Yes We Can!: General and Special Educators Collaborating in a Professional Learning Community

Design responsive instruction for the success of special needs students.

As states adopt more rigorous academic standards, schools must define how special education fits into standards-aligned curricula, instruction, and assessment. Utilizing PLC practices, general and special educators must develop collaborative partnerships in order to close the achievement gap and maximize learning for all. The authors encourage all educators to take collective responsibility in improving outcomes for students with special needs.

Benefits:

• Use the key ideas and four critical questions of a PLC to maximize learning for all students.
• Learn when conditions make special education services most effective.
• Determine priority standards, and study the steps for unpacking these standards into learning targets for special needs students.
• Discover what tailored instruction for special needs students does and does not mean.
• Consider common team structures that support effective collaboration.
• Develop instructional plans for special needs students using reproducibles.

Contents:
Introduction Improving Outcomes for All Students

Part I: Closing the Gap Through Collaboration
Chapter 1: Understanding the History and Reality of Special Education
Chapter 2: Collaborating for All Students
Chapter 3: Developing a Culture of Shared Learning Expectations

Part II: Closing the Gap Through a Focus on Learning and Results
Chapter 4: Establishing What All Students Should Learn
Chapter 5: Designing Standards-Aligned Instruction for Student Success
Chapter 6: Determining Criteria for Assessment
Chapter 7: Planning Goals and Monitoring Progress for All Learners
Chapter 8: Responding When Students Don't Learn

Appendix A: Reproducibles
Appendix B: Glossary

Heather Friziellie is director of educational services for Kildeer Countryside District 96, located in the suburbs northwest of Chicago. She previously served as both an elementary and middle school principal. As a leader, she is involved in literacy curriculum development, data analysis, and staff development. With experience as a building and district-level administrator, curriculum specialist, and classroom teacher, Heather has consulted with districts throughout the country and presented at national conferences. Educators at all levels have benefitted from her insight and experience related to developing high-performing teams, data-driven decision making, response to intervention, and literacy instruction.

Julie A. Schmidt is superintendent of schools for Kildeer Countryside Community Consolidated School District 96 in Illinois. The district began its professional learning community journey 15 years ago and has been recognized as a model PLC. District 96 schools have received five Blue Ribbon Awards of Excellence, three during Julie's tenure as superintendent.

With more than 26 years in education, she has been a superintendent, an associate superintendent, a school psychologist, an assistant to the superintendent, a director of student services, and an assistant director of special education (early childhood through high school). A respected speaker and facilitator, Julie focuses on response to intervention, leadership and change, and the implementation of PLC practices and works with elementary and secondary schools. She serves on the national PLC advisory board for Solution Tree.

Julie received the Principals' Award of Excellence and Administrative Award of Excellence. As a member of the Illinois Association of School Administrators, she serves on the Illinois Balanced Accountability, Professional Development, and Vision 20/20 committees at the state level. She was elected to the National Suburban School Superintendents, an organization of less than 150 superintendents across the United States. She is also Lake County Superintendents professional development chair and president of the executive board of the Exceptional Learners Collaborative (District 96 is a founding member).

Jeanne Spiller is director of professional development for Kildeer Countryside District 96 in Illinois. Her work focuses on implementation of the Common Core State Standards. She guides the process of unpacking, powering, scaling, and pacing the CCSS for English language arts for numerous schools, districts, and teacher teams. Her work with teachers and administrators for District 96, as well as with several school districts, is focused on the development of aligned assessments and assessment practices that help teachers determine how to approach instruction. Jeanne has served as a classroom teacher, building staff developer, team leader, and middle school assistant principal. She is president of the Illinois affiliate of Learning Forward.