Marcus Petty
July 16, 2013
ADMS 625
Academic Expectations within a Collaborative Program
As the Principal, when I look over our current collaborative program, I feel we need to
make some adjustments in order to serve our students better. When thinking about a
collaborative program and how to achieve it at our school I started by digging in to my past
school experiences of what I saw when I attended secondary school. As a student in high
school I can remember going to see my football coach who taught students with different types
of disabilities. I remember going into his class and seeing student with a wide variety of needs.
It seemed to me that students were just jammed into his classroom with the hope of some
learning occurring. The special needs students were always separated from the main stream
students in all aspects of the building including activities and lunches. Due to the separation in
the school neither my classmates nor I got to know any of the students in those classes.
Another experience I pull from when designing a collaborative program is;
understanding what it is like through the eyes of my little brother who has learning disabilities.
As a high school student at the time I did not know what was the best thing to do in regard to
teaching special education, however I did feel concerned knowing my brother may end up in
one of those classes. I knew main stream students would not be around him therefore would
not get to know him. In some cases due to a lack of contact or relationship students would pick
on special education students because they were different from them. When I think of my
vision of a collaborative program for my school I keep these thoughts in mind. My vision is to
set up a school were all learners feel free to learn in the least restrictive environment as
possible. I want the school’s community to be one of caring nature and follow through when it
comes to accommodating the learning needs of our student body. I would like for all students
to interact with each other in order to foster teamwork and school spirit. Leaders in the
building will not only display this attitude daily but also provide learning opportunities for the
faculty and staff to become better and more informed with working with each other and with
information in regard to creating a collaborative environment.
Students with special needs will receive accommodations for their course work in the
least restrictive environment as possible. If necessary students may qualify for an aid in the
classroom if the data shows that is what is needed for their success. Teachers will receive
continually training on how to be more effective with choosing different activities and
assessments that may cater to students with different needs. Students that have a specific
learning disability, emotional disability, or a disability that is a result of a medical condition all
will be evaluated in partnership with their parents or guardian and will have an individual
education plan that will put them in the best position to be successful. Once a plan is in place
the students will receive periodic reviews that will insure they are being successful and will also
help identify areas were adjustments need to be made for greater achievement. Students that
fall in the ELL or Gifted category will have strong support programs in place and a well-qualified
faculty to support them. Teachers will use the counties curriculum to maximize their efforts in
helping students be successful in the ELL and Gifted programs. Teachers will receive additional
training on how to manage, choose activities, and pace a class of gifted students. Teachers will
encourage an academic passion for each student to maximize the learning experience. English
language learners will be immersed into the classroom and content. Take home resources
(websites) will be used to help students have support outside of school. Students who fall in
this category sometimes come from families who may need help with ELL as well. Parents will
also be given access to at home resources to foster extra practice at home. Parents will also be
invited to attend classroom activities at least four times a year to help teachers, students, and
parents in reaching the common goal of success for their child.
Main stream students in our building will engage in activities that will foster inclusion
and collaboration. Our schools will institute a lunch program were student volunteers will eat
lunch with a special needs student (SLD, ED, ELL, OHI, & Gifted) at least once a week. Special
needs students in some cases may be able to partner with other students in a study group
environment to help build community in the school as well as improve academic and social
success.
Leaders in the building will have the responsibility of foster a two way communication
system between the special education team and the teachers. The goal is to ensure every child
has the most effective data driven service in order to be successful. The leaders will also ensure
federal and state law requirements are met in regard to IEP’s. The Exceptional Education
Department Chair paired with an Administrator in addition will be responsible for insuring IEP’s
are written based on data as well as the teachers are implementing and documenting progress
of the IEP for each student. Teachers will be responsible for keeping academic and behavioral
data on students so the best decision can be made in regard to student services. Examples of
different data collection charts will be given out and gone over in one of several professional
development meeting during the school year.
In order to insure implementation of our new and improved collaboration program is
moving as plan we will have one additional faculty meeting per month to discuss progress,
concerns, and suggestions. We will also use this time for additional training in this area.
Remember, we are a team that has to work together to insure we are doing everything possible
for each student to be better than they thought they could be. Please feel free to request any
resources, tool, or training that you think would benefit our plan and we will do our best to
incorporate it. We don’t want anyone to feel they are on their own; we are all here to support
each other to be successful in our professions.
I talked to my schools current assistant principal in reference to this assignment on her
opinion on my school vision. She liked how I started off with a personal story. She thought that
would capture the attention of faculty and staff. She felt my vision was good and would result
in improvements. She provided me with a few tips on inclusion for me to keep in mind. She
told me to always check the school division’s policies to ensure my vision or plans lined up with
it. She also said when making decisions make sure student safety, academic success, and
inclusion in the least restricted environment are your priorities. When implementing a plan and
providing training make sure I consider the accompanying expenses.
References
Bateman, D. & Bateman, C. F. (2006). A principal’s guide to special education. Arlington, VA:
Council for Exceptional Children.
Jones, P., Fauske, J. & Carr, J. (2011). Leading for inclusion: How schools can build on the
strengths of all learners. New York, NY: Teachers College Press.