The Four A's of Managing the Placement and Service of Students with Disabilities in the CTE Classroom

Newly hired secondary career and technical education (CTE) instructors are often surprised by the rate at which students with disabilities enroll in their classes. While many educators see CTE as a logical placement for students who are otherwise academically unsuccessful, the CTE teacher is too often unprepared for serving this population. Alternative routes of CTE teacher licensure often leave these teachers feeling unsure and ineffective. This article discusses concerns about this issue and includes an easy, four-step model CTE teachers serving students with disabilities can use to be more effective overall: 1) Orient staff who refer students to CTE programs and assist them in placement decisions; 2) Obtain assistance in implementing Individual Education Plan (IEP) accommodations; 3) Assess the appropriateness of the accommodations, record and make recommendations to the IEP team; and 4) Act as an advocate for the student in counseling and IEP development procedures.