Transcript A CTION RESEARCH PROJECT - Patricia and Phillip Frost

DOES INCLUSION PROMOTE ACADEMIC
ACHIEVEMENT AMONG 6TH GRADE
SPECIAL EDUCATION STUDENTS IN AN
URBAN SCHOOL?
Dr. Onetha J. Gilliard, Principal
Susana Mauri, Assistant Principal
Nidia Ashby, Teacher Leader
Superintendent’s Urban Principal Initiative
Miami Edison Middle School
2005-2006
Abstract of the Study
• In order to promote academic
achievement among 6th grade Special
Education Students (SPED), placed in an
inclusive settings, ongoing staff
development and support was provided for
general and special education teachers.
This resulted in a greater level of comfort
and productivity from teachers and
students.
Background
•
As more special education students are placed in inclusive settings, on-going staff
development and assistance must be provided to support the general and special
education teachers. Some of the general education teachers have limited knowledge
or skills as to what works with special education students. Approximately a third of
the students enrolled at this targeted middle school are SPED students. The
inclusive models provides the least restrictive settings for SPED students to access a
free and appropriate education.
•
This targeted middle school serving students in grades 6-8 is a Title 1, inner city
school located in the heart of a community recently named “Little Haiti”. The
immediate neighborhood is made up of small shops and family operated businesses.
•
According to Miami-Dade County Public School Office of Research Services, 84% of
the student population is of Haitian decent, born in America. Sixty percent of the
students begin their schooling experience as non-English speakers. Many of the
parents of these students have little or no formal education. Ninety-six percent of the
students receive free or reduced priced meals. The mobility rate of students
transferring into and out of the targeted middle school is 51%. Taking into
consideration the aforementioned factors, and based on Chapter 1 (Title 1)
Legislation enacted in 1965, these students are labeled at-risk.
Research Question
• How does inclusion promote academic
achievement among 6th graders in an urban
school?
• Will providing support and training to all 6th
grade teachers create a "buy in" attitude toward
inclusion?
• Will mentoring teachers mold attitudes towards
teaching inclusion?
Literature Review
• In 1975, P.L. 94-142, the Education for All Handicapped Children
Act, was passed by Congress and later amended in 1997 as the
Individual’s with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), to support and
ensure children with disabilities access to a free, appropriate, public
education (FAPE) and avoid discrimination based on their
disabilities.
• This law grants parents or legal guardians of children with
disabilities the right to be equal partners in the development of the
individualized education plan (IEP) for their children (Bateman,
2002).
• IDEA embraces the notion that children with disabilities should be
educated in the setting with the least amount of restriction, but the
statute does not mandate inclusion in each case involving a child
with disabilities (Essex, 2002, p.104-105).
Literature Review
• For inclusion to be successful in education, school leaders need to
carefully plan by identifying factors that may affect the
implementation process (Forest & Pearpoint, 2001).
• Inclusion teaches children to work together and gives them a sense
of belonging, value, and self-worth. Additionally, they attribute
higher graduation percentage rate of special education children due
to inclusion (Deloney & Tompkins, 2001).
• Two influential cases, which drew major national attention to the
needs of children with disabilities, were P.A.R.C. v. Commonwealth
of Pennsylvania and Mills v. Board of Education. In the P.A.R.C.
case, the district court ruled “that the state’s children with mental
retardation were entitled to a public education and, whenever
possible, should be educated in regular classrooms rather than
classrooms that were isolated from normal school population”
(Essex, 2002, p. 96).
Literature Review
• In Miami-Dade County Public Schools (MDCPS), the Special
Education program works collaboratively with an array of
partnerships in order to provide educational services and resources
that would comply with IDEA and meet the needs of students with
disabilities. MDCPS continues to make strides in promoting and
supporting inclusive practices in school.
• According to the accountability report Office of Program Policies and
Government Analysis (OPPAGA)---in MDCPS over 175 schools are
implementing inclusive education. However, the district average
reflects only 28.2% of the students with disabilities spending 80% or
more of their day in general education classrooms. It has become
the goal of the district to increase the percentage to 40% (MDCPS,
2004).
Methodology/Interventions
1) Workshop for teachers to introduce Inclusion August 2005
2) Workshop for parents and students on Inclusion August 2005
*What is inclusion?
*Role of the SPED teacher
*Role of the general education teacher
*Definition of the Co-Teaching Model
*Calendar for Planning
3) Meetings
*Team Meetings (3 times a week)
*SPED Department Meeting (weekly)
*Department Meeting (weekly)
*District Support Personnel (weekly)
*Professional Development every Wednesday
4) 2005 and 2006 FCAT Scores
5) Tri-weekly and Mock Test
6) Attendance
7) Behavioral Referrals
8)Academic grades
Data Collection
•
•
•
•
•
5th Grade Annual Academic Grades
6th Grade Annual Academic Grades
Attendance for 5th and 6th grade
Discipline for 5th and 6th grade
Comparison of FCAT Scores 2005 and
2006
Annual Academic Grades
Students
2005 GPA
2006 GPA
L.C.
1.0
0.3 *
J.N.
0.0
1.5
K.C.
1.62
2.1
N.C.
2.0
2.0
D.J.
1.0
1.6
R.J.
1.5
1.8
J.L.
1.75
1.3
C.W.
1.75
1.5
T.A.
2.0
1.5
D.G.
2.0
0.16
C.H.
1.38
1.5
J.B.
2.88
1.5
C.C.
2.25
1.3
V.S.
1.25
1.0
F.N.
2.16
1.6
J.M.
3.38
2.0*
TOTAL
1.94
1.51
* Present for partial school term at Miami Edison Middle
Attendance
Students
2005 Attendance
2006 Attendance
L.C.
007A
02 T
031A
09 T
J.N.
102A
03 T
037A
49 T
K.C.
035A
00 T
032A
56 T
N.C.
003A
01 T
002A
22 T
D.J.
014A
04 T
010A
10 T
R.J.
008A
01 T
011A
18 T
J.L.
022A 14 T
010A
45 T
C.W.
014A 18 T
038A
77 T
T.A.
007A 15 T
003A
54 T
D.G.
043A 07 T
069A
69 T
C.H.
018A 30 T
008A
69 T
J.B.
004A 00 T
000A
00 T
C.C.
016A 04 T
016A
03 T
V.S.
006A 40 T
016A
111 T
F.N.
017A 07 T
007A
29 T
J.M.
001A 00 T
021A
02 T
TOTAL
317A 146 T
311 A 623 T
Discipline
Students
2005
Suspension
2006
Suspension
L.C.
07
12*
J.N.
20
00
K.C.
00
00
N.C.
00
00
D.J.
00
04
R.J.
01
00
J.L.
05
01
C.W.
00
00
T.A.
03
00
D.G.
00
01
C.H.
05
00
J.B.
00
00
C.C.
00
00
V.S.
00
03
F.N.
11
00
J.M.
01
10*
TOTAL
53
31
* Suspension were given at previous school before attending Edison Middle
Florida Comprehensive
Assessment Test Data
Students
06 Read
05 Read
DSS change
06 Math
05 Math
L.C.
911
1071
-160
J.N.
2042
1510
+532
K.C.
1338
871
+467
878
1532
-654
N.C.
1520
1028
+492
1433
1584
-151
D.J.
1188
1297
-109
770
1551
-781
R.J.
539
1022
-483
770
569
+201
J.L.
1327
1173
+154
1205
1447
-242
C.W.
1221
1034
+187
770
1584
-814
T.A.
1626
1229
+397
1429
1447
-18
D.G.
916
720
+196
770
1102
-332
C.H.
1105
1140
-35
J.B.
1132
894
+238
C.C.
NR
681
NR
1097
DSS Change
NR
770
NR
NR
+327
NR
1423
NR
770
871
-101
1304
1315
-11
V.S.
1105
1134
-29
1020
569
+451
F.N.
1393
1481
-88
1571
1753
-182
J.M.
1887
1778
+109
1777
1664
+113
Findings
• The data indicates that SPED made gains
in reading.
• There was a decrease in mathematics
scores.
• Students can learn in an inclusive setting
with support and structure.
• The results indicates SPED students
made academic gains in the inclusive
setting.
Conclusions
• The Miami Dade County Public School District is mandating
Inclusion throughout all schools and grade levels. As such, the
support from the District is necessary to ensure the academic
success of all students.
• The transition from the elementary setting for SPED students can be
difficult. A supportive student services systems must be provided.
• The general and Special Education teachers must have ongoing
staff development scheduled in a timely fashion.
• Both general and Special Education teachers are equal partners
with job duties, as well as have dual ownership and responsibility for
all students.
• Exemplary professional skills in the subject matter and classroom
management are requirements for both teachers.
• Parents need to be proactive in their children’s education to ensure
gains and strive towards academic improvement in the general
education curriculum courses.
Plan of Action
Recommendations
• Support system among the team.
• Support system from the District with regards to the
inclusion model.
• Professional Development Courses on Collaborative
planning and co-teaching.
• Professional Development Courses on Differentiated
Instruction and Strategies.
• Share Best Practices and success stories.
• Observe different inclusive settings within our school (by
teams) and other schools.
• Be open to constructive criticism in order to improve the
learning environment for the community of learners.