General Curriculum: Universal Design and Inclusion

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General Curriculum Universal Design and
Inclusion

• Chapter 2

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Background of Standards-Based Reform

• LEA and SEA did not have explicit curriculum for
  all students
• Focus on the middle range of ability of students
• One size fits all
• For students with disabilities curriculum
  developed from their IEP
• Progress in the general curriculumsame
  curriculum as S w/o D

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No Child Left Behind Act

• 2001 law for all students
• Overcome low expectations for students with
  disabilities
• Accountability
• Statewide reading and mathematics testing all
  students 3rd 8th
• Annual statewide progress objectives for all
  students w/in the next 12 years (2013)

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NCLB cont.

• Requires schools not meeting those objectives to
  carry out improvements, corrective actions, and
  restructuring measures
• Parent and student choice
• States provide funds for students to leave
  failing schools for other schools (public of
  private)
•  

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• Flexibility
• Allow states, school districts and schools to use
  federal monies (not IDEA) to help student meet
  state achievement objectives       
• Premise that reading is primary to
  learning..more for reading instruction
•  

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Educational Reform based on 2 assumptions

•  
• Policymakers and educators should be held
  publicly accountable for every students
  performance
• All students should have challenging standards

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Content and Performance Standards

• Content standards
• Define the knowledge
• Skills
• Understanding students should attain for academic
  subjects
• Performance Standards
• Define the levels of achievement required to
  demonstrate proficiency

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Standards-Based Reform

• Establishes content and performance standards
• Develops and implements general curriculum based
  on content standards
• Assesses student progress in meeting general
  curriculum performance standards

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• Under IDEA is the same curriculum as for
  nondisabled children
• Emerges from content and performance standards
  set by each SEA for students from difference
  grade levels.

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Differences

• Instruction
• Multiples of 2 3
• Manipulative windows open 2 and 3 at a time
• Read about houses, windows, and numbers
• Computer write stories and use spell check
•  
• Assessment
• Recites the facts while others have to work story
  problems (BB or at desk)

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Standards Based Reform

• ½ states require participation in assessment
• Proponents
• Higher expectations,
• Higher achievement
• Opponents
• Conflict with individualized needs as per IEP
• Deny instruction opportunities for vocation and
  basic life skills
• Frustrated and drop out

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Issues for Students With Exceptionalities

• Accountability for educators to teach
• and students to master content and
  performance standards
• When assessments were developed and tested
• Early 1990s only 10 were included
• Late 1990s 66 participated in State
  assessments

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Accommodations

• doesnt change content
• Presentation
• Responding
• Timing
• Setting
• Also used in classroom not just assessment
  situation
• Alternative assessments

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High-stakes accountability

• . Decisions made on the basis on assessment
  results.
• Students
• Eligible to progress through school
• Attend magnet school
• Graduate
• Type of diploma (2001 18 states, and 6 more on
  the horizon )

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Early Results

• High failed the tests, left school w/out
  diploma
• States raised standards to college prep many
  students left/failed
• Rewards to teachers (21 states)
• Lost of school accreditation funding and
  independence
• Schools might exempt s w/ d (Texas increased
  exemptions 13 in first year)
• OR. Expectations will be raised and met with
  those who do graduate being better prepared for
  life

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• Standards a general statement of what a student
  should know and be able to do in academic
  subjects
• Benchmarks a specific statement of what a
  student should be able to do
• Indicators a statement of knowledge or skills
  that a student has demonstrated in order to meet
  a benchmark

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• Accommodations that he/she routinely uses in the
  course of daily his/her instruction so long as
  the accommodations are set out in his/her IEP.
• Traditional approach
• Teachers develop the curriculum and allow
  students w/ disabilities accommodations

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Enhancing Flexible Curriculum w/in Classroom
Universal Design

• Augmentation teacher adjust curriculum content
  and/or performance levels to meet particular
  student needs (raises)
• Alteration teacher adjust curriculum content
  and/or performance levels to meet particular
  student needs (lowers)

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Universal Design

• Consider needs of all students in the classroom
• Design curriculum, instruction, and evaluation
  with sufficient flexibility so that each student
  benefits.

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Enhancing Flexible Instruction w/in Classroom
According to Universal Design

• Augmentation teacher adjust instructional
  content and/or performance levels to meet
  particular student needs (adds to)
• Adaptation teacher adjust instructional content
  and/or performance levels to meet particular
  student needs (options)
• Figure 2-2 on page 57 Adaptation options

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Evaluation w/in Classroom According to Universal
Design 

• Adaptation teacher adjust presentation of
  content and/or mode of student response
•  
• Look at Page 60 figure 2-5

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Fundamental Principles of Universal Design

• Tailor teaching and learning to needs of each
  student
• Focus on strengths
• Considers learning capacities
• Offers full opportunity to benefit from general
  curriculum to all

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General Trends in Special Education

• More inclusion
• Less self contained
• Type of disability and age of student still
  influences

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6 Placement categories

• Special education outside of regular classroom
  less than 21 of the day (48 1998-1999 school
  year)
• Special education outside of regular classroom at
  least 21 but no more than 60 of the day (28)
• Special education outside of regular classroom
  more than 60 of the day (20)
• Public separate facility greater than 50 of the
  day
• Private separate facility greater than 50 of the
  day
• Public residential facility greater than 50 of
  the day
• Private residential facility greater than 50 of
  the day

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Four phases of inclusion (page 66)

• Mainstreaming
• Regular education initiative
• Inclusion through accommodations
• Inclusion through restructuring

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Inclusion 4 key characteristics

• All students receive education in home school
• Consider placing students in classroom according
  to natural proportions 11.4
• Teaching and learning restructured for all
  students so special education supports within
  general education
• School and general education placements age and
  grade appropriate

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Educators perspectives

•  
• Time
• Training
• Personnel resources
• Materials resources
• Class size
• Consideration of severity of disability

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Parents Perspective

• Range but most are positive about inclusion
• Believe that general classroom do a better job
• Self-concept
• Appropriate role models and friendships
• Happier and more self-confident
• Develop academically
• Prepare child for real world

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Parents perspectives 
(of students without disabilities)

• Benefits own child helpfulness
• Sensitivity
• As educationally effective
• Fewer behavioral problems - more friendships
• Better self-concepts

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Students Perspective

(with
disabilities )

• Vary
• Resource classroom provide quiet place, less
  difficult
• More enjoyable
• Inclusive better friendship opportunities
• Unclear why they go to resource room
• Want assistance from SPED teachers in general
  classroom
• Younger children favor general classroom
• Older students favor resource

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Students Perspective
(without disabilities)

• Desire to help
• Commitment to human rights
• Concern about teasing
• Concerned unequal consequence for misbehavior
• Adult negative treatment

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Definition
General Curriculum The same curriculum as for
children without disabilities. Universal
Design A process for considering the needs of
students in the classroom and designing
curriculum, instruction, and evaluation with
flexibility. Inclusion The learning and sense
of belonging of students with disabilities in the
general education classroom.
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Student Outcomes with Inclusion

• High levels of social interaction
• Social competence communication skills and
  developmental skills improvement
• Does not compromise education of others
• Inclusive setting likely more cost efficient
  eventually

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Identification

• Specific Learning Disabilities
• Emotional Disturbance
• Mental Retardation
• Multiple Disabilities
• Deaf-Blindness
• Autism
• Other Health Impairments
• Orthopedic Impairments
• Traumatic Brain Injury
• Speech and Language Impairments
• Hearing Impairments
• Visual Impairments