Special Education in the English Classroom

By: Martha VanHorssen

BIG QUESTION

How do you teach students that are

behind grade level?

RESEARCHPROCESS

1. Interviews2.Program example:

Charlotte High School3.So What4.My video!

LINCOLN HIGH SCHOOL SPECIAL EDUCATION: RESOURCE TEACHER

What does your program look like at Lincoln High School?

At LHS students eligible for special education services are placed in team taught General Education classroom. 

The content area teacher and special educator collaborate.

RESOURCE TEACHER

Do students in your program graduate with a GED?

Some students just "don't fit" or "can't fit" into the typical high school setting

RESOURCE TEACHER

How many go to college?most of the students havereading difficultiesand/or social-emotional barriersthat block them from developing the

skills needed

RESOURCE TEACHER

How often do teachers seek your help in modifying lessons and

homework?

Not very often because the pressures of time

CHARLOTTE HIGH SCHOOL ENGLISH TEACHER

What does your program look like at Charlotte High School?

Thematic units of study; we are currently working in vocabulary across the curriculum

ENGLISH TEACHER

What types of disabilities do you have in your classroom?

Learning disabilities, special ed.

How often do you seek your help in modifying lessons and homework?

Not often for modifying; a lot for accommodating.

ADVICE FOR FUTURE ENGLISH TEACHERS

Be prepared, but be flexible Call parents

Insist on polite behavior in students

Get to know and help support staff

Try to find as many hands-on activities as possible

PROGRAM EXAMPLE

Charlotte High School

• 3 levels• available to everyone• “ORIOLE time” is for everyone• ZAP (Zeroes Aren’t Permitted)

PROGRAM EXAMPLE

Level 1:“at risk” students identifiedclassroom interventionFreshman Mentoring Program (FMP)

Level 2: Academic intervention/Teacher referral Oriole Time TutorHomework during lunch

Level 3:Failing 2 or more classesCredit recovery

SO WHATDifference between modifications and

accommodations:“Are you changing the lesson and expectations?

Or are you making it possible to be completed and learned?” (Ms. Fletcher)

Work that applies to their livesChallenge students, when they are bored, they

won't workWhat is true for Sp. Ed. students can be true

for all studentsMay be behind grade level because of

uninteresting lessons that are unrelated to their lives

USEFUL RESOURCES

Special Education : MSU : ENG408 interviews/lesson plan examples

Including Students with Special Needs : a Practical Guide for Classroom Teachers by Marilyn Penovich Friend; William D Bursuck

Experiential Education in the English Classroom

Special Needs - Teacher Resources

Keep at-Risk Students in School by Keeping Them up to Grade Level

        by David P. Sklarz

Teachers Network: Assessing Student Writing 

How to Improve Literacy