Further reflections on Wren and Wren

Wren and Wren's chapter, The Capacity to Learn (2003) had an interesting take on Learning Disabilties (pp. 256-258).  Since New Brunswick is a fully integrated province I've had experience with working on SEP's (Special Education Plans) with countless students.  This year I've been involved with the construction of two Modified programs for two of my homeroom students.  Wren and Wren concluded that "A learning disability, then, is a matter of degree. A serious inadequacy in one or more of what Sternberg calls metacomponents, performance components, or acquisition components of intelligence makes it difficult for a person to learn failry specific knowledge and skills.  Thus LD are characterized by significant variation not just among individuals but within an individual's cognitive abilities and acquired skills." (258)  The also point out the misguided notion that any student who experiences a "discrepancy between actual and expected achievement" (257) could be identified as having a learning disability.  This is one of my frustrations with the SEP process.  There are any number of reasons that a student may be underperforming (including lack of motivation) and because we monitor on the difference between where they should be and where they actually are in terms of curricular outcomes, many students have ended up having an SEP.  More recently, the NB government has overhauled the SEP process, calling many of the accommodations 'universal', but it still remains that there are students who are capable of reaching expected curricular outcomes that are on an SEP.

Now, the students I previously mentioned who ended up on modified programs this year truly have difficulty with processing and learning.  Our job has been to find out where they are on the spectrum of outcomes and adapt their program accordingly.  This is a very arduous process involving reading psychologist reports, old report cards, benchmark testing, SST meetings (Student Service Team) etc.  It is worth it in the end because the students are the ones who are benefiting from this work.  Their program meets their needs.  It isn't a matter of not being able to learn,  it is a matter of not being able to learn as rapidly as the rest of the class (these students are 2 years behind in some areas).

My question as a general classroom teacher revolves around teacher training and knowing curriculum.  In light of full inclusion, how is a teacher with very little background and training in special education expected to just know how to peg a student's abilities on the curriculum spectrum and create appropriate learning goals?  I'm very fortunate that I have an excellent colleague in our school's resource teacher.  I also benefit from having taken a certificate course in Resource & Methods myself, but prior to that I felt like I was being thrown off the boat and treading water.  One of my main motivations in furthering my education in curriculum is to understand how best to meet the needs of my students who have special learning needs in terms of the curriculum that we present to them.  I believe in the value of education for all and I want to be part of the dialogue that ensures that all are getting the best and most appropriate education that we can provide for them.