Respond to TWO classmates’ postings. 150 words EACH ( due 5pm hawaii time zone)

Guided Response: Review and respond to two of your classmates’ posts. After reading the different procedures described for GATE and Special Education, what is one significant difference that you notice between the district you select and those your peers selected? Discuss why it is important to ensure educators know these procedures for testing and identifying students.  EACH TWO CLASSMATES HAVE THEIR OWN FEEDBACK, PLEASE DON’T MAKE IT TO ONE BIG PARAGRAPH.

Tawana Parker

Protocol for Identifying a GATE or Special Education Student

In researching the procedures to identify a GATE or Special Education Student I located the following information.

First the child must be identified of possibly "needing special education or some other related service". Children can't just be assessed, the permission of the parent or guardian must be given before any testing can be done. The IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act) gives them 60 days to complete evaluations. Once the child has been evaluated there are questions that have to be answered that relates only to the evaluation of that one child not another. The questions consist of whether or not the child has a disability that requires supervision, their specific educational needs, and what appropriate services are available to assist this child specifically? The parents can agree or not with the findings. The parents and professionals that are qualified in this area take a look at the final assessment and if assistance is found to be needed and accepted then there will be an IEP (Individualized Education Program) developed for this specific child. The meeting consist of school staff, parents, and parental support that may have more knowledge on the situation. Once the IEP is written services are then provided to assist the child. The IEP is assessed again at a later date to see if a service needs to be added or taken away.

Reference

http://www.parentcenterhub.org/steps/ (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.

http://www.parentcenterhub.org/steps/ (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.

Carolina Saravia-Gordash

In education, there are various intelligence tests available to determine if a student needs special services for being gifted or for other specialized services. However, before these services can be established there are protocols that must be followed to see if the student qualifies. For this discussion, look up the procedures in a nearby district relating to qualifying a student for GATE or Special Education.

What are these procedures?

A child may be diagnosed with a disability by either their teacher at a school district or their pediatrician. Either way once a child is diagnosed by one or the other, does not guarantee of services under the IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act). The parents, teachers and/or pediatrician needs to see if the child is not progressing academically or cognitively if not in school yet. An assessment needs to be perform to determine if the child needs to be in a special needs program to be able to grow and advance cognitively as well as academically.  

Who is involved?

If the child is in school, an Individualized Educational Program plan (IEP) assessment can be made on the specific student who is displaying learning disabilities. From experience with having a nephew with Autism as well as a step-son, I have been involved in IEP meetings. These meetings are generally set up shortly after the beginning of the school year to determine the child’s disabilities and the goals set by the teacher. The parents, teachers and other school staff is involved in this meeting. For my step-son, there was a behavior specialist involved in these meetings as well. This staff determines what services and support the child will need to be able to strive in a school setting.

What is the timeline?

After the IEP meeting, the parent needs to decide and consent of the services and support the school staff has suggested. However, if the parent does not agree with the IEP, no further actions can be taken. Generally, the parents will take the staff’s advice in getting the services and help their child will need to be successful in school.

What services and or programs are available or offered?

Some of the services my step-son was referred to were speech therapy, occupational therapy. Other services may include extensive therapy or individual one on one tutoring. My step-son was put in with a mathematics tutor to be able to get him up to speed with the rest of the class.

How has intelligence played a role in determining the student’s eligibility for the program? 

I feel intelligence played a role in determining the student’s eligibility for the program because according to the assessment scores the child is behind and must meet each learning stepping stone before he/she is able to move forward onto the next step. The services and support is there to help the child progress.

(Below is my work to help you with the GUIDE ABOVE IN RED. I don’t need feedback FOR MY WORK. JUST THE TWO PEERS ABOVE.)

The Ukiah Unified School District spells out the procedures, which must be undertaken in order to qualify a student a GATE, or special needs program. It starts with the teacher presenting an evaluation of the student whom he or she intends to refer for the GATE program. This evaluation form is then submitted to the GATE specialist at the District Service Center (Ukiah Unified School District, n.d.). Steps 2 and 3 entail seeking permission to test the student using the Naglieri Nonverbal Ability Test (NNAT2) and then testing the student after obtaining parental permission respectively (Ukiah Unified School District, n.d.).The Ukiah Unified School District (n.d) rolls out the fourth, fifth and sixth steps which entail, using a multiple criteria matrix for identification, notifying the parent to identify the qualified student and placing the student under the GATE program respectively. The other two main processes involve parental referral process, which follows the same steps as the teacher referral process and the universal testing process (screening, placement, teacher evaluation, notification, and placement).

              The main program is the GATE program, which groups the students based on grade and abilities. The grades entails 3-6 who undergo district-based identification. The groups consist of grades 4-8 students but no more than 10 students. Grades 6-13 are given the chance to apply for Honors and Advanced Placement courses (Ukiah Unified School District, n.d.). Intelligence plays a key role in qualifying students. For instance, the student gate referral form tests intellectuality, which assesses skills in vocabulary, verbal and written, logical thinking and independent reading among others (Ukiah Unified School District, n.d.). Overall, all students require to be given the highest priority in learning. Therefore, “effective utilization of the services of special teachers in normal schools will go a long way to improve academic functioning of children who are slow learners” (Krishnakumar et al., par.2).

References

Krishnakumar, P., Jisha, A.M., Sukumaran, S.K. &, Nair, M.JK.C. (2011). Developing a model for resources room training for slow learners in normal schools.  Indian Journal of Psychiatry, 53(4), pp. 336-339.

Ukiah Unified School Program. (n.d.). GATE program.pg.1-11.