LRE News Table of Contents, Winter 2006

• A Word from SERC
  

  Sharing stories of success, challenges and concerns, effective teaching strategies, and creative ideas -- a marketplace of ideas -- was the theme of the Eighth Annual Conference on Educating Students with Disabilities in the General Education Classroom, Expanding Horizons, held on October 25, 2005, in Cromwell, Connecticut.

• Assistive Technology Enhances the Lives of Manchester Students
  

  Students with disabilities often rely on teachers, friends, and paraprofessionals to help them with tasks they might handle more independently with the appropriate assistive tools. Used correctly, assistive technology (AT) allows students to function more independently in all aspects of their lives -- in school, work, family, and social contexts. Whether completing a homework assignment, writing a note to a friend, applying for a job, or completing a crossword puzzle, students with disabilities can use AT tools to enhance their lives.

• Inclusive Programming at Rockville High School
  

  Rockville High School has a strong commitment to educational, social, and emotional supports for students with disabilities. Tyler Anderson, a student with Down syndrome, is a very successful junior at Rockville High School in Vernon, CT. Tyler's team of teachers, specialists, and family members work together to make sure his educational experience is meaningful and readies him for independent life after high school.

• The Power of General Education United with Special Education at Tracey School
  

  At Tracey School, special education students receive their full instruction alongside their non-disabled peers in the general education classroom. In the successful co-teaching environment that has been cultivated, all students look to both the general education and special education teachers as their classroom teachers. “Both are part of the natural fabric of the school," says Ms. Lopat. To meet the varying abilities and needs of students in a class, instruction is differentiated.

• Learning Opportunities for Families
  

• Making Progress in Connecticut
  

  For those unable to attend Expanding Horizons in 2005, the District Teams who presented at the annual conference are listed below, along with their topic, to help facilitate networking across Connecticut school districts on best practices in inclusive education. Contact information for each team's contact person is noted.

• Moving Forward with Responsible Inclusive Practice: Moving Beyond Access
  

  So, what are we trying to accomplish as we support schools in becoming more inclusive? As reflected in the evolving special education law, the ultimate goal is to achieve effective results for students with disabilities within the general education setting. Three years after the Settlement Agreement was reached, Connecticut districts have made considerable progress toward these goals and outcomes. However, the progress must continue; there is still a great deal of work to be done to realize the vision of inclusive education in our schools.

• State of the State
  

  Over the past several years, the P.J. ET AL v. State of Connecticut, ET AL, Settlement Agreement has called for increased numbers of students with intellectual disabilities (ID) to be served in general education classes for eighty percent or more of the school day. IDEA has emphasized the least restrictive environment (LRE) and participation by students with disabilities in general education classes and curriculum; NCLB has required participation in statewide assessments and continuous improvement targets for students with disabilities. Each of these federal statutes has districts and parents raising questions and searching for effective ways to address the following: Can academic achievement and regular class placement for students with disabilities, particularly students with significant disabilities, co-exist?

The LRE News is produced by SERC's Least Restrictive Environment / Inclusion Initiative, and is disseminated to families, school personnel, and community service agencies throughout Connecticut.