Delivery of Services Model
for Special Services’
Response to Intervention
for All Student Success
2012
Table of Contents
Page
Introduction ......................................................................................................................1
Federal Legislation ..........................................................................................................2
What We Know ................................................................................................................3
Delivery of Services for All Students: Response to Intervention ....................................5
Tier I: Accommodating for All Students ..........................................................................9
General Accommodations That Serve All Students ......................................................13
Tier II: Special Education Collaboration .......................................................................30
Tier III: More Individual/Intensive Services Are Provided In An Individual
Or Small Group Outside the General Education Classroom ....................................33
Delivery of Special Services ..........................................................................................35
Responsibilities of Leaders ...........................................................................................45
Delivery of Special Services: Response to Intervention and Future Direction .............46
KANKAKEE HIGH SCHOOL
Delivery of Services Model for Special Services:
Response to Intervention for All Student Success
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Introduction
A Historical Perspective
Since the passage of the Education of All Handicapped Children Act (EHA) in 1975 special
education was considered, in all effects, a “location” away from the general education
curriculum and classroom. In 1997 with the reauthorization of the EHA the Individuals with
Disabilities Act (IDEA) changed this by defining special education as a service with the first
option to be considered general education enfranchisement in the curriculum and setting. This
amendment was preparing the way for students with disabilities to be included in the
competency testing in the academic core subjects of English, mathematics, science, and social
studies through an emerging act called No Child Left Behind. In 2004 after the promulgation of
“No Child Left Behind” the IDEA was again amended to be what is now known as the Individuals
with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEIA). Hallmarks of the changes include a
process called Response to Intervention (RTI), among other changes that would save time from
paperwork and more on-task time with students. The IDEIA, along with the changes that were
effected in 1997 demanded more general education participation of staff and students and the
label of a child became less of a driving force foe services. RTI, for example allows special
education-like services for students without applying a label as a pre-requisite.
Today, students with disabilities have many more opportunities to be educated with ageappropriate peers, as well as academic options that once may not have been open to them.
These opportunities come with expectations, however. Students with disabilities, especially
those in the 98-99% of mild disabilities must pass high stakes testing to be awarded a high
school diploma. As a result, the least restrictive environment doctrine is being defined more
strictly with serious attention in the general education curriculum. This puts special education
in a redefinement of purpose and changes when and where the service of special education is
provided.
Response to Intervention, although a process is considered in this Delivery of Services Model to
be an attitude that all students can, will, and must learn. No longer is a child assigned to a
special educator who is responsible for the academic day and it is assumed that the general
education teacher is the “team leader, “ rather than the special education teacher of record
because the student placed in the general education classroom must be competent in that
class’s important educational material. In all reality, the general and special education teachers
are partners for the education of all students and have an equal part in each student’s success.
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Federal Legislation
The Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEIA)
Special education is monitored through the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special
Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS). As the, so-called grandchild of the original Act
(Education of All Handicapped Children Act of 1975) it serves students age 3through 21 in
public and private schools. Among the hallmarks of this legislation it requires a free appropriate
public education in the least restrictive environment, non-discriminatory assessment, parental
participation, and individualized education for those students that qualify. As of 1990 we are
challenged to observe a “people-first” attitude and regard the “handicapped person” as an
individual first. We now regard students eligible for special education, as well as students and
adults eligible for Section 504 (discussed below) and the Americans with Disabilities Act as
individuals with disabilities.
In 1990 the categories changed to the following:
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Autism Spectrum Disorder
Deaf/ Blind
Deafness/ Hearing Impaired
Developmental Delay
Intellectual Disabilities
Multiple Disabilities
Other Health Impairment
Orthopedic impairment
Serious Emotional Impairment
Specific Learning Disability
Speech or language Impairment
Traumatic Brain Injury
Visual impairment (including blindness)
In 2004 the Act was reauthorized (amended) to include several changes that reduced teacher
paperwork and to establish a new procedure where general and special education teachers
would collaborate more closely together. This is called Response to Intervention and it provides
“special education-like” services to individuals with potential mild disabilities, prior to the
initiation of a referral for special education consideration. Response to Intervention offers three
tiers that gain in intensity. Look upon this process as a continuum of services, of sorts in that
the services provided will start in the “least restrictive environment” and move, as needed to
more restrictions, potentially ending in services being provided in a learning environment away
from the classroom with a different curriculum. It must be recognized that special education
participation provides a label as a pre-requisite for services and the student can only qualify if
the impairment adversely affects educational performance.
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Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973
Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 was intended to be special education, but for some
reason parents nationally felt the need for a more defined Act. As a result, the Education of All
Handicapped Children Act (now the IDEIA) was passed by Congress in 1975. Section 504 was
actually discovered to relate to the learning of students in 1991 as Congress was considering
adding Attention Deficit Disorder to special education, thus making it the fourteenth category. It
was ultimately remanded to the U.S. Department of Education for a decision and then given to
the Office for Civil Rights for clarification to the state education agencies and local districts.
Section 504 was considered in 1973 to provide access to programs, activities and services by
providing physical access to facilities. In 1991 it was identified that it also served individuals
birth to death. To schools it meant a parallel Act that would confuse leaders. Although ADD
(now ADD/ADHD) could also be an Other Health Impairment under the IDEIA it could also be an
impairment under Section 504.
To qualify for Section 504 protection the individual must have a physical or mental impairment
that substantially limits a major life activity. Additionally, you may be eligible if you have a
history of an impairment or that you are regarded as having an impairment. One can see how
this parallel Act confused schools.
Although many schools place students under Section 504 services, if a disability is suspected
leaders must seek answers under the IDEIA first. This model supports this direction.
What We Know: Some Hard Facts
Education is the slowest institution to change and our actions often do not reflect the important
research that is available or emerging. What we know is this:
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We have yet to recognize the “Window of Opportunity (birth through age eight)
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Before a student enters kindergarten he/she must be “ready” to learn (read and
understand and perform one-to-one correspondence). Starting our education at
age five is not netting the results we need;
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If a student has a poor teacher in the kindergarten through the third grades it will
take two (2) years to catch up. If they have 2 poor teachers in the primary
grades and the student is not functioning at grade level it could take up to 3-4
years of extra work to catch up;
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In kindergarten through the third grades we teach students “learn to read;”
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In fourth through seventh grade (and beyond) we “read to learn;”
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Students after the age of eight have often learned bad habits, whether they are
study or behavior-related and it will take extra effort to get them on track when
the academic rigors increase;
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If a student is not competent in third grade material and is ready for the fourth grade
when entering the fourth grade the teachers must, in addition to teaching challenging
content will have to also teach the child to read. This is not being done well in the
current day and calendar;
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A student who has not learned to read in the fourth through seventh grades and
consequently has not been able to understand content (because he/she cannot “read to
learn”) will require a Herculean effort to get them back on course; They will not likely
benefit from advanced rigor in the eighth through the twelfth grades and thus, will not be
ready for the challenges of scholarly work in college;
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We know that boys learn differently than girls and labeling a boy in the primary grades,
especially with ADD/ADHD or learning disabilities just because they are active or if they
were not ready to learn to read when we were ready to teach the subject is setting boys
up for future failure, poor self-esteem, and problems that could be avoided by being
ready to teach when they are ready;
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We know that girls come to school in kindergarten often reading and ready to move
faster than boys, yet we hold them back because they are in a heterogeneous grouping.
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We know that girls can and do learn math and science;
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We could possibly be labeling youngsters too early. Because a child cannot read is not
a definite indication they may have a learning disability. The “Discrepancy Model” of
determining a learning disability is a poor solution for teachers that simply failed to teach
a child to learn to read. Can we as a country really have ten (10) percent of our children
labeled as having a learning disability?
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It is reported that today about 7-10% of the school population has a label of ADD/ADHD.
Of this number, about 56% are on medication. Males are approximately 3 times more
likely to be diagnosed with ADHD as compared to females. Many of these boys are
diagnosed with this disorder not because they have a disorder, but because they are
active—being boys;
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Special education as a location did not work and still does not work today. Inclusive
efforts for all students with mild academic problems are showing much promise;
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We must admit that many of the problems our children face is due to poor teaching.
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Even with special education and Section 504 protections, America’s public schools have
a poor track record of sending forth competent students and globally we are not
competing in math and science, and students in India and China speak our language
oftentimes better than we do.
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Students with multiple intelligences are perhaps a major group that are “left behind” in
our public schools today.
Delivery of Services for All Students: Response to Intervention
Assumptions
This Delivery of Services Model will make the following assumptions:
1. The least restrictive environment, although determined by a case conference committee
(or IEP Team) will first address general education placement and enfranchisement in the
general education core subjects of English, mathematics, science, and social studies;
2. As provided by the reauthorization of the IDEA in 1997, special education is no longer a
location, but a service provided by a variety of staff, including, but not limited to general
and special education and support staff;
3. Special education is most effective when offered within the general education class;
4. Special education, if provided within the general education classroom may include
students who have not been identified, but who are experiencing difficulties in the
subject matter and skill(s) being taught;
5. Instruction starts with all staff recognizing a “people-First” attitude where the label one
student carries less weight than their dignity and uniqueness as a “person;”
6. All staff will accommodate, intervene, or modify instruction to meet the unique needs of a
student without deference to whether they have a label, IEP, or plan of any kind;
7. All staff, including general, special, and support staff are an open and willing participants
to make the necessary changes based on formative and summative data in daily lessons
that include any/all accommodations for a student who is not mastering state and local
proficiencies;
8. All staff are willing participants to develop teaching skills that will recognize how students
learn today, recognizing the societal, including family and community, as well as media
and technological influences, and the cultural, religious, orientation, and gender
differences among us;
9. Referrals for special education and Section 504 will decrease and the Model will
increase the efficiency and effectiveness of overall instruction for a broader range of
student abilities if staff assumes an attitude of responsibility for all students’ success
within their school;
10. Success for all students is highly dependent on the staff being willing to change for each
individual student.
Response to Intervention (RTI)
Response to Intervention (RTI) was formally introduced in the 2004 reauthorization of the IDEA,
which is now known formally as the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act
(IDEIA). RTI is innovative because it operationalizes what was commonly known as pre-referral
procedures, such as teacher Assistance Teams (TAT), General Education Intervention (GEI),
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and Student Assistant teams (SAP), to name a few. These pre-referral procedures or
operations are now embedded within the first three Tiers under RRI.
Although many texts describe RTI as a three-tiered pre-referral process, it is rather a change in
attitude about all students. It is unique to previous programs because it allows for general
education teachers to work closer with special education peers to assist students in need with
special education-like procedures and services, but without applying a label as a prerequisite for
special services.
Most of the literature suggests three tiers of services that go from least restrictive to most
restrictive in intensity of services. In order not to confuse KHS staff this Model will start with Tier
1 as an invitation to serve as an invitation to all teachers, general, special, and support to
accommodate for all students, even if there is not a label, an IEP, or a Section 504 Plan on file.
In all fairness and in all reality, the label means little any more, unless the student requires
assessment modifications that go beyond what are afforded to all students, because all students
(at least 98-99%) must pass state competencies, including students with disabilities. Therefore
consideration for a referral for special education should only follow extensive accommodations
offered within the general education classroom and curricular core.
This Model will promote a 3-tiered approach, each becoming more and more restrictive to
providing special services to individuals who find competence in the general realm beyond their
reach without special support systems. Some school districts and products will recommend a
four-tiered process beginning with a Tier 0 that suggests that environmental modifications
should be made so that all learners can benefit from instruction. This Model will include this as
recommendation for a development of a “Culture of Learning for all kids under Tier I so as not to
confuse the consumer of this Model.
Tier III will have levels of services as it supposes a referral to be effected for other services,
including special education consideration, Title I, reading support outside of Title I or special
education or a removal from the curriculum for advanced learners. This Delivery of Services
Model promotes a humanistic approach to working with all students and only when efforts have
failed and the building administrator “opens the gate” can they move to advanced tiers.
*It should be understood that the word accommodation is used preferentially instead of
modifications or interventions. The author understands and appreciates that some
professionals find a difference between these words and to assist in limiting confusion,
accommodation will be used to mean assistance for all learners, whether it means
modifying the environment or assignments or intervening for the benefit of a given student
either not mastering the proficiencies or a student whose skills are beyond what is being
taught in the age-appropriate curriculum. Accommodating a student’s unique needs is the
foundation of this book.
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The Tiers are as follows:
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Tier 1: Accommodating for all students. A culture of tolerance, acceptance, and that all
students can, will, and must learn permeates the entire day with competent staff that
views each and every child as the school’s customer. These individuals are here to
serve the building’s vision that no one fails in this community. The teacher makes
accommodations (modifications) in the environment for a student with physical, visual, or
vision concerns and will be mindful of distractions around the room that may affect
students in attending to educational information.
o Teacher Assistance Teams, Student Assistance Programs, General Education
Integration teams are called together to brainstorm together on strategies and
methodologies that might be employed for a class that is wishing to be
successful, but are not at this time.
o Master teachers are released to assist teachers struggling to create a positive
learning environment to provide coaching and mentoring that is not in any way
tied to the teacher performance evaluation.
o Informal consultation with peers and special education and support staff and
district administrative support staff
o Consultation with local college and university Professors
o Google and other Internet-related searches
o Personal research (Council for Exceptional Children, etc- www.cec.sped.org)
 Documentation of all attempts to assist all students
 Change the classroom culture to tolerance and acceptance of diverse
learners by celebrating accommodations for all.
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Tier II. Special Education Collaboration and modeling within the general education
classroom
o Continued the steps in Tier I, but start focusing on individuals not meeting
competencies, even with accommodations.
o Seek consultation from special education and support staff within the general
education realm
o The special education and/or support staff, including social workers, school
psychologists, speech/language therapists. , to name a few will model methods
to help a small group or individual student.
 Add to the documentation of all attempts to assist the individual or small
group of students
 Continue to accept responsibility for the student(s) by celebrating the
performance of all within the classroom.
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Tier III. More Individualized/intensive Services are Provided to An Individual or Small
Group/
o Attempts to assist an individual child are not successful and despite the support
provided the student may need help outside the classroom on the general
education core
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The special education teacher may need to take this student outside of
the classroom because attempts to help within the classroom have not
proven successful.
 The student may be seen in small groups in another setting within the
building to evaluate how he/she learns best.
 The child may be years behind the class in reading or mathematics ability
and needs to build capacity to perform at grade level
 The student may have attention deficits that are so extensive that the
teacher cannot break down lessons within the classroom to minutes
instead of segments of hours
 In the early grades the child may be performing as he should, but the
standards expected prohibit waiting until he is developmentally ready to
learn, etc
 A separate curriculum may be offered for students who have multiple
intelligences, especially those with linguistic and logical-mathematical
talents;
• All attempts are added to the overall documentation
A summary conference is scheduled with stakeholders to determine future
directions and whether or not a referral for special education is appropriate or
warranted.
Referral for Special Education Considered and tendered including all the
documentation gathered over the prior weeks or months.
Formal Parental Participation, Team Coordination, and Evaluation
Determination of Eligibility for Special Education and Future Directions
If the child is not eligible for special education, is there eligibility for Section 504
services?
What is the extent the student will remain with age-appropriate peers in the
general education classroom?
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Tier 1:
Accommodating for All Students: Building a Culture of Tolerance for Diverse Learners
Embedded within Tier I is an invitation to all general education teachers to accommodate for all
students. Each teacher realizes that a student not learning is a student who will require
accommodations. Tier 1 does not assume a “bell-curve” mentality where some will succeed,
some will have problems, and some will fail (A, C, F mentality). Tier 1 requires a mentality that
all students can, will, and must learn and if it does not happen, it is up to the teacher to figure
how to teach a particular cluster of skills to their students. This Tier supposes that teachers
recognize that their teaching style may not work for all, and they are willing, able, and committed
to seek answers to problems presented in their class. This will be considered “Thinking outside
their box.” Extensive efforts to assist students, including making environmental modifications for
physically, hearing, and visually impaired individuals, etc., seeking help from peers, conducting
searches (Google), calling university colleagues for help, documenting all efforts, and
professional development are required for this tier to be successful.
The general education teacher sees all students as unique human beings and has the attitude
“If it’s to be, it’s up to me.” This teacher does not allow any child to leave the classroom for
special services and insists that all support staff come into his/her room for services, including
Title I, all therapies (if possible), and other specialized special education services, (i.e. LD
resource, speech therapy, etc). They talk regularly to these people and modify what they do
personally to reinforce what is being taught within their general education classroom. This
individual does not allow questions to go unanswered and will go to colleagues for help. If there
is a formalized procedure to discuss concerns in their building with assistance teams, such as
Teacher Assistance Teams (TAT), Student Assistant Programs (SAP), General Education
Intervention (GEI) they make good use of help. This teacher also regularly conducts “searches”
on specific techniques that might be helpful for a given child. They might even make contact
with a former college/university professor to discuss ideas. They encourage brainstorming with
like-minded colleagues so that they can ensure the growth of the students under his/her care.
They simply do not give up on any child and make it their charge to find the right “key” to unlock
a child’s potential. This teacher has enlisted a strong partnership with the parents and has a
well-organized room with a strict routine and is well-planned according to standards. He/she
uses as a standard mode of operation evidence-based practices.
The work of Uncommon Schools led by Doug Lemov (2010) in his book titled Teach Like a
Champion: 49 Techniques That Put Students On A Path to College shows great promise,
especially for teachers that wish to be Tier I teachers that accommodate for all students. This
work has been successful in failing urban schools where high poverty, low performing schools
are celebrating tremendous gains in student performance.
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Capitalizing on Teach like a Champion, research is plentiful with evidence of success if the
teacher:
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Sets high expectations for every student;
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Plans to ensure academic achievement by aligning lessons with state standards
and data available for each child;
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Organizes a strong daily routine and structures and plans for a strong delivery of
lessons;
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Engages students in meaningful material;
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Creates a strong academic classroom structure of tolerance and acceptance for
individuality that includes building character and trust;
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Sets and maintains high behavioral expectations;
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Creates a positive rhythm in their classroom;
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Challenges all students to think critically.
The Teach like a Champion Field Guide: a Practical Resource to Make the 49 Techniques Your
Own (2012) recommends the following techniques for every teacher, especially when starting
off in the profession:
Start with:
1. No Opt Out-- One of the first things kids learn is that "I don't know" often gets
them off the hook. Effective teachers don't permit a child to opt out. The teacher
cues the child, or the teacher helps the child gain the information that he or she
needs by eliciting it from other children. And the teacher attempts to get the child
to answer the question several times.
22. Cold Call-- Cold calling in business means making a sales call to someone who
does not expect you, perhaps even someone who doesn't even know you. It's
tough, and makes or breaks you. In the classroom, cold calling means calling on
students whether they have their hands up or not.
Setting a routine:
28. Entry Routine-- Making expectations for entering a classroom explicit helps get
students into their seats and prepared to begin instruction quickly and effectively.
One example is to write on the board “Do Now the following…”
30. Tight Transitions-- Transitions are the time between different academic settings
and activities. Transitions in high schools and middle schools will be different
because many transitions occur between classes (and out of a teacher's control.)
Still, keeping transitions tight, and controlled, will both create more time and
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avoid the kind of fooling around or downright low down harassment that can
occur in some classrooms, especially inner city classrooms. As a teacher, you
need to invest time early in the year in being sure that the procedure for
transitions is clearly understood and crisply executed. Map out the path for your
students. i.e. "Those in the first row line up first, those in the second row, line up
second, across the front of the room," etc.
41. Threshold-- The threshold in this technique is the one at the door. It's the place
where a class starts and expectations are set. In an earlier technique, we saw a
teacher drill her students in what she wanted to see in the hallway before they
were admitted. Meeting the students at the door helps set the standard, start
everyone off on the right foot, and establish a warm, friendly environment.
Planning:
6. Begin with the end-- With technique 6, the teacher is thinking "What do I want the
students to know about King Lear at the end of the class?" The teaching
objective will drive toward that goal. So, what do skills do you want the students
to gain from King Lear? It might be a great time to talk about the difference
between comedy and tragedy. It might also be an opportunity to talk about
character development. By knowing the end result, the methods and strategies
the teacher chooses will drive toward those goals.
10. Double Plan-- To succeed at this technique, Lemov recommends that you make
a T chart for your plans. At the top you put the objective for the lesson. On the
left you write what you, as the teacher, do. On the right side you write what the
students do for each activity you put on the left. Do they fill in a graphic
organizer? Do they make a list of important facts? Do they brainstorm with a
partner? Do they create flash cards? There are all kinds of ways to support and
reinforce a lesson. Be sure that you have plans and materials to support your
objective and collect information about their success.
Tier I teachers are students of evidence-based research like Lemov’s work in urban schools.
Further, these teachers are aware of what is effective and what is not and discards what does
not work in their classroom. Tier I teachers:
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Use of state standards, extensively to design curriculum and instruction, assess
student work, and evaluate teachers.
Increase instructional time in reading and math in order to help students meet
standards.
Devote a larger proportion of funds to support professional development focused
on changing instructional practice.
Implement comprehensive systems to monitor individual student progress and
provide extra support to students as soon as needed.
Focus their efforts to involve parents in helping students meet standards.
Have state or district accountability systems in place that have real
consequences for adults in the schools.
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Lyman, L. & Villani, C. (2004). Best Leadership Practices for High-Poverty Schools
Some students will present medical issues in the classroom, such as diabetes, asthma,
epilepsy, severe allergies, etc that will require the assistance of a school health professional. A
doctor’s report will resolve whether or not the student has a physical impairment as suggested
in Section 504 and the ADA. If there is, indeed, a physical impairment there should be
consideration of Section 504 eligibility to protect the student’s rights. Some schools have
initiated the Section 504 eligibility process for any student presenting a medical disorder,
including administration of medication, but this is not necessary. The purpose of considering
Section 504 with regard to medical conditions is to ensure there is a clear and communicated
plan should the student experience a medical emergency of any kind. Clearly, a medical plan of
some type with steps to assist a child and personnel development can be of help for a student
whose condition could in any way be life threatening. A student, for example with seizure
disorder (epilepsy) with a history of experiencing Grand Mal seizures could find themselves in a
critical situation if they fall outside on the sidewalk. Further, this student could be mishandles if
staff and peers try to intervene and get hurt in the process. Steps for management of this
disorder and the proper staff and student development will prevent potential harm if a
specialized plan is enacted. The issue with any Section 504 plan is to ensure the safety of the
affected student and to ensure the parents are active participants in the plan’s development.
This is ensured if the parents are provided a copy of the Section 504 Procedural
Safeguards/Rights and Options.
There may be students who have had a history of a disorder and if they are experiencing great
difficulty in the general education realm it may be assumed that accommodations will help, but if
they do not, advance to Tier II as you would for any other student. A Tier I teacher would never
regard a student as having a disability and hold this student to a higher behavioral standard.
Tier I assumes that all students are unique and that accommodating for a student’s individuality
is what this teacher routinely does.
There will, no doubt be students in a classroom that are reading and performing mathematics at
a faster and more advanced rate than others. The teacher recognizes this and provides more
challenging academic rigor for this student. For example, if the second grade class is working
as a group and some students are finished early and exhibiting signs of boredom or needing to
be kept busy instead of pairing the higher functioning student with a lower functioning student,
the teacher should place the student in more challenging work at their readability level, perhaps
the fourth grade. This is only a start, but to sacrifice a student who can accept and learn more
advanced rigor to keep them with the group only limits what they will be able to gain in the
future. Let the ponies gallop!
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General Accommodations That Serve All Students
Accommodations should be kept simple. Some may require the added support of special
education teachers or gifted coordinators to enhance the lesson. Many can encourage the
direction for further team or individual staff development. Selecting and using some of these
approaches on occasion can add variety to your teaching and assist learners toward mastering
the concepts of a lesson.
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Provide preferential Seating to maximize auditory and visual distractions; auditory input
for hearing difficulties; visual input for visual difficulties; to focus and for academic
participation
Modify the environment to accommodate individuals with physical and visual limitations
Remove distractions from the classroom, if needed and necessary
Relate class to personal real life skills and experiences.
Limit expectations to two or three concepts per unit.
Evaluate projects rather than doing traditional testing.
Concentrate on student strengths and bring those strengths into the lesson.
Use concise written and oral directions (spoken, written, and oral).
Use short answers rather than long essay.
Create small group activities
Provide lecture outlines. Pre-teach concept vocabulary, draw pictures, use concept
mapping, webbing, organizers, and simplify vocabulary.
Be aware of academic levels so that reading, vocabulary, and problems can be
addressed.
Model assignment expectations; show an example of the product.
Use multiple intelligences approaches to teaching the same lesson. Make your
instructions brief and clear, and teach one step at a time.
Be sure to make behavioral expectations clear.
Carefully monitor work, especially when students move from one activity to another.
Make frequent eye contact. Interestingly, students in the second row are more focused
then those in the first.
Adjust work time so it matches attention spans. Provide frequent breaks as necessary.
Provide a quiet work area where students can move for better concentration.
Establish and use a secret signal to let students know when they are off task or
misbehaving.
Use physical contact (a hand on the shoulder) to focus attention.
Combine both visual and auditory information when giving directions.
Ease transitions by providing cues and warnings.
Teach relaxation techniques for longer work periods or tests.
Each day ensure students have one task they can complete successfully.
Limit the amount of homework.
Whenever possible, break an assignment into manageable segments.
Give tests orally and have students respond orally (students can tape record their
responses). The special education teacher or paraprofessional can often assist in this
activity.)
Allow time extensions on tests and projects.
For projects, help students divide the project into steps and develop a timeline for
completing each step.
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Have students use a picture or sequence of pictures to demonstrate understanding of a
concept or process.
Have students develop a skit or pantomime and present it to the class.
Use word processing programs and spell checkers.
Shorten auditory/verbal instruction
Provide visual aids (pictures, flash cards, maps, charts, photos, etc.)
Provide auditory aids (cues, tapes, etc.)
Provide an opportunity for student to write the instructions
Provide an opportunity for student to verbalize the steps needed to complete task
Provide adequate ‘wait time’ (extra time for oral response)
Allow extra time for written response
Provide modified reading level assignments
Simplify vocabulary
Use manipulatives
Emphasize critical information
Allow peer tutoring/paired working arrangements
Allow oral exams, open book exams, open note exams, exams of reduced length
Ideas for Presenting Information and Demonstrating Learning in Multiple Ways
Information
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Demonstrate the process or strategy.
Lecture, writing key points so that they are visible to students as you talk.
Lecture, stopping at natural breaks so that students, working in pairs, can discuss what
they see as the major ideas.
Use a graphic organizer or map to show the relationships among the ideas you are
presenting.
Use a video or movie that presents the key points.
Have students listen to audio-recorded books.
Have students conduct experiments to test hypotheses or discover relationships.
Use pantomimes and skits to explain concepts.
Have students role-play.
Use computer simulations.
Use manipulatives to demonstrate and then have the students use manipulatives.
Use analogies, metaphors and examples to further explain concepts.
Have students use visualization and imagery to see ideas and their relationships.
Understanding cause/effect or anticipating consequences
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use concrete examples
use real life situations
use brainstorming, role playing, simulation
Drawing conclusions and making inferences
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teach thinking skills
draw a parallel to a situation that the student might have experienced in problem solving
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Seeing relationships
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directly point out relationships
draw arrows on worksheets or test to
show that the ideas are related class discussion
teach directly, relations of: function, category, opposition, sequence
provide headings or a partially filled in chart for an example
Understanding new concepts
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Pre-teach new concepts.
Identify priority learning.
Provide adequate time.
Provide meaningful practice, review, and repetition.
Use multiple means of learning the same material (visual, auditory, tactile).
Have students set personal goals.
Use flow charts.
Use multiple intelligences.
Use peer tutors.
Use cooperative learning.
Provide cues.
Math
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Allow for time extensions. For students who have difficulties aligning numbers, use
graph paper.
Have students draw a visual representation of the story problem and then complete the
math computation. Give partial credit for correct visual representation, even if math
computation is incorrect.
Allow students who do not know their math facts to use math fact matrixes or
calculators.
Allow for time extensions.
Reading
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Reduce reading level
Become more concrete
Reduce number of new ideas
Provide experiences for a frame of reference
Provide study guide (guided reading)
Provide organizational help
Provide alternate media (i.e., books on tape)
Allow partner reading.
Use peer tutoring.
Use taped materials (text or study guides).
Use videos with advanced organizer.
Use computer games, e.g., Oregon Trail, Carmen San Diego.
Allow students to quietly read aloud (sub-vocalization).
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Teach self-questioning.
Paraphrase key points and have students paraphrase.
Summarize key points and have students summarize.
Use graphic organizers.
Sequence key points.
Identify main ideas.
Identify 5 W’s–who, what, when, where, why.
Allow highlighting of texts, passages, key words, or concepts.
Preview units, chapters, etc.
Use preparatory set–talk about the reading passage using new vocabulary/concepts.
Use visual imagery.
Use pre-reading and post reading activities to pre-teach or reinforce main ideas.
Explain idioms that appear in reading passages.
Allow silent pre-reading
Phonological Awareness
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Blending phonemes (e.g., blending sounds to make words such as /m/, /a/l, /n/).
Segmenting phonemes (e.g., this is the opposite of blending and requires identifying the
sounds separately in a word; teacher says “not” and students says, /n/, /o/, /t/).
Integrating phonemic awareness with letters and print (e.g., as students are blending
phonemes and segmenting phonemes, point to the letter, move the letters as tiles or
blocks, or ask students to write, point to, or move the letters).
Phonics
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Letter-sound correspondence, letter combinations, affixes, and roots (e.g., examine a
core reading program with a strong phonics strand and identify the key phonics elements
taught at each grade level, determining which ones the student knows and doesn’t
know).
Blending regular words (e.g., fin, trump, sunshine, and sailor).
Structural analysis to decode words (e.g., use prefixes such as “pre” and “un,” suffixes
such as “ly” and “ed,” and key words to detect compound words).
Strategies for decoding multisyllabic words (e.g., recognize the letter combinations that
trigger multiple syllable words such as the “double letter” in simmer and endings such as
“ly” and “ing”).
Reading irregular words with extensive review (e.g., high frequency irregular words such
as “said,” “the,” “from,” “was”).
Integrating phonics instructions with text reading and spelling (e.g., asking students to
read words in context for which they know the phonics rules and asking students to use
spelling to reinforce phonics rules).
Fluency
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Models of fluent reading (e.g., tapes of adult readers, older students, or better readers
serving as models for reading the passages).
Strategies for chunking text (e.g., phrasing and organizing text to read fluently).
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Rereading text with feedback (e.g., listening to students read and providing feedback
about phrasing, prosody, and accuracy).
Vocabulary
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Oral discussions of new words and meanings (e.g., ask students to build word meanings
through discussion).
Instructions in specific word meanings for words used frequently in print (e.g., identifies
key words in text and pre-teach meanings as using student-friendly descriptions).
Practice making connections between related words (e.g., gallop describes how
someone or something moves, what other words describe movement?).
Repeated exposure to new vocabulary in a variety of contexts (e.g., words read in
reading and language arts are encountered in other contexts).
Strategies for determining word meanings independently (e.g., using context to
understand word meaning).
Comprehension
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Generating questions (e.g., teach students to develop questions about what they read).
Understanding features of text formats (e.g., story structure).
Summarizing and generating main ideas (e.g., model and then practice main ideas and
summarize of different text types).
Paying attention to printed word
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highlight
underline
number
keep desk clear of extraneous materials
face desk to wall or use a carrel
use overhead projector
Reading textbooks
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use lower level or adapted text
use books on tape
shorten amount of required reading
have students read aloud in small groups
allow extra time for reading
omit some/all reading requirements
put main ideas on index cards
administer oral tests
use a buddy or allow group work
pre-teach vocabulary
give take-home tests
use larger print
Exemption from reading aloud in front of peers
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Lower difficulty level
Task analysis of assignments
List steps in process or activity so students know exactly what he is to do
Emphasis on major points
Opportunity to respond orally or dictate answers (to teacher, peer, tape recorder)
Special projects in lieu of assignments.
Shortened assignments provide necessary practice while allowing the student to
complete work in a reasonable time period without undue pressure and frustration.
Identify terminology, concepts, and skills that are most important and require that these
items be completed first.
Reduce the number of items to be done at one time. Shorter assignments made more
frequently provide the same amount of practice.
Cut a long worksheet (or test) into smaller segments and give the student one segment
at a time. When one strip is completed, hand out the next.
Word connotations
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Decide which words to teach:
List key concepts
Pick out the most crucial terms
Find out which words are known
Teach words that will lead to the learning of additional words
Teach meaning
Avoid unrelated exercises
Teach strategies for learning new words
Use new words repeatedly in conversation
Teach ways to figure out new words
Context clues
Phonic analysis
Structural analysis combination
Writing
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Dictate ideas to peers.
Shorten writing assignments.
Require lists instead of sentences.
Use Post-It notes for organization.
Provide note takers.
Allow student to use a tape recorder to dictate writing.
Allow computer for outlining, word-processing, spelling and grammar check.
Provide fill-in-the-blank form for note taking.
Allow visual representation of ideas.
Allow collaborative writing.
Provide a structure for the writing.
Provide model of writing.
Allow use of flow chart for writing ideas before the student writes.
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Narrow the choice of topics.
Grade on the basis of content, do not penalize for errors in mechanics and grammar.
Use of different writing utensils and paper.
Allow choices of manuscript, cursive, keyboarding.
Allow different position of writing paper and/or surface.
Writing legibly
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use formats low on writing (multiple choice, fill in the blank, matching, programmed)
use graph paper
allow use of tape recorder
save papers for 2 weeks and have student
read what he wrote
teach handwriting/penmanship
Expressing him/herself in writing
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accept alternate forms of reporting oral reports, taped reports, maps, photo essay,
and panel discussion
have student dictate work to someone else
have student prepare only notes or outline
shorten amount/length required
Speaking
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Give sentence starters.
Use visuals.
Use graphic organizers to organize ideas and relationships.
Allow extra response time for processing.
Say student’s name, then state question.
Use cues and prompts to help student know when to speak.
Use partners.
Phrase questions with choices embedded in them.
Use choral reading or speaking.
Use rhythm or music.
Allow practice opportunities for speaking.
Reduce assignment length.
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Expressing him/herself verbally:
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ask questions requiring short answers
provide prompts/cues
give rules for class discussion
allow taped (audio/video) reports
accept alternate forms of information; written report, bulletin board, art work, exhibit,
chart/graph, photos
Hearing
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Provide preferential seating.
Use visual cues (overheads, drawings, maps, demonstrations, visual samples of new
vocabulary).
Face student directly when speaking.
Emphasize key points (don’t “information overload”).
Repeat or rephrase what other students say (often hearing what other students say is
difficult for Hearing impaired students).
Highlight texts/study guides.
Provide note-taking assistance during lectures to allow hearing-impaired student to
concentrate on the teacher.
Use peer tutoring.
Use study sheets to organize information.
Pre-teach vocabulary.
Use captioned videos, films, etc.
Show videos, etc. before presenting information to provide a knowledge base for
students.
Use alternative testing methods.
Minimize background noise.
Simplify vocabulary.
Use pre-printed outlines of material.
Learning by listening
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Provide visual displays (flowcharts, pictorials, wheels), pre-read questions/terms at end
of chapter; assigned reading; keyword note-taking system to expand memory jogs
during daily review; advance note-taking organizers from subtitles in textbook.
provide visuals (maps, photos, flash cards)
have student close eyes and visualize info
spell by visualizing the whole word
teach the use of acronyms
give explanations in small, distinct steps
remove extra words
provide study guide (note taking assistance)
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Paying attention to the spoken word
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give explanations in small, distinct steps
provide written backup to oral directions
have student repeat directions
use buddies, tape recorder
shorten the listening time
alternate spoken with written tasks
look directly at student
place hand on student’s shoulder
Seeing
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Describe what you are doing.
Provide preferential seating.
Provide material in large or Braille print.
Use “books on tape.”
Be aware of lighting requirements.
Use black on white printed handouts.
Use tactual materials (contact a vision consultant for assistance with designing those) to
represent concepts.
Stand away from window glare when talking to the student.
Give student an individual copy of visual information presented to the group.
Allow extra time to complete tasks.
Tips for working with high ability learners
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Give choices.
Use compacting.
Allow making independent plans for independent learning.
Use theory of Multiple Intelligences.
Use mentoring or Apprenticeship with Professionals.
Teach entrepreneurship.
Teach scientific method.
Allow tutoring/peer coach.
Use Socratic questioning.
Tips for Working with Exceptionalities
Students (and even some teachers) may view the extra attention special needs students receive
as unfair. However, according to long-time special education teacher Deb Watkins, “Fairness
isn't about treating everyone the same; it's giving everyone what they need.”
It is quite likely that you will have a diversity of students in your classroom—representing a
variety of talents and abilities. With this in mind, I suggest some generalized strategies for you
to consider as you work with all special needs students:
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Be aware that students with exceptionalities may not want to be singled out for any
special treatment. To do so may identify their disability for other students and cause
them to receive some form of attention they may not be able to handle.
Ensure that your attitude and responses to special needs students are identical to those
to other students. View all students as contributing students.
Consider learning over a long period of time. Special needs students may require
extended periods of time to master a concept or learn a specific skill. You may need to
repeat information several times and reinforce it in many ways.
It is quite easy to fall into the trap of focusing on the weaknesses of special needs
students. Yet it is vitally important that you be aware of and seek to identify the individual
strengths of each and every student in your classroom.
Help students understand that grading, evaluation, and assessment is based on
identifiable objectives in accordance with individual potential. Evaluation should not be
coupled with the limitations of students but rather to their expectations.
Provide significant opportunities for students of all abilities to learn from each other.
Structure a variety of learning activities in which the social climate of the classroom is
both promoted and enhanced. It is important that everyone feels like he or she is
contributing.
Do not make inappropriate assumptions based on students' exceptionalities. For
example, don't assume that a student who is confined to a wheelchair is an unhappy
child. Don't assume that a learning disabled student is not gifted in the visual arts. Also,
don't assume that children with disabilities are disabled in all areas.
Tips for working with ADHD students in your classroom
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Make your instructions brief and clear, and teach one step at a time.
Be sure to make behavioral expectations clear.
Carefully monitor work, especially when students move from one activity to another.
Make frequent eye contact. Interestingly, students in the second row are more focused
then those in the first.
Adjust work time so it matches attention spans. Provide frequent breaks as necessary.
Provide a quiet work area where students can move for better concentration.
Establish and use a secret signal to let students know when they are off task or
misbehaving.
Use physical contact (a hand on the shoulder) to focus attention.
Combine both visual and auditory information when giving directions.
Ease transitions by providing cues and warnings.
Teach relaxation techniques for longer work periods or tests.
Each day be sure students have one task they can complete successfully.
Limit the amount of homework.
Whenever possible, break an assignment into manageable segments.
Keep homework assignments separate from unfinished class work. Unfinished work
should remain in class. This helps students to differentiate between class work and
homework. If unfinished class work becomes homework (as an add-on to the already
assigned homework), students can easily become overwhelmed.
Establish routines for assigning, collecting, and evaluating homework so that students
know what to expect. Students are more likely to buy-in to homework if they understand
how it fits into the class room routine.
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Use homework as practice for material that has already been taught. Don’t use
homework as a means for teaching new information. Homework should be on the
student’s independent reading level and provide for review and practice.
Identify the minimum amount necessary to demonstrate learning. Understanding and
mastering the task are more important than completing an extensive amount of work.
Consider shortening the task for these students. It is better that they do a small amount
well than a lot of work poorly.
Provide timelines for tasks associated with long-term assignments. Rather than telling
students the date a long-term assignment is due, help them problem solve a timeline for
completing the key components of the assignment. Pair them with a buddy or work
cooperatively with parents to ensure that each component in the timeline is completed.
Involve families. Communication with families (e.g. homework notebooks, recorded
messages that state assignments, homework hot lines, e-mail, web sites) about both the
value of homework as well as specific assignments and timelines helps families support
students in completing work outside of school.
Discuss with other professionals, such as the school psychologist or counselor to
confirm the behaviors you are observing;
Discuss with parents to determine whether they observe the same behaviors at home
and other settings;
Ask other professionals to observe you and the students in your class to provide
suggestions for how you might improve behavior and learning for the target students;
Get a formal diagnosis. Work with the school or choose a specialist who has knowledge
and experience with ADD/ADHD. An evaluation should be able to determine other
learning, psychological, or physical problems that may look like or co-exist with
ADD/ADHD;
If a diagnosis is made, gather information about medication and behavioral treatments.
Write notes about how these interventions are working outside of a school;
Play an active role in IEP or Section 504 plan development. Parents are valuable
resources to professionals and can help design a program that works for the family and
the school. Keep records of all documentation. This is especially important if parents
and the school disagree at any point in planning or implementation of the program.
Work with the parents and school to identify problems and possible solutions. Parents
and children with ADD/ADHD are protected by Federal laws. If parents and the school
cannot agree on the services, try mediation; as a last resort, consider a due process
hearing to ensure that the child is getting the services he or she needs to be successful
at school.
Consider seeking behavioral therapy or social skills training to support the student’s
behavior;
Organize the class room schedule so that predictable outcomes are provided and made
clear to the student;
When students break the rules, respond to them in a calm and matter-of-fact way,
reminding them of the rules and applying reasonable consequences.
Tips for working with students with Specific Learning Disabilities in your classroom
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Provide oral instruction for students with reading disabilities. Present tests and reading
materials in an oral format so the assessment is not unduly influenced by lack of reading
ability.
Provide learning disabled students with frequent progress checks. Let them know how
well they are progressing toward an individual or class goal.
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Give immediate feedback to learning disabled students. They need to see quickly the
relationship between what was taught and what was learned.
Make activities concise and short, whenever possible. Long, drawn-out projects are
particularly frustrating for a learning disabled child.
Learning disabled youngsters have difficulty learning abstract terms and concepts.
Whenever possible, provide them with concrete objects and events—items they can
touch, hear, smell, etc.
Learning disabled students need and should get lots of specific praise. Instead of just
saying, “You did well,” or “I like your work,” be sure you provide specific praising
comments that link the activity directly with the recognition; for example, “I was
particularly pleased by the way in which you organized the rock collection for Karin and
Miranda.”
When necessary, plan to repeat instructions or offer information in both written and
verbal formats. Again, it is vitally necessary that learning disabled children utilize as
many of their sensory modalities as possible.
Encourage cooperative learning activities when possible. Invite students of varying
abilities to work together on a specific project or toward a common goal. Create an
atmosphere in which a true “community of learners” is facilitated and enhanced.
To minimize off-task behavior
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To address learning style needs
Alter Physical Arrangement
Lighting
Temperature
Seating arrangements
Muffle/baffle noisy equipment
Define Space
Teach positive rules for personal space
Allow for different groupings
Provide a properly fitting desk
Pacing
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Extend time requirements
Oral response
Written response
Daily activities/assignments
Tests
Allow breaks
Vary activities
Intersperse written/oral
Intersperse passive/active
Intersperse listening/discussing
Provide timelines (checklists, calendars)
Assign tasks in workable chunks or segments
Provide repetition of key concepts
Provide drill and practice
Provide test/re-teach/retest
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Managing and keeping track of materials
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Completing tasks on time and staying on task-- Present work in short units (i.e., five
problems on paper cut into quarters rather than on one sheet); timeframes should be
short, with clear deadlines and checkpoints to measure progress; have a model
available so product can be examined if directions can’t be retained.
reduce amount to be accomplished
give time out/specified ‘make up’ time
write schedules, timelines, and calendars, provide checklists
provide closure at points along the way
“chunking”
reduce distractions (all senses)
increase reinforcements-- give rewards for bringing supplies
use a time to set short periods of work
use a notebook
use large envelope for each subject
keep extra supplies on hand
provide assignment sheets to parents,
coaches, club sponsors, special teachers
write assignment on board
Supplementary materials (texts, worksheets, tests)
Lower readability
Large print
More ‘white space’
Highlighted
Color coded
Audio-recordings
Manipulatives
Study aids
Study guides
Typed teacher materials
Peer reader
Assignments
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Provide study sheet
Provide skeleton outline that includes main ideas (student completes supporting details
while listening in class or reading assignment)
Extra time for completing assignments - allow student to type assignment
Reduce paper and pencil tasks
Avoid penalizing for spelling errors
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Avoid penalizing for penmanship
Allow student to sub-vocalize while reading
Study- Sheets/Guides
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Provide students with review outlines to help them focus on the important elements of
information which is to be learned.
List steps in math process or lab activity so the student knows exactly what to do.
Have student write his own study questions after lectures, discussions, and reading
assignments.
Teach students to recognize signal words in lectures and written material to guide
studying. Examples: “most of all,” “a key feature,” “a major event,” “above all,”
“remember that”
Note-taking Assistance
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Provide skeleton outline (advance organizer) that includes main ideas
Provide a copy of teacher or “reliable note-taker” notes
Allow time at the end of class for students to compare notes with classmates
Highlight important sections of class notes (at overhead or board)
Pre-Teach Content Vocabulary
Students need to learn:
Terms that are unique to content area
Specialized meanings of common words
Unique symbols and abbreviations
Following classroom rules
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Teach rules/expectations; model/role play situations.
Post rules/expectations.
Teach skills of independence.
Be consistent.
Use proximity.
Have students set personal goals.
Use self-monitoring strategies.
Use positive correction prompts.
Teach the use of positive and negative consequences.
Following directions
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use fewer words
provide examples
repeat
have student repeat
provide checklist
use auditory and visual direction
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Distractibility
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Minimize visual distracters in the environment; don’t have interesting activities going on
in one corner of the room while expecting the student to do his or her seatwork. Have as
few distractions as possible; provide a “quiet corner” for anyone who wishes a
distraction-free place to work.
Attention Span
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Have student work in short units of time with controlled activity breaks (i.e., reading
break or magazine break); activities need to be interspersed throughout instruction.
Use preferential seating.
Use proximity to measure on task behavior.
Build-in opportunities for movement within a lesson.
Use self-monitoring strategies.
Provide a structure for organization.
Help the student set and monitor personal goals.
Provide alternative work area.
Decrease distractions.
Use active learning to increase opportunities for student participation.
Provide opportunities to change tasks or activities more frequently.
Have small, frequent tasks.
Provide reminder cues or prompts.
Use private signal to cue appropriate behavior for more difficult times.
Teach skills of independence, i.e., paying attention.
Provide definite purpose and expectations especially during unstructured activities.
Prepare the learner for changes in routine.
Use computer.
Use graphic organizers.
Short-Term Memory and retaining and retrieving information
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Offer review systems in a flashcard style so frequent practice can be done
independently; material may need to be reviewed frequently.
provide a checklist
provide cues
have students make notes to self
teach memory skills
teach use of acronyms and mnemonics
Use multi-modalities (visual, auditory, tactile) to teach the same concept.
Teach vocabulary in context.
Use cues, prompts.
Use graphic organizers.
Use frequent repetition of key points.
Break down instructional units into smaller steps.
Show relationships among concepts through graphs, outlines, and webbing.
Highlight important information.
Use color coding to show concepts and relationships.
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Use peer tutors.
Teach mnemonics as a memory tool.
Teach visual imagery.
Use rhythm, music, and movement.
Use lists.
Use matrix to organize information.
Use pictographs.
Impulsivity
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Show the student how to do the work; have a checklist for what he or she needs to do,
and have a reward system tied to the completion of all the steps.
Working in groups
provide a partner
assign responsibility or position of leadership
provide structure by defining the roles within the group, the tasks to be performed
Working independently:
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assign task at the student’s academic level
help student see an end to the task
give precise directions
reinforce often
provide variety of work within assignment
Tests
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Have the student review critical details and main ideas in a flashcard system to support
attention and practice specific retrieval.
Preview language of test questions
Vocabulary
Context
Syntax
Short answer rather than essay
Mark key questions you want answered and have the student go back and answer the
others if time permits
Word banks or a list of correctly spelled responses for the test
Typed tests
Larger print
More white space
Don’t penalize for spelling/grammar (unless it is a spelling or grammar test!)
Allow extended time
Substitute an assignment for a test
Test Adaptations
Change the format
Short answer instead of essay.
Multiple choice instead of short answer
Matching instead of fill-in-the-blank
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Fill-in-the-blank: put blank at the end of the sentence - use synonyms or shorter
sentences for low readers
Look at the visual design
Primary type
Spacing
Bold lines to divide sections
Place multiple choice alternatives vertically
Divide long matching
Ten or fewer consecutive matching
Type the definition on the left side of the page and the term or ‘match’ on the right side
Provide visual cues
Word banks for fill-in-the-blank questions and for labeling items
Use mnemonics for difficult total retrieval questions
Add Variety
Use more than one mode of questioning
Representing new learning in assessment
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Use of variety of authentic assessments.
Teach test taking strategies.
Teach the format of an upcoming test.
Allow adequate time.
Allow paper-pencil tests to be taken in a different space.
Allow a variety of ways to respond, i.e., orally, pictorial, tape record, etc.
Establish criteria and expectations prior to instruction.
Give choices.
Assess learning over time.
Use rubrics.
Use self-assessment.
Use graphic organizers.
Use semantic mapping.
Use planners and calendars.
Teach time management skills.
Post sequence of events.
Teach use of folders, notebooks.
Teach how to clean desk, locker.
Use assignment sheets.
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Tier II.
Special Education Collaboration
This teacher has witnessed the success of accommodating for his/her entire class, but a small
group of students are not responding to their efforts. They have demonstrated a commitment to
the education of all students, have documented all of their efforts to help the class to be
competent with state and local standards (proficiencies), and have been actively involved in
their own professional development. These individuals go home and have conducted
“searches” to answer nagging questions about the lack of progress some students are making.
They need help and to answer the questions that remain they seek the special education
teacher for assistance, but they are not ready for a referral. The special education teacher will
work with students within the general education class and will document all his/her efforts to
assist the student(s).
After reviewing the data available from formative and summative assessments, this teacher is
frustrated that his/her efforts to help the child are not more successful. It has become important
to seek help from the special education teacher and outside help, perhaps a school
psychologist. It is important to note that this teacher has kept detailed documentation on the
progress of this child (or of their children). A referral for testing is not the objective here, but the
teacher is beginning to realize that their efforts may not be enough to help the students (or a
given child). In this tier the special education teacher may be observing the child to assist with
searches for the correct methodologies and may start assisting this child and others so as not to
stigmatize anyone. The general and special education teachers become partners with the
parents to trying new and innovative ideas that have not been tried before, but have shown
promise in some classrooms. The special education teacher regularly uses resources, such as
the Council for Exceptional Children research available on their web site and they seek
professionals that are knowledgeable in the area(s) of concern. Embedded within this Tier are
continued documentation and a detailing of questions that remain. All teachers are invested in
this child’s success and are diagnostic-prescriptive in their approach. The “science” of teaching
is really being utilized in this tier.
The special education teacher, in their effort to go beyond Tier I accommodations (detailed
above); seek best practices from resources available to them. They model and test out
approaches in the general education classroom using the respective student and perhaps peers
also having difficulties. The special education teacher may assist the general education
colleague by identifying resource materials that will assist the student(s) in finding success.
High interest low vocabulary texts or other materials may be needed or the special education
teacher may need to assist in accommodating the high vocabulary text(s) so the student(s)
experience benefit. If the child has not been taught to read, supports will be necessary for the
child to be ready for advanced rigor later.
It is critical, in this tier that the collaborating teachers strategically practice techniques that will
keep the child enfranchised in the academic core. If, however, the child is having great difficulty
with the reading material and the content in general, even if spoken there may be a more
advanced problem. Students with below average, (intelligence quotients of 75 or higher) will be
33
required to pass the state and local competency measures so determining the extent which the
student can remain in the general realm is vital in this tier. Remember, if the child has not been
taught to read, it does not, necessarily mean he/she has a disability. It may reflect that supports
are needed to help this student without a disability to catch up and rejoin his/her class. We
have to recognize that so many students have not been taught gateway skills in reading and
mathematics, which does not mean they require a label for services.
Individuals with linguistic and logical-mathematical talents will need to be continually challenged
in meaningful academic work that is appropriate for them. Establishing a grouping with students
performing at a more advanced rate who are “thirsty” for answers to questions should be
afforded the technology to conduct searches and to assist others with searches. If the class is
reading an abridged story on a leading figure, the teacher seeks out more advanced reading
material on the same subject and ask the student to contribute insights learned that may not be
in the regular textbook(s). Students with other talents, such as visual/spatial, musical,
body/kinesthetic, inter and intra personal skills, etc should be given opportunities to develop
additional skills, perhaps as a reward for completing their academic work.
Accommodations that may assist with more advanced difficulties
Adapting Instruction
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Use different groupings—individual, small groups, pairs, and large groups—to give
students opportunities to acquire academic and social skills. Students with emotional
and behavioral disorders may have difficulty learning in whole-class instruction but do
well in small-group or paired-learning situations. Also provide opportunities for students
to be tutored and to serve as tutors themselves. Learning to work with others is an
important skill for students with emotional and behavioral disorders. In a review of
research, peer-mediated learning methods (cross-age, same-age, or class wide peer
tutoring, and cooperative learning) were successful for students with emotional or
behavior disorders in a range of academic subject areas and grade levels.
Use materials that will generate high interest. When teachers design assignments to
increase the likelihood of student success, it helps reduce incidences of inappropriate
behaviors. Teachers can do this by using high-interest materials; for example, some
students may enjoy working on computers while others might like to write or use artistic
means for approaching. Consequently, having students compose essays, practice skills
on a computer, or illustrate responses may provide better motivation than more
traditional activities.
Provide alternative ways for students to complete tasks and demonstrate learning. For
example, students might give oral recitations to describe what they know to other
students who have already mastered the material. Allow students to express their
individual learning style preferences. For instance, some students work better standing
up, others while sitting on the floor, still others while sitting in beanbag chairs. As long
as students are working, learning, and not interfering with the progress of others,
providing appropriate alternatives for completing tasks makes sense.
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Behaviors
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Identify student “models” and the behaviors that you want other students to emulate.
For example, “Shelly has her math book open to page 38 and is looking at me to indicate
that she is ready. Show me that you are ready by doing the same thing.”
Monitor whether the student with emotional or behavioral disorders follows the model.
Look for approximations and provide positive reinforcement. For example, “Joe (student
with emotional or behavioral problems) is getting his math book out. What are the next
two things you need to do, Joe, to indicate that you are ready?”
Provide frequent feedback when the student performs the desired behaviors. Look for
as many chances as possible to recognize desirable behaviors.
Students who view themselves as “like” a model are more likely than not to imitate
desirable behaviors. You can facilitate this process by identifying ways in which
students’ behaviors are similar. For example, “Joe (student with emotional or behavioral
disorder) and Shelly are not talking while they are getting ready for the homework
assignment. Good for them!”
35
Tier III.
More Individualized/Intensive Services are Provided to an Individual or Small Group
Outside the General Education Classroom
Answers to questions being generated are not causing success in the classroom and the
approach is becoming more and more individualized. The special education teacher is sending
their instructional assistant (paraprofessional-if there has been extensive training for the
position) and this individual is working one-on-one in the general education classroom with the
student (and/or small group of students performing at the same ability level). What is being
tested is if the child will benefit from a smaller adult:student ratio in the general education class.
If the child is highly distractible, the teachers have already tried to provide a non-distracting spot
in the classroom with which to work and if the child is benefiting from reading material to be
modified to be high interest material embedded in the grade appropriate curriculum, continue,
but extra supports will be needed. If the student is distracting others it must be documented that
many behavioral supports have already been applied to decrease the student’s affect on the
learning of others. The purpose of this tier is to see if more restrictive supports are needed.
Certainly, if general education inclusive efforts do not work, even if there is an instructional
assistant, behavioral coach to eliminate unwanted behaviors, and a modified reading program at
grade level the teachers in partnership with one another work for the student to keep him with
If one-on-one instruction within the classroom is working the school leader may wish to seek the
help of a full-time instructional assistant in this classroom or with the grade level. If the child is
still not reading at grade level extra supports are going to be needed to catch this child up. Title
I can be very useful for this purpose, but the regular teaching day will not be enough to
accommodate the needs here. Clearly behavioral supports will work more swiftly if there is a
close partnership with the home environment. A “full court press” is needed where the rules,
rewards, reinforcements, and consequences are identical between the home and school
environments. The building leader, teachers, social worker (who facilitates this plan) and the
parents are a unit of one.
With the approval of the general education teacher and strong data to suggest a major
temporary change in the student’s education the special education teacher becomes much
more specialized and remedial in approach. This teacher realizes that he/she cannot use 1st
grade materials to teach reading to a 4th grader and acts upon what they know to do, namely
modify the resources (text) available so the child can benefit from instruction. If his class is
reading a story about Daniel Boone, this teacher modifies the actual story in the text and revises
the sentences to a readable format. If the student is reading at the first grade level, then the
story is re-written in simple sentences, while introducing new words. Flash cards are used
regularly and when possible the student is educated with age-appropriate peers.
If general education (as the location of the response to intervention services) does not work the
general education and special education teachers may remove the child and perhaps others to
a quieter spot in the building where remedial help can be provided. This teacher is re-writing
the text due to the child’s inability to read the material, but all instruction will remain focused in
the general education core curriculum. The efforts here continue to be general education–
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focused, but instruction in a group is clearly not working. Special services under Tier III may be
provided in another setting, even if it means a resource room.
A word about LD Resource rooms: In the past special education teachers have had their own
rooms within schools with which to work with students labeled. Over the thirty-five + years with
the federal mandate special educators have received funds for resource materials to
accommodate individual learners. Perhaps it is time to close these rooms and rename them as,
perhaps “instructional resource labs” for the entire staff to use. This does not mean that special
education teachers will lose their Turf, but it does mean their objective should become more
general education-focused and they should be provided a space where research can be
conducted, but the student-focused space should be for general use. This means when the
special education teacher is highly qualified to co-teach in the general education classroom they
might teach the class as the general education colleague removes a student or small group of
students to the instructional resource lab for one-on-one assistance with the content. The
role(s) of the special educators must change to assisting general education peers with
struggling students and they will need space to re-construct units of study for a given child, seek
behavioral supports, and allocate instructional assistants and other supports where and when
needed.
Students with multiple intelligences, especially in linguistic and logical-mathematical talents may
require a separate curriculum outside of the general education classroom. This is not
considered special education, but a separate course of study is critically needed to assist those
students to keep them challenged and engaged in meaningful and appropriate educational
material. Many of these kids may become behavior problems if not engaged properly and could
also “check-out” when they actually have talents that could cause them to be ready and willing
for more challenging material, even more independent work offered virtually.
If these efforts for students with difficulties and high abilities do not work and being educated in
the general education class is too distracting or too limiting for the child then it is time to
consider advanced services that result after a summary meeting is held to determine future
directions and possibly identification of eligibility for special education.
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Delivery of Special Services: Future Directions
Step 1
Response to Intervention Summary Meeting
The general and special education teachers continue to work with the student, but together they
document all attempts and remaining questions in a Response to Intervention Summary prior to
determining whether or not to submit a formal Referral for Special Education Consideration.
If the general education teacher(s), in collaboration with the special education and support staff,
including, but not limited to school psychologist, social worker, etc., have substantial
documentation from Tiers I, II, and III of what worked and what did not work with this child
above and the accommodations have not been successful a summary meeting is needed to
discuss future directions. The usual option considered here is a special education referral, but a
referral at this point may be directed to other supports for the student before being formally
tendered. Let me explain. For many years students that simply could not experience success
in the general education classroom were referred immediately for special education
consideration without consult with prior records to determine if their reading problems were due
to a failure to learn to read. Students that failed or were not performing at a competency level
that may have been expected were tested, labeled and oftentimes placed in a special education
location. After 1997 it became federally required that this practice be re-evaluated and
changed. In effect, students were now to be “included” in general education and the extent to
which they were taken out (mainstreamed) in special education was now to be documented in
the student’s individualized education program (IEP). Research data was available and
emerging that suggested that students placed with age-appropriate peers in the general
education classroom, with its meaningful educational material, did better than those segregated.
Further, students were now being assessed as to the skills that were being taught in the general
education classroom and if a student with a disability was taught from a different curriculum or
at a grade level below their age-appropriate peers they likely did poorly on the assessment(s).
This became especially important after the promulgation of the No Child Left behind Act where
98-99% of the students in school were expected to be competent in grade level work in English,
mathematics, science, and social studies. In all reality, many of the students placed in special
education for mild disabilities, especially learning disabilities were actually students who were
never taught to read in the “Window of Opportunity.” These are the students who failed to pass
grade level competencies.
The question here is whether a referral might be sought, but for what reason? The special
education teacher can remove the child and can work on the general education core in another
setting, but the cord remains strong to the general education teacher. The questions that arise
include: has this child been taught to read and how do I, let’s say in the 4th grade deal with this?
How do I provide a child experiences in division if he cannot multiply 1 digit numbers or the child
has not memorized multiplication facts? If he/she remains in the general education class, will
he/she continue to act out because what is being taught is not relevant to his needs right now?
Are you getting to the point where you believe that this child needs more of your help to get
him/her caught up before he/she can benefit from instruction?
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Before a Referral for Special Education Consideration the following questions need to be
addressed:
1. What is the student’s prior history in school?
a.
From kindergarten on what was the student’s performance in reading?
b.
From kindergarten on what was the student’s performance in mathematics?
c.
What accommodations have been provided in reading and/or mathematics?
d.
What behavioral accommodations have been provided to remediate poor habits?
2. What documentation has been generated and can conclusions be made based on the date?
3. What questions remain for others to answer?
4. What will a referral for special education consideration solve? Will the child benefit from
general education placement in the general education academic core? If the student suspected
of having an intellectual disability that would remove him/her from general education placement,
except for social activities? If the child is expected to remain in the general education
curriculum, what supports might be needed (what do we know so far?)
5. The team has enough data to suggest that there are sufficient questions that remain that
require a multi-disciplinary team of professionals to solve. If the student is suspected of having
a disability a Referral for Special Education Consideration is documented. The document
includes personal information about the student, assurance that the parents have been involved
(or informed) in the process, all the documentation from Tiers I, II, III above, questions that have
yet to be answered, suspicions of the review committee, and signatures of all that have taken
part in the Response to Intervention and the Summary Meeting.
6. Is there a vehicle to evaluate the capacity of a student who is advancing at a faster rate in
linguistic and logical mathematical material? Are there supports in place for this student so that
he/she can be challenged and continually engaged?
Step 2
Referral for Special Education Consideration
A Referral for Special Education Consideration is tendered in written form in a format
designed by the district and it includes minutes of the RTI Summary meeting that determined
the current direction to seek answers through a multi-disciplinary evaluation team. The referral
does not include questions like “Does the child have a Learning Disability? Or, “Does the child
have ADD?” Instead, the teachers in collaboration with one another detail all of the
documentation from Tiers I, II, and III of efforts to help the student and the remaining questions
that have been generated. In effect, they describe characteristics of learning behaviors that are
preventing success in the general education classroom and detail pertinent questions that
remain. It must be understood that the label is of little use to these teachers for labels do not
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answer the pertinent questions that are stopping progress. The questions will assist a school
psychologist and diagnostician in determining which assessments to use. Further, each state
has procedures that are a response to the federal requirements under the IDEIA and certain
criteria must be met for eligibility. The diagnostic team understands this and will know from all
the documentation provided what needs to be pursued.
Remember, many medical disorders were immediately handled by remanding the issue to the
school health professional in Tier I (many resulting in a Medical Plan or a Section 504
Accommodation Plan), but some serious medical disorders will qualify a student for more
advanced health services or even accommodations that can be provided outside of RTI and
within the realm of special education related services.
Referrals should be carefully written understanding that they become a part of the educational
record for the child and that the team requires parental support. It depends on the fact that a
prior partnership with parents will ensure a smooth transition to the next tier so compelling
questions may be answered. Also, a referral is tendered because the committee suspects the
potential of a disability. A label will result that may or may not help the child in the future, so the
committee’s decision to proceed is a carefully well-thought out determination.
Step 3
Formal Parental Participation, Team Coordination, and Evaluation
Once a referral is jointly written it should be submitted to the building administrator or
administrative designee. This individual reviews the data and either forwards the documents to
the Director of Special Education (or designee) or remands it back for further work within his/her
building. This is where the checks and balances occur. If a teacher does not collaborate with a
special education teacher in the development of the referral in Tiers I, II, and III it should be sent
back for this step. Likewise, even if there is collaboration, but it is identified that the
documentation does not reflect evidence-based practice, time for the accommodations to be
tested, or even a variety of accommodations the referral should be held for more general
education work. As a building administrator, it is very important that they can see extensive
efforts under each of the three tiers before a referral is tendered in Tier III-B. This also provides
important data as to the effectiveness of your teaching staff in meeting the needs of diverse
learners. Educational leaders are appraising the effectiveness of their staff by reviewing the
scores from summative tests administered. But there will be some students that will not perform
as well as one would expect. If there are documented efforts detailed in the first three Tiers of
notes that data exists regarding the teacher’s effectiveness, despite the performance on the
assessment, this should be noted in the staff member’s performance appraisal. This answers
the questions many teachers pose about being evaluated on their class’ performance unfairly
because they have students with IEP’s or 504 plans, or have a wide range of diverse learners.
The pertinent question for them is “What are you doing about it?” Properly with fidelity teachers
can find that RTI answers this question well.
Assuming the building administrators have created a culture where all students in the building
are special and that accommodating for each and every student is the norm, the referral
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contains the necessary elements after following the three major Tiers. This referral is then
remanded to the special education director or his/her designee for processing.
A team is assigned and a Parent Notice is sent to the parents inviting them to come to the
building to discuss the referral with the building administrator (or designee) and the collaborating
general and special education teachers. If there is a culture of accommodating for all students
the district will find that referrals of this type are decreasing and school psychologists and/or
diagnosticians may be available to consult with the committee. This meeting is when the
referral and all of the documentation is presented to the parent for review and possible
multidisciplinary (M) team evaluation will be discussed to answer remaining questions. Again,
be very careful how the documentation is organized knowing the sensitivity of the information
and who will read it. The questions detailed in the referral will be presented and future
directions will be discussed.
Generally, when a referral is tendered with extensive information from the Tiers discussed
above and the general education teacher has a strong partnership with the parents, even having
discussed the need for further discussions, the option will be a multidisciplinary team evaluation.
The school psychologist and/or diagnostician will be important in this discussion because they
will now explain the procedures and what questions will be addressed. Basing the discussion
on what has been gained prior to this meeting they may suggest certain tests. For example,
they might suggest a multi-factored test of learning capability (Intelligence quotient assessment)
to determine what capacity a child has to learn advanced rigor. A child with intellectual
disabilities will score below average overall, but a child with a learning disability will perform at
average or higher, but there will be a “block” of some type. The school psychologist must
entertain the possibility that the child was never taught to read when he/she was in K-3rd grades
and without going back to re-teach the child they cannot advance. This may or may not mean
they have a disability, but if the culture in the building does not addressed the importance of the
“window of opportunity” (and most do not) many children (mostly boys) will be lacking in their
ability to read at grade level. The school psychologist must also address if a child who has
attention deficits is indeed eligible for other health impairment.
One can see how very difficult it is to determine whether a label should be applied to a student.
The pertinent questions regard whether a child has a disability or if the child was poorly taught
in earlier grades and he/she is shutting down, overwhelmed by the fact they must now read to
learn, which they cannot, or they simply are not ready for the advanced rigor because the
capacity to learn was not developed. It will be up to the case conference committee (IEP Team)
to determine directions, but with the changes in special education as a service delivery system
in the general education classroom other options may need to be developed that will intensively
work with a student to build capacity to learn before the advanced rigor can be attempted. In
other words, if a child cannot read at the current grade level we might find it a waste of our time
to teach him/her from a textbook that is written at a higher readability level. This often happens
in science and social studies, as well as English grammar and literature books.
With all the questions presented and the evaluation procedures discussed, the parent will be
informed of their rights (Procedural Safeguards—Rights and Options), the timelines for the
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evaluation, and the date of the Case Conference committee (IEP Team Meeting) where all the
data will be presented and discussed will be established. The parents will be presented with
Permission to Evaluate, which is a contract with the parent that certain tasks will be performed
for the benefit of their child within a timeframe discussed observing the child’s rights to privacy
and confidentiality. The parent and other members of the evaluation team will be provided
certain tasks to perform before the case conference committee (IEP Team) meeting. Parents
are often given a Behavior Rating Scale and general education teachers will be asked to
contribute a Present Levels of Educational Performance, which will be detailed closer to the
date of the meeting. All general education teachers and appropriate specialists, including a
special education teacher that continues to work with a child as a result of jointly tendering a
Referral are asked to prepare data to be considered at the meeting. The data will consist of a
narrative of student performance and copies of the student’s work to assist the team in making
an eligibility determination. Remember, the school psychologist will assess the student utilizing
standardized instruments and the data gained will be normed nationally. The diagnostician will
also use standardized measures in the core subjects, such as reading, grammar, mathematics,
but they will not assess a student’s ability to understand science or social studies since a
students do not have disabilities in science or social studies, but in reading and in being able to
calculate numerals. Students may also have barriers in writing and if this is true, the classroom
teachers must provide data to assist in this determination.
The classroom teachers will use a more “formative” measure that is curricular-based.
Assessments can be constructed that are standards-based to assess certain skills being taught.
Teachers constructing their own tests are urged to make questions different, use variety, and
ensure that each skill has at least 3-5 questions per skill being assessed to determine
competency. Questions like this are easily constructed and can be a part of curricular-mapping
exercises within each core department. Remember, data can be gained by a variety of staff,
including, but not limited to school psychologists and diagnosticians, classroom teachers,
parents, school nurse, building administrator (or designee), cafeteria monitor, security staff,
outside evaluators, speech, occupational, physical, music, art therapists, etc. What is needed is
enough data to be entered into the record to make a decision as to the needs of the student
referred.
Step 4
Determination of Eligibility for Special Education and Future Directions
The state’s regulations will determine basic eligibility requirements for determination of a
disability under the IDEIA (special education). The school psychologist should ensure that the
necessary data is collected so the case conference committee or IEP team can make a decision
without having to postpone a decision pending gathering additional data, which happens at
times, but should never happen regularly.
Once the data is ready a case conference committee (IEP Team) meeting is held. This meeting
must include the parent or guardian, the child if they are an adult, a representative of the
general education staff (preferably the individual who submitted the referral), specialist in the
area of suspected disability, and other diagnosticians (school psychologist, etc).
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The Chair of the meeting asks if the committee has the data needed to make a decision. If they
do, the meeting proceeds, but if they do not a discussion is held to determine whether more
data is necessary and how this will be managed. If the meeting is to be re-scheduled, then the
new date of the conference is set, but if the timeline has been exhausted the parents must be
approached to extend the timeline to accommodate the need(s). This should not happen.
The evaluative data is discussed systematically and critical questions as to eligibility for special
education with the following categories in mind are presented.
•
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Autism Spectrum Disorder
Deaf/ Blind
Deafness/ Hearing Impaired
Developmental Delay
Intellectual Disabilities
Multiple Disabilities
Other Health Impairment
Orthopedic impairment
Serious Emotional Impairment
Specific Learning Disability
Speech or language Impairment
Traumatic Brain Injury
Visual impairment (including blindness)
If the student is found to be eligible for special education an individualized education program
(IEP) is developed based only on the data. Oftentimes a parent may want additional services,
such as a one-on-one tutor or paraprofessional to be added to the IEP. It is prudent for the
Chair to as to see the data that supports this need. If a physician’s statement is produced
stating the need, consider it, but remember a physician does not have the authority to
recommend or even demand services as you do not have the authority to recommend or
demand medication to be administered. Adding an instructional assistant to a classroom
should always be remanded to an educational leader and should be added to the classroom or
grade level. Refer to Tiers II and III above. The child is provided services so as to “level the
playing field” so he/she may experience success and perhaps failure if he/she does not provide
effort to the meaningful educational material presented.
The IEP must include long range goals, short term objectives, related and support services
needed as presented by the data, duration of services and the extent to which the student will
be educated outside of the general education classroom. In addition to the supports detailed
are test modifications that are detailed and could not be provided for “high stakes” testing like
the state measures to determine adequate yearly performance (AYP). Modifications may
include being assessed in a less distracting environment, additional time to take the
assessment, a scribe for certain individuals, Braille versions (visual impairments), etc. But the
modifications may not include reading comprehension assistance. The testing modifications
must be provided to all assessments for the student to be able to have modifications on “high
stakes” assessments for it to be appropriate and there needs to be appropriate data to support
the need.
The IEP, once submitted should be communicated with all staff that work with the student, as
relevant and as appropriate.
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A Functional behavioral Assessment may also have been a part of the multi-disciplinary team
evaluation that results in a behavior plan to be included with the IEP.
Parents are offered a Permission for Placement, Procedural Safeguards, and a way to
partner with the academic team. It is appropriate, at this time to discuss what changes might be
helpful in the home to ensure a successful academic program for the child.
Placement is facilitated, supports trained and provided, and the IEP becomes operational. If at
any time the team find that the IEP needs minor modifications IDEIA accommodates this by
allowing an informal meeting with the parent or guardian to make the changes. Parents must
agree or the placement cannot be initiated without going to dispute resolution.
Dispute resolution can take many forms. First, the parent or guardian must be informed in the
Procedural Safeguards (Rights and Options) that they may seek an Impartial Due Process
Hearing where the state department of education appoints a hearing officer to determine future
directions; a complaint may be filed to the state department of education for procedural
violations; a complaint made to the local office of Civil Rights because the parents feel their
child’s rights under Section 504 have been violated, and/or the parents may sue the school
corporation under the court system. Suits under the courts are generally accepted only if other
remedies have been sought as discussed above.
Districts may request an Impartial Due Process Hearing if a parent refuses permission to
place—to initiate the IEP. This is unusual, but recommended. There is generally a pre hearing
conference and at this time the district could request that the Hearing Officer order the parent to
place the child in services during the pendency of the proceedings. He/she may temporarily
hold the hearing pending academic data gained from the special education program initiated to
see if the placement is appropriate.
Step 5-a
Non-Eligibility for Special Education and Section 504 Eligibility is Considered
If a student is not eligible for special education services it is possible that the data gained may
be reviewed through the requirements under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.
First of all, there is no need to gather new data for this process because the RTI and Referral
for Special Education Consideration and evaluative data is already on file. What must be done
is to review the potential eligibility under a different standard, as follows:
a. Does the child have a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more
major life activities (i.e. learning)?
b. Is there a record or history of such an impairment? This becomes relevant if the student is
being removed from special education as a result of a re-evaluation and/or annual case
review.
c. Is the student “regarded” as having a disability. There are cases where the student may not
qualify for special education, but the committee is split on the decision. Some members,
including the classroom teacher(s) may feel strongly that the student is disabled and
although special education is not an option, additional, more specific accommodations may
44
be the answer. This is hardly needed if the general and special education teachers
collaborate during RTI. In all reality, fidelity to RTI should almost eliminate Section 504
referrals and placements. The only problem is that some students with ADD/ADHD will
need the eligibility for test modifications.
If the student is eligible under Section 504 an Accommodation Plan is constructed. Unlike an
IEP all that is needed is to identify the needs and how the accommodations will be delivered.
There is no requirement to review or to re-evaluate the plan, but it is always a good idea to do
so. Remember, the purpose of accommodating a student’s impairment under Section 504 is to
prove the school is not discriminating against the student by denying a free appropriate public
education in the least restrictive environment.
Eligibility for Section 504 also means that a student may be suspended like other students, but
if expulsion is considered, a Manifest Determination conference must be held. Unlike special
education, if there is no “causal relationship” between the infraction and the disability, the
student may be separated from school—expelled. If the student under Section 504 services
violates the school district’s drug and alcohol code of conduct, a Manifest Determination
conference is not required and the student would be afforded the due process provided all
students (except those with a disability under the IDEIA where a free appropriate public
education can never be denied).
Step 5-b
Annual Case Review/Re-Evaluation/Transition/Manifest Determination
Annual Case Review
An annual case review must be scheduled and held each school year. Some school districts
schedule these conferences on the anniversary date of the initial placement and some in the
spring. It is advisable for high schools to schedule the annual case review after the
Guidance/career counselor has completed scheduling for the coming year.
The annual case review is an opportunity to “review” the student’s placement with special
education services and to make modifications in the overall program; rewrite, if needed, the
annual goals and short-term objectives; and to withdraw or add services. If services are
changed there must be data to support the need. To add mathematics to a student’s special
education services that has reading difficulties would be inappropriate, except for the reading of
story problems unless there is data that the student has problems with calculation, etc. If the
initial evaluation did not uncover this need, it is likely that the need is expressed through school
performance, and this is not enough to add special education services. Perhaps the general
end special education teachers could collaborate in this regard in an RTI-like fashion.
Re-Evaluation
Students are re-evaluated when it is appropriate, especially every three years unless it is not
needed or appropriate. The re-evaluation is for the determination of continued special
education eligibility and to determine if supports, including related services are warranted. This
evaluation may also assist a student who is in transition to another building.
As with RTI questions are generated and answers will be sought through the evaluation. If the
45
special education services are successful, there may be a question as to continued eligibility. If
they are not successful, the question “Why” is pursued. Not only should the IEP be reviewed,
but the effectiveness of the teaching and supports must be evaluated by the serious
educational leader. A student should not suffer a label and separation from peers needlessly
and there should be data presented that supports the continued need.
Transition Conference
Transitions are common in a student’s educational life and it is always a good idea to schedule
and conduct a conference in the new facility for a student advancing to another grade.
Important transitions occur when a child advances from early childhood to primary grades; from
elementary school to middle school; from middle school to high school; and from high school to
post high school opportunities, including, but not limited to college or the university. The latter
is required by law because special education ends, but the student is considered an American
with a Disability, if he/she still qualifies. This Transition Conference connects the student to
services beyond high school, provides the student a copy of his/her records, including the
psychological and diagnostic reports, and the final individual education program (IEP).
Upon applying for entrance into a post high school institution the student must declare that
he/she has a disability and initiate service delivery as an adult—as an American with a
Disability. Most colleges, universities, and apprenticeship programs have a program to assist
individuals with disabilities.
Manifest Determination
A Manifest Determination conference is held if there are excessive suspensions that approach
ten (10) school days and/or of the student is being considered for expulsion from school. This
conference used to be called a “Causal Relationship” conference because the objective is to
determine whether the
disability “caused” the infraction.
Suspension
Students with disabilities may be suspended by their building administrator (or designee) for
infractions to school rules for generally up to ten (10) days per year. Some states allow for this
number to be increased, if necessary, but it is not a good idea to do so for administrative
convenience or to simply remove the student from needed and appropriate services at school.
To abuse this privilege is to deny a student a free appropriate public education in the least
restrictive environment. If a student is suspended reasonably for up to 7 days a manifest
determination conference is not needed, but if the suspensions approach 10 or higher days the
educational leader(s) should consider discussing the appropriateness of the placement.
Expulsion
There may be times when the infraction is so severe that the student is considered a threat to
him/herself and/or others. In this case an expulsion may be considered. If expulsion is the
option a Manifest Determination conference must be scheduled and held. The purpose of this
conference is to determine if the student’s disability has “caused” him to break school rules. A
re-evaluation may result that includes a Functional Behavioral Assessment, which adds a
behavior plan to the current placement or it may be cause for a change of placement outside of
the school in a more restrictive facility. A student under special education (IDEIA) protection
46
can never be denied a free appropriate public education, but because of the severity of the
infraction he/she may need a more restrictive placement where his/her behaviors can be more
closely monitored and modified so the student can safely return to the school.
47
Responsibilities of Leaders
Board of Education / Superintendent of Schools
•
•
•
•
•
Create a community-wide culture of acceptance, tolerance, and learning for diverse
learners.
Develop a vision and mission statement that includes: “All students can, will, and must
learn.”
• Non-discriminatory policies and administrative procedures.
• District-wide expectations for accommodations for diverse needs and that all staff
(including support and classified staff) treat all students as unique, important human
beings.
• Comprehensive and on-going professional development for all staff for diverse
learners.
• Hold all staff accountable for the success of each and every learner.
Offer district-wide resources at building level to:
• Social workers
• School psychologists
• Behavioral supports (coaches)
Select a competent staff that deeply cares about all students.
Live core values and virtues that model:
• Care for one another in service and community leadership;
• A never-ending search for honesty and truth; and
• Tolerance, care, and compassion for all.
Building-Level Leadership
•
•
•
•
•
Vision fosters the creation of a community-wide culture of tolerance and learning for
diverse learners.
Procedures are non-discriminatory.
Expectations are high for each and every student and include service for diverse
learners.
Staff is competent and is held accountable for individual student success – each and
every student. Educational Leadership assigns all students to competent clinical
teaching and support staff who are diagnostic/prescriptive in approach.
Professional development is offered to the entire staff for individual learners during the
teaching day that is embedded in the curriculum.
• Provide formal opportunities (under professional development) for staff to gather to
discuss diverse student needs, i.e., Teacher Assistance Teams (TAT), Student
Assistance Programs (SAP, General Educational Integration (GEI).
• Release Master Teachers to coach other staff.
Offer support services that enables the success of each and every student.
Create a caring, tolerant, accepting environment for all.
•
•
•
Teachers and Support Staff
•
•
•
Activities are non-discriminatory.
High expectations for all students.
Increase competence by participating in professional development.
48
•
•
Seek help from peers.
Foster a caring, tolerant, and accepting learning environment for all students.
49
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50
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conference.
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51
Yes, the student:
• Has a physical or
Parents
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of the general
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impairment; and/or
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classroom.
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• Intellectual Disabilities (IEP may include Behavior
Plan) is
regarded as having an
• Multiple Disabilities (IEP may include a Behavior and/or Medical Plan)
impairment.
• Other Health Impairment (IEP may include a Behavior and/or Medical Plan)
• Orthopedic Impairment (IEP includes Medical Plan)
• Serious Emotional Impairment (IEP includes Behavior Plan)
• Specific Learning Disability (IEP)
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Parent
gives
permission
for special
education
placement
.
Parent says
no to special
education
placement.
No special education
services are
provided.
District requests an
impartial due process
hearing.
52
District requests an
impartial due process
hearing. In Pre-Hearing
Conference, the District
requests an Order from
the Hearing Officer for
the Parent to provide
permission.
Parents obey the
pre-hearing
conference order.
Implement the program.
nnually review the
lacement.
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implement a Section
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Order. Hearing
is held.
Parents and/or
District follow
the Orders of
the hearing
officer at the
conclusion of
the hearing.
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eligibility. Return to evaluation
step in Tier III.
Conduct conferences
at all transitions.
Remand the student to
general education for
Tiers I and II supports.
Re-evaluate
the student at
least every 3
years.
53