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Rogers: EDU 104: Introduction to Teach Special Populations: Session 3 2023

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EDU104 Introduction to Teach Special Populations Syllabus 2023

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Rogers EDU 104: Introduction to Teach Special Populations: Session 1

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Sample Answer for Procedural Safeguard assignment

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Sample Answer for Procedural Safeguard assignment

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History of Special Education-Roger Cohort 9 2023 - Google Jamboard

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History of Special Education-Roger Cohort 9 2023

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Rogers-Theorist Jamboard - Google Jamboard

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Deficit-oriented perspectives. While most teachers and staff deeply care about their students, there still exists a pervasive deficit-oriented perspective about Latinx students. Given the anti-immigrant rhetoric coming from politics and some media outlets, and considering that many Latinx students have an immigrant-origin background, this is hardly a surprise. As one teacher put it: "It is common for educators to kind of lower their expectations of students based on different backgrounds and cultures," or comments like: "Families just don't care." These viewpoints do not help in serving Latinx children in an equity-minded way. Instead, an equity-minded approach would be inquisitive in nature, as one special education told us: "Let's figure out all the reasons why they struggle and address those reasons." There is an urgent need for this equity-minded perspective across school systems. Additionally, across districts in California, professionals express a need for training for general education teachers on how to better serve students who struggle and students with disabilities. This is particularly important when most general education teachers today are expected to work with students from all backgrounds and abilities (including students with disabilities).

Building trusting relationships with students and families. Comments along the lines of: "Parents are working all the time to put food on the table, but they absolutely want the best for their children" suggest there is a need for building stronger school-family partnerships. Generally, as shown by experience and research, we know that Latinx families deeply care about their children's education. Still, there seems to be a gap in understanding and interpretation of cultural differences. For example, Carmen Alvizures, a District Resource Teacher in California, explained to us that it is common for parents in Latin American countries to fully trust educators with education-related decisions about their child. Hence, a Latinx, immigrant-origin parent might be more likely to take an agreeable, passive role during a discussion about their child's possible disability during an IEP meeting. This passive and agreeable behavior should not be interpreted as a sign of lack of involvement or disinterest, but instead, educators could consider this behavior as a sign of trust and respect towards education professionals. Engaging all families, getting to know them on a personal level, may help educators understand the child as a whole and address issues of equity in education for Latinx students.

Additional recommendations

Report and analyze accurate data systems: You cannot fix what you cannot measure. In our SPP-TAP work with school districts, we have found that school leaders report systemic data errors at the local and state level. This presents two important challenges. First, inaccurate data systems can lead to school districts that might be incorrectly identified as significant disproportionate when they are not. Alternatively, this could also mean that school districts are not being identified as significantly disproportionate, when in fact, they are. Fixing data errors at the local level and state level is critical, for you cannot fix what you cannot measure. Importantly, the construct of Hispanic/Latinx for disproportionality needs to be deconstructed within local contexts. As mentioned earlier, many English Learners are Latinx, but not all. It might be more instructive to differentiate disproportionality between English Learners and Latinx/Hispanic within school districts. It is important to note that disproportionality for Latinx students exists in both linguistic (ELs who are Latinx) and cultural (Latinx English only students) contexts. One speech pathologist put it this way in terms of English Learners: "The pre-referral intervention, as seen by general education teachers, is special education."

Professional development for general education teachers: they are all our students

Today in California, most general education teachers are expected to work with students with disabilities. Nonetheless, we consistently find that general education teachers report a need for professional development in this area. Importantly, some general education teachers express, in various ways, that "they didn't sign up for this." There is a strong need for professional development for general education on how to serve students from various ability levels. Inclusive frameworks and training for general education teachers, such as Universal Design for Learning and multi-tiered systems of supports, can help address this need. This could be built through schools and institutions of higher education in the training of future teachers.

More than 50 years after the court ruling on the Diana v. State Board of Education case, school districts in California continue to struggle to provide an equitable education for Latinx students and English Learners. Latinx students make up nearly 60 percent of students with disabilities in the state (CDE, 2018). This shows there is a need for all teachers, general education and special education, and service providers to recognize awareness of the cultural differences and impact of language acquisition. This is a fundamental part of the work we all do with all students. The interaction of culture and language differences and disability pose an important challenge to all educators. Improving equity for Latinx students begins with improving the type and quality of data available. Similarly, continuing to invest in professional development building the skills of educators to work with diverse populations is critical in an increasingly diverse state. Finally, improving the data analysis of English Learners and Long-Term English Language Learners can empower educators to respond at early signs of struggle.

Special thanks to Connie Silva and Susan Stewart from SPP-TAP for providing feedback on earlier versions of this article.

Note: Quotes from interviewees have been edited to ensure confidentiality and reflect sentiments across various school systems in California.

California Department of Education, (2020). 2019-20 "At-Risk" and Long-Term English Learners (LTEL) by Grade Statewide Report. Retrieved from: https://dq.cde.ca.gov/dataquest/longtermel/EverElType.aspx?cds=00&agglevel=State&year=2019-20

California Department of Education, (2018). Special Education Enrollment by Ethnicity and Disability Statewide Report. Retrieved from: https://dq.cde.ca.gov/dataquest/SpecEd/SEEnrEthDis1.asp?cChoice=SEEthDis1&cLevel=State&cYear=2018-19&ReptCycle=December

California Department of Education, (2020). 2019-20 "At-Risk" and Long-Term English Learners (LTEL) by Grade Statewide Report. Retrieved from: https://dq.cde.ca.gov/dataquest/longtermel/EverElType.aspx?cds=00&agglevel=State&year=2019-20

Cruz, R. A., & Rodl, J. E. (2018). An Integrative Synthesis of Literature on Disproportionality in Special Education. The Journal of Special Education, 52(1), 50-63. https://doi.org/10.1177/0022466918758707

Sherwood, B, California State University, Los Angeles. Accessed: https://www.slideshare.net/casandoval1/diana-v-state-board-of-education-1970
Paul Luelmo is an assistant professor at San Diego State University. Dustin Bindreiff is an independent education consultant.

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The disproportionality of Latinx students in special education

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The convergence of language, culture and academic ability results in complex possible root causes of disproportionality for Latinx students.

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Rogers EDU 104 Intervention Strategies for  Tier One Master

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Rogers-Theorist Jamboard - Google Jamboard

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The Basic Do's and Dont's of IEP meetings - produced by Julia Clark

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The UDL Guidelines are a tool used in the implementation of Universal Design for Learning, a framework to improve and optimize teaching and learning for all people based on scientific insights into how humans learn. Learn more about the Universal Design for Learning framework from CAST. The UDL Guidelines can be used by educators, curriculum developers, researchers, parents, and anyone else who wants to implement the UDL framework in a learning environment. These guidelines offer a set of concrete suggestions that can be applied to any discipline or domain to ensure that all learners can access and participate in meaningful, challenging learning opportunities.

Reenvisioning the UDL Guidelines

Because the UDL Guidelines are meant to be informed by feedback from the field as well as new research, they have been updated several times in the past. We are in the process of updating the Guidelines once again in our UDL Rising to Equity initiative.

This update will focus specifically on addressing systemic barriers that result in inequitable learning opportunities and outcomes. CAST aims to develop a transparent, inclusive, and community-driven process. If you are interested in collaborating and staying updated on our progress, we invite you to complete a brief survey.

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The UDL Guidelines are a tool used in the implementation of Universal Design for Learning, a framework to improve and optimize teaching and learning for all people based on scientific insights into how humans learn. Learn more about the Universal Design for Learning framework from CAST. The UDL Guidelines can be used by educators, curriculum developers, researchers, parents, and anyone else who wants to implement the UDL framework in a learning environment. These guidelines offer a set of concrete suggestions that can be applied to any discipline or domain to ensure that all learners can access and participate in meaningful, challenging learning opportunities.

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At a glance

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) requires public schools to provide special education services to eligible students.

IDEA covers 13 disability categories.

Not every student who struggles in school qualifies.

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) requires public schools to provide special education and related services to eligible students. But not every child who struggles in school qualifies. To be covered, a child's school performance must be "adversely affected" by a disability in one of the 13 categories below.

1. Specific learning disability (SLD)

The "specific learning disability" (SLD) category covers a specific group of learning challenges. These conditions affect a child's ability to read, write, listen, speak, reason, or do math. Here are some examples of what could fall into this category:

SLD is the most common category under IDEA. In the 2018-19 school year, around 33 percent of students who qualified did so under this category.

2. Other health impairment

The "other health impairment" category covers conditions that limit a child's strength, energy, or alertness. One example is ADHD, which impacts attention and executive function.

3. Autism spectrum disorder (ASD)

ASD is a developmental disability. It involves a wide range of symptoms, but it mainly affects a child's social and communication skills. It can also impact behavior.

Various mental health issues can fall under the "emotional disturbance" category. They may include anxiety disorder, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and depression. (Some of these may also be covered under "other health impairment.")

5. Speech or language impairment

This category covers difficulties with speech or language. A common example is stuttering. Other examples are trouble pronouncing words or making sounds with the voice. It also covers language problems that make it hard for kids to understand words or express themselves.

6. Visual impairment, including blindness

A child who has eyesight problems is considered to have a visual impairment. This category includes both partial sight and blindness. If eyewear can correct a vision problem, then it doesn't qualify.

Kids with a diagnosis of deafness fall under this category. These are kids who can't hear most or all sounds, even with a hearing aid.

The term "hearing impairment" refers to a hearing loss not covered by the definition of deafness. This type of loss can change over time. Being hard of hearing is not the same thing as having trouble with auditory or language processing.

Kids with a diagnosis of deaf-blindness have both severe hearing and vision loss. Their communication and other needs are so unique that programs for just the deaf or blind can't meet them.

10. Orthopedic impairment

An orthopedic impairment is when kids lack function or ability in their bodies. An example is cerebral palsy.

11. Intellectual disability

Kids with this type of disability have below-average intellectual ability. They may also have poor communication, self-care, and social skills. Down syndrome is one example of a condition that involves an intellectual disability.

12. Traumatic brain injury

This is a brain injury caused by an accident or some kind of physical force.

13. Multiple disabilities

A child with multiple disabilities has more than one condition covered by IDEA. Having multiple issues creates educational needs that can't be met in a program designed for any one disability.

Having a disability is not enough to qualify for special education. The disability has to have an "adverse effect" on a child's education.

Key takeaways

Each of the 13 disability categories in IDEA can cover a range of difficulties.

Dyslexia, dyscalculia, and written expression disorder fall under the "specific learning disability" category.

"Other health impairment" can cover ADHD.

About the author

About the author

Andrew M.I. Lee, JD is an editor and attorney who strives to help people understand complex legal, education, and parenting issues.

Reviewed by

Reviewed by

Rayma Griffin, MA, MEd has spent her 40-year career advocating for the rights of children with learning and thinking differences, both in the classroom and as an educator.

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See a list of the 13 IDEA disability categories. Find out which disabilities can qualify kids for special education.

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Teachers Tell Students How Special They Are, Tears Ensue

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Teachers surprise the sources of their inspiration

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Rogers: EDU 104: Introduction to Teach Special Populations: Session 4 2023