Kenneth Warlick, PhD.
Former Director of Special Education for the United States
Director Inclusive Large Scale Standards and Assessment Group, Lexington, KY
Also available: PowerPoint will be available on line at the LDA site.
Objective: To prompt consideration of assumptions about NCLB and IDEIA.
To prompt cognitive dissonance- discomfort as you recognize you are holding
two contradictory beliefs simultaneously.
Warlick’s personal belief: High expectations from educators and parents
have the power to positively change individual’s lives.
Some states are suing saying the IDEIA and NCLB are incompatible. But both laws
cross-reference each other.
Perceived Dilemma:
Students learn skills and content at different rates.
Texas: Exempted 10 times as many students as allowed by NCLB. Was that because
of low expectations?
Presenter put up many quotes from a variety of states that felt that NCLB is
a “one size fits all” model.
Even back in 1997, IDEA said that the IEP is NOT the students’ curriculum.
The IEP should lay out the direct instruction needed to help the student progress
in the curriculum.
The old assembly line model of one size fits all education – everyone
goes through and if they fail, then they do it again or go into the seconds
bin.
Purpose of NCLB - all children have a fair, equal and significant opportunity
to obtain a high quality education and reach a minimum proficiency on challenging
state academic achievement standards and state academic assessments.
At this point Warleck compared the educational system to the health care system.
IT IS NOT POSSBILE TO PREDICT Individual LEVELS OF Expected Achievement TO THE
DEGREE THAT YOU should DENY THE CHILD THE ACCESS TO POSSIBLY SUCCEED at meeting
standards!
There are multiple studies across multiple states indicating that if all students
have access to the curriculum with appropriate supports, they will make progress
and more students will meet standards.
Impact:
One size fits all: This means that High Expectations fit all. Everyone has a
right to individual instruction. Schools should be routinely monitoring performance,
making individual adjusts in instructional time and approaches.
High Expectations are key. We need to stop blaming our students!
[Warlick's notes will be posted on the national web site.]