Reflection #2 - Alternative Education Programs

Interview for Alternative Education Programs Director

Lynn Price interviewed for a position within the Post Modern Independent School District on September 26, 2010 for the position of Alternative Education Programs Director. As a newly hired candidate, the position's primary responsibility will be to revise the school district's alternative education program. With this in mind, the interview revolved around three integral questions to determine Ms. Price's expertise in the field.

QUESTION #1: What is your definition and vision for an ideal alternative education program?

ANSWER: The definition of an alternative education program in a public school is a program set up to serve students who are less than successful in the traditional school environment and are at risk of academic failure or dropping out of school due to behavioral issues or learning disabilities. The alternative program is designed to foster an educational setting in which these learners will have the opportunity to achieve success through smaller teacher-student ratios, flexible schedules, and differentiated curricula individualized to accommodate learning needs (www.michigan.gov/documents/Def_of_Alt70316_7._Ed.pdf ). My vision for Post Modern ISD is to make revisions to an already acceptable alternative education program and provide guidance to develop a highly effective program for students who have had a "mismatch ... between the [traditional] structure of schools and the cultural, social, and linguistic background of some segments of the student poplulation" (Gable, Bullock, & Evans, 2006, p.6). Implementing a creative approach focused on providing for the individual needs of the students needing such placement with the goal of developing these learners to be prepared for successful autonomous living will replace the previous philosophy of attention primarily to remediation and attempting to correct problems. A high quality program with active, engaging, and relevant academic instruction to proactively appropriate positive student behavior will be the vision and goal consistent with the research that correlates students who are instructed through the use of curriculum that is based on their learning levels and interests and is actively engaging will result in less inappropriate behaviors (Hughes & Adera, 2006).

QUESTION #2: Can you provide an example of how successful alternative education programs

have positively influenced students?

ANSWER: Due to the legal responsibilites of school districts to provide educational access on an equitable basis for all students, a model alternative education program provides for this opportunity to those students who are not succeeding in the regular school setting due to diverse needs preempting their success. Today these schools or programs function to facilitate students in at-risk situations from dropping out of school. Since these students are typically secondary students needing to gain credits that are lacking for graduation or are court-appointed to stay in school, the need to be presented with a quality alternative program to help them overcome previous underachievement is essential (http://www.dropoutprevention.org/effective-strategies/alternative-schooling). An example of one such successful alternative education progam that has positvely influenced students is the Twilight Academy in a large southeastern Pennsylvania urban high school. Many students in this high school were demonstrating a lack of success for various reasons due to academic failure, disruptive behavior, and poor attendance with the rate of students dropping out of school increasing. Enrollment in the Twilight Academy
afforded these students the opportunity to find success through "individualized attention and a focus on skills that would enable these students to be successful in the world" (D'Angelo & Zemanick, 2009, p. 212). In addition to the academic component of the Twilight Academy, it included a work component to prepare students for life in the real world. The guidance counselor was closely involved in this program, and the highly trained teachers were mentors to the working students. Crucial to this program was a small student/teacher proportion. A major goal of the Twilight Academy was to promote positive self-esteem in the students by building confidence and giving the learners the opportunity to be successful. Professional development was key to the teacher preparation with the academy as they focused on relavent, ongoing training for their unique educational positions in the alternative program. An effective curriculum that was comprehensive and developed appropriately to meet the individual needs of the students was supplemented with computer programs for remediation and extension to the curriculum as needed while units of study were tied to authentic learning. The motto in relation to discipline at the Twilight Academy was "give respect to get respect" for the basis of success. Building of relationships came as trust was gained between students and teachers. With the growth of this trust came the academic achievement never imagined possible (Ferris-Berg & Schroeder, 2003 as cited in D'Angelo & Zemanick, 2009). The Twilight Academy began with twelve students hoping to graduate of which eleven succeeded. After enrolling in summer school, the twelfth student also earned her diploma. Out of those twelve, four of the students enrolled in community college. As with the Twilight Academy, it would be my earnest, committed duty to develop such a model program for Post Modern ISD for the success of students who have been less than successful in the past with regular programs.

QUESTION #3: What components and measures do you believe are necessary toward not
only building, but maintaining a best practices model?

ANSWER: While several components constitute an effective alternative education program, it is vital that the program target the social, emotional, and behavioral development of students. The need for attendance at an alternative education facility predicates the "deficits in social competence ... consistently identified as risk factors for substance abuse, mental health issues, delinquency, and low self-concept (Johns et al., 2002 as cited in Hughes & Adera, 2006). If the social and emotional needs of these students are addressed through available counseling services and the building of positive relationships with the teachers in small classroom settings, the learners will be predisposed to building academic skills as well as life skills. Falling under the umbrella component of social/emotional development, the alternative education program will ideally be maintained by ongoing assessment of academic and nonacademic achievement, a curriculum that is flexible with focus on academic functionality related to real world circumstances, strategies for instruction that are documented best practice methods, the element of goals for transition to successful mainstream settings of education and ultimately community life, and appropriate personnel and resources for meeting the needs of learners with disabilities (Gable et al., 2006). Ultimately, the measures for this alternative education program intended to bring Post Modern ISD into the arena of a best practices model include realistic evaluation of the program by looking at what has been successful in the past as well as considering the examples of success from other school districts for possible implementation as appropriate for the population of this school district. It will be important to release measures and procedures that are not effectively correlated to valid research with the intent to replace those with practices that have their basis in empirical evidence. Ongoing evaluation of the Post Modern Alternative Education Program and decisions made based on data collection will result in providing information to identify strengths and weaknesses of this program to help us evolve into a model program. As program director for your alternative education program, I can assure you that I would be tireless in my efforts to nurture development and growth of these components and measures so that teachers and staff would be highly qualified to meet the needs of the learners and their families to remedy their risk for failure (Hughes & Adera, 2006). Your consideration of me for the new director position of Post Modern's alternative education program would be most appreciated. I look forward to answering further questions in the future if needed and hope to have the opportunity to collaborate with the professionals of this school district to foster success for all students.

Reflection #1

Reflection #1

Individuals with Disabilities Education Act

For a child with disabilities, the Education for All Handicapped Children Act (Public Law 94-142), which has evolved to be legislated as the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) 2004 (P.L. 108-446), has provided safeguards for appropriate education for students receiving the services of special education. Education for learners with special needs has significantly improved due to the components of these education laws while providing many benefits for these children and young adolescents. Because of this law, children who have disabilities can be evaluated to determine their eligibility for special education services and related services. Upon placement into the special education program, IDEA directs the considerations which an Individualized Education Program (IEP) team regards in relation to the special education services to meet the law's requirement of serving the students with disabilities in the least restrictive environment. Measures that need to be implemented by educators to adequately accommodate the children with disabilities to have a free appropriate public educationi fulfill the promise of IDEA for meaningful educational value. Finally, IDEA guides administrators when differences between school staff and parents arise to help with resolution of conflicts through mediation and due process of the law.

IDEA's General Components and Significance

Public Law 94-142, the Education for All Handicapped Children's Act of 1975 legislated that a free, appropriate public education be provided for any disabled child anywhere in the United States. The components included that these children had special education and related services tailored to meet their special circumstances, that protection was afforded relative to the children and parents, that all children with disabilities within all states and municipalities had the provision of education, and that the education efforts for these students were evaluated and assured to be effective. With the inception of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEA) of 2004, the components continued to guarantee that all students with disabilities have a free, approrpiate education, but it evolved to include the guiding force of an education in the least restrictive enfironment. Another new component was the expectation that all decisions made regarding special education would include parent participation. The provision that related services for the children with disabilities was allowed if needed. Plans for the transition of students upon the exit of school were included in this amendment, as well as the expectation that unbiased procedures for identification, placement, and evaluation occur along with the guideline of following due process procedures (Bateman, Bright, et.al 2007).

According to the Department of Education's archived article, "A 25 Year History of the IDEA," (http://www2.ed.gov/policy/speced/leg/idea/history.pdf), the significance and benefit for children with disabilities since the enactment of Public Law 94-142 is that special education "services are provided to almost 200,000 eligible infants and toddlers and their families, while nearly six million children and youth receive special education and related services to meet their individual needs." Further significance is credited to IDEA with the provision for children to attend their neighborhood schools. In addition, the rate of high school graduation has improved for students with disabilities as well as the enrollment in higher education and a higher percentage of employment for these students upon exiting school. Of extreme importance is the right of disabled children to be educated as imbedded in the equal protection clause of the U.S. 14th Consitutional Amendment (Mills v. Board of Education of the District of Columbia, 1972).

Eligibility for Special Education Services

The national Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities (NICHCY) outlines the basic process for determining how a child having some type of difficulty is identified as actually having a disability and whether there is a need for special education and related services (http://www.nichcy.org). First, a child is identified with possibly being in the category of needing services offered by special education and related services through a system known as "Child Find" that operates in every state or by a parent or school referral. Upon such a referral, a request for the evaluation of the child is made. After the parent has given consent for this evaluation, sixty days are provided for the evaluation's completion. The actual evaluation of the child must be an assessment of all areas associated with the child's suspicioned disability. Parents have the right to seek an Independent Educational Evaluation (IEE) if they disagree with the school's evaluation, and they can even ask that the school district cover the cost of the additional testing. After all assessments are complete, special education professionals and the parents analyze the test results and together determine if the child is considered as IDEA's definition of a child with a disability which could include learning disabilities, speech/language issues, mental retardation, behavorial or emotional disorders, autism, other health impairments such as attention deficit disorder, multiple disabilities, hearing impariment, orthopedic impairment, visual impairment, traumatic brain injury, deaf-blindness, or deafness (Fish, 2010). Parents may challenge the eligibility decision if they disagree with the committee and may ask for a hearing. When a disability is determined to exist, the child is then eligible to receive special education and related services.

Least Restrictive Environment Placement Decisions

To formulate the specific expectations for the most appropriate education for the child with disabilities, an Individualized Education Program (IEP) team must meet within thirty days after the identification of the child to write the IEP for that child. This meeting must first be scheduled by the school district having contacted needed participants and the parents and informing the parents about information relative to the upcoming meeting. Then at the designated meeting time and place agreeable to the parents and the school, the meeting is held with the writing of the IEP for the child. At this meeting the parents are considered full participating members along with the professional staff. If the parents do not agree and consent to the IEP, they can ask for mediation or have it provided by the school. The other option is for the parents to file a formal consent of the plan to meet their child's needs, services for the child will begin with all educators working with the student and other service providers implementing the IEP specifications including any required accommodations, modifications, and supports. Once in the porgram, the child with disabilities is monitored and assessed on an ongoing basis that is regularly reported to the parents concerning the student's annual goals delineated in the IEP. For the child to remain eligible, the IEP team, including the parents, must review that child's IEP at least once a year with revisions made as needed and a complete reeevaluation of the child must be conducted at least every three years to determine the continued need for special education and related services.

IDEA 2004 directs that the children identified with disabilities requiring services must be served "to the maximum extent appropriate [for] children with disabilities, including those in public or private institutions or other care facilities, [and] are expected to be educated with children without disabilities" (Bateman, 2007). Referred to as the least restrictive environment, states are required to have in place a continuum of alternative placements to provide for the diverse disabilities unique to each child in a manner such that they are educated to the maximum extent possible with children who do not have disabilities. As consideration for appropriate placement is evaluated by the IEP team, it must be determined which setting is best for the child with special needs. The least restrictive environment (LRE) on the far end of the continuum would be the regular classroom, then the resource room, the self-contained classroom, a special day school, a residential school, a hospital school, and the most restrictive as home instruction.

Mainstreaming was the term used to describe the integration of learners with disabilities into the regular classroom in the past, but this term is not used in the law nor is it an accurate description for LRE. Inclusion is the term that best describes the law's intent and refers to the understanding that a child with disabilities will be placed in varying degrees in the general education classroom supported by special educaton and related services until it is determined that the inclusion type is not appropriate for the child's educational benefit. The inclusion must provide the opportunity for the child with disabilities to relate to other children without disabilities as much as is appropriate with regard to the nature and severity of his or her disability (Walsh, Kemerer, & Maniotis, 2005).

Accommodations for Special Education Students

Measures taken by educators to effectively accommodate students who receive special education services are designed to meet the unique needs of these students to help them have success at an appropriate level of education. Instruction is specialized depending on the abilities and functionality of these learners. Adapting the content, methodology, or instructional delivery of instruction through differentiation of the curriculum as outlined in the IEP guides how the special needs of the child with disabilites are accommodated. The accommodations address the different needs of the children's different disabilities. As well, the general education curriculum is made available to the child with disabilties so that he or she can be successful in meeting the educational standards to which all children in the school district are exposed.

When the special educaiton students are provided with appropriate classroom instructional modifications, accommodations, and support, they are likely to have success in the classroom which results in the meeting of IEP student goals and overall student achievement. The accommodations can be in the classroom setting in which the child is placed, the differentiated curriculum in the way lessons are presented, the way the student expectations are adapted, or how student progress is assessed. While the terms modification and accommodation are used interchangeably, a modification generally is a change in instructional delivery or student expectation. An accommodation helps a learner overcome the challenge of his or her disability as in having the opportunity to give oral rather than written answers. By providing accommodations and modifications, the child with disabiliteis is afforded the opportunity to learn.

Mediation and Due Process for Conflict Resolution

The need to resolve possible conflicts regarding parental approval in connection with what is believed to be the most beneficial free, appropriate public educaiton for their child with disabilties was included when the law was written. Incorporated into the legislation were the procedural safeguards and dispute resolution options of IDEA. For less formal attempts at resolution, parents and educators can call an IEP meeting for reviewing and revising goals and guidelines for the child's IEP. Another way to informally resolve a dispute can be attempted with a facilitated IEP meeting which includes an impartial facilitator who is not a member of the IEP team to provide focus for everyone and help insure effective communication while promoting the resolution of differences.

Formal approaches included within IDEA for reaching an agreement between educators and the parents include mediation, filing a complaint, and due process. An impartial third party is specified as a mediator when the mediation process is used to resolve areas of disagreement regarding a child's IEP or placement with special education services. The mediator provides assistance with open and respectful communication guided by the specific guidelines under IDEA that all parties involved in the mediation are there voluntarily, that the mediation does not put off or forfeit the right of due process, that the mediator must be properly trained and qualified and chosen impartially, that the state covers the mediation cost, that the mediation agreement must be recorded in a written document, and that the proceedings must be confidential and cannot be used in due process or civil hearings at a later date.

If mediation is not chosen to resolve conflicts or if mediation results are not satisfactory, parents may choose to file a state complaint with the State Education Agency (SEA) describing the violation related to IDEA and must be signed. The school district will be allowed to resond to the complaint, and then the SEA must resolve the complaint usually within sixty days and explain reasoning behind the final decision.Due Process is another formal means of resolving disputes which gives educators and parents the right to present evidence before a hearing officer who will decide how the dispute should be resolved based on IDEA requirements. A due process complaint which is confidential must be filed first with specific details and information given as defined within IDEA. If the SEA finds that the school system has failed to provide appropriate services, the SEA must address the failure, including corrective action (such as compensatory services or monetary reimbursement), if appropriate to address the needs of the child. All parties must receive a copy of the complaint including the SEA. Within fifteen days, the local education agency (LEA) must conduct a resolution meeting giving the opportunity to resolve the complaint without an actual due process hearing. If the resolution meeting is unsuccessful, a legal due process hearing is convened with a hearing officer presiding ot hear all evidence regarding the dispute and provide a hearing decision. Attorneys may be present to represent involved parties. A final decision must be reached within forty-five days with copies of the decision provided to everyone involved. The LEA is requried to act upon the hearing officer's decision as soon as possible after the final decision unless an appeal is filed (www.nichy.org).

Due to Public Law 94-142 and subsequent IDEA amendments, over one million students with disabilities have been allowed access to a free, approrpiate public education who formerly were denied that right or only provided limited educatonal opportunities. No matter what an individual's capability, the right to play an active role in society should never be denied. "With continued federal-state-local partnerships, the nation will similarly demonstrate that improving educational results for children with disabilities and their families is critical to empowering all citizens to maximize their employment, self-sufficiency, and independence in every state and locality across the country" (http://www.2ed.gov).