Case Study: Special Education 1

Case Study: Special Education

Autumn Dickerson

Grand Canyon University: EAD519

April 21, 2021

Case Study: Special Education 2

Part One
Case Analysis 1-3
This case is on a large K-8 school where the assistant principal oversees the counselors

and the special education department. There are 100 students with 504 plans and 180 students

with IEPs, and these students are served in the classroom or the testing center. The issue is that

the testing coordinator position has been cut. Typically the classroom teacher handles classroom

accommodations outlined in the plans provided and the testing center coordinator handles the

testing accommodations. Without this position, the teachers are worried about how they are

going to carry their classroom loads and be sure that everyone is getting the accommodations

that they are entitled to. The special education department continuing to services their students

through their program helps some, but the teachers are still faced with figuring out how to

service everyone properly. This issue has also causes the parents to be upset as their children are

now having to go about their learned routine and comfort level with testing differently due to this

cut. This change has many stakeholder ill and feeling as though they no longer have the support

they once had.

The stakeholders in this case are: the students, the teachers, the parents, the

building administrators, and the district administrators. The issues that need to be resolved are 1.)

The testing coordinator position has been cut leaving students who have a legal right for testing

accommodations no place to take their test. 2.) Classroom teachers now have an increased

workload due to the testing center cut and are worried about not being able to service everyone

properly.

Case Analysis 4-5

Persons with any type of disability are protects under federal laws such as the Individuals
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with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). These

laws are designed to protect the rights of an individual with disabilities and ensure that they have

the same access as their nondisabled peers. If specific testing accommodations are written within

an IEP or 504 plan, then by law the district must abide by them. If the wording in the plan the

represents the student’s only states that the student may test in an alternative setting, then that

does not necessarily mean that it has to be the testing center that was once provided by this

district. It simply means that the school must provide an alternative setting for the student to test.

However, if the testing center is written into those plans, then the school district must figure out

how to fund this service.

Case Analysis 7-9

First, I would do an audit of all IEP and 504 plans. I need to know what the specific

testing accommodations are for each student. If one single plan has written in it that the student

will be allowed to take their test in the testing center provided by the school, then I will be

scheduling a meeting with the board to work on the steps necessary to provide funding for this

program because we are legally held to it.

If the audit finds that there is no specific setting mentioned within the plans of the

students requiring service, then I would work with the building leadership team to figure out the

best solution for this situation. An alternative setting could include testing in a room in the

library or in the counselor’s office. If our departments are teaching from the same lesson plans

and have the same testing dates, we may be able to coordinate a teacher accessing the testing

room to test all students that require an alternative setting for testing. Although the solutions may

not be ideal for everyone involved, the plans of our students requiring services will be followed.
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The law states that the school must provide access to the students with disabilities in

order to provide them the same level of opportunity as their nondisabled peers. If we are not

making every effort to do this, then we are violating the rights of the student and could be held

legally responsible for doing so. In order to make everyone feel supported in this situation

moving forward, there needs to be discussions taking place for future planning. It is important to

also keep in mind that these plans are individualized, therefore just because one student may

require an accommodation it does not mean that all students with a disability require the same

accommodation.

Part Two
Rationale
This purpose of this case study is insuring that the rights of students with disabilities are

protected. While we all get use to things working a certain way, it does not necessarily mean that

we cannot function with change. In this case it is the job of the administrator not to point fingers

and place blame, but handle the situation in a way where all stakeholders feel valued and

supported. This does not mean that everyone will be pleased with the outcome, however

protecting the rights of the student is the first priority. I feel that with proper planning within core

content departments and the special education department, the testing center can still be ran as it

was before the cut. Unfortunately, I do feel that if the accommodation for using the testing center

is not specifically written within the student’s plan, then they will no longer have access to the

luxury. This is unfortunate, however we are painting a picture for a capable student that may not

be realistic and it may hurt them in the post-secondary setting.

Being sure to foster a positive and safe learning environment for all is the goal. Through

effective collaboration and teamwork, there is not an obstacle that a school cannot overcome. It
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is the job of the administrator to highlight the resources available and provide their staff with the

necessary support to provide the best education for the students being served. It will also be

important that parents are able to see the sacrifices being made to protect the rights of their

student. There will be no solution available to please everyone, but being able to see that there is

being effort put into righting an inconvenience out of your control will go a long way.