A Look Inside Bonn International School's Special Education Referral Process 

Special education is instruction which is specially designed to meet the unique learning needs of children with a disability. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) is in place to ensure that all children with a disability receive a free, quality education in the least restrictive environment whenever possible. In order to qualify to special education, children must be identified as having one of the 14 special education categories, and their learning in regular classrooms must be hindered by this disability.

Today, children with disabilities are educated together with non-disabled children in regular classrooms. Teachers, staff and learning support specialist must therefore closely work together to identify and support these students within the regular curriculum and classroom setting. This requires making referrals to the special education team, followed by the development of a student’s Individual Educational Plan (IEP), if accepted for referral, and the continued collaboration and communication between teachers, specialists and parents.

To get a better picture of the special education referral process, and how it’s rolled out in practice, I spoke with two second grade teachers, the upper school art teacher, and a learning support specialist at the Bonn International School (BIS). I found that all teachers interviewed provided clear, thorough answers and a comprehensive overview of the process at the school. This gave me confidence that there is strong communication between teachers and specialists regarding students and their learning needs, and that school policy is clearly outlined and understood by all. Furthermore, from the detailed answers provided, I got the impression that the teachers are highly committed to ensuring the quality education of their students and that there is generous motivation, time and resources to support teachers in this task. I read this as a strong indication of the support and guidance teachers enjoy from school leadership in addressing the issue of special education and overall student success.

Questions put to the learning support specialist:

Q: What is the school administration's directive for special education?

Bonn International School does not use the term special education. Instead, they use 'learning support', or 'supported learning'. BIS endeavors to meet every student’s academic, emotional, social, and physical needs, however due to staffing, learning support services are restricted to students with mild learning difficulties. Early intervention consultation support is provided for students in the Early Years. The Learning Support specialist teachers provided assistance both in and out of the classroom in small groups.

Q: What is school policy is on serious mental and physical disabilities

The school is currently unable to meet the needs of more seriously disabled students. Families lack the breadth of options that they may have in the US. If a student requires assistance that is beyond the capacity of the learning support team, parents may be asked to provide and finance outside learning support help.

Q: What provisions are made for students identified for special education?

When a student is referred to and accepted into the learning support program, a learning support team is created consisting of the general ed teacher(s), the parents, the administration, and learning support teacher.  It is then the job of the team to ensure that the needs of that student are met. Referrals are very much seen as a collaborative and team building process.

Q: What is the level of parent involvement in the referral process and special education? And what if parents don't agree with the decision?

Since decisions about student learning are data-driven with the identification of measurable goals, decisions and learning plans are typically well-received by parents. The job of the learning specialist is to prove that the student is making adequate progress in their IEP. The use of data and strong communication generally prevents discord between school and parents.

Q: What happens when parents choose not to have their child labeled. Does an unlabeled diagnosis enjoy the same benefits/interventions as a labeled one?

Parents are helped to understand that labels are in place in order to better support their children’s success in school.

Questions put to classroom teachers:

Q: How do you identify a student for special education?

All three teachers were unanimous in their response that observation is the first line of attack in identifying a student for special education. This includes simple comparisons against ‘normal’ age-appropriate behavior and grade-level academic skills.

Q: What are the signs of a struggling student?

All teachers agreed on the telltale signs of a struggling student. These included difficultly with focus, concentration, organization and communication; difficulty recalling information; difficulty staying on task with inability to start and complete a project without assistance.

Q: Are there alternate methods of instruction tried out before referring the student for special education? If yes, what are they?

All teachers responded similarly to this question. They approach all students as individual learners with unique learning needs, and therefore, many of the methods used for teaching at the school are used for all students. Basic methods which ensure all students succeed are clear communications, instructions, demonstrations and written explanations. Positive reinforcement, routines, regular breaks for movement and fresh air were identified as positive classroom organization beneficial to all. More focused methods of instruction may include simplified texts, silencing headphones, math manipulative, partnerships, differentiated reading books, writing tasks and expectations, reducing learning into small more manageable portions, and the use of visuals and checklists.

I was impressed with what I learned from my interviews. From the teachers’ responses to my questions, it was clear that they each strive for student success and student confidence, and that wherever possible, teachers will research ways to make learning personalized and interesting. Motivation is high and commitments to students are strong. All students are seen as unique learners and each child receives personalized learning.  For those who have an IEP, strong and effective, data-driven support services are in place to ensure their academic success. Teachers work closely together with one another, the learning support team, parents and the administration to make this happen. The resources, the time, the collaboration and the institutional support are all in place to allow for the highest level of student engagement and support.

The way in which general and special education are taught and supported at this school reminds me of Finland’s approach to the normalization of special education (click to learn more) and to the personalized learning that takes place at New York’s School of One (click to learn more). When there is strong commitment to evaluating, understanding and collaborating on the learning needs, interests and styles of each student, then each student can succeed. When the curriculum is flexible, innovative and presented in a variety of different ways, then students can find the learning path that is most interesting and meaningful to them. The role of all education, whether regular or special, should strive to these ends. To hark Arthur C. Clark: when children have interest, education happens.

Sources:

Understanding the 13 Categories of Special Education: http://www.understandingspecialeducation.com/13-categories-of-special-education.html

A Parent Guide to 
Special Education, the IEP Process and School Successhttp://www.understandingspecialeducation.com

The Special Education Referral Process: http://www.projectidealonline.org/special-education-referral-process.php

The First Step: Determining Eligibility for Services: http://www.specialeducationguide.com/pre-k-12/individualized-education-programs-iep/the-iep-process-explained/

Finland's Formula for Education Success: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HsdFi8zMrYI

New Yorks School of One: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HSTrI6nj5xU
Arthur C. Clarke quote in Sugata Mitra video: http://www.ted.com/talks/sugata_mitra_the_child_driven_education