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Jan 9, 2024
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1. What is LRE? How should the IEP team determine each student's unique
LRE?
LRE is a principle that steams out of the principle of IDEA, which states that “students should spend as much time as possible with peers who don’t receive special education” (The Arc, 20218). The principles of IDEA require IEP teams to fully discuss the extent to
why they wouldn’t place a student in a general education class (NCD, 2018). LRE stands for the least restrictive environment in that a student can learn, with a strong emphasis on “inclusion” aiming to get a student to further engage in classroom activities
and lessons in the general education environment (The Arc, 2018). Throughout the years a student’s LRE has been determined by a student’s IEP team, the guidelines they use have changed but they still center around the same main questions. They have
to consider if the education in the classroom is being accomplished with the use of aids and modifications if the student is benefitting from being in a general education classroom and their experience being in a mainstream classroom, and finally, the impact that students presence is having on the other students in the class (NCD, 2018). Taking a student’s placement a step further, the IEP team needs to consider the student
as a whole looking at how they interact with their classmates without a disability and if they are disruptive to other students in the classroom (NCD, 2018). According to FAPE, school districts are expected to pay for student’s services on their IEP, many IEP teams need to consider the financial cost of supplying these services and may choose to put a student into an isolated classroom just for financial reasons (NCD, 2018. The Arc, 2018).
2. Unfortunately, many students with disabilities are placed in more "restrictive" settings than they need. How and why does this problem happen? Give specific examples from the texts and your own experiences.
Students have been put in more restrictive environments for a very long time, the article from NCD on Segregation discusses how disability placements can be linked to economic backgrounds and race. When looking at the restrictiveness levels in schools, it was discovered students in rural districts, with large enrollment rates, and those that are White and Native American, have higher rates of students with disabilities in general
education classrooms (NCD, 2018). This is vastly different than the levels of restrictiveness for African American and Asian students who are more likely to be placed in a restrictive environment (NCD, 2018). These statistics are a result of the IEP team failing a student. Connor and Cavendish discuss the six reasons that might attribute to a student with disabilities to a more restrictive environment. Something that undercuts the students’ abilities before they can even prove themselves, is fear of the student by the teacher. Teachers that are uneducated in how to integrate a student with a disability into their classroom, may fear that those students may not be able to keep up with the demands of a general education classroom (Conner and Cavendish, 2018). This is touched upon in the interview on The Accessible Stall
when Kyle discusses how his PT and gym teacher would treat his classmates and himself like “delicate eggs”, Kyle discusses how he had to stop PT because he would not make any further progress
without lifting heavier weights (The Accessible Stall, 2018). He felt like his gym teacher would watch him so carefully because he had feared he would hurt himself. Another example Kyle gives is catching a foam football during gym class, although he could
catch the ball because his peers could not catch the ball, no one was allowed to (The Accessible Stall, 2018). This hindered his experience in learning new skills and being able to interact at a typical level. This fear teachers have can spill over into fear of students with severe disabilities having behavioral issues in class, with less education of
a teacher making placement decisions, don’t fully understand the value of having a student in a general education classroom (Conner and Cavendish, 2018). Finally, another reason teachers over-restrict students with disabilities is that they might not have the time or funding to best support this student (Conner and Cavendish, 2018). The last school I worked in was a school designed to benefit school districts like this. If a district could not afford to fund whatever was necessary for that student’s IEP then they were sent to our school which was self-contained classrooms, rarely did students transfer back to their original district. We did assess the students yearly and tried to see if they would be able to rejoin their district schools but most of the time, students weren’t
able to come back because they didn’t have a program that would best fit our students. 3. What setting would you recommend as Edith or Clementina's LRE? Justify your answer with evidence from the Case Study and this Module's texts. [hint: remember to consider a general education/ICT setting first even if a student has not been successful in that setting yet
]
When looking at Edith’s case, I would recommend that she enters an integrated classroom. According to the principles of IDEA Edith should be educated in a school “as
close as possible” to her house and the school should be the same one she would attend if she wasn’t disabled (NDC, 2018). It is also important to remember the idea that
the removal of a student from a general education setting and moving them into a segregated class or school should only occur if a student’s disability is so severe that education, even with aids, is not attainable (NDC, 2018). In Edith’s case, I would use a Multi Teared Support System, making sure to provide her with different media to understand lessons, positive reinforcement for expected behavior, and support for engaging nicely with her peers. I believe that an integrated classroom would better suit Edith because it is a smaller class setting than general education, and there are peers who are also struggling academically. When Edith was placed in a self-contained class in fifth grade, she was provided with an environment that has fewer opportunities for students to attend to work and an increase in distractions (NCD, 2018). Edith is a student that was bullied, and has the ability to become distracted easily but, can also interact nicely with others during a preferred activity. When looking at Edith’s placement,
not only was a self-contained classroom wrong for her but, her teacher did not provide the appropriate support. According to the studies conducted by Agran, to be viewed as a “good teacher” a teacher that can slow down instruction as needed, be clear in explaining the material, and provide multiple ways for students to interact with the material (2020). He goes on to say that a good teacher should motivate students and engage them in the learning process, this is vastly different from the education Edith was provided by Mr. Donovan (Agran, 2020). Mr. Donovan’s actions fit what Agran characterizes as an “ineffective teacher”, he exhibited a bad attitude towards his students making them keep their heads down and yelling at them for one misstep, and was several times overly strict (Harry et. al, 2007). Edith was in a position where she
was overlooked and placed without fully understanding the student, her needs, and her background in order to correctly place her in an environment where she can learn best. 4. What questions do this Module's readings raise for you?
Do you have any students who you know have slipped through the cracks of the education system? How does this affect your teaching style?
In the case of Kyle’s teachers not wanting him to progress because they were fearful, do you know any teachers that do this? How do you overcome obstacles when working with these staff members?
Who do you think, Edith or Clementina, was placed into a less restrictive learning environment? Optional Bonus Question [+1 point]: What is one interesting thing you have learned from or about one of your colleagues in this class this semester?
I have learned a lot in this class, at first I was having a hard time with applying the material but once we started the case studies applying what we learn has become easier. I have learned more about understanding my students as a whole and how they can take part in their own learning. References:
The Accessible Stall. (2018). Episode 54: High school.
https://www.theaccessiblestall.com/episode-54-high-school/
Agran, M., Jackson, L., Kurth, J.A., Ryndak. D., Burnette, K., Jameson, M., Zagona, A., Fitzpatrick, H., & Wehmeyer, M. (2020). Why aren’t students with severe disabilities being placed in general education classrooms: Examining the relations among classroom placement, learner outcomes, and other factors. Research and Practice for Persons with Severe Disabilities, 45
(1), 4-13.
The Arc JCC & GC. (2018). Principles of IDEA: LRE
. https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=GFrbfdOTf7o
Connor, D.J., & Cavendish, W. (2018). ‘Sit in my seat’: Perspectives of students with learning disabilities about teacher effectiveness in high school inclusive classrooms. International Journal of Inclusive Education, 1-22.
Harry, B., Klingner, J. K., & Cramer, E. P. (2007). Case studies of minority student placement in special education
. Teachers College Press. [Chapter 7 – Edith’s Case]
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