Question:

Hi,

I am working on an action research project for my MAE at Chapman University. The focus of my research is on how to best assist students with transitioning out of small group individualized instruction in R.S.P. to whole class instruction in the general edu cation classroom. I have a group of students in fourth grade who are transitioning out of R.S.P. They have been receiving RSP support since first grade but are having a very difficult time being successful in the general edu cation classroom. I was wondering if you had any resources or ideas that could assist me with helping these students to be successful.

Thank You,

Holly Orzol

Answer:

Hi Holly,

Your transition question is not the typical Transition question submitted to my Ask a Specialist page. However, I do have some input for you based on my own classroom experience, contact with other teachers like yourself, edu cation specialists at the Diagnostic Center Northern California (DCN), and other research-based resources.

General edu cation classrooms consist of diverse learners and teachers do their best to provide differentiated instruction. When you add R.S.P. (Resource Specialist Program) students into the mix, there is often cause for anxiety, frustration, accountability concerns, and the students’ success.

If your students are having difficulty in the general edu cation classroom, there are some questions you need to consider before and during placement.

Question 1: Did the IEP team discuss the supplementary aids/accommodations the student needs before the decision to transition them to a general edu cation classroom?

Question 2: What supports are provided to the general edu cation teacher to enable your students to access the curriculum? Supports can be in the form of co teaching lessons, brainstorming problems, etc.

Question 3: What consideration is given for the instruction format (whole group, flexible small group, peer to peer tasks, activity-based); task/activity demands (pacing, complexity, criteria for success); materials and equipment used; classroom learning environment (physical layout, lighting); and how the students learning and progress are evaluated

Question 4: How/when does collaboration occur with the general edu cation teacher that addresses sharing information about the student, curriculum being taught, classroom routines, problem solving, and planning? Collaboration opportunities are often challenging, however, some options include using student communication binders, informal meetings, as needed basis, or by phone or e-mail.

Question 5: What accommodations are in the students IEP and how is this information shared with the general edu cation teacher? View sample accommodations at http://www.dcn-cde.ca.gov/504/Units/Unit%20III.htm#accom (from Diagnostic Center Northern CA (DCN) online training Understanding 504, author Mary Anne Nielsen, Director, DCN).

Question 6: Has the student been asked why the general edu cation class is difficult? Oftentimes, we forget to go to the source, the student, as part of our problem solving/evaluation process.

My last question, which could be the first if prioritized, is how well does the general edu cation teacher know the following information about your student(s)?

• Student’s strengths, abilities, and learning style(s):
• Areas of difficulty
• Effective learning and behavioral strategies (accommodations):
• Instructional Supports
• Learning Objectives

This information can be provided to the general education teacher through the dissemination of a Fast Facts Student Profile.

Although these questions are not all inclusive, they can be the impetus to help you begin to monitor and/or evaluate your students’ performance in the general edu cation classroom.

The resources below should help you focus on strategies that help with your student realize success vs. frustration in the general edu cation classroom.

Good luck!

Resources :

Books

Bireley, Marlene. Crossover Children: A Sourcebook for Helping Children Who are Gifted and Learning Disabled, The Council for Exceptional Children (second edition), 1920 Association Drive, Reston, Virginia 22091

• Areas covered in this book: teaching basic skills (language arts, handwriting and spelling, math, content subjects), academic enrichment (creative thinking, problem solving, decision making skills, critical thinking)

Educating Everybody's Children: Diverse Teaching Strategies for Diverse Learners: What Research and Practice Say About Improving Achievement (1995) edited by Robert W. Cole, ASCD, Alexandria, VA 22311

• This book covers interventions for reading, writing, math, and oral communication.

Glasgow, N.A., Hicks, C.D., What Successful Teachers Do: Research-Based Classroom Strategies for New and Veteran Teachers, Corwin Press, Thousand Oaks, CA, www.corwinpress.com

• Areas covered in this book includes interventions for teachers in the areas of interacting and collaborating with students; managing classroom organization and discipline; organizing curricular goals, lesson plans, and instructional delivery; using student assessment and feedback to maximize instructional effectiveness, and working with special needs students. Each section provides a brief research summary.

Heacox, D., Ed.D. (2002) Differentiating Instruction in the Regular Classroom: How to Reach and Teach All Learners, Grades 3-12, Free Spirit Publishing Inc., Minneapolis, MN, www.freespirit.com

• This book provides interventions on planning, instructional grouping, tiered assignments, choice making, and specific differentiated instruction for special populations.

Karten, T.J. Embracing Disabilities in the Classroom: Strategies to Maximize Students’ Assets, Corwin Press Publishers, http://www.corwinpress.com

• This revised edition of I Can Learn will help students with learning difficulties or learning disabilities excel in the general edu cation classroom. It offers teachers “ lessons, tables, rubrics, instructional guidelines, and charts to help teachers improve both interactions and introspections related to disabilities in school settings and beyond.”

Web sites:

http://www.ericdigests.org/1993/general.htm
Including Students with Disabilities in General Edu cation Classrooms

http://www.readingrockets.org/helping
Strategies to help kids who struggle with reading

Read about strategies common to these areas: why they struggle, targeting the problem, assessment process, parent tips, self-esteem/self-advocacy issues, and lots more. Additional links look worth exploring.

http://www.ncld.org/content/view/337/456007/
National Center for Learning Disabilities

Find numerous links to accommodations, technology, classroom strategies, and many more strategies.