When children with learning challenges are identified, the educational community in the United States diligently applies a well-established model of remediation that has, for the most part, yielded positive results. Research, however, has demonstrated that the American perception of disability may vary from those in Eastern cultures. These cultural differences can play a significant role in the failure to achieve learning success on behalf of children from the Middle East, North Africa, and Southwest Asian (MENASWA) families. It is critical for the school community to recognize and acknowledge these differences and bring them into alignment in order to meet these students' learning needs. Learning Challenges for Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CLD) Students With Disabilities is an essential reference publication that identifies ways in which CLD families can be involved with schools to help build educators' cultural competence and explores the idea of disabilities as a social model with a focus on strengths rather than a medical model focused on needs and weaknesses. Featuring coverage on a wide range of topics including racial identity, leadership wisdom, and family-school collaboration, this book is ideally designed for educators, principals, administrators, curriculum developers, instructional designers, policymakers, advocates, researchers, academicians, and students.

"This is like the 'Everything You Wanted to Know About Co-Teaching' book that answers questions you did not even know to ask! Murawski's wit, enthusiasm, and expertise are engaging and informative throughout. From the details of starting a co-teaching relationship to the fine art of sustaining the co-teaching union, this book has something for everyone." -Peggy King-Sears, Professor of Special Education George Mason University Create a successful partnership that provides the ultimate learning environment for every student! Many districts across the nation are incorporating co-teaching into their schools in order to create the best learning environment for all students. This practical, easy-to-use resource offers administrators and teachers a wealth of strategies and tools for setting up, conducting, and maintaining a successful co-teaching relationship that addresses the diverse needs in today's inclusive classrooms. Offered in a lighthearted, humorous manner that compares the co-teaching relationship to a marriage, this comprehensive guide provides substantive, field-tested differentiation and application strategies strongly supported by research and years of expert, hands-on experience. Numerous replicable forms, worksheets, checklists, and examples are included as well as helpful references, Web sites, co-teaching scenarios and case studies, and much more. Each chapter is packed with straightforward ideas for: Dealing with difficult content Mastering scheduling challenges and personality conflicts Setting roles and responsibilities Various approaches for co-instruction Co-planning and co-assessment This resource is ideal for helping schools improve current programs or as a reference for teachers who have no experience with co-teaching and are ready to initiate a new relationship.

Understanding the relationship between law, advocacy, and Special Education is crucial for those who educate and advocate on behalf of students with disabilities. Special Education Law and Policy: From Foundation to Application provides a framework for understanding and implementing the law as it applies to students with disabilities and their families. Rodriguez and Murawski crafted a textbook that distills complex legal concepts into a digestible format to ensure readers understand their roles as teachers, counselors, administrators, and advocates. Their clear and accessible style of writing is intended for students and practitioners and offers case law and real-world examples to highlight the effective application of both law and policy. With contributions from experienced educators and legal professionals, readers will gather the foundational knowledge they need to support students, families, and schools. This is the text that every administrator, teacher, and advocate will want at their fingertips! Key Features: Authentic case studies of challenging issues resolved from different perspectives; Chapter objectives and summaries to improve retention; Boxes throughout the text with key terms, concepts, and checks for understanding; Putting it in Practice and Application in Action boxes with real-world examples from case law; For Further Consideration sections at the end of each chapter with discussion questions, case law, and additional resources; A PluralPlus companion website with study guides, case studies, further resources, and PowerPoints for instructors;

"An all-in-one book-a lighthearted and well grounded introduction to collaboration, how it can improve education for all children, and its role in effectively educating students with special needs. Murawski and Spencer tell it like it is, and they do so with humor and straight talk." -Lynne Cook, Professor, School of Education California State University, Dominguez Hills "As a kid who struggled in school, this is the book that I wish every one of my teachers had read. It is a stunning achievement and huge step forward to making all schools inclusive of all learners!" -Johnathan Mooney, Author, The Short Bus: A Journey Beyond Normal Collaboration 101 for teachers, parents, and school communities Teachers in both general and special education classrooms are being asked to collaborate to give all students access to the general education curriculum. The challenge is that teachers receive very little training in how to work together to educate students successfully. Do you wonder how to get started, how much time it will take, and what the results will be? Collaborate, Communicate, and Differentiate! addresses those issues and more, taking collaboration out of the abstract and supplying easy-to-use strategies that apply to daily tasks such as Planning and differentiating instruction Communicating with families Using Universal Design for Learning to form instruction Assessing students with diverse backgrounds and abilities Co-teaching Coordinating with all staff members This reader-friendly text ties each strategy to the goal of improving student outcomes. Included are vignettes, In a Nutshell and Eye on the Research quick-reference guides, reproducible forms, Principal Points to share with administrators, and a companion website. Educators who have wondered how to make collaboration reasonable, feasible, and time-efficient will find the answers in this book!

"A comprehensive resource for co-teaching teams and their administrators! It is full of ready-to-use, teacher-friendly forms, checklists, and charts. The co-teaching lesson plan forms are phenomenal! The number of practical ideas included is astounding." -Michele S. Dalton, School Psychologist Poudre School District, Ft. Collins, CO "While the analogy of a marriage is cute, it also works as a metaphor for co-teaching at all levels. The process of getting to know each other, deciding to co-teach, making it work, and possibly having to end the co-teaching relationship all become easier to understand using the metaphors of dating, engagement, and counseling." -Claire E. Hughes, Associate Professor of Special Education College of Coastal Georgia Say "I do!" to greater learning success for students at all levels! Using the metaphor of marriage, this lighthearted, highly practical, and teacher-friendly resource from the author of Collaborative Teaching in Secondary Schools provides readers with the tools to successfully set up, conduct, and successfully maintain co-teaching partnerships in any learning environment. Based on the author's extensive experience, this book blends solid educational research and literature with lighthearted humor to help readers nurture co-teaching partnerships through the stages of co-planning, co-instructing, and co-assessing. Divided into four relationship stages, each section offers: Case studies and scenarios of co-teachers in action Field-tested instructional and behavioral strategies with authentic examples Self-assessments to determine teachers' readiness to proceed to the next step in the co-teaching relationship Information on the role of the administrator and how to communicate with parents Numerous reproducibles, helpful Web sites, and a list of teacher resources Collaborative Teaching in Elementary Schools is an easy-to-access, one-stop guide for schools getting started with co-teaching or looking to refine their existing programs.

"A comprehensive resource for co-teaching teams and their administrators! It is full of ready-to-use, teacher-friendly forms, checklists, and charts. The co-teaching lesson plan forms are phenomenal! The number of practical ideas included is astounding." -Michele S. Dalton, School Psychologist Poudre School District, Ft. Collins, CO "While the analogy of a marriage is cute, it also works as a metaphor for co-teaching at all levels. The process of getting to know each other, deciding to co-teach, making it work, and possibly having to end the co-teaching relationship all become easier to understand using the metaphors of dating, engagement, and counseling." -Claire E. Hughes, Associate Professor of Special Education College of Coastal Georgia Say "I do!" to greater learning success for students at all levels! Using the metaphor of marriage, this lighthearted, highly practical, and teacher-friendly resource from the author of Collaborative Teaching in Secondary Schools provides readers with the tools to successfully set up, conduct, and successfully maintain co-teaching partnerships in any learning environment. Based on the author's extensive experience, this book blends solid educational research and literature with lighthearted humor to help readers nurture co-teaching partnerships through the stages of co-planning, co-instructing, and co-assessing. Divided into four relationship stages, each section offers: Case studies and scenarios of co-teachers in action Field-tested instructional and behavioral strategies with authentic examples Self-assessments to determine teachers' readiness to proceed to the next step in the co-teaching relationship Information on the role of the administrator and how to communicate with parents Numerous reproducibles, helpful Web sites, and a list of teacher resources Collaborative Teaching in Elementary Schools is an easy-to-access, one-stop guide for schools getting started with co-teaching or looking to refine their existing programs.

Research-Based Practical Strategies for Every Teacher In an age of information overload, do you ever wish you could find one resource that would allow you to quickly gain insight into a variety of cutting-edge practices in elementary education? You're holding it at your fingertips. What Really Works in Elementary Education compiles the advice of experts who not only understand the research behind certain educational practices, but also have experience working in elementary classrooms. Each user-friendly chapter, focused on a topic vital to elementary educators, presents information in a straightforward way to help you learn what works - and what does not work - with students today. Whether you're a new educator, or just seeking to build new skills, you'll benefit from Insight into a handful of innovative topics in instruction; including using technology, UDL, co-teaching, and assessment Novel approaches to classroom management and strategies to engage students Chapters focused on effective methods for teaching within content areas Practical tips for reaching all learners; including ELLs, students with autism, and gifted students Useful reproducibles and resources for every topic area Never before has so much valuable information been presented so simply and effectively in one resource. Are you ready to focus on what works best?