ELSE5083 Module 5 - Family/School Collaboration Plan

Collaboration

ELSE 5083 Module 5 Family/School Collaboration Plan

Directions

Choose a child with a culture different than your own. This plan should be written in APA style 10 pages long, double spaced, 12 point font, Times New Roman, one inch margins. Each page should be numbered.  

See the rubric. Please answer the following questions in your plan. Simple yes or no answers will not suffice. You must be thorough.  

1. Format

a. Organization with clear main ideas

b. Organize topics based upon the interview/questions in a coherent way

c. All aspects of the assignment have been addressed

d. Present information in an objective way

e. Font 12

f. Times New Roman

g. Double spaced

h. Proofread for spelling/grammar 

i. APA style 

2. Family Interview 

1. Provide a clear depiction of the student/family 

2. Include description of student’s disability and the impact the disability has upon the family, and the child’s life 

3. Include content of other topics addressed by family member 

4. Include the list of questions asked 

3. Needs Assessment

            1.  Describe how the family perceives collaboration with the school. 

            2.  Explain the family’s “great expectations” for the child 

            3.  What collaboration strategies work most effectively for the family/child? 

            4. What suggestions does the family have to improve collaboration? 

4.  Plan for Collaboration 

1. Devise a collaborative plan between the family member(s) and the school. 

2. What realistic goals might be established to ensure positive collaboration among all team members.

3. Include a plan that includes all important team members (e.g. special education teacher, student, family, general education teacher(s), administrators), their responsibilities, and shared resources. 

5. Reflection and Summary 

1. Analyze the interview process. What strikes you about what you learned? What impresses you about the family members and the student? What emotions did the interview evoke in you? How does the family’s culture influence their collaboration with their school? 

2. Analyze the collaboration process. What went well? What was easy about with the family members regarding the setting of goals and objectives? Did you disagree on any points? How did you resolve any differences of opinion of perspective? 

3. What verbal or non-verbal communication techniques did you employ? What was successful and why? What needs improvement and why? Does your communication style reflect your culture in any way? In other words, critique your own communication style. 

4. Did you establish a reliable alliance? 

Standards Linkage

This assignment aligns with the Council for Exceptional Children’s (CEC) Professional Standards, specifically the following:

· Beginning special education professionals understand how exceptionalities may interact with development and learning and use this knowledge to provide meaningful and challenging learning experiences for individuals with exceptionalities (CEC Standard 1).

· Create safe, inclusive, culturally responsive learning environments to engage individuals with exceptionalities in meaningful learning activities and social interactions (CEC Standard 2).

· Use motivational and instructional interventions to teach individuals with exceptionalities how to adapt to different environments (CEC Standard 2).

· Understand and use general and specialized content knowledge for teaching across curricular content areas to individualize learning for individuals with exceptionalities (CEC Standard 3).

· Use multiple types of assessment information in making decisions about individuals with exceptionalities (CEC Standard 4).

· Select, adapt, and use a repertoire of evidence-based instructional strategies to advance learning of individuals with exceptionalities (CEC Standard 5). 

· Use theory and elements of effective collaboration (CEC Standard 7).

· Serve as a collaborative resource to colleagues (CEC Standard 7).

· Use collaboration to promote the well being of individuals with exceptionalities across a wide range of settings and collaborators (CEC Standard 7).