Education & Inclusion

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  • Definitions

    EDUCATION DEFINITIONS AND TERMS YOU SHOULD KNOW

    Terms Used in Individual Standardized Tests

    From SchwabLearning.org

    If your child was assessed individually by a specialist, you’ve probably received a written or oral report (or both) of the test results. Are you still confused about what the tests actually measured? Do you wonder what the results mean for your child?

    Common Terminology

    Because different professionals and school districts use various tests, some tests are revised regularly, and new tests often become available, it’s impossible to mention every term you might find in a report. Here are some of the more frequently used terms in assessment reports. They are listed according to the specialist who most likely tested your child.

    Terms Used by Speech and Language Pathologists

    Articulation: the ability to produce speech sounds clearly. Kids with an articulation disorder have difficulty communicating effectively because they distort speech sounds. However, substitution of letter sounds in words is common at certain ages, such as /w/ for /r/ in “rabbit” to get “wabbit.”

    Morphology: changes in words, such as adding prefixes or suffixes, or changing the inflection of words when speaking
    Prefixes and suffixes change words in predictable ways, e.g., when “s” is added to a word, it becomes plural and changes the meaning from one to more than one. Words with a common root share common meanings, e.g., since “talk” means to speak, adding the suffix “ed” to doesn’t change the meaning but defines when the speaking took place. (The suffix “ed” put the action in the past.)

    Oral Language: ability to understand and express spoken language

    Receptive language is listening, remembering, and understanding what someone else says.

    Expressive language is the ability to organize thoughts and express them verbally to convey meaning to others.

    Phonology: speech sounds of the language
    There are 44 phonemes in English, including sounds made by combining more than one letter, such as /th/. A letter can have more than one sound, such as the different sounds “g” has in “go” and “gentle.”

    Pragmatics: social language skills
    Social language involves at least two people. It includes the ability to maintain eye contact, understand body language of others, take turns in a conversation, stick to the subject, and use oral language appropriate for the situation (speaking quietly in church, not telling rude jokes).

    Semantics: word meanings and the relationships between words
    In addition to understanding definitions of words, semantic knowledge includes recognizing words with the same or opposite meaning, e.g., knowing “bucket” and “pail” mean the same or that the opposite of “hot” is “cold.” It includes understanding figures of speech, e.g., knowing “waiting for the other shoe to drop” means waiting for the next related event to happen.

    Syntax: rules for putting words into meaningful sentences
    The ordering of words gives meaning to a sentence, e.g., an adjective comes before the noun it describes — “green grass” rather than “grass green” or a noun and verb change position in a statement and a question — “It is raining,” or “Is it raining?”. Correct grammar also includes agreement in a sentence between subject, what is talked about, and verb, what is happening, e.g.,“The girl went home,” instead of “The girl goed home.”

    Terms Used by General or Special Education Teachers

    Mathematics: number skills
    Math computation is the ability to manipulate numbers to add, subtract, multiply, and divide correctly.
    Math reasoning, or math application, involves the ability to comprehend number, space, and time relationships. It includes understanding word problems in math, as well as the process required to solve them.

    Phonemic Awareness: ability to discriminate the distinct, individual sounds (phonemes) that make words
    This is the ability to focus on and manipulate the sounds in spoken syllables without using letters. Poor phonemic awareness can make it difficult to process spoken language and lead to misunderstanding or misinterpretation of what has been said.

    Phonics: method of teaching the connection between letters and sounds by associating the symbols with sounds
    The child must apply phonic rules when sounding out words and spelling them. For example, generally two vowels written together have a long vowel sound — “When two vowels go walking, the first one does the talking.” So when the letters “ai” are seen together in a word, the “a” says its name — has the long vowel sound. Knowing this rule helps a child read words like “nail” and “main.”

    Reading Comprehension: understanding the meaning of what is read in connected text
    In order to gain meaning from reading, a child needs to understand new vocabulary, follow the progression of a story, and understand the information. A sign of comprehension is the ability to explain or paraphrase what was read.

    Reading Recognition/Decoding: ability to decipher words by using knowledge about letters, sounds, and how to pronounce similar, familiar words
    To correctly sound out the word “dot”, your child sees the word begins with the letter “d” and has the sound /d/, identifies “o” as a vowel with the short sound because it’s the only vowel in the word, and recognizes the word ends with a “t” and makes the sound /t/. Then the child must blend the sounds in the right order to say the word “dot.” For some words that don’t follow rules of phonics — “the,” “you,” “said,” “some,” “very” — a child needs to rely on visual memory.

    Written Language: skills used to communicate with others through writing
    Handwriting includes being able to form letters correctly, maintain appropriate relationships between letter and lines, and space between words.

    Grammar and word usage skills require applying rules of grammar, punctuation, and capitalization and being able to spell words correctly. Proper names and the beginning words of sentences begin with capitals, and sentences end with punctuation marks.
    Written expression is the ability to get thoughts and ideas down on paper in an organized form, using good sentence and paragraph structure. It involves being able to identify main ideas and supporting details and to communicate that information in a clear, engaging way.

    Terms Used by School or Educational Psychologists

    Attention: selective focus on what is important while screening out distractions
    Ability to pay attention permits kids to listen intently to classroom instruction even though others in the class may be talking, feet are shuffling on the floor, or a plane is flying overhead.

    Auditory Processing: given normal hearing, the ability to understand spoken language in a meaningful way
    Auditory processing includes all of these skills: identifying the source of sound, recognizing sounds and discriminating between sounds, sequencing auditory information, storing and recalling auditory information, and functioning in a background of noise.

    Cognition: ability to think, reason, and solve problems
    Cognitive skills usually are measured by an individual test of intelligence, sometimes called an IQ test. Cognition refers to perception, memory, and judgment and involves understanding language, numbers, spatial relationships, and time. It requires being able to generalize from past experience and use that knowledge to respond to new situations.

    Impulsivity: behaving without thinking about possible consequences
    Impulsive children may act or speak without first thinking about how their behavior might make other people react or feel. They don’t consider other ways of behaving before acting.

    Visual Processing: given normal vision, the ability to recognize and interpret information taken in through the eyes
    Skills of visual processing include perceiving the position of objects in space and their relationship to other objects; identifying objects based on their color, form shape, pattern, size and position; picking out a specific object from a group of objects; recognizing an object although part of it may be missing; recognizing the whole object; and identifying the parts of that object.

    The Specialist Knows

    Whenever you have a question about your child’s test results or need a specific term explained, contact the specialist who gave the test. This is the best person to explain the term and what it means about your child’s unique needs. Together, you can identify strategies to help your child succeed.

    About the Author 
    Joyce Destefanis holds a B.A. in Education and M.A. in Education Administration. During her 40 years in education, Joyce developed and managed Early Childhood special education programs. She specialized in services for children requiring early intervention. Read more articles by Joyce Destefanis

    A Translation Guide to Education Jargon 
    by Claudette Riley And Diane Long, The Tennessean, October 26, 2003
    For more articles like this visit http://www.bridges4kids.org.

    Here’s a sentence somebody might say these days in a school near you:

    “Now that we have to disaggregate scores on a CRT, I don’t see how Title I kids are going to make AYP.”

    If you understood that, face it: You’re a hopeless education nerd. But parents and other people interested in schools need to recognize some of the jargon common in a discussion about the No Child Left Behind education law. Here’s a translation guide:

    NCLB – That’s shorthand for No Child Left Behind, the federal law that requires 100% of students to be proficient in reading and math by 2013-14. Add a few vowels and you can hear why the real insiders call it “nickel-be.”

    AYP – Adequate yearly progress. NCLB requires schools to reach a series of test-score benchmarks along the nine-year path to 100% proficiency. Miss the mark and the school doesn’t make AYP.

    Proficient – Every state must set a standard for the reading and math performance of its students. Students who meet or exceed that standard are considered proficient, which helps the school meet AYP.

    Disaggregate – Schools can no longer report a single average test score for the entire school. Under NCLB, the scores must be disaggregated, or separated, for eight subgroups to show whether each made AYP.

    Title I – The biggest chunk of NCLB is Title I, the section concerning students from low-income families. Other titles in the law deal with immigrant students, parental choice, technology and highly qualified teachers.

    Highly qualified – Under NCLB, teachers must meet new requirements to teach in a public school after 2005-06. If they do, they’re considered highly qualified. There’s a companion set of expectations for teacher aides.

    NRT – Norm-referenced test. Under its old plan, Tennessee used an NRT to show how well the state’s students performed when compared with their peers across the country.

    CRT – Criterion-referenced test. NCLB requires a CRT to show whether an individual student is considered proficient when measured against the state’s academic standards in each subject.

    Accommodation – States are allowed to give some students extra help on the CRT. Such accommodations include more time to take the test or a simplified-language version for special education students or students who are learning English.

    Safe harbor – Schools that don’t reach some of the NCLB benchmarks can still make AYP if they make enough progress in improving test scores.

    EE – Exemplary Educators are Tennessee’s front-line offense for schools struggling under the rules of NCLB. The veteran teachers are trained and assigned to schools that need help.

    Recommended Reading

    From Emotions to Advocacy: The Special Education Survival Guide
    by Pam & Pete Wright Features additional education glossaries Special Education and Legal Terms, and glossary of assessment terms. ISBN # 1 –892320-08-8 order on line at www.wrightslaw.com

  • IDEA

    IDEA

    What is IDEA besides yet another acronym we have to learn? It’s the most important piece of education legislation to benefit people with disabilities ever written. IDEA is the “Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.” IDEA provides for a “free and appropriate education” to all persons with disabilities. This legislation is the basis by which we determine what the educational system must do, may do, and does not have to do when it comes to educating our children. Learning what IDEA says about what kind of education your child is entitled to and what related services are included in that education is critical in making sure your IEP goals are correct. Learning to use the language of IDEA is critical in making sure you can even get the goals in the IEP in the first place. This page will give you information on not only the actual text of IDEA, but articles by IDEA experts and additional web links to help you on your quest for a “free and appropriate education” for your child.

    Links:
    Idea Reauthorization News
    Wrightslaw FAQs about IDEA
    Student Discipline and IDEA (pdf)
    US Commission on Civil Rights Briefing on Reauthorization of IDEA
    IDEA Requirements: Least Restrictive Environments

    Recommended Reading:

    Wrightslaw: From Emotions to Advocacy—The Special Education Survival Guide
    A practical “survival guide” designed to teach you how to advocate for children with disabilities. Learn about obstacles, common reasons for parent-school conflict, and how to manage a crisis. Learn advocacy skills – how to organize, plan, present, and prepare. Learn how to organize the child’s file, write SMART IEP goals and objectives, and measure progress objectively. Learn to create paper trails, write persuasive letters, and maintain control in school meetings. Includes worksheets, forms, sample letters; appendices; bibliography; index. To order go to www.wrightslaw.com

    Wrightslaw: Special Education Law
    . Designed to answer questions about special education law, Wrightslaw: Special Education Law includes the full text of the Individuals with Disabilities Act, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, FERPA, implementing regulations, and special education decisions by the U. S. Supreme Court. To order go to www.wrightslaw.com

  • IEP's

    IEPs

    What is an IEP?

    IEP stands for Individual Education Plan and it is the framework or “map” of your child’s immediate educational future. It is a plan that is devised by the IEP team. That team includes any and all professionals, teachers, experts and most of all you.

    Your child’s IEP is probably the most important document that’s written about him or her over the course of his or her years in school. Evaluations and tests are only snapshots of what your child did or didn’t do in the few minutes they saw the evaluator. But the IEP is the plan that’s formed based on the testing, evaluations and input from the IEP team. It is the “in writing” statement about what your child needs, what his goals are and how the educational team will help him or her reach those goals.

    With that in mind, we have prepared many links and information that will help you understand the IEP process. Our links button will also bring you to more specific information on the web to help you in your quest for an appropriate education for your child.

    Links:
    Writing IEPs for Success
    IEP Information and Resources
    Your Child’s IEP: Practical and Legal Guidance for Parents 
    Writing Good IEP Goals and objectives
    Creating Useful IEPs
    Understanding the IEP Process
    Legal Requirements for the Transition Component of IEPs
    Accommodations and Modifications in IEPs
    Art and the IEP

    Recommended Reading

    Better IEPS: How to Develop Legally Correct and Educationally Useful Programs
    by Barbara D. Bateman and Mary Anne Linden
    Better IEPs presents a powerful, three-step IEP process that focuses on the individual student and avoids the all too common routinized approach to program development. This “how-to” guide will empower IEP teams to plan for and provide an appropriate education. ISBN: 1-57035-164-3

    Wrightslaw: From Emotions to Advocacy—The Special Education Survival Guide 
    A practical “survival guide” designed to teach you how to advocate for children with disabilities. Learn about obstacles, common reasons for parent-school conflict, and how to manage a crisis. Learn advocacy skills – how to organize, plan, present, and prepare. Learn how to organize the child’s file, write SMART IEP goals and objectives, and measure progress objectively. Learn to create paper trails, write persuasive letters, and maintain control in school meetings. Includes worksheets, forms, sample letters; appendices; bibliography; index. To order go to wrightslaw

    Wrightslaw: Special Education Law
    . Designed to answer questions about special education law, Wrightslaw: Special Education Law includes the full text of the Individuals with Disabilities Act, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, FERPA, implementing regulations, and special education decisions by the U. S. Supreme Court. To order go to wrightslaw

    Coming Soon: Wrightslaw Smart IEPs
    This book will teach you how to use present levels of performance to write SMART IEP goals and objectives, how SMART IEPs measure progress, how to include modifications and accommodations, assistive technology, and transition plans, and how to write SMART IEPs that comply with the law.

  • IFSP's

    What is an IFSP?

    IFSP stands for Individual Family Service Plan. Every child ages 0-3 in early intervention programs has an IFSP created to plan the goals of the family for that child and the ways those goals will be met.
    According to ERIC Clearinghouse on Disabilities and Gifted Education, “The IFSP is the vehicle through which effective early intervention is implemented in accordance with Part C of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). It contains information about the services necessary to facilitate a child’s development and enhance the family’s capacity to facilitate the child’s development. Through the IFSP process, family members and service providers work as a team to plan, implement, and evaluate services tailored to the family’s unique concerns, priorities, and resources.” http://ericec.org/digests/e605.html
    Please check back with us regularly for more information on IFSPs.

  • INCLUSION

    INCLUSION

    “What does inclusion mean?” “How does inclusion differ from mainstreaming in the school setting?” “When is my child entitled to inclusion and when is he not entitled to it at school?” “How can I help my child be included in the community—at church, in sporting events, dance classes, and at work.” And the big question, “Do I really want my child included at school?” These are questions we all have or will encounter at one time or another and you may be encountering them now. Inclusion is a generally acknowledged–but not generally implemented–practice of including people with disabilities in all areas of the community.

    In the school setting inclusion means including children with disabilities in regular classrooms. That doesn’t sound like such a big deal, but it is both to the teacher and to the child who will learn better by learning from peers who successfully do what he struggles to accomplish.

    In the workplace, it means hiring people with disabilities to do the jobs that previously went to “typical” people. Workplace inclusion is becoming more and more evident as we go from area to area of our own community and see more disabled people at the corner store, in the library, and working in offices. Inclusion in the workplace is important not only to the employer who finds dedicated employees but also to the person who is seeking employment because it gives them the independence they need to live their own lives instead of the life drawn out for them by others.

    Every parent wants to find their child’s most successful environment and some feel that does not include “inclusion.” However, if inclusion is a goal you seek for your child, this page can help. Here you’ll read what the experts on inclusion have to say, tips on how to achieve inclusion for your child and what parents who work for inclusion in the schools and community think about it.

    Articles:

    DSAGNO News: Inclusion is Everyone’s Responsibility
    Tips on Including People with Down Syndrome
    Nationwide Study Finds Inclusive Education Rewarding for All Involved

    Links:
    Inclusion Press
    Center on Disability & Community Inclusion
    Inclusive Education Resources
    Parents for Inclusion
    Inclusion Research Institute
    The Karen Gaffney Foundation
    National Center for Educational Statistics
    Including Your Child, April 1997

    Recommended Reading:

    Delicate Threads: Friendships between Children with and without Special Needs in Inclusive Settings
    by Debbie Staub
    1999 Parents’ Choice Award
    How do friendships between children with and without disabilities develop? How do they compare to friendships between typically developing children? What happens to these friendships over time? Does inclusion work? Staub answers these questions through careful observations of friendships between seven pairs of children—each including a child with a moderate to severe disability—who are classmates in an inclusive elementary school. By comparing her observations to current theories of childhood friendship, the author helps us to understand the value of relationships between a “typical” child and one with moderate to severe disabilities. She also provides practical suggestions to help teachers and parents foster and maintain friendships in inclusive settings. This thought-provoking book provides important, real-life evidence about the merits of inclusion and can help guide educators and parents of all children into the future. $16.95 isbn# 0-933149-90-5 WoodbineHouse

    All Kinds of Friends, Even Green!
    Written and Photographed by Ellen B. Senisi
    2003 Skipping Stones Honor Award
    What’s green, spiky, and is missing toes? It’s Zaki, the iguana, and she is Moses’s friend! In school, Moses, and the rest of his class are given the assignment of choosing a friend to write about. As he wonders which person to choose, he thinks of his circle of friends and what they share together. More than just a story about friendship, All Kinds of Friends, Even Green! looks at difference—such as being in a wheelchair or missing toes—in a unique way. With this beautifully photographed and engaging story, children discover that living with disability and facing its challenges can be seen as interesting, even positive. With an Afterword about disabilities, Moses, and iguanas, the story provides material for discussing inclusion at school and home. $14.95 isbn# 1-890627-35-6 WoodbineHouse

    Also, Brookes Publishing offers a host of titles on Inclusion, many for teachers and parents on such topics as Inclusion 101, Community inclusion and pre-school and secondary school inclusion. Visit Brookes Publishing at brookes publishing for a complete list.

  • NCLB

    NCLB

    Links:

    U.S. Department of Education NCLB
    U.S. Department of Education NCLB Overview and Introduction
    U.S. Department of Education NCLB Parent’s Guide (Adobe acrobat)
    U.S. Department of Education NCLB Desktop Reference (Adobe acrobat)
    U.S. Department of Education NCLB Teacher’s Toolkit (Adobe acrobat)
    Our Children Left Behind
    Wrightslaw.com NCLB
    Four Great Definitions about Reading in NCLB
    NCLB: How Will Children be Tested?
    NCLB Parent’s Guide

    Recommended Reading:

    Wrightslaw: No Child Left Behind with NCLB Cdrom Wrightslaw
    No Child Left Behind includes: Full text of the No Child Left Behind Act, Analysis, Interpretation & Commentary, Advocacy Strategies, Tips & Sample Letters, No Child Left Behind CD-ROM of Publications & Resources. Learn what the law says about: Scientifically Based Reading Instruction, Proficiency Testing in Reading, Math, Science, Free Tutoring, Summer School, After-School Programs. Transfers from Failing Schools and School Choice, New Qualifications for Teachers and Paraprofessionals, Bonus Pay, Stipends, Scholarships for Teachers and Principals, Teacher Liability Protection Bonus! The Wrightslaw: No Child Left Behind CD-ROM includes the full text of the NCLB statute, regulations, and dozens of references and resources. $29.95 order on line at www.wrightslaw.com

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  • RECORD KEEPING

    RECORD KEEPING

    Keeping accurate records is critical when dealing with any governmental agency. Unfortunately when faced with the day-to-day “to do” list of life, many times even the most organized of us find ourselves swimming in boxes of papers every time we need a document. Check out the articles on this page to help you get organized and stay organized so you’re not still “swimming” for that letter from the speech therapist at midnight before your IEP!

    Links:
    Parent Advocacy: Letters, Documents & Paper Trails
    Learning the Rules of the Game
    The File: Do It Right
    The Paperchase: Managing Your Child’s Documents Under IDEA

    Recommended Reading

    Wrightslaw: From Emotions to Advocacy—The Special Education Survival Guide
    A practical “survival guide” designed to teach you how to advocate for children with disabilities. Learn about obstacles, common reasons for parent-school conflict, and how to manage a crisis. Learn advocacy skills – how to organize, plan, present, and prepare. Learn how to organize the child’s file, write SMART IEP goals and objectives, and measure progress objectively. Learn to create paper trails, write persuasive letters, and maintain control in school meetings. Includes worksheets, forms, sample letters; appendices; bibliography; index. To order go towww.wrightslaw.com

    Wrightslaw: Special Education Law
    Designed to answer questions about special education law, Wrightslaw: Special Education Law includes the full text of the Individuals with Disabilities Act, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, FERPA, implementing regulations, and special education decisions by the U. S. Supreme Court. To order go to www.wrightslaw.com

  • TESTING AND EVALUATIONS

    TESTING AND EVALUATIONS

    What does testing my child entail? Can my child receive special accommodations when he’s tested, such as having the test read to him instead of reading it himself? What do they mean when they say Johnny is in the 5th percentile in reading?  Evaluations and testing can be very confusing if you don’t know the language and the language appears to be from another planet altogether when you first hear it. But it’s not that hard and a few simple things to remember will help you crack the code. Click on the links on this page to find the “Rosetta Stone” of evaluations…the Bell Curve, and so much more.

    Links:
    Understanding the Bell Curve
    What you should know about evaluations
    Evaluations, Assessments and Tests
    Testing Myths and Realities
    Tests and Measurements Guide
    Understanding Tests and Measurements for the Parent and Advocate
    Advocacy on Testing Issues

    Recommended Reading

    Wrightslaw: From Emotions to Advocacy—The Special Education Survival Guide 
    A practical “survival guide” designed to teach you how to advocate for children with disabilities. Learn about obstacles, common reasons for parent-school conflict, and how to manage a crisis. Learn advocacy skills – how to organize, plan, present, and prepare. Learn how to organize the child’s file, write SMART IEP goals and objectives, and measure progress objectively. Learn to create paper trails, write persuasive letters, and maintain control in school meetings. Includes worksheets, forms, sample letters; appendices; bibliography; index. To order go towww.wrightslaw.com

    Wrightslaw: Special Education Law
    Designed to answer questions about special education law, Wrightslaw: Special Education Law includes the full text of the Individuals with Disabilities Act, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, FERPA, implementing regulations, and special education decisions by the U. S. Supreme Court. To order go to www.wrightslaw.com