Many well-meaning educators focus efforts on trying to help students “overcome” a disability in order to learn in the same ways as a peer who does not share that disability. From the stories they and their parents tell, these struggles are often rooted in what a mentor of mine calls “ableism”. These sorts of honest and humane conversations where having a disability is seen for what it is-not more and not less-ultimately create a culture that is better-equipped to serve students with disabilities.Ī recognition that it is okay to have a learning difference and that our job is to help students adapt to them: Students with IEP or 504 plans will sometimes come to us from other schools where they experienced struggles. And our parents of students with disabilities are often helpful in supporting parents of a student with a newly-diagnosed disability. In other cases, we have to guide parents to understanding that a student’s challenges in school do not necessarily mean he or she has a disability. To many parents, the fact that their student has a disability is perceived as negative, so our work also involves helping to change that perception-when it exists-so that parents are able to see their child’s disability and the accommodations or modifications put into place to help support their child as an acknowledgment of the fact that their child simply learns differently. Just as important as communicating the ins and outs of the evaluation and eligibility process is the way in which schools and families talk about what the disability actually means for a student. Our “student support team” coordinator focuses solely on working with teachers and parents to develop plans early to help students who show evidence of struggle to experience success. And we aim to intervene early with students who demonstrate academic or behavioral challenges so that they get the supports they need before gaps grow. Thankfully, those conditions are in place at ANCS. Working with students and families to identify disabilities and how they do (or do not) impact a student’s school experience: Uncovering a disability and how it affects a student’s education is often a complicated endeavor that depends upon skilled teachers and specialists and good communication between home and school. So why is it the case that ANCS serves such a relatively high percentage of students with identified learning disabilities? I think there several factors at play: And the percentage of students at ANCS who receive accommodations for a disability under a “504 plan” is higher than any other school in all of APS according to the district’s assistant superintendent of student services. The percentage was about the same last year, which put ANCS not only highest among charter schools but in the top quartile of all APS schools. Currently about 14% of ANCS students qualify for and receive special education services under an Individualized Education Program (IEP). This week’s fact is that ANCS serves a higher percentage of students with disabilities than any other charter school in the Atlanta Public Schools. Each week in our school’s Courier newsletter, there’s a little section at the bottom called “Did you know….” that highlights a quick fact about our school.
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