United States
The United States has in place Best Practices for Special Education but practices vary from region to state. The codes are seen as advise rather than hard and true practices within the field. The National Association of Special Education Teachers, located in Washington D.C. is at the forefront of compiling codes of practice for the Special Education field in the United States. However, these codes differ in areas of the field of Special Education. Special Education is a diverse field covering students from learning disabled to profoundly mentally retarded. It is best for teachers to contact their local school board or the Special Education office in their area to advise of the needs for an updated code of practice in the field of Special Education.
The United Kingdom
The United Kingdom appears to be ahead of the world in Special Educational Needs Code of Practice. The Special Educational Needs Code of Practice became mandatory on January 1st, 2002 and covers all schools and subtopics of Special Education in the United Kingdom. The code cover various areas in the field. Some of the topics included in the code of practice are assessment of needs, teaching practices, legislation, principles and policies and best teaching practices. The code is extensive and may be downloaded online via education.gov.uk.
A great Special Educational Needs Code of Practice should include the following:
1) How to assess Special education criteria.
2) Criteria for placing students in appropriate classrooms related to ability
3) Coordinating industry wide teaching standards and policies
4) Sharing of information via agencies and schools
5) Incorporating parents in the educational process
These are merely a few of the issues that should be included in any updated Special Educational Needs Code of Practice. The Special Educational Needs Code of Practice not only protects teachers, but students and parents as well. Guaranteeing uniformity in the field of Special Education ensures that children receive the same education and treatment, even if they are uprooted and move to a school hundreds or thousands of miles away.