Valley Provides Varying Levels Of Support To Students With Disabilities
Posted
Meagan Wilks-
Federal law and Indiana law address a student’s right to a Free and Appropriate Public Education in a Least Restrictive Environment, which means that students with disabilities have a right to spend most or all of their time with non-disabled peers. In the Tippecanoe Valley School Corporation, varying levels of support and services are provided to students with disabilities. Inclusion is one of these levels of services. It is a process where students with disabilities are educated within a general education classroom as much as possible. In order for this to occur, collaboration between staff is important. Collaboration between special education teachers and general education teachers is one avenue to meet the standards of FAPE in a LRE for all students. Students with disabilities should be included in a regular education classroom as much as possible, with support provided from special education staff to meet the goals and objectives in Individualized Education Plan. When inclusion occurs in a general education classroom, students with disabilities are given opportunities to learn with their peers with full exposure to the general education curriculum. This model of inclusion benefits all students. The Tippecanoe Valley School Corporation has improved the education for students with disabilities by moving to an inclusive model of instruction. Prior to the 2012-13 school year, with funds from a Special Education Improvement Grant, Tippecanoe Valley Middle School had the excellent opportunity to participate in a training workshop with Dr. Rich Villa. In this training, teachers were given strategies to promote an inclusive and co-teaching approach in their classrooms. Special education teachers and general education teachers participated together in this training and learned how they can work collaboratively to meet the needs of all students. According to Dr. Villa, “Inclusive education is welcoming, valuing, empowering, and supporting the diverse academic and social learning of all students in shared environments and experiences for the purpose of attaining the goals of education.” Instruction at both Akron Elementary School and Mentone Elementary School is also delivered in a way that is both collaborative and inclusive for all students. Special education teachers collaborate with general education teachers in order to provide services for students with disabilities. In some classrooms, co-teaching is also implemented. Students with disabilities are included in the general education classroom and provided differentiated instruction. Special education teachers are active participants in planning for and implementing instruction that takes place in the general education setting. At Tippecanoe Valley High School, special education teachers work collaboratively with general education teachers to promote an inclusive environment for their students. In our life skills classroom, we are on the verge of creating a peer tutoring program, which will include students with and without disabilities working side by side to complete life skill tasks. As we look to the future in the special education department at Tippecanoe Valley School Corporation, I am confident that we will continue to provide appropriate levels of service to students with disabilities. I look forward to continuing our inclusive model of instruction and promoting collaboration between general education and special education teachers to benefit all students in their learning process.
