Collaboration between General Education Teachers and Related Service Providers Fallon Blask SUNY Oswego: Spring 2011 1 Table of Contents Abstract……………………………………………………………………………………...Page 4 1. Introduction…………………………………………………………………………….... Page 4 1.1 Identifying the Problem; Creating a Purpose…………………………………………... Page 4 1.2 My Story………………………………………………………………………………... Page 6 1.3 Forming my Inquiry; Talking to Teachers……………………………………………... Page 8 2. Literature Review……………………………………………………………………...… Page 9 2.1 Reviewing Literature that Informed My Research; an Overview……………………… Page 9 2.2 Time…………………………………………………………………………………... Page 10 2.3 Communication………………………………………………………………………...Page 10 2.4 Sharing of Expertise…………………………………………………………………....Page 11 2.5 Professional Development……………………………………………………………..Page 12 2.6 Administration………………………………………………………………………… Page 13 2.7 Parental Involvement…………………………………………………………………. Page 14 2.8 Conclusion………………………………….…………………………………………. Page 14 3. Methodology…………………………………………………………………………… Page 15 3.1 Participants……………………………………………………………………………. Page 15 3.2 Interviewees……………………………………………………………………………Page 16 3.3 Instruments……………………………………………………………………………. Page 17 3.4 Procedure……………………………………………………………………………… Page 17 4. Results…………………………………………………………………………………...Page 19 4.1 Questionnaire…………………………………………………………………………. Page 19 4.2 Questionnaire Short Answer………………………………………………………..… Page 26 4.3 Interview…………………………………………………………………………….... Page 29 4.4 Definition…………………………………………………………………………...… Page 30 4.5 Collaboration Frequency and Team Members………………………………………... Page 30 4.6 Related service Providers……………………………………………………………... Page 31 4.7 Additional Time………………………………………………………………………. Page 32 5. Discussion and Interpretation…………………………………………………………... Page 33 5.1 Summary……………………………………………………………………………… Page 33 2 5.2 Discussion…………………………………………………………………………….. Page 33 5.3 Time………………………………………………………………………………...… Page 34 5.4 Communication……………………………………………………………………..… Page 35 5.5 Professional Development……………………………………………………………. Page 36 5.6 Limitations……………………………………………………………………………. Page 38 5.7 Implications…………………………………………………………………………… Page 39 5.8 Recommendations for Future Research………………………………………………. Page 39 7. References……………………………………………………………………………… Page 41 Appendix………………………………………………………………………………….. Page 42 Appendix A: Administration Consent…………………………………………………..… Page 43 Appendix B: Teacher Consent……………………………………………………………..Page 44 Appendix C: Reminder letter…………………………...………………………………… Page 45 Appendix D: Questionnaire……………………………………….………………………. Page 46 Appendix E: Interview Question………………………………………………………..… Page 50 3 Abstract Inclusion for students with disabilities into the general education classroom has grown exponentially over the last decade. With legislation, such as, No Child Left Behind (NCLB) and The Individuals with Disabilities Educational Improvement Act (IDEA) of 2004 schools are moving towards integrating their classrooms more than they ever have in the past. The main focus of my research was the attitudes and perceptions of teachers towards collaboration and their perceptions of collaboration with service providers. In order to provide the most appropriate and least restrictive environment possible for students with disabilities all teachers and providers must be “on the same page.” I found some barriers which restrict collaboration between general education teachers and related service providers. Introduction 1.1 Identifying the Problem; Creating a Purpose As classrooms become more and more integrated with students with disabilities, all educators must acquire more knowledge so as to better accommodate these children in the general education classroom. One way teachers may gain knowledge about their students is through collaboration with other specialists or related service providers. Some of these related service providers include people such as the Occupational therapist, Physical therapist, or Speech and Language provider. These individuals contain knowledge about our students that is more specialized than what the general education or even the special education teacher may know. Collaborating with these individuals would expand the knowledge of all teachers connected to the child. Collaboration could help teachers better understand each child more specifically. Therefore accommodations or modifications to instruction would be more individualized and appropriate. To do this teachers must be willing to first acknowledge and accept all students in the classroom; grow as educators and most importantly collaborate with all individuals who impact their students learning. 4 The philosophy a teacher holds about children with disabilities is a major factor of how teachers may react and impact their willingness to participate with an inclusive classroom. A teacher‟s perspectives on students‟ abilities are also important. All students can learn, all students have the right to be educated with their peers in age- appropriate heterogeneous classrooms with their neighborhood schools, and it is the responsibility of the school community to meet the diverse educational needs of all its students regardless of ability level, national origin, linguistic, cultural and family background. (Hunt, Soto, Mailer, and Doering, 2003, pg. 315) With this philosophy, teachers must not rely solely upon themselves to educate all children but must embrace the help and knowledge others can provide. Teachers must work together to create the best learning environment possible for all students. Classrooms are no longer only one teacher instructing several students. On the contrary, classrooms have become much more integrated with other adults such as, paraprofessionals, one on one aide, and other teachers pushing in the classroom. One such teacher may be the special education teacher or related service provider. As the needs of our students grows so does the number of different educational providers. The more needs a student may have will increase the number of people working with that child. All these people are vital to the growth and independence of the child. Students with disabilities are surrounded by many adults each and every day. Each teacher and service provider knows and understands their child but only within their own classroom setting. This is why collaboration among these two groups of professionals is important. What children are learning in each section of their day must be transferred consistently to other parts of their learning day. It is not productive or beneficial for knowledge and skills to only be applicable in one setting. A student must be able to use their skills in all areas of learning and in life. Collaboration between teacher and service provider has not been reached to its fullest potential even though it is important to student learning! 5 1.2 My Story As a young child, as far back as I can remember I have always had friends and relationships with physically challenged people. Growing up my uncle used a wheel chair, due to diabetes and I watched how he struggled getting around, working, and even driving. However, with these struggles I also recognized the fact that he still remained independent even after losing both his legs. In elementary school, I went to a school with a diverse student body. Some students were rich, poor, and disabled. Unlike many of the elementary schools around my area, this was one of the few that had a special education program that encompassed students with severally physical and mental disabilities. These students were placed in a separate classroom for most of the learning day. We were integrated for things such as lunch, recess, specials, fieldtrips, and some academics like morning work. As we transitioned into the middle school, these students were seen even less with the general public of our student body. Again, these students were only “included” for brief times such as specials, lunch, and recess. I began to see in middle school how the dynamics of this separation affected the student body. Many students in the general classrooms were unwelcoming to students with special needs, often making fun of them because they were different or simply did not associate or talk with them. I felt that these actions were a result of fear towards the unknown. Students with special needs were not something that was within the “norm” of their previous school. The majority of the general population of the middle school had never known a student with special needs ever in their life. Many of us children who went to the same elementary school with students with disabilities continued our friendships, however basic it may have been. The separation of differences among us as students only continued to increase as we moved in to high school. In high school many students were cruel to the students 6 with disabilities. With the influence of older and even more unaware students, the students with special needs became ridiculed and their differences pointed out. Many of us, including myself, did not do or say much to try and change the situation. I regret this decision even today. During college and my many Master‟s degree classes I have participated in practicum where there were students with special needs. One placement in particular I worked with a student one-on-one and was able to see and experience some of what he dealt with on a daily basis. This child had Cerebral Palsy, was non-verbal, and had little motor control. This child received many services throughout the school day. These services included speech/ language, occupational therapy, physical therapy, reading specialists, and multiple daily visits to the nurse. In working with this student I saw firsthand how “included” he truly was in his general education classroom. I saw the many times that he was pulled-out of class for one or more of his services. As a result he would miss academic lessons and activities within the classroom. I was able to recognize how he struggled to be a part of his class community when he was only present for a few minutes at a time. It was frustrating for not only this student, but for myself and the special educator to see this constant lack of connection. As I look back on these experiences in my life I realize that each one has influenced me in specific ways. I find myself constantly focusing my attention towards issues that deal with students who have special needs. I have always wanted to be a teacher and be a part of student learning and growth, but it has always been my philosophy that “all students can learn when given the right tools and opportunities.” I feel that this has come from my personal experiences not only through my primary days but also through college as well. I see that my work with students with special needs has strengthened my belief that all educators must give our students the right tools to learn and be successful. With these many experiences, I approach my research 7 with a sensitive view on the subject of inclusion. I believe in providing appropriate inclusion opportunities for all students. This is not simply having students “in” the classroom; this must be all students participating in the most appropriate ways possible. All students by law are given the opportunity to be in the general education classroom. We must find a way to keep these students appropriately in the classroom so they may learn and develop from interacting with other students of all learning levels. These interactions will help form and develop relationships that are not academically based but will be beneficial throughout their life. Lessons in tolerance, acceptance, and humility can be taught within the inclusive classroom. 1.3 Forming my Inquiry; Talking to Teachers I began my inquiry by talking to teachers I worked with to evaluate their opinions about the issue of inclusive classrooms and collaboration. I talked to my former mentor teacher from student teaching and I asked her questions related to inclusive classrooms. I asked her about collaboration between teachers and related service providers and the experiences that she has had regarding the subject. She expressed concerns regarding students Individualized Education Plan (IEP) and making sure that all requirements were being met. Her biggest struggle was with time and placement. Many students in their IEPs required separate locations for testing or extra time for testing. Both of these conditions require support of other faculty members. Scheduling help for tests, quizzes, or other assessments takes time to accomplish. She also discussed that another disadvantage for students with disabilities in a general education class was the issue of being pulled-out for services. Many times students are missing academic time or activities that are supportive to the curriculum. One recommendation that my mentor provided was to really work with the special education teacher in the beginning of the year. She stated that scheduling in the beginning of the year is crucial in making the student‟s day smooth and consistent. For students 8 that do need to be pulled out during academics the grade level has created a “safety net.” At the end of each day one teacher of the three has quiet room while the other two have recess. This is a time for any student who has missing or unfinished work to complete this work. This is also a great time for the teacher to work one on one or in small groups with children who missed portions of the day in their classroom due to being pulled out. This initial contact with a teacher enabled me to concentrate my inquiry and solidify my own perceptions about the issue. The purpose of my research is to understand the attitudes and perceptions of teachers towards collaboration and their perceptions of collaboration with service providers. In order to provide the most appropriate and least restrictive environment possible for students with disabilities all teachers and providers must be “on the same page.” Literature Review 2.1 Reviewing Literature that Informed My Research; an Overview As I began to formulate my inquiry into the issue of collaboration and seek answers to the problem that I had identified, I formulated several key concepts that I believed would guide me to review the literature on inclusive classroom collaboration. Since I wanted to better understand the dynamics between teachers and related service providers, I initiated my search with the key words of „inclusive classroom‟ and „collaboration.‟ With this focus I was able to find studies related to collaboration among teachers within an inclusive classroom setting. These studies gave me insight into the many factors that affect collaboration between teachers and other professionals within the school. Many concepts were consistent factors in creating a positive and effective collaborative experience while there were other consistent factors that created barriers for productive collaboration. Collaboration can be defined as “co-equal professionals‟ voluntarily co-planning to achieve common goals” (Friend and Cook as cited by Carter, N., 9 Prater, M., Jackson, A., & Marchant, M. cite all the first time 2009, pg. 60) and “Collaborative teaming unites general education and special education in a process, which offers ongoing opportunities for the team members to share their skills, knowledge, and methods to facilitate learning” (Kritikos and Bimaum, 2003, pg. 93). The several themes that emerged from the literature review were time, communication, sharing of experience, professional development, administration, and parental involvement. 2.2 Time When considering collaboration, among professionals there are several issues and areas of concern that are important to address for the best collaboration to exist. One such factor is time. Time must be purposefully set aside and 100 percent available to teachers so that they can productively work together. Time was found to be a major factor in many of the studies. According to Hunt, Doering, Hirose-Hatae, Maier, and Goetz (2001) regularly scheduled meetings allowed for reflection, collaboration, brainstorming, and also time to listen to one another. Hunt et al. (2003) also argue that a positive outcome for regularly scheduled time meetings allows teachers to reflect together on an ongoing basis, as well as providing the opportunity to seek the input of the child‟s parent(s). Taking the time to schedule meetings provides the opportunity to focus efforts on students who require intensive and comprehensive plans (Hunt et al., 2003). If there is less commitment to working with peers on problem-solving with collaboration, there will be less need to find time to participate in such an activity. 2.3 Communication Another major element that must be considered for productive collaboration is communication. Parity among teachers is an important component to all aspects of collaboration but most importantly to communication. Without parity there will be a great discomfort felt 10