Special Education Issues

            
             You are on an a SST (Student Study Team) which functions as a pre-assessment and assessment team. Smith sends a referral to your team. .
             Marvin is a 15 year old freshmen at Altamont High. He is a somewhat less-than-average student with minor problems in school. He has not been considered for special education services. This year Mr. Smith, .
             Marvin's English teacher, has decided to ask his case be reviewed. In English class Marvin is disruptive and uncooperative; he fails to complete most of his writing assignments. Those that are finished are usually late and of poor quality. (Marvin's average grade on writing assignments is 38%). In addition, when bothered by Marvin's outbursts, the other sudents in the class retaliate by commenting on his poor porgress, which leads to arguments in class and in the hall after class. .
             What actions do you believe your team should take to assure Marvin's success?.
             The first step we would take in handling Marvin's situation is to investigate the possibility of prereferral interventions with Mr. Smith. We would consult with the teacher to learn whether or not he has used any interventions and, if so, what interventions have been attempted. If he has not used any interventions, we would suggest that he do so, and would ask him to make observations about the results. For example, we would suggest that he try some behavior management adaptations, such as a behavior contract or a reward system, to work on improving Marvin's outbursts. We would also suggest trying some instructional adaptations, including giving Marvin additional instruction with his writing and giving Marvin extra time to complete writing assignments. Because the class reacts negatively to Marvin's behavior, Mr. Smith should also make management adaptations for the class, so that they are more understanding of Marvin and are rewarded for being understanding of Marvin's frustrations. .
             After Mr. Smith has tried these prereferral interventions, or if he has already tried them before the referral, we would ask him to collect data on Marvin for a period of time so the extent of the problem can be known.