assignment. Support your presentation with a minimum of three scholarly resources.
Resource Teacher Know How
A special education teacher in a resource setting has a very difficult job, meeting the needs of a variety of students and covering a multitude of subject matters in a single class period. Being able to properly structure your class and effectively manage class time will help you meet the needs of all students and not become overwhelmed. Adding a number of strategies and accommodations to your teaching repertoire will also increase your efficacy in the classroom.
For this assignment, take on the role of a first-year special education teacher who has been assigned to the resource room to work with students who are working at the ninth grade level for both English and math. You have about 10 students during this class period and an aide to assist you. Students meet with you for 50 minutes each day to get help with homework, finish their classwork, study for tests, and get extra support in each subject area. You will need to structure the class so that student needs in both subject areas will have time to be addressed.
Use the “Class Profile” to obtain specific information about the needs of your students.
Part 1: Teacher Inquiries
In 250-500 words compose a response for the following:
- Questions you would have about your teaching assignment before it begins, including any requests for additional information.
- Questions you would have for fellow teachers and administration.
- Information you would like to have before the end of the first week of school.
Provide a rationale for each inquiry. Cite both the “Class Profile” and an additional minimum of two outside scholarly resources in your responses.
Part 2: Classroom Environment
In 500-750 words compose a response for the following:
- Provide a minimum of three possible ways to structure the classroom setting.
- Provide a minimum of two possible ways to structure a class period.
- Provide a minimum of three instructional strategies, to include accommodations and/or assistive technology, to meet the curricular content needs of your students in both the English language arts and math classes.
- Provide two collaboration strategies to use when working with the classroom aide assisting you in meeting the needs of the students in the resource room setting.
Provide support for your responses, citing both the “Class Profile” and an additional minimum of two outside scholarly resources.
Modifying Lesson Plan
An essential part of being a special educator is writing and implementing IEPs and lesson plans associated with goals on IEPs. Due to legal requirements, special educators should understand the steps that go into planning effective lessons and appropriate accommodations for students with disabilities. Being able to translate IEP goals into learning objectives and accompanying lessons requires practice.
Review “Marcus Partial IEP and Lesson” to inform the assignment.
Upon reviewing the Present Level of Performance and the second grade literacy-based standards, create one academic goal specific to Marcus’ needs. Include this academic goal within the “Lesson Summary and Focus” section of the “COE Lesson Plan Template.”
Design a standards-based lesson plan, using the “COE Lesson Plan Template,” that modifies and extends skills taught in Marcus’ sample lesson plan and is aligned to his identified academic goal.
Write a 250-500 word rationale explaining your instructional choices, how your lesson extends the skills taught in the “Sample Lesson Plan” for Marcus, and how the lesson is appropriate for meeting Marcus’ academic goal. Discuss how elements of UDL will be incorporated to enhance Marcus’ learning.
ELA Lesson Plan and Rationale
Three of your students have specific learning disabilities in the area of reading; one has been diagnosed with ASD, and two have emotional and behavioral disorders which affect their academics in all areas. Two students have mild intellectual disabilities and one student is a speech and language impaired student who is struggling with reading.
One student was retained and is repeating fifth grade, and one is a new student whose records have not yet arrived, but reports this is his second time in fifth grade.
All of your students are decoding and comprehending at approximately a second to third grade reading level. All attend general education classes for at least part of the day. Eight of the nine students are males who show an interest in science and nonfiction texts, while your female student considers herself to be a fairy princess, she adores Disney, and she detests all the topics the other students love.
Review Appendix B of the Common Core Standards and select a fifth-grade exemplar informational text.
Using the “COE Lesson Plan Template,” create a lesson plan designed to meet the specific needs of the students in your class that enhances language development and communication skills, and incorporates:
- The chosen fifth grade exemplar informational text.
- A Common Core Standard or other state standard specific to informational text.
- Assistive technology within the lesson and the lesson’s summative assessment.
In the “Rationale/Reflections” part of the lesson plan, write a 250-500 word rationale explaining your instructional choices. Be sure to address how the lesson enhances language development and communication skills. In addition, reflect upon how you would provide students feedback on formative assessments to prepare them for a summative assessment.
Benchmark – Case Study: PLAAFP and Annual Goals
Special educators must be proficient at more than simply teaching, planning, and addressing student concerns. A large portion of the special educator’s career will be spent creating, implementing, and reviewing IEPs in meetings with families and other professionals. Most educators find that the present level of academic and functional performance (PLAAFP) is the most essential part of the IEP because it paints a picture of the student and guides the goals, services, accommodations, and modifications within the rest of the IEP. Once a solid PLAAFP is written, then appropriate, measurable and observable goals for the student must be written.
Part 1: Present Level of Academic Achievement and Functional Performance (PLAAFP)
For this benchmark assignment, you will use the “Ana Case Study” to write a 250-500 word PLAAFP.
Your PLAAFP should include:
- Student academic strengths
- Evaluations
- Performance in classes
- Potential influences of language, culture, and family background
- Strengths, preferences, and interests in nonacademic areas
- Any other relevant issues
Part 2: Annual Goals
Write two measurable academic goals and two measurable behavioral goals for Ana. Each goal should include:
- A specific, measurable skill/behavior to be achieved.
- A specific measurement tool or assessment strategy for measuring performance on the goal.
Part 3: Rationale
Provide a 500-750 word rationale that clearly defends how each annual goal, assessment tool or strategy, and action steps are appropriate for Ana, based on the information and data in the PLAAFP.
In addition, using the “College of Education Professional Dispositions of Learners,” identify a disposition that you, as a special education teacher, would want to especially demonstrate with Ana and her family. Explain how this disposition would assist you in incorporating Ana’s language, culture, and family background into planning and delivering instruction that meets Ana’s academic and social-emotional development needs. In addition, what steps would you recommend to Ana, her family, and the IEP team for Ana to accomplish her goals?
Prepare this assignment according to the guidelines found in the APA Style Guide, located in the Student Success Center. An abstract is not required.
Required Components of Transition
All special educators who teach secondary students will be required to create transition plans that are meaningful and appropriate for the student. Transition plans go one step further than the IEP by adding specific goals and services that will help the student be successful after graduation in future education and training, in the community, and/or in the work force. Being able to write an effective transition plan is a legal requirement for high school special education teachers.
Create a 10-15 slide digital presentation for school faculty and staff that explains the components and legal requirements of transition planning under IDEA.
Address the following within your presentation:
- Describe each of the required components of a transition plan according to IDEA.
- Complete a transition plan for Alex using the data provided in the “Case Scenario: Alex,” sharing each transition plan component as an example.
- Describe 2-3 strategies that promote successful transitions for students with disabilities.
- Identify 2-3 collaboration strategies that are useful when working with students, families, and IEP teams to create transition plans for students with disabilities.
- Include a title slide, reference slide, and presenter notes.
The digital presentation should include graphics that are relevant to the content, visually appealing, and use space appropriately.
Support your findings with 3-5 scholarly resources.