Why ‘model schools’ aren’t a good choice

The B.C. Liberals have been touting segregated schooling for students with disabilities as an educational “reform.”

B.C.’s Education minister, Shirley Bond, has also suggested the possibility that the provincial government might fund separate schools for Aboriginal studies or ESL students or based upon gender.

And, former B.C. Education Minister, Christy Clark, recently wrote in her newspaper column: “Segregation didn’t work as a general rule. But rules have exceptions.”

So, it’s good to this op-ed in today’s Vancouver Sun, which states what is obvious to many: Students with special needs need special instruction from specialist teachers, not separate facilities.

A good source on inclusive education is the Whole Schooling Consortium.

Wednesday » April 4 » 2007

Why ‘model schools’ aren’t a good choice
Students with special needs need special instruction from specialist teachers, not separate facilities

Pat Mirenda, Nancy Perry, Linda Siegel and Joe Lucyshyn
Vancouver Sun

Wednesday, April 04, 2007

There is a movement afoot to establish provincial “model schools” for students with special learning needs who are not succeeding in regular school settings.

In particular, students with learning disabilities or autism appear to be the focus of this movement.

The numerous shortcomings of such special schools in the past — whether they were designed for children who were visually impaired, deaf, intellectually disabled, or aboriginal — is a matter of the public record. All else being equal in terms of resources, accountability and expertise, it is clear that there is nothing necessarily better about places that are designed to educate learners whose only unifying characteristic is that they share some type of label.

It is time to look past “place” as the focus of educational reform and instead consider what we know from research is required for all students to achieve their maximum potential.

So, what do we know?
We know that, for all students, excellent instruction is critically important for learning. We also know that the earlier children at risk are identified, the sooner remediation can begin.

Ideally, this means that students at risk for learning difficulties are identified in preschool (yes, the tools do exist to accomplish this.) But at a minimum, this should occur no later than kindergarten or Grade 1. Then, teachers must be able to assess students’ current strengths and weaknesses, so that they can then identify learning goals accordingly.

They need to know how to design lessons that accommodate all learners, as well as how to adapt and modify curricula for individual students.

They need to know how to deliver instruction using techniques that are based on current research, and how to monitor students’ performance over time using observable, measurable criteria.

Teachers also need to know when and how to use various technologies sensibly and creatively to enhance learning. They need to know how to work collaboratively with families and other professionals who share their desire to deliver excellent instruction.

Both teachers and administrators need to know how to create school and classroom communities that welcome everyone, all the time, everywhere; and how to develop school-wide plans that result in both positive interpersonal relationships and appropriate behaviour.

They need to be able to consult with other teachers who have specific training and experience in special education. These specialist teachers, in turn, need to have the time to provide direct, one-on-one instruction to students who require it in specific areas.

Finally, they need to understand that all of this can happen in the context of inclusive classrooms that are populated by students both with and without special needs. If and when all of these elements are in place, parents will no longer insist that they want “more choice” about where their children are educated, because they will be learning effectively in their neighbourhood schools.

Does this happen now? For the most part, the answer is, No, it does not. But the problem is not the place of instruction.

Most teacher education programs in the province do not include even one course aimed at preparing teachers to meet the educational needs of students with special needs.

In most school districts, teachers with special education training or background are assigned to administrative or resource positions in which they are primarily responsible for supervising special education assistants who work directly with students.

This means that specialist teachers often do not have time to assess students’ needs, deliver direct instruction, monitor progress, or even consult regularly with classroom teachers to solve problems.

It also means that special education assistants — who, of all the professionals involved, have the least amount of training and are paid the lowest salaries — often have more direct contact with these students than do their teachers.

Given this, it is no mystery why many students with special needs do not make progress in reading, math, communication and other critical skill areas.

However, the best research evidence does not support the creation of either new places or a new governance model for special education services as the solution.

Instead of appropriating money to heat and light and furnish model schools, let’s use those same funds to make fundamental changes in how we prepare teachers and how we support them to do their jobs:

Provide additional post-secondary funding so that teacher education programs can truly prepare professionals who know how to teach all learners.

Provide adequate funding to school districts so that they can re-establish special education programs and hire specialist teachers who can work both directly and indirectly with students as needed.

Ensure that administrators and teachers have ready access to evidence-based instructional practices that really work.

And, in so doing, empower teachers so that they can ensure that students become successful learners, whether or not they have exceptional learning needs.

Pat Mirenda, Nancy Perry, Linda Siegel and Joe Lucyshyn teach at the faculty of education at the University of British Columbia.

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