The unintended fall-out of SB 51:
Programmatic changes made in Delaware's teacher prep colleges including the potential elimination of some special education studies. Why? SB 51 will result in the ranking of Delaware's four teacher prep programs based upon component V of DPAS II which is based on the standardized testing of the colleges' graduates students.
Special educators and special parents will be among the first to tell you that many disabilities reflect in standardized testing scores - conditions that teachers have no control over and that even the best modifications cannot remediate.
Examples of two such programs: The Delaware Autism Program and the Delaware School for the Deaf where students testing scores, alternative included, have precluded these schools from making AYP. Thus, these teachers who hold specialized certifications and frequently attain a higher level of professional development than their same-experienced general education peers are less likely to receive a positive ranking on Component V. When component V translates into the ranking of the teachers college, the colleges, rather than be perceived as turning out bad teachers, are then motivated to alter or eliminate such specialized degree programs as those that prepare teachers for working with students with the most severe disabilities.
You need only imagine this: The only college in the state that offers the advanced certification required by state law/regulation/code to teach severe disabilities and autism decides upon learning that its graduates - who primarily work in a program that is by definition vocational for students from 18 months to 21- have not spurred academic growth or achievement in their students and thusly failed to achieve high ratings on Component V, deems its severe disabilities and autism teacher prep program a public relations disaster after it drives down the college's overall ranking, even though in reality parents relocate to Delaware for this public school program that provides far more comprehensive services and better prepares its students for life beyond education than other public options offered in the majority of the other 50 states. What then, I ask you, will be the impact of SB 51?
Disaster is what SB 51 means to countless special educators, their students, and parents. We predict that SB 51 will ultimately drive a special education teaching shortage especially in those schools that serve our children who are challenged by severe disabilities.
VOTE NO on SB 51 if you want to ensure that high quality teachers continue to be available to serve our neediest children. Please don't put us in the position of studying longitudinal data that proves this prophecy correct.
NO to SB 51 b/c this is the right thing to do for children in classrooms. The special needs community is a bit like an elephant. We never forget, especially around election time.
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