Watch, Listen, Ask, Learn: How School Leaders Can Create an Inclusive Environment for Students With Disabilities (An education leader's guide to navigating the complexities of special education)

by Belinda Dunnick Karge

Overview

This is your comprehensive resource on providing effective special education services in your school. Written for current and aspiring administrators and teacher leaders, the book offers action items, case studies, and reproducible tools to help you stay in front of special education law, know and support your learning services team, and ensure students with disabilities receive equitable, inclusive education.

This book will help district administrators, building leaders, and general and special education teachers:

• Understand legal regulations and policy surrounding special education
• Think ahead, be proactive, and set up supports for each student
• Discover a variety of special education service delivery models and practices
• Know how to best support the paraeducators, speech and language specialists, therapists, and other essential staff who comprise their learning services team
• Build and sustain strong parent and community support
• Utilize an effective MTSS model that includes academics, behavior, and mental health
• Embrace the challenge to remain professional learners, whether they’re veteran educators or just starting out

Contents:
Introduction
Part 1: What Every Leader Should Know About Special Education
Chapter 1: The Legal Basics of Special Education
Chapter 2: Service Delivery Models—Striving to Meet the Least Restrictive Environment
Part 2: How Effective Leaders Support Special Education Personnel
Chapter 3: Supporting and Mentoring Special Education Personnel
Chapter 4: Supporting Paraeducator Personnel
Chapter 5: Collaborating With Related Services Personnel
Part 3: Measure Your Progress Toward Schoolwide Implementation of Support for All
Chapter 6: Inclusive Education Is Equitable Education—All Means All
Chapter 7: Eleven Steps for Establishing an Inclusive School
Appendix A: At-a-Glance Review of IDEA (2004)
Appendix B: Sample Learning Services Team Referral Form
Appendix C: A Sample Parent Notice of Learning Services Team Meeting
Appendix D: Student Response Form for Learning Services Team
Appendix E: Learning Services Team Log Sheet
Appendix F: Learning Services Team Summary Form
Appendix G: Sample Special Education Referral
References and Resources
Index

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781954631304
Publisher:	Solution Tree Press
Publication date:	11/15/2022
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	240
File size:	5 MB

Table of Contents

About the Author xiii

Introduction 1

Part 1 What Every Leader Should Know About Special Education 7

1 Learning the Legal Basics of Special Education 9

Individuals With Disabilities Education Act 11

Zero Reject 12

Free Appropriate Public Education 13

Least Restrictive Environment 14

Due Process 16

Parent Participation 17

Nondiscriminatory Evaluation 17

Reauthorization of IDEA(2004) 18

Individualized Education Program 20

IEP Process 20

IEP Scheduler 25

Specially Designed Instruction 26

Additional Considerations 27

Standardized Assessments 27

Budgeting 28

Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 29

Conclusion 30

2 Striving to Meet the Least Restrictive Environment: Service-Delivery Models 31

Learning Services Team 32

Multitiered System of Support 35

Schoolwide Positive Behavior Support System 40

MTSS and Mental Health 41

MTSS Handbook 41

The MTSS in Action 44

Special Education Service-Delivery Models 49

General Education Classroom 49

Co-Teaching 51

Resource Room or Learning Center 54

Behavior Intervention Class 55

Self-Contained Class 55

Residential Treatment Center or Homebound Instruction 56

Conclusion 57

Part 2 How Effective Leaders Support Special Education Personnel 59

3 Supporting and Mentoring Special Education Personnel 61

Relationship Building 63

Pedagogical Knowledge 67

Research-Based Instructional Practices 68

Mentorship 71

Professional Learning 73

The Learning Continuum 81

IEP Follow-Up 81

Importance of Welcoming Innovation 82

Conclusion 82

4 Supporting Paraeducator Personnel 83

The Paraeducator Role 84

Duties of a Paraeducator 88

Tasks Paraeducators Can Perform 89

Confidentiality 90

One-to-One Adult Support 91

Tier 2 Intervention and Learning Centers 92

Bilingual Paraeducators 94

Paraeducators as Members of the Team 94

Hiring Process for Paraeducators 96

Evaluation of Paraeducators 97

Posted Schedules 97

Communication Between Paraeducator and Supervising Teacher 98

Conclusion 100

5 Collaborating With Related Services Personnel 101

Related Services Personnel Roles 102

Speech and Language Pathologist 105

Behavior Specialist 105

Social Worker 108

Counselor 110

School Psychologist 112

Occupational Therapist 113

Physical Therapist 113

Adapted Physical Education Teacher 113

Nurse 114

Related Services Personnel as Members of the Team 114

Related Services Personnel's input on the LST 114

Relationship Building With Related Services Personnel 117

Extended-School-Year Services 119

Transition Services 119

Assistive Technology 120

Conclusion 121

Part 3 How to Progress Toward Schoolwide Implementation of Support for All 123

6 Ensuring That Inclusive Education Is Equitable Education: All Means All 125

The Master Schedule and Equity 126

Social Inclusion 127

Instructional Time 127

Noninstructional Time 129

Progress Monitoring and Data 131

Educator Attitudes 132

Engagement With Parents of Students With Disabilities 137

Gifted and Talented and Twice-Exceptional Students 139

Alignment With Other Initiatives 140

Conclusion 142

7 Establishing an Inclusive School in Eleven Steps 145

One School's Progression to a Sustainable Inclusive Program 147

Eleven Steps for Establishing an Inclusive School 152

Step 1 Review Current Practices 152

Step 2 Involve the Leadership Team 155

Step 3 Do Some Action Planning 155

Step 4 Conduct Professional Learning 156

Step 5 Read the Research 163

Step 6 Encourage Family Engagement 164

Step 7 Design and implement an Inclusion Plan 164

Step 8 Implement Data-Collection Measures 167

Step 9 Monitor Implementation 172

Step 10 Revise and Adjust 174

Step 11 Celebrate and Share Successes 174

Conclusion 176

Appendix 177

At-a-Glance Review of IDEA (2004) 178

Sample Learning Services Team Referral Form 179

Sample Parent Notice of a Learning Services Team Meeting 183

Student Response Form for the Learning Services Team 184

Learning Services Team Log Sheet 185

Learning Services Team Summary Form 186

Sample Special Education Referral Form 188

General Education Student Information Form 189

References and Resources 191

Index 213