‘Close the door on your way out’: parent perspectives on supported transition planning for young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities in Ireland

Students with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities encounter complex and circuitous transitions from post‐primary settings to Higher Education. In Ireland, inequitable access to Individual Education Plans, and a lack of policy infrastructure to provide formal transition planning, means that these journeys are varied and uncertain. This study presents findings from surveys completed by parents supporting students with disabilities in their final 3 years of mainstream secondary school (n = 69), and in‐depth interviews with a self‐selected subset of parents (n = 8). Results point to: (i) disparate levels and quality of support and guidance, (ii) fissures in communication channels between parents and schools, (iii) insufficient awareness and understanding of the interplay between disability and successful post‐school outcomes, and (iv) high levels of stress, anxiety and frustration experienced by students, parents and carers.     

试论大特殊教育观

本文从我国社会基础,特殊教育发展趋势,特殊教育与普通教育关系,服务对象概念的变化,特殊教育安置形式和实践特征等方面阐述了大特殊教育的观念,宏观地勾画了我国特殊教育发展的新前景     

Including Pupils with Special Educational Needs and Disability in National Assessment: Comparison of Three Country Case Studies through an Inclusive Assessment Framework

The assessment of educational progress and outcomes of pupils is important to all concerned with education. This includes testing which is undertaken for accountability and award bearing purposes. This article examines how students with special educational needs and disability (SEND) are included in assessment. An “inclusive assessment” framework is outlined based around three core features: (1) all students are included and benefit from assessment; (2) assessments are accessible and appropriate for the diverse range of children in the education system; and (3) the full breadth of the curriculum is assessed (including curriculum areas of particular relevance to students with SEND). Assessment policies and practice in three countries (England, Ireland and the US) are drawn upon to demonstrate how the framework usefully enables between-country comparisons and within-country analysis. This analysis shows that in comparison to Ireland, the US and England have highly developed system-based approaches to assessment which seek to “include all” (feature 1) and be “accessible and appropriate” (feature 2). However, the analysis highlights that a consequence of such assessment approaches is the narrowing of the curriculum around topics that are assessed (most notably literacy and mathematics). Such approaches therefore may be at the expense of wider curriculum areas that have value for all students, but often of particular value for those with SEND (feature 3). It is argued that within such systems there may be a danger of neglecting the third feature of the inclusive assessment framework, i.e. ensuring that the full breadth of the curriculum is assessed. A consequence of such an omission could be a failure to assess and celebrate progress in relation to educational outcomes that are relevant to a diverse range of students.     

Implementing the 2014 SEND reforms in England: perspectives from SENCOs

This article is based on research conducted within two years of the 2014 SEND (special educational needs and disability) reforms being in force and reports on the experiences of five SENCOs (special educational needs coordinators) on implementing the reforms in London schools. The research was conducted primarily to inform professional practice and improve delivery of the principles underpinning the reforms. The research deployed an adapted version of SWOT analysis as a tool for seeking the views of SENCOs on the perceived benefits and challenges of the SEND reforms. The findings demonstrate that SENCOs broadly support the principles of the reforms. However, SENCOs find some of the procedures in the 2015 SEND Code of Practice as proving problematic. There still remains a significant focus on managing administrative processes, rather than bringing about a fundamental change to school culture and educational provision. The article concludes by making several recommendations on ways to reduce bureaucracy for SENCOs and increase their focus on classroom practice.     

普通学校中学生特殊教育需要响应:以英国为例

采用渐进型响应模式来满足普通学校中学生的不同特殊教育需要,是英国在普通学校实践全纳教育过程中所采用的一种方法,这种模式要求各学校和教师根据学生特殊教育需要程度的不同分五阶段进行响应,为学生提供不同水平的支持,以便及时帮助学生解决学习困难,提高其教育质量。     

Uncharted territory and extraordinary times: the SENCo's experiences of leading special education during a pandemic in England

This research focuses on the impact of the context of Covid-19 on the role of the SENCo in English schools. The SENCo's role is a contested field; however, the current Special Educational Needs Code of Practice identifies 11 key areas of SENCos' work. A widely distributed survey was used to access the voice of SENCos across the country, and received 26 responses. Data were analysed using a realistic evaluation framework to identify the impact of Covid-19 on the work of the SENCo. The research indicated that practice in this context had changed in some key areas, and also identified three new aspects of the SENCo role. These point to the need to revise policy and guidance relating to the SENCo being part of the senior leadership team, providing emotional support for adults, and engaging in practical pedagogical activities.     

Teacher Leadership in Practice: Mapping the Negotiation of the Position of the Special Educational Needs Coordinator in Schools

Special needs care has taken on a substantial evolution within education. Special educational needs coordinators (SENCOs) are no longer considered to provide individual guidance to students but to support and professionalize regular teachers in fulfilling special needs care in their classroom. In doing so, they act as teacher leaders. Many concerns are raised about how teacher leadership may interfere with the existing working relationships in schools. In this study, we use Positioning Theory as a theoretical approach to obtain an in-depth understanding of how the position of the SENCO and the responsibilities attached to this position are negotiated within the school. The findings illustrate that SENCOs received the legitimacy to act as teacher leaders when their expertise was recognized, when teachers perceived their task as first-line helpers, and when school principals were willing to release power.     

Early identification of special educational needs and the definition of 'at risk': The Early Years Transition and Special Educational Needs (EYTSEN) Project

Education in the early years is a key element in the Government's current strategy. Recently, the Department for Education and Skills (DfES) funded a major study of Effective Provision of Pre-School Education (EPPE). The Early Years Transition and Special Educational Needs (EYTSEN) Project developed from the EPPE research and was also funded by the DfES. The authors of this article, Brenda Taggart, Pam Sammons, Rebecca Smees, Kathy Sylva, Edward Melhuish, Iram Siraj-Blatchford, Karen Elliott and Ingrid Lunt, all worked on the EYTSEN Project, based at the Institute of Education, University of London. In this article, they provide a summary of the findings from the EYTSEN Project, reviewing the impact of pre-school provision on children said to be 'at risk' of developing special educational needs. They suggest that pre-school experience has a positive impact on cognitive attainment and social or behavioural development and that integrated centres (where education and care are fully combined) and nursery schools have the most positive influence among the different f o rms of pre-school provision. This paper also discusses the identification of special educational needs; quality in pre-school centres; parents' perspectives; and future developments. The article closes with a call for improved training for practitioners working in early years settings.     

Preservice Teachers' Attitudes Toward Inclusion and Toward Students with Special Educational Needs from Different Ethnic Backgrounds

Drawing on social cognition frameworks, we experimentally examined preservice teachers' implicit attitudes toward students with special educational needs (SEN) from different ethnic backgrounds and preservice teachers' explicit attitudes toward inclusive education. Preservice teachers (N = 46) completed an evaluative priming task and questionnaires. Results showed indifferent implicit attitudes toward students with SEN with immigrant backgrounds and positive implicit attitudes toward those without immigrant backgrounds. Furthermore, participants reported a high motivation to act without prejudice toward minorities but held less favorable explicit attitudes toward inclusion of students with SEN, especially students with behavioral problems. Differential patterns of implicit and explicit evaluations could bias teachers' interactions with students. Findings are discussed with respect to implications for educational practice and research.     

我国特殊需要儿童教育诊断评估的研究现状与发展趋势

教育诊断评估是特殊需要儿童教育的起点,也是特殊需要儿童教育质量的保障。本文对近十年(1997-2006)国内关于特殊需要儿童教育诊断评估的研究成果进行分析、梳理、总结、概括,探讨国内特殊需要儿童教育诊断评估的研究现状及发展趋势,从而为我国特殊需要儿童的诊断评估的发展、完善提供借鉴。目前我国特殊需要儿童教育诊断评估研究反映出四个特征、六个问题与六个发展趋势。     

Commentary: Mathematics, Emotion and Special Needs

The theoretical frameworks presented in this Special Issue are appraised with respect to how they might enhance teachers’ or researchers’ work with ‘special needs’ students learning mathematics. The notion of ‘special needs’ is used in a broad sense, encompassing specific Special Educational Needs as well as students with low attainment. The analysis indicates that the different frameworks offer some distinctive methods for research or ideas for interventions, either individually or within multi-lens approaches. It also points to other perspectives, not represented here, that could be relevant for a growing understanding of issues of affect in mathematics education.     

特殊需要视野中对特殊教育研究的思考

"特殊需要"已成为当代特殊教育的核心概念,关注并建立基于"特殊需要"的特殊教育研究具有重要的理论价值和实践价值,它既为批判和审视以往传统教育实践中对残疾、障碍现象的歧视倾向和根源提供新视角,同时也为实现"满足学生的特殊教育需要"目标、反思特殊教育理论研究、加快特殊教育学科建设提供理论依据和方法论启示。     

Neoliberal versus social justice reforms in education policy and practice: discourses,politics and disability rights in education

This article uses critical discourse analysis in order to discuss the equity and social justice implications of an envisaged education reform agenda in Cyprus, as articulated by two consultation reports commissioned by the World Bank. The reports highlight, inter alia, the imperative to improve teaching and enhance accountability regimes with regard to students’ learning. Selected extracts from these documents are analyzed in order to highlight the absence of a social justice discourse in the rhetoric of educational reforms, despite the alleged centrality of a social justice discourse in official policy. The reports fail to include issues of social justice and learner diversity in discussing the necessity to strengthen the existing teacher policy framework and to mobilize structural educational reforms. This omission is indicative of the neoliberal imperatives that drive the envisaged education policy reforms as well as the low priority attributed to issues of equity and learner diversity, with particular reference to students designated as having special educational needs and/or disabilities.     

论一般性公共需要和特殊公共需要

公共财政的争论很多。实际上,发展中国家要赶超发达国家,必须更好地发挥政府参与市场的积极作用,这是一种进取型的公共财政,这种进取公共财政的根本在于寻求一种市场发展战略的意图,它对于落后国家或地区的发展是特别重要的“特殊的公共需要”。提出这一概念,有助于理解我们的公共财政。     

Educational justice for all: the capability approach and inclusive education leadership

Leaders within education must weigh a number of fundamentals as they engage the needs of the stakeholders they represent within the political, social and economic context they operate within. Leaders must consider the unique needs and capabilities of individuals who might not possess similar abilities or talents to those of the majority. In this paper, we explore the capability approach as a frame to consider such contextual fundamentals in inclusive education leadership. In order to examine how educational leaders address the diverse needs of the groups they serve, we interviewed five central office educational administrators in the USA with the responsibility for leading programming for students with special needs. Using a human capabilities frame, we developed targeted questions to determine whether school leaders uphold the tenets of this theoretical foundation within their district's practices in an era of tight fiscal management and accountability. Findings indicate that those leaders whose districts had the highest level of inclusion for most students, including students with significant disabilities, most closely align with the capability approach. Recommendations for continued research and implications for both practice and policy are included.     

关于地方特殊教育发展的政策文本分析——以各省市《中长期教育改革与发展纲要》为例

《教育规划纲要》颁布后,全国各省、自治区、直辖市均颁发了本区域《纲要》,其中,对未来十年特殊教育的改革与发展做出了谋划。从政策分析的角度透视各地《纲要》,各地对于特殊教育内容的规划,无论从目标责任设计、政策措施安排,还是政策体系构建都取得了一些突破,也存在着一些共性问题,对《纲要》及时进行比较分析,并在《纲要》基础上进一步细化各地特殊教育政策,形成特殊教育政策体系,才能全面提升我国特殊教育质量。     

Educational reforms,cultural clashes and classroom practices

This article presents an ongoing study of educational policy enactment in Singapore lower primary English classrooms. It explores how teachers react to and interpret educational reforms in their classroom practices against a backdrop of traditional cultural values. Using a prescribed coding scheme, the article presents the instructional organisational patterns and participation structures of the lessons. Through a systematic analysis of the enacted curricula, the paper examines classroom practices as well as teaching and learning activities in Primary 1 (7–8 years) and Primary 2 (8–9 years) English lessons in Singapore. The results suggest that there are cultural clashes between major educational reforms which emphasise independent/critical thinking and ‘Asian values’ which promote respect for authority and conformity.     

A Little Learning is a Dangerous Thing: Factors Influencing the Increased Identification of Special Educational Needs from the Perspective of Education Policy-makers and School Practitioners

This article considers the increased identification of special educational needs in Australia’s largest education system from the perspectives of senior public servants, regional directors, principals, school counsellors, classroom teachers, support class teachers, learning support teachers, and teaching assistants (n = 30). While their perceptions of an increase generally align with the story told by official statistics, participants’ narratives reveal that school-based identification of special educational needs is neither art nor science. This research finds that rather than an objective indication of the number and nature of children with special educational needs, official statistics may be more appropriately viewed as a product of funding eligibility and the assumptions of the adults who teach, refer, and assess children who experience difficulties in school and with learning.     

特殊儿童家庭亲职教育需求的调查研究

本文以105名特殊儿童家长为调查对象,研究了他们的亲职教育需求状况,以及亲职教育需求的影响因素,结果显示:特殊儿童家庭亲职教育需求是迫切的、广泛的,其中,家长最需要的是社会资源方面的讯息;影响特殊儿童家庭亲职教育需求的因素较多,包括家长性别、家庭所在地、家庭经济收入、儿童年级水平、儿童残疾类型、残疾程度等,其中家庭经济...     

Childhood acquired brain injury: the knowledge and training needs of special educational needs coordinators

The aim of this study was to further explore Special Educational Need Co-ordinators' (SENCos) knowledge of childhood acquired brain injury (ABI) and if they have received training on how to effectively support children and young people (CYP) with an ABI in school. SENCos from Nottinghamshire were asked to complete a survey face-to-face or online. Data reported by Howe and Ball (Support for Learning, 32, 1, 85–100), was also used to allow comparisons between different counties in the UK for knowledge of childhood ABI. Results indicated that SENCos from Nottinghamshire hold numerous uncertainties about childhood ABI, although less uncertainties than SENCos from the West Midlands. A majority SENCos from Nottinghamshire had not received training about childhood ABI. Additional challenges in supporting CYP with an ABI were also identified. The findings show a clear need for more training on childhood ABI across UK schools. It is also apparent that obtaining funding for CYP with an ABI can be a challenge for SENCos. However, further research is needed to determine what these barriers to funding are.