Content Area or Developmental Focus Math- Geometry AgeGrad

Content Area or Developmental Focus: Math- Geometry
Age/Grade of Children: 7th grade
Length of Lesson: 50 minute class/3-5 days
Goal
Students will create a city, park, or other structural plan using
geometry
Objective Identify the total number of degrees in supplementary
and complementary angles
Describe the relationship between vertical and adjacent angles
Explain how the volume and surface area would be affected
when dimensions of a
figure are doubled and/or tripled
Identify acute, obtuse, straight and right angles
Identify perpendicular, parallel, and intersecting lines
Work collaboratively
Create and conduct an oral presentation
Standards Included
7.G.2: Draw (freehand, with ruler and protractor, and with
technology) geometric
shapes with given conditions. Focus on constructing triangles
from three measures of
angles or sides, noticing when the conditions determine a
unique triangle, more than

one triangle, or no triangle.
Materials
Digital Cameras
iPad/Computer
Projector/Smartboard
Pencils
Paper
Self-Assessment
Rubric that assesses the final project as well as the presentation
skills (can be
created by the students or teacher-made)
Introduction
Introduction will take one class period
• Pose the following question and discuss: Where do we find
geometry?
• Place students in groups of 3-4. Go outside and take pictures
of any
shapes that you see in the neighborhood, paying particular
attention to
different shapes and angles: acute, obtuse, right, straight angles,
and
triangles
• Have students share some of their findings with the projector
or
smartboard

Lesson Development
Students, in groups of two to four, will create a city, public
park, or other
structure using geometry
• Students will need to create a paper blueprint as well as one
using
technology (they can start with whichever version they feel
comfortable exploring)
• Their creations must include:
o acute, obtuse, straight, and right angles
o adjacent and vertical angles
o perpendicular, parallel, and intersecting lines
o triangles and quadrilaterals
• Students will name their city and label all the building,
streets, etc.
appropriately
• Students will present their design to the class with a
thoughtful
explanation of how they derived their design
• Students will self-assess themselves with a quick checklist to
determine
how well they think they did working in a group, collaborating,
designing, and presenting

Differentiation •
•
•
•
•
•
Assessment
(Practice/ Checking for
Understanding)
• Project Finished to Completion
• Successful Presentation of Project
• Self-Assessment
• Traditional quiz based on math terms and concepts included in
the
project
Closing
• Use Virtualnerd.com to highlight/review the essential math
concepts
• Ask for student feedback
• Teacher self-reflection:
o What went well?
o What needs to be changed?
o What should be reviewed?

o Possible extension activities
Required Resources
Text
Burnaford, G., & Brown, T. (2014).Teaching and learning in
21st century learning environments: A reader. Bridgepoint
Education.
· Chapter 2: Meeting the Instructional Needs of Diverse
Learners
Web Page
Framework for 21st century learning. (Links to an external
site.)(n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.p21.org/our-work/p21-
framework
· This web page provides a comprehensive review of 21st-
century teaching and learning and combines a focus on student
outcomes with support systems that help students’ master skills
they will need in the 21st century. This resource will support
student completion of the discussion and assignment for this
week.
Accessibility Statement does not exist.
Privacy Policy does not exist.
Website
Folio. (https://portfolium.com/welcome)
· This website provides a Folio resource. This resource will
support student completion of the final project, as well as
discussions and assignments throughout the course. Learn more
about Folio, University of Arizona Global Campus' ePortfolio
tool, by viewing the Folio Quick Start Guide (Links to an
external site.).
Accessibility Statement (Links to an external site.)Privacy
Policy (Links to an external site.)
Recommended Resources

Articles
Jackson, N., Bolden, W. S., Fenwick, L. T., & Southern
Education Foundation, A. A. (2001). Patterns of excellence:
Promoting quality in teaching through diversity (Links to an
external site.). Policy Perspectives on Diversity Training and
School Leadership.
· This collection of papers includes descriptions of university
programs that are representations of minority teacher
recruitment and preparation. This resource will support student
completion of the discussion and assignment for this week.
Kwok, J. (2009). Boys and reading: An action research project
report. Library Media Connection, (4). 20. Retrieved from the
EBSCOhost database.
· A personal narrative is presented in this resource, which
explores the author’s experience of conducting an action
research project on boys and literacy in a third-grade classroom
in a New York public school. This resource will support student
completion of the discussion and assignment for this week. The
full-text version of this article is available through the
EBSCOhost database in the University of Arizona Global
Campus Library.
Waters, F. H., Smeaton, P. S., & Burns, T. G. (2004). Action
research in the secondary science classroom: Student response
to differentiated, alternative assessment. American Secondary
Education, 32(3), 89-104. Retrieved from the EBSCOhost
database.
· In this article, Waters, Smeaton, and Burns discuss how an
interdisciplinary team of 16 faculty designed a research-based,
comprehensive classroom assessment model that provided
professors with a framework for making informed choices about
assessing student learning. This resource will support student
completion of the discussion and assignment for this week. The
full-text version of this article is available through the
EBSCOhost database in the University of Arizona Global
Campus Library.
Go to top of page

ESE634: EDUCATION-BASED COLLABORATIVE
RELATIONSHIPS
Hello everyone,
As we continue to navigate special education terminology and
language, it is important to know and understand the differences
between IDEA and Section 504. This is often a misunderstood
concept, but something that should be addressed and clarified. I
am including a brief article/resource below. Something to think
about...How would you respond if a teacher asked if a Section
504 Plan and IEP were the same? Similar?
http://www.ldonline.org/article/6086/
Instructor Guidance
Week 1
Welcome to ESE634: Education-Based Collaborative
Relationships! Please be sure to review the Week 1 homepage
for this course to see:
· The specific learning outcomes for the week.
· The schedule overview.
· The required and recommended resources.
· The introduction to the week.
· A listing of the assessments.
It is important to note that the Instructor Guidance has been
developed to directly compliment the learning outcomes in each
week of this course. Be sure to read this entire Instructor
Guidance section each week.
Overview
This guidance begins with a few words about the importance of
reading the weekly Instructor Guidance pages. Next, this
overview provides a section about the course learning outcomes
and their relationship to the weekly outcomes and program
outcomes. It concludes with helpful information about active
reading strategies and academic writing, which will be useful to

you for excelling in this course and in future classes.
About the Instructor Guidance PagesThe guidance pages provide
an overview of the week, a section with intellectual elaboration
written by professors at the University of Arizona Global
Campus about the course topics explored during the current
week, and additional specific guidance for the assessments (i.e.,
assignments and discussions) written by the course designers to
supplement the instructions provided with the assessments and
in the grading rubrics that are located on the weekly unit
homepages.
Supplemental resources are also included in the Instructor
Guidance. You are encouraged to consider using these resources
to support your completion of the weekly assessments beyond
using the required and recommended resources provided on the
weekly unit homepages and in the consolidated list of resources
on the Course Materials page. Thus, you are strongly
encouraged to review the Instructor Guidance each week as part
of your study plan. Not only does the Instructor Guidance offer
you insights and assistance with the weekly topics and
activities, it models effective academic writing, which is
expected of you in all of your coursework in this graduate-level
course.
The Scope and Outcomes of ESE634Through the assessments in
ESE634, you will have opportunities to examine and create
original resources you can use as a professional special
educator. Upon the successful completion of this course, you
will have demonstrated your mastery of the five course learning
outcomes, which are listed on the syllabus. Review the Course
Map on the Syllabus to learn how each assessment in the course
aligns to the five course learning outcomes.
The course learning outcomes guided the design of this course
and all align to one or more of the weekly outcomes, which are

more specific about what you will do each week and are listed
on the weekly unit homepages. The course and weekly outcomes
are aligned to the Master of Arts in Special Education (MASE)
Program Learning Outcomes, which can be viewed from the
MASE Program Details page on the University of Arizona
Global Campus website. As you may recall, the MASE program
is founded on the following assumptions a) all children can
learn; b) children have diverse learning styles; c) and the
teacher’s belief in each child’s abilities supports the child’s
success. As with all of your courses, it is imperative that you
embrace the premise that, regardless of ability level, cultural
background, or learning differences, in physically and
emotionally safe environments, all children can learn. If you
have questions about the scope and outcomes of ESE634, please
contact the instructor.
This course also gives you many opportunities to sharpen your
21st century technology skills. While at first you may not think
you are technically savvy enough for the technology enhanced
components of the various assessments. Rest assured, your
instructor is prepared to assist you when challenges using the
technology do arise. This course, like the rest of the MASE
program, was intentionally designed to prepare you for real
world, career-based skills that include the application of course
content and technology.
Active Reading and Academic Writing in ESE634
Each week in ESE634 you will complete reading from the
Cohen and Spenciner (2009) textbook and other resources
related to collaboration and communication in the Special
Education profession. It is strongly recommended that you start
using strategies for active reading now if you do not already as
part of your study routine. Review the Tips for Active
Reading (Links to an external site.) tutorial to learn more about
active reading. The tutorial is approximately ten-minutes long

and explains the concept of active reading and practical
strategies for active reading. This tutorial will be especially
useful for you as you read the textbook.
Additionally, remember that ESE634 is a graduate-level course.
As such, your writing in the discussion and assignment
assessments each week is expected to demonstrate your best
academic ability, including the area of academic writing. For a
review of what academic writing entails, view the What is
Academic Writing? (Links to an external site.) tutorial. In
approximately fourteen-minutes, this video tutorial explains the
fundamental components of academic writing and will provi de
helpful reminders about academic writing to support your
writing in all assignments and discussions throughout this and
other courses.
Intellectual Elaboration
Continuum of Placement Options
This week you will begin to learn about the different setti ngs in
the special education profession. While many people are
familiar with settings within the public school, they may be
surprised to learn about other settings along the continuum of
placement options.
Cohen & Spenciner, 2009
Cohen and Spenciner (2009) explain each of these settings in
detail within Chapter One of the required textbook. These
settings will also be the focus of this week’s discussion post.
Please see the Assessment Guidance section below for more
details.
DifferentiationRegardless of the location, every special
education professional will need to be able to craft learning
experiences that are differentiated, developmentally

appropriate, and challenging. The approach of “one size fits
all” teaching is no longer feasible or acceptable. According to
Tomlinson (2014), “teachers who differentiate provide specific
alternatives for individuals to learn as deeply as possible and as
quickly as possible, without assuming one student's road map
for learning is identical to anyone else's,” (para. 14). Yu (2014,
n.p.) believes that differentiated instruction aims to:
· Improve learning outcomes
· Increase engagement
· Inspire a love of learning
· Increase self-awareness
· Help students learn more efficiently and with deeper
understanding
Differentiation requires that teachers become students of their
students, studying them to see how they learn best and why.
Professionals in special education must also ensure that their
learning experiences meet the developmental needs of each
student. The term “developmentally appropriate practice”
(DAP) is often relegated to the early childhood education realm,
but it is equally important in special education. The National
Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC)
(n.d.) refer to DAP as a framework “designed to promote young
children’s optimal learning and development. DAP involves
teachers meeting young children where they are (by stage of
development), both as individuals and as part of a group; and
helping each child meet challenging and achievable learning
goals,” (para. 1-2). DAP requires teachers to utilize research-
based knowledge to understand about developmental milestones
of the age group, knowledge of their individual students’ needs,
and cultural values of their students and their families to gear
their teaching toward the collective and individual needs of
their students. To learn more about differentiation, check out
this website (Links to an external site.). If you would like to
read more about developmentally appropriate practice,
this position statement (Links to an external site.) will provide
you with informative background knowledge.

Collaborative Relationships
Regardless of the setting in which you work, it will rarely be in
isolation; therefore, this week you will begin to think about
working in collaborative relationships. The video on the
following web page describes the power of the collaborative
relationship, using Paul McCartney and John Lennon as an
example:
http://www.slate.com/articles/life/creative_pairs/2010/09/two_is
_the_magic_number.html (Links to an external site.)
Within the video, Shenk and Jensen (2010) point out, “As a
culture, we’re obsessed with the idea of the lone genius… and
relationships have really been neglected.” This is particularly
true in education where teachers typically close their doors and
work independently without much communication between
teachers, across grade levels, or between departments.
However, studies have shown that this is detrimental to both
students and teachers. Leana (2011), who conducted numerous
studies in school districts across the country, found “when the
relationships among teachers in a school are characterized by
high trust and frequent interaction—that is, when social capital
is strong—student achievement scores improve,” (para. 14).
Others studies have found similar outcomes, including better
teacher retention. Since communication and collaboration are
skills that will benefit not only the students, but the teacher as
well, they are important tenets that will run throughout all the
discussions and assignments in this course.
When people think about collaboration in schools, they
probably envision students working together in groups. For this
course, we will not be focusing on the ways in which students
collaborate, but rather how educators can collaborate in
different settings and for different purposes. As you are about

to embark on a new learning journey, take some time to reflect
on collaborative relationships that you had in the past.
· What made them successful?
· What characteristics were detrimental to the relationship?
· What kind of work and effort did you have to put in to
maintain the relationship?
· Were you able to accomplish tasks that you could not have
done on your own?
· What would you change about your prior experiences to make
your future collaborative relationships more effective?
Keep your responses in mind as you learn more about
collaboration over the next few weeks.
One of the main skills involved in collaboration is
communication. This week and next, you will be asked to
compose an email to Mr. Franklin, a general education teacher.
The way that you communicate through writing is very
important and can be considered virtual body language, “You
can tell a lot about someone from the way they chat, text, or
email online. Attitude, humor, aggression, it's all detectable if
you pay attention and know what cues to look for. It's called
virtual body language and it's for real” (Tobak, 2011, para. 1).
The following article (Links to an external site.) will be useful
as you consider your voice and tone in your email response for
your Week One and Week Two Assignment.
Assessment Guidance
This section includes additional specific assistance for excelling
in the assessments for Week One as a supplement to the
instructions and grading rubrics. If you have questions about
what is expected on any assessment for Week One, or any other
week, contact your instructor using the Ask Your Instructor
discussion before the due date.
Discussion 1: Post Your IntroductionThe Post Your Introduction

Discussion is your first opportunity to get to know your peers
and your instructor. In this introduction, you will not only be
sharing about yourself and your interests, you will be reflecting
on your career plans and developmentally appropriate practice
(see Intellectual Elaboration above). For your introduction, you
are asked to incorporate technology. You may choose any
multimedia tool that you would like, such as Jing, Present.me,
or Voicethread. Here are some resources for Jing and
Present.me in case you are in need of help. Please contact your
instructor if you have any issues completing the multimedia
component of this discussion.
Online Tutorials:
· How to create a narrated PowerPoint presentation using
Jing (Links to an external site.)
· How to create a narrated PowerPoint presentation using
Present.me (Links to an external site.)
Discussion 2:For this discussion, you will be exploring the
different settings in which special educators work and the roles
that they carry out in the settings. Within the discussion
prompt, you are asked to identify two settings to contrast.
Please see the Intellectual Elaboration section above for the
figure that highlights the different settings.
This is also a great opportunity to refer to your textbook.
Cohen and Spenciner (2009) elaborate on this within
the Environments Where Special Education Teachers
Work section of Chapter One. Within your analysis of the
settings, you will also need to describe how the special educator
will function in the settings and how this will affect their
collaboration. If you have not worked in the special education
profession before, Cohen and Spenciner (2009) provide a
fantastic snapshot about special education teachers working in
different settings. This is located in the same section of the
textbook as mentioned previously (pages 28-29).
The final component of this discussion post requires you to

describe differentiated and developmentally appropriate
learning experiences as well as to provide examples of each.
Please refer back to the Intellectual Elaboration section for
specific resources you may utilize to fulfill this particular
component.
Assignment:
The Week One assignment is an opportunity to take the
knowledge that you have gained through the readings and
discussion posts and put it into action. You will be responding
to an email from a familiar general education teacher, Mr.
Franklin, about a lesson that you be teaching together. You will
be providing feedback about the lesson and offering strategies
for ways to differentiate the lesson. Some of the differentiation
strategies within the lesson will be based on a familiar student,
Manual, from previous courses in this program. Please read
over Manual’s Goals and Recommendations (see abbreviated
Annual Goals below) to refresh your memory about his
particular needs.
Manual’s Annual IEP Goals:
1. Ability to Recognize Letters From Their Name/Sounds
(Content Strand: Decoding and Word Recognition)
· Manual will increase reading readiness skills in the area(s) of
phonemics to 80% accuracy in core content academic activities
as measured by running records, teacher observation, anecdotal
records, and work samples.
2. Reading Fluency/ Accuracy of Pronunciation of Words/Letter
Sounds (Content Strand: Reading Accuracy And Fluency)
· Manual will increase reading accuracy and fluency to his
corresponding grade level to 80% accuracy in core content
academic activities in 5/5 days as measured by teacher
observation, running records, anecdotal records, and work
samples.
3. Reading Comprehension (Content Strand: Reading

Comprehension)
· Manual will increase comprehension of a variety of printed
materials to grade level proficiency with 80% accuracy as
measured by running records, teacher observation, teacher made
tests, anecdotal data, and performance assessments.
4. Writing -- Sequencing/Story Construction (Content Strand:
Writing)
· Manual will increase his writing skills to grade level in the
areas of ideas and content, vocabulary usage, and organization
as measured by curriculum based informal assessment, analysis
of writing samples, and spelling inventory.
5. Attention to Task (Content Strand: Attention)
· Manual will increase his ability to focus his sustained
attention to multiple types of individual and group academic
tasks 80% of the time as measured by teacher observation.
6. Transition (Content Strand: Career Development)
· Manual will analyze, explore and identify his characteristics
related to personal, educational and career planning with 4/5
opportunities as measured by the specified district informal
career assessment tool.
7. Assistive Technology (Content Strand: Career
Preparedness/Assistive Technology)
· Manual will be able to operate his school issued lap top
computer independently by turning it on, opening files, reading
files, inputting data, and printing work with no assistance from
an adult in 5/5 opportunities 90% of the time as measured by
teacher observation.
You will also be practicing your communi cation and
collaboration skills by offering feedback on the actual lesson.
In the prompt, the feedback sandwich method was mentioned.
(image retrieved from:
http://www.surveycrest.com/blog/dilemma-of-sandwich-
approach-for-negative-feedback/)
With the feedback sandwich, both slices of bread are positive

feedback and the fixings inside the sandwich are constructive
feedback. To carry out this method, you start by offering an
overall positive statement. You follow this up with a piece of
constructive feedback. Here are some tips to keep in mind when
you are crafting your constructive feedback:
· If you can't think of a constructive purpose for giving
feedback, don't give it at all.
· Focus on description rather than judgment.
· Focus on observation rather than inference.
· Focus on behavior rather than the person.
· Be aware of feedback overload.
(Priolo, 2012, n.p.)
After providing the constructive feedback, end with a statement
of encouragement. To see a specific example of the feedback
sandwich, check out this link (Links to an external site.).
The format of this paper will be a little different because you
are composing an email in response to Mr. Franklin, rather than
writing a traditional paper. Keep in mind that since this is an
email between two professionals, you need to ensure that it is
formatted appropriately and utilizes suitable language. The
experts at the Writing Center strongly suggest the
following website (Links to an external site.) for tips on
crafting a professional email.
Looking Ahead
Within Week 2, you will be creating a set of interview questions
to ask a practicing general education teacher and a special
education teacher. You will be conducting the interviews
during Week Three and writing about the findings in Week 4.
You will conduct the interviews over the phone or in person.
Now would be a good time to start thinking about who you
would like to interview. If you do not have any connections to
a school or teachers, here are some ideas:
· Inquire at your child’s school or your neighborhood school

· Email your local school board
· Check out the websites of local schools
· Network with local parents or friends
· Conduct a search on LinkedIn
· Start a conversation with peers in the Global Campus Café
Part of the challenge of this assignment is in the process of
locating an interviewee. If this does not yield any results after
multiple attempts, contact your instructor for help. Your
instructor should not be your first contact and he/she will be
interested in the methods that you have already exhausted
before you seek his/her help.
Recommendation
The MASE program provides the opportunity for you to create
an online portfolio that can be used in your career development
and professional practice. Throughout the program you will
have various assessments that can be included in this e-portfolio
and these will be finalized in the last course of the MASE
program, Capstone course, ESE699. You may select this
assignment and subsequent coursework to include as artifacts.
Therefore, it is strongly encouraged you save your coursework
on a flash-drive (e.g., a USB removable drive) or store in a
cloud-based option such as Dropbox, Google Drive, or other
similar applications.
References
Cohen, L. G., & Spenciner, L. J. (2009). Teaching students
with mild and moderate disabilities: Research-based practices.
Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education.
Leana, C. R. (2011). The missing link in school reform (Links
to an external site.). Retrieved from
http://ssir.org/articles/entry/the_ missing_link_in_school_reform
/
National Association for the Education of Young Children

(n.d.). Developmentally appropriate practice (Links to an
external site.). Retrieved from http://www.naeyc.org/DAP
Priolo, D. (2012). Six strategies for giving constructive
feedback (Links to an external site.). Retrieved from
http://info.profilesinternational.com/profiles-employee-
assessment-blog/bid/102411/6-Strategies-in-Giving-
Constructive-Feedback
Shenk, J. W. (Host), & Jensen, T. (Producer) (2010). Creative
pairs: Lennon and McCartney (Links to an external site.) [Video
file]. Retrieved from
http://www.slate.com/articles/life/creative_pairs/2010/09/two_is
_the_magic_number.single.html
Tobak, S. (2011). How to read virtual body language in
email (Links to an external site.). Retrieved from
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/how-to-read-virtual-body-
language-in-email/
Yu, C. (2014, September 26). 10 examples & non-examples of
differentiated instruction (Links to an external
site.). [email protected] Retrieved from
http://www.teachthought.com/teaching/what-is-differentiated-
instruction/
Teaching Students with Mild and Moderate Disabilities:
Research-Based Practices
SECOND EDITION
Libby G. Cohen
National Institute of Education, Singapore
Loraine J. Spenciner
University of Maine, Farmingto
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Cohen, Libby G.
Teaching students with mild and moderate disabilities : resea
rch-based practices / Libby G. Cohen, Loraine J. Spenciner.--

2nd ed.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and indexes.
ISBN-13: 978-0-13-233138-8
ISBN-10: 0-13-233138-1
1. Children with disabilities--Education--
United States. I. Spenciner,
Loraine J. II. Title.
LC4031.C64 2009
371.92’6--
dc22 2008008700
Vice President and Executive Publisher: Jeffery W. Johnston
Executive Editor: Ann Castel Davis
Development Editor: Heather Doyle Fraser
Editorial Assistant: Penny Burleson
Senior Managing Editor: Pamela D. Bennett
Production Editor: Sheryl Glicker Langner
Production Coordination: Jodi Dowling/Aptara
Design Coordinator: Diane C. Lorenzo
Cover Designer: Diane Y. Ernsberger
Photo Coordinator: Valerie Schultz
Production Manager: Laura Messerly
Director of Marketing: Quinn Perkson
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This book was set in Galliard BT by Aptara. It was printed and
bound by Edwards Brothers, Inc. The cover was printed by Phoe
nix Color Corp.
Part and Chapter Opening Photo Credits: Jack Hollingsworth/Ge
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a/Merrill, pp. 34, 156, 280; Scott Cunningham/Merrill, pp. 66, 9
4, 123, 198, 436; Silver Burdett Ginn, p. 124; Katelyn Metzger/
Merrill, p. 228; SW Productions/Getty Images–
Photodisc, p. 248; David Mager/Pearson Learning Photo Studio,
p. 316; Getty Images–
Stockbyte, p. 347; Krista Greco/Merrill, p. 348; Laima Druskis/

PH College, pp. 386, 466; Mike Provost/Silver Burdett Ginn, p.
414; Ken Karp/PH College, p. 465.
Copyright © 2009 by Pearson Education, Inc., Upper Saddle Riv
er, New Jersey 07458.
All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America. Thi
s publication is protected by Copyright and permission should b
e obtained from the publisher prior to any prohibited reproducti
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ISBN 13: 978-1-323-50396-6
ISBN 10: 1-323-50396-X
Previous section

Next section
Chapter 1 Preparing to Teach Students with Mild and Moderate
Disabilities
CHAPTER OBJECTIVES
After completing this chapter, you should be able to
Describe a rationale for using research-
based practices in preparing to teach students with disabilities.
Discuss what beginning teachers should know about federal leg
islation and the education of students with disabilities.
Describe the special education process.
Compare and contrast the various settings in which special edu
cators work and their myriad and varied teaching assignments.
1.1 Preparing to Teach
Snapshot: Meet Kalynda
“Hi! My name is Kalynda—
but you can call me ‘K.’ I love to Rollerblade with my friends.
My favorite subject in school is art. I have a learning disability,
but I think I’m doing well in school because I have learned to b
e very organized, to keep up with my work, and to ask for help i
f I need it.”
“My special education teacher has taught me some really neat th
ings, like how to check my writing before I pass it in. She helpe
d me make a cue sheet that I use to check my paper myself to m
ake sure that it has all the necessary requirements. Writing is re
ally important in our school, and everybody has a portfolio of th
eir work. Like I am really, really proud of mine. Last week I ad
ded a paper to my portfolio that demonstrates how I am working
toward one of my school standards in literacy, showing how we
understand a story from the point of view of one of the characte

rs.
“My special education teacher has taught me how to be indepen
dent and to become a self-
advocate. She invited some leaders from the business communit
y to come speak to our class. One person was an artist who uses
discarded items in her sculptures. This artist is so cool, and she
also has a learning disability. It was so great to meet her and to
hear her story, and sometimes I think I’ll be an artist, too. She a
lso talked about individual rights and laws for people with disab
ilities. It’s hard for me to remember all the things that she said.
Maybe I’ll have a chance to learn them again some day.”
… and Her Mother
“Bringing up Kalynda has been quite an experience for me as a
single mother. I remember her first years of school were pretty
difficult. She didn’t like to sit still long enough to listen to a sto
ry and then, in the early grades, she had a great deal of difficult
y in learning how to read, and I didn’t know why. It was a relief
when the IEP team determined that she had specific learning di
sabilities in reading and writing.
“I’m pleased with her progress now. Her teacher keeps in close
contact with me, letting me know her successes. She is taking a
n interest in writing short stories and poetry. In fact, her teacher
is encouraging her to submit some of her work to the school ne
wspaper!
“When Kalynda experiences difficulties, her teacher lets me kno
w too. This way we can address concerns before Kalynda becom
es discouraged with her school-
work. Like last week, her teacher called to let me know that Kal
ynda was having some difficulty in math class and wasn’t turnin
g in her homework. Now that I know that Kalynda has homewor
k assignments, I can follow up with her at home. Usually I just
need to remind her, but sometimes I need to limit her cell [phon
e] use, especially the instant messaging.”
Preparing to teach students like Kalynda begins with learning ab
out federal legislation and how these mandates guide a special e
ducator’s work with students, families, other educators, and pro

fessionals. As you continue reading this textbook, you will learn
more about students with mild and moderate disabilities and th
e characteristics of the most common disabilities, including lear
ning disabilities, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, other h
ealth impairments, emotional disturbance, mental retardation, an
d autism spectrum disorders. And you’ll study effective researc
h-
based methods and instructional strategies for teaching students
with mild and moderate disabilities.
Using Research-Based Practices
Today’s schools, state departments of education, and the federal
government require teachers to use research-
based practices, which refer to a body of research that supports
the effectiveness of teaching methods, strategies, therapies, sup
plemental aids, and services in the classroom. The Individuals w
ith Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) defines the term scientifi
cally based research as “...research (that) involves the applicati
on of rigorous, systematic, and objective procedures to obtain re
liable and valid knowledge relevant to education activities and p
rograms” (Sec. 300.35). According to IDEA, scientifically base
d research should focus on methods and instructional strategies.
Educators sometimes refer to this as evidence-based practice.
Beginning educators who study, practice, and later implement th
ese procedures know that they can deliver effective instruction t
o a wide variety of learners. Today research findings continue t
o inform our practices, especially in the areas of brain-
based research. In Chapters 2 and 3 we look more closely at this
research and the effects on learning and behavior.
By studying research-
based practices, special education teachers develop an important
knowledge base of effective methods and strategies. When usin
g these practices in the classroom, teachers have some assuranc
e that their instruction will be effective. The work of a special e
ducator is both demanding and rewarding. This book starts your
journey!
As you read this first chapter, think about the students and the t

eachers you may have already met. How do the federal laws des
cribed in this chapter influence the education and related servic
es that students receive—
or, perhaps, do not receive? Can you describe some of the job re
sponsibilities of a special education teacher that you know? Ho
w are these responsibilities tied to federal and state legislation?
1.2 Federal Legislation and the Education of Students With Disa
bilities
For many years, federal legislation has greatly shaped how spec
ial education and related services are provided, along with the s
ettings where students with disabilities receive their education.
Beginning in the mid-
1970s, a series of new federal laws had a major impact on childr
en and youth with disabilities. These laws came about because p
arents and others who cared deeply about the civil rights of indi
viduals with disabilities had a vision of what the future should h
old.
In 1975, as a result of parent advocacy, court decisions, and ma
ny other efforts, Congress passed federal legislation that provid
ed free, appropriate public education for students with disabiliti
es at no cost to their parents. Furthermore, the legislation stipul
ated that schools offer a variety of settings that provide the mos
t appropriate placement options and from which students with di
sabilities can benefit. For many students this meant being able t
o enroll in their local community schools. Since then there have
been numerous amendments to this law, today known as IDEA.I
DEA
IDEA, also known as Public Law 108-
446, changed earlier legislation that focused on ensuring that ch
ildren and youth with disabilities receive a free, appropriate pub
lic education and, at the same time, have their individual educat
ional needs determined and addressed. IDEA requires that stude
nts with disabilities have access to the general education curricu
lum (the same curriculum that students without disabilities have

) to the maximum extent possible. IDEA expands the scope of e
ducation to include preparing students for employment and inde
pendent living. Further, IDEA strengthens the role of parents an
d ensures that they have meaningful opportunities to participate
in the education of their child.
IDEA focuses on excellence, high standards, and high expectati
ons, in addition to the earlier mandate of providing a free, appro
priate public education in the least restrictive environment. Tea
ching and learning are the primary foci of IDEA legislation. Thi
s comprehensive mandate for children and youth includes both s
pecial education and related services.
IDEA requires that students with disabilities have access to the
general education curriculum.Defining Special Education
IDEA defines special education as specially designed instructio
n, at no cost to parents, to meet the unique needs of a student wi
th a disability. The instruction may be conducted in the classroo
m, in the home, in hospitals and institutions, or in other settings
. Specially designed instruction means
1. adapting content, methodology, or delivery of instruction to
meet the unique needs of a child with a disability; and
2. ensuring that the child has access to the general curriculum s
o that the child can meet the educational standards that apply to
all children. (Sec.300.39)Eligibility for Special Education Servi
ces
To be eligible for special education services, a student must hav
e a disability, and that disability must adversely affect the stude
nt’s education performance. IDEA describes 14 categories of dis
ability (Table 1.1). Some states follow these federal categories,
whereas others use slightly different terms and definitions for d
escribing disabilities.
When a student with a disability is eligible for special education
, members of the student’s IEP team develop a written document
that describes the goals that the student will meet during the ye
ar. The individualized education program (IEP) includes such in
formation as who will provide the specially designed instruction

, where it will be provided, and how achievement will be measu
red. Six basic principles establish the framework for providing s
pecial education and related services described in the IEP.
Source: Adapted from IDEA 34 C.F.R., Sec. 300.8.
Basic Principles of IDEA
FREE APPROPRIATE PUBLIC EDUCATION.
Free appropriate public education (FAPE) ensures that no child
or youth (3 to 21 years of age) will be excluded from an appropr
iate public education because of a disability, including students
with profound disabilities, students with disruptive behaviors, a
nd students with contagious diseases. Educators sometimes use t
he term zero reject to describe this mandate of enrolling all stud
ents. To help pay the extra cost of providing the special educati
on and related services associated with FAPE, IDEA gives mone
y to state agencies and local schools. Children and youth with di
sabilities receive FAPE in the least restrictive environment.
APPROPRIATE EVALUATION.
Educators must determine whether a student has a disability and
, if so, whether the student needs special education and related s
ervices. Special education teachers and other professionals cond
ucting assessments must ensure that appropriate approaches are
used. Assessment approaches should be free from bias and discr
imination and should be used for the purposes for which they w
ere intended. Educators and other professionals involved in the
assessment process are required to follow assessment stipulation
s outlined in IDEA (Figure 1.1). If the student is eligible for spe
cial education services, teachers conduct additional assessments
to determine the student’s educational needs. The student’s IEP
team uses the results of these assessments in planning the IEP.
THE INDIVIDUALIZED EDUCATION PROGRAM.
Each student with a disability must have an IEP that describes w

hat the student can do, the student’s strengths, and the student’s
needs. The IEP also includes a great deal of additional informat
ion, such as the educational goals and how they will be measure
d. Working together, a team develops the IEP. The members of t
he team include
Figure 1.1 General requirements of appropriate evaluation acc
ording to IDEA
Source: Adapted from IDEA 34 C.F.R., Sec. 300.304.
• the student’s parents;
• at least one regular education teacher;
• at least one special education teacher;
• a person who is qualified to provide or supervise specially des
igned instruction to meet the unique needs of children with disa
bilities and is knowledgeable about the availability of resources
and the general curriculum;
• a person who can interpret the instructional implications of ev
aluation results;
• other individuals who have knowledge or special expertise reg
arding the child, including related services personnel as appropr
iate; and
• the student, if appropriate.
School personnel make every effort to ensure that the parents or
guardians of the student are present at the IEP meeting. Parents
should be notified at least several days prior to the meeting, an
d educators should make conscientious efforts to schedule the m
eeting at a mutually agreed upon time. If the parents are unable
to attend the IEP meeting, the school must use other methods to
ensure their participation, including individual or conference tel
ephone calls or video conferencing. School personnel can condu
ct an IEP meeting without a parent in attendance, but the school
is required by IDEA to maintain a record of the attempts to con
tact the family.
LEAST RESTRICTIVE ENVIRONMENT.
The principle of the least restrictive environment is based on th
e requirement that schools must offer a variety of instructional s

ettings to provide the most appropriate placement options for st
udents with disabilities and from which these students can benef
it. These include general education classes, resource rooms, spe
cial classes, special schools, and homebound or hospital placem
ents.
The IEP team must consider accommodations, modifications, ai
ds, and supports to the general education curriculum before rem
oving a student with a disability from the regular classroom. A s
tudent is not removed from a general education classroom unles
s the student cannot be educated there successfully, even after t
he school has provided accommodations, modifications, aids, an
d supports. Moreover, a student with a disability cannot be requ
ired to demonstrate specific levels of performance before being
considered for a regular class placement. If the IEP team decide
s that a student cannot benefit from the general education class,
the team identifies the least restrictive setting that is appropriat
e for the student and from which the student can benefit.
PROCEDURAL SAFEGUARDS.
IDEA specifies procedural safeguards to ensure that the rights o
f parents and children are protected during the assessment proce
ss and the delivery of services. These procedures are sometimes
referred to as due process and are outlined in Figure 1.2. Due pr
ocess also guarantees parents or personnel in schools or agencie
s the right to an impartial hearing conducted by a hearing office
r when disagreements occur. Either a parent or school personnel
can request a hearing if differences cannot be resolved informal
ly.
PARENT AND STUDENT PARTICIPATION IN DECISION M
AKING.
Several of the previous principles described ways that parents a
nd students can participate with teachers and other professionals
during the process of planning, implementing, and evaluating s
ervices for the student. Parents and students bring added knowle
dge about the student’s problem and expertise in helping to crea
te solutions. Their participation brings shared ownership of the
student’s IEP and encourages the student to take responsibility f

or the outcomes.
The Rehabilitation Act Amendments
The Rehabilitation Act, first authorized in 1973, has been amen
ded and reauthorized numerous times, much like IDEA. Section
504 protects the rights of students with disabilities in programs
and activities in public schools and other programs that receive
federal financial assistance from the U.S. Department of Educat
ion. Much like a large net, Section 504 casts a wide circle to ass
ist students who need services but are not eligible to receive spe
cial education services under IDEA (Figure 1.3).
Figure 1.2 Procedural safeguards described by IDEA
Source: Adapted from IDEA 34 C.F.R., Secs. 300.501–520.
Section 504
The provisions of Section 504 and IDEA work well together in
helping to provide a range of services for students. Similar to I
DEA, Section 504 requires FAPE for eligible students, includin
g individually designed instruction; however, Section 504 uses a
broader definition of individual disability areas and other condi
tions. Examples of other conditions that are typically covered u
nder Section 504 include
• communicable diseases such as tuberculosis;
• medical conditions such as allergies and heart disease;
• temporary medical conditions due to an illness or accident;
• behavioral difficulties; and
• drug or alcohol addiction.
Because of the broader definition provided by Section 504, stud
ents who do not meet the criteria for a specific disability under
IDEA may be eligible to receive services and accommodations u
nder Section 504.
When school personnel decide that a student needs services und
er Section 504, they meet to write a plan, commonly referred to
as a 504 Plan. In developing a 504 Plan, teachers work with stu
dents and their parents to identify and list ideas that will help th
e student succeed in the classroom. For example, the teacher mi
ght begin by encouraging the student to think about what helps i

n keeping track of assignments when he or she must be absent fr
om school. After they brainstorm ideas, they identify one or two
suggestions to try. The teacher, parent, student, and other team
members also discuss the student’s need for additional tutoring,
during long periods of absence. From these suggestions and by
working with the parents, educators develop the 504 Plan (Figur
e 1.4).
Figure 1.3 General student body in a public school
Source: Adapted from Student Access: A Resource Guide for Ed
ucators (p. 6), Council of Administrators of Special Education,
n.d., Arlington, VA: Council for Exceptional Children. Reprinte
d by permission.No Child Left Behind Act
The No Child Left Behind Act (P.L. 107-
110), designed to improve student achievement, placed renewed
emphasis on key provisions, including
• early childhood education and the development of language sk
ills and prereading skills;
• assessments that align with state academic content and achieve
ment standards;
• ongoing assessments each year in Grades 3 to 8 and at least on
ce during Grades 10 to 12; and
• detailed report cards to parents concerning their child’s progre
ss;
This legislation puts special emphasis on the need to implement
educational programs and instruction that can demonstrate their
effectiveness. Today educators carefully review research findin
gs to help inform classroom practices. Throughout each chapter
in this textbook, you will read about relevant research related to
teaching and learning and students with disabilities.
Figure 1.4 Example of a 504 plan
Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act
The Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act (P.L. 1
09-
270) provides an increased focus on academic achievement of st
udents in career and technical education. This includes improvin

g student achievement and preparing the student for further lear
ning and for postsecondary education and career preparation. Th
is legislation promotes reform and innovation in career and tech
nical education to assist students in acquiring the skills and kno
wledge to meet state and national academic standards and indust
ry-
recognized skill standards. Secondary students with disabilities
need to be able to make connections between their academic and
career classes. This federal law assists teachers in linking acad
emic, career, and technical instruction in secondary and postsec
ondary classrooms by encouraging students to obtain experience
s in all aspects of an industry, involving parents and employers,
and providing links between secondary and postsecondary educ
ation.
Students, both with and without disabilities, must meet high ach
ievement standards.Keeping Current
Educators working with students with disabilities must be know
ledgeable about current federal laws on education, especially th
ose addressing special education services. To check current legi
slation, they can access Thomas Legislative Information, a Web
site provided by the U.S. Congress that allows the visitor to rea
d the full text of any law passed since 1992. This site provides t
he most thorough coverage of legislation related to individuals
with disabilities and the field of special education.
The U.S. Department of Education maintains a Web site with cu
rrent and fast-
breaking news. This site also has a searchable database for infor
mation regarding changes to federal laws. From this site you ma
y link to the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Ser
vices Web site. The Office of Hearing and Appeals provides a s
earchable database of decisions involving the U.S. Department o
f Education and recipients of federal education funds. Questions
regarding federal and state requirements for the education of st
udents with disabilities can be answered at another Web site, Ed
Law. This Web site contains a rich source of legal information f

or parents and professionals.
.3 The Special Education Process
Snapshot: Yi-Nan Chen
Yi-
Nan Chen, a special educator at Central School, meets us at the
school entrance and invites us in to visit her school and to talk a
bout her work with students with disabilities. After a short tour
of the building, Yi-
Nan takes us to her classroom, where we ask her to explain how
teachers are alerted that a student may have a disability. She be
gins, “Each week, the teachers in my building come together to
discuss students who are not doing well academically or who ha
ve problem behaviors. We address difficulties that students are
experiencing in the classroom and brainstorm solutions. Someti
mes our collective ideas and support for each other provide teac
hers with helpful suggestions that they might not have considere
d otherwise.
“We also have an early intervention process for students experie
ncing difficulty with reading or math. This intervention provide
s a student with more intensive instruction than most students ty
pically need, to see if the student will respond to the interventio
n. We monitor student progress—or lack of—
as we collect information on student work. When teachers feel t
hat a student continues to experience problems, they refer the st
udent to the multidisciplinary team, sometimes called the child
study team, to see if, in fact, the child has a disability and is eli
gible to receive special education services.
“Let me give you an example of a recent situation. One of the te
achers—we affectionately call her ‘Mrs. B.’—
is concerned about a student in her class named Arjun. Arjun’s f
amily recently moved to our city from Sri Lanka. At our weekly
meetings, we have discussed Arjun’s difficulties and offered su
ggestions for Mrs. B. to try in the classroom. Arjun is having di
fficulty academically and socially. He doesn’t seem to care abo
ut his work and he displays little emotion. In fact, he is very qui

et—maybe too quiet—
because he hardly speaks to his classmates. Lately he is showin
g a lack of interest in school in general, and his attendance has
been poor. Mrs. B. has been providing some individual help to
Arjun, and she rearranged the classroom so that students could
work together on small-
group projects. She hoped that this would increase Arjun’s inter
est and motivation. Mrs. B also tried several other interventions
that often help students; however, this time there has been little
success.
“Finally, Mrs. B. contacted Arjun’s parents about her concerns.
It seems that they, too, were worried about their child’s progres
s. At home he complains about school and lately has been refusi
ng to go. When Mrs. B. discussed referring Arjun to the multidi
sciplinary team, his parents wanted to know more about the proc
ess that Arjun would go through and what services might be ava
ilable for him.”
As you read the following sections, consider the special educati
on process that Arjun’s classroom teacher followed. What role d
id the special education teacher play? How were Arjun’s parents
involved?When Students Experience Difficulties
Many schools use educator teams to identify and address acade
mic, social, and behavioral problems. This process involves gen
eral and special educators, who work together as a student-
assistance team. When a teacher has questions and concerns abo
ut a student, team members collaborate to pinpoint the difficulti
es and to brainstorm possible solutions.
If a student continues to show a lack of progress, the teacher im
plements more intensive instruction. This instruction is known a
s research-
based intervention, because the research findings support the int
ervention as being effective. The student’s progress is carefully
monitored, and the intervention is adjusted or a new interventio
n is implemented based on the student’s response to the instruct
ion. Although this process helps to reduce inappropriate referral
s and build effective interventions within the general education

classroom for many students, in Arjun’s case, Mrs. B. and other
members of the student-
assistance team felt the lack of progress, coupled with his low a
ffect and overall sadness, indicated that a referral should be co
mpleted.The Referral Process
If a student continues to demonstrate lack of progress, even afte
r these interventions, the general education teacher notifies the
parent and completes a written referral to the multidisciplinary t
eam. The referral form describes the classroom interventions tha
t have been tried, the results of the interventions, and the learni
ng, social, or behavior problems that persist. Figure 1.5 illustrat
es the written referral that Mrs. B. completed on Arjun. Other in
dividuals, such as a parent, the school nurse, or the school psyc
hologist, can also complete a referral. Sometimes a student fills
out a self-referral.
Figure 1.5 Written referral
Determining Eligibility
A referral is forwarded to the coordinator of the multidisciplinar
y team that is responsible for assessing a particular student and
determining eligibility for special education services. Dependin
g on the types of concerns and the difficulties that the student is
experiencing, the multidisciplinary team members may identify
other professionals, such as the school counselor, nurse, speech
and language pathologist, occupational therapist, or physical th
erapist, who should be involved. Before a student’s assessment
can begin, a parent or guardian must provide consent for an initi
al evaluation of their child, and all assessments must be complet
ed within a reasonable time.
Sometimes team members meet first to clarify the questions to b
e answered during the assessment process and to discuss the typ
es of assessment to complete. In Arjun’s case, the referral focus
ed on academic work and his mental health. The team wondered
if his sadness was related to a learning problem or a mental heal
th problem or if his feelings were part of the adjustment of comi
ng to a new country with different educational demands and, pro
bably, the need to converse in a second language.

The team members decided to ask the school counselor and the s
chool psychologist to join the team because of these concerns.
Once all the members were assembled, the team discussed whic
h standardized tests and other types of assessment should be con
ducted to gather additional information. The special education t
eacher was asked to work with other team members to conduct s
everal classroom observations and gather information using for
mal and informal assessment instruments. The school counselor
conducted a parent interview and the general education teacher
provided samples of Arjun’s work. The school psychologist and
the special education teacher, in addition to conducting observat
ions, administered standardized norm-referenced tests. A norm-
referenced instrument is a commercially published test that com
pares a student’s test performance with that of similar students
who have taken the same test.
Once all the assessment information was assembled, the team m
et to discuss the results. Team members considered the followin
g: Does the student have a disability that adversely affects the s
tudent’s educational performance? Team members followed stat
e and federal laws and regulations to answer this question.
As members reported their findings, the team realized that the p
arent interview helped answer some of their questions about Arj
un’s transition to his new school. During the interview, Arjun’s
parents talked about his previous school, an all-
boys’ school in Sri Lanka, where his classes were delivered in E
nglish. The interview revealed that Arjun’s home language is ac
tually English, but he also speaks Sinhal and Tamil, the languag
es of Sri Lanka. In his previous school, he had difficulty learnin
g, and his teacher had discussed concerns about his moodiness.
Other members reported the results of classroom observations a
nd other assessments. In synthesizing the information, the team
agreed that Arjun had symptoms of depression. Once the team d
etermined that he was eligible for special education services, te
am members began the process of planning the IEP.Program Pla
nning
If the multidisciplinary team determines that a student is eligibl

e for services, the team members convene as an IEP team to dev
elop the student’s individualized education program. This IEP m
eeting often includes the members of the multidisciplinary team
but may also include additional professionals with unique exper
tise, such as a parent advocate. The IEP team facilitator, usually
an administrator, is responsible for coordinating all team meeti
ngs at the school or district level.Planning the IEP
The IEP provides a framework for teaching a student with a disa
bility. Based on assessment information gathered by team memb
ers, the IEP includes specific information about the student’s cu
rrent level of functioning, strengths, and needs. The team uses t
his information to plan the individualized education program an
d, later, to determine the extent of the student’s progress and ac
complishments.
At the IEP meeting, there is much to talk about. In this section,
we look at how team members begin planning the student’s IEP
and some of the questions they consider. Figure 1.6 illustrates t
hese questions and provides reference links to IDEA.
During the IEP team meeting, parents provide information about
their child’s strengths and interests as well as areas of concern.
The student may participate by sharing reflections on past work
, current difficulties, and aspirations for the future. Other memb
ers of the team report the results of classroom observations and
other assessments, including the student’s current strengths and
needs. They also discuss the results of the initial or most recent
evaluations and information about the student’s performance on
any general statewide or districtwide assessments. This informat
ion provides the team with a base to use in establishing the stud
ent’s current level of functioning in the areas of concern and det
ermining if the student requires (or continues to need) special e
ducation services.
Figure 1.6 The many questions considered by the IEP team
As the team plans the student’s IEP, members address any speci
ally designed instruction that should be used to meet the special
needs of the student. Specially designed instruction may includ

e identifying and implementing specific teaching methods, instr
uctional strategies, appropriate accommodations or modification
s, instructional materials and equipment, and/or teaching and le
arning resources. IDEA requires that the descriptions of special
education, related services, and supplementary aids and services
must be based on peer-
reviewed research to the extent possible. The team also discusse
s the student’s ability to access instructional materials and make
s arrangements for the student to have print materials in a digita
l format, if needed (Figure 1.7). A digital social studies textboo
k, for example, allows the student to listen to the material, gaini
ng content information while also following along with the text.
ACCOMMODATIONS AND MODIFICATIONS.
The IEP team also identifies the appropriate accommodations an
d modifications needed by the student. Accommodations refer to
changes to the education program that do not substantially alter
the instructional level, the content of the curriculum, or the ass
essment criteria; modifications involve changes or adaptations o
f the education program that alter the level, content, and/or asse
ssment criteria. If the student will not participate in some or all
of the general educations classes, even after considering accom
modations and modifications, team members write an explanatio
n of the extent to which the student will not participate. If the st
udent needs accommodations or modifications to participate in s
tate or districtwide assessment of achievement, team members i
nclude a statement of these accommodations or modifications.
The National Special Education Elementary Longitudinal Study
reported that there are sometimes discrepancies in the accommo
dations available for state or districtwide assessments and those
listed on a student’s IEP or 504 plan. In one study, 76.2% of th
e students had the accommodation of extended time written in th
eir IEPs or 504 plans, but only 53.3% received extended time on
standardized tests (Bottsford-
Miller, Thurlow, Stout, & Quenemoen, 2006, p. 5). Figure 1.8 il
lustrates the accommodations and modifications frequently used
in the general education classroom.

Figure 1.7 NIMAS: Access to instructional materials
Figure 1.8 Accommodations frequently used in the general edu
cation classroom
ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY.
As team members consider the student’s education program, the
y must also consider the student’s assistive technology (AT) nee
ds and services. For example, Arjun’s team raised questions suc
h as, What do we want Arjun to be able to do within his IEP tha
t he is currently not able to do because of his emotional and lear
ning needs? Would AT enable Arjun to meet this goal(s)? What
has been tried to meet his special learning needs in the past? Is i
t working? Is it providing him with the least restrictive environ
ment?
AT devices include a variety of technology, tools, software, or e
quipment that can be purchased or specially designed. These ma
terials are used to increase, maintain, or improve the functional
capabilities of an individual with a disability. IDEA also provid
es for AT services, which include any service that directly assist
s a child with a disability in the selection, acquisition, or use of
an AT device. AT services involve evaluation of the needs of th
e child, including a functional evaluation of the child; acquiring
the device; selecting, designing, fitting, customizing, adapting,
applying, maintaining, repairing, or replacing the device; coordi
nating and using other therapies or services; and training the chi
ld, family, and professionals (Sec. 300.6).
AT includes both simple, low-cost materials and high-
cost digital equipment. Low-cost devices include a wide-
tip marking pen or highlighting tape to indicate key concepts in
a textbook. More expensive devices include a handheld device (
or personal digital assistant, or PDA), a touch screen, or a smart
keyboard with word-
processing software. Sometimes software is considered an AT d
evice when it provides the means for a student to access the gen
eral education curriculum. For example, a student with a learnin
g disability may use specialized word-

processing software with word prediction. Word prediction is a
feature of the program that predicts words based on the first lett
er that the student types. This specialized software helps many s
tudents with short-term memory difficulties, word-
retrieval problems, and spelling difficulties.CONSIDERATION
OF SPECIAL FACTORS.
Depending on the needs of the student, the IEP team considers s
pecial factors:
• Use of Braille for students who have a visual impairment, unle
ss the IEP team determines after an evaluation of the child’s rea
ding and writing skills that instruction in Braille or the use of B
raille is not appropriate.
• Use of a sign language interpreter so that a deaf or hard-of-
hearing student can participate in the general curriculum.
• Use of strategies such as positive behavioral intervention and
supports, for students whose behaviors impede their own learnin
g or the learning of others.
• Communication needs of the student. For students who are dea
f or hard of hearing, the team considers the student’s language a
nd communication needs, as well as opportunities for direct com
munication with peers and professional personnel in the child’s
language and communication mode, including direct instruction
in the student’s language and communication mode.
• Language needs of the student with limited English proficienc
y as they relate to the student’s IEP.POSITIVE BEHAVIORAL
INTERVENTION, STRATEGIES, AND SUPPORT.
The general education teacher, along with other IEP team memb
ers, assists in determining positive behavioral interventions and
strategies for the student. For example, the team discusses the st
udent’s need to develop positive interactions with peers through
social skill instruction. The regular classroom teacher discusses
how this instruction can be transferred to the general education
classroom. The school psychologist might be identified as a sup
port person in helping to prevent the student’s recurring proble
m behaviors, if any exist.RELATED SERVICES.
After considering specialized instruction, the team discusses the

related services that are required to assist the student to benefit
from special education services. These services are offered by
professionals in disciplines other than education. IDEA provide
s for a variety of related services, such as occupational therapy,
rehabilitation counseling, and social work services. These servic
es are identified and written into the student’s IEP. Table 1.2 lis
ts all the related services mandated by IDEA.SUMMER MONT
HS.
The team also considers whether a student with a disability need
s services during the summer months. This right to summer scho
ol services is called extended school year (ESY) services. These
services are not limited to particular categories of disability. W
hen a team considers ESY services, it usually considers a variet
y of factors, including the likelihood of regression of skills and
abilities that occurs when a student does not receive services.S
UPPLEMENTAL AIDS AND SERVICES.
To assist the student in being involved in and making progress i
n the general education curriculum, the team may identify suppl
emental aids and services. These are provided in the regular edu
cation classroom or in another education-
related setting to enable children with disabilities to be educate
d with children without disabilities to the greatest extent possibl
e (Sec. 300.42).
Table 1.2 Related Services Mandated by the Individuals with
Disabilities Education Act
Related services include services that are required to assist a stu
dent with a disability to benefit from special education services.
These services are identified in the student’s IEP and may inclu
de one or more of the following:
• Audiology
• Counseling services
• Early identification and assessment of disabilities in children
• Interpreting services
• Medical services
• Occupational therapy
• Orientation and mobility services

• Parent counseling and training
• Physical therapy
• Psychological services
• Recreation
• Rehabilitation counseling
• School health services
• Social work services in schools
• Speech-language pathology
• Transportation services
Source: Adapted From IDEA 34 C.F.R., Sec. 300.34.TRANSITI
ON SERVICES.
Beginning not later than the first IEP to be in effect when the ch
ild turns 16 (or younger, if determined appropriate by the IEP te
am), each student with a disability must have an IEP that includ
es a statement of transition services (Sec. 300.320). This statem
ent is updated annually and must include (1) appropriate measur
able postsecondary goals based on age appropriate transition ass
essments related to training, education, employment, and, where
appropriate, independent living skills; and (2) the transition ser
vices (including courses of study) needed to assist the child in r
eaching those goals. This section of the IEP also includes the tr
ansfer of rights at age of majority. In other words, 1 year before
the child reaches the legal age of adulthood, according to state
law, the IEP must include a statement that the student has been i
nformed of his or her rights.Individualizing the IEP
According to IDEA, an IEP must include specific information c
oncerning a student’s present level of academic achievement an
d functional performance. Based on this information, the team d
evelops annual goals, including academic and functional goals, t
hat enable the student to be involved in and make progress in th
e general education curriculum and that meet the student’s other
educational needs. In Chapters 6 and 7, we examine how specia
l education teachers write IEP goals.
Considering Cultural and Linguistic Perspectives
A Wealth of Classroom Experiences and Expectations
In preparing to teach, educators must consider the wealth of clas

sroom experiences and expectations that children bring. Student
s come from diverse cultural, ethnic, racial, economic, and lingu
istic backgrounds. In fact, 20% of the students ages 5 to 17 enro
lled in elementary and secondary schools have at least one forei
gn-
born parent, and almost 10 million speak a language other than
English at home (Harper, 2003). The National Center for Educat
ion Statistics (Hussar & Bailey, 2006) projects that between 200
4 and 2015, enrollment will increase only 6% for students who a
re of non-
Hispanic white ethnicity. Other students will see a more dramati
c increase, including a 27% increase for students who are of non
-
Hispanic black ethnicity; an increases of 42% for students who
are Hispanic; 28% for students who are Asian or Pacific Islande
rs; 30% for students who are American Indian or Alaska Native;
and 34% for students who are nonresident foreigners.
Students bring rich experiences and expectations to their school
s. Folk tales, dances, music, and family traditions enrich the tea
ching and learning experience for all students and their teachers
. Students can celebrate diversity in the classroom because their
teachers promote cultural competence. Cultural and linguistic p
erspectives involve being responsive to students, their families,
and their communities—
a theme that you will find in each chapter of this book.
These perspectives play an important role in the process of obta
ining special education services. When the IEP team meets, me
mbers must be aware of not only the student’s first language but
also the student’s home language(s). For example, how will the
team gather assessment information about a student who speaks
four languages but is just learning English?
In the past, many students with disabilities were inappropriately
placed in separate and special classes based on the results of st
andardized tests given in English. When working with students
who are English language learners, teachers must ensure that th
e assessment approaches used measure the extent of the disabilit

y rather than the child’s English language skills. IDEA states th
at tests and other evaluation procedures must not discriminate o
n a racial or cultural basis and mandates that assessments must
be provided and administered in the child’s native language or a
nother mode of communication unless it is clearly not feasible t
o do so.
Questions for Reflection
1. Consider the students in the schools in your community. Does
your community reflect the diversity of families in your state?
In the nation?
2. What materials and other resources does your state departmen
t of education provide for families of students with disabilities?
Other than English, in what other languages are the materials av
ailable?
In addition to annual goals, short-
term objectives, or benchmarks, are required for students with
more significant disabilities who follow alternative achievement
standards with alternative state and districtwide assessments ali
gned to these standards. These objectives describe the standards
that the student will work to meet. Each short-
term objective includes the following required components:
• Behavior described in terms that can be observed.
• The criteria for successful performance.
• The method for evaluating the behavior.
• The time period for which the objective will be reviewed.
Short-
term objectives are not required for students with disabilities w
hose annual goals are aligned with the general education curricu
lum or to the state’s learning standards.
The IEP must contain other components, too. For example, whe
n a student will not participate in a regular class, the team must
provide an explanation of the extent to which the student will n
ot do so. Also, the IEP must include the projected date for the b
eginning of the services and anticipated frequency, location, an
d duration of services.Monitoring Progress
So that all team members can refer to the child’s IEP as needed,

the team chairperson or another designated staff person arrange
s for the student’s IEP to be available to each regular education
teacher, special education teacher, related service provider, and
any other service provider who is responsible for its implementa
tion. Parents, too, receive a copy of their child’s IEP.
Special educators and related service personnel continuously mo
nitor the student’s IEP once services begin. The teacher knows t
he student’s current level of performance, what the student can
do in each academic area, and what other needs the student has,
such as the need to improve social skills or decrease problem be
haviors. The teacher tracks progress through regular observation
, student work samples, demonstrations, and formal and informa
l tests. Monitoring the IEP on a regular basis allows the teacher
to make adjustments in the specially designed instruction when
necessary.
Teachers and other professionals working with the student must
report progress to parents in report cards, in progress notes, or i
n other ways at least as often as parents of students without disa
bilities receive report cards. This progress report enables parent
s to learn about the progress of their child and the extent to whi
ch that progress will enable the child to reach the IEP goals by t
he end of the program year.Evaluating ProgressEvaluating Indiv
idual Student Progress: Annual Review
At the end of the program year—or more frequently if needed—
the IEP team reconvenes to discuss the student’s progress. Has t
he student met the IEP goals? The special education teacher and
other school personnel who have assisted in providing special e
ducation and related services described in the student’s IEP rep
ort on the student’s progress and on measures of achievement. T
hese measures include various assessments of student performan
ce such as portfolios, observations, curriculum-
based assessments, and norm-
referenced instruments. The team determines what services the s
tudent continues to need, if any. For students who need continui
ng services, the team plans the program for the coming year.
IN PRACTICE

IDEA requires that the IEP team plan and develop a written des
cription of the specially designed instruction that a student need
s. During this process the team considers many questions, one o
f which is whether or not the student needs AT devices and serv
ices. The IEP team is responsible for determining the child’s AT
needs on a case-by-
case basis as part of special education, related services, or suppl
ementary aids and services. For team members with many other
responsibilities, keeping abreast of different AT devices is chall
enging. Sometimes large school districts employ an AT team co
nsisting of special educators, speech and language pathologists,
occupational and physical therapists, computer technicians, and
others who assist the IEP team with finding solutions. Sometime
s smaller or regional schools employ an AT specialist.
Classroom Focus
Special educator Maria Perez checks the trunk of her car to mak
e sure she has all the AT devices for the students she will visit t
oday. She is an itinerant AT specialist and covers the school dis
tricts in her region of the state. When the IEP team determines t
hat a student may need AT, the team coordinator contacts Maria
and makes arrangements for her to visit the school. With her co
mbination of training as a special educator and an AT specialist,
she is qualified to work with team members to help determine t
he AT needs of a student with a disability. With access to AT de
vices through the regional AT center, she brings a variety of de
vices to the school.
Working Toward
Solution
s
Working with the student, parents, and other team members, Ma
ria assists in determining the most appropriate device(s) and arr

anges for the student to borrow the device from the AT center f
or a trial period. Maria also works with team members to arrang
e training for the student, family members, and teachers, if need
ed. She makes plans to return once the trial period is over to hel
p team members assess the effectiveness of the device and to wo
rk with the IEP team to locate funding sources to purchase it. W
hen the device is not satisfactory, she suggests an alternative de
vice and continues to work with the student and IEP team memb
ers to determine the best technology solution for the student.
Maria works with students and teachers across different grade le
vels and curriculum areas. Today she is to observe a student wit
h learning disabilities in a middle school science class; and then
she will meet with the IEP team to discuss problems that the st
udent is having in using the classroom materials. Later, Maria w
ill visit another school and provide one-to-
one training for a student with mental retardation who is learnin
g how to use specialized software for writing assignments.
What The Research Says
The term digital divide refers to technology and the people who
use it—
and those who don’t. Technology is not only an integral part of
academic life today but an essential part of social life as well. S
tudents use Web-
based social networking, such as MySpace or Face-
book, to stay in touch with friends and to keep abreast of import

ant happenings. Instant messaging is another way to stay well c
onnected with peers, friends, and family. In fact, one study foun
d that 96% of U.S. students ages 9–
17 who have Internet access use social networking technology t
o interact with their peers. The most common topic of discussio
n was education (eSchool News online, 2007). Technology is so
much a part of our daily lives—
can you imagine what life would be like without the ability to a
ccess and use technology? According to a national study (Ender
s and Bridges, 2006), more than 70% of people with disabilities
are on the other side of the divide, unable to access technology.
When technology separates groups of people who cannot access
the information, teachers need to examine AT solutions and bec
ome advocates for their students.
MyEducationLab: Your Turn
Begin by investigating AT that students need to be successful le
arners and communicators. Go to MyEducationLab and select th
e topic Technology Use in the Classroom. Then watch the two v
ideos “Headsprout Reading” and “SmartBoards for Students wit
h Hearing Impairments” and answer the accompanying questions
. After viewing the videos, be prepared to discuss your findings.
As a teacher, how might you use AT in the classroom? What ot
her technologies might you use to help students in learning and
communicating with others? Next, explore examples of student
and teacher artifacts: View two of the artifacts listed in the topi

c Technology Use in the Classroom and answer the accompanyi
ng questions. Be prepared to share your ideas with the class.Eva
luating Overall Special Education and Related Services
Along with evaluating individual student progress, program eval
uation should address the success of the overall special educatio
n program provided by the school. Are students with disabilities
making progress in the special education program? Special edu
cation programs must be able to demonstrate that students who r
eceive services are making progress and gaining new skills and
knowledge. Are parents satisfied with the special education serv
ices? Are students with disabilities pleased with the services? A
s consumers of special education services, students and parents
should be given regular opportunities to provide feedback to spe
cial education teachers and administrators. Program evaluation
can include interviews, checklists, surveys, or formal program-
evaluation instruments, and information can be collected from s
pecial education teachers, parents, and students themselves. Spe
cial education teachers strive to provide high-
quality, effective services. To that end, these services must be e
valuated on a regular basis and changes made, if indicated.
1.4 Environments Where Special Education Teachers Work
Because IDEA provides for a continuum of special education se
rvices in the least restrictive environment, special education tea
chers work in many different settings (Figure 1.9). Some teache

rs have their own classrooms; some teachers have no classroom
of their own (but consult or coteach in the general education cla
ssroom); some teachers spend at least some of the school day tra
veling among students in different schools or hospital settings.
The following sections describe the continuum of environments
and various teaching responsibilities of special educators in thes
e settings.
Figure 1.9 Settings where special educators work
Snapshot: Meet Some Special Educators
As you meet the following special educators and learn about the
ir teaching assignments, think about the environment where eac
h educator works and the types of instruction and consultations
that they provide. What types of teaching appeal to you? In wha
t settings do you think that you might like to work?
… meet Vicente Pajaro
Vicente Pajaro, a special educator at Suncook School, begins th
e day with an early-morning meeting with the first-
grade classroom teacher. They discuss their concerns about one
of the students, Lou Traforti, who has problem behaviors. Over
the past month, Lou has begun to interrupt other students during
classwork and is generally disrespectful. Vicente listens careful
ly as the teacher describes her frustration concerning Lou and th
e reactions of other students. Together, they brainstorm several
interventions to manage Lou’s behaviors. Lou has not been refer

red for special education services yet, and both teachers are hop
ing that changes in teaching strategies may help to support posit
ive student behaviors. Together they decide that during the next
few days, the teacher will work with the students to develop a s
et of guidelines for classroom and playground behavior. The stu
dents and the teacher will be responsible for ensuring that all st
udents in the classroom follow the guidelines.
… meet Joy Lu
Joy Lu stops at her office to look for her social studies folder an
d project notebook for the fifth-
grade class. She hurries down the corridor to the classroom whe
re she will be coteaching and assisting students with disabilities
in their civics unit. Today, the classroom teacher will lead the c
lass in a discussion of the reading assignment while Joy provide
s a graphic organizer of the discussion for Marik, a student with
attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Joy will monitor Marik
’s progress and be ready to offer support and encouragement as
needed because Marik frequently becomes distracted and has dif
ficulty completing activities. Later, the students will move into
small groups for an activity, and Joy and her coteacher will mov
e among the groups assisting individual students as needed.
… meet John Bates
John Bates scans the schedule posted near the desk. Managing t
he activities in the high school resource room requires good org
anizational and coordination skills. He plans instructional activi

ties for each student, meets with his teaching assistant to review
the day’s activities, and arranges time to meet with the classroo
m teachers. Today his morning begins with a group of eight stud
ents with learning disabilities who come to the resource room fo
r senior English. In an hour, these students will leave to return t
o their regular classrooms, and other students will arrive. Throu
ghout the day there may only be 3 to 10 students at a time, but t
hey include students with different needs and strengths. John ca
refully organizes each student’s assignment and makes sure that
each person understands the work. John arranges time to help s
ome students directly while others work on specially designed a
ssignments.
During the day he will work with students in the areas of Englis
h, including reading for comprehension and writing, organizatio
nal, and study skills. Several of the students have behavior and
attention disorders in addition to learning problems, so John nee
ds to consider how to promote positive behaviors as well as aca
demic skills.Consulting in the General Education Classroom
By consulting with the general education teacher, special educat
ion teachers provide support to students with disabilities in the r
egular classroom. In the consulting model, the special education
teacher meets with the general education classroom teacher on
a regular basis to discuss the needs of students, types of support
s, accommodations, and modifications. They talk about how a p
articular teaching strategy is helping (or not helping) and brains

torm about other techniques to use. The consulting teacher has
many other responsibilities, including coordinating services and
resources and locating special materials or equipment that indiv
idual students with disabilities need to participate in classroom
activities.Coteaching in the General Education Classroom
Teachers who coteach divide up the work and share the teaching
load, including planning, teaching, modifying instruction, and a
ssessing progress, with their regular education colleagues. Some
times they work with groups of students, each guiding small-
group discussions. At other times, one of the teachers assumes t
he role of lead teacher while the other teacher moves around the
classroom, assisting students both with and without disabilities
on an as-
needed basis. Their roles may be reversed, depending on the tea
chers’ preferences and their individual strengths in one or more
areas of the curriculum.Providing Instruction in the Resource R
oom
Special education teachers may work in a separate classroom, ca
lled the resource room or learning center. Some students with di
sabilities come to the resource room for extra classroom support
in one or more curriculum areas. The resource room teacher wo
rks closely with the general education classroom teacher to prov
ide tutorial support and teaching geared to students’ needs in re
ading, mathematics, or other areas of the curriculum.
Other students with disabilities come to the resource room for s

pecial instruction. The special instruction may include adapted
or special materials and/or specific teaching methods and strate
gies. For these students, the special educator plans and impleme
nts instructional activities in social skills, reading, writing, mat
hematics, science, or social studies, for example. To monitor stu
dent progress and achievement, the special educator uses a varie
ty of assessment approaches. In Chapter 5, we look more closely
at how teachers link instructional activities with assessment an
d discuss the various ways teachers assess student progress.Teac
hing in the Special Education Classroom
Special education teachers who work in special education classr
ooms in public schools teach children who have difficulty learni
ng in the regular classroom for a majority of the day. Teachers i
n these settings have the responsibility of planning and impleme
nting specially designed instruction in all areas of the curriculu
m that the student does not receive in the general education setti
ng. Teachers adapt content and/or delivery of instruction to addr
ess the unique needs of the student.
Like special educators who work in resource rooms, teachers wh
o work in special education classrooms use a variety of assessm
ent approaches to monitor student progress, developing skills, a
nd achievement. Assessment activities are ongoing and provide
both teacher and student with valuable feedback regarding their
work. The teacher uses the assessment information not only to d
etermine how students are progressing but also to modify practi

ce. When a student is not making expected gains, the teacher wi
ll consider a number of questions. For example, what additional
instructional activities does the student need? Is the teaching me
thod effective? Is the student grouping effective?Traveling and
Itinerant Teaching
Schools sometimes share a special education teacher. For the te
acher, this means traveling among different schools, carrying m
aterials back and forth, working with complicated schedules, an
d perhaps having more than one supervisor. Special education te
achers with specific expertise in an area such as visual impairm
ents or individuals who work in rural areas find that schools can
not hire a full-
time professional but can pool their resources to offer the specia
l education services that children need.Working in a Day or Res
idential Treatment Program
Special education teachers who are employed by special day or r
esidential treatment programs work with students who all have s
imilar disabilities. For example, the school may be designed for
students with moderate disabilities, including significant behavi
or or learning problems, or students with autism spectrum disor
ders. Special education teachers are responsible for planning an
d implementing the specialized instruction and assessing student
progress. Teachers who work in special schools typically teach
a class where students are of similar age and ability. Special-
purpose schools may provide day or residential programs.Provid

ing Home and Hospital Instruction
Special education teachers who work with students in their hom
es spend much of their day traveling among students. Like itiner
ant teachers, home teachers instruct a wide range of temporarily
homebound students, in terms of age and ability. For example,
a student with Down syndrome who has a heart condition may h
ave an acute medical crisis that involves hospitalization and sev
eral weeks of recuperation at home. Teachers who provide home
instruction focus on assisting students to maintain their educati
onal progress, so that they can return to their local schools once
their condition improves or stabilizes.
Similar to home instructors, special education teachers who pro
vide instruction in hospitals typically work with an individual st
udent for a short period of time. Students with disabilities may
be hospitalized for an acute condition or accident and will event
ually be discharged. Other students with chronic conditions, suc
h as leukemia, will be in and out of the hospital several times o
ver the course of a year. In both situations, the hospital-
based teacher helps students keep up with work that they would
otherwise miss.Working with Charter Schools, Private Schools,
and Homeschoolers
Although much of our discussion so far has focused on federal l
egislation and the responsibilities of public schools, more and m
ore students with and without disabilities are attending public c
harter schools or private schools or are receiving instruction at

home through homeschooling programs. Charter schools provide
alternatives to local public schools and have increased dramatic
ally in number since the first charter schools appeared in the 19
90s. They offer some degree of independence from the rules and
regulations that apply to traditional public schools. However, c
harter schools must follow all federal civil rights laws including
IDEA and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act (Ahearn, 2002)
.
As an alternative to public school or a charter school, sometime
s parents elect to place their child in a private school or provide
homeschooling. In these cases, the local school must still provi
de special education and related services to that child. School re
presentatives and representatives of the private school or homes
choolers consult to design and develop special education and rel
ated services. They discuss how the process will operate throug
hout the school year so that the child can participate in special e
ducation or related serives, including who will provide the servi
ces and where they will be provided. They may decide to transp
ort the student to the public school to receive special services. I
n these cases, the special educator will follow the child’s IEP to
provide instruction, monitor, and evaluate progress.
Thus the field of special education provides opportunities to wo
rk with a wide range of students. We have seen that, as a special
educator, your teaching responsibilities differ, depending on th
e type of setting or program. In the next chapter, we turn our att

ention to learning more about the students with whom you may
work someday.
Summary
• Preparing to be a special education teacher begins by knowing
more about research-
based practices that provide evidence for effective practice in th
e classroom.
• Federal legislation, including IDEA, Section 504 of the Rehabi
litation Act, No Child Left Behind, and the Carl D. Perkins Care
er and Technical Education Act, ensure that students with disabi
lities will meet high academic and functional achievement stand
ards and have access to appropriate services at no cost to the pa
rents.
• The special education process involves procedures mandated b
y IDEA that school personnel and a student’s parents follow to i
dentify a student with a disability and to plan, provide, and eval
uate appropriate services.
• Special educators teach in a variety of settings, including cons
ulting or coteaching in the general education classroom, instruct
ing in the resource room or self-
contained classroom, traveling between schools as an itinerant t
eacher, teaching in a day or residential treatment program, tutor
ing children who are homebound or hospital based, and working
with students who are enrolled in charter or private schools or

who are homeschooled
Week 1 - Assignment
Differential Learning Support
Your written response to this assignment assesses your ability
to communicate pro-active solutions to lesson planning and
teaching techniques that create appropriate learning
experiences.
This week, you had an opportunity to consider the importance
of ensuring learning experiences that are developmentally
appropriate, as well as challenging, and to discuss strategies
that special educators can use to ensure these types of learning
experiences occur. In this assignment, you will assume the role
of the special educator working with Mr. Franklin. You will
provide feedback for a developmentally appropriate and
challenging learning experience for the class. Your feedback
will also consider the specific needs of Manual, a special
education student who was first introduced in ESE610. Specific
details for Manual’s needs are available for your reference in
the Instructor Guidance.
Using support from your assigned reading, the Instructor
Guidance, and the discussions, submit the following for
evaluation. Use the below guidelines for creating your written
assignment. If you have questions about the assignment or the

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