Elizabethton City Schools is one of only 30 districts in the state to pilot a program which develops educators’ skills so they can better understand and accommodate students’ diverse educational needs. The five year program will serve as a model for the state and federal Departments of Education as they modify best practices for supporting both low and high achievers.
The program is funded by the $10,000 State Personnel Development Grant, which ECS Director of Special Education Dr. Myra Newman acquired in April 2016. Periodically, teacher receive training with Dr. Newman and Regional Special Education Interventionist Rob Taylor. Newman hopes the three annual trainings and four to six Communities of Practice between trainings will develop stronger supports for all students.
The program is not designed solely to accommodate the needs of students with disabilities, but to understand, assess and plan lessons for the ways that all students learn. This will benefit both high and low performers, she said.
Some of the training topics include student communication needs, behavior intervention, differentiated education and instructionally appropriate individualized education plans. Taylor said this program will help educators reach more kids at the same time, and that educational activities in class may get more diversified and incorporate more movement.
“We want to walk into a classroom and not see who the special education teachers or students are,” said Taylor. “We want more intervention early on in the regular classroom for all students, and we are addressing deficit areas through differentiation and tailoring lessons to students’ needs.”
By differentiated lessons, he means that a classroom might have some students using computers, some doing a hands-on activity, and others taking notes on paper. And the benefits extend to teachers as well. Teachers are learning how to recognize and accommodate different types of learners at both ends of the spectrum. They also have more opportunities to collaborate with other professionals.
The grant period is from 2016-17 to 2020-21.