PEER Information Brief
Parent Participation
Crucial to School Reform
prepard by Barbara Buswell and Beth Schaffner Peak Parent Center Colorado Springs, Colorado "Real change can only come as a result of the commitments of both the hearts and minds of the total school community teachers, parents, students, dministrators, and school boards."
Lisa Delpit Why Participate in General Education Reform Today? Education reform has become a pressing reality for all communities. Local, state, and federal education agencies have defined desired student outcomes, paid increased attention to the importance of rigorous content and performance standards for students, and discussed ways to hold schools accountable for students learning at higher levels. This focus on improved results has an impact on all students and all schools. One can see reform at work in local efforts that include site-based collaborations of parents, teachers, and administrators, as well as in statewide education reform initiatives. Common Issues in School Reform Because of the way general education has traditionally been structured, many people have difficulty understanding how students with disabilities can be included in school reform efforts. They have only experienced traditional techniques and teaching approaches such as lecture with follow-up exercises, curriculum taught primarily through textbooks, or grouping students in tracks based on ability. In addition, as a result of their own personal experiences in school, people frequently have many incorrect or limited perceptions.They may perceive that all students in a classroom must be at the same instructional level, or be able to work at the same rate, or have the same learning objectives in order to participate together in learning activities. These traditional models of instruction still exist, but they do not lend themselves well to addressing the needs of the majority of diverse learners found in classrooms today. | |
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