Teaching Music to Students with Special Needs: A Label

Free Approach
Discussion Questions Chapter 2
1. Discuss how the advocacy efforts employed during the Civil Rights
Movement was mirrored by those advocating for persons with
special needs (and students with special needs).
It is unfair that students are bused long distances to schools where they are
then segregated from their peers just like students during the Civil Right
Movement. Similarly, since Brown v Board and Plessy v Ferguson advocates
are now taking special needs situations to court in order to better students
lives through education and litigation.
2. How did P.L. 94-142 and later IDEA, expand during the 35-year
history?
P.L. 99-457 initially created legislation which included early intervention for
early childhood education, expanding the age to 3-21, and included all
disabilities. It was later amended into IDEA which changed the terminology,
but established a transition program to help individuals entering the
workforce or pursuing further education.
3. What are the six principles of IDEA and how does each apply in the
music classroom?
Zero Reject-Just because a student has trouble reading music does not mean
they should not be allowed to take a music class.
Non-discriminatory Evaluations-The students team meets to best decide how
the student can participate in the class, whether thats with bigger music
playing the same part or a part more suited to their ability level.
Free Appropriate Public Education-An IEP is developed to see if the student is
at a level where they could function well in a music classroom and what
accommodations will be necessary for them to do so.
Least Restrictive Environment-Students with special needs should be allowed
to sit in sections and play the same parts as their peers as much as possible.
Procedural Due Process and Parental Involvement-If a parent thinks their
student can be doing more in the music classroom or think they are being
pushed too hard they are allowed to request a formal review of placement,
services, and personnel.
4. Describe least restrictive environment and state how this may be
achieved in the music classroom (at least three examples).
A least restrictive environment allows disabled individuals to be included with
non-disabled individuals as much as possible but is primarily to allow disabled
individuals to be in the environment where they can learn best. In the music
classroom students should be allowed to sit in their sections and play the
same parts, sit with their sections but have parts more suited to their
abilities, or if necessary be separate from peers but still playing in some way.
5. How would you respond to a teacher who wants to keep a student
from attending your class to take part in remediation to meet AYP

under NCLB? What data demonstrating the effectiveness and

applicability of your instruction would you be able to cite?
It would be important to cite sources that show the academic and social
benefits of music, which there are plenty of studies of. I would want the other
teacher to know that my class is not only preparing the students to do better
in their classes, which would probably be more helpful than remediation, but
also giving them valuable life skills that they can use outside the classroom.
6. What are some ways you, as the music teacher, could participate as
part of the RTI system at your school?
The music classroom would probably be the largest tier where the music
teacher observes what the child struggles with most in the class and then
passes them on to someone more specialized who can help them overcome
that hurdle. For example if a child has trouble seeing the music they would
work with someone more specialized in reading disabilities and then
incorporate that into the classroom and measure the improvement.