Special Education

The mission of the SPED Program at CHEC stresses equal access for all, academic success, and life skills

SPED Program Mission Statement

The Special Education Program at CHEC treasures the success of all students in a inclusion setting. All students should have the opportunity to demonstrate their abilities through accessing the general education curriculum with their peers.

The Program strives to ensure that reasonable accommodations, including the selective use of resource instruction, are applied to align with grade level standards and the CHEC pedagogical strategies.

The Program advocates for all students to have a smooth transition to their post-secondary education and employment in the workforce. Thus, a central aspect of our work is to ensure that all students are taught appropriate life, social, and emotional management skills in all phases of their experience at CHEC.

As part of the CHEC professional learning community, the SPED program provides resources to colleagues in the general education departments through a range of modalities.

Special Education Program Core Beliefs

• • Reasonable Accommodations must be adhered to across all content areas’

  • CHEC Special Education students will have full access to the general education curriculum

  • Special Education teachers will be a resource for general education teachers regarding specialized instruction, differentiation, and modifications for our students

  • We strive to teach our students through a variety of modalities to ensure a maximum level of understanding

  • We provide all students with the appropriate tools to manage their social/emotional wellbeing

  • Our ultimate goal is to make students become self-sufficient in their ability to advocate for their individual needs in life.

  • All students should be given the opportunity to exit the program

  • All students will be given an opportunity to enter College or the workforce

  • All students will have the opportunity to participate and explore various post-secondary destinations

  • We strive to increase all students’ participation include clubs outside the sports arena.

SPED services are civil rights protected by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA); compliance is the law

Legal Overview

•  IDEA finds its roots in the Civil Rights struggle and is an evolution in the educational sphere of the Civil Rights Act

  • First issued in 1997

  • Reissued in 2004 to comply with the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB); this revision is referred to as IDEA 2004 and is the most recent version of the law

  • You can read details about IDEA 2004 on the Department of Education website at http://idea.ed.gov/

•  Critical to IDEA is the child’s right, regardless of disability, to receive a Free and Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) in the Least Restrictive Environment (LRE)

  • “Free” means paid for by tax dollars and involves Federal money, too

  • “Appropriate” varies from student to student, depending on the disability; for example, it would not be appropriate for a student with mental retardation (MR) and a cognitive level of a five-year old to be asked to do 12th-grade work

  • LRE refers to the environment that closest resembles the general education environment (this can be achieved with modification) and does not impede student learning (least restrictive)

  • The responsibility of ensuring FAPE in the LRE is that of the LEA, which includes all teachers, both general and special in nature

There are five critical components to ensuring the civil rights of a student with disabilities ranging from ethos to legal compliance

Pillars of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act 2004

To assist all teachers at CHEC in adhering to IDEA 2004 in a full inclusion model, the SPED department offers a range of services

Roles and Responsibilities of Teachers at CHEC

CHEC Special Education/ General Education

Collaborative Mission

Collaborative teaching is designed to assist special education students and others within the regular education classroom setting to be successful academically, emotionally and socially through the cooperative team efforts of the special and general education teachers.

What is Collaborative Teaching?

Collaborative teaching is an interactive style between at least two co-equal parties voluntarily engaged in shared decision making as they work toward a common goal.

PLANNING + DELIVERING + EVALUATING = CO-TEACHING!!

Shared Responsibilities of an In-Class Resource Setting (ICR)

• • Identify concepts for semester/school year

  • Outline lesson and assign joint responsibilities( how direct instruction will be delivered)

  • Cooperatively plan each week and consult daily on student progress.

  • Collaboratively establish and maintain classroom management system.

  • Establish procedure regarding home work , grading, and record keeping.

  • Collaboratively participate in parent contacts.

  • Establish a way to evaluate program and student.

  • Attend Collaborative Teaming Training.

Creative Ways to Create Co-Planning Time

• • Weekly lunch meetings

  • Before or after school meeting

  • Scheduling cooperative learning groups, peer tutoring, or independent student work

  • Strategic video clips

  • In and out boxes for on-going communication

  • Schedule planning during enrichment classes

  • Collaborative planning time on staff development days

  • Release time monthly for planning as perk to co-teaching

  • Breakfast or “Starbucks” meetings

  • Journaling notebook back and forth or Co-planner

  • Email, phone calls, scan documents…use technology to help save time!!!!