Improving Educational Planning for Students With Severe Disabilities: An Evaluation of School-Based Professional Learning

Abstract

The components of quality educational planning for students with moderate and severe intellectual disability are well established, but schools and special educators may not always achieve a desirable standard. This article reports on the change in quality of documentation related to individual planning and programming over a span of 4 years in a special school enrolling high-school-aged students with moderate to severe intellectual disability. The school implemented a program of professional learning, led by school staff, directed at improving planning and programming. There were significant changes in the quality of short-term goals and documentation of teaching programs. There was an increase in the quality of long-term goals but this did not reach significance. Instructional objectives were introduced in the final year of the study, and were not part of previous documentation. There was no evidence of implementation of formal monitoring procedures over the time span of the study. The difficulties observed and the changes as a result of the professional learning reflect those reported elsewhere in the literature, and demonstrate that a school commitment to improving program quality can have positive results.

Analyser, évaluer et améliorer la qualité des plans d’intervention (PI) ou de transition (PT) en milieu scolaire

“…Enfin, Stephenson et Carter (2015), intéressés par des élèves présentant des incapacités intellectuelles sévères, s'inspirent de différents auteurs (Baine, 2003;Boavida, Aguiar, McWilliam et Pimentel, 2010;Codding, Skowron et Pace, 2005; DePaepe, Reichle, Doss, Shriner et Cameron, 1994;Pretti-Frontczak et Bricker, 2000 ;Ruble et al, 2010;Sigafoos et al, 1993;Sigafoos et al, 1991) pour créer une grille qui cible l'objectif et les moyens. (2008) se servent d'une liste préétablie « d'angles » pour analyser la qualité du contenu.…”

“…À l'égard de la formation, en éducation, la formation continue est un enjeu essentiel de la réussite des changements occasionnés par les différents besoins et contraintes des milieux scolaires. Les apports positifs de la formation en matière de PI/PT ont été confirmés dans plusieurs recherches (Boavida et al, 2013;Lowman, 2016;Pretti-Frontczac et Bricker, 2000;Stephenson et Carter, 2015). Toutefois, les intentions, les objectifs, le contenu et la durée varient d'une formation à une autre.…”