Integrating service-learning in Individual Educational Plans for primary school students with disabilities
Abstract
Including service-learning activities in a student's Individual Education Plan (IEP) is one way to maximize the impact that service-learning can have on students with disabilities. Many states have increased the participation of students in national and community service with their emphasis on an integrated service-learning curriculum in primary and secondary schools. Mat McCollough of the National Service Inclusion Project submitted this effective practice in November 2003.
Issue
Offering educational experiences that improve outcomes for all students with disabilities.
Action
Most teachers are not aware of the tremendous impact that service-learning activities have on students with disabilities. If service-learning components are properly integrated into the Individual Education Plans educators and administrators will witness continuous educational growth and progress on the part of the students, who will experience more applied learning opportunities, as well as opportunities to give back to their communities. Incorporating service-learning components into the Individual Education Plan (IEP) is one method of contributing to the student's overall learning experiences. The following recommendations and suggestions have been noted as effective practices in the successful integration of service-learning activities into IEPs:
- Become familiar with education legislation pertaining to students with disabilities (Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and Individuals with Disabilities Education Act — IDEA) and the current national education initiative(s): No Child Left Behind (NCLB) and the entitlements that support service-learning activities.
- Advocate that service-learning opportunities be included as part of the educational goals and objectives of IEPs, referring to the language of IDEA, its transition requirements, and the No Child Left Behind Act. These education policies specifically state that students should be given opportunities to: experience applied learning within the community; access the community's various education resources; become familiar with their likes and dislikes in terms of career development; and develop the skills necessary for adulthood and independent living.
- Build upon the student's Present Level of Performance (PLP) during the development of the IEP with service-learning objectives. For example, if the student has volunteered at a local homeless shelter serving younger children or provided assistance to senior citizens at a group home, these PLP activities can be integrated into the IEP as ways of furthering his/her experiences of experiential learning.
- Plan to provide transportation, assistive technology, or related services as part of the educational plan when considering the IEP. Supplying these services (if needed) will contribute to the overall satisfaction and learning experience of the student.
- Form partnerships with schools, parents of students with disabilities, local educational agencies, and other community and service-based agencies. Partnering, collaborating, and coordinating are vital components to obtaining additional service-learning experiences for students with disabilities.
- Become involved with the student's transition team and his/her IEP as early as fourteen years of age. Participants of the transition team consist of the student (if appropriate), the student's parent or guardian(s), and special education and regular education teacher, as well as the service-learning coordinator. Other representatives who have knowledge or expertise required to best serve the student's needs may also be invited to the IEP meeting (this could include tutors or mentors). The parent and/or the student generally invite these representatives.
- At age 14, a statement of transition services is outlined describing the student's needs to reach post-school goals. The transition period focuses on the interests, strengths, and preferences of the student that may include community participation, job training and employment, career development, and independent living.
- At age 14, a statement of transition services is outlined to help the student prepare for leaving high school.
- Collaborate with teachers, administrators, and other educational instructors responsible for establishing and implementing the high school graduate standards, as these standards might serve as an initial challenge to implementing service-learning objectives within the IEP as the students become older.
- Ensure that students are meeting high school graduation standards by having them fulfill these in alternative educational settings, e.g., within the community or at service-learning sites. One requirement noted in the IEP might ask the student to document his/her experiences.
- Aim to develop an educational curriculum that continues to include all students in experiential learning using the concept of universal design. Teachers (both regular and special education), administrators, and parents should strive to incorporate the universal design concept as it encompasses the development of a curriculum that goes beyond the traditional techniques of reading and writing. Universal design methodologies can help create a learning environment that is accessible by everyone, regardless of their functionality, emphasizing the capacity of students with disabilities to serve within their communities and hold various leadership roles. In many instances, the service-learning opportunities are directed at serving individuals with disabilities.
Context
The focus of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) has shifted from providing access to education for children and youth with disabilities, to striving to improve the educational experiences and outcomes for all students with disabilities and for students with disabilities to be part of the general curriculum. Schools, families and communities must work together to offer effective educational experiences so students with disabilities:
- Achieve appropriate involvement and progress in the general curriculum
- Achieve improved results
- Are prepared for post-secondary education, employment and/or independent living
- Begin to work on transition goals while in school
Integrating suitable service-learning components within the IEPs of students with disabilities assists in meeting these objectives while providing the most desirable education for them. However, service-learning activities are rarely included in a student's individual education plan, so it is important to have students participate in developing these activities for their IEP.
Outcome
Learn and Serve America, which links classroom studies with service in the community, is an important and effective way of instilling the habits of good citizenship and fostering a lifelong ethic of service among students. Service-learning meets many of the Individual Education Plan (IEP) goals and state education standards, and students with disabilities benefit greatly when they become involved in their communities. For example, communication and social skills are reinforced and strengthened; academic skills in note taking, critical thinking and problem solving are bolstered; and life skills in cooking and taking public transportation are learned. These self-determination skills are critical for students to gain — both in order to be involved in their own educational planning and as a requirement of the IDEA.
These are just a few of the outcomes that may be achieved when service-learning components are integrated into students' Individual Education Plans. More significantly, students with disabilities can prove that they can be productive citizens while making a positive impact on the lives of others. Once a youth with a disability is given the chance to prove her productivity within a community, a change in attitudes among the larger population is more likely to occur.
Evidence
Increasing the participation of students with disabilities in national and community service is an ongoing process. A few states that have had success by including service-learning activities in their schools and curriculum, as well as integrating them in students' Individual Education Plans, include the following:
Massachusetts: Through the Hampshire Educational Collaborative, local teachers, administrators, and parents established an inter-generational cooking project where students with and without disabilities could interact with senior citizens. The students' perceptions changed while serving and establishing relationships with the senior citizens. The project succeeded in providing students with some practical skills and promoted a sense of civic responsibility, two areas of importance that were met in both the regular and special education curriculum.
A Learn and Serve America program office on the west coast worked with 13 school districts, and thanks to those efforts, half of them either implemented service-learning objectives directly into the general education curriculum or established alternative programs. These school districts consider service-learning as a basic teaching methodology. As a result, experiential learning activities are easily integrated into IEPs.
Posted On
November 21, 2003For More Information
Resources
See:
Standards and Indicators for Effective Service-Learning Practice, National Service-Learning Clearinghouse K-12 Fact Sheet.
Related Practices
Related sites
Pennsylvania Service-Learning Alliance
National Service-Learning Clearinghouse
