EDU 510 Assignment 2

Good Performance of Disabled Students

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Good Performance of Disabled Students

Great strides have been made in the inclusion of disabled students in large-scale assessments that are done both at a federal and state level. For a long time it want even possible to have disabled students take part in this assessment because they were presumed not to be good enough to compete with their peers who didn’t share their challenges. But as (Messick, 1989) puts it the focus should go beyond mere inclusion to some important factors such as good performance be looked at. Just being part of the assessments is a big enough stride but quality performance would go a long way in helping in meeting some of the goals of k-12 assessments such as preparing students for future careers.

The good performance of students especially those with disabilities shows how well students are being prepared for college and career. End of year assessments shouldn’t be something to cause anxiety and great stress to students and teachers but both parties should look forward to with great hope and anticipation. This is in line with the k-12 goals of assessment that states the process of assessment should be geared towards gearing student’s readiness for the rigors of the job market. Thus the role of assessment in the education sector needs shift and change from being preoccupied by how students is doing and being ranked in class to how well he is being prepared for college and career. This shift will ensure that the quality and experience of classroom learning is improved because there will be no assessment related anxiety for both teachers and students (Pace, et al,.2015).

Putting emphasis on quality performance creates accountability and responsibility whereby the need for inclusiveness is one of the greatest goals of the k-12 assessment objectives. With the no child left behind policy there is inclusion of more players to come forward and give their views and this a wider network of people who can monitor performance of students and this will ensure there is improvement because the decision no longer lies squarely in the hands of the teachers and thus the interests of children are better taken care of.

High expectations have a way of pushing people to give it their all and be the best they can be. I know it is not easy to consistently expect students with disabilities to perform as well as their peers but by setting the bar high it has a way them to understand that they are expected to well not merely complete and pass through the system. For them to do well they might be need for provision of accommodation and support that are appropriate for them to effectively to compete with their able peers. Such accommodations might include provisions of braille for students who are visually impaired.

Inclusion of students with disabilities is a great way of evaluating the performance of students and the education sector on well it is impacting students with basic skill of literacy such as reading, writing and numeracy skills that are key in preparing children for higher levels of education. Thanks to the Individuals with Disability Education Act of 1997 that makes it mandatory for students with disabilities to take part in assessment and the school give a report on the performance of disabled students. This enables them to attain their education goals and to be able to compete internationally.

According to (Roblyer, 2003) technology can make education more meaningful to students and helps them to put them to be in charge of their own education because they are more actively involved in learning. Technology has changed the way we do and perceive things and educations hasn’t been left out of this great transformation .Technology can be used for various purposes by teachers in a classroom setting. For instance, they can use technology as a teaching aid such as PowerPoint. According to Laws and (Scepansky, 2006) PowerPoint has a way of transforming student’s classroom experience because they perceive such a class as better organized and one that most students look forward to. Professors who used such technology are also more likely to receive better ratings from their students and students would be willing to take an extra class by that lecturer or professor. Though there is no evidence to suggest that the use of PowerPoint is likely to improve on students’ performance. But the use of PowerPoint enhances a teacher’s credibility, good time management because time isn’t wasted on writing on the whiteboard and it also creates a better class experience.

Computer knowledge is also when used in class because it supports students with diverse needs and abilities. According to (McCombs, 2000) the use of computer helps in deeper understanding and processing of information by students. Some devices such as the augmentative and alternative communication devices that help students with no speech or speech issues to be able to communicate with others and some of these devices have been to work with computer programs such as word processing and calculations.

Technology is important for students in terms of notes taken, attentiveness in class, creating and sustaining of interest while in class has a way of improving their scores in the exams. If students can concentrate in class and grasp as much as they can possibly learn from their teacher they are likely to be better prepared for assessment tests.

References

McCombs, B. (2000). Assessing the Role of Educational Technology in the Teaching and Learning

Process: A Learner-Centered Perspective. The Secretary’s Conference on Educational

Technology 2000.

Routledge. Roblyer, M. (2003). Integrating Educational Technology into Teaching. (3rd ed.)

Upper Saddle River, NJ: Merrill Prentice Hall.

Messick, S. (1989). Validity. In R. L. Linn (Ed.), Educational measurement, (3rd ed). New York:

American Council on Education/Macmillan.

Pace, L., Williams, M., & Moyer, J. (2015). Building Consensus and Momentum: A Policy and

Political Landscape for K-12 Competency Education.