Early Childhood Special Education

· Attached Files:

·  Role of the Gen Ed Teacher Scenario.docx (13.49 KB)

Read the attached case scenario and then answer the following questions:

1. What are 3 of the responsibilities Liz should be overseeing and/or implementing herself, instead of allowing Kara, the paraprofessional to assume these responsibilities? Remember that an aide is a support, not an instructional leader. Aides are not certified or trained as teachers, and ultimately, the teacher is the person who is responsible for the student’s success in their classroom. Make sure you are focusing on what Kara is actually doing in the scenario that Liz, as the general education teacher, should be doing instead of Kara engaging in these duties.

2.  Discuss two strategies (instructional or behavioral) Liz can use to assist Seth with being more successful in her classroom. Make sure these are suggestions Liz can do, as the teacher in her classroom, not what other professionals should be doing, and make sure they are classroom suggestions, not other types of suggestions. Be specific here, do not give general suggestions.

Although there are some reasons why a replacement may be advisable for Seth, Liz has not fulfilled her responsibilities for including and accommodating Seth. Liz is not upholding her ethical, professional, or legal responsibilities to Seth or the family and if this scenario were real, no special education team would allow replacement to a more restrictive environment based on the facts in this scenario. They would make suggestions for Liz to implement in her classroom, with the support of the special education teacher and possibly other professionals.

3. If Liz then implements what the special ed team recommends but then still wants to recommend that Seth be placed in a more restrictive setting, what would she need to do and bring to the special ed team to show that her recommendation is valid?

Remember from our readings that bullying is the teacher’s (and school’s) responsibility to solve, that federal law does not allow the impact on other students to be considered as a reason for changing a child’s placement (service delivery model), and that the teacher cannot use the argument that they don’t have time/training/etc to implement appropriate inclusion strategies because teachers should be trained and it is their responsibility to fulfill all their duties (no matter whether or not their teacher ed programs, school systems, states, or schools have provided them with the skills and training! But that is a discussion for another day!)

4. If Liz had engaged in the duties you listed in question 1, implemented the strategies you listed in question 2, and did what was needed in question 3, AND Seth’s behaviors were still as discussed in this scenario, discuss one legal and appropriate reason for Liz to give as to why she is recommending that Seth be placed in a morerestrictive environment. Use the scenario and focus on Seth’s behaviors, both academically and behaviorally. Do not say that Seth is not meeting his IEP goals/objs or is not functioning appropriately in teh classroom. These are not actual reasons for replacement because the team could then just amend his IEP goals and objs (and probably would).

·