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SpecialEducation1 x

Running Head: SPECIAL EDUCATION 1

SPECIAL EDUCATION 7

Special Education

Student’s Name:

Professor’s Name:

Date:

Coherence Assessment Tool

As the developer of the Circles project, I believe that it is essential for one to pass through the coherence assessment tool in order to know where one is heading with whatever one is thinking of doing. For instance, when I was assessing my particular project, I was able to pass through four main topics of interest; they include, fostering direction, creating collaborative cultures, deepening learning and securing accountability. When we read through the four main topics, we are able to find out that there is an aim that the person conducting the assessment is trying to look for in the project or in the person undertaking the project. As I was ‘assessing my project or knowledge,’ I was able to come up with the following as what is expected by the assessment tool: first, the first topic was all about helping the project developer to focus on what is ahead and not at the moment or in the past.

The tool seeks to extract the ideas, purpose and drive from me and therefore my will for the future special children that will need all the help they could get. As I was answering the evaluation tool, I realized that it aided in preparing well for the future. The second one was all about preparing an individual’s foundation i.e. where one is coming from, the friends and colleagues. When the relationship back here is as good as it is supposed to be, then it means that the plan set for in the future will be an excellent one. As we all know, two heads are better than one, and that is a fact. The second last topic was all about deepening learning, this part was now all about ensuring that the methodology set in place to aid in educating the special need children should be perfect and well accounted for.

I believe that it is a stage where the processes that are supposed to be used are established, and that it is accepted by the entire group. This means that they approve of it because of its competency and means of operation. The last topic was on securing accountability. As I passed through this phase, I realized that it was a point of good vibes. The encouragements that lay there were enough to make a person do his job well and to also never give up in anything they do. In all the levels in my organization, coherence is always perceived through different ways. For instance, the level of participation and enquiries during meetings will determine who close the teachers are will the system. Also, by checking the commitment of every colleague personally will also show how coherent they are really.

I believe that the process has two main strengths, which if employed would really be effective. The first strength would be on the fact that the organization believes in culture and collaboration. This will go a long way to help the organization flourish in whatever road it passes through. Two heads are better than one, and that means that the best decision will always be the ones chosen. The second strength is the fact that the organization is able to embrace failure, heal and recover from it. The fact that it is truly accepted means a lot not only to the teachers but also to the students. In my opinion, I believe it would be better for the organization to move towards is in building cultures and ensuring that the collaboration among the teachers is plausible. What I would wish to be thrown out of the system is the amount of goals that is set. The more goals set, the more will be achieved and I prefer if they were increased a little bit.

Pros and cons of program evaluation

When it comes to program evaluation, there are a number of things that are possible bound to happen. Some will be positive while others will be negative. I will begin with the positive outcomes; the first is that the program evaluation is the key to finding what works and what doesn’t work in an organization. This means that it enables the manager of a particular project to answer questions about the competency of the programs. Some questions asked include; “are participants benefiting from it?” “Are participants satisfied with the program?” The other positive impact of assessment is that it could showcase the effectiveness of the program to the funder as well as the community in full. This means that the community and funders will find the program worthwhile and worthy of investment and use. This action will attract volunteers, other funders and other recruited participants and trust will also be built (Carter, J., 2014).

When it comes to the cons, they include the following; first, in order to carry out a program assessment, it means that an organization will have to budget for it and also invest in resources for its sake. The high costs might cause the organization, in this case the school from having enough money for other processes (Carter, J., 2014). For instance, a program assessment could cost about $75000 which is not cheap for an education institution. The other flaw is that sometimes, confusion may arise on the main agenda of the evaluation. The word “evaluation” itself is threatening enough from the organization to the public. Knowing what exactly could be the purpose of evaluation could be helpful more so for the partners in business.

Ways of improving program outcomes

When it comes to children with special needs, then it is up to the teachers and the available personnel to ensure that the children are very comfortable while learning and that they remain like that until they achieve what they need. As the leader in special education, there are a couple of steps that I will be taking to ensure that the children receive the best care. First, I would ensure that the children are confortable in their rooms. I would do this by ensuring that they do not stay in self-contained rooms, rather they would stay in inclusive classrooms. This will be a bit good for them as it will enable easier movement and good coordination. I will also ensure that there is the required amount of personnel who would ensure that the needs of the students are catered for as soon as they arise (Rhim, L. M., Sutter, J., & Campbell, N., 2017).

There are five elements that I will stick by through my career as a special needs children educator. They include; the environment, this is the surrounding of the special need child and he/she will only do well if they are comfortable. The second one is the curriculum, this one is important because it entails what the student will be learning. It has to be properly structured to ensure that it suits all the needs of all the children (Balcom, F., 2012). The next is assessment, which is I believe is important because there needs to be an indication whether they are the strategies are working or not. Fourth, is the instruction which should always be kept under close check. Following instructions is the key to good results, and with special children it is required in high quantizes. Last one is the classroom management which I talked about as my upcoming strategies. Ensuring they the children have a special class that suits them will encourage them to do better.

I would use the following strategies to stay up to date with the evidence-based practices for program leadership. The first thing I would do is to dedicate more of my time to learn and follow up on the latest news and trends. Also, I will always find ways to let the latest news find me. Currently, the most effective way to do this is by being active in social media. The third thing will be to be intentional about learning. The next will be to follow the lead and footsteps of my thought leaders and lastly by setting up an information roundup (Forbes Nonprofit Council, 2019).

References

Balcom, F. (2012). The Special Edge. Teaching Every Student: Five Key Elements, 25(2), 1-7. Retrieved from

https://health.ucdavis.edu/mindinstitute/resources/resources_pdf/the_special_edge

Carter, J. (2014) . Pros and Cons of Evaluation. The Family Advisor: Grant Evaluation. Retrieved from

http://www.pointk.org/resources/files/Pros-and-Cons-of-Evaluation

Forbes Nonprofit Council. (2019, April 30). Six Low-Stress Ways Of Staying Up-To-Date On Current Industry Trends. Retrieved from https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesnonprofitcouncil/2019/04/30/six-low-stress-ways-of-staying-up-to-date-on-current-industry-trends/#2488a18e2d3e

Rhim, L. M., Sutter, J., & Campbell, N. (2017, January 31). Improving Outcomes for Students with Disabilities. Retrieved from

https://www.americanprogress.org/issues/education-k-12/reports/2017/01/31/297746/improving-outcomes-for-students-with-disabilities/

http://resources.corwin.com/sites/default/files/13._figure_6.2

https://cyfar.org/sites/default/files/Child_Trends-2007_10_01_RB_WhyProgEval

Every time

Action Plan Title
Program Goal
Implementation	Evaluation-updates
Action steps to complete	By when	By whom	Resources: What Is Needed for This to Happen?	Progress notes
Focusing direction	As soon as possible	By school stakeholders	A well-organized discussion to share new thoughts and ideas	The children as well as their parents have been given information concerning the matter. Stakeholders are creating time for meetings
Cultivating collaborative cultures		Every time	By a leader	Teaches and other staff members need to be trained and educated on matters to do with collaborative cultures.	The process takes time therefore the implementation is still in progress.
Deepening learning	By the school leaders and teachers	Clarity of learning goals, precision in pedagogy, and capacity building	The school is focusing on employing the Individualized Transition Plan which will benefit the special needs children.
Securing accountability	All the time	Teachers	Teaches need to find ways of interacting with the students to get feedback on issues they are interested in.	The strategy was mandated and now is awaiting implementation.

Appendix