Manifestation Determination Summary

Michael Panico was a boy with who was identified while in first grade as having a specific learning disability. He then qualified for special education and related transportation. Now in third grade Michael’s school, Memorial School in Burlington, Massachesetts only goes to the third grade then they go to another school. Because of this transition services had to be in place as well as an IEP. Michael had a learning disability but was above average or even at times considered superior intelligence. Memorial School recommended Michael be placed in a school in another town that would be very structured because the town/school believed Michael’s disability was emotional whereas his parents said it was neurological. His parents did not like the IEP presented or the recommended placement for Michael at Pine Glen School and Michael’s father wanted a review and he also rejected the new IEP. After reading the case I would have to agree with the father knowing my son would not be in the proper placement. The Massachusetts Department of Education Bureau of Special Education Appeals (BSEA) did the review. The hearing did not take place at this time but mediation did. However the mediation did not work but in the meantime Michael’s parents had him tested at Massachusetts General Hospital where they found him to have a severe learning disorder and emotional difficulties were considered secondary. Michael had perceptual difficulties and it was determined and they recommended a specialized

* Observe and record certain elements of the pupil’s academic work therefore taking some pressure off the teacher having to complete all observations themselves.

It is important to ensure that we meet the need of the students on every level. One effective way to do this is to observe, assess, and record children’s efforts and progress. In this way, an educator can prepare to help a child’s progression in the class. Being able to track and refer to the progress of a child helps to ensure greater levels of success. In the end, our program is only as successful as the children in our care. Record keeping can identify areas that need improvement, and allows us to teach to their strong points.

When working in a school environment certain information has to be gathered about pupils, for the system to work effectively.

VI. If the student receives special education services and the de-escalation room is used on an emergency basis more than twice a month or a student’s pattern of behavior is emerging that interferes with the achievement of the student’s educational goals and objectives, a team meeting must be called with the case manager and parent to determine the appropriateness of the placement.

The school will continue to offer any comparable services from the incoming transfer IEP through an interim IEP providing FAPE and the school will complete the evaluations within the 60-day timeframe. After the team completes the evaluations, a team meeting will be held to determine if the student meets the criteria for special education in the State of Idaho. If they continue to qualify, the team would write and implement a new IEP (State of Idaho Sufficiency Review: Transfers from Out of District and Out of State Guidance Document. 2014. p.1-2). It is important to remember that the parent/adult student must be involved/consulted in this process and that a written notice must be completed with the Sufficiency Review results (Idaho Special Education Manual 2016, Chapter 5, p.

Of concern to me is also monitoring of my students. I need them to actively involved in monitoring their progress and finding out from them where they most need help. I want them to take an active part in the learning process and I cannot do it alone. If I can get them to be invested in the learning process they might be able to help me to be a better teacher, who plans her lessons so that they are structured to meet students’ need and take them to the next

Scenario 3: During the course of an annual individualized education program (IEP) meeting, Ms. Dougherty, a first-year teacher, perceives that a school district administrator is trying to “steer” the parents of a student with emotional disabilities into accepting a revised IEP without the provision of school-based applied behavior analysis services recommended by the majority of other team members. Ms. Dougherty hypothesizes that the administrator’s position is based on the added costs the financially strapped school district would bear if it provided these services. As a first-year teacher, Ms. Dougherty is concerned that if she speaks up, she might lose the favor of her principal and maybe her job. If she remains silent, the student might not receive needed services.

The purpose of this form is to allow the IEP team members to determine if the student’s behavior was manifested by their disability or was not manifested by their disability. If the student’s behavior was a manifestation of the student’s disability, then the IEP team must conduct an FBA (Functional Behavior Assessment) and apply a behavioral plan for the student.

I want to know my students. This way I can tailor my teaching methods to the specific needs of my students and class. This is also helpful in resolving discipline problems, which I anticipate to be few and far between. I will do everything in my power to resolve problems within my classroom, using the principal’s office and the administration as a last resort. Students respect a teacher who respects them in return. This approach allows a teacher to get to the heart of a student’s problems without involving outside forces that may alienate the child.

I am providing an analysis of “Who Decides Where Jerry Goes to School? Family and Educator Conflict in Special Education Placement” by John J. Steffen and Joanne M. Marshall (2006). The school and district’s administrators are facing a conflict with the placement of a special education student. After being diagnosed with several medical disabilities which affected his behavior, the student struggled to achieve success in the initial placement that was chosen for his academic experiences as part of his inclusion in the Exceptional Student Education (ESE) program. However, the procedures, decision making, communication, learning objectives, and follow up process were plagued with mistakes. This decision making process, the conflict between school administrators and parents, and the needs of the student for his success in academic achievement is the focus of this case study analysis.

Parents and educators will not always agree on what is best for their child. Murdick, Gartin, & Fowler (2014) state, “the parental view of ‘what is good for my child’ may not be consistent with the school district’s view of what is good for all those in the school” (p. 239). Therefore, it is important that parents know and understand they have rights when it comes to the education of their child. As well, there are legal options available when disagreement occurs. These rights and options come in the form of the procedural safeguards outlined in part B of IDEA. Schools are required to provide parents a copy of the procedural safeguards explaining their rights and legal options upon referral of services, when a complaint is filed, when a change of placement decision is being considered, and anytime upon parental request (“Procedural Safeguards Notice,” n.d.).

In order to create a positive classroom culture, teacher need to promote positive relationships between students and with students by taking an interest and have respect for each other. It is extremely important for teacher to get to know the students, their families, and their culture. When a student knows their teacher cares about them, then a relationship of trust will exist between a student and teacher. According to Sayeski and Brown (2011), “teachers who had positive relationships with their student had 31 % fewer discipline problems and rule violations over the course of the year than teachers who did not” (p. 12). In order to know more about them, I will send home a poster board where the students can fill it with any information they would like me and their classmates to know. This constructivist approach gives them the opportunity to be creative and choose what they want to share. The essentialist approach of sending home a questionnaire for the family to fill out will help collect information important to understanding the student. This is the only category where I consider myself an essentialist and constructivist due to how information will be gathered about my students, but this will allow me to build the framework for a positive learning environment for everyone. Having students create a poster will allow their peers to get to know them as an individual. Another way to create a positive environment is having students work together to keep

Observation is something that educators do carefully to gain information about young children. Documentation is the process of collecting evidence that serves as a record. When teachers observe the young children, it provides the information that the teachers need to build relationships with individual children and enable them to be successful learners. The best way the teachers should learn about children by carefully watching them, listening to them and studying their work. When the teachers are watching and listening to children helps us understand what they are feeling, learning and thinking. Observation is an excellent way to track children’s

Special education creates opportunities for students, parents, teachers and related staff and administrators to work together to improve educational results students with disabilities. IEPs and 504s are the plans that help educators to develop education for each student with disabilities. The IEP is an important legal document that handles issues in special education properly. There are so many rules that school personnel must follow. In this assignment, I will identify effective procedures for documentation and remediation of the teacher, her behaviors and the allegations about her regarding a special education student.