504 vs. IEP

Both the 504 plan and the IEP serve a similar purpose. They are both created to help a student with a disability succeed in a general education classroom. The biggest difference that I found between these two plans were how students qualify for them. The 504 plan seems to have a much broader definition of "disability" than an IEP. Other than that, both plans are created with a team of people including the child's parents, general education teacher, administrator, and other professionals and experts. In addition, they are both detailed plans for accommodations and modifications to assist the child in their classes.

History of Special Education

Here is the timeline that I created about the history of Special Education:

History of Special Education

In my schooling, I have not had much instruction on the education of children with disabilities. What little education I have gotten on the subject has been almost solely related to inclusion and, very briefly, how I am able to assist children with disabilities in my class. When reading the material for this first module and comparing it with my own experiences, I can see that there are many challenges involved with Special Education. It is clear from reading Skiba, et al. (2008) and "A Short History of Special Education Law" that the shape of Special Education has changed a lot throughout the years. Both of these sources outline a history that shows the struggle that disadvantaged students and students with disabilities have encountered. From the days of "separate but equal" to today it is clear that we have made great strides in assuring equal education to all students. However, from what I have learned, it is also clear that we can still improve our education.

One thing that I noticed when reading "Special Education Law..." was that many of the policies in place right now are not specific as to what schools and teachers should be doing to meet goals and expectations regarding students with disabilities. This allows for a lot of interpretations and wiggle room in these policies that can ultimately be detrimental to the students. Another challenge in Special Education right now is identification of students with learning disabilities or students receiving Special Education. Skiba, et al. (2008) discusses the disproportionate appearance of minority students in Special Education. This disproportionality can be a result of many different factors, but none of the factors that this article discusses are an actual difference in the number of students with disabilities in these minority groups.

References

A Short History of Special Education Law (n.d.). History of Special Education Law. http://www.wrightslaw.com/bks/lawbk/ch3.history.pdf.

Skiba, et al. (2008). Achieving Equity in Special Education: History, Status, and Current Challenges. Council for Exceptional Children. 74(3).

Special Education Law: The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) (n.d.). Understanding Special Education. http://www.understandingspecialeducation.com/special-education-law.html.