Recommendations prepared by Arthur Madsen, B.A., D.E.S., M.Ed.

for Marylou Krummenacker, B.S., M.S., M.Ed., M.A.T.

Special Education Instructor at

Zia Middle School

Based on Two Half-Days of Classroom Observation and Active Participation

[Wednesday, January 6 and Thursday, January 7, 1999]

I. GENERAL OBSERVATIONS

Ms. Krummenacker occupies a small classroom, measuring approximately 1200 square feet (40 x 30), equipped with two teachers' desks, wall-cabinets, shelving and 15 student desks. Ample books, manuals, art supplies and visual aids seem available. A large glossy board designed for use with felt markers is positioned at the front of the classroom, requiring frequent wash-downs with a dampened cloth to remove writing.

Student desks are spaced uncomfortably close to each other creating a sense of proximity which is not conducive to learning. This problem is further compounded by the special status of Ms. Krummenacker's students, many of whom are behaviorally disturbed, and, hence, disruptive and disorderly.

Ms. Krummenacker teaches Remedial Language Arts and Reading to two sets of special ed students during the morning hours. Several students seem to attend for both periods, while there is a rotation of three or four different boys, and two girls, into the second period class. The total number of students in each class is about 12 to 15. All students have experienced successive years of academic failure. Similarly, all have been identified as learning disabled, behaviorally disturbed or emotionally handicapped. There were ample signs of many students having come from abusive and/or neglectful families. There is a high percentage of Latino students whose native language is Spanish. English language skills are minimal among these students.

Students are frequently excused from class for a variety of reasons, disrupting continuity of the class session for themselves, the instructor and others. Purchase of meal tickets, appointments with (apparently ineffective) counselors, disciplinary trips to the assistant principal, rest room visits, library passes, and school nurse excuses seem to serve as reasons for absence from class.

There is a Spanish-speaking classroom aide who assists the Instructor with routine classroom organization. She also assists in the motivation of students to learn and in completion of authorized portions of the students' assignments. Neither she nor the instructor, however, seems to be able to control the second period class adequately due to the dynamics of student interaction.

The first period class, perhaps because a morning Television Broadcast, School Announcements and the Pledge of Allegiance occupy one third of classroom time, seems better able to attend to classroom material being presented over a relatively brief span of time. Generally speaking, the incidence of misbehavior was markedly reduced in the first period class, in comparison with the second.

On day two, even in the presence of a new speaker, the students during first period, however, were inattentive to vocabulary and thematic material being presented by the guest instructor. While some were responsive, there were also spontaneous outbursts and disruptions. Talking among the students during presentation of material was a further indication of inattentiveness and disinterest. Themes included Japanese Motorcycles, Current Events and Sports, all of which would normally prove of interest to students in this category and age-bracket. The class eventually divided into three segments with one adult assuming responsibility for continuing the lesson in each of the three sub-groups. Brief content-heavy compositions were to be initiated by the two teachers and aide, and then, hopefully, completed by the students.

During second period, no classroom decorum was maintained on either the first day or second day of observation. On the first day, three disruptive Latino boys were excused from class to work at computer consoles with the guest instructor. Ms. Krummenacker then proceeded with the lesson for the remaining students. The three boys were taken to the Library to draft a paragraph for typing at a later time on the computer. All three worked diligently on assigned material, although one had to be motivated to do so by granting permission for him to peruse a HOT ROD magazine upon completion of task. Although the boys did not type their material on the computer, preferring to browse the Internet, the handwritten work accomplished was submitted to the instructor for review at the end of the period.

Period two, the following day, however, proved to be quite disruptive. The guest instructor, because of functional fluency in Spanish and a graduate degree in counseling, was once again given responsibility for the same three Latino boys. They preferred to work in the computer lab. The guest instructor had prepared an Internet Web Site for them, dealing with an environmental issue, a natural history lesson and substance abuse. Click here: Lesson Site. The boys initially seemed to enjoy this "paragraph completion" site, and one of the three completed the assigned task. The remaining two boys, however, mid-way through their task, requested permission to use the rest room. Permission was granted. When they returned, the guest instructor observed an asthma inhaler in the possession of one of the boys. Its contents did not seem medicinal. Neither boy performed his tasks properly during the remainder of the period. The guest instructor had difficulty controlling the behavior of two of the boys who, frustrated with the computer which they could not properly operate, ran, in the last seven minutes of the period, from the computer classroom to join classmates on the play yard. Ms. Krummenacker was displeased that they had declined to remain with the guest instructor, but no disciplinary action for either possession of the inhaler, or for running from the computer room seemed indicated or justified in the eyes of either instructor.

II. OBSERVATION OF INDIVIDUAL STUDENTS

  • Laura, Vincente's sister, was occasionally disruptive in class. She did not respond to prompting when questioned and showed only superficial interest in any subject presented. She displayed primary concern with other (largely male) students and engaged in playful behaviors with them before and during class. She requires an adult female figure for role-modeling and prioritizing of her teen-age goals and ultimate adult objectives.
  • Esmeralda did not respond to repeated attempts to interest her in her animal report. Although she voiced a desire to complete the report and displayed momentary bursts of focus on task, she abandoned her report by 'sabotaging' her computer, thus losing at least ten minutes of classtime.
  • Kip is one of the more restrained and well-behaved students in class. He seems to complete major portions of his work and takes an interest in some of the subject material. However, further study of his reading and mathematical abilities would be required before embarking on any type of formal reassessment for main-streaming.
  • Cisco was quiet, well mannered, and responsive to questions in class. The guest instructor had no extended period of time with Cisco to formulate an impression of his potential.
  • Allan did not attend a portion of class on the first day of observation. During the fifteen minutes the guest instructor worked with Allan on his report, he seemed to be a polite and well-mannered student. However, he is clearly dysfunctional in many areas of basic reasoning, cognition and writing. He is also dysgraphic. This student requires special, intensive attention which may not be available for him at Zia. There were also several indications of deeper psychological problems related to his disabilities.
  • O.B. was subdued over the two day period of observation. He interacted with his desk-mate, Kip, by remaining 'on subject', when allowed to talk, and obeyed instructions to remain quiet when asked to do so. He seemed to take a genuine interest in his animal report, and drafted several sentences when prompted to do so by the guest instructor who had written the first portion for him. However, he, like "most/all" of the other students, was clearly deficient in basic compositional skills.
  • Vincente represents Ms. Krummenacker's most serious challenge to classroom decorum. He is Laura's brother, comes from a broken home environment, is consistently disruptive in class and is repeatedly disrespectful of authority. There is ample indication of an abusive upbringing and of adult authority figures having deceived and manipulated him in the past. Trust in adult figures is minimal. He is being torn in several directions by his peers, whom he in turn manipulates, and by older figures in his life. His experience with drugs seems apparent and he is a prime candidate for gang recruitment in the years ahead. He immediately needs a Spanish-speaking male mentor, close guidance, and sincere encouragement to succeed. He focused on his academic task on Day One, then inexplicably lost interest on Day Two. Having demonstrated intelligence on a number of occasions, he has potential to succeed with further English-language training which should be provided in a non-school setting, perhaps within a social service or counseling context, a Boys Club or a mentoring program.
  • Juan seems to be one of Vincente's best friends. They reside on the same street and socialize on the school yard. Juan comes from a disruptive home environment. His limited attention span and lack of focus in class are related to his deficient mastery of English. Problems in the classroom are clearly associated with Vincente with whom he interacts. During the observational period, Juan produced a brief composition in English, with prompting from the guest instructor, and responded rationally in Spanish to questions posed. There is no doubt that he can succeed in school with further English language training, intensive attention from a mentor or advisor, and re-evaluation of his IEP which may not reflect his needs. At this stage, Juan requires private tutorial assistance from a bilingual professional.
  • Joseph, in seventh grade, is functioning in Spanish and English at somewhat higher levels than other students in Ms. Krummenacker's class. When not distracted by his peers, he was able to complete his paragraph with minimal supervision. He responds appropriately to questions and, although clearly deficient in certain basic skills, demonstrates potential for main-streaming. Behavioral traits and acting out can be minimized by modifying influences to which he is presently subjected at Zia.

III. RECOMMENDATIONS

It is clear, upon cursory examination, to any professional educator that the Las Cruces School District is not willing to expend funds necessary to properly salvage the thousands of Special Ed students currently channeled into remedial programs at all levels of its system. Given the budgetary realities, imposed by the community on its own school system, which have resulted in (1) understaffed special education classrooms, (2) limited space per pupil, (3) deficient mentoring, (4) inadequate guidance and psychological support for these students, and (5) counter-productive curriculum preparation and IEP formulation, these students will become permanent burdens on society in the years ahead. Since the District must be aware of these problems, and has lobbied for additional funding through local governmental channels without success, it cannot be validly held responsible for the mediocre performance of its system.

Where does this scenario leave the special ed students at ZIA? In the absence of a larger classroom, staffed with two professionals trained at the graduate level in Special Education, Guidance, or Remedial Curriculum Development, the relative chaos which was observed for two days throughout the morning will continue unabated. The interaction between and among disruptive students in this classroom is clearly interferring with learning. It has been established, in numerous journal articles, that Special Ed students, with varying levels of proficiency in a wide variety of disciplines, can learn, can assimilate material and can remain on task when ambient conditions are conducive to absorption of subject matter being presented. There must be an attempt made to create those conditions.

Ms. Krummenacker is coping professionally and competently with these students insofar as she is able. However, the classroom aide, also a woman, is ineffective in securing the respect of the male Latino students who refer to her disparagingly. While she may be able to maintain discipline at times in the classroom, so teaching can proceed, disruptions recur frequently and sharp exchanges take place among students, teacher and aide. Those students (Kip, Cisco, O.B., Esmeralda) who wish to learn are unable to do so.

The foregoing comments result, keeping in mind the unfortunate realities of imposed budgetary restrictions, in the following recommendations:

1. To supplement Ms. Krummenacker's presence, placement of a Bilingual Male Role Model, either as an Auxiliary Instructor, or as an un-degreed Aide, in the classroom is recommended to offset the disruptive behaviors of Juan, Vincente and Joseph, among others. This can be accomplished by transfer of the present Aide, and reassignment of a male to Ms. Krummenacker's classroom.

2. Recommended, as well, is Review of Disruptive Students' IEPs with a view toward devising a viable strategy for coping with disciplinary problems and outbursts. This should not result in expulsion of these students or in their transfer to an alternative educational setting. Adjustments in the amount of time they must stay in a single classroom should be made. Experience has demonstrated that Period Two is far too long for Juan and Vincente to remain in a single room, whatever is being discussed. The computer option is viable, assuming a bilingual instructor is available and computer-literate.

3. Consideration must be given to seriously attempting to Redirect the Behavioral Patterns of Key Instigators. Even at ages 13, 14 and 15, this can be done through proven Directive Counseling methods, such as William Glasser's Reality Therapeutic Model. For gentler students in need of rerouting, Non-Directive Therapies, such as the Rogerian approach are recommended. Students who exhibit abnormal behaviors, whether they are compounded or not by Special Ed problems, definitely respond to such therapeutic intervention. What has happened in Las Cruces is that community opposition to implementation of such a program has arisen, largely among those who refuse to fund it, or among those who refuse to acknowledge its effectiveness due to their reliance on traditional religious or educational patterns established 50 to 70 years ago in the Southwest.

4. Parent-Teacher Conferences are not to be ruled out as a means of determining the root causes of discipline problems and of suggesting methods of enforcing rules to which these students must adhere. Such conferences have limited impact in the case of poorly educated or neglectful parents.

C O N C L U S I O N

Obviously in a two day observational period, serious analysis of the specific problems affecting this classroom can not be expected. The stakes for society, nonetheless, are quite high. Most of these often "redeemable" children may, in the future, because of inadequate provisions being made for them now, be unable to operate cash registers, function in normal social circles, earn an honest living or contribute to their communities in constructive ways. A high percentage of improperly trained special ed children will ultimately resort to petty crime, abusive behavior, alcoholism, prostitution or substance abuse. Studies have shown that they spend time in jail, in detention facilities, and create health and safety risks to the community. Even in rural areas, many fall victim to more intelligent criminals who organize and manipulate them for their own nefarious purposes.

By, at very least, making an effort to salvage these 15 or 20 students, and particularly three of them, now under Ms. Krummenacker's care, society will be spared hundreds of thousands of dollars in damages at a later date. The foregoing recommendations might prove useful in helping this dedicated instructor reverse some of the behavioral trends independently observed by her guest-educator during these two half-day sessions.