SPE-812 Reply only

SPE812Topic2DQ1.docx

Home >Education homework help >SPE-812 Reply only

Topic 2 DQ 1

Under ESSA, states have more accountability for the education of all their students. However, states must still separate and report the performance of students with disabilities on state tests, and those tests must still be given in grades 3-8 and once in high school. Under ESSA, students with an identity disability must continue to take, with the appropriate accommodations, the same grade level assessments as their peers. Critique this law in regard to its fairness to students with exceptionalities.

1. Maren Miller

As long as the assessment is conducted in an ethical and fair manner and the appropriate accommodations are put into place, I believe that the assessments can be considered fair. From personal experience, I know that these tests can be painful for both teachers and the students (it’s my least favorite time of year), but I believe that the fairness comes from the information that will be provided from these tests. The results may not be pretty, but students, parents, and teachers deserve to know a full understanding of what their students can do when considering grade-level expectations. It isn’t enough that students with disabilities are in general education classrooms with their non-disabled peers, they also must be assessed using the same appropriate grade-level standards as their peers to determine their progress (Hurwitz et al., 2020). Fairness isn’t always popular or easy, but it does allow for a truthful representation of what is really going on.

Hurwitz, S., Perry, B., Cohen, E. D., & Skiba, R. (2020). Special education and individualized academic growth: A longitudinal assessment of outcomes for students with disabilities. American Educational Research Journal, 57(2), 576–611. https://doi.org/10.3102/0002831219857054

2. Derycka

I am a special education educator in an ICT (Integrated Co-Teaching Classroom) Classroom. Integrated Co-Teaching (ICT) is an educational model used in classrooms with mixed groups of students with and without special needs. ICT has a transformative and equalizing potential for efforts to achieve integration and inclusion of students with “special educational needs” in mainstream classrooms and society (Istenic & Bagon, 2014). Through these classrooms scholars with disabilities can be in classrooms with gen-ed scholars and learn tips and tools to better function inside and outside of the classrooms. Nonetheless, testing scholars is where it gets tricky in the 3rd grade. In the second-grade scholars receive lots of accommodations. Where the test and answers can be read aloud, extended time etc. is given to scholars. Students with exceptionalities continues to struggle to maintain the same proficiency and academic success as their general education peers on state exams. State testing is looking at what scholars with exceptionalities do not know, rather than what they do know.

My concern is that at times scholars with IEP’s may not have the skills and tools to read and comprehend at their grade level state assessments. Taking state testing, even if they get the accommodations of the test and questions being read aloud. They still will struggle to comprehend the task that is given and asked. Increased use of accommodations should reflect an attempt to ensure that the scores received by students with disabilities are valid measures of achievement.However, the score will reflect what scholars know but will reflect poorly on the school overall. The American assurance of equal educational opportunity for all scholars, determined achievement gaps among more and less advantaged groups of students remain, along with the opportunity gaps that create disparate outcomes (Cook-Harvey & et al., 2016). Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) signifies an opportunity for the federal government and states schools to equitably design education techniques to ensure that the scholars who have been identified with a disability should receive an education that prepares them for the demands of the 21st century (Cook-Harvey & et al., 2016). We can provide scholars with the appropriate accommodations and modification and equitable learning. However, the problem remains that the assessments taken are all the same. Even with things being read aloud the work is the same across the board.

The ESSA gave the tools for equitable education but seem to not make the assessments as equitable for scholars with disabilities. Differing developmental characteristics (Kozikoglu & Albayrak, 2022) does not mean differing exams. That is my issue with the ESSA regulations. Scholars with disabilities are still taking the test as their non-disabled peers. The assessments are not tailored to the individualized disabilities, modifications, and accommodations. We as educators must make the test work for our scholars, not the test is already created and appropriate for our scholars, which make it unfair.

References

Cook-Harvey, C. M., Darling-Hammond, L., Lam, L., Mercer, C., & Roc, M. (2016). Equity and ESSA: Leveraging Educational Opportunity through the Every Student Succeeds Act. Learning Policy Institute.

Istenic Starcic, A., & Bagon, S. (2014). ICT-supported learning for inclusion of people with special needs: Review of seven educational technology journals, 1970-2011. British Journal of Educational Technology, 45(2), 202.

Kozikoglu, I., & Albayrak, E. N. (2022). Teachers’ Attitudes and the Challenges They Experience Concerning Individualized Education Program (IEP): A Mixed Method Study. Participatory Educational Research, 9(1), 98–115.

3. Holly Levesque

Replies to Maren Miller

The ESSA law does not consider special education students and their individual needs. According to a study by Tindal and Anderson (2019), most students with special needs remain in the same score category from year to year when completing state testing. In some cases with severe special educational students, as students progress through school grades, the education gap often becomes greater. This gap results in the students staying in the same score categories compared to the same grade peers. Butker and Nasser (2020) state in their study that at the secondary level in math and reading, at least a fifth of students with disabilities are behind their general education peers by five or more years.

In Massachusetts, where I teach, students in public schools take the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) as a standardized test. Each student in the state is required to take this exam. With severe special education students, they can take the MCAS-Alt, a portfolio of the student's work that is put together. This exam does not show the growth of each of the students. Instead, the student's growth can be measured by observations and progress towards their IEP goals. I can speak from my own experiences that this assessment, even the alternative one is not fair for students with severe special needs.

Butler, J. M., & Nasser, K. O. (2020). Effective approaches in reducing reading discrepancy scores between students in general education and special education. Journal of Special Education Apprenticeship, 9(2) https://lopes.idm.oclc.org/login?url=https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=eric&AN=EJ1264431&site=eds-live&scope=site

Tindal, G., & Anderson, D. (2019). Changes in status and performance over time for students with specific learning disabilities. Learning Disability Quarterly, 42(1), 3-16. https://10.1177/0731948718806660

4. Derycka Shirley

replied to Holly Levesque

Replies to Holly Levesque

Hi Holly,

I understand why states request overall averages on scholar progress. I may not always agree, but I do understand. What I believe needs to happen is creating more sections for progress to be recorded. I believe that scholars with disabilities should have their own average recorded and sent into the state. I do not believe that their averages and progress should be looped in with all the other gen-ed scholars. Most of the time it reflects poorly on the school. Where it should not be a poor reflection because the scholars are not learning and are not receiving equitable curriculums as their peers. Learning looks different for each scholar with disabilities. Nonetheless, improvements have been made in legislative representations to focus on reporting outcomes for (sub)populations of scholars, so performance is no longer hidden in an overall average (Tindal & Anderson, 2019). Through this research we can see there is talks in creating an appropriate growth model within the accountability system. So that scholars with disabilities are not affecting their peers overall school average. I believe that if we are going to give equitable accommodations, which is what the ESSA regulations give. Equitable needs to be in all aspects, along with how we grade, give assessments and report school progress and averages.

References

Tindal, G., & Anderson, D. (2019). Changes in Status and Performance Over Time for Students With Specific Learning Disabilities. Learning Disability Quarterly, 42(1), 3–16. https://doi-org.lopes.idm.oclc.org/10.1177/0731948718806660

Best,

Derycka Shirley-Clarke

5. Angelica Elia

Replies to Maren Miller

I work in an alternative high school that is one-hundred percent special education, with all students required to have an IEP to be eligible to attend the school. The school has two different programs, one is to support students with emotional disorders and the other for students with behavioral disorder, typically there is an educational disorder in addition. We have had students with an identity disability, the students IEP advocated the appropriate educational, social, and emotional supports required for the individual student’s success. I can not argue against the ESSA expectation of standardized testing, if the school is utilizing the students IEP and the IEP explicitly explains the students needs and accommodations are implemented. Within an IEP there should be two different accommodations sections, one for daily expectations and classwork and one for assessments. It is the schools responsibility to ensure the student is receiving these accommodations on the day of testing. Schools have reported a concern regarding an IEP and the ability to effectively implement it, teachers have reported that they do not feel they have received adequate trainings nor provided useful tools to effectively implement the students IEP (Kozikoglu et. al., 2022). Again, I cant say that I would argue the intent of this law, however I would argue that schools can be challenged by this law when not provided adequate trainings or funding the adequately support teachers ability to implement an IEP and the accommodations.

Reference

6, Holly

replied to Angelica Elia

Unread

Replies to Angelica Elia

Hi Angelica

There is a greater risk of dropout and a decrease in pursuing higher education for students who continually underperform educationally (Butler & Nasser, 2020). When students do not feel that they have succeeded and school, there is a higher rate of students not wanting to continue their education. I believe that ESSA's standardized testing expectation is unreasonable for students in the special education population. I have seen that students who receive special education services want to drop out. Often when these students are asked to take standardized testing, they do not try because they believe they will fail through past experiences. I do not believe that accommodations in an IEP for assessments will entirely help students with special needs succeed. Yes, there is a population of students where that is what they need and what works for them. However, the IEP goals do not always align with the grade-level curriculum due to the educational gap. This gap affects the student's success on grade-level standardized testing. Instead, I believe that a standardized testing system that shows growth individualized to each student is what is needed for students with special needs.

Topic 2 DQ 2

Schulze and Boscardin (2018) suggest in their study that whether or not a school administrator has a background in special education is irrelevant, but as the leader’s expertise and experience evolves, so does their leadership skills which makes the administrator better equipped to handle students with special needs. Examine both sides of this issue and justify your responses.

7, Maren Miller

I think experience is the best teacher. I learned essential concepts from my years of teaching that were never addressed in a college classroom or professional development. I think every teacher and administrator can agree that they are a very different person now than they were on the first day of their first year. Experience is what helps make teachers and administrators go from good to great.

That being said, I don’t think that its’ everything. Special education is a place where different and unique experiences will happen and leaders will be able to handle each situation better if they are better informed about the laws and policies that make special education what it is. Leaders are more likely to be involved in the improvement of special education, understand and work with student needs, support the school and family partnerships, and dismantle segregated programs if they receive leadership preparation (DeMatthews et al., 2020). Having the background knowledge and understanding of special education will help leaders not only respond to certain experiences better but will also give them a better understating of the expectations that should be maintained.

DeMatthews, D. E., Kotok, S., & Serafini, A. (2020). Leadership preparation for special education and inclusive schools: Beliefs and recommendations from successful principals. Journal of Research on Leadership Education, 15(4), 303–329. https://doi.org/10.1177/1942775119838308

8. Holly Levesque

Background skills in special education are not always needed for administrators with experience with being an administrator. The skills of a leader are increased through years of experience in leadership positions (Schulze & Boscardin, 2018). If administrators do not have experience or skills in special education, they will develop their knowledge through more years of experience and exposure to special education. Administrators may not always have all the needed skills when entering an administrator position; instead, they will acquire these skills over time, including skills and knowledge about special education.

A study by Pregot (2021) found that most school leaders do not hold special education certifications or have past experiences in special education; one of the resulting gaps is in-house professional development. Without the proper background and experiences, administrators cannot effectively lead in the area of special education. Suppose the administrator does not have knowledge about special education entering their position. How can they ensure that the teachers and other professionals follow the special education guidelines and increase their knowledge in the area through professional development? This is one reason I believe there should be a separate administrator dedicated to special education working collaboratively with other administrators.

Pregot, M. V. (2021). Principals' Depth of Perception of Knowledge on Special Education Programs: How Much Do They Really Know?International Journal of Educational Reform, 30(1), 3-20. https://lopes.idm.oclc.org/login?url=https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=eric&AN=EJ1275969&site=eds-live&scope=site http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1056787920967114

Schulze, R., & Boscardin, M. L. (2018). Leadership Perceptions of Principals with and without Special Education Backgrounds. Journal of School Leadership, 28(1), 4-30. https://lopes.idm.oclc.org/login?url=https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=eric&AN=EJ1278849&site=eds-live&scope=site http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/105268461802800101

9.Angelica Elia

school education laws have evolved, educational leadership requirements have also evolved. I have worked in special education for sixteen years, the school I work in is one-hundred precent special education, this is an alternative high school that is a part of a consolidated school district utilized for middle and high school students. In years working here I have had the privilege of being on the interview principal and assistant principal. One of the questions asked in all interview panels I have been on is “what special education experience do you have?” There have been candidates eliminated right off the bat because they did not have any special education experience. In this particular position, it is imperative to have a strong understanding of special education and special education laws however, I can not say it its true for all leadership positions to require a background in special education to find success however, it is definitely a tool that is valuable and expected to be acquired as an educational leader. Hughes et. al. (2020) conducted a study that evaluates the required skills a principal need to be an effective leader. Hughes et. al. (2020) defines the problem of the study to be school administrators who are not receiving adequate training during school or professional development in special education. Hughes et. al. (2020) compares building leaders fifty years ago who held all the answers and seldom had to rely on outside sources such as district level position in decision making to leadership postings now in education who face several challenges understanding and implementing the complexities of current special education law.

References

Hughes, T., Bechtler, M., Cruz-Szabo, G., Hafner, L., Ortiz, L., Piel, K., Quiroz, S., & Robbins, T. (2020). Could Proactive Local Policy Improve Principals’ Building-Level Leadership of Special Education Services? EJEP: EJournal of Education Policy, 21(2).