Welcome!
This site is intended to bring a "virtual classroom" to students, parents, and other educators. You will find several links to student, parent and teacher resources. Thanks for taking the time to visit Mr. Wecker's site. I hope that you will find this site helpful and informative!!!
What is Special education?
Special education is specially designed instruction, support, and services provided to students with an identified disability requiring an individually designed instructional program to meet their unique learning needs. The purpose of special education is to enable students to successfully develop to their fullest potential by providing a free appropriate public education in compliance with the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) as implemented by DoD Instruction 1342.12, "Provision of Early Intervention and Special Education Services to Eligible DoD Dependents." -DODEA
In 2001, the Interstate New Teacher Assessment and Support Consortium (INTASC), a project of the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO), published The Model Standards for Licensing General and Special Education Teachers of Students with Disabilities: A Resource for State Dialogue. These standards outline what general and special education teachers should know and be able to do in order to meet the general classroom needs of students with disabilities. This project, funded through a grant from the Metlife Foundation, uses these standards to further articulate the information and activities that general classroom educators need to address the needs of students with disabilities in the regular classroom and the connects general classroom teachers with many of the excellent resources available for classroom teachers from governmental and non-profit resources.
The National Association of Special Education Teachers (NASET) is the only national membership organization dedicated solely to meeting the needs of special education teachers and those preparing for the field of special education teaching.
The National Association of Parents with Children in Special Education (NAPCSE) is a national membership organization dedicated to rendering all possible support and assistance to parents whose children receive special education services, both in and outside of school. NAPCSE was founded for parents with children with special needs to promote a sense of community and provide a national forum for their ideas.
The UnderstandingSpecialEducation.com is to empower parents to be the best possible advocate for their child. This site intends to provide you with the most parent friendly information on special education law, learning disabilities, the IEP process and school success. Most of all, I want you to have the information you need right at your fingertips. It’s hard enough being a parent without worrying if your child is receiving the best possible services.
The mission of the National Center for Learning Disabilities (NCLD) is to improve the lives of the one in five children and adults nationwide with learning and attention issues—by empowering parents and young adults, transforming schools and advocating for equal rights and opportunities. We’re working to create a society in which every individual possesses the academic, social and emotional skills needed to succeed in school, at work and in life.
The Internet Special Education Resources (ISER) is intended to help parents of children / teens with LD find schools and help for attention deficit disorder,educational assessments, therapy, advocacy, teen crisis, & more.
The Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) partners with school districts to provide programs and services for students with specialized educational needs.
Special Education Services assures that these programs and services meet state and federal requirements. This involves both compliance and technical assistance functions.
Compliance functions include monitoring least restrictive environment compliance, administering due process system, providing mediation services, conducting compliant investigations, approving policies and procedures, conducting focused and comprehensive reviews and approving nonpublic special education facilities.
Technical assistance functions involve providing information and guidance on promising practices in educating students with disabilities, including the operation of numerous statewide training and technical assistance initiatives, administering the comprehensive system of personnel development for special education and management of grant programs to schools for special education service delivery.
Special Education Services assures that these programs and services meet state and federal requirements. This involves both compliance and technical assistance functions.
Compliance functions include monitoring least restrictive environment compliance, administering due process system, providing mediation services, conducting compliant investigations, approving policies and procedures, conducting focused and comprehensive reviews and approving nonpublic special education facilities.
Technical assistance functions involve providing information and guidance on promising practices in educating students with disabilities, including the operation of numerous statewide training and technical assistance initiatives, administering the comprehensive system of personnel development for special education and management of grant programs to schools for special education service delivery.
The Winnebago County Special Education Cooperative is committed to assisting the member districts in implementing a comprehensive program for all eligible students by addressing each child's identified needs and preparing them to be contributing members of the community.