IMPROVING THE ROLE OF GENERAL EDUCATION TEACHERS TO PARTICIPATE MEANINGFULLY IN INDIVIDUALIZED EDUCATION PROGRAMS Tanya Gonzales, M.Ed. SWTLC, April 2014

ABSTRACT This research examines personnel based variables that affect the role of general education teachers in the development of Individual Educational Plans (IEP) for special education students. Thus, how a special education student accesses the general education setting is dependent on the quality of services provided. General and special education personnel base the description of services a student receives on professional collaboration through the ARD process, teaching models, and differentiated instruction. Therefore, through the survey of collaborative perspectives of teachers of an urban school district a data collection tool is generated to highlight student abilities and provide effective data for IPE contribution.

IDEA- INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES EDUCATION ACT  Provides educational opportunities to students with special needs by ensuring all students a “free, appropriate public education (FAPE) that emphasizes special education and related services designed to meet their unique needs…” ("Public law ," 2004)

INDIVIDUAL EDUCATIONAL PLAN ARD Committee Members The IEP is a legal document that is constructed by an Admission, Review, and Dismissal committee. Individual Educational Plan of a student that has a disability. Special Education Teacher General Education Teacher School Psychologist DiagnosticianAdministrator Counselor Parent and Student

WHAT AN EFFECTIVE IEP DOES Provides accesses to the general education setting Description and quality of services provided Collaboration among stakeholders Highlight student abilities Provide effective data for interventions

DIVERSITY OF EDUCATIONAL SETTINGS  Questions arise about the abilities of general education teachers to instruct students with special needs effectively  Specifically, to fully execute each special education student’s IEP in the General Education setting

GENERAL EDUCATION TEACHER ROLES SPECIFIC TO SPECIAL EDUCATION Educate students with specific needs in an inclusion setting Background knowledge of best practices Strategies for implementing special education requirements Accountable for fulfilling accommodations and modifications

CURRENT PRACTICE PROBLEMS Organizational All legal requirements to follow IEPs are left to the states and school districts to implement. Personnel General education teachers are responsible for adhering to students’ individualized education plans Special education teachers are generally responsible for creating them with the input of the necessary stakeholders

RESEARCH, RESULTS, AND SOLUTION

PARTICIPANTS  The quantitative and qualitative survey sent to San Antonio ISD high school faculty at traditional campuses.  85.3% of teachers at SAISD are general education teachers based the Academic Excellence Indicator System (AEIS) performance report

SURVEY OF CONTENT AND COLLABORATION TO MEET THE IEP CRITERIA To what extent are the general educators involved in the IEP? What are the current problems of practice? What is the best way for the general education teacher to contribute?

TO WHAT EXTENT ARE THE GENERAL EDUCATORS INVOLVED IN THE IEP?  Teacher ability to communicate the Present Level of Academic Achievement and Functional Performance  How to implement academic and behavior goals, objectives, and benchmarks (GOB’s)  Effective and regular collaboration with the special education personnel about instruction.

TEACHER SELF-REFLECTION Question Content Strongly Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree Not Applicable I differentiate instruction for all students. 36.3%47.5%13.8%0%2.5% I provide regular academic interventions such as reviews and/or tutoring. 50.0%40.0%6.3%1.3%2.5% I regularly use student data to inform instructional practices. 25.0%66.3%5.0%2.5%1.3% I understand how to carry out behavior plans. 38.8%53.8%6.3%0.0%1.3% I have knowledge of the academic goals per the IEP of the special education students I teach. 56.3%33.8%5.0%2.5% Teacher Self-Reflection* *Survey Questions 3, 4, 6, 8, 12

WHAT IS THE BEST WAY FOR THE GENERAL EDUCATION TEACHER TO CONTRIBUTE?  Knowledge of best practices to inform instruction of students with disabilities  Sharing information about student performance in class  Use of academic interventions  Use of student groupings  Implement all goal, objectives, and benchmarks

AREA OF CONCERN: INSTRUCTION Question Content Strongly Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree Not Applicable I work with the special education personnel regularly to develop lessons. 12.5%25.0%38.8%16.3%7.5% Teacher Collaboration* *Survey questions14

COMMUNICATION AND DOCUMENTATION  Content area teachers must grow to specialize in discerning what data is important  Expectations of grade levels are merely extensions of what a student should achieve.  Collaboration with special education personnel is necessary for successful students.

AREA OF CONCERN: COMMUNICATION Question Content Strongly Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree Not Applicable I work with the special education personnel regularly to develop assessments. 15.2%20.3%43.0%13.9%7.6% I have worked with the special education personnel to develop behavior goals for students. 24.1%26.6%29.1%12.7%7.6% Teachers indicated communication between general education teachers and special education teachers do not regularly result in heightened collaboration regarding planning lessons and assessments Overwhelmingly, the results of the survey indicate the most common input of the general education teacher occurs at the ARD meeting itself. Teacher Collaboration* *Survey questions 16 and 18

IMPLICATIONS FOR PROFESSION Collaboration  Common planning times for co-teachers  Consistent teacher placement throughout multiple academic years will allow co- teach partnerships to evolve  Allowing teachers to participate fully in the development of IEPs

DATA COLLECTION TOOL  The development of a data collection tool in lieu of frequent conversations or co- teach partnerships.  Document the daily activity of special education students in order to provide the monitoring case manager with valuable data to utilize when creating IEPs.  Be valuable data for a special education teacher who is not scheduled for in class support of a student.

DATA COLLECTION TOOL EXAMPLE Dates Student ID Task-s A-academic B-behavior Describe the Task Strength-s as it relates to the task Area-s of Improvement as it relates to the task Other 8/23 to 8/ A-reading Reading grade level poem Student is a good reader-pace and voice Student is not familiar with grade level vocabulary Student showed good effort reading

CONTACT INFORMATION: T. Gonzales Research Publication is available for linn/summer-2013-a-l-hard- copy/hardcover/product html