SPECIAL EDUCATION 101

Christina FishNicole Delazio

BROWN V. TOPEKAThe Brown Family

"MAN'S INHUMANITY TO MAN. .."

"Suffer the little children..."

"IN BED WE LAUGH..."

INTRO TO SPECIAL EDUCATION LAWIDEIA – Individuals with Disabilities Education and Improvement ActFederally mandatedLimited fundingChapter 14 in PA School Code

Chapter 16 Gifted in PA School Code Unfunded mandate

Chapter 15 504 in PA School Code Federally mandated as part of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and Americans

with Disabilities Act

Unfunded Mandate

13 DISABILITY CATEGORIES IN IDEIA1. Autism

2. Deaf-blindness

3. Deafness

4. Emotional disturbance

5. Hearing impairment

6. Intellectual disability

7. Multiple disabilities

8. Orthopedic impairment

9. Other health impairment

10.Specific learning disability

11.Speech or language impairment

12.Traumatic brain injury

13.Visual impairment (including blindness).

MAJOR COMPONENTS OF IDEIAZero RejectMust accept all students with disabilities

Nondiscriminatory AssessmentAll testing must occur with validity and fidelityAll standardized test must be non-discriminatory

Procedural Due ProcessAll parents have the right to reject plan

Parental ParticipationParent must be afforded the opportunity to participate in decision making

Least Restrictive EnvironmentDoes not mean inclusion!

Individualized Education Program (IEP)

TIMELINES Evaluation/Re-evaluationMust have permission to parents within 10 days of their request

60 calendar days to completeParents must have 10 days prior to IEP 3 years re-evaluation, 2 years if IDTo qualify must met 2 prong test

Individualized Education PlanWithin 30 days of evaluation/re-evaluationMust be implemented within 10 days of developmentAnnually reviewed

DISABILITY CATEGORIES UNDER ADA Under the ADA, you have a disability if you have at least one of the following:

A physical or mental impairment that “substantially limits” one or more “major life activities”

A record of such an impairment

A physical impairment is any medical disorder, condition, disfigurement or loss affecting one of the body systems, such as neurological, musculoskeletal, special sense organs, respiratory (including speech organs), cardiovascular, reproductive, digestive, genitourinary, immune, circulatory, hemic, lymphatic, skin, and endocrine.

A mental impairment is any mental or psychological disorder, such as intellectual disability (formerly termed mental retardation), organic brain syndrome, emotional or mental illness, and specific learning disabilities.

504 AGREEMENTS

Purpose is to accommodate accessibilityTo buildingsTo classroomsTo curriculumTo nursing servicesTo allergy free environments

“Not all students with 504s will qualify for an IEP but all students with an IEP will qualify for a 504.”

QUALIFYING FOR GIFTED EDUCATION There are two ways you can be identified as Gifted:

Identified by a Licensed School Psychologist as having an IQ of 130 or higher.

OR

If student has an IQ under 130, is identified by a licensed School Psychologist as achieving 12 or more points on the PA Gifted Matrix.

GIFTED INDIVIDUALIZED EDUCATIONAL PLAN (GIEP)Must address student’s individual areas of giftednessMust focus on enrichmentShould not include areas of needIf student has a disability and is gifted we default to the special education process

Reviewed annually

BEFORE AN EVALUATION…

1. Student should be referred to IST

2. Interventions need to be implemented with fidelity

3. Data needs to be collected

4. Parents need to be notified or met with to discuss concerns

EVALUATION PROCESS/ASSESSMENTS

Behavioral Assessments:

•BASC-2 (Parent and Teacher)

•BRIEF (Parent and Teacher)

•ASRS (Parent and Teacher)

•Connors 3 (Parent and Teacher)

Additional Data Sources:

•Teacher Input

•Parent Input

•Classroom Observations

•Educational Record Review

Psychologist Testing:

•Cognitive Ability (IQ)•WISC-V•WPPS-IV

•Achievement Assessments:•WJ-III

BEHAVIORAL RATING SCALESThings to Remember:

1.Please read and follow all of the instructions when completing the rating scales.

2.Please set your emotions aside and use concrete, factual data and observations.

BASC-2

Things to Remember:

1.If you do not know or are unsure of a response, just give your best estimate.

2.Please do not leave any item blank.

BASC-2 What does it measure?

1. Scores in the Average range suggest no level of maladjustment.

2. Scores in the Clinically Significant range suggest a high level of maladjustment.

3. Scores in the At-Risk range may identify a significant problem that may not be severe enough to require formal treatment, or they may identify the potential of developing a problem that needs careful monitoring.

BEHAVIOR INVENTORY OF EXECUTIVE FUNCTION (BRIEF)

What does it measure? Executive functions are a collection of processes that are responsible for

guiding, directing, and managing cognitive, emotional, and behavioral functions, particularly during active,

novel problem solving.

BEHAVIOR INVENTORY OF EXECUTIVE FUNCTION (BRIEF), CONT’D

Clinical Scales:•Inhibit- Control impulses

•Shift- move freely from one situation or activity, transition

•Emotional Control- modulate emotional responses appropriately

•Initiate- begin a task, independently generate ideas

•Working Memory- hold information in short term memory

•Plan/Organize- anticipate future events, set goals, etc.

•Organization of Material- keep workspace and materials in an orderly manner

•Monitor- check work, assess performance, etc.

AUTISM SPECTRUM RATING SCALE (ASRS)• A medical diagnosis of Autism does not automatically qualify a student for services.

• The ASRS is used to determine if the medical diagnosis of Autism is impacting his or her education.

• Please do not skip any of the items. If you are unsure, just use your best estimate.

CONNORS 3 An assessment of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity

Disorder

Scales to be rated:

•Inattention

•Hyperactivity/Impulsivity

•Learning Problems

•Executive Functioning

•Defiance/Aggression

•Peer Relations

T Scores of 60+ are Clinically Significant

T Scores below 60 are Average

DEFINITION OF GIFTEDPennsylvania regulations state that a

child is mentally gifted if the child has an IQ of 130 or higher or when multiple

criteria strongly indicate gifted ability. 

Pennsylvania's multiple criteria include the following:

•The student is a year or more above grade achievement level for the normal age group in one or more academic subjects as measured by nationally-normed and validated achievement tests able to accurately reflect gifted performance.

•The student has an observed or measured rate of acquisition/retention of new academic content or skills that reflect gifted ability.

DEFINITION OF GIFTED, CONT’D•The student has demonstrated achievement, performance, or expertise in one or more academic areas as evidenced by excellence of products, portfolio or research, as well as criterion-referenced team judgment.

•The student has demonstrated early and measured use of higher level thinking skills, academic creativity, leadership skills, intense academic interest areas, communication skills, foreign language aptitude, or technology expertise.

•There are no intervening factors such as English as a second language, disabilities, gender or race bias, or socio/cultural deprivation masking gifted abilities.

GIFTED EVALUATION PROCESS The gifted evaluation consists of the following:1. Cognitive Ability (IQ)

2. Achievement (WJ-III)

3. Parent Input

4. Teacher Input

5. Scales for Identifying Gifted Students (SIGS)- Parent and Teacher

6. Chuska Scales for Determining Rates of Acquisition and Retention

SCALES FOR IDENTIFYING GIFTED STUDENTS (SIGS)What are they?• Rating scales in multiple areas of academics and behavior

• As the rater, you must decide how often the student you are rating exhibits each behavior.

•General Intellectual Ability

•Language Arts

•Mathematics

•Science

•Social Studies

•Creativity

•Leadership

Areas Rated:

SIGS- CONTINUED

>130- Very Likely range of Giftedness

120-129- Likely range of Giftedness

110-119- Somewhat Likely range of Giftedness

90-109- Average range

How do I rate the student? • As you respond, please ask yourself “To what degree does the student exhibit the behavior listed when compared to his or her age peer?”• Please respond to all the statements. • It is important to set your emotions aside and complete this form with factual data and observations.

80-89- Somewhat Unlikely range

70-79- Not Likely range

<70- Very Unlikely range

Ratings

CHUSKA SCALES FOR DETERMINING RATES OF ACQUISITION AND RETENTION What are they? •These checklists provide a basic list for teachers to aid in determining those students who have high and low rates of acquisition and retention

What are the ratings?•Ratings are Never or seldom, Sometime, Often, and Almost Always

What do you use when rating?•Please use concrete data to support your ratings such as CDT’s, Aimsweb, CBA’s, class work, observations, project completion

GIFTED MATRIX What happens when a student does not

achieve a 130 or higher IQ?    Check Appropriate Column Below

  Possible points to accumulate for IQ score

 3

 2

 1

 0

IQ score (Full Scale or GAI, if necessary   

130 + 125-129 120-124 119 and below

           

  Possible points to accumulate for below areas

  2

  1

  0

 

WISC – V VCI and VSI or FRI 

  125-130+ 120-124 

 

119 and below 

 

WJ-III Broad Reading 

  

≥ 97th Percentile 86th-96th Percentile ≤ 85th Percentile  

WJ-III Broad Math   

≥ 97th Percentile 86th-96th Percentile ≤ 85th Percentile

WJ-III Broad Written Language   

≥ 97th Percentile 86th-96th Percentile ≤ 85th Percentile

Rates of Acquisition(Often to Almost Always)

  

100-95% 

90%-94% 

89% or below 

Rates of Retention(Often to Almost Always)

  

100-95% 90%-94% 89% or below

Scales for Identifying Gifted Students (SIGS) Home

  

5+ areas at 120 or above 1-4 areas at 120 or above All areas below 120

Scales for Identifying Gifted Students (SIGS) School

  5+ areas at 120 or above 1-4 areas at 120 or above All areas below 120  

           

  Total points accumulated

GIFTED MATRIX- CONTINUED

What do you need on the Matrix?

• 12 points are needed to qualify

• 6 points on this matrix come from teacher’s ratings of a student (SIGS, Chuska Scales).

• Remainder of points come from the assessment of cognitive ability (IQ), achievement, and parent ratings on the SIGS.

NEW GIFTED SCREENING RUBRIC  4 3 2

Gifted Rating Scale(Completed by classroom teacher)

5+ areas with T Score of 60-69

3-4 areas with T Score of 60-69

1-2 areas with T Score of 60-69

Report Card 

Mostly 4’s Mostly 3’s Mostly 2’s

PSSA Math or CDT 

Advanced Proficient N/A

PSSA Reading or CDT 

Advanced Proficient N/A

AIMSweb- M-CAP Well Above Average Above Average Average

AIMSweb- M-COMP Well Above Average Above Average Average

AIMSweb R-CBM Well Above Average Above Average Average

AIMSweb MAZE Well Above Average Above Average Average

GIFTED SCREENING RUBRIC- CONTINUED To be referred for further testing the following scores need to be achieved on the rubric

Grade Qualifying Score Max Score

3rd & 4th 27 32

2nd 20 24

1st 13 16

THINGS TO REMEMBER…1. Always use data when completing rating

scales.

2. Use visual, factual language when completing observation summaries

3.Communicate concerns to parents frequently.

4. Use the IST process before referring a student for an evaluation.

5.Utilize resources; i.e. IST, Special Education Teachers, Dir. of Special Education, School Psychologist, Guidance Counselor