Key Assessment Data

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1e0QTWWUVwT45iMNM44QS7Eg1aqLGZmJYf4HFFisuaMQ/edit?usp=sharing

Ableism 6

 “NLTS documented that a large number of students with LD who were placed in general education classrooms did not receive accommodations or support.”

This could be chalked up to two main reasons a lack of resources and a lack of advocacy. Let’s start with the first reason lack of resources teachers do not have resources many have buy there own supply and pay for there own trainings we are experiencing a massive teacher shortage many teachers in classrooms today do not have the proper training experience or even education to teach students even less so students with LDs who need even more support and accommodations. How is a teacher realistically supposed to provide a quality education to students in classrooms that are to big with a lack of materials or experience the answer is they cant. This means that the students suffer and the quality of teachers goes down. Students with LDs often need extra help which is something that can’t be done if there’s only one teacher in a classroom we need more adults in classrooms and more investment in our teachers to see any improvement. The second reason is a lack of advocacy while we may have laws in the books that protect students with LDs and provide governmental support and money for them that does not mean they get enforced. Many students who need accommodations are not getting what they need either due at best ignorance or at worse active ablism given by educators and administration. Many of these students will not get support unless they advocate for themselves or have someone advocate for them but this often does not happen. First of all children should be advocating for themselves that is not there job there job is to learn by putting them in the position where they must speak up to get any accommodations we are already doing them a disservice. How many kids do you know that feel comfortable actively going against authority and demanding help not many the power imbalance means many kids choose to be silent and make due instead of creating waves. Another thing is that even if they let guardians or parents know about these issues many adults don’t know what to do they do not know the laws that are there to protect there kids this lack of knowledge has disastrous consequences on kids with LDs and it is our job not there’s to ensure that these laws are being enforced but many do not want to go the extra mile. 

“Most of these children are placed for part of the dat in special education resource rooms and part of the day in regular classes.”

While at a glance this may seem like a helpful strategy it actually ends up harming students more than helping them. Most of these students are being pulled out of class in the middle of lessons for long periods of time serval times a week this is instruction that once they miss don’t make up. At the end of the week the class has moved on to the next lesson and that student who already needs support is behind trying to catch up. When we pull out kids for special instruction we fail to realize that the class does not stop for them and resume when they come back the teacher needs to move forward with the curriculum and being that most times they are teaching as class alone they cannot catch students up when they come back they have 20 other kids they have to teach. This lack of communication between special resource rooms and teachers means that at the end of the year that students scores don’t improve and administration sees the integration model as a failure and instead of looking at the nuance and context of whats really happening.  

“Though research strongly indicates that students with LD need more intensive services in reading than their non disabled peers and that they should receive this assistance throughout their schooling, focusing their special education program solely on learning to read is not appropriate.”

While research consistently emphasizes the necessity of providing students with LDs more extensive support in reading compared to their non-disabled counterparts, it is crucial to recognize that tailoring their special education programs exclusively towards mastering reading skills we not help them in the long run. If we spend the entire year teaching students how to read and write that student will only know how to read and write they will not be able to make critical analysis on text rather will not know how to correctly express their point of view in an academic setting.  Educators believe that because a student has a LD it means that student is incapable of doing the same level of work someone who doesn’t have a LD can due this level of ableism is harmful because it assumes students with LDs have a limit to what they can learn and keeps them in that box. A well-rounded and comprehensive approach to special education is essential. We have to believe that all our students nts have the ability to do grade level work. With the right accommodations and support if we don’t it reflects in our work and students will notice. How can you do your best when the people teaching you don’t think you stand a chance. Many tend to infalitaize students with LDs which means rather than take them seriously and want them to learn they feel pity and pass them or ignore them completely. 

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwjL06i12MaCAxUeFlkFHWL5AzUQwqsBegQIDxAF&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DOFS8SpwioZ4&usg=AOvVaw0xc2Q_aX4K-GU1EmO9jOyQ&opi=89978449

Aria 5

The author Richard Rodriguez argues that educators wanting to teach bilingual learners are unaware of the necessity of assimilation. Rodriguez illustrates his point by talking about his experience as a bilingual learner in the classroom and how assimilating affected his family. How he grew to view his native language as a private one that was not for the public how teachers would assume he was shy or behind his peers simply because he was not comfortable speaking English in public. When educators say that students lose there identity lose out on education by not being taught in English they are not taking into consideration the trauma already assimilated bilingual kids have to face. The embarrassment of speaking a language they consider deeply private in a very public setting with peers who do not understand them. The assumptions already built in and ingrained in adults that we are behind our classmates that we are not smart enough for the next grade level that we need to stay back for our own benefit. Rodriguez argues that assimilation while having its negative consequences helped him become who he is it gave him opportunities he would not have received had he refused to keep his native culture private. Before we can pass judgment on those that have had to lose part of the individuality we must ask why they felt that they had to do that and fix those systemic failings first. While I see the point Rodriguez is making and I understand where he’s coming from being a bilingual speaker myself I feel that he is letting his personal experience as a bilingual latino man color his opinions negatively on multilingual education. I believe many supporters of this model are bilingual learners themselves and are fully aware of the trauma students face with there native language as they have had to face them themselves and while I understand that most teachers in k-12 today do not understand the harms and benefits of assimilation from personal experience given the fact that most are white and natives langue is the dominate one they too can and have been educated on these experiences. They would not support it if they thought otherwise.  

Multi Language Learning in Rhode Island

Multi Language Learners Benefit from Dual Language Programs