Intellectual Disability: Support Found Online

I googled the term “intellectual disability” and the first thing website that came up was the National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities (NICHCY). This organization’s website is very informative. Various pages found on the website include: the definition of intellectual disability, the various causes of intellectual disability, the signs of intellectual disability, how intellectual disabilities are diagnosed, the definition under IDEA, resources for babies and toddlers with intellectual disabilities, and educational considerations. According to NICHCY, an intellectual disability is used “when a person has certain limitations in mental functioning and in skills such as communicating, taking care of him or herself, and social skills. These limitations will cause a child to learn and develop more slowly than a typical child” (NICHCY, 2012).
The next website that I am brought to when searching “intellectual disability” is the Center for Disease Control PDF Intellectual Disability Fact Sheet. This PDF provides a definition of intellectual disability, some signs of intellectual disability, as well as a section titled, “what can I do if I think my child may have intellectual disability?” This fact sheet is available in both English and Spanish.
The third website that I am brought to is the American Association of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (AAIDD), this site contains the same type of information as the National Dissemination center for Children with Disabilities and the Center for Disease Control. Both NICHCY and AAIDD contain sections containing publications. These publications include journals and newsletters. The AAIDD website also includes a virtual bookstore so that people can purchase informational books on intellectual disabilities.
I am happy that if someone is concerned about their child having an intellectual disability or is simply trying to research this condition, he or she will be brought to helpful, informational websites that will serve them well, rather than sites that may be disheartening with inaccurate information.

Definition of Intellectual Disability AAIDD. (n.d.). AAIDD. Retrieved February 1, 2012, from http://www.aaidd.org/content_100.cfm?navID=21

Intellectual Disability Fact Sheet. (n.d.). Center for Disease Control. Retrieved February 1, 2012, from www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/actearly/pdf/parents

Prenatal Care

I think that there is a very strong connection between social economic status and prenatal care. With that being said, for families/ women of low social economic status prenatal care can be too costly. Furthermore, many of the foods and vitamins that are best for pregnant women to use to nourish their bodies are expensive and out of the question. General, the cheapest foods are the least nutritious. For many families, these low cost, high calorie foods are the only option, or may seem like the only option.

Furthermore, low socio-economic status significantly lessens the options a family has regarding childcare. For example, for a family that is upper middle class, childcare is not a very big issue, there are many options to choose from, including daycare, nannies, or even a parent staying home full time to be with their child. All of these options include generally healthy environments filled with stimulation for a growing baby’s/child’s brain.

According to an article by Clancy Blair and Keith Scott entitled, “Proportion of LD Placements Associated with Low Socioeconomic Status” many factors influence a child’s risk of developing a learning disability. These factors include the amount of his mother’s education, whether or not his mother was married at the time of his birth, the trimester in which prenatal care was initiated, and his weight at the time of his birth (Blair & Scott). In their research, linking birth and school record data in Florida, they found that learning disabilities were most likely to occur if birth records showed a maternal education of less than 12 years, the mother was not married at time of child’s birth, prenatal care did not start until after the first trimester of pregnancy, or the child was born with a low birth weight (Blair & Scott). Blair and Scott found that if any of these conditions existed, children were between 1.2 and 3.4 times more likely to be born with a learning disability placement by their early teenage years (Blair & Scott).

After reading this article, I think the key to preventing learning disabilities starts with great prenatal care. Prenatal care in the first trimester and throughout a pregnancy is key, this will also prevent a low birth weight.

Blair, C., & Scott, K. (n.d.). Proportion of LD Placements Associated with Low Socioeconomic Status . The Journal of Special Education . Retrieved January 26, 2012, from http://sed.sagepub.com/content/36/1/14.short

W-APT

WIDA-ACCESS Placement Test

What is the relationship between the WIDA-ACCESS Placement Test (W-APT) and the English Language Proficiency (ELP) Standards and why is this relationship so valuable to teachers of English Language Learning (ELL) students?

The Assessment & It’s Relationship to the ELP Standards

The W-APT is designed to test the English Language Proficiency (ELP) Standards for English Language Learners in Kindergarten through Grade 12 of the multi-state WIDA Consortium and therefore, each test and test item is constructed to align with the five ELP Standards. The W-APT tests students’ speaking, reading, listening and writing proficiency in the areas of Social & Instructional Language, Language of Language Arts, Language of Mathematics, Language of Science, and Language of Social Studies. The W-APT is used to examine and determine what services each English Language Learner would benefit from.

The W-APT is aligned with the Following 5 ELP Standards:

English language learners communicate…

· in English for Social and Instructional purposes within the school setting

· information, ideas, and concepts necessary for academic success in the content area of Language Arts.

· communicate information, ideas, and concepts necessary for academic success in the content area of Mathematics

· information, ideas, and concepts necessary for academic success in the content area of Science

· information, ideas

Importance in the Classroom

A teacher of ELL students can use the results of this assessment to gage each student’s proficiency in each of the five English Language Proficiency Content Standards. Using the results, the teacher can tailor her lessons to be sure the needs of each individual student will be met. A pull-out teacher or ESL resource room teacher will know the degree to which each student is proficient in each of the five areas and thus will be able to use his/her time with each student to work with them toward proficiency in each area.

References

Kenyon, D., MacGregor, D., Ryu, J., Cho, B., & Louguit, M. (2006, December 4). Annual Technical Report for ACCESS for ELLs® English Language Proficiency Test, Series 100, 2004-2005 Administratio. WIDA Consortium. Retrieved February 18, 2012, from www.wida.us/assessment/ACCESS/TechReports/1%20Tech%20Rpt%201%20Series%20100.pdf

Conduct Disorders

Conduct disorder is very serious condition that may be confused with a child being a delinquent. Conduct Disorder envelops a number of emotional and behavioral problems that affect children and young adults. While conduct disorder is a very serious mental illness, it is often misinterpreted or undiagnosed. Many children, teachers, adults and social agencies may see a child as being a “bad seed” or a delinquent without realizing that they are suffering from a serious mental condition. Conduct disorder may be developed due to brain damage, child abuse, genetic vulnerability, school failure, or traumatic life experiences.

Warning signs for children with conduct disorder include but are not limited to: physical aggression toward people and animals, threatening and intimidating behaviors, use of deadly weapons, theft, assault and forcing individuals into sexual activities. Children and adolescents with conduct disorder may also intentionally set fires to cause damage and destroy other’s property, breaks into other’s homes, lies to their advantage, and steals.

Many children with conduct disorders may have other conditions as well, like mood disorders, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, substance abuse, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, learning problems and learning disabilities, or thought disorders which can be treated. Treatment is imperative to helping children with conduct disorders. Without early interventions and treatment, children with conduct disorders are likely to have ongoing problems, are unable to adapt to the responsibilities of adulthood and have difficulties in relationships and keeping jobs.

Treatments for children with conduct disorders are complex and challenging and may include: behavior therapy, psychotherapy, special education services, and special management and educational programs both at home and at school. Treatment may also include medications to improve attention, impulse control and mood.

Facts for Families: Conduct Disorders. (n.d.). American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. Retrieved February 27, 2012, from www.aacap.org/galleries/FactsForFamilies/33_conduct_disorder.pdf

The Philippines: Meeting the Needs of Disabled Children

A major difference between countries is the way in which each government and its people view and treat disability. Religious, medical and personal beliefs all affect how a person views disabilities and what causes them. A family’s amount of support, or lack thereof, can have a significant impact on a child with a disability and the way that the community views that child. In addition, the federal mandates for special education services and the rights of persons with disabilities vary from country to country.

The Republic of the Philippines (the Philippines), is a country in Southeast Asia, located in the Pacific Ocean. The Philippines is home to an estimated 94 million people, making it one of the world’s most populous countries (AusAID, n.d). Filipinos or Pinoy, people from the Philippines, are very diverse; among them 150 different languages and dialects are spoken (Shapiro, 2). Tagalog, Filipino and English are the most widely spoken languages in the Philippines with Filipino and English as its official languages (2). Catholicism is the primary religion in the Philippines with an eighty-three percent following. Other practiced religions include Protestant, Islam, Buddhism, Taoism and Chinese folk religion (Multicultural Disability Advocacy Association, n.d.).

While in the United States it is common for families of children with disabilities to seek help from medical professionals at either a medical practice or hospital, in the Philippines many people seek help from folk healers, called “manghihilot”, and faith healers (Shapiro, 2). The folk healers often use herbs, massage, oils and prayers to treat various ailments. Faith healers are said to perform “mystic surgeries” and “healings” using only their bare hands (2). Many Filipinos like faith healers because they believe that faith healers are much more compassionate than western-trained medical doctors (2).

There is a stigma surrounding severe disabilities in the Philippines (Multicultural Disability Advocacy Association, n.d.). People may use naturalistic explanations for certain disabilities, blaming the mother for failing to follow prescribed dietary practices during pregnancy. They go so far as to place blame on the mother if her baby’s skin is fair because she drank too much milk during her pregnancy (Multicultural Disability Advocacy Association, n.d.). These explanations can be embarrassing to the family and cause shame and dishonor. Sometimes, supernatural explanations place blame on spirits or ancestors.

Many Filipinos believe that babies who constantly cry and are irritable are troubled by evil spirits. Some may seek to explain such conditions as epilepsy and autism by saying that the person with the condition is 'possessed' by angry or evil spirits (Multicultural Disability Advocacy Association, n.d.). Others may view a child’s disability as a “divine punishment” for sins committed by parents or ancestors or a family’s moral transgressions against God (Multicultural Disability Advocacy Association, n.d.). These spiritual beliefs contribute to a sense of shame that surrounds the entire family of a disabled child (Multicultural Disability Advocacy Association, n.d.).

While the families of children with disabilities may be plagued with shame and dishonor, this stigma does not affect how the family treats the disabled child. Children with disabilities in the Philippines usually receive a lot of love and support from their families who view the child in a positive light. Many times, Filipino families will turn to their faith and religion for hope and strength after learning that a child in their family has a disability (Shapiro, 3). Families tend to believe that the most miniscule improvement is a miracle or gift from God (3). Family is very important to Filipinos, so when a family member is diagnosed with a disability the entire family tends to help in any way they can, feeling a sense of obligation to that family member (Shapiro, n.d). More often than not, relatives, distant or not, have positive attitudes towards the child with a disability and display deep concern and sympathy towards the family (3).

While many Filipino families see disability as a punishment, others see children with mental handicaps as “bringers of luck” especially when it comes to family businesses (Shapiro, 3). Some family members, however, believe that having a disabled family member is a punishment from evil spirits (3). Whichever school of thought a Filipino has, the obligation to their family is still the same. Families generally love the disabled member of their family unconditionally and make sacrifices for them such as their time, their careers, and sometimes even love or marriage, in order to take care of a relative (3). It is also uncommon for a disabled Filipino to live apart from his or her family and be fully financially responsible; rather, he or she will be taught to be a contributing member of the family (3).

While there are many explanations from Filipinos for why children are born disabled, from a western point of view, economic conditions seem to play a large role. Poverty in the Philippines is a growing problem, twenty-six percent of the total population lives below the poverty line (AusAID, n.d.). Factors associated with poverty such as lack of healthcare, poor nutrition, especially prenatal nutrition, and poor living conditions, all increase a Filipino woman’s chances of having a child born with a disability.

According to the Republic of the Philippines Department of Education (2012), the goal of basic education is to “provide the school age population and young adults with skills, knowledge, and values to become caring, self-reliant, productive and patriotic citizens” (Department of Education of the Philippines, 2012). The Department of Education in the Philippines implemented Special Education as early as the 1960’s and special education has expanded greatly since then (Rosanna, 119). The Department of Education presently believes that “the ultimate goal of special education shall be the integration or mainstreaming of learners with special needs into the regular school system and eventually in the community” (Department of Education of the Philippines, 2012).

Based on the 2000 Department of Education report, 12% of the children population, or 5,196,377 children, in the country had special needs, 2% were gifted while 10% are those children had disabilities (Rosanna, 120). Of the 5,196,377 children with special needs, 136,523 or 2.6% received appropriate educational services for school year 2002-2003, leaving 97.4% of children with special needs without appropriate services (120). Many factors affect whether a disabled Filipino child receives appropriate special education services. One reason why children may not be served is because of the stigma placed on the disabled and their families. The feeling of embarrassment and dishonor leads many parents to hide their children from mainstream society; including school environments where they could receive help. Other parents live in poverty and have to make a decision as to which of their children to send to school. Priority is given to the non-disabled children; the children with disabilities are usually left at home (Department of Education of the Philippines, 2012).

Currently, there are 43267 public schools in the Philippines. There are 2105 schools equipped with special education programs throughout the Philippines. Of the 2105, there are four national special schools, 450 private special schools, 147 recognized special education centers and 1504 regular schools with special education programs (Rosanna, 120). The different types of disabilities addressed in these schools include “learning disability, hearing impairment, visual impairment, mental retardation, behavioral problem, orthopedically handicapped or health problems, autism, speech defect, chronically ill and cerebral palsy” (Department of Education of the Philippines, 2012). The largest population of special education students are either learning disabled or visually impaired.

One of the four National Special Schools is the Philippine School for the Deaf accepts children with multiple disabilities, such as a student who is both deaf and has autism. The school is well equipped to teach deaf students, however, there are major concerns with their educational program to support multi-disabled children. Concerns include but are not limited to the lack of accessible culture-based assessment tools to evaluate students with multiple disabilities and the fast turn-over of qualified teachers and school staff (Rossana, 120).

The Republic of the Philippines Department of Education has implemented several instructional programs that are utilized in the United States. The programs include self-contained classrooms, traveling teachers that reach out to children with special needs in other schools or at home, resource room, pull-out services, mainstreaming and inclusion.

The Filipino government acknowledges and tries to protect persons with disabilities in the country. The Filipino Constitution recognizes the population of persons with disabilities has five provisions that clearly refer to Filipinos with disabilities (Purcil, 11). Section 13 of Article 13 authorized the creation of a specific agency and a group of policies for the disabled sector of the population (11). The Bill of Rights also acknowledges that all human rights instruments approved by the country benefit persons with disabilities (11). The Constitutional provisions forbid discrimination on the bases of belief, gender, and physical conditions (11). Unless a clear limitation is declared, the rights set forth in the Constitution apply to all Filipinos, with or without disabilities (11). Merely fifty-seven complaints have been filed with the Commission on Human Rights dealing with disability related cases (11).

Unfortunately some barriers are still in place that make it hard for the disabled to feel fully equal. The Civil and Family Codes, for example, contribute to some persons with disabilities being labeled as “Legally Incompetent” by identifying certain disabilities as making a person unable to independently manage himself or his properties and relations (Purcil, 12). When a person is labeled “Legally Incompetent” it takes a substantial amount of effort to achieve equality before the law (12). The U.P. I.H.R. Policy Review 2007 stated that:

Despite efforts to equalize opportunities and improve their lot, persons with disabilities in the country continue to suffer exclusion from social and economic opportunities due to systematic barriers to their participation, such as their exclusion from decision-making process, negative attitudes about disability that perpetuate marginalization and discriminatory legislative framework that have not only excluded the disabled but have also contributed to the creation of barriers to their participation”(12).

For those Filipino’s with physical disabilities that impair their mobility, access features are only required for buildings built after it was put into effect in 1983. It can be seen, however, that many government buildings have not followed this rule, neglecting to have access for the physically disabled.

The Magna Carta for Disabled Persons of 1992 is the chief national policy document for persons with disabilities in the Philippines. The Magna Carta was recently considerably modifed by the Republic Act 9442 of 2006 which incorporated additional social, economic and human rights provisions (Purcil, 13). RA9442 enforced generous discounts on transportation fares, medicines and other basic daily essentials. The act also strictly forbids and penalizes any act that results in the vilification of persons with disabilities (13).

The Declaration of Policies of the Republic of the Philippines states that:

“Disabled persons are part of the Philippine society, thus the State shall give full support to the improvement of the total well being of disabled persons and their integration into the mainstream of society. Toward this end, the State shall adopt policies ensuring the rehabilitation, self-development and self-reliance of disabled persons” (Purcil, 13).

The declaration also states that the rights of the disabled should never been looked at as being welfare services from the government. It also states that the state should be an advocate for persons with disabilities and encourage respect for all people (14).

The Republic of the Philippines recognizes the need for special education services and has mandated many programs similar to those you would find in the United States. The majority of the children who would benefit from these services, however, either do not have access to them, or are unable take advantage of them due to shame or poverty. The Philippines has made many strides toward their goal of providing for the needs of the disabled members of its society, but still has a long way to go to truly serve them. The Filipino Constitution protects all disabled individuals and encourages respect for all people; however, there is a long history of stigma surrounding disability that may never go away.

References

Ethnic Communities &Â Disability - Multicultural Disability Advocacy Association -. (n.d.). Multicultural Disability Advocacy Association. Retrieved February 8, 2012, from http://www.mdaa.org.au/publications/ethnicity/filipino/general.html

Historical Perspective of the Philippine Educational System. (n.d.). Department of Education of the Philippines - DepEd. Retrieved February 8, 2012, from http://www.deped.gov.ph/about_deped/history.asp

Philippines Country Profile. (n.d.). AusAID: The Australian Government's overseas aid

program. Retrieved February 8, 2012, from http://www.ausaid.gov.au/country/philippines/default.cfm?CFID=3625736&CFTOKEN=48047890

Purcil, L. (2009). Monitoring the Human Rights of Persons with Disabilities: Laws, Policies and Programs in the Philippines. Disability Rights Promotion International, 1, 11-15.

Rosanna, M. (n.d.). EDUCATION OF CHILDREN WITH MULTIPLE DISABILITIES IN THE PHILIPPINES. National Institute of Special Needs Education. Retrieved February 6, 2012, from www.nise.go.jp/cms/resources/content/382/18d-228_18.pdf

Shapiro, M. (n.d.). A collaborative project between NTAC-AAPI and the center for International Rehabilitation Research Information and Exchange (CIRRIE) at the State University of New York at Buffalo. Asian Culture Brief: Philiippines, 2(3). Retrieved February 6, 2012, from http://www.ntac.hawaii.edu/downloads/products/briefs/culture/pdf/ACB-Vol2-Iss3-Philippines.pdf

Self- Monitoring Techniques: Prior Research

There have been many studies conducted on self-monitoring techniques implemented in classrooms to increase on-task behaviors. Among them is the 1987 study, conducted by Deborah W. Blick and David W. Test, entitled Effects of Self-Recording on High-School Students’ On-Task Behavior hoped to find a way to increase students’ on task behavior through self-monitoring and recording techniques (Blick and Test, 203). These techniques proved to be successful in both training and non-training settings (203).

The abundance of evidence suggesting the effectiveness of self-monitoring leads me to believe that I can expect similar outcomes from my treatment. However, there have been no studies conducted thus far, to my knowledge, testing the efficacy of self-management through journal writing techniques. Any data produced by this study will add to the existing knowledge of behavior management techniques.

The 1987 study, conducted by Deborah W. Blick and David W. Test, entitled Effects of Self-Recording on High-School Students’ On-Task Behavior, sought to determine the effects of self-monitoring and recording on a group of twelve students’ on task performance (Blick and Test, 203). All of the twelve students, nine of which were learning disabled, two were educable mentally handicapped and one was emotionally handicapped, were taught to self-monitor and record (203). At first the students’ monitoring and recording occurred simultaneously with certain audible cues, later, however, the cues were slowly discontinued but the self-recordings stayed. Data showed that students’ in school performance improved in all classroom settings (203). Much like the reason for my study, Deborah W. Blick and David W. Test (1987) hoped to find a way to increase students’ on task behavior. Research has indicated that “if teachers can help students increase their on-task behavior, learning increases” (203).

Students with behavioral disorders often act out in inclusive classroom settings in reaction to certain stimuli. When they are unable to deal with their emotions, the students can lose focus for the rest of the lesson. These outbursts often disrupt the other students in the classroom and can affect the overall learning for all students in the classroom. When this happens an intervention is necessary, however, many interventions can be disruptive and may derail the lesson even more. It would be better for all students if the interventions to such behavior problems were not obvious or disruptive.

I believe that when implemented, journal writing will, over time, become second nature to students with behavioral disorders. Similar to the study conducted by Deborah W. Blick and David W. Test (1987) it is my hope that eventually the students will not be dependent on a cue to instruct them to write in their journals, rather they will voluntarily do it when they feel it is necessary.

Many schools have found successful ways of preventing behavioral problems within the school before they occur or become an issue. School wide behavior management systems or school wide systems of support have had immense success in the prevention of problem behaviors. Positive behavioral supports (PBS), as defined by Vaughn, Bos and Schumn (2007), are “the modifications of behavior management principles applied in various community settings with supports to reduce problem behaviors and develop appropriate behaviors that lead to enhanced social relations and lifestyle (Vaughn, Bos and Schumn, 507). Many negative behaviors can be curbed through transforming the environment (249).

Selecting broad, memorable, and school-wide expectations allows students to not have to wonder what is acceptable and what is unacceptable in each classroom environment. Because the rules are the same school-wide, each student knows what is expected of them and only requires them to remember one set of rules. Only a few expectations are needed because these expectations are broad and envelop many things. Expectations are better than rules because rather than saying you can’t do this and you can’t do that you are giving each student an idea of what they should do and that way when they meet expectations they will be praised for it. The teaching plans are implemented through guided practices, ongoing supervision and positive feedback. PBS schools have saved hundreds of hours in referrals, as well as saving valuable class time because students are not being sent out of class (Olsen and Baumann).

Blick, D., & Test, D. (1987). effects of self-recording on high-school students' on-task

behavior. Learning Disability Quarterly, 10(3), 203.

Fraenkel, J. R., Wallen, N. E., & Hyun, H. H. (2012). How to design and evaluate research in

education (8th ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill.

Patton, B., Jolivette, K., & Ramsey, M. (2006). Students with emotional and behavioral

disorders can manage their own behavior. Teaching exceptional children, 39(2),14-21.

Creating the Culture of Positive Behavior Supports. Dir. Gray Olsen and Paula Baumann.

Creating the Culture. PBS. Web. 24 September. 2011.

Vaughn, S., Bos, C. S., & Schumm, J. S. (2007). Teaching students who are exceptional,

diverse, and at risk in the general education classroom (4th ed.). Boston: Pearson

Allyn & Bacon.

Article summary of “State Puts Pressure on City Schools over English Language Learners”

Article summary of “State Puts Pressure on City Schools over English Language Learners” By Sharon Otterman

Schools in New York are not appropriately accommodating English language learners, says an article in the New York Times titled “State Puts Pressure on City Schools over English Language Learners” by Sharon Otterman. State education officials told New York schools that they have to improve their education of English language learners (ELLs) or they will face sanctions. The state education commissioner, Dr. King, thinks that student outcomes are a good indication of how poor the services are that are given to ELLs (Otterman, 2011). In 2010 ninety-three percent of New York’s ELL students did not graduate on time and were not ready or prepared for life after high school. Dr. King states that “these numbers are not acceptable” he does not think that New York should “leave so many students behind academically without access to college and career opportunities” (2011).

Last year New York City was directed by the state to make a plan to improve the services that they give to ELLs. Last month, NYC released their pledge, stretching 31 pages (2011). This pledge references what laws they are breaking by giving the services they currently provide. For example, in years past, when students needed to take placement tests or entrance exams into the ELL program, they were often not given such tests in a timely manner (2011).

The shortage of certified teachers is a major problem and factor in the city’s poor performance. The lack of ESL and bilingual teachers prevents thousands of children from receiving the language lessons that they are legally entitled to. Also, many parents are not being given their legal right to choose the services given to their children; instead they are either being put in a program with classes taught mainly in English with some extra help, or in a program in which major subjects are taught in a student’s native language (2011).

New York City’s new plan promises 125 new bilingual programs to be instated within the following three years (2011). The plan also vows to screen teachers more thoroughly, hiring more bilingual teachers, and to also provide the hired teachers with more training opportunities. Accountability, under the new plan, will fall mainly on the principals of NYC public schools. If they do not meet the standards and follow the plan to a t they will be penalized.

I am glad that principals are going to be held accountable for improvements in their bilingual education programs. The incentive to do better and improve the qualities of their bilingual programs is keeping their funding. I think that when money is involved people really start to keep themselves from slacking on the job. It is a harsh reality that helping a large population or learners is not incentive enough for some educators, penalties must be enforced in order for changes to be seen.

I cannot believe that a city as linguistically and culturally diverse as New York City has neglected its legal obligations to serve English language learners for so long. It is troubling to think that a city could get away with only seven percent of its ELLs graduating on time and being fully prepared for college or the working world. What is even more troubling is that there is no real way to increase the number or certified English as a second language and bilingual educators. While New York City’s new plan promises 125 new bilingual programs within the next three years, how can anyone guarantee that there will be a sufficient number of qualified teachers to fill the positions promised?

I hope that more majors incorporate bilingual studies into their curriculums. For example, all teacher education programs require one or more special education classes, but how many require ESL instruction classes or bilingual studies classes? In searching for schools with Master’s degrees in special education, George Washington University was the only school I came across with a major in Bilingual Special Education. I looked for months but this was the only program that incorporated both. Hopefully programs like this will increase in popularity so that more qualified teachers are available to service this population of students.

OTTERMAN, SHARON. "N.Y. State Presses City on English Language Learners - NYTimes.com." NY Times Education. N.p., n.d. Web. 5 Nov. 2011. >.