Chapter 1

Critical Legislation• NCLB• PL 94-142• IDEA• Section 504• ADA

Key Elements of Special Education Today

• Standards-based education• Student accountability• Inclusion• RTI• UDL• Differentiated Instruction• Evidence-Based Practices• Diversity Consideration

NCLB

• No Child Left Behind Act• Passed: 2001• Focus on:– Increased accountability– Parent & Student choices– Greater flexibility for schools, school districts, &

states in regards to fund disbursement– Put reading (and scientific-based instruction) first– Employ highly qualified teachers

PL 94-142 & IDEA

Defining the Legislation• PL 94-142: Education for All

Handicapped Children (initial version of IDEA, passed 30 years ago).

• IDEA: Individuals with Disabilities Education Act

Highlighting the Key Provisions

• Free, appropriate public education

• Appropriate evaluation• Individualized Education

Program (IEP)• Least Restrictive

Environment (LRE)• Parent & Student

Participation• Procedural safeguards

Section 504

• Affects students with traits that limit their learning ability.– Traits could be physical or mental, but somehow

affect negatively affect way individual lives their life.

• Provides service for those not under IDEA but still require some accommodations to succeed.

ADA

• Americans with Disabilities Act• A 1990 landmark decision.• Guaranteed widespread civil rights for

coverage for individuals with disabilities.• Prevent discrimination of persons that would

be otherwise qualified for employment.

Standards-Based Education

• Create a common set of goals to ensure students can demonstrate skills and knowledge of core subject areas.

• Curriculum must be tied to state-decided content and performance standards.

• Note: standards do exist for areas other than core content.

Student Accountability

• Emphasized by the passing of NCLB act and focus on standards-based reform.

• Students with disabilities can and will take state-wide or district-wide tests; usually taken with some form of accommodation.

• How students will be examined is determined in IEP.

Inclusion

• Attitude & philosophy of treating all students as valued and respected members of a class (or community); includes concepts of opportunities and rewards.

• Including students with special needs and instilling a sense of belonging in students.

RTI

• Response to Intervention• A tiered curriculum that creates levels of

intervention to meet a student’s needs; the intensity of the intervention does increase as the student progresses.

• Usually three tiers, sometimes four tiers.• Research-based, and some tiers can be used in

either a general education classroom or with a supplemental core curriculum.

UDL

• Universal Learning Design• All about eliminating barriers for all students,

proactive in design.• Tailor curriculum to students and their needs;

play to students’ interests and give choices.• 3 Areas:– Representation of material– Engagement with material– Action and Expression of knowledge

Differentiated Instruction

• Meets the student where they are, individualizing instruction.

• Meet a wide range of student needs with a general education classroom; helps students grow and achieve.

• Similar concept to universal design for learning.

Evidence-Based Practices

• Goes along with accountability and greatly encourages teachers to have evidence that practices used in the classroom is used successfully with the intended audience.

• Know what strategies work and don’t work.• Have a research base for education plans.

Diversity Consideration

• The “typical” student has changed dramatically in recent years.

• Most students don’t resemble the stereotype.• Diversity is much more than a disability.• A suggestion: develop sensitivity and specific

knowledge about needs of student’s and address those needs.

Special Education & Instructional StrategiesAll children can learn, but sometimes you need teamwork (including the teacher, the parents, and other teaching colleagues) and strategies to make a student’s educational experience whole.