TO: Dr. Joe Scarcella
FROM: Phil Fournier
DATE:
12/18/2004
RE: 503, Quiz 1, Fournier

Individual Education Plans

Mt. San Jacinto College is well equipped to help the instructor who is willing to develop the individual education plans that can be of immense importance in the instruction of special needs students.  This would include not only students that are hearing or sight impaired, but also those with learning disabilities.  The resources available to both the student and teacher are provided by the DSP& S department (Disabled Students Programs & Services).  The student is responsible for and must provide proof of his or her disability through the completion of the disability verification form.  After this form is filled out and signed by the appropriate professional (usually a physician or psychologist) then the student, teacher, and DSP& S counselor can work together to develop the appropriate individual education plan that will best facilitate learning on the part of the disabled student.

Work Study Contracts

Work/study programs have been more commonly called “community classrooms” in my range of experience, in order to differentiate them from programs which are simply geared at helping students to support themselves while going to school, i.e. work and study.   If an ROP teacher takes his job seriously, he will see it is within his realm of responsibility to establish a community classroom program for his advanced students, even though the administration may not require it.  Community classroom programs give students exposure to job sites and hands-on experience which they cannot reasonably attain in the context of the school classroom alone.  But in order to be successful, any community classroom program must incorporate a work/study contract which clearly spells out the responsibilities of all parties involved.  Those parties would include the student, the teacher, and the job site supervisor.  When a contract is employed, the student will gain maximum benefit from the work/study experience and the job site supervisor will feel more comfortable with having a student on the job.