Whether we are talking health, diet, family time, or education, maintaining balance continues to be an important guiding principle in all areas of one’s life. Education is no different; we tend to swing to extremes on the pendulum and often lose a sense of balance along the way. For example, as this is written, schools all across the country are working through the implementation of a nationalized instructional curriculum called the Common Core. In it’s defense, the notion of a common curriculum for all students, with well defined standards for learning, makes sense. Whether one lives in Seattle or Orlando, the idea supports an instructional path for all kids with college or career as the focus. However, there is a tendency for the emphasis within the classroom to be on “standards”, “assessments”, and “curriculum guides” in contrast to the students’ themselves and their needs.
This can be even more pronounced within Special Education and the IEP process. The notion of an IEP is simple; individualized education plan. However, many schools are implementing programs with the focus on the standards rather than the student. An example; just the other day I attended an IEP where the team clearly expected the student to attend her 5th grade general education class in math to “access the standards based learning” even though she was performing at the first/second grade level and qualified for an IEP as a result. By doing so, the team expressed the importance of access whereas the parents pressed for learning and specifically, mastery of skills. So the team created a balanced approach where she would primarily receive her math class at her instructional level within the resource room setting with additional time in the general education class with support from the special education staff. As the team moves forward, the focus will be on the specific goals within her IEP, which are standards based, but noted at her instructional level rather than her grade level.
I understand the belief that students need to access a standards based program; everyone deserves to be on a path toward independence through college or career, however, not all students require the same road map at all times. One size doesn’t fit all especially when we are presented with square pegs being pressed into round holes! Every child is a gift. And this gift unfolds in a variety of ways which also needs to be supported within the public school system. Let’s utilize the Common Core as a guide but then, we need to make sure we don’t lose sight of the trees within the context of the forest. It’s all about balance.