Meeting the Needs of All Students

As I walk through my school and visit classrooms, I can't help but notice how diverse the student population is. We have students of various ethnic backgrounds, races, social, emotional and learning needs, and intellectual levels. This diverse school population is not unique to my school and can be seen in schools throughout the country. As our student population changes, it is important for schools to change. It is the role of the administer to initiate and help maintain the changes that are needed to effectively meet the needs of all students.

Within any school, there are a number of teachers with varying levels of experience, areas of expertise and strengths and weaknesses. The building administrator needs to be able to use these differences to develop teaching teams that will be able to work together to meet the needs of the students. When forming these teams I would make sure that there is at least one person who is knowledgeable in special education and accommodations on each team. Ideally, I would want all of my teachers to have a strong knowledge base, but realistically, I know that I might only have one teacher on each team. For teams that have inclusion and/or co-teaching class periods, I would make sure that I choose teacher that are able to work together and are open minded and willing to work together. Once I have one special education teacher on each team and the teams that have inclusion and/or co-teaching class periods are developed, I would then begin to work on creating the rest of the teams. I would look at teachers strengths and weaknesses, personalities, experience levels and areas of expertise and then place teachers accordingly.

For the most part, I believe that all students should have access to the curriculum, however it will need to be modified and accommodated accordingly. This is where the term "least restrictive environment" comes into play. For some students, they may be able to be in a regular education class with some accommodations. Other students students may need resource room and some may need a self-contained class taught by a special educator. There are some students, such as life skills students and students with moderate to severe autism, that may need a separate curriculum, but that population is a small percentage of identified students.

Technology can be a great instructional tool for all students, especially students with special needs. There are programs that can read to students, type for students and reinforce skill work on the computer. Teachers can also use technology to present information so that they are using a multi-sensory approach to reach all students.

While technology can be useful to enhance instruction, it can also be used to help analyze data. Currently, my school uses Performance Tracker and NWEA to collect and analyze data. It has been very useful and is easy to use as long as the proper training has been done.

Prior to enrolling in this program I was not technologically savvy. If I had been told that using technology in my classroom was mandatory, I would have been apprehensive, only because I did not have the skill set. However, after working through these last three courses and using various forms of technology, I see the advantages of using technology in the classroom. As an administrator, this is something that I would push in my school. I would start with a needs assessment of my teachers and would then provide the necessary trainings so that teachers feel comfortable. I would have teachers serve as building coaches for added support. Eventually, I would make technology use a larger portion of the teacher evaluation process.

As time goes on, the role of the general education teacher has increased when it comes to assuring that all students' needs are being met. In the past, it was up to special educators to educate these students, which led to the "your students, my students" labels. With more schools using RtI and schools being held accountable for all students performing at proficiency on state tests, general education teachers are now responsible for educating all students, which requires them to differentiate. When a student is referred to my Learning Assistance Program, I always ask the teachers what accommodations they have already made in the classroom. Often times the answers in "none". As an administrator I would provide trainings to all of my teachers so that they understand what differentiation is (not just extra time on tests) and how and why it is used. I would have follow up trainings throughout the school year and I would meet with teams and individual teachers to help with any issues that arise. Finally, I would make this a part of the teacher evaluation process. Regular education teachers need to differentiate instruction. I have found that many of the accommodations that I make help all students, not just "my" students. Often times if is just good teaching