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I.

Harms: Poor academic performance of the Special Education Students creates an


achievement gap between them and their typically developing peers, and is also affecting the
way Special Education teachers can teach their students.
A. Harm 1: An achievement gap between the Special Education students and the typically
developing students is continuing to grow.

1. Evidence: Tara Hoban, a special education teacher at Congdon Park Elementary


School, said that there is a noticeable difference in academic proficiency and
social skills between the kids who are in general education classrooms for the
whole day versus the children who have to spend most of their time in the
Special Education classrooms (Hoban).
a. This means that they dont get the time and exposure to crucial
curriculum in the General Education classrooms that they need to
succeed (Hoban).
b. This gap of efficiency gets more apparent as the children get older,
since her students peers keep progressing as her students keep
being held back because she cannot provide the help that they need
due to there not being enough help in her classroom (Hoban).
B. Harm 2: If the test scores in different school districts continue to plummet, that means that
the school receives less money for their budget, which further hinders the students learning
(Matos).

C. Harm 3: With having to deal with so many behavioral problems, Special Education teachers
arent able to teach their students in the way that their Individualized Education Plans say
that they should.

1. Evidence: According to Tara Hoban, when there are eight students in her
classroom, arent able to focus and handle the general education classroom, she
is not able to teach them the way that their IEP states that they should (Hoban).
a. Most of her students require individualized attention, but she
cannot physically give eight students all individualized attention at
the same time (Hoban).
b. She is forced often to make her students just do worksheets, and
they cannot learn properly from these, continuously putting them
one step behind their typically developing peers (Hoban).
c. This often causes the children to become very frustrated with

themselves, as they arent being taught in the best way possible,


causing students to become unfocused and not learn (Kmiech).
2. Evidence: Current Special Education teacher Tanya Kmiech states that at times
she is supposed to be teaching her students in the classroom, she is often called
out onto the school playground to reprimand her other students with behavior
problems (Kmiech).
a. She often has to leave her students who are receiving academic
help in order to deal with the other behavior problems of her
students elsewhere in the school (Kmiech).
D. Harm 4: Special Education Students who arent being mainstreamed as frequently miss
crucial social interaction time with General Education Students that would overall improve
their education and wellbeing.
1. Evidence: Being mainstreamed in a General Education Environment means that
Special Education students can observe their typically-developing peers, which
helps these students learn social skills from their peers (Lawrence).
2. Evidence: It also helps to prepare them for the real world by exposing them to
situations that they would not face by being in a Special Education classroom
(Lawrence).
a. Several situations that they could face such as them not being able
to get their own way and having to work with groups with other
typically-developing students helps them prepare for scenarios in
the future (Kmiech).
3. Evidence: Being in a classroom with their typically developing peers can help
students with disabilities with their language skills (Grabmeier).

E. Harm 5: With Special Education students needing extra help in their classes, it often disrupts
the General Education classes either when the students dont get the help they need, or have
to rely on the General Education teacher for assistance.
1.

Evidence: Often times if a Special Needs Child starts acting out in the General
Education classroom, it puts the rest of the class on pause while that child is
either receiving the attention they need or is being sent back to the Special
Education classroom (Kmiech).

2. Evidence: Children who require a para-professional in the General Education


classroom with them, but dont have one are often being kicked out of class

because they cannot control themselves (Hoban


3. Evidence: If a child with more developmental disabilities is in need of assistance
in the restroom, and there is no para-professional to help the child, the General
Education teacher often has to stop the class and take the entire class on a
restroom break in order to give the child the help that he or she needs (NPS).

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