This text provides a comprehensive, practical foundation and guide for preparing school personnel and families to work together in the education of students with special needs. The book addresses the roles and responsibilities of all educators at school, while working with families and in their communities, to allow them to provide services that will help students with special needs achieve and develop their potential. The book's organization works well with the conventional formats of a special education course in collaborative school consultation at the pre-service or graduate-level , with classes for general teacher education, and with school districts' professional development plans.
This book is a comprehensive, practical guide for preparing educators to consult, collaborate, and work as teams for the education of students with special learning and behavioral needs. This book is designed to help administrators, personnel, general classroom teachers, special education supporters, families, and students themselves to be 1.) clear and focused in regard to their roles and opportunities, 2.) prepared for fulfilling those roles and maximizing the service opportunities, 3.) organized and efficient for successful consultation and collaboration, and 4.) reflective in assessing and improving collaborative school consultation.
"The valuable information and numerous strategies and resources make this a must have book for all teachers striving for effective collaborative relationships." -Spencer J. Salend, Professor SUNY, The College at New Paltz At last, a practical game plan for productive and personally rewarding collaborative relationships! General and special education teachers working side by side on a daily basis must move beyond basic communication to improve collaborative relationships inside and outside the classroom. Author Sharon F. Cramer delves into the art of the collaborative process through a series of practical exercises coupled with relevant research, and outlines a plan to make collaboration a life-long part of teaching. Preservice teachers, inservice teachers, and staff developers alike can use the activities in the book as is or adapt them to fit their own unique circumstances. Whether used for personal improvement or by a group for professional development purposes, these invaluable set of relationship-building tools will empower teachers and give them the motivation, understanding, and skills to transform unsatisfactory co-teaching relationships into productive, truly collaborative relationships. Special features include: Case stories and data from among 1,000 collaboration projects supervised by the author Up-to-date research, including an overview of current literature on collaboration "Idea try-outs"-step-by-step reflection activities for promoting independent, innovative thinking "Project try-outs"-structured research and interview activities that provide readers with focused ways to test their collaboration skills When teachers become curious, motivated learners, not only will they discover the many benefits of collaborative relationships with their peers, but they will also enrich the learning environment for their students!
In this succinct yet comprehensive text, authors Lawless Frank and Richards guide readers through the essential basics that every educator needs to know about special education, covering everything from law to application. Streamlined and accessible chapters address legal knowledge – Section 504, IDEA, ESSA, and FERPA — assessment and identification, RTI, categories of disability, IEPs, accommodations, co-teaching, and instructional considerations. Designed to give new educators a focused introduction to critical concepts and terminology, this book also features supplemental online resources including an Instructor’s Manual, quizzes, and more.
Collaboration Among Professionals, Students, Families, and Communities provides a foundation for understanding concepts of collaborative learning along with strategies for the application of collaborative skills in teaching. The book moves logically from issues of macro-collaboration (district and school) to micro-collaboration (individual student focus and co-teaching) in K-12 environments before concluding with strategies for family and community collaboration. Significant emphasis is placed on knowledge, skills, and teaching models for pre-service and in-service teachers in general education, special education, and of diverse students including English Learners. Each chapter includes meaningful pedagogical features such as: Learning objectives A case study illustrating the implementation of information presented A case study challenging the reader to apply the information learned in the chapter Study questions for readers in Comprehension Checks at key points in the chapter Highlights of major points in a chapter summary for aid in studying content University, school, and community-based application activities A companion website features additional resources, including PowerPoint presentations, practice tests, suggested video and Internet resources, and advanced application activities.
While there is considerable evidence for the effectiveness of school consultation teams for interventions with difficult or at-risk students, relatively little has been written on the implementation of such teams. This book details that process and describes the important features of the Instructional Consultation Team, including methods and instruments for evaluating student progress and system functioning. Bringing together literature on school consultation and school change, this volume enables the school-based professional who takes the role as change facilitator not only to implement new, more effective services, but also to ensure that the services become established functions of the school system.
