...have the right to an education, regardless of disability. However, children with disabilities have not always had that right provided to them. Research and knowledge-based evidence throughout the last century has greatly changed educators’ opinions and positions on special education. A key point that will be discussed in this essay is the enactment of the Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA), as well as current and future challenges of special education. The initial creation and development of our educational system disregarded the needs of children with disabilities. Because of very limited educational options, most disabled children were either educated in their homes or their parents paid for them to attend expensive private schools (The History of Special Education in the United States, 2009). Through parent-formed advocacy groups the educational needs of children with disabilities were brought to the public’s eye in the early part of the 20th Century (The History of Special Education in the United States, 2009). In 1961, President John F. Kennedy awarded federal aid to the States through the creation of the President’s Panel on Mental Retardation (The History of Special Education in the United States, 2009). Shortly thereafter, in 1965, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (The History of Special Education in the United States, 2009). This act provided funding to schools that enrolled children with disabilities, thus giving disabled...
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...History of Special Education Grand Canyon University: SPE 526 June 25, 2014 ABSTRACT Special education has been at the center point of education for the past decades. The foundations of education never considered those with disabilities important or relevant in the classroom. Therefore, disabled students did not receive fair or equal treatment. Over the past century teachers, governments, and families have worked to create laws and regulations to ensure that students with disabilities have fair and equal treatment in schools. This paper will discuss the history of special education and law and acts that were created to help the field. In addition, current and future challenges of special education are also examined. Keywords: special education, No Child Left Behind, Individuals with Disabilities Education According to the United States Department of Education there were 6 million children from the age of birth to 21 that received special education services in 2009-2010 (Department of Education). In addition, since the federal government started reporting child data in 1977 the percentage of students receiving special education services has doubled from 23.8% to 42.3%. With encouraging statistics like those mentioned it seems like the United Sates has always been innovators of special education. However, this is actually not the case. When the founding fathers of education established the foundations of school, individuals with special needs were not considered. In...
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...with Disabilities in Virginia’s Accountability System A Guide for Educators and Parents Virginia Department of Education Updated April 2010 Table of Contents I II Definition of Students with Disabilities ………………………………………….. Description of Assessment Program A. Standards of Learning (SOL) Program ……………………………………….. B. Virginia Grade Level Alternative (VGLA) …………………………………… C. Virginia Substitute Evaluation Program (VSEP) …………………………….. D. Virginia Alternate Assessment Program (VAAP) ……………………………. APPENDIX……………………………………………………………………….. Virginia Department of Education Procedures for Participation of Students with Disabilities in Virginia’s Accountability System This document provides information about the participation of students with disabilities in the assessment component of Virginia’s Accountability System. Students with disabilities may participate through the Standards of Learning (SOL) assessments, the Virginia Grade Level Alternative (VGLA), the Virginia Substitute Evaluation Program (VSEP), or the Virginia Alternate Assessment Program (VAAP). Included in this document are guidelines for determining how students with disabilities participate in the Virginia Assessment Program, procedures for providing testing accommodations, and documentation requirements. I. Definition of Students with Disabilities Students with disabilities in the Commonwealth of Virginia include identified students under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement...
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...History of Special Education By: Kenyata York December 5, 2012 SPE 526 ABSTRACT Individuals with disabilities have the same passion, drive, determination and ambitions of traditional students. Students living with disabilities are just as capable of learning and retaining information just like traditional students in the classroom. In today’s society, there are an abundance of laws and regulations that are in place to protect and educate individuals with disabilities. However, the idea of educating individuals with disabilities was not always a positive and fair thought in the United States. Throughout history, the laws and regulations for students with disabilities have been created to establish equality and opportunity for educational advancement. Some of the laws and regulations include the creation of the Education for Handicapped Act (EHA), the Individual with Disability Education Act (IDEA), and legislation to have teachers trained to work with students who are “mental challenged” and deaf. Individuals with disabilities have the same passion, drive, determination and ambitions of traditional students. Students living with disabilities are just as capable of learning and retaining information just like traditional students in the classroom. In today’s society, there are an abundance of laws and regulations that are in place to protect and educate individuals with disabilities. However, the idea of educating individuals with disabilities was not always a positive...
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...A. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act Amendments of 1997 (IDEA), is a federal special education law and was signed into law in June 1997. The IDEA pledges that each child with a disability as well as students who need special education services has the right to a free proper public education, with the least restrictive environment. Below are the six components that are included in the IDEA. They include; 1 Free Appropriate Public Education(FAPE): In this component, the IDEA pledges that all students with a disability must be provided at a no cost public education services that is appropriate to his or her special needs within the public school system. 2 Least Restrictive Environment is the second component. This component ensures the student will receive a free appropriate public education with the least restrictive environment. It also contends the IDEA’s beliefs, that educating students within the general education population as well as the general education curriculum is the first priority that the IEP team must consider. 3 Individualized Education Program (IEP) Is the third component. This component will make certain that child with disabilities will be given the suitable as well as the individualized education. The IDEA states that after evaluating the information that is gathered, the IEP group will prepare a written document stating the special educational services available to the student. The steps involved in the IEP procedure include the testing...
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...(1998). A model for statewide special education reform: Pennsylvania’s Instructional Support Teams. International Journal of Educational Reform, 7, 345–351. Deno, S., Grimes, J., Reschly, D., & Schrag, J. (2001). PSM review team report. Minneapolis: Minneapolis Public Schools. Foorman, B. R., & Torgesen, J. (2001). Critical elements of classroom and small group instruction promote reading success in all children. Learning disabilities: Research and Practice, l6(4), 203–212. Fuchs, D., Mock, D., Morgan, P., & Young, C. (2003). Responsiveness-to-intervention: Definitions, evidence, and implications for the learning disabilities construct. Learning Disabilities: Research and Practice, 18(3), 157–171. Fuchs, L. S., Fuchs, D., & Speece, D. L. (2002). Treatment validity as a unifying construct for identifying learning disabilities. Learning Disability Quarterly, 25, 33–45. Gresham, F. M. (2002). Responsiveness to intervention: An alternative approach to the identification of learning disabilities. In R. Bradley, L. Danielson, & D. P. Hallahan (Eds.), Identification of learning disabilities: Research to practice (pp. 467–519). Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum. Ikeda, M. J., & Gustafson, J. K. (2002). Heartland AEA 11’s problem solving process: Impact on issues related to special education (Research Rep. No. 2002-01). Johnston, IA: Heartland Area Education Agency. Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEA) of 2004, PL 108-446, 20 U.S.C...
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...Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) Diversity and Inclusion FDT 4/5 Natalie C. Miller May 4, 2012 Western Governors University Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) Before Congress enacted the Education for All Handicapped Children Act of 1975, an underserved number of children in the United States living with disabilities received a fair education. The Education for All Handicapped Children Act of 1975 (PL 94-142) enabled states to provide for and improve the availability of an education for individuals with disabilities. Renamed the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (PL 101-476) or IDEA in 1990 (Allen and Cowdery, 2009) the amended Act authorizes a Free Appropriate Public Education for children with disabilities from birth to 21 years of age. Since 1990, amendments to IDEA now include changes to how the Individualized Education Programs are implemented; funding is appropriated; identification and determination of children with disabilities; due process procedures for parents of children with disabilities; and the effectiveness of educational services for children with disabilities. This paper will summarize the various changes to IDEA since the acts inception, and the guidelines and steps needed to create an IEP. Six Key Components of the Original 1975 IDEA The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 1975 mandates states and public schools provide a “Free-Appropriate Public Education” to students...
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...Research Process In Teaching Shaun Dwyer RES/351 April 30, 2015 Robert Batiste Research Process In Teaching Professionals mostly agree that scientific research should guide practice in education (Odom et al., 2005). The Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEIA; 2004) and the No Child Left Behind Act (2002) require that students with disabilities receive research based practices in the “least restrictive environment.” Because the least restrictive environment is often considered to be the general education classroom, the responsibility to implement research-based practices frequently rests with the classroom teacher. However, during their initial teacher training and certification, many teachers may not have received formal instruction regarding the implementation of current research-based practices. Subsequently, teachers often feel detached from the very research base they are now required to utilize (Ayres, Meyer, Erevelles, & Park-Lee, 1994; Boardman, Arguelles, Vaughn, Hughes, & Klingner, 2005). Interviews with teachers conducted by Boardman and colleagues (2005) suggested that teachers often select classroom instructional practices and behavioral interventions based on four criteria: (a) feasibility within the classroom, (b) perceived appropriateness for particular students, (c) availability of required materials, and (d) availability of required professional development or outside expert support. When a practice does not sufficiently...
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...unconcerned of the child’s abilities, are assured a free and appropriate public education (FAPE). School districts were required to be of assistance to children ages 6-17 and ages 3-5 and 18-21 if the state additionally schooled any non-learning disabled students in those particular age categories. 1. Nondiscriminatory Identification and Evaluation. It is necessary to take care of biased habits ending in non-linking and placing of young persons into special education (for example; children with ethical and language barriers) this authorization set-up necessary buffers. The determining assessments involved were: (a) administered in a child's primary language, (b) given by qualified personnel, (c) tailored to assess specific areas of need (not just IQ tests), (d) comprised of more than one procedure, (e) selected so as not to discriminate against the child's disability, and (f) administered by a multidisciplinary team in all areas related to the suspected disability. http://college.cengage.com/education/resources/res_prof/students/spec_ed/legislation/pl_94-142.html 2. Individualized Education Program (IEP). An IEP must be written for each student with an identified disability. Each IEP is uniquely designed to meet the individual needs of a particular student. (A team of individuals known as the IEP team meet annually to develop or up-date the IEP for all students receiving special education or related services…A group of people known as the IEP group meet every year to...
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...Case Study: Student with Special Needs Case Study: Student with Special Needs Precious D. Jacobs Grand Canyon University EDA 555 Legal Issues in Education October 10, 2012 “Live life to the fullest as you do not know what tomorrow will bring.” This cliché is one that is used as a way to encourage someone to achieve and do all that he or she may want to do today as they may not have the same capabilities or abilities to do them at a later date. Last year my current school enrolled a student name Zac that many did not know at the time was diagnosed and living with Multiple Sclerosis. Although he walked on the tips of his toes, it was not alarming to any faculty or staff member that taught or held a vested interest in him. However, as the school year drew to a close, Zac began to miss several consecutive days from school and eventually was being transported to and from his classes in a wheelchair. When school year commenced, Zac continued to require the use of the wheelchair as a means to be mobile. As school began for the current school term, Zac returned in the wheelchair. Over the summer months, Zac’s Multiple Sclerosis (MS) had worsened which has left him totally dependent on the wheelchair for mobility. Although in the previous year Zac had several teachers, paraprofessionals, the nurse as well as other staff members assisting him with learning maneuver the chair, due to budget cuts, several positions were cut. At which point, a plan had...
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...Special Education 1 Module 1 – History of Special Education Sandra A. Roland Grand Canyon University SPE – 526 Educating Learners With Diverse Needs Dr. Gary McDaniel January 6, 2011 Module 1 – History of Special Education 2 Abstract The history of Special Education began and surfaced in the U.S., after World War II, by a number of parent organized advocacy groups. One of the first organizations formed was the “American Association on Mental Deficiency,” which held its first convention in 1947. There was a number of other parent organizations formed, which was fueled by the” Civil Rights Movement” in the early 1950s, including the “United Cerebral Palsy Association”, the “Muscular Dystrophy Association,” and the “John F. Kennedy’s Panel on Mental Retardation,” which was established by President John F. Kennedy in 1961. This panel recommended federal aid to states. The “Elementary and Secondary Act” was signed by President Lyndon B. Johnson in 1965, providing funding for primary education. The advocacy groups believed this expanded access and public education for children with disabilities. The Federal government in (1950s and 1960s), worked with the support of the advocacy of family associations, such as “The ARC,” which began to develop and validate practices for children with disabilities and their families. These practices laid the foundation for implementing effective programs and services of early intervention and special education in states...
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...and Assistive Technology (AT). In particular, educators must decide how and when poor academic performance will trigger appropriate technology interventions. The historical development of education has seen a lot of changes though out the last three decades. Changes in key components of education such as teacher qualification, financial funding, curriculum, and assessment have all had huge impacts on education. Teacher qualification has seen a lot of changes in how teachers educate and use curriculum. “Since the 1980s, competing and often contradictory reforms have combined top-down, centralized efforts to improve teaching with efforts to promote decentralization and school-based management (Rowan, 1990) (Borman & Rachuaba 1999) History has had a huge impact on education throughout the years. Education throughout history has faced gender, cultural, and religious issues. The way schools are funded also had a huge impact from history. The control of funding for the school was taken from the community and became a political issue. Politicians realized the importance of education and how important it is in the community. Teachers have to deal with the changes in diversity within the classrooms and changes in technology used to educate. One of the impacts technology will have on education is change in student and teacher roles. With the increasing use of technology in the classroom...
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...MEMO | EDUCATION Did No Child Left Behind Work? By Lanae Erickson Hatalsky and Stephenie Johnson | Published: 02/06/15 Are we about to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory? For the first time in more than a decade, Congress is moving forward on reauthorizing the Elementary and Secondary Education Act—known in its previous iteration as the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB). Voices on both sides of the aisle have proposed major changes, including tossing the annual testing requirement for kids in grades 3 through 8, as well as repealing the accountability measures that have allowed the federal government to require states to address failing schools and yawning achievement gaps. There is no doubt that NCLB has problems that should be addressed in a new reauthorization. But before we throw out NCLB and rewind to the policies of the 1990s, we should examine what, if any, effect the era of accountability ushered in by President George W. Bush, late Senator Ted Kennedy (DMA), then-Congressman (now Speaker) John Boehner (R-OH), and retired Congressman George Miller (D-CA) has had on student achievement. As we outline below, even a cursory look at the data makes clear that after decades of stagnant scores, the last 15 years of accountability have brought measurable gains for students across the board, and the biggest gains during the NCLB era have been concentrated among the kids who needed them the most. While there are still serious problems to confront and...
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...Carli J. Riblett SPE-226 November 20, 2015 Mark Mendez Special Education and the Implications of Attitude, Litigation, and Legislation A person’s initial reaction when they see a child with special needs is typically compassion; however that is not and has not always been the case. For this very reason the federal and state governments have put into action certain laws to protect these children and their families. There is always room for improvement but it is a good start and has helped with providing education to fit the individual needs of these children. Attitudes are formed by a person’s experience or first impression of a situation or the particular environment they may be in. the human race holds certain expectations for how people should look and act because of these expectations we tend to surround ourselves with a group of people that have the same or similar view and expectations. When a child does things different or has a different appearance they tend to be excluded from the typical or popular groups. These children are different for many reasons most that are out of their control. Children that look, act, or communicate differently because of where they come from, because they have special needs, or even a language barrier are typically not accepted by the popular or dominate groups. Because of these differences and the fact that these children may not live up to the expectations of the general population it cause discomfort because the people are unaware...
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... Attitudes have changed over the last few decades in regards to children with disabilities. Instead of hiding or ignoring the disability, models of advocacy and early intervention are espoused as being key to helping disabled children have academic success and also learn the social and life skills needed to transition in their adult lives. Introduction: Many years ago, when a child exhibited a potential developmental disability parents were advised to let a child ‘grow-out of it’. As the field of special education has evolved and grown, it readily acknowledged that catching issues early, not ignoring them, is the most effective way to help the child. “Early childhood experts agree that the earlier intervention begins, the better. Child development expert Burton White, who has conducted years of research with typically developing infants and preschoolers at Harvard University’s Preschool Project, believes that the period between 8 months and 3 years is critical to cognitive and social development:“to begin to look at a child’s educational development when he is 2 years of age is already much too late”(Heward, 2009, p. 535). The consensus, however seems to be that the earlier a deficiency or disability is discovered the better chances for helping a child learn to navigate the world to come. So now that the mode of thinking has changed, what does it mean for the field of education and the assistance it provides to...
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