3. Accommodations
• Instructional or test adaptations
• Allows students to demonstrate
what he or she knows
• Change the way information is
presented
4. • Timing. For example, giving a student extended time to complete a task or a test
item.
• Flexible scheduling. For example, giving a student two days instead of one day to
complete a project.
• Accommodated presentation of the material, meaning material is presented to the
student in a fashion that’s different from a more traditional fashion.
• Setting, which includes things like completing the task or test in a quiet room or in a
small group with other students.
• Response accommodation, which means having the student respond perhaps
orally or through a scribe.
8. More information...
• Section 504 is a broad federal civil rights law that protects
all individuals with a handicap.
• IDEA (the Individuals with Disabilities Education
Improvement Act) only applies to students who require
special education because they have one of the specified
types of disabilities.
• Students who qualify under section 504 must have a 504
plan that outlines the services to be provided. Some
students will also qualify under the more stringent IDEA.
These students will have an IEP (Individualized
Educational Plan) rather than a 504 plan.
9. 504 and IEP continued
• A student cannot have both a 504 plan and an IEP
• All supports and services are determined based upon
the individual needs of the student and whether he or
she is eligible for special education or for
accommodation(s) under section 504
• A parent cannot opt for a 504 plan if the student is
eligible for special education.
11. General Education Teachers and Expectations
• All students must be assessed to determine their academic
progress.
• Each state must make adequate yearly progress and or have
annual measurable objectives toward the goal of achievement at
grade level for all students.
• Assessments must include the reporting of individual student scores
so that parents can be informed of their children's achievement.
• All students must be taught core academic subjects by teachers
who are highly qualified in the content areas.
• Teaching practices and instructional programs, particularly those in
reading and math, must be based on rigorous research.
12. How to improve testing and reduce anxiety
High Incidence Disabilities
13. • Perform a memory dump or download as soon as the test is handed to
them.
• Work on easier items first
• Time budgeting
• Highlighting essential aspects
• Arrive on time
• Avoid conversing the test
• Think of yourself
• Anxiety reduction techniques
8 strategies for test taking and reducing anxiety
17. • References
• Friend, Marilyn; Bursuck, William D. (2014-03-28). Including Students with
Special Needs: A Practical Guide for Classroom Teachers (7th Edition) (Page
94). Pearson. Kindle Edition.
• National Center for Learning Disabilities. (2012). Accommodations vs.
Modifications: What’s the Difference? [Audio podcast]. Retrieved from
http://www.ncld.org/students-disabilities/accommodations-
education/accommodations-vs-modifications-whats-difference
• New Hampshire Department of Education. (2012). Difference Between A
Section 504 Plan And An IEP | Frequently Asked Questions | School Health
Services | Office of School Health | Division of Instruction | NH Department of
Education. Retrieved from
http://www.education.nh.gov/instruction/school_health/faq_504.htm
• Salend, S. J. (2011). Addressing Test Anxiety. Teaching Exceptional Children,
44(2), 58-68.
• University of Washington. (2013, January 24). What is the difference between
an IEP and a 504 Plan? Retrieved from
http://www.washington.edu/doit/Stem/articles?52
Editor's Notes
Hello and welcome to the study skills workshop. Today you will be given information on how to support students with learning disabilities and other accommodations in the general education classroom. On your way in you should picked up the workshop handouts on the entry table. This will provide you with even more information to help you in being prepared for your class of diverse learners.
First let's ensure that everyone knows the difference between accommodations and modifications in the classroom.
Dr. Lindy Crawford stated that Accommodations are instructional or test adaptations. That they allow the student to demonstrate what he or she knows without fundamentally changing the target skill that’s being taught in the classroom or measured in testing situations. Accommodations do not reduce learning or performance expectations that we might hold for students. And they change the manner or setting in which information is presented or the manner in which students respond. But they do not change the target skill or the testing construct (National Center for Learning Disabilities, p 2).
Here are five categories a large number of accommodations can be listed under.
Lindy Crawford says that modifications actually do change the target skill or the construct of interest. They often reduce learning expectations or affect the content in such a way that what is being taught or tested is fundamentally changed.
They are instructional or test adaptations that allow the student to demonstrate what he knows or can do, but they also reduce the target skill. Modifications generally will lower the performance expectations, by reducing the number of items required or the complexity of the items or the task required. In essence, a student doesn’t demonstrate what he knows or can do in that target skill or that content because the modification changes it to such a degree that the student’s product no longer represents what we think it does.
So as teachers we must be careful with what type of modifications we are making. Later we will learn the dangers of confusing accommodations and modifications. We will also find out why it's important for parents and students to understand the differences as well.
Now we will look at the differences between the 504 plan and an IEP.
-The 504 Plan is a plan developed to ensure that a child who has a disability identified under the law and is attending an elementary or secondary educational institution receives accommodations that will ensure their academic success and access to the learning environment.
-The Individualized Educational Plan (IEP) is a plan or program developed to ensure that a child who has a disability identified under the law and is attending an elementary or secondary educational institution receives specialized instruction and related services
Robert Wells Ph. D., from the Burea of Special Education, and the New Hampshire Dept. Of Education gives a great explanation of these services.
If a student is determined by the school district's evaluation team to be eligible for special education and related services under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEA), that "trumps" a Section 504 plan. A school district has no flexibility to opt to provide services and accommodations under Section 504 when the student is IDEA eligible (see Yankton Sch. Dist. V. Shramm, 24 IDELR 704 (8th Cir. 1996). Further, a student with a disability, who is IDEA eligible, is also covered by Section 504. All children on IEPs have been identified as having a disability and therefore cannot be discriminated against because of their disability under the Vocational Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (Section 504). All students with IEPs and all students on 504 plans are covered by this civil rights legislation.
If a student is on an IEP with related services, there is no service or therapy that could not appropriately be attached to the IEP. The same is true of a Section 504 plan, if the student is in need of supports and services and qualifies under Section 504 and is in need of accommodations [but is not found eligible for special education under the IDEA], any service or support that the team determines is needed as an accommodation can be on the student's 504 plan.
Since there are no categorical restrictions as to what supports and services might be appropriate on an IEP or a 504 accommodation plan, all supports and services are determined based upon the individual need(s) of the student, whether he/she is eligible for special education or for accommodation(s) under Section 504.
A student cannot have both a 504 plan and an IEP. If the student is eligible for special education, that's what he/she gets and all the supports and services needed must be provided as related services attached to the IEP.
Additionally, the parent cannot opt for a 504 plan if the student is eligible for special education, since the school is required to provide an IEP to a student who is eligible for one because of the greater rights and entitlements under the IDEA than under Section 504; a school district must comply with more procedural requirements and formalities under the IDEA.
Now we need to find out what the expectations of the general education teacher is in terms of legal mandates.
-All students must be assessed to determine their academic progress. This is not just for students with disabilities but it's for all students as well.
• Each state must make adequate yearly progress (AYP) or have annual measurable objectives (AMOs) toward the goal of achievement at grade level for all students. The local school districts have to report these data to their states and states have to report the data to the US Department of education. Sanctions can be applied it to your to your goals are not met.Local school districts
report these data to the U.S. Department of Education.
• Assessments must include the reporting of individual student scores (not just aggregated scores) so that parents can be informed of their children’s achievement. This provision also helps to clarify how the achievement of students in particular groups (e.g., those with disabilities, those who live in poverty, those from racial minority groups) compares to that of other students.
• All students must be taught core academic subjects by teachers who are highly qualified in the content areas. This provision has helped to ensure that students with disabilities, especially those in middle school and high school, have more access to general education settings and teachers who generally
have more extensive knowledge about the core academic subjects than do some special education teachers. Teachers should receive supports to ensure they have the most current knowledge and skills.
• More than ever before, teaching practices and instructional programs, particularly those in reading and math, must be based on rigorous research. That is, they should have a strong basis in studies that demonstrate their positive impact on student learning.
(Friend, Marilyn; Bursuck, William D. (2014-03-28), p13).
This section will cover eight research-based strategies that will assist students with high incidence disabilities in improving their study skills.
-Teach your students how to perform a memory dump or download as soon as the test is handed to them. They will do this by listing key points, definitions, formulas, dates, mnemonics, and names that they're likely to use throughout the test, and jotting down memory clues and drawings to promote recall.
-You should teach your students to work on the easier test items first. This will help them build their confidence levels for when they get to the more difficult questions.
-Time budgeting can help students improve their test performance by learning to budget their time based on the amount of time given to them to complete the test by doing this they can weigh the values associated with different questions and sections and the levels of difficulty of the various test items
-When students learn to strategically highlight essential aspects of the test it can help them better understand specific details, the types of answers they are asked to provide, aids, resources, and assistance they can use; and time, length, and space constraints.
-Many teachers would tell students to come to class early on the day of a test, but they should come to the testing environment on time to avoid interactions with others because arriving early can intensify their anxiety.
-When peers ask questions about what they studied, when they attempt to seek the answers to questions, or they spread false rumors about the test and answers this can raise anxiety levels. So teach your students how to politely avoid these types of conversations.
-When a student walks into a tasting room they should be thinking about themselves. They should learn to engage in encouraging self-statements, be wearing comfortable clothes, and take a few minutes to relax and focus on their goals and plans for success.
-Students who experience testing anxiety can use these anxiety reducing techniques such as meditating, praying, taking deep breath and breaks, engaging in positive self-talk, and focusing on past successes.
(Salend, S. J. (2011), p 62)
Since many of the students with learning disabilities or emotional disturbance also have ADHD the testing and anxiety reducing strategies will work well for them.
Learning Disability:
A disorder related to processing information that leads to difficulties in reading, writing, and computing; the most common disability, accounting for almost half of all students receiving special education. Students with learning disabilities have difficulties following directions and managing time. (Friend, Marilyn; Bursuck, William D. (2014-03-28), p 22)
Emotional Disturbance:
Significant problems in the social-emotional area to a degree that learning is negatively affected. (Friend, Marilyn; Bursuck, William D. (2014-03-28), p 24)
Since these students have a medical condition often characterized by an inability to attend to complex tasks for long periods of time, excessive motor activity, and/or impulsivity. The impact of this disorder on students’ schoolwork can be significant. Students with
ADHD may take medication, such as Ritalin or Strattera, that helps them focus their attention. The testing strategies will help these students lower testing anxiety and also give them ways to focus more on tests.
(Friend, Marilyn; Bursuck, William D. (2014-03-28), p 29)
I believe what Dr. Crawford says is important for us to know and understand as educators. To wrap up the workshop we will now listen to the podcast with her and Candace Cortielle. It is around 12 minutes long and I have included the transcript in your packets so you can highlight or take notes.
Please feel free to ask questions after and thank you all for attending.
