Consultation, Collaboration, and Teamwork for Students with Special Needs

1. Consultation, Collaboration, and Teamwork for Students with Special Needs

2. Purpose of Instruction • Provide a foundation to construct a practical framework for implementing a collaborative, consultative, or teamwork approach to meeting the needs of all students in your school.

3. Historical Perspective • Teachers are use to functioning autonomously in their classrooms. In the past asking for assistance often would be viewed as incompetence.

4. Collegiality • Teachers need structure, training, practice and feedback on how to work together in a collegial manner for the good of all students. Education needs to develop a collaboration ethic.

5. Appropriate Education PERIOD • We need to talk about the educational needs of the students PERIOD. • We need to stop talking “special education” vs. “general education” • “Special Education” automatically sets the tone for lower expectations.

6. Collaboration/Consultation • Sharing of expertise • Do not claim to be the experts • Listen well • Learn from others • Help individuals, schools recognize their own skills • Help students achieve highest levels of success and independence

7. Collaborators • Confer • Contribute • Instruction is enhanced by diversity of values, experience, abilities, and interests. • Seek win/win solutions • Needs of students come before the needs of the adults.

8. Obstacles for Successful Collaboration • Resistance from administrators • Resistance from colleagues • Resistance from parents.

9. Crucial Elements of Effective Collaboration Services • Communication • Cooperation • Coordination

10. 5 Factors of Successful Inclusive Schools • #1 • Visionary Leadership • positive view towards students with disabilities • positive view regarding the abilities of teachers and families. • Instructional emphasis: ALL staff are responsible for ALL students. • Educators share responsibility for achievement and behavior. • Emphasis on community of learners, high standards, role flexibility, and flexible learning environments.

11. #2 Collaboration • Teachers are encouraged to collaborate on all levels for all issues. Collaboration among teachers is common. True team work is in existence between grades and levels.

12. #3 Refocused Use of Assessment • Use more authentic assessment measures or outcomes-based education (OBE) • Use assessment data to drive instruction • Curriculum-based Assessment • portfolio assessments • teacher-made tests • Criterion referenced tests • Curriculum-based measurement

13. #4 Supports for Students and Staff • Systematic staff development (annual planning) • Flexible planning time for special educators and general educators • Special Resources are used efficiently across programs • instructional assistants • curriculum adaptation • integrated therapy services • peer supports • technology • assistive devices

14. #5 Effective parental involvement • Parents are welcomed, respected, and integral to the school

15. Daily interaction between general and strategic teachers as well as administrators from the school and district level, parents, and related service personnel. Strategic Teachers Skilled training in one or more specialized areas (e.g. behavior management, social skills, speech therapy, giftedness) who use those skills to assist in the development and implementation of instructional strategies. KDE Collaborative Model

16. Mutual trust Open communication Joint effort in problem solving Pooling of personnel resources Shared responsibilities in the selection, implementation and evaluation of instructional strategies. Each member provides expertise Each member participates in the implementation of preventive strategies and or problem resolutions. Characteristics of Collaborative Schools

17. Consult with regular, gifted, vocational, special education, special area teachers, administrators, support services and parents. Collect formative/summative data on instructional programming to solve problems or identify problems. Maintain on going progress data. Modify instructional strategies Model teaching strategies and assist with transitioning of skills from class to class. Coordinate and support students transitioning from class to class. Modify and/or adapt curriculum, materials, strategies, or environmental settings. Deliver instruction. Grade/write instructional plans Appropriate Activities for a Collaborative Teacher

18. Collaborative Arrangements

19. Multiple Collaborative Arrangements • Student needs first • Staffing needs/team needs • Flexibility in planning and delivery • Different assignments or lessons may require different types of collaboration

20. Administrator Responsibilities • Resources • Support • Flexible planning time • Priority status for classes/student schedules • Joint planning time • Open communication

21. Role of the Special Educator • Primary role is to be responsible for the services that are indicated on each student’s IEP. It is the special education teachers responsibility to ensure that students with disabilities are receiving the specially designed instruction and related services as prescribed on their IEP.

22. Role of the General Education Teacher • The general education teacher remains the lead teacher for the content of the course. She/he provides direction for instruction and content emphasis. She/he works with the special education teacher to plan how they will develop, implement, deliver and assess the core content to the students.

23. Flexibility Scheduling, teaching, methodologies, grading and instructional time Training Conflict resolution, effective problem solving Time Common Planning time Schedule Priority for classes, students, itinerant staff Support Administrator, teachers, central office Planning & Problem Solving Agenda Minutes Consensus Resources Personnel, materials, professional development Critical Factors for Success