Pd 2

1. Special Education
(Services not Labels)
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2. AGENDA (M)
1. Opening Scenario: Precious Cantor
2. Pre-assessment
3. Presentations on the following topics
(Laws, Percentage facts: other current circumstance,
Time in gen. ed., Disproportionate, Facts of reality Re: sped)
4. Walking Data (Interactive Activity)
5. Windows Into the Belief System: the inevitability of assumptions
and the normality of failure (Precious Cantor)
6. Peeling Back to Examine Other Data
7. Post Assessment
8. Discussion
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3. M
OPENING ASSESSMENT:
PRECIOUS CANTOR - STAFF READ
PRE-ASSESSMENT
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4. Purpose of PD (A)
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 THE PURPOSE OF THIS PD IS FOR US AS A STAFF TO
REALIZE THE IMPORTANCE OF REFLECTING ON
OUR TEACHING PRACTICES AND STUDENTS’
BACKGROUND BEFORE WE LABEL THE CHILD WITH A
DISABILITY.
 LABELING A CHILD WITH A DISABILITY CAN HELP
THE STUDENT GAIN NECESSARY SERVICES, BUT
GOES HAND IN HAND WITH LONG TERM NEGATIVE
CONSEQUENCES.

5. SPECIAL EDUCATION (L)
According to National Dissemination Center for Children with
Disabilities (NICHCY)…
Special education is instruction that is specially designed to meet
the unique needs of a child with a disability. This means education
that is individually developed to address a specific child’s needs
that result from his or her disability. Since each child is unique, it
is difficult to give an overall example of special education.
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6. SPECIAL EDUCATION (L)
A) IDEA (1975) mandates all students to be in Least Restrictive Environment.
IDEA also mandates, extra support from counselors and other professionals.
B) RTI formed to decreased amount of students being referred to special
education, to reduce the segregation and labeling of students and for the
transformation of how instruction is delivered in the general ed. classroom
1. Regular class instruction
2. Intensified small group instruction
3. Individual instruction
IF THE STUDENT IS UNRESPONSIVE TO THESE 3 LEVELS, STUDENT MAY BE
ELIGIBLE FOR SPED.
C) SPECIAL EDUCATION WAS NOT A PLACE, BUT A SERVICE DELIVERY
STRUCTURE
D) Before Special Education functioned independently, but NCLB now requires
students with sped. (95%) To take state mandated testing, which caught the eye of
admin. & teachers. As a result, sped. No longer functions independently.
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7. PERCENTAGE OF FACTS IN SPECIAL
EDUCATION (M)
1. Nearly 6 million children receiving sped. services
between the ages of 6-21
2. 67% receiving sped have SLD/speech language
3. 20% spend most of their school day outside regular
classroom
4. fewer than 12% of students are diagnosed with
significant cognitive disabilities, such as MR or traumatic
brain injury
5. 88% are in relatively subjective criteria, such as Mild
MR, learning disability, & ED
6. 80% of student diagnosed with SLD have reading
difficulties
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8. DISCUSSION ABOUT CULTURE (M)
A. Indicators that contribute to disproportionate
representation
1. ELL
2. MARGINALIZED STUDENTS
3. SOCIO ECONOMIC BACKGROUND
4. HISTORY OF FAMILY MEMBERS IN SPECIAL ED.
5. LACK OF REFELECTION TO TEACHERS’ PRACTICES IN THE CLASSROOM
(EX: WHAT IS YOUR DISCIPLINE PLAN, UTILIZATION OF SPECIAL ED.
STAFF, ACCOMODATIONS/MODIFICATION, ETC.)
6. APPROPRIATE INTERVENTIONS
B. What we need to continue to practice: Student Success
Team (SST) – review student files, observe students/teachers
in the classroom, develop strategies, & reflect
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9. STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES AND
ASSESSMENTS (M)
• Students with disabilities have lower performance on
state proficiency exams compared with general education
Peers.
• Some special Education Students score in the high range
but some score in the low range. Students who score in
the high ranges are:
1. Students with visual/speech disabilities
2. Students who spent more time in the classroom
3. Those with fewer disabilities
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10. WINDOWS INTO BELIEF SYSTEMS (A)
Walking Data Activity
Directions
1. You will have 3 minutes to write with an assumption or
belief that you belief that is relevant each disability on the
cards provided.
2. At the timer please attach the assumption/belief to the
actor’s clothing.
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11. PEELING BACK TO EXAMINE OTHER DATA (A)
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Some of the long term effects of having Special Ed. Labels
1. Lower level of academic achievement
2. Low graduation rates
For example: 2001-2002 only 32% of sped students received
standard HS diploma, those that finished are more likely to
receive alternative certificates instead of a high school
diploma
3. Drop out rates are higher for sped. students than
general education students
4. Higher rates of suspension/expulsion

12. ACCELLERATION PLAN (A)
• Consider the Qualifying Disability-All plan
components should stem from the premise of the
qualifying disability (what is the primary cause of
the disability).
• Establish a norm that the team will make a
concerted effort to use language accurately when
discussing the student.
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13. ACCELERATION PLAN CONTINUED (A)
• Incorporate goals that are focused on student’s
strengths, academic and non-academic, that will
help student reach grade level and self-confidence.
• Focus on a student as an individual and avoid
comparison to siblings or generalization based on
student’s background.
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14. WRAP IT UP (A, M,L)
1. POST-ASSESSMENT
2. HOW HAVE YOUR VIEWS CHANGED?
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