Are You Ready for the Special Ed Tsunami of Change?
“The IEP must be reasonably calculated to enable the child to make appropriate progress in light of the child’s circumstances. ”
Have you heard about the Endrew F. vs. Douglas County Supreme Court ruling? Get ready for a tsunami of change coming.
Last week, at the Council for Exceptional Children’s Convention, I attended every session I could find on that topic out of hundreds of offerings. The result? I spent more than 5 hours immersed in expert presentations and discussion on the ruling and implications for practice. This is going to be huge, folks! Are you prepared? Don’t get me wrong! I think these changes will be good. There is a common belief that we need to make some fundamental changes.
Here are the reasons why:
The employment rate for adults with disabilities has not moved. It was 20% in 1980; it’s still about 20% today. How can we change that statistic?
Students with disabilities leave school (with or without a diploma) not knowing how to manage their disabilities and how to advocate for themselves in college and careers, even after years in inclusive settings. How can we help them develop the mindset and habits to successfully navigate adult environments?
Most families are not engaged as partners with school professionals in empowering youth to become successful adults, yet families are critical players in each support network. How can we build stronger alliances?
Educators who enter the field with huge hearts for making a difference are becoming burned out at an alarming rate and leaving the field. How can we change the conditions so educators will enjoy the satisfaction of personal contributions to youth success?
So, how will the Endrew F decision help us?
Here’s my view of the world we will see….
Each IEP will become a living document specifying services and progress monitoring that targets the UNIQUE individual profile of a student with disabilities.
Each IEP will provide all stakeholders (teachers, leaders, counselors, therapists, transition counselors, families, and the student) a specific plan, based on that student’s UNIQUE driving need to enable that student to make PROGRESS [not just receive “some benefit”], determined by his/her own individual circumstances.
Special educators will coordinate SPECIALLY DESIGNED INSTRUCTION, selected from high leverage, evidence and research based practices specifically targeting that student’s UNIQUE driving needs and measured by meaningful data points that make sense to all stakeholders.
General educators and elective subject teachers will have access to information that will clarify UNIQUE needs and supports for students in their classes.
Families, educators, support staff, and community resources will unify in their support of each student to develop his/her ownership and leadership in the learning process resulting in improved postsecondary outcomes.
At CEC, Melinda Burchard presented the IEP Quality Inventory that she developed to help preservice and inservice teachers evaluate their IEPs in light of the new expectations. Check it out!
It won’t be an easy transition to get where we need to go. Many of us will need to learn new ways of thinking, new ways of monitoring, new ways of using resources that have been compiled for us, and new ways of collaborating. Change is never easy. But it will be worth it!
