ED 203 Ch. 3

Westling and Fox (2009) and Crudden (2012) procedures that enable teams to collaborate more effectively for transition planning and programming

1) identify personnel who will be on the team, 2) identify adult service agencies that will provide services and ensure their attendance, 3) identify skills needed by the student and how they benefit the student, 4) schedule meetings at convenient times including follow-up meetings to track progress, 5) discuss with the student and family the options available for education and training as well as for living arrangements and community participation. Ensure the students' and family members' interests and preferences are heard. , 6) identify on the transition plan the services provided by specific agencies prior to and after leaving school, skills to be learned, who is responsible for carrying out specific tasks, a timeline for completing tasks, and a system for monitoring progress, 7)after follow-up meetings have been scheduled, make arrangements for n exit-from-school meeting with all team members and make arrangements to follow up with the student and family within six months of exiting school

increasing student involvement

70% of students attended their IEP meetings, Studies show students el less competent as participates compared to parents, teachers, administrators, and related services personnel, 40% of special education teachers said that they thought students participated significantly but they actually only spoke 3% of the time in meetings, Ensure parents know their child is invited to attend and participate, Provide background knowledge about IEP and the process, as well as training for participating as appropriate to age, Focus on student strengths, gifts, and talents rather than only on skill or knowledge deficits, Involve peers and community members who are supportive of the student, Home visits, regular written communication, progress reports, and providing advanced notice of potential goals commonly used, Person-centered planning (PCP), students have a say, lets students understand why

station teaching

Co-teachers planning and instructing a portion of the lesson content in station that the students move through, Students move through stations to complete all activities at each station, Must communicate to co-plan the lesson and instructional content, materials, and strategies each will use, Share same space and students, are familiar with curriculum goals, share in classroom management and determination of how students are assessed, Must work together to be successful

teaming

Co-teachers take equal responsibility for all aspects of the classroom: management, planning, preparing materials, delivering instruction, and assessing student learning, Most collaborative, Students may not distinguish between which co-teacher is special education and which is general education due to regularly changing goals

transition services

Coordinated activities for a student, within an outcome-oriented process, that promote transition form school to adult activities, employment, Postsecondary education, Vocational training, Continuing and adult education, Adult services, Independent living, Community participation, Three broad areas on transition plan in IEPS: 1) education/postsecondary training, 2) employment, 3) independent living, Should take into account he interests and preferences of student, Teacher mat be involved in any or all activities or act as consultant for related services personnel

Best Practices for Collaboration in Early Childhood

Could include medical and service personnel (nurse/social workers), related services personnel (speech and language pathologists/physical therapist), early childhood personnel (early intervention special education teachers), and family members, teams should: Assess past experiences, past raining, and existing needs for learning for team members to be effective in their respective roles, Involve participants in delivery of info and teaching skills so that team members are both delivering and receiving knowledge and skills training, Involve family members as a part of them team also delivering and receiving info, Evaluate the effectiveness of training and revise as necessary, Have a positive attitude toward change, Take initiative to work together, Develop formal and informal communication strategies, Interagency collaboration necessary (at home, at school, etc)

parallel teaching

Each co-teacher plans and instructs students on same material, Each teacher presents info to a smaller heterogeneous group of students in the class (split class up), Smaller teacher-student ratio allows for more discussion and interaction and closer supervision, Best used for review of learning rather than initial instruction, Requires co-teachers to be comfortable with the content and to plan together what and how the material will be taught

alternative teaching

Each teacher plans and instructs the students, Each taches a separate heterogeneous group of students, One co-teacher works with a group for a specific purpose, the other co-teacher works with the remainder of the class (ex: one works with those who are behind, one works with rest), Important to not put all students with disabilities in one group and have them be the ones with regular group meeting and make only the special education teacher teach them (discouraged inclusive education), Co-teachers must co-plan the instruction and materials for each group, share same space and same students over time, both manage classroom, both familiar with curriculum goals and both sharing how students are assessed

increase student involvement

Ensure that parents know the child is invited to his/her IEP meeting, Prepare student with information for the IEP meeting, Focus on student strengths, Increase student responsibility for developing and implementing IEP, Involve peers and supportive community members, Utilize person-centered planning.

Collaboration between schools and families

Federal regulations include provisions for state and local education agencies to provide Parent Training and Information Centers and Community Parent Resource Centers-> offer services to parents and families in assisting their student with a disability and in working with state and local education agencies, navigating through due process and mediation procedures when dealing with disputes, Sometimes there is limited to no family involvement: family members may be concerned with employment, other children, or surviving day to day that it is a lower priority, maybe intimidated by IEP process and would rather professionals do it, school personnel may use inaccessible language and make it seems like they know best for students and not parents, Collaborative efforts should focus on: involving students more, involving parents more, resolving conflicts, and ensuring that cultural/ethnic values and beliefs are recognized and respected]

Collaboration

Friend and Cook (2010): not synonymous with teaming, co-teaching, consultation, or inclusion, is a style of interaction that is sued in a variety of educational situations and settings, Welch (2000): dynamic framework for efforts that endorse interdependence and parity during interactive exchange of resources between at least two partners who work together in a decision-making process that is influenced by cultural and systemic factors to achieve common goals, All work towards goal of providing free and appropriate individualized education for the student, work together to come to consensus, help each other, work together to reach goal, ex: theatre, SGA, group works, subject departments, happens every day

conflict management

Good communication skills are critical in resolving conflicts when they arise with parents, Failure to resolve conflicts may result in costs, wasted instructional time, or parents even electing to move their child to another school or district

History of Collaboration

In the past: tended to use "pull-out" services, students with mild disabilities went to resource room or special class to receive individualized or small group instruction for a portion of their school day, self-contained services now changed, 70s: more collaboration among special education and general education teachers in a general education setting, Collaborative consultation model: general and special education teachers, and other professionals, are equal partners working together to plan and implement programs for students, Collaborative teams: groups of teachers work together to plan, teach, and solve problems occurring in one another's classrooms

one teach, one assisting

Less emphasis on co-planning, communication, and collaboration than some of the other models, One teacher has greater responsibility for planning and delivering instruction, Assisting teacher may move around classroom to manage student behavior, observe students' work, and provide assistance to students as needed, Also has been referred to as one teach/one observe and one teach/one drift, Advantage: share the same space with students, can be used when co-planning time is scarce, Disadvantages: may deny role in teaching and therefore undermine that professional's credibility, moving around room can be distracting, students can become dependent on assisting teacher

one teach, one observe

One teacher teaches and the other observes during instructional times, Roles can be switched as needed, Observing may be gathering data on performance/behavior of particular student, Observing teacher may observe the teaching teacher to gather data on teaching styles , Involves less planning, less communication, and less collaboration

Roles of Teams in Collabration

Prereferral intervention response to intervention (RTI) teams (department teams), multidisciplinary evaluation teams, and IEP teams, Promote team effectiveness: clearly stated goals, built on trust and respect, good team communication, clearly defined roles and responsibilities, flexibility leadership responsibilities, and flexibility in scheduling and meeting agendas, good time management, willingness to work together, Ryndak and Pullen: teams purpose is linked clearly to and defined by the needs of the students, shared accountability/responsibility, shared expertise/skills (role flexibility), services provided in natural settings including the student's general education classroom, home, and community, as needed, equal partnership,

involvement of diverse families Laskey and Karge (2011)

Provide parent liaisons/advisors, Make home visits, Provide twice a year exhibition where students first present their goals for the year and later present assessments and a report of their own progress, Use community resources such as interpreters, organizations, clubs to build rapport and involvement, Acknowledge what the student learns from his or her culture and linguistic differences rather than taking a "deficit" perspective on human differences, Offer English language classes for family members

roles of related services personnel

Service not typically provided by classroom teacher but are necessary for a student with disabilities to benefit from his or her special education program, IDEA related services list is not exhausted and IEP team should provide necessary services at no cost, Related services providers, bus driver, school nurses, and physical and occupational therapist, speech and language pathologists, and assistive technology specialists, among others, integral in designing and supporting appropriate educational program, Most states don't require specific criteria for related services, Key determinant is whether or not the service is need in order for the student to benefit from special education and receive appropriate education, Providers might conduct assessments for IEP teams to see if service is needed, Related services should be used in determining student's LRE, Personnel may serve many or all students in various school within district, time and resources limited, Collaboration sometimes primarily occurs during IEP meetings and consultation, Sometimes involved with teacher during day, communicate services to teacher, Might be involved with student while giving consultation and collaboration with teachers and families to make sure needs are being met, With special and general education teachers

paraprofessionals in collaboration

Sometimes referred to as paraeducators or teacher aids, Hired to provide specific support in classroom or to a specific student of students, Federal regulation requires state educational agencies to establish qualifications for these people so that they are properly trained to assist in delivery of special education and related services, Should be educated in when and how to collaborate, individual roles, and responsibilities, Significant portion of students instruction may be delivered by this person, May move with student from class to class throughout day (provide guidance, assistance, encouragement, and instructional support), Can be used inappropriately but are vital, May be supervised by special education teachers or related services providers, Some feel not valued or trusted and underpaid (may inhibit ability to connect and collaborate), May need staff development, May need training in delivering consistent discipline, how to encourage students to use study strategies, or how to communicate effectively with students with limited speech and language skills, Don't always receive feedback, assistance, and training, Giangreco , Doyle, and Suter (2011) noted that these people are utilized best when they: a) are engaged in appropriate roles such as providing teacher-planned instruction and encouraging peer interactions; b) are sufficiently and continually trained in their roles; c) are not asked to engage in inappropriate roles such as being the primary instructor and making curriculum decision; and d) are supervised at a ratio level that ensures appropriate feedback and training, Participate in planning instruction, Participate in curriculum development, Counsel students as appropriate, Participate in assessment and program evaluation, Teacher is responsible for ensuring appropriate instruction, aren't required to have a degree, do what teacher tells them to do, teacher ultimately responsible

Seligman's three rules of effective communication between teachers and families

Teachers have relaxed and natural posture, leaning forward and remaining in a comfortable position, Teachers should make and maintain varying eye contact at an appropriate level, Make comments to family member that follow from what the family members have been saying, encourage open discussion, ensure understanding

role of administrators in collaboration

Teachers primarily interact with other teachers and administrators, o May serve role of facilitator, (Perhaps most important member of the collaborative team when it involves multiple members (multidisciplinary evaluation teams, IEP teams), Expected to maintain positive atmosphere and cohesiveness), Role of leadership should ensure coherent vison for team, comprehensive planning, adequate resources, sustained implementation efforts over time, continual evaluation, and improvement, Can facilitate communication within the schools, the system, and the larger community can evaluate team efforts from a wider perspective, Should be trained in collaboration skills, Conflict resolution, Promote compromise, Comprehensive planning, Encourage community, trust, and mutual respect, provide resources

transition to adult living

Transition planning begins no later than 16, Coordinated team efforts to ensure a seamless transition from school support services to adult support services, Adult service include: help with obtaining employment, independent living, and participation in community life (voting, recreation/leisure programs), Vocational programs, community college, and four-year colleges and universities could have programs guided by interagency agreements

involvement of diverse families Callicott (2003) and Arnold (2016)

Use culturally responsive feedback and methods of communication, Show appreciation for and include cultural diversity in the curriculum and school activities, as well as during meetings with the family, Ensure policies, procedures, and activities are in place that reduce the likelihood of prejudice

co-teaching

When general and special education teachers collaborate as teams to make accommodations or modifications to assist students with and without disabilities, Major aspect of collaboration, Can be successful with mild to severe disabilities, and with young children and secondary level students, Takes advantage of unique knowledge and skills each teacher has, Interpersonal communication, agreement on the physical arrangement of classroom, joint familiarity with the curriculum goals and modifications, agreed upon instructional planning and presentation, classroom management procedures, and assessment plans all play into effective collaboration, Used more recently because there is more emphasis on including exceptional students in the general education classroom, Friend and Cook models (2013): one teach, one observe, one teach, one assisting, station teaching, parallel teaching, alternative teaching, teaming

interagency agreements

Written agreement that agencies commit to that outlines their shared responsibilities for student learning and the participation of school, community, and family in achieving positive outcomes for students with disabilities, Can be at local or state levels, Required under IDEA, Enable agencies with sometimes competing interests to collaborate and function more effectively, Shared responsibility holds all accountable

person-centered planning (PCP)

a method by which professionals can better focus on the student and thereby encourage participation, helps students achieve goals and desires while avoiding fears, values and desired outcomes of the student and family at center of efforts, consider autonomy, empowerment, participation in decision making, asymmetrical power, outer-directedness, and respect for person

administrators provide

a school improvement plan, recruiting, hiring, and retaining culturally responsive faculty and staff, developing and selecting curricula and resources geared toward diverse students, communicating positively with diverse communities, students, and families, ensuring systems of referral, assessment, and identification for special education are culturally sensitive and responsible, creating and supporting professional learning communities for in-service and staff development

school administrator's role in collaboration

administrator ensures that all parties involved have adequate time and resources to fulfill their collaborative roles, As a school leader, promotes the sense of community that establishes the important of collaboration, the parity among team members, and the shared responsibility for decision making and outcomes

administrators must believe (Villa, Thousand, and Nevin, 2004)

all students are capable of learning, all students have a right to be educated with their peers in neighborhood schools, responsibility is shared for every child's learning, co-teaching is a strategy for organization and instruction that benefits students and teachers alike

Staples and Diliberto communication between teachers and families

building rapport, developing regular communication system, embarking on home visits and face-to-face conferences

planning and programming

collaborative team efforts: IEP team, Vocational rehabilitation counselors, vocational evaluators, school counselors, local businesspeople, adult service providers (employment services, recreational opportunities, residential living providers), Family members, issues: Goals not described clearly, Interests not involved, 24% of students did not sign own IEPs, Gen ed teachers, transition specialists, and vocational rehabilitation staff not involved, Development delayed students often not involved

Barriers of Collaboration

conceptual, pragmatic, attitudinal, professional

Sharing Decision Making

each individual contributes to decisions made, each party should accept any group decision, be willing to compromise as needed, and abide by decision arrived at through a fair and collaborative effort, "not about working with like-minded people. Collaboration is about trust and respect. It's about working together to create better outcomes" (Friend 2002)

Parity

each person is equally valued as a contributor to the effort

Volunteering

everyone involved should come to the process because they want to contribute their knowledge and skills to the issues being addressed, collaboration should be encouraged but never forced on the individual or a group in the absence of a job requirement

increasing family involvement

four levels: 1) awareness, attendance, and basic participation: family members receive info and become familiar with school and community programs and with their student's educational programs and services; they have opportunities to receive and provide info about their student's progress, 2) ongoing communication, info sharing, and basic program involvement: family members and professionals are engaged in free-flowing exchange of info and ideas, 3) advocacy and collaborative program involvement: family members directly involved in goal identification, analyses of strategies used, actual program implementation, and analyses of progress, become advocates for children, 4) collaboration and partnership participation: learned knowledge and skills, possess the motivation to provide independent and joint programming with school personnel, may assume greater advocacy roles that involve other parents and children's, conduct parent and student support groups, serve on district or school advisory boards, and provide training to school personnel and other families in specific skills and strategies to be used with other students

interpersonal collaboration

friend and cook (2010), style for direct interaction between at least two coequal parties voluntarily engaged in shared decision making as they work toward a common goal

Professional barriers

future and current teachers may have varying experiences, different training, and have been introduced to different philosophies so they may have disproportionate skills and experience with collaboration, must be willing to share and accept the expertise of one another, collaboration does not necessarily equate to congeniality, but it should equate to trust and respect, different people have different experiences -> creates conflict

Achieving Common Goals

general and special education teachers work to achieve a common goal, higher expectations of students with disabilities, statewide testing, and requirements for special educators to e highly qualified in content areas have contributed to the need for general and special educators to identify common goals

pragmatic barriers

logical barriers, most significant in collaboration, ex: scheduling, large caseloads, and competing responsibilities, can be addressed by the school and district administration, logical issues, ex: too much work, scheduling

Differing levels of work

not all parties share equally in the actual tasks involved in accomplishing the agreed-upon goals, each party is engaged in the achievement of the common goals, but each is not necessarily equally involved in carrying out the work, the more the work is divided equally -> the less conflict

Community Building

professional learning communities established to further collaborations among teachers and administrators, must be well supported within a school district and often focused on using student outcomes data to plan instruction

roles of paraprofessionals

provide instructional support for small group work, give one-to-one instructional assistance, modify and adapt materials, administer adapted tests, implement behavioral intervention plans, monitor the school environment, such as in hallways and the cafeteria, collaborate with teachers and families, collect data for progress monitoring and other purposes, provide personal care assistance, job coach and train at community worksites, translate from English to other languages

Promoting family involvement

provide professional development, teach families their rights under state and federal laws, plan for family input and seek that input regularly. Family members are important in providing information about the social, behavioral, communication, academic skill, and curriculum needs of their child. involve family members as critical decision makers in the life of the child, use plain language that family members can understand, show respect for ethnicity/culture and language, adjust meeting schedules to accommodate family schedules, expand parents' and siblings' roles as appropriate to the family's wishes and abilities, such as academic support, going on field trips, chaperoning, and other appropriate activities

Attitudinal barriers

some may not feel comfortable with collaboration because they are socialized to seek individual achievement, way you feel, not liking others in group, don't trust others, positively

Sharing Resources

time, financial resources, and materials are all valuable assets to individuals and schools, those involved in collaboration must be willing to give others a "slice" of their resource pie in order to reach a common goal (Welch, 2000)

key components of collaboration

two or more parties work together, equal partners, voluntary, shared responsibility, work toward a common goal, process is influenced by factors (such as school climate and culture) other than the parties themselves, either a planned/formal process or spontaneous/informal process, shared resources, leads to community building, sometimes uneven distribution of work, occurs along a continuum, equal does not equal fair

Planning a Formal Process and Collaborating Informally and spontaneously

typically planned, thoughtful, and formalized process where goals are identified and the roles of parties are determined in how best to accomplish the goals, can also be informal/spontaneous (in hallway, etc), formal structures are more likely to establish and maintain collaboration, but informal collaboration can solve many issues and provide a growing sense of community through trust and respect

Sharing Responsibility

verifies that each party assumes a stake by working toward the goals of the process, means each party is willing to be held accountable for the effort, good or bad, shared accountability Is needed for successful collaboration

key concepts of collaboration

volunteering, sharing resources, sharing responsibility, sharing decision making, achieving common goals, community building, parity, differing levels of work, planning a formal process and collaborating informally and spontaneously

conceptual barriers

when the collaboration in some way conflicts with the existing school culture or the "way things are done", an educator may be comfortable in some roles and uncomfortable in others, developing new skills sets and personal capabilities takes time and collaboration skills emerge and improve over time (Friend and Cook 2013), contrary to the "ways things are done"