The Struggle for Equal Education, Research Paper Example

Abstract

There are various methods in which schools and families with visually impaired children, teachers and visually impaired students, special education and general education teachers, as well as special education teachers and school staff communicates. Furthermore, the ways and methods in which these people communicate and interact is vital in understanding how the special education system works and how it can be improved; their cooperation with one another can greatly affect how a child with learning disabilities and/or visual impairment is educated.

Introduction

Education is spoken of today, in our society, as a given right; education is viewed as something everyone has a right to, and in which everyone has the equal opportunity to gain and achieve. However, without the necessary communication that must take place between various teachers, school staff, parents, and children there is little hope for the chance for equal education for the handicapped. Equal education, like other rights, sometimes needs to be fought for. The well-known enactment known as the Individuals with Disabilities Act, also commonly known as IDEA, provides children with learning impairments a guaranteed “free and appropriate” education, as well as additional services from birth until they graduate from high school, but this could not work properly without communication (Special Education and Learning Disabilities 2010). There are various methods in which schools and families with visually impaired children, teachers and visually impaired students, special and general education instructors, as well as special education teachers and school staff communicates. Furthermore, the ways and methods in which these people communicate and interact is vital in understanding how the special education system works and how it can be improved; their cooperation with one another can greatly affect how a child with learning disabilities and/or visual impairment is educated.

First it is necessary to understand what is defined as a child with disabilities in order to fully understand what and who certain laws apply to. As stated by the Special Education and Learning Disabilities (2010) article, a child with the following conditions is considered disabled:

“with mental retardation, hearing impairments [including deafness], speech or language impairments, visual impairments [including blindness], serious emotional disturbance (referred to in this title as “emotional disturbance”), orthopedic impairments, autism, traumatic brain injury, other health impairments, or specific learning disability; and who, by reason thereof, needs special education and related services.”

Additionally, “A learning disability is a general term that describes specific kinds of learning problems. A learning disability can cause a person to have trouble learning and using certain skills. The skills most often affected are: reading, writing, listening, speaking, reasoning, and math skills.” Clearly there is a large range of what can be diagnosed and considered to be disabled and in need of special education services, which can prove to be both a positive and a negative when it comes to education. On the positive side this large definition allows for all those who truly need extra help and accommodations to receive such. However, it also can prove to be overwhelming in numbers for teachers, who simply cannot handle everything on their own. With proper cooperation amongst those in the school system, and the parents as well, special education instructors can better manage the seemingly poignant work. Special education teachers need the assistance of school staff and general education schoolteachers, for those students who are taking mainstream classes in addition to special education classes, in order to fully accomplish their job. Education is not just the work of the schools and teachers; parents must also be actively involved the cooperation and communication. With numbers of disabled and handicapped students rising, it takes more than simply the teachers to accommodate; it takes the combined effort of the teachers, parents, school faculty, as well as the students’ efforts.

Schools and families of students with disabilities especially visually impaired students

Furthermore, it needs to be understood that the way in which schools communicate with the families of special education students, particularly visually impaired children, makes a tremendous difference in the knowledge the parents have of their rights as well as their child’s rights and benefits. Some of the schools’ methods of communicating may vary, but nevertheless they all have the same goal: to provide the help and the necessary information required per student to the child and their families. The key tool schools use to communicate with parents is the Individualized Education Program, also commonly known as IEP, which can be thought of as the guide for the various and numerous benefits that will be provided for the disabled child by the school system. The IEP is an incredibly important tool in terms of communication between the special education staff and the parents; the IEP allows for the parents to have an opportunity to take part in understanding their child’s educational needs, goals, and how they can be accomplished. The IEP is an irreplaceable tool in the special education system, particularly because it is designed to personalize and cater to each individual student’s needs and goals.

The Your Child’s Individualized Educational Program (n.d.) stated the following:

“All the steps of the IEP process, the principles behind it, the individuals involved in writing it, and its required components are laid out in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), the federal law that governs special education. If a child receives services as an infant or toddler, the document that sets out the services she will receive is called the Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP). The IEP is written by a group of people who make up a child’s educational team, of which the parent is an in important member. “

Moreover, the IEP provides current, up-to-date information and descriptions as to how the child is currently doing in their education. Additionally the IEP creates individualized measurable annual goals which the team members, including the parents, view as priorities for the child’s educational needs. Furthermore, the IEP program provides information related services, and supplementary aids that would help in guiding the child in completing the educational goals previously set. An example of a supplementary need is for those visually impaired students that wish to participate in sports such as track, which they would otherwise be unable to do so.

Likewise, not only does this kind of method provide parents with up-to-date information based on the child’s needs and development, but it also provides a sense of comfort for the families of disabled children and allows for the parents to keep in mind what they themselves can do to help their child at home. The IEP helps give parents realistic goals, and the tools to help reach those goals, making the parents feel more in control. The parents could go from feeling vulnerable, confused, and even helpless to feeling more stable and capable after an IEP meeting where their child was individually discussed and needs talked about.

Lavoie (2008) claims that effective communication between the special education schoolteachers and parents is still relatively new, in the past “no news was good news,” meaning that teachers only sought out to converse with parents if their child was struggling. Once the disabled child would reach high school in particular, any communication between the teachers and the parents would become virtually nonexistent; today communication is not only desired, but demanded by parents. Furthermore, the National Association of School Psychologists discovered that, “effective home and school communication can lead to the following: improved test scores, improved grades, more positive student attitudes, fewer special education referrals, lower dropout rates, less high-risk behavior, higher staff morale, and improved parental opinion of and regard for the school,” to name just a few. Overall teacher and parent communication is becoming easier and more common, but even today there are still struggles for allowing parents to become equal participants in the special education process. Howey (2012) says, “IDEA requires schools to give parents an opportunity to participate in the IEP process and to consider the parents’ input. There is no requirement that parents be an equal decision-maker nor is there any standard to determine the quantity or quality or participation.” There is a key difference between the parents having a right to be an equal participant, not an equal decision-maker. While most parents may not see this as a problem, others feel it is a violation of their rights. After all, shouldn’t the parent have the final say in decisions that regard their own child? Conversely, it is arguable that the specialists, namely the schools and their team members, are better equipped in terms of knowledge to deal with the important education decision for their students; this debate is still being argued over today, though thus far the laws seem to side with the schools, but the parents are always able to file complaints or repeals. However, a parent may not do so if they lack the knowledge that they have a right to do this.

It is extremely important that parents take the time, not only to ask questions, but to do their own research into their rights as parents of a disabled child, and what certain terms mean. If parents lack the knowledge of their own rights then they cannot fully communicate, ask the appropriate and necessary questions, nor fully participate in their child’s future. Additionally when dealing with special education there are various terms that are used which can be confusing, and therefore frustrating, to the unknowing parent. For proper communication with special education teachers and IEP team members, the parent must extend their own knowledge on their own time if they do not wish to be left out of the conversation. The following are a few terms and services parents should know to name just a few: individualized family service plan (IFSP), behavior intervention plan (BIP), community advisory committee (CAC), complainant procedure, cumulative file, due process, free appropriate public education (FAPE), and mainstreaming, among others. This allows for the best communication available which in turn leads to the best guidance for the child. Though to parents it may seem trivial, and unnecessary at times, it is crucial that the parents take an active stance in their child’s future if they wish for their child to succeed; while teachers certainly care about their students, they do have many of them and therefore it is possible for things to be overlooked. Only the parent has their attention focused solely on their child alone, and with their active participation, it is less likely for things to be missed or overlooked when regarding their child.

Parents should always feel a sense of close contact with their child’s teacher(s). One way parents and teachers could communicate daily would be as simple as a notebook that the teachers and parents check and sign everyday to update one another on anything regarding their child/student. This may seem too simple, perhaps even childish, but if it works than nothing should ever be considered too simple or too childish. Emailing should also always be an available option for parents to interact with the teachers, and for teachers to interact with other teachers; weekly or monthly online chat groups would be an excellent option for those who wish a more direct form of contact. Educational fairs could be thrown at the children’s schools where the teachers could provide free information and answer any questions parents may have.

Furthermore, there are numerous available programs and partnerships that can be looked into, such as autism societies, Harbor Regional Center, mentoring programs, and others. There are numerous books such as, even ones for those children that are in the transition stage in their life and seeking independence. Often times, free information is available to those who seek it out. Parents and children should never be left feeling like there isn’t even help, support, and information available to them at any time. Websites such as ed.gov (U.S. Department of Education) provides various free information and resources for any type of disability. Some examples include the National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities, which includes many topics ranging from various disabilities, age groups, and it also provides other language options; The Families and Advocates Partnership, which aims to improve outcomes for children with disabilities; NCDB & State Deaf-Blind Technical Assistance Network; MPACT and numerous others.There is a wealth of information and resources out there for parents. Other creative ways for communication can be created by the parents themselves, such as creating parental support groups with other parents that are in their child’s class. With today’s technology parents can even blog, or read blogs and articles, that relates to their child’s disabilities. Communication, with today’s technologies, is easier than ever before.

However there are other various types of ways that communication can become askew between parents and teachers; parents of children could be disabled themselves, or perhaps speak another language. Having services provided for disabled parents, such as if they were blind, would not be difficult. Ideally the parent could be provided with recording technology that allows them to record all discussions for future references, as well as having braille notes and paperwork. Additionally, having translators or a form of technology, such as a translating device, can be of great use when trying to communicate with those parents whose primary language is different. Thankfully a secretary is always provided so that all conversations regarding the child, such as at IEP meetings, are recorded and all parents automatically receive a written copy of the transactions that take place. Parents should also consider that there are various advocates and lawyers that specialize in disabled cases; parents are not alone when communicating with the schools. There are numerous ways to aid in communication between the schools and parents that are free of charge and therefore very available to parents of any situation.

Teachers and students who are visually impaired

On another note, the way teachers communicate with visually impaired students, since it is on more of a daily and personal basis, they must learn special techniques in order to help the child develop properly. Teachers must struggle with maintaining a balance of helping the child, yet not allowing the child to become excessively dependent on them. There are several recommended communication strategies that which teachers may use to help the visually impaired child reach their full potential. Several examples are given from Toddler Programs (n.d.) and include: when greeting or talking to the child to identity oneself by name, and gently touching their arm or shoulder to indicate they are being spoken too; always addressing everyone by name so the child knows when they are being spoken to or when the attention is on someone else; warning the child before doing anything to them or for them, this way they can mentally prepare themselves; as well, verbally identifying new or sudden sounds for the child. By keeping in mind that the child does not and cannot rely on their sight, teachers must adapt themselves to new means of communication. Our species greatly relies on sight, and many of our actions, mannerisms, and phrases are sight-based. For example, the phrase “see you later,” refers to sight, and therefore should be avoided when speaking to those who are visually impaired. Additionally, the gesture of a handshake relies of the concept of one seeing the outstretched hand; a visually impaired child will not see the outstretched hand, and may in fact, not even be aware of the mannerism if they were born blind and if it had not been described to them as an appropriate greeting. Teachers must be sensitive to the child’s needs and therefore learn these appropriate methods of communicating in order for the child to be comfortable. The way that teachers communicate with their students can greatly affect how the child responds to the curriculum and therefore how well they face the challenge that is education. If the child is unprepared to deal with the world around them, or the education being given to them, due to poor communication on either the teacher or parent’s part, then the child’s future suffers.

Special education teachers and general education teachers

Similarly, general advisors and special educators face a challenge when working together to give the special needs child the best and most complete education possible. However, Sharpe (2003) states that, “Even though a number of effective collaboration strategies have been developed over the last decade, current research suggests that general educators are still more likely to interact collaboratively with other general educators than with special education staff (McGregor et al. 1998; Prom, 1999).” Additionally Sharpe (2003) remarks that, “now many general education teachers feel they are being called upon to teach students with an increasingly diverse range of educational needs, and do not feel they are prepared to undertake this responsibility,” particularly in such a large quantity. Shaper also claims that, “although, there are many ideas in which to promote collaborative relationships between general and special education personnel, the real problem is how to provide them with the opportunity to apply newly learned strategies in the classroom setting.”

Sharpe (2003) also notes that:

“In recognition of the necessary prerequisites for effective collaboration, researchers at the Institute on Community Integration, University of Minnesota, and staff of the Minnesota Department of Children, Families and Learning, Division of Special Education, have designed a training model that provides general and special education personnel with the collaborative planning and instructional skills necessary to meet the needs of students with disabilities within the context of high standards and educational reform. “

Sharpe also makes note that, “this model, Collaboration: Access to the General Education Curriculum (or, more simply, “Applied Collaboration”) represents a compilation of collaborative and instructional strategies that general and special educators can apply in the general education classroom; additionally the Applied Collaboration model represents one specific approach with a clear focus on the applied aspects of teacher collaboration.” For those students that are taking mainstream courses alongside their special needs courses, having general education teachers that are capable of handling and teaching them is a necessity. Without the ability to teach special needs children, general education schoolteachers would not only feel lost and confused, but the child’s overall education would suffer for it. Therefore the cooperation between the general lecturers and special education professors will ideally be a strong and reliable one.

To further increase communication, special and general education instructors could create group meetings, such as online chat groups, that allow them to keep in touch with each other about their students; this form of communication could be very useful, particularly because with today’s technology they could work together from the comfort of their own homes. Additionally, if using online chat groups the discussion would not only be instantaneous, but it would be saved easily for future reference; using this form of communication would also allow for teachers of all schedules to still be able to keep up with the conversation.

Special education teachers and school staff

Meanwhile, the methods in which special education schoolteachers and school staff communicate are the glue which holds much of the overall communication together; effective communication is the cornerstone of a functioning team. Effective Communication (n.d.) states that interactive skills, establishing feedback and/or a response system, and establishing common vocabulary are some key ways to effective communication in schools. It is far too easy for misunderstandings and miscommunications to occur, and it is both the teachers and the faculty’s duty to do the best they can to avoid or quickly fix such occurrences. If there were to be a lack of cooperation between school staff and special education schoolteachers, very little would manage to be accomplished; the other communications, such as the teachers and the parents, would be far less effective. It may take time for a proper and effective method of communication and negotiation to take place, but as long as both sides care about what is best for the child then the means will come.

Teachers and school staff could interact by having assigned group meetings, email contact, to even instant messaging contact. Furthermore, group meetings should’t feel like a chore, something as simple as making the meeting into a potluck meal could easily lighten the mood and provide a better atmosphere for effective communication. Surveys and suggestion boxes would be simple tools that would allow for both teachers and staff alike to make suggestions they feel could help improve their system.

Conclusion

In conclusion, special education rights have come a long way and are still progressing and improving today, and it goes unstated that interactive correspondence is of the utmost importance in a child’s education, and even more so in a visually impaired or special needs child. While it may take extra effort to accommodate for special needs children, it is well worth the effort. Effective communication is invaluable and irreplaceable when it comes to the success of a child’s educational goals, and is proven to be effective in giving the child the best educational experience possible, as well as a brighter future. It takes the cooperation between many people and advocates in order to accomplish what is needed for the sake of the child’s future. The cooperation between the teachers and the parents, the teachers and the students, the special education teachers and the general education teachers, as well as the special education teachers and the school staff are what allows for hope that all students are given the chance for an equal opportunity education. There are numerous creative ways that can be used to aid in communication; using today’s technology and devices communication should not feel stunted. Something that would allow for communication between parents, special education teachers, general education teachers, and school staff would simple to create; schools can and should create email systems that allow for everyone to communicate and contact anyone else at any time, this way parents could email their child teachers, and teachers could message other teachers easily. One day, ideally, schools may even be able to provide each teacher, child, and staff member with laptops or iPads that would allow for instant communication and ease work loads. With proper communication the child, parents, the schools, and in turn our society benefits; it takes the effort of all parties to create equal opportunity of education for all.

References

A Brief History of IDEA. (2007, September 07). Issues & Controversies On File. Retrieved April 26, 2012, from Issues & Controversies database.

Effective Communication with Students, Teachers, and Other Professionals. (n.d.). Project PARA Homepage. Retrieved April 26, 2012, from http://para.unl.edu/legacy/Communication/lesson4.php

Howey, P. (2012, April 23). The Wrightslaw Way. Sad, But True. Decision-maker v. Equal Participant. Retrieved April 26, 2012, from http://www.wrightslaw.com/blog/?p=7019

Key Events in the History of Special Education. (2007, September 07). Issues & Controversies On File. Retrieved April 26, 2012, from Issues & Controversies database.

Lavoie, R. (2008). The Teacher’s Role in Home/School Communication: Everybody Wins. LD Online: The World’s Leading Website on Learning Disabilities and ADHD. Retrieved April 26, 2012, from http://www.ldonline.org/article/28021/

Learning Disabilities. (2003, April 04). Issues & Controversies On File. Retrieved April 26, 2012, from Issues & Controversies database.

Sharpe, M. M., & Hawkes, M. E. (2003, July). Collaboration Between General and Special Education: Making it Work. Publication of the National Center on Secondary Education and Transition. Retrieved April 25, 2012, from http://www.ncset.org/publications/viewdesc.asp?id=1097

Special Education and Learning Disabilities. (2010). In Current Issues. Detroit: Gale. Retrieved from http://voyager2.lbcc.edu:2166/ic/ovic/ReferenceDetailsPage/ReferenceDetailsWindow?

Toddler Programs: Getting Started in School. (n.d.). Off to a Good Start Fact Sheet. Retrieved April 25, 2012, from http://66.147.244.207/~blindbab/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/4_TODDLER-PROGRAMS.pdf

Your Child’s Individualized Educational Program: Your Blueprint for Services. (n.d.). Education

Family Connect. Retrieved April 25, 2012, from http://www.familyconnect.org/parentsite.asp?SectionID=72

• What are the trust building traits/dispositions you do/will implement in relationship with others?

There are several trust building traits/dispositions that can and should be implemented in relationships with others. People should show their honesty with more than with just words. With time, people can show their good faith with actions; this is a process that only time can show. If people say they are going to do an action, they should carry out that promise. If one doesn’t believe they will be able to carry out a task, they should not promise to do it from the beginning so as to not unnecessarily lead others on. It is incumbent those in an important position, like teachers, foster an environment within their schools in which ethical behavior is expected and each individual is responsible for meeting those expectations. Because teachers occupy a position of trust and confidence in their communities, as they are watching over the children, any excessive use of their authority, abuse of power, or failure to fulfill their duties can erode public trust and reduce or destroy their credibility within the communities they teach. Every teacher must understand that he or she represents the entire school, that personal conduct is his or her own responsibility, and that he or she will be held accountable for all conduct, whether positive or negative. Additionally, when dealing with their students, teacher must be sure to make learning objectives clear, display a positive attitude, show the importance of assignments, and reinforce behaviors.

• What are your guiding principles for relationship/collaboration/communication?

Furthermore, there are numerous guiding principles for relationship/collaboration/communication. Establishing a collective, agreed upon set of group guiding principles or norms helps a group to determine how they will work together to successfully accomplish their community organizing efforts. Guiding principles also identify how collaborative group members will uphold and promote the identified and agreed upon guiding principles. Guiding principles include: using appropriate people, a constructive process, and good information; one must recognize the value of different perspectives, having it be mutually beneficial, and achieving results together that would be not likely achieved alone. Having commitment, active participation, support, and remaining focused are just as important. Additionally, other guiding principles include: being honest, keeping in touch with people, and to be of assistance if someone asks for it. Communication is extremely important in a relationship whether it be with peers, friends, family, co-workers bosses, and/or strangers. People also need to keep open minds, and try to not be too judgmental as that will drive a rift between people.

Reflection

I wrote several drafts, and though the end portion didn’t change much, the first half was gutted and rewritten all over again. The changes that were made to my essay were mostly ones making me aware that I should put in more transitions, which helped provide more clarity, and adding more examples to add details to the overall picture. It really helped me make the essay more reader/audience friendly, as well as interesting. I also occasionally needed to be reminded of branching out my third person wording. I used “one” often, and tried to replace it instead with other words like individual, and people.

I’m very happy with how interesting I tried to keep the essay. I’m very happy with the broad range of examples I used; I wanted to make sure that I gave many different references and sources. I think it turned out well, even though I felt I had to cut out some ideas because I couldn’t draw more from them. Additionally, I feel very pleased with my transitions.

I am concerned with being wordy, and with my number shifts. I know I often have shifts in number, and have the potential to be wordy. I carefully re-read the essay many times out loud, trying to catch any shifts in number, but I am still concerned with being too wordy.

I plan to continue re-reading the drafts, and writing several drafts as well. Having other peers and instructors critiquing my essays prior to turning them in may give me a fresh perspective on the areas in which I need improvement.

Strengths

Communication at our school, overall, is done fairly well. Our strengths include: attempting to understand parents’ points of view, school personnel being available and willing to listen to parental concerns, all communications and interactions are characterized by mutual respect, parents/guardians are contacted promptly about their child’s problems and accomplishments, parent-teacher conferences are productive for both educators and parents, parents receive adequate and meaningful information about their child’s academic progress, social and personal development, and our school’s media image has a positive impact on its reputation and public perception.

Personally I felt my strengths were: making sure that all members of the group have been introduced and have a comfortable way to call each other by name, determining if the group has established any group agreements or norms, monitoring the group agreements and making sure they are followed, listening with empathy, encouraging group members to listen with empathy, using appropriate humor to keep a relaxed and open environment, making sure the group is seated so that all members can easily see and hear all other members, and allowing for breaks to help the group stay alert and comfortable. I also encourage group members to share the data upon which their conclusions are based, making sure that all voices are heard during the discussion, making sure that all members clearly understand the final results of the groups’ work, making sure that the next meeting time, place, and date are established before the group is dismissed, as well as checking nonverbal communication when it seems appropriate, allowing for appropriate think time before asking members to verbalize their point of view, encouraging members to think out loud, encouraging the group to piggyback and build off each other’s ideas, making sure that during brain storming members do not criticize or evaluate suggested ideas, and modeling positive expectations about the group’s ability to work together in high trust and high task ways.

Improvements

Our school’s weakest area that needs the greatest improvement is the way we make effective use of technology in communicating with parents and community members. Other areas of improvement include: how parents receive clear and timely information about school programs, rules, policies, and upcoming events; how most educators adequately communicate with parents through newsletters, notes, calls, etc.; and how we use the media to make the public aware of student and school successes.

My personal points that could use improvements include: paraphrasing to make sure members have been understood, encouraging other member to paraphrase, and encouraging the group to recognize and celebrate progress. I can also improve on encouraging group member to share their thinking process that led to their conclusions, encouraging members to state their opinion even if it’s in disagreement with the opinions of the majority of the group, if there is another meeting I make sure the agenda for that meeting is considered before the current meeting ends, keeping my own opinions about the content or conclusions of the group out of the group dialogue and discussion unless given permission by the group to share them, giving recognition for individual contributions, helping the group see how individual comments relates and connects to each other, and allowing time for the group to debrief how they have worked together during the meeting.

Conclusion

I plan to improve my weakness’ by keeping in mind what I need to improve before going into the meeting, as well as asking others what I can do to improve. Overall, I feel that both the school’s communication as well as my own is fairly good. While both could use some improvements, I feel that communication is the vital tool and that improving it is well worth the effort.