Students with Special Needs: Collaboration

 

Introduction
Articles
Recommended Reading
Related links

Collaboration of the school with its surrounding community systems is a factor to help create positive educational change. Partnerships within and outside the school setting are essential to support education reform. The following resources will provide strategies, examples, and information about different collaborative models.

Articles

Ideas for Helping Students Succeed   Kim Corey
The author suggests ways to develop support systems for students in order to create more possibilities for their succeeding at learning in school. Great suggestions that teachers can readily apply!

Bridging the Gap Between Two Worlds    Erika Pierce
The author discusses how her work as a high school teacher is invaluable in her role as a university professor.

Community for Youth: Mentoring Youth, Building Futures, Changing Lives    Sean Cameron
How the Community for Youth program has achieved 98% graduation rate for formerly at-risk students.

Treehouse Educational Advocacy: Improving Educational Outcomes for Foster Kids One Child at a Time   Abbe Votaw
The Treehouse Mobilization and Drive Coordinator shares Treehouse's commitment to helping foster children build self-esteem, confidence, and reach their potential through educational enrichment.

The Power of School Autonomy and Family Involvement In Positive Learning Outcomes     Gloria Mitchell and Lynn Winnemore
T. T.Minor Elementary School, serving 260 predominately African American children, has undertaken an intentional process to increase school autonomy and develop authentic family involvement. In a four-year period, student outcomes school-wide have improved dramatically. Key elements are described here.

Wanted: Anti-Bullying Partnerships with Families   Les Parsons
Research is confirming that teachers can't change the bullying cultures in schools by themselves. Cyber bullying, relationship aggression, and the values that underlie and direct prosocial behavior are just three of the essential areas that require a meaningful and comprehensive partnership with all stakeholders. The day has long passed when a school ended at the schoolhouse doors. When teachers, parents, and guardians actively collaborate, student bullying in schools can be stopped.

Standing Tall at Inchelium   Carmen Peone
The Rez Stop (Raising our Educational Zone, Standing Tall On Pride) Director of Inchelium School for Native Americans strives to give children the best possible opportunities for educational and spiritual growth.

Seattle Center Academy: Reach For It    Cinda Johnson
The evaluator of a highly successful, unique summer program in the arts describes how special needs students benefit from inclusion in such a program.

LINKS For Learning   Julie Hancock
The program director explains strategies to increase academic success and reduce the high dropout rate through improved school performance at the elementary level.

From Good to Great: Improving Schools Through Family and Community Partnerships    Jonelle Adams
Schools are strengthened when families take an active interest in their child's education. But just how do schools involve parents in this partnership? Research is pointing to several key findings and specific leadership strategies that can improve how schools engage and welcome parents which ultimately leads to improved academic success. This article describes the Washington Alliance for Better Schools support for member districts in establishing and maintaining partnerships with families.

Students with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome: New Developments and Intervention Suggestions   Darcy Miller
Washington State University professor explains how a new diagnostic code can be used to describe the variants of fetal alcohol syndrome and suggests methods for successful intervention.

Early Childhood Research Institute on Inclusion: Portraits of Inclusion through the eyes of children, families, and educators
A valuable report prepared under the auspices of ECRII, Early Childhood Research Institute on Inclusion, by a consortium of researchers from the University of North Carolina, Vanderbilt University, the University of Maryland, San Francisco State University, Washington State University, and the University of Washington. 

Tacoma TEACH: Making a Difference Through Collaboration    Kurt Miller
Funded by a 21st Century Community Learning Center grant from the Washington State Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction, the TEACH Project Director shares their mission to help stabilize the Tacoma Hilltop community by creating partnerships and relationships to implement after-school programs and family activities to build strong and successful families and children.

International Connections: Creating "Magic" for Young and Old    Dorothy E. Dubia
A program to help kids and provide elders with an opportunity to share their lifelong wisdom and talents.

Education and Children in Foster Care: Future Success or Failure?    Janis Avery
Community based solutions can help children in foster care succeed in school. 

Inspiring All Children to Learn   Julie Cain
The Executive Director of Seattle SCORES explains how children in low-income urban neighborhoods are inspired to learn through this innovative after-school program.

Enabling Children to Map out a More Equitable Society    Sharon E. Sutton
Sharon Sutton describes a model of environmental learning that was conceived in response to the diminishing sense of community in postindustrial society, and to the conflicts that result from increasing socioeconomic differences. This three-factor paradigm specifies the values, content, and teaching methods that can enable children to understand their capacity to shape a just and peaceful global environment. It is centered around a creative enterprise that is akin to a quilting bee. This model has the potential to involve children in a powerful discourse on environmental justice.

Chugach School District   Wendy Battino
How does a school district meet the needs of all of its learners learning at different rates? Chugach shares its innovative approach.

Including Young Children with Special Needs   Ilene S. Schwartz, Samuel L. Odom, and Susan R. Sandall
Inclusion is not just a school issue -- it extends to the communities in which children and their families live. For parents of special needs children, participation in community, family, and other activities is important as well. Ilene Schwartz, Susan Sandall, and Sam Odom share their views of inclusion, what it means and what it takes to implement.

Working Smarter Through Collaboration: The Maryland Assessment Consortium     Jay McTighe
Jay McTighe describes an innovative collaboration of Maryland school districts. Shared knowledge supports the goal of improving classroom use of performance assessments as a part of the instructional process.

Understanding At Risk Youth-- An Innovative Approach    Rudy A. Gonzales and Jonathan A. Liebert
In accordance with its mission, the Aspen Diversified Institute, employs, trains and rehabilitates disabled and disadvantaged individuals. In this article the authors describe how this non-profit educational organization has stepped beyond the traditional classroom boundaries to provide an innovative vocational education program that is based within the community.

Recommended Reading

Victory in Our Schools: We CAN Give Our Children Excellent Public Education     John Stanford

Related links

Upside Down and Inside Out: A Challenge to Redesign Education Systems to Fit the Needs of a Learning Society    John Abbott
John Abbott proposes a complete redesign of educational systems to reflect current research and a completely new way of understanding how young people learn how to learn, and are inducted into adult life. Learning is essentially a social, collaborative, problem-solving activity. To support creative, independent learners, formal school systems will have to be turned upside down, resources reallocated and found throughout the community.

Collaboration Framework -- Addressing Community Capacity
"The goal of community collaboration is to bring individuals and members of communities, agencies and organizations together in an atmosphere of support to systematically solve existing and emerging problems that could not be solved by one group alone." Interesting overview of steps involved. ]

The ARC of King County (Washington State)
The ARC offers a range of services to families from the time of diagnosis and throughout the lifetime of their son or daughter with a developmental disability. 

DO-IT at the University of Washington
Programs to promote the use of electronic and information technology to maximize the independence, productivity and participation of people with disabilities.

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