FAQs »

Credits: Dr. Linda Parrish; Dr. Tracy Teaff; Dr. Jewel Lockridge; Dr. Lakshmi Mahadevan; Mr. Greg Shipp and Ms. Cheryl Grenwelge.

Note: Our experts are not attorneys and therefore our responses do not carry legal authority. We strongly recommend that educators check with their district’s attorneys for guidance on legal issues.

Topics

Definitions ARD/IEP Issues Accommodations/Modifications/Standards Instructional Strategies/Methodologies Placement Decisions Additional Concerns Resources Accommodations and Modifications in CTE Classroom Instruction Career Guidance - Tools for Practical Applications Building Successful Partnerships Best Practices: CTE Teachers Role in ARD Meetings Accommodations and Modifications III

 

Building Successful Partnerships

• How should a collaborative relationship occur in the ARD?
• Who should be present in the ARD?
• Should business and industry representatives participate in curriculum planning? Work based learning? Accommodations and Modifications in the ARD?
• Should work based learning experiences for special population’s students be tied to industry standards?
• Please describe how CTE Teachers can meet the needs of special education students in CTE programs.
• Should CTE programs focus solely on entry level skills, or should it provide all students, including special populations, with a working knowledge of all aspects of industry?
• Describe a good working relationship with the CTE program.
• How important is it to have a CTE representative in the ARD?
• Describe how the CTE teacher can help special populations students become independent learners?
• How should the CTE teacher find out about the modifications and accommodations for their students?
• How should industry standards taught in CTE impact the placement of special population’s students into the program?
• How should the CTE program support skills for regional and state labor market needs?
• Should all students, including special population’s students, required to do projects?
• What role should special populations teachers (ESL, Special Education, etc.) play in assisting CTE teachers maximize instruction? What role should they be expected to play as experts in their field in assisting those who are experts in career training- in a true partnership agreement?
• What are the challenges a district faces in assuring all students, including special population’s students, receive an industry standard education in CTE?

How should a collaborative relationship occur in the ARD?

This relationship should focus on a results-oriented process that has a coordinated set of activities to help the student meet their postsecondary goals, lends itself to looking very closely at the CTE courses, which are coordinated and sequential, for students whose postsecondary goal is to go into a specific trade or career path after graduation. There are several things that must be considered during this process. They include:

1. What does the student want to do after graduation? 
2. What are the strengths, preferences, and interests? 
3. Are CTE courses the appropriate route for the student? 
4. How can students be accommodated and still achieve to industry standards? 
5. How can CTE and Special Ed collaborate to meet the standards of each program? 
6. Will all Sp Ed students be required to meet industry standards? 
7. If not, how should this be handled? 
8. What if it is possible to meet the standards but not at the same pace as others?
   

Who should be present in the ARD?

CTE teachers should be part of the process that develops IEPs for Special Ed students. If the teacher of record does not attend the ARD meeting they should be involved in the pre-planning for the curriculum to be taught through the IEP. Once the ARDC has written the IEP it is a legal document that must be followed so you want to make sure that you provide input into this process.

Should business and industry representatives participate in curriculum planning? Work based learning? Accommodations and Modifications in the ARD?

if appropriate, these representatives may participate in all the activities mentioned.

Should work based learning experiences for special population’s students be tied to industry standards?

If the ARD determines industry standard are appropriate for this student. Work-Based Learning (WBL) is an effective approach in delivering career and technical education and training to youth with disabilities. The WBL approach provides these services in community workplace settings rather than in conventional school environments. Because WBL activities take place in workplace settings, they must comply with the provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) administered through the U.S. Department of Labor and state labor laws. The determination should be based on the individual student’s needs, taking into account the student’s preferences and interests. WBL would be considered a major change in placement for most students and would require a change in the IEP. The education agency must invite the student to any meetings considering transition services or participation in work-related training.

Please describe how CTE Teachers can meet the needs of special education students in CTE programs.

Career and technical education has long been an option for preparing youth with disabilities for productive employment. However, most of these programs in the past relied heavily on simulated work experience in classroom settings. This approach has not led to productive employment in integrated work environments for many students. In fact, the outcome often has been sheltered employment in segregated work settings. The skills acquired through classroom or simulated work experiences do not generalize to typical work settings, and therefore do not meet the goal of post school productive employment for youth with disabilities. When career and technical education and training occur primarily through classroom or simulated settings, youth with disabilities do not acquire social skills normally built through interactions with colleagues and coworkers. These skills are critical to long-term employment success. CTE WBL experiences are an excellent way for teachers to help students with disabilities connect the ‘why’ of education to the ‘how’ of education.

Should CTE programs focus solely on entry level skills, or should it provide all students, including special populations, with a working knowledge of all aspects of industry?

CTE programs should lead to knowledge of all aspects of industry. The ARDC will help determine what is appropriate for students with disabilities.

Describe a good working relationship with the CTE program.

If the teacher of record does not attend the ARD meeting they should be involved in the pre-planning for the curriculum to be taught through the IEP. Once the ARDC has written the IEP it is a legal document that must be followed so you want to make sure that you provide input into this process.

How important is it to have a CTE representative in the ARD?

Again, CTE teachers should be part of the process that develops IEPs for Special Ed students. It is critical to have a CTE rep in the ARD when considering students for initial or continued placement in CTE courses. This way all parties can agree on the possible outcomes expected of the CTE experience

Describe how the CTE teacher can help special populations students become independent learners?

• Find out what the students learning strengths are; their individual learning styles 
• Teach according to those strengths to show the students how they learn 
• Teach using a variety of methods/interventions in order to strengthen other learning styles; EX – a student may not work well independently, but still have independent activities along with group, working with peers, working with the teacher. This allows the student to have chances for success which makes them more confident to work in a way that isn’t their style 
• Teach on grade level, but instruct in a variety of ways
  

How should the CTE teacher find out about the modifications and accommodations for their students?

You should always get copies at the beginning of the course of the accommodations. If there are curriculum modifications you should receive an IEP that specifies what the student is to be taught.

How should industry standards taught in CTE impact the placement of special population’s students into the program?

The ARDC will determine if the student should meet industry standards or learn only the basics of the course.

How should the CTE program support skills for regional and state labor market needs?

The Local Advisory Committee should have input into the evaluation and planning for CTE programs. Included in the evaluation data should be information about the needs of local businesses and industry as well as regional job opportunities and projected growth in different career areas statewide.

Should all students, including special population’s students, required to do projects?

If the course requires projects, it is up to the ARD to determine what the student will be required to do. Many Sp Ed students do extremely well with hands-on learning.

What role should special populations teachers (ESL, Special Education, etc.) play in assisting CTE teachers maximize instruction? What role should they be expected to play as experts in their field in assisting those who are experts in career training- in a true partnership agreement?

Some suggestions:

• Insure that a CTE representative is present for the ARD
• Provide materials for the CTE teacher aide if one is available to the CTE teacher when circumstances warrant
• Provide local professional development in effective instructional strategies for CTE special population’s students for CTE staff (and all teachers)
  

What are the challenges a district faces in assuring all students, including special population’s students, receive an industry standard education in CTE?

Everyone needs to “think outside the box” when making decisions about how to handle the CTE classes for students with disabilities. For example:

1. Could the student master the industry standards of given more time to do so?
2. Could the student be given more time to master those standards? EX: 2 years to complete a 1 year class? How would this look? 
3.  If the student is not going to master all the industry standards, how will it look on the IEP? What would be the identified skill exit point for the student?