For every student identified as exceptional by an
Identification, Placement, and Review Committee (IPRC), the educational staff
of the school must undertake a cyclical process of program planning.
During all the phases of the planning cycle, frequent
interaction and communication should take place among all the individuals
involved in planning the student's program. Co-ordination of efforts is
critical and is the responsibility of the principal. By encouraging creativity,
co-operation, and flexibility, the principal can ensure that everyone is
working to design, implement, and evaluate the most appropriate educational
plan.
The Assessment Phase
Assessment is a continuing, systematic, and purposeful process
of collecting information about a student to assist in the making of
programming decisions. It should tap the social, emotional, physical, cultural,
and intellectual aspects of the student's life in the home, school, and
community. Assessment should result in a realistic and positive understanding
of the student's abilities and needs, from which a learning prof He can be
developed.
The principal, the parents, the student, classroom and special
education teachers, and support personnel should be involved in the assessment
process. A case conference is an efficient means of sharing information.
Working as a team, concerned individuals interpret findings and make decisions
regarding a student's program and placement.
The assessment process may include, in addition to the
activities already mentioned, collecting information about previous educational
experiences and arranging a formal educational and/or multidisciplinary
assessment.
By means of these activities, educators determine the learning
strengths and needs of the student, and a student profile is developed. The
profile is a description of the student and his or her learning needs and may
include information about:
- health or medical factors;
- specialized resources or equipment required to meet the
student's educational needs;
- the need for support personnel;
- parental expectations;
- the suitability of various learning environments.
When learning needs and abilities have been identified and a
student profile has been completed, program design can begin. It should be
emphasized, however, that assessment does not end at this point; rather, it is
a continuing process of review.
The Development Phase
The information collected during the assessment phase is used to
design the individual educational plan. An educational plan not only identifies
what will be taught but also specifies how goals will be reached.
The educational plan is the major vehicle for both short- and
long-term planning. The following are some of the items and issues that should
be covered in the educational plan:
- the long- and short-term program goals for the student;
- the type of learning environment that has been chosen for the
student;
- strategies for individualizing the student's program;
- the human support services that will be enlisted to support
the student's program;
- special equipment and materials that will be used;
- specific instructional techniques (e.g., behaviour management
or task analysis) that will be used to meet the goals of the student's
program;
- the level of support and program modifications planned for
the student in an integrated program;
- specific staff responsibilities for implementing the
plan;
- the nature and frequency of assessment of the student's
progress and the plan's effectiveness.
Regular communication among parents, teachers, and other
professionals is crucial throughout the development phase.
The Implementation Phase
At the implementation phase, learning experiences are provided
to the student as specified in the educational plan. But successful
implementation requires more than just a good instructional plan; it also
requires both physical and social support from the school. At this point,
therefore, personnel responsible for the student's education must ensure that
modifications such as ramps and washroom facilities are provided and that needs
for special equipment and transportation are met. To sensitize the school
population to the student's special needs, information should be disseminated
through staff in-service sessions and/or communication with parents and other
students.
Personnel resources specified in the educational plan
-health-care providers, educational assistants, familysupport workers - must be
hired or assigned as needed. An educational program must be developed or an
existing program modified according to the plan conceived in the development
phase. School staff must be assigned, and helped to understand, their roles
(e.g., program delivery, program evaluation, guidance). Finally, opportunities
for rewarding peer interaction must be ensured.
The daily timetable of these students can be similar to that of
their non-disabled peers. As a general rule, every student can take part in the
major areas of study - communication arts, social sciences, mathematics,
physical education, dramatic arts, and visual arts. Students with special needs
may require, in addition, involvement in non-academic areas, such as self-care,
physical therapy, community access, and work experience.
Although these students may be unable to participate in some
activities independently and in the same way as other students, this does not
necessarily mean that they should be excluded entirely from these activities or
subject areas. In many cases they may be able to participate if programs are
modified for them or if they receive the assistance of a peer tutor or a
teacher's assistant. The goal is to involve students in regular activities in
ways that are relevant to their individual needs and that provide them with
enjoyment and skill development.
Consideration should also be given to the provision of
out-of-school learning experiences to facilitate students' eventual transition
from school to life in the community. On-the-job experience enhances the skills
that students learn in the classroom, with the result that students learn to
function as independently as possible, both in the community and on the job. It
is also important that students develop recreational skills and interests, as
well as the social skills required to use facilities such as restaurants,
banks, and libraries. These skills can be taught outside the school, through
field trips. Finally, learning housekeeping and basic maintenance skills in
natural home environments will enable many students to manage in a supported or
independent living arrangement.
The Evaluation Phase
Evaluation consists of both continual and periodic assessment
procedures. It involves measuring student progress through observation and
through other, more formal measures of achievement, The evaluation phase
includes program evaluation as well as evaluation of student achievement.
The following are some factors to consider when evaluating the
student's achievement and the program's effectiveness:
- the student's success in completing the learning objectives
outlined in the educational plan;
- the student's areas of strength and weakness, not only in the
academic realm but also in social, physical, intellectual, medical, and
vocational areas;
- the program's success in meeting the expectations of the
parents and the student;
- the plan's success in meeting the needs identified in the
student profile;
- the appropriateness of the student's placement;
- the helpfulness of the modifications made to the learning
environment;
- the effectiveness of the teaching strategies in meeting the
student's needs;
- the adequacy of resource and personnel support;
- the need for further assessment of student and program.
Communication with parents and other professionals is an
important part of evaluation. It may occur through interviews, conferences,
progress reports, telephone conversations, classroom visits, and written
correspondence. This collaboration results in comprehensive accounts of student
progress, interests, strengths, and needs and assists in answering the question
"Are the instructional programs effective?"
The information and concerns that arise from the evaluation
phase may indicate further assessment needs. In that case, the assessment
component and the entire planning cycle will be repeated.
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