The special education teacher comes to the
principal, concerned about difficulties in managing a pull-out
program to support a student with special needs. There are
many scheduling problems involving the classroom teacher
because the student is out of the room at critical instructional
times. |
The principal involves the two teachers in
an item-by-item study of the alignment of the pull-out program
expectations and strategies with curriculum “starting
points” identified by the classroom teacher as Critical
Learning Instructional Paths in the student’s learning
profile.
Fullan, M., Hill, Peter, & Crevola, Carmel.
(2006). Chapter Five. |
The pull-out program does not align with the
tailored instruction the student needs. The pull-out
program also fragments the learning time of the student who
has been identified by the teacher as needing support to
focus on instruction and to organize time. |
The school decides to work on increasing the
intensity of instruction in the regular classroom. The staff
decides that the special education teacher can best support
this student in the class, following the student’s
learning profile, and using specific strategies within her
expertise, such as scaffolding, guided practice and assistive
technology. |
The student’s needs are better served.
The classroom teacher feels supported for the careful work
done on developing the learning profile and CLIP.
The special education teacher can share specific expertise
with the teacher and students in the regular classroom. |
People in schools may not notice that routine
processes no longer serve their intended goals. Richard
Elmore notes, “The structures and resources of the
organization are like wallpaper—after living with the
same wallpaper for a certain number of years, people cease
to see it.”
Elmore, Richard F. (2002). p. 22 |
