Special Needs Analysis: Bernal Middle School

Introduction and Background Bernal Middle school is the newest school of Northside I.S.D. Since its grand opening two years ago the school has emphasized learning and education for all students that are enrolled. Academics are held to a high standard and students are expected to excel academically. Last year was the first year which data was taken for the school, and with the current results special education students are the students in which a needs assessment must be implemented. The in depth needs analysis will seek to help these students by addressing concerns in curriculum and instruction. The assessment took place amidst threats to the special education students. The school has struggled since its opening to service students with

Even though there are two teachers present to help assist students with special needs, the classroom sizes range from 28-32 students. In a classroom that has a greater quantity, students with special needs can get lost in the shuffle if the proper collaborative techniques are not followed. Another threat that needs to be addressed to help these students is the fact that the special education teacher in the classroom is not an expert in the curriculum being taught to the students. These teachers may have a special education background, but many times they are put in classrooms with little knowledge of the material. Many times these special education teachers are stretched thin in the school, as well. They are asked to collaborate in a science classroom and then spend time in math classes as well. This can cause the special education teacher stress because of all the requirements that are requested of them. To better assist this program class sizes should be

With the reduced class size both the general education and special education teachers could focus more on the special education population. The next issue which needs to be addressed is the knowledge of curriculum of the special education teachers. As a campus, we must place these teachers in the classrooms that will have them succeed. It is imperative we have these teachers in one subject at a time and try not to put them in multiple departments. We must also try to place these teachers in classrooms that showcase their educational backgrounds. They need to be experts in the curriculum that they are collaborating in. If these two revisions are met, increases in achievement should be seen in special education