504 Plan Interview

Machaela Laramee

10/11/18

Sed 361
Introduction

This interview is based around 504 Plans and their effectiveness in the classroom. The

interview was held on October 5th in my home. I recorded the interview on my phone so I could

make sure to utilize direct quotes. I also made sure to have ice cream on hand to bribe the

interviewee into talking to me for longer than three minutes. The interviewee was my younger

brother Jake. Jake is a 13 year old in 8th grade at a school district in central Maine. Jake has had

a 504 plan for two years. He loves to move and be active but he has had a hard time adjusting to

the deskwork in school. Both of Jake’s parents are teachers and educators and have high

expectations of his grades. There is a lot of pressure to do well in school and Jake has never had

a class that has truly adapted to his needs so he has struggled. He has a constant pressure put on

him by his parents to be a perfect student but that has never been an option because he has never

had enough options to learn. He has lost the love of learning that he had because, even with a

504 plan, teachers can not adapt to his needs and the 504 plan is not effective. Jake has a

diagnosis of anxiety and ADHD. He is also struggling with a lot of emotional problems

regarding deaths in his family and changing school districts (Laramee, 2018) (Appendix II).

Jake went through a rough time adapting to a new school and with a death in the family

and he is still struggling emotionally. In his classes, Jake gets in trouble more and more often.

The things he gets in trouble for are less and less detrimental and he has a label amongst teachers

and other students as being a troubled student. He is losing his want to learn and grow because

he has realized that he can not be the perfect student no matter if he tries or not. Jake has

received lots of support emotionally but the modifications that aid in his education implemented

in time for his want to learn not to disappear. (Laramee, 2018)(Appendix II).
Findings

When I began my interview with Jake I asked him if he knew what a 504 plan is. He

responded immediately with “no” and when I asked again he said, “ well, I know what it is; it is,

oh I don't know”(Laramee, 2018). He was worried that he would probably get the answer wrong

if he tried. After some prompting and encouraging words, he answered my question. He said, “A

504 Plan was something made for me so that I can get some things that will help me in school

because I have ADHD” (Laramee, 2018). This was a perfectly acceptable answer and one that I

would not have known in 8th grade. The answer that Jake gave is very similar to what the U.S.

Department of Education Office for Civil Rights wrote in “Parent and Educator Resource Guide

to Section 504 in Public Elementary and Secondary Schools” except he thought only of the

effects on students not the documentation piece. The article stated that, “[a] written Section 504

Plan is often a useful way to document that the school district engaged in a process to identify

and address the needs of a student with a disability and to communicate, to school personnel, the

information needed for successful implementation” (Lhamon, 2016). Jake was correct about how

a 504 plan is meant to address the needs of the student but he was so worried about not being

right that he was unable to answer at first. Jake is an incredibly smart boy and he will talk about

the stuff he is passionate about for days but, the school system is not meeting his needs and he

has given up on trying to be a good student because he is now expecting to fail.

When taking to Jake, the thing that stood out to me was how he said that the 504 plan was

made for him rather than with him. When asked about what accommodations he had, Jake

responded by brushing them off and saying that they “didn’t matter because he was never going

to use them” (Laramee, 2018). Jake has the cookie cutter accommodations for a student who is
hyperactive. He is allowed to leave class to get a drink and take a short walk. For about half a

year he was allowed to use a wiggle seat but the teachers found his constant moving in that seat

disruptive so that was taken away. These typical accommodations do not suit Jakes’ needs in the

classroom because he is too anxious to ask to leave or take a break. He is worried that his peers

will see him ask for these supports and they will judge him on it. His accommodations are doing

nothing for Jake right now because he worries about using them (Laramee, 2018)(Appendix II)..

The only benefit that the 504 plan is having is making the teachers aware of why he is constantly

moving and occasionally acting out.

I asked Jake if he was a part of the meeting where they talked about his 504 plan. Jake

was present but he was not asked to be apart of the conversation. His parents and the teachers

made all the decisions and Jake was not asked if what they decided on would work for him. Jake

was also asked about what ADHD and Anxiety are in the interview. His answer was vague and

he did not really know what either of them are. Jake is unable to participate in the meetings about

him because he was never told exactly why he needs it. He knows he has this label of ADHD and

Anxiety and all he sees is that he is those labels and nothing in school is going to make it better

(Laramee, 2018).

Jake has very little understanding of how he thinks and what works best for him in the

classroom and he was never prompted to think more into what helps him learn. When asked what

his teachers could do to help him Jake had no clue. He teachers lecture and talk all class.

Everything is desk work so, he sees school as a place to be still and not a place where he is

prompted to have fun while learning. I explained to Jake about Gardner’s Theory of Multiple

Intelligences. After I explained all the learning styles Jake immediately responded that he was a
kinesthetic learner. The last time that Jake had a teacher that did hands on and moving activities

in class was in his 6th grade science class. Jake had no idea that he learned this way until I

explained it and his discussion about how he learned was the only thing in this interview he had a

positive attitude about. We ended the interview by talking about how, next time he has a

meeting, he can ask to do more interactive activities in class (Laramee, 2018).

Discussion
My findings in this interview were not surprising to me. I know that there are a lot of

teachers who are sticking to their old lecture based ways of teaching and that there are students

who are being failed by this system. My beliefs are that once a student is able to make decisions

for themselves they should be part of the main conversation in assessing their needs in the

classroom. Free and Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) is required under the Rehabilitation

Act of 1973. The U.S Department of Education specified that “education programs for students

with disabilities must be designed to meet their individual needs to the same extent that the needs

of nondisabled students are met” (United States, 2010). The education system is not meeting

Jakes needs because his accommodations go unused and nothing is happening to change the way

that Jake is receiving his education. If Jake had been allowed to and felt comfortable speaking at

his 504 Plan meeting then he may have been receiving more proper accommodations.

Jake has had a 504 plan for about two years now and his behavior at school and at home

has not changed. He is being given the minimum amount of accommodations so that he can

function in school but there is nothing there to ensure he is enjoying learning. This is not only the

fault the school district but also his parents who have refused to listen to what he needs and

brushed it off as behavior. In 2017, the Supreme Court ruled that the ‘de minimis’ standard of
education in accordance with FAPE would not be lawful ( Supreme Court, 2017). School

districts must do beyond the bare minimum to help students succeed. Even though Jake would

still be able to function in the classroom without accommodations, he is not functioning to the

best of his abilities because he is being lectured to every class period. After being lectured all

class, Jake has behavior issues and often gets in trouble and is removed from classes which halts

his education even more.

Both at home and in the classroom Jake has the label of being disruptive. Jake mentioned

that he feels teachers pick him out of a crowd of students and he is the one who gets in trouble.

While Jake is not always innocent in these situations he is punished more often by teachers who

he has had problems with in the past. Even with his 504 Plan being available to teachers Jake

still is punished and penalized in his grades for not being able to sit still. Positive student profiles

would go a long way in Jake’s case. Jake has many positive attributes but it is unlikely that his

teachers have taken time to assess how their students learn. If they have done that, lecturing

would not be as prominent as it is in Jake’s school and teachers would be more adaptive to his

needs.

My philosophy of education is one that is very simple and near to impossible. I will aim

to meet the needs of every student that walks into my classroom. I will do everything in my

power to make sure I am able to meet my students needs but, if I am not successful, I aim to help

my students find passion on interest in something. It simultaneously breaks my heart and makes

my blood boil when teachers are blatantly ignorant to the needs of the students. A quote from

the U.S Secretary of Education , Arnie Duncan, is mentioned in “Differentiated Instruction” by

Jacqueline Thousand, Richard Vila, and Ann Neivin. Duncan states, “ there is no stronger
weapon against, and no better path to opportunity, than an education that can unlock a child’s

God-given potential,”( Thousand,2015, p.7). While this quote was originally stated about the

civil rights movement I feel it also applies to students like Jake.

Jake has the ability to do awesome things with his life and his future career but all of that

stems from a good education. If the education system is lacking and failing a student then that

affects the students entire outlook on their life. The careers they could have wished to have are

no longer an option because it requires years of schooling that the student may despise. Jake

wanted to be an engineer for the longest time. He wanted to fly on planes and fix stuff but, if he

keeps going how he is in school that dream will not be an option. Schooling is not enjoyable for

Jake because he needs to be moving and a hyperactive boy is a disruption to class. If a student is

a disruption, they are sent out and punished for something they may not be able to help doing. As

a teacher, differentiated instruction is a common sense answer to help keep students in the

classroom and learning.

Teachers who use differentiated instruction can offer students the opportunities to make

choices, solve problems among a group, develop consensus, and deal with conflict of

ideas. Students with a great variety of differences can have an effective voice. Giving

students power and control in the classroom can prevent problematic behaviors and

promote higher levels of learning. ( Thousand,2015,p. 7)

A student like Jake would thrive in a class where he has the power over his learning. He can

control how he gains information and he can pursue things he is passionate about.

Personally, the high school I attended promoted being a good citizen and respecting

others but the school never taught us how to do it. We were left to fend for ourselves and if we
defied this standard we were punished and not shown the right way. Having a class where

everyone's voices are heard and opinions are respected would be incredibly beneficial to the

youth of today. Jake mentioned in the interview that he believes his friends would have an issue

with him having special help in class. He thinks they will make fun of him for it. Within the

concept of differentiated instruction the accommodations will be available to all students so there

is the potential for the other students to not know about Jakes accommodations. Along with

accommodations for all, students may be more exposed to other people's learning styles and they

may be more open to talking about them. This would eliminate the need for a hierarchy of

smartness in the classroom and would level all students.

Recommendations
My recommendations to the teachers are simply to adopt more common practices of

education. Teachers should aim to get students interested in and passionate about their learning. I

believe that this will be best done through the addition of differentiated instruction.

Differentiated instruction will make students about the diverse needs of students and it will make

them adapt their lecture based teaching to a more inclusive style of teaching. Teachers need to

look at all of the intelligences in their students and teach the way that the students learn.

I asked Jake what he thinks would help him the most in the classroom. Jake did not know

any ways to make it better but he knew that the accommodations he has now are not beneficial.

We spoke about the Multiple Intelligences theory and Jake immediately knew he was a hands on

learner. He needs classes that will do hands on and active activities in the classroom. If teachers

adapt to teaching to the different multiple intelligences and they do hand on activities Jake will

have an output for his constant need to move. This could eliminate behavior issues and make

Jake more excited to learn.

 Another thing that may help the teachers in the district that Jake is in is a Action Plan. In

“Differentiated Instruction”, the author talk about the benefits of creating an action plan for

students with diverse needs. The action plan is created by people who know the student well and

it focuses on what the student’s strengths, the learning styles of the student, their interests, social

behaviors, and emotional behaviors. This is very similar to a positive student profile but rather

than including just the teacher observations this can bring in people from the students friends to

the parents. This created a broadened scope for the teacher to look through when trying to find

out how to interact and teach this student. In Jake’s case, he is always willing to learn about and

talk about his interests so, if a teacher is able to tie one of those interests into the classroom than

Jake will be more excited to learn (Thousand, 2015, p. 72-73).

All of the things I have mentioned as a possible solution to Jake’s problems in school

would benefit the whole of the student population. There may be students in similar situations to

Jake’s but they may be unable to qualify for adaptations. The practice of differentiated

instruction would greatly benefit the whole of the student body because it allows all students to

be taught to the way that they learn.

 Sources cited

Laramee, B. R. (2018, October 5). 504 Plan [Personal interview].

Lhamon, C. E. (2016, December). ​Ed.gov​ (United States, Department of education, Office of

Civil Rights). Retrieved October 11, 2018, from

https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/docs/504-resource-guide-201612.pdf

Supreme Court Revisits FAPE Requirements in Endrew F. v. Douglas Co. Sch. Dist. RE-1 on

January 11, 2017. (n.d.). Retrieved October 9, 2018, from

http://www.wrightslaw.com/nltr/17/al.0104.endrew.douglas.htm

Thousand, J. S., Villa, R. A., & Nevin, A. (2015). ​Differentiating instruction: Planning for

universal design and teaching for college and career readiness​ (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA:

Corwin.

United States, Department of Education, Office of Civil Rights. (2010). ​Free appropriate public

education for students with disabilities: Requirements under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation

Act of 1973​. Washington, DC: U.S. Dept. of Education, Office for Civil Rights.
 Appendix I

Interview Protocol

Questions for interview on 504 plan.

1) Do you know what a 504 plan is?

2) How does your 504 Plan help you?

3) How has it affected your schooling?

4) What accommodations do you have?

5) Were you involved in the process of making accommodations? Could you have been

more involved?

6) Do your accommodations help you?

7) Is there something that could be done to better help you.

 Appendix II

Interview Notes:

1. Do you know what a 504 plan is?

a. The interviewee would not respond at first. He was worried about being wrong

and looking stupid. After prompting the interviewee answered that his 504 plan

helps him with his anxiety and ADHD. It was made for him so that he can be in

the classroom without having issues.

2. How does your 504 Plan help you?

a. The interviewee does not believe his 504 Plan helps because he never feels

comfortable enough to use it. He mentioned how he used to have a wiggle seat but

that was taken away from him because he moved to much in it and the teachers

did not like that. He is too nervous to ask for breaks in front of his peers.

3. How has it affected your schooling?

a. The interviewee does not like school. He hates having to sit behind a desk and do

nothing but listen to people talk at him. I asked what his ideal class would be and

he said that he would prefer something where he can talk and move. He loves

Gym class but does not have it this half of the year. The accommodations don't

help him so they haven't had an affect on his schooling.

4. What accommodations do you have?

a. The interviewee has the opportunity to ask the teacher to leave the classroom

when he needs a break. The interviewee was very negative about these

accommodations and does not like how they were set up.
5. Were you involved in the process of making accommodations? Could you have been

more involved?

a. The interviewee was in the room when they were discussing his accommodations

but he was never asked what would be best for him. He feels as though his parents

and teachers would not listen because he was just a kid. His parents did not let

him talk and whenever he tried to tell them something wouldn't work they would

blame it on his behavior and would say that if he changes his bad behavior then

they will work.

6. Do your accommodations help you?

a. We skipped over this question because it was touched on in other questions.

7. Is there something that could be done to better help you​​.

a. The interviewee did not know what would be better. We spent some time talking

about how he learns and he was excited to say that he is a hands on learner. I

asked when the last time he had a hands on class was. His response was that he

had a sort of hands on science class in 6th grade, 2 years ago, and hasn’t had

anything like that since.

Appendix III

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