Case Study #2 Inclusion in the Classroom
ISLLC Standard 2
A school administrator is an educational leader who promotes
the success of all students by advocating,
nurturing, and sustaining a school culture and instructional program conducive
to student learning and staff professional goals.
Key Questions:
1. What programs does the school administrator use to promote the success of all students?
2. How does the school administrator address instructional programs that are conducive to staff professional goals?
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to examine how the instructional program of inclusion is utilized to promote success of all students as well of being conducive to staff professional goals.
Description and Explanation of the Situation
Math has been taught in a resource setting for the special education students. They have had the benefit of a teacher trained in ways to modify a curriculum to make it more accessible. These same teachers are not always subject area specialist. Many of these teachers teach the students several grade levels below where the students will be tested. This occurs because the teacher is insecure with teaching higher level math skills. One teacher in particular, Renee, only taught students their multiplication facts. While knowing “times tables” is certainly beneficial it is not mandatory. These students receive special accommodations for testing such as the use of a calculator. Spending weeks on end memorizing multiplication facts cuts into the time needed to explore the more difficult concepts like rational numbers.
The school administrator of CLMS, Sally, decided to implement inclusion classrooms. Her idea was to team up a regular education math teacher with a special education teacher. Students that the special education teacher believed would be able to access the regular education curriculum with minimal accommodations were placed in a collaborative setting. The premise behind the program was excellent. Problems arose when teachers weren’t trained on being collaborative partners. Renee was a teacher selected to collaborate with Angela. Renee was the resource teacher while Angela was the regular education math instructor. The collaboration began fine. Renee decided that her students needed more time on particular concepts and began pulling her students out of Angela’s classroom. Friction soon ensued between the two teachers. Eventually, Renee completely removed her students from the regular education environment and they went back to learning multiplication facts.
Answers to the
Questions:
1. What programs does the school
administrator use to promote the success of all
students?
Sally instituted an inclusion program to promote the success of special education students. She conducted a faculty inservice on becoming an inclusion classroom. Sally further understood that the special education students were not being successful with the standardized curriculum. This conclusion was evident the analysis of test scores. Sally worked with the special education teachers to design and implement curriculum that would enable students to benefit. A requirement that Sally also put in place was common planning for both teachers. The two teachers were required to meet at least once a week to plan. Once the teachers began planning together several recognized the variety of ways that students learn.
A successful inclusion partnership was Sandie, the regular education teacher, and Melody, the special education teacher. Sally helped Sandie and Melody keep student learning as the fundamental purpose of schooling by providing release time. This release time was used to analyze test scores as well as individualized education plans. Sandie shared with the school administrator that she learned new ways to assess students. “Melody always chunks notes and then gives three questions before moving on. What a great way to conduct informal assessments!”
Inclusion was not the only program that Sally put in place at CLMS. She elected to purchase a site license for a computer program. This program was touted by another school system as being the “magic pill” for getting the special education subgroup out of needs improvement. Sally spent time analyzing test scores to identify students that were close to not meeting the standard. She termed these students “bubble students”. She began by scheduling computer time for each special education student and then time for the bubble students. Each special education also had additional time during their resource class. The school administrator called this “double and triple dipping” students into the curriculum. Sally recognized that technology could be another platform in which students learn.
2. How does the school administrator
address instructional programs that are conducive
to staff professional goals?
Collaboration or inclusion is a professional goal for many of the staff members at CLMS. Sally conducted a survey of professional goals and needs and collaboration was a predominant need. The school administrator meet with our local service unit, RESA, to request in-services for the staff. RESA developed a collaborative course that would meet once a month after school. A learning community soon arose from the similar goals the attendees expressed. This community of teachers selected to conduct book studies on suggested readings from RESA. Sally supported this goal by purchasing the books as well as paying for release time. The release time was given for in-depth analysis of the book selected.
The survey results also suggested that teachers wanted more staff development on technology. CLMS recently received a grant that went to purchasing 12 wireless laptops and a cart to house them in. Teachers wanted to utilize the technology in their classrooms in an effective way. Many teachers had expressed a professional and personal goal of becoming more technology literate. Sally sought teachers at CLMS who were technologically fluent and requested that they conduct in-services. Some of the topics Sally asked be explored were the electronic gradebook, the computer program to help special education students and “bubble students” meet expectations on the standardized test, and how to conduct webquests. Another aspect of technology that Sally recognized as being necessary was on how to use the graphing calculator. Using the graphing calculator is a part of the performance standards that all students are expected to master. Sally arranged for a member of the RESA to come in and demonstrate how the calculator is used.
This case study is a proficient one. Sally, the school administrator, is aware that curriculum design, and implementation are essential to helping all students achieve success. She is further aware that inclusion is a learning theory that may help her students become more successful. Sally has asked that her staff complete a survey on their professional goals. The survey led professional development as an integral part of the school environment. Other evidence that this case study is a proficient one is that Sally recognized that diversity in the classroom brings about greater school success. Life love learning is also evident in this study through the learning community that arose in regards to inclusion. Members of this community conducted a book study on a text specifically chosen by them that highlights the importance of all students being successful. CLMS is becoming organized and aligned for success of students and faculty.