Collaborative Relationships Transition

Ashford 7: – Week 6 – Final Paper

IEP Case Study: Collaborating with Multiple Points of View

After completing this assignment, you will have demonstrated your understanding of the following objectives:

Analyze the value of co-teaching as an inclusion model of instructional delivery.
Analyze the value of collaborative consultation as an inclusion model of instructional delivery.
Analyze ways to create a collaborative school culture to promote professional growth and leadership.
Determine some of the causes of education-based conflict.
Evaluate problem solving and negotiation strategies to resolve education-based conflict.
Recognize the importance of knowing personal strengths and weaknesses in conflict resolution.
Evaluate verbal, non-verbal, and para-verbal cues that impact communication with educators, administrators, parents, and community members.
Analyze the range of placements and services offered to students who have a disability.

Additionally, this assignment demonstrates your mastery of the Course Learning Outcomes 1, 2, 3, 4, & 5 and the MAED Program Learning Outcomes 2 & 8 and will have reinforced your competency with the MAED Program Learning Outcome 7.

As you have learned throughout this course, it takes a team to educate a student. The team is composed of stakeholders who have a professional and/or emotional investment in the student’s education and post-graduation success. Although everyone has the same destination in mind, their paths may differ. Being a proactive problem-solver means recognizing a disagreement or differing of opinions and finding an amicable solution through understanding and compromise. To further your abilities with these essential skills for a special educator, you will complete this comprehensive final assignment.

In this assignment, you will design a differentiated instructional strategy that aligns with learning strengths and needs in a collaborative team environment. This strategy should take into account each stakeholder’s investment in the academic growth and social well-being of a hypothetical student named Henry. Additionally, by successfully completing this assignment, you will be able to answer essential questions related to course topics, which are intended to provoke critical thinking in this course and throughout your professional career. The essential questions are: What is the best environment to educate a child with a disability? What are the best pro-active problem solving strategies for collaborative communication? How can teachers realistically teach students using differentiated teaching techniques and Universal Design for Learning?

Follow the instructions below to write your Final Paper.

Content
Read the Case Study: Supporting Henry and the IEP Team Meeting Description. Then, using the “Collaborative Problem Solving: Steps in the Process” (Windle & Warren, n.d.), proactively address Henry’s academic needs while considering each IEP team member’s perspective. Create separate headings in your paper for each category provided in this section.

Reflecting on the case study information provided with this assignment:

- Communication (2 points) – Construct an analysis of the messages each person sent to the team with their physical appearance, non-verbal cues, and para-verbal patterns.
- Interest (2 points) – Identify each person’s interests in attending this collaborative team meeting including a rationale to support the interests you have identified.
- Perspectives/ Emotions (2 points) – Construct an analysis of each person’s area of interest including why their interest is important professionally and personally, the emotions involved in the decision-making, and each person’s perceptions of the issues in the case.

Common Interest (2 points) – After analyzing each person’s interest and what they are communicating (linguistically and non-linguistically), describe what each person has in common.
Brainstorming Options (2 points) – Explain ten ways to provide Henry with equitable access to education. Be sure to explain the types of services Henry might need (e.g., pull-out reading, speech, or counseling), where Henry will receive his education, parent/teacher communication ideas, and how instruction will be delivered and by whom.
Reaching Agreement (2 points) – Reflect on your ideas from the previous Brainstorming Options section, then explain in detail the plan that will meet the needs and interests of everyone on Henry’s team. It is expected and important here that you support your plan using scholarly sources.
School-Wide Vision (2 points) – Recall your Week 5 Assignment “Everyone Wants What’s Best, So How Can ‘Best’ Be So Different?” Then, include an analysis of how your proactive team collaboration and the final agreement align with the long-term school goal to promote a collaborative school culture that embraces professional growth and leadership.
Role Reflection (2 points) – Writing from the perspective of the special educator in the Case Study, describe the skills you have when encountering conflict and how you will leverage these during Henry’s meeting. Additionally, describe how you will use other’s skills in Henry’s meeting to strengthen your areas of weakness. Be sure to describe how you, as the special educator in this case, will grow professionally from this experience to become a stronger leader.

Case Study – Supporting Henry

Henry, who is 11 years old and in the fifth grade, was recently diagnosed with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) and a SLD (Specific Learning Disability), and is now attending his first IEP meeting after going through the referral process. After several attempts to help Henry stay on task and complete his work, his teacher, Mr. Smith, referred Henry to the school’s student intervention team as the first step to start the referral process. He reported that Henry was constantly asking to leave his seat for “every excuse in the book” and this led Mr. Smith to finally acquiesce to Henry’s demands. However, on the way to his destination, Henry would invariably manage to be a disruption to people he encountered. Additionally, Henry rarely finished his coursework and often misplaced his homework. Henry is therefore in danger of failure. Mr. Smith reported that he truly liked Henry despite his behavior issues and work ethic. “He’s a really likeable kid! He’s funny and if someone gets hurt, Henry is the first one to arrive at the scene to help. He is never intentionally disrespectful, but his impulsivity and social immaturity has caused problems when he speaks before thinking.”

As part of the referral process, Dr. Burman, the school psychologist, completed the battery of psychological assessments. It was found that Henry did have significant attention, focus, and impulsivity issues. Ms. Young, a special education teacher, completed the educational assessment and found that he had problems with short-term memory and visual processing (how information is taken in visually and processed cognitively). It was decided that Henry did qualify for special education services as his disabilities negatively impacted his education. The team of educators, parents, the psychologist, and student now convene as a multidisciplinary team to discuss these results and if services are agreed to, the creation of Henry’s first annual IEP begins.

IEP Team Meeting Case Study Description

The following attendees are sitting at a round conference table.

Mr. Smith, general educator

Physical Appearance: Wearing jeans, a t-shirt and sneakers.
Non-Verbal: Sitting with both feet on the floor, hands on the table fidgeting with a stack of ungraded papers in a folder.
Paraverbal Cues: Talks quickly while looking at his hands and rarely makes eye-contact.
Verbally Stated Interest: Wants Henry to be educated in the “special education class” because he is continually disrupting other students from working, and he does not complete his coursework.

Ms. Young, special educator

Physical Appearance: Wearing casual pants, loafers, and a button-up blouse. She has long hair tied away from her face in a ponytail.
Non-Verbal Cues: Taking notes on her laptop during the meeting. Makes eye contact with everyone intermittently when she stops typing.
Paraverbal Cues: When talking about the team process and education setting, Ms. Young is careful to use language the parents will understand and pauses often for questions.
Verbally Stated Interest: Wants Henry to stay in his current placement so he doesn’t have to change classes in the middle of the school year.

Dr. Burman, school psychologist

Physical Appearance: Wearing suit pants, a button-up shirt, and tie with pictures of Mickey Mouse (that he explains to the group was a Father’s Day gift from his 5-year old).
Non-Verbal Cues: Sitting with his leg crossed under the desk, hands are palm down on the table, engaging in eye contact with whoever is speaking.
Paraverbal Cues: When explaining his findings to Henry’s parents, he speaks louder than necessary with a clear voice. He does not pause until he has completed his report.
Verbally Stated Interest: Feels that Henry will benefit from behavior therapy to control his impulsivity and has suggested visiting the pediatrician to discussion possible pharmaceutical intervention.

Dr. Jackson, assistant principal

Physical Appearance: Casual business attire with khaki pants, a polo shirt, and dress shoes.
Non-Verbal Cues: Sits with both feet on the floor, fingers intertwined on the table, rarely making eye contact by staring at his hands.
Paraverbal Cues: It is customary for Dr. Jackson to attend initial IEP meetings; however, he does not intervene or participate.
Verbally Stated Interest: None.

Mr. Jefferies, divorced parent, Lawyer

Physical Appearance: Mr. Jefferies is dressed in business attire, he has left the office to attend the meeting.
Non-Verbal Cues: Mr. Jefferies sits at the table with correct posture; hands folded on the table, making eye contact with everyone at the table except Mrs. Jefferies, his ex-wife.
Paraverbal Cues: When Mr. Jefferies is addressed, he replies by speaking quickly and with few words.
Verbally Stated Interest: Wants Henry to stay in his current placement so that he isn’t teased for being in “special education.” He wants Ms. Jackson to meet with Mr. Smith to help him manage Henry’s behavior and help adapt his work.

Mrs. Jefferies, divorced parent, kindergarten teacher

Physical Appearance: Mrs. Jefferies is dressed casually in a knee-length skirt, flip-flops, a tank-top, and cardigan sweater.
Non-Verbal cues: Mrs. Jefferies jumps in often, cutting off Mr. Jefferies every time he speaks; talking loudly over him.
Paraverbal Cues: Mrs. Jefferies, on the other hand, looks at her hands a lot when speaking, slowly, and her responses involve stories about Henry when he was younger.
Verbally Stated Interest: Wants Henry to stay in his current placement so that he isn’t teased for being in “special education”. They want Ms. Jackson to meet with Mr. Smith to help him manage Henry’s behavior and help adapt his work.

Henry Jeffries, the Student

Physical Appearance: Typically dressed for an 11-year-old boy in jeans and a t-shirt.
Non-Verbal Cues: Sits with both legs crossed under the table, hands in his lap, staring at the table.
Paraverbal Cues: Whenever Henry is asked a question, he continues to look at the table and mumbles his response.
Verbally Stated Interest: When he is asked what he wants to do, he shrugs his shoulders and says, “Whatever.”

Written Communication

Page Requirement (1 point): Eight to ten pages, not including the title and references page.
APA Formatting (1 point): Use APA formatting consistently throughout the assignment.
Syntax and Mechanics (1 point): Display meticulous comprehension and organization of syntax and mechanics, such as spelling and grammar.
Source Requirement (1 point): Reference five scholarly sources in addition to the course textbook which provide compelling evidence to support your ideas. All sources on the references page need to be used and cited correctly within the body of the assignment. Use the Ashford University Library to find scholarly references or use other books you may already own or otherwise have access to from prior coursework.

MORE INFORMATION:

Assignment

Due Date

Format

Grading Percent

Learning Reflection
Day 3
(1st post)
Discussion

4Improving Your School, One Goal at a Time
Day 3
(1st post)
Discussion

4End of Course Survey
Day 7
End of Course Survey
0.5IEP Case Study: Collaborating With Multiple Points of View
Day 7
Final Paper
20

Note: The online classroom is designed to time students out after 90 minutes of inactivity. Because of this, we strongly suggest that you compose your work in a word processing program and copy and paste it into the discussion post when you are ready to submit it.

Learning Outcomes

This week students will:

Analyze ways to create a collaborative school culture to promote professional growth and leadership.
Analyze the value of co-teaching as an inclusion model of instructional delivery.
Analyze the value of collaborative consultation as an inclusion model of instructional delivery.
Analyze ways to create a collaborative school culture to promote professional growth and leadership.
Determine some of the causes of education-based conflict.
Evaluate problem solving and negotiation strategies to resolve education-based conflict.
Recognize the importance of knowing personal strengths and weaknesses in conflict resolution.
Evaluate verbal, non-verbal, and para-verbal cues that impact communication with educators, administrators, parents, and community members.
Analyze the range of placements and services offered to students who have a disability.

Introduction

Think about everything you have learned throughout the course in creating a culture of collaboration through proactive problem-solving, self-reflection of personal strengths, teamwork and the value of multiple perspectives. In this final week of class, you will create a long term goal and short term objectives for your school, or a school where you imagine working in the future, that will take steps towards creating a school wide, fully collaborative environment. Additionally, you will demonstrate your mastery of the course learning objectives by designing differentiated instructional strategies addressing each perspective on the IEP team, taking into account communication styles, the interest of each stakeholder, and the overall purpose of the meeting.

Finally, please be sure to take some time to review this week’s Instructor Guidance; here you will find useful information that will help serve to guide you as you progress through the week’s resources and assignments.

Required Resources

Required Text

Murawski, W. & Spencer, S. (2011). Collaborate, communicate, and differentiate: How to increase student learning in today’s diverse schools. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin
- Chapter 10: Creating a Collaborative School Culture

Articles

Haberman, M. (2013, April 10). Why school culture matters, and how to improve it. Huffington Post. Retrieved from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/Michael-Haberman/why…

Discussions
To participate in the following discussions, go to this week’s Discussion link in the left navigation.

1. 1. Learning ReflectionIn this discussion, you have an opportunity to consider your learning from this course and engage in final conversation about the course with the instructor and other class peers. In the 1960’s, Bruce Tuckman related a model for group dynamics that suggested groups transition similarly along a continuum of activity for optimal functioning. These transitions were labeled Storming, Norming, Performing, and Adjourning. When we first entered our class together six weeks ago, we began Storming and Norming as a class. Throughout the course we have been Performing, and now we are in our moment of Adjourning. Though some of you may have opportunities for classes with peers in the future, this week marks the end of our unique opportunity as a group. Therefore, it is an effective time to reflect and debrief from our learning as we prepare for the next steps in our educational journeys.
    Initial Post – Post a response that addresses each of the following areas:
    1. Construct a list of the top three concepts, skills, resources, and so forth that you have gained in this course and that are most relevant to your life. These could be knowledge, skills, or attitudes related to the course topic, related to your abilities as a graduate student, or other relevant learning for you professionally that has come from this course experience. Include a brief description of each item in your list.
    2. List three concepts, skills, resources, and so forth that you are still curious about now that the course is nearly completed. Describe how you plan to acquire learning with items on your list.
    3. Reflect in no more than one paragraph about the most memorable challenge you experienced during his course and most memorable success. The challenges and successes may be related to your coursework, study experiences, or interactions with peers and the instructor. They might also be something more personal, such as an application of new concepts/knowledge or skills in your work environment or life generally.
    4. State which class you are taking next and explain in no more than a paragraph how you envision this course relates to that next course in the scheme of your total program learning experience.
    Guided Response – Post replies to at least two peers before the close date of this discussion. In your replies, consider asking questions of peers about their reflections to encourage further conversation. Consider discussing the factors that might have contributed to your lists’ differences and similarities. Comment and ask questions about your peers’ challenges and successes. Consider whether you have taken the class your peer is taking next and offer any advice you can about the course if applicable. Though two replies is the basic expectation, for deeper engagement and learning, you are encouraged to provide responses to any comments or questions others have given to you (including the instructor) before the last day of the discussion.
Reference the

Discussion Forum Grading Rubric

Improving Your School, One Goal at a TimeThis discussion is your opportunity to demonstrate your understanding of the objectives; Analyze ways to create a collaborative school culture to promote professional growth and leadership; and Recognize the importance of knowing personal strengths and weaknesses in conflict resolution. Additionally, the discussion represents your master of the Course Learning Outcomes 1, 2, & 3.
Throughout the course you have learned the importance of collaboration between teachers in an inclusive teaching environment, how each person plays an important role as part of a team effort, and how an array of opinions can be united into one common goal using proactive problem-solving strategies. The same foundational theories can be applied to a larger system when creating a proactive school culture that is fully inclusive, and requires each stakeholder to play an important role in the team and to use proactive problem-solving to avoid potential conflicting situations.

According to Nadine Engels article Principals in Schools With a Positive School Culture (as cited in School Culture Matters, (2013), contributing factors to positive culture include “a shared sense of purpose and values, norms of continuous learning and improvement, collaborative collegial relationships… and sharing experiences” (para. 4). Furthermore, according to chapter eight in Murawski and Spencer (2011), creating a collaborative school culture is akin to writing an IEP, where team members evaluate the school’s present level of performance; create a long-term goal to be reevaluated annually and short term, scaffolded objectives for meeting the long-term goal (p. 139). As Murawski and Spencer (2011) explain, we begin by thinking about where the school is in its current condition as a social culture, the parent/teacher collaboration dynamic, the emotional environment, and overall instructional practices. Then, using proactive problem-solving steps, stakeholders will share perceptions and emotions of their “Collaborative Culture” vision. Using that shared information, the overall issue will be identified (i.e., the long-term goal), and the team will brainstorm ideas for how to accomplish it. Finally, the team will determine how the school’s culture will be improved over a period of time (short term objectives) and each person’s role in the team’s success.

Initial Post – Start by reflecting on all you have learned throughout this course. Then, develop one long term goal in creating a collaborative school culture and four short term objectives that will scaffold to enable your school to achieve that goal. Additionally, explain how the special education team and site administrators will each play a part in your overall goal.

Guided Response – Post replies to at least two peers before the close date of this discussion. In your replies, consider asking questions of peers about their responses to encourage further conversation. In your replies, describe the role that might be played by two additional stakeholders in reaching your peers’ long-term goal and short term objectives. Stakeholders can include parents, general educators, service providers, community partners, and the student body.

As with all prior discussions, though two replies is the basic expectation, for deeper engagement and learning, you are encouraged to provide responses to any comments or questions others have given to you (including the instructor) before the last day of the discussion; this will further the conversation while also giving you opportunities to demonstrate your content expertise, critical thinking, and real world experiences with this topic.

Reference the Discussion Forum Grading Rubric for guidance on how your discussion will be evaluated.

End of Course Survey
To complete the following End of Course Survey, go to this week’s End of Course Survey link in the left navigation.

After you have completed the End of Course Survey, please complete the one question quiz to receive your points. If for any reason you wish not to complete the survey, you may do so and still receive the 0.5 points by completing the one question quiz.

Final Paper
To complete the following final paper, go to this week’s Final Paper link in the left navigation.

IEP Case Study: Collaborating with Multiple Points of View

After completing this assignment, you will have demonstrated your understanding of the following objectives:

Analyze the value of co-teaching as an inclusion model of instructional delivery.

Analyze the value of collaborative consultation as an inclusion model of instructional delivery.

Analyze ways to create a collaborative school culture to promote professional growth and leadership.

Determine some of the causes of education-based conflict.

Evaluate problem solving and negotiation strategies to resolve education-based conflict.

Recognize the importance of knowing personal strengths and weaknesses in conflict resolution.

Evaluate verbal, non-verbal, and para-verbal cues that impact communication with educators, administrators, parents, and community members.

Analyze the range of placements and services offered to students who have a disability.

Additionally, this assignment demonstrates your mastery of the Course Learning Outcomes 1, 2, 3, 4, & 5.

As you have learned throughout this course, it takes a team to educate a student. The team is composed of stakeholders who have a professional and/or emotional investment in the student’s education and post-graduation success. Although everyone has the same destination in mind, their paths may differ. Being a proactive problem-solver means recognizing a disagreement or differing of opinions and finding an amicable solution through understanding and compromise. To further your abilities with these essential skills for a special educator, you will complete this comprehensive final assignment.

In this assignment, you will design a differentiated instructional strategy that aligns with learning strengths and needs in a collaborative team environment. This strategy should take into account each stakeholder’s investment in the academic growth and social well-being of a hypothetical student named Henry. Additionally, by successfully completing this assignment, you will be able to answer essential questions related to course topics, which are intended to provoke critical thinking in this course and throughout your professional career. The essential questions are: What is the best environment to educate a child with a disability? What are the best pro-active problem solving strategies for collaborative communication? How can teachers realistically teach students using differentiated teaching techniques and Universal Design for Learning?

Follow the instructions below to write your Final Paper.

Content
Read the Case Study: Supporting Henry and the IEP Team Meeting Description. Then, using the “Collaborative Problem Solving: Steps in the Process” (Windle & Warren, n.d.), proactively address Henry’s academic needs while considering each IEP team member’s perspective. Create separate headings in your paper for each category provided in this section.

Reflecting on the case study information provided with this assignment:

Communication (2 points) – Construct an analysis of the messages each person sent to the team with their physical appearance, non-verbal cues, and para-verbal patterns.

Interest (2 points) – Identify each person’s interests in attending this collaborative team meeting including a rationale to support the interests you have identified.

Perspectives/ Emotions (2 points) – Construct an analysis of each person’s area of interest including why their interest is important professionally and personally, the emotions involved in the decision-making, and each person’s perceptions of the issues in the case.

Common Interest (2 points) – After analyzing each person’s interest and what they are communicating (linguistically and non-linguistically), describe what each person has in common.

Brainstorming Options (2 points) – Explain ten ways to provide Henry with equitable access to education. Be sure to explain the types of services Henry might need (e.g., pull-out reading, speech, or counseling), where Henry will receive his education, parent/teacher communication ideas, and how instruction will be delivered and by whom.

Reaching Agreement (2 points) – Reflect on your ideas from the previous Brainstorming Options section, then explain in detail the plan that will meet the needs and interests of everyone on Henry’s team. It is expected and important here that you support your plan using scholarly sources.

School-Wide Vision (2 points) – Recall your Week 5 Assignment “Everyone Wants What’s Best, So How Can ‘Best’ Be So Different?” Then, include an analysis of how your proactive team collaboration and the final agreement align with the long-term school goal to promote a collaborative school culture that embraces professional growth and leadership.

Role Reflection (2 points) – Writing from the perspective of the special educator in the Case Study, describe the skills you have when encountering conflict and how you will leverage these during Henry’s meeting. Additionally, describe how you will use other’s skills in Henry’s meeting to strengthen your areas of weakness. Be sure to describe how you, as the special educator in this case, will grow professionally from this experience to become a stronger leader.

Case Study – Supporting Henry

Henry, who is 11 years old and in the fifth grade, was recently diagnosed with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) and a SLD (Specific Learning Disability), and is now attending his first IEP meeting after going through the referral process. After several attempts to help Henry stay on task and complete his work, his teacher, Mr. Smith, referred Henry to the school’s student intervention team as the first step to start the referral process. He reported that Henry was constantly asking to leave his seat for “every excuse in the book” and this led Mr. Smith to finally acquiesce to Henry’s demands. However, on the way to his destination, Henry would invariably manage to be a disruption to people he encountered. Additionally, Henry rarely finished his coursework and often misplaced his homework. Henry is therefore in danger of failure. Mr. Smith reported that he truly liked Henry despite his behavior issues and work ethic. “He’s a really likeable kid! He’s funny and if someone gets hurt, Henry is the first one to arrive at the scene to help. He is never intentionally disrespectful, but his impulsivity and social immaturity has caused problems when he speaks before thinking.”

As part of the referral process, Dr. Burman, the school psychologist, completed the battery of psychological assessments. It was found that Henry did have significant attention, focus, and impulsivity issues. Ms. Young, a special education teacher, completed the educational assessment and found that he had problems with short-term memory and visual processing (how information is taken in visually and processed cognitively). It was decided that Henry did qualify for special education services as his disabilities negatively impacted his education. The team of educators, parents, the psychologist, and student now convene as a multidisciplinary team to discuss these results and if services are agreed to, the creation of Henry’s first annual IEP begins.

IEP Team Meeting Case Study Description

The following attendees are sitting at a round conference table.

Mr. Smith, general educator

Physical Appearance: Wearing jeans, a t-shirt and sneakers.

Non-Verbal: Sitting with both feet on the floor, hands on the table fidgeting with a stack of ungraded papers in a folder.

Paraverbal Cues: Talks quickly while looking at his hands and rarely makes eye-contact.

Verbally Stated Interest: Wants Henry to be educated in the “special education class” because he is continually disrupting other students from working, and he does not complete his coursework.

Ms. Young, special educator

Physical Appearance: Wearing casual pants, loafers, and a button-up blouse. She has long hair tied away from her face in a ponytail.

Non-Verbal Cues: Taking notes on her laptop during the meeting. Makes eye contact with everyone intermittently when she stops typing.

Paraverbal Cues: When talking about the team process and education setting, Ms. Young is careful to use language the parents will understand and pauses often for questions.

Verbally Stated Interest: Wants Henry to stay in his current placement so he doesn’t have to change classes in the middle of the school year.

Dr. Burman, school psychologist

Physical Appearance: Wearing suit pants, a button-up shirt, and tie with pictures of Mickey Mouse (that he explains to the group was a Father’s Day gift from his 5-year old).

Non-Verbal Cues: Sitting with his leg crossed under the desk, hands are palm down on the table, engaging in eye contact with whoever is speaking.

Paraverbal Cues: When explaining his findings to Henry’s parents, he speaks louder than necessary with a clear voice. He does not pause until he has completed his report.

Verbally Stated Interest: Feels that Henry will benefit from behavior therapy to control his impulsivity and has suggested visiting the pediatrician to discussion possible pharmaceutical intervention.

Dr. Jackson, assistant principal

Physical Appearance: Casual business attire with khaki pants, a polo shirt, and dress shoes.

Non-Verbal Cues: Sits with both feet on the floor, fingers intertwined on the table, rarely making eye contact by staring at his hands.

Paraverbal Cues: It is customary for Dr. Jackson to attend initial IEP meetings; however, he does not intervene or participate.

Verbally Stated Interest: None.

Mr. Jefferies, divorced parent, Lawyer

Physical Appearance: Mr. Jefferies is dressed in business attire, he has left the office to attend the meeting.

Non-Verbal Cues: Mr. Jefferies sits at the table with correct posture; hands folded on the table, making eye contact with everyone at the table except Mrs. Jefferies, his ex-wife.

Paraverbal Cues: When Mr. Jefferies is addressed, he replies by speaking quickly and with few words.

Verbally Stated Interest: Wants Henry to stay in his current placement so that he isn’t teased for being in “special education.” He wants Ms. Jackson to meet with Mr. Smith to help him manage Henry’s behavior and help adapt his work.

Mrs. Jefferies, divorced parent, kindergarten teacher

Physical Appearance: Mrs. Jefferies is dressed casually in a knee-length skirt, flip-flops, a tank-top, and cardigan sweater.

Non-Verbal cues: Mrs. Jefferies jumps in often, cutting off Mr. Jefferies every time he speaks; talking loudly over him.

Paraverbal Cues: Mrs. Jefferies, on the other hand, looks at her hands a lot when speaking, slowly, and her responses involve stories about Henry when he was younger.

Verbally Stated Interest: Wants Henry to stay in his current placement so that he isn’t teased for being in “special education”. They want Ms. Jackson to meet with Mr. Smith to help him manage Henry’s behavior and help adapt his work.

Henry Jeffries, the Student

Physical Appearance: Typically dressed for an 11-year-old boy in jeans and a t-shirt.

Non-Verbal Cues: Sits with both legs crossed under the table, hands in his lap, staring at the table.

Paraverbal Cues: Whenever Henry is asked a question, he continues to look at the table and mumbles his response.

Verbally Stated Interest: When he is asked what he wants to do, he shrugs his shoulders and says, “Whatever.”

Written Communication

Page Requirement (1 point): Eight to ten pages, not including the title and references page.

APA Formatting (1 point): Use APA formatting consistently throughout the assignment.

Syntax and Mechanics (1 point): Display meticulous comprehension and organization of syntax and mechanics, such as spelling and grammar.

Source Requirement (1 point): Reference five scholarly sources in addition to the course textbook which provide compelling evidence to support your ideas. All sources on the references page need to be used and cited correctly within the body of the assignment. Use the Ashford University Library to find scholarly references or use other books you may already own or otherwise have access to from prior coursework.

Review and Submit the Assignment
Review your assignment with the Grading Rubric to be sure you have achieved the distinguished levels of performance for each criterion. Next, submit the assignment to the courseroom for evaluation no later than day 7 of the week.

2 days ago

ESE633: COLLABORATIVE RELATIONSHIPS & TRANSITION

Instructor Guidance

Week 6

Introduction

In our final week of class, we will be taking a more holistic view of the collaborative environment using the school-wide perspective. The past five weeks have addressed education-based collaboration with the focus on improving academic achievement and post-high school success for students who have a disability. Each participant is invited to the team because of their personal or professional involvement within the meeting’s scope.

Figure 5. Creating a culture of collaboration is an essential part of student success. This means everyone including students, teachers, administrators, parents, staff and all other education stakeholders. (Reprinted from Morguefile, by Jdurham, 2009)

The same foundational concepts can be implemented on a larger scale to create a “collaborative culture” that promotes school-wide achievement. According to Sharon Kruse, author of Building Strong School Cultures: A Leader’s Guide to Change (as cited in Culture of Collaboration, 2014),

Creating a school culture that ensures positive outcomes for all students requires an “all hands on deck” approach to meeting the needs of the school community. Yet, bringing staff, teachers and parents together to do the work of the school is not easy. Collaboration cannot be coerced nor compelled. Rather, school leaders must help all members of the school community feel a sense of pride and ownership in their work. (para 1).

To help to build a culture of school-wide collaboration each team member must focus on clear outcome(s), creating multiple leaders who leverage individual strengths, making personally meaningful connections to the team’s mission, and celebrating others’ accomplishments (Culture of Collaboration, 2014).

In addition, authors Kruse, Louis, and Bryk (1994) published an outline of five critical elements for successful team collaboration. Each member must engage in reflective dialogue, de-privatize practices, collectively focus on student learning, collaborate, and have a shared value and norm. From a school-wide perspective, this reflective dialogue is interpreted as “members of the community talk about their situations and the specific challenges they face. Together, they develop a set of shared norms, beliefs and values that form a basis for action” (Kruse, et.al, 1994, p. 4). Moreover, teachers open their doors to sharing teaching methods and philosophies in order to develop trusting relationships and collaborative partnerships where everyone has the same mindset that all students can learn.

Through their words and actions, teachers joined in a professional community affirm common values concerning critical educational issues, and in support of their collective focus on student learning. These values can address children and their ability to learn, priorities for the use of time and space within a school setting, and the proper roles of parents, teachers and administrators. (Kruse, et.al, 1994, p. 4).

Week 6 Discussion Guidance

Discussion 1

This discussion, “Learning Reflection”, focuses on the “forming, storming, norming, performing, and adjourning” model design for teamwork by Bruce Tuckeman in his article Developmental Sequence in Small Groups. (as cited in Team Formation, 2014). In the “Forming” stage, each person in the team is establishing a role determined by strengths, personality traits, and group dynamics. In the next stage, members begin “storming” against what was established in the forming stage, creating conflict situations as the ‘honeymoon’ behavior wears off and working style differences infer with collaborative efforts. If teams are able to work through their “storming” differences, “norming” is established where team members get to know each other on a personal and professional level, and are able work together leveraging each other’s strengths and professional deficiencies. Your team is using proactive communication strategies, “performing” as a strong collaborative team. Most teams are not permanent; they will be “adjourning” once their goal has been accomplished. (Forming, storming, norming, and performing, 2014)

For your initial post you will reflect on how you see yourself as a leader in each of these stages; where you feel you need more professional development and how you will accomplish that; and any personal challenges or accomplishments you’ve experienced during this course in relation to collaboration, proactive communication, or yourself as a leader in conflict resolution.

Discussion 2

Collaborating with an education-based team that promotes students’ academic achievement and emotional wellbeing, must be a system-wide initiative. Contributing factors to positive culture include “a shared sense of purpose and values, norms of continuous learning and improvement, collaborative collegial relationships… and sharing experiences” (School Culture Matters, 2013, para. 4). According to Murawski and Spencer (2011), creating a collaborative school culture is akin to writing an IEP, where team members evaluate the school’s present level of performance; create a long-term goal to be reevaluated annually and short term, scaffolded objectives for meeting the long-term goal (p. 139). This process begins with a collaborative school-wide team evaluating the school as a social culture, the parent/teacher collaboration dynamic, the emotional environment, and overall instructional practices. Then, using the school’s current dynamics, the team will identify overall issue (i.e., the school’s long-term goal), and brainstorm ideas for how establish and accomplish this long-term improvement goal. The final step in this process is to determine the incremental steps needed to improve the school’s collaborative culture (short term objectives) and how each person will take a role in the team’s short-term objectives and long-term goals towards success.

Initial Post: Start by reflecting on all you have learned throughout this course. Then, develop one long term goal in creating a collaborative school culture and four short term objectives that will scaffold to enable your school to achieve that goal. Additionally, explain how the special education team and site administrators will each play a part in your overall goal.

In your initial post on “Improving Your School One Goal at a Time” you will use this “School IEP” concept to develop one long term and four scaffolded short term goals in creating a collaborative school culture at your current or fictional school, with attention to how the special education team and site administrators will each play a part in your overall goal.

Week 6 Assignment Guidance

Teachers have traditionally welcomed their students into the classroom, closed the door, and taught in isolation. We now know through research and practice that a collaborative education-based environment advances student emotional wellbeing, promotes stakeholder communication, and an overall academic success including post-graduation achievements.

Although each has a professional and/or emotional investment within this education-based team, their vision of success may have alternative paths. Being a proactive problem-solver means recognizing multiple streets and finding an amicable solution through understanding and compromise.

In your final summative assignment, “Collaborating with Multiple Points of View”, you will design a differentiated instructional strategy that aligns with learning strengths and needs in a collaborative team environment and that takes into account each stakeholder’s investment in the hypothetical student Henry’s academic growth and social wellbeing. Additionally, by successfully completing this assignment, you will be able to answer the essential questions of this course’s topic, which are intended to provoke critical thinking in this course and throughout your professional career: What is the best environment to educate a child with a disability?; What are the best pro-active problem solving strategies for collaborative communication; and How can teachers realistically teach students using differentiated teaching techniques and Universal Design for Learning?

References

Corporation of National and Community Service. (2014, January 21). Charting the progression of AmeriCorps members and group development. Retrieved from https://www.nationalserviceresources.gov/stages-gr…

Haberman, M. (2013, April 10). Why school culture matters, and how to improve it. Retrieved from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/Michael-Haberman/why…

Jdurham (2010). y 042a [drawing]. Retrieved from http://www.morguefile.com/archive/display/562790

Kruse, S. (n.d.). AASA: 5 Ways to build a culture of collaboration with staff, teachers and parents. Retrieved from http://www.aasa.org/content.aspx?id=12512

Kruse, S., Louis, K. S., & Bryk, A. (1994). Building professional community in schools. Issues in Restructuring Schools, #6, pp. 3-6. Retrieved from http://www.wcer.wisc.edu/archive/cors/Issues_in_Re…

MindTools. (2014). Forming, storming, norming, and performing: Understanding the stages of team formation. Retrieved from http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newLDR_86.h…

Murawski, W. & Spencer, S. (2011). Collaborate, communicate, and differentiate: How to increase student learning in today’s diverse schools. Corwin Press

Solution Preview

Special education is something that has developed over the years to the current case where all the different students have their well-being addressed. When it comes to delivering this, there is a need for collaboration among the various parties with the aim of ensuring that they…………………………….

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