If, from a young age, students are labeled as special needs, assigned lower expectations, and held to lower standards than other students, they can grow up believing that they are not capable of the same level of achievement as their peers. By placing expectations that are more closely related to students’ actual skill levels, we encourage them to rise to the challenge and see the value in overcoming it.

Moreover, this standard of growth is dictated by additional research and numerical-based algorithms that suggest a certain standard of growth based upon the student’s current level.

Courses are free and open to ALL. At the same time, we must keep in mind the importance of meeting our students where they currently are and not setting the bar below their skill levels. WEA's Inclusionary Practices Project and Special Education Support Center has released our course/event schedule for Oct - Dec 2020. And remember that life’s a great balancing act. Now, let’s be clear. The idea is that, as our students improve and grow stronger, they will need this stepping stool less and less.

Different, yes; achievable, yes; lower, definitely not.

Is Progress Being Made Toward Closing the Achievement Gap in Special Education? The last survey of state assessment tests in reading and math from the National Center for Educational Outcomes shows that the achievement gap in special education according to grade level remains between 32 to 41 percent. Although special needs education has changed dramatically to incorporate these new methods, classroom styles and adaptive technologies, professionals still struggle to close the achievement gap and figure out why these changes have not proved more successful.

Because of this line of thinking, educators have starting pushing for more equal standards for students with disabilities. Teachers who consciously or unconsciously believe that students with disabilities in their classrooms will not learn as easily or achieve as much as other students perpetuate this problem.


The role of special education is to provide a stepping stool for our students so that they can better reach their goals. special education. “So be sure when you step, step with care and great tact. Special needs education has developed substantially since policymakers passed IDEA, but clearly there is still work to do, and it requires educators willing to try new approaches in inclusive classrooms.

The visuals, the prompts, the little reminders, the extra examples, the application of technology – all will factor into an individual student’s ability to rise above any challenge. The substantial achievement gap between students with disabilities and those without has been an integral part of the study and development of special needs education. B.S.

Students in a master’s degree in special education online program study this important topic in depth, including the historical and contemporary factors believed to cause the achievement gap — as well as the current thinking in how to overcome it. The big question, both in general and in special education, is how do we accomplish this?

WEA's Inclusionary Practices Project and Special Education Support Center has released our course/event schedule for Oct - Dec 2020. Join us and spread the word!

These mountains can be moved in a variety of ways. 4901 E. University, Odessa, Texas 79762  |  877-588-3305
This type of thinking can become a self-fulfilling prophecy, inhibiting students from reaching their full potential and affecting their self-sufficiency and success in school and beyond. Children in the classroom are all at different places in terms of their skills and knowledge. ©2020 The University of Texas Permian Basin. Students in an online master’s in special education program not only study these new approaches and methods, they also fill an important role in teaching other educators how to implement these ideas. Related Articles . In this post, I will address this topic from the point of view of those serving in the field of special education. A common roadblock that Intervention Specialists encounter is the role of expectations within the classroom; namely, that they significantly fall short for our students. They provided the path for you to move mountains – and here you are now.

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This includes studying the different ways students can successfully learn, according to their unique abilities and needs; developing different methods of teaching that integrate these learning styles into flexible, inclusive classroom settings; and creating new adaptive technologies to assist students in processing material and information with the same ease as a student without disabilities. Submit the form below, and an Enrollment Specialist will contact you to answer your questions.

The backward design approach is an example of this, setting outcomes and standards and figuring out how each individual student can learn, process, and understand curriculum in order to achieve those outcomes. All rights reserved. Indeed, she found that “attending a Boston charter school makes special education students 1.4 times more likely to score proficient or higher on their standardized tests, resulting in a 30% reduction of the special education achievement gap” (Brookings Report, “The Importance of high quality general education for students in special education”, Setren and Gordon, April 20, 2017). Discussing this issue with your peers will yield a wide variety of responses ranging from calm and collected to visibly perturbed and worried. So, is progress truly being made to close the gap in special education? Clearly, there is still work to do to close the achievement gap. Students in a ... With research, experimentation, adaptive technologies, educator training, and serious effort, closing the achievement gap in special education is possible.

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Learn what it means to "close the gap" in special education, and how teachers can do so without lowering expectations for students. Since the implementation of IDEA, and the No Child Left Behind Act (recently supplanted by the Every Student Succeeds Act), educators and researchers have been working hard to close the achievement gap in special education. Join us and spread the word!ow.ly/q7oz50BLqcV ... Online Workshops - Oct - Dec 2020 - Zoom-Canvas.pdf, Share on FacebookShare on TwitterShare on Linked InShare by Email. While research and practice-based methods, techniques and adaptive technologies have been widely developed and implemented, recent research shows little change in this gap over the last decade. Courses are free and open to ALL. Education Week: NAEP Scores for Students With Disabilities Show Wide Achievement Gap, Teaching Exceptional Children: Backward Design. There has been a critical error on your website. So, is progress truly being made to close the gap in special education?

The role of the individualized education program (IEP) is to provide a foundation to help children reach educational goals by bringing students, teachers and service providers together – not a rubber stamp of lowering expectations. This range of emotions is largely dictated by that individual’s current place within the education system (e.g., teachers, administrators, etc.). At some point, a teacher reached out and met you at your level to help you navigate a challenge. Studies have shown that students who are held to higher standards and taught appropriately are more likely to believe in their abilities to learn and achieve. Closing the Knowledge Equity Gap Closing the Knowledge Equity Gap refers to an initiative officially titled: Closing the Special Education/General […] This error message is only visible to WordPress admins, Closing the Special Education/General Education Gap: an uncommon approach to the Common Core. Learning activities are designed, facilitated, and assessed by highly qualified educators who know each and every student (and their families). You have achieved success, and now you have the opportunity to pass that experience onto others. Closing the gap has become a hot topic for most educators, especially among special educators. Learn more about the UTPB online Master of Arts in Special Education program. in Elementary Education / Special Education and M.Ed. Basically, schools must provide free and equal education to all students in the most inclusive and integrated classroom environment possible — an education tailored to each student’s unique needs.

It is a synonym for social justice; a means to address the social inequities made possible by and compounded by knowledge inequity. Think back through your own educational career.

This and other approaches are not as simple as traditional teaching methods, and they require teachers with the willingness to try new things — as well as intensive training.

With research, experimentation, adaptive technologies, educator training, and serious effort, closing the achievement gap in special education is possible.

However, we all share the same vision of wanting to see our children succeed.

How do we push our students forward, lead them to academic success and, at the same time, prove that growth? Closing the Knowledge Equity Gap refers to an initiative officially titled: Closing the Special Education/General Education Gap: an uncommon approach to the Common Core. And according to the National Assessment of Education Progress, this gap has barely changed in recent years. (98 and ¾ percent guaranteed) Kid, you’ll move mountains.”.

The next challenge is finding a way to address the educational gap between kids who are already struggling and their peers.