Aligning%20IEP

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Aligning IEPs and Curriculum for Deafblind

• Students
• With
• Statewide General Curriculum
• Mary C. Zatta, Deafblind Program
• Perkins School for the Blind

2
Why align curriculum for deafblind children?

• Almost all states have developed a statewide
  curriculum in response to education reform
  mandates
• Only a few states have developed an alternate
  curriculum for students with disabilities - a
  controversial stance which challenges the mandate
  for a unified educational system
• The goal is create a unified educational system
  with high standards for ALL students!

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What does curriculum alignment mean?????

• ALL students educational content must be linked
  to statewide general curriculum
• For studentss with significant disabilities
  e.g., deafblind students, their educational
  content does not lend itself easily to meet this
  mandate
• How can it be done???

4
What are the barriers to curriculum alignment for
deafblind students?

• Deafblind students need instruction in areas in
  addition to the academic areas
• Instruction for deafblind students must take
  advantage of natural opportunities for learning
  within real-life situations
• The scope and sequence of the general curriculum
  must be expanded to meet the needs of deafblind
  students

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How do we meet these challenges?

• Other content areas must be included
• Include the teaching of skills which are not
  learned incidentally by deafblind students
• Broaden the scope and sequence of the curriculum
  to meet the needs of deafblind students

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What are other content areas?

• Deafblind students need instruction in additional
  content areas e.g., OM, social skills, DLS,
  leisure recreation skills, community skills,
  etc.

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Teaching of skills which are not learned
incidentally

• Examples
• Finding their way around the school
• Using a vending machine
• Social skills conversation, turn-taking, waiting
  in line, etc.
• Play and leisure skills
• Appropriate dressing

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Broadening the Scope and Sequence

• Determine the essence of the learning standard
• Determine the entry points appropriate for the
  student

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Examples from the Massachusetts Curriculum
Frameworks

• Learning Standard
• Essence of the standard
• Entry points
• IEP goal/objective

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Examples from the Massachusetts Curriculum
Frameworks

• English Language Arts Standard Language / Gr. 8
• Learning Standard The student will know and
  apply rules for formal discussion
• Essence of the Standard/Entry Points (turn
  attention towards others, recognize the
  difference between self and others)
• IEP goal/objective The student will
  communicate her preference/choice by visually
  attending to the preferred item

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More Examples..

• History/Social Science/Geography - Gr. 10
• Learning Standard The student will describe
  the earths natural features and their physical
  and biological characteristics
• Essence of the Standard/Entry Points identify
  seasons, weather, different physical features of
  the earth
• IEP goal/objective the student will identify
  the weather the student will choose appropriate
  clothing for the weather

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More Examples..

• Mathematics/Patterns Measurement - Gr. 10
• Learning Standard the student will identify and
  use the properties of real numbers
• Essence/Entry Points sort and count,
  distinguish same/different, sort coins
• IEP goal/objective Given a coin and an
  unrelated object, the student will distinguish
  the coin from other objects

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More Examples..

• Science Technology/Materials Tools - Grade 10
• Learning Standard The student will identify and
  explain appropriate measuring tools, hand tools,
  and power tools
• Essence/Entry Points identify, explore and
  manipulate a variety of materials and tools
• IEP goal/objective the student will get the
  correct tool from a set of tools for a variety of
  tasks (fill soda machine, watering plants, etc.

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Assessing alignment with the general curriculum

• Look at the educational content of the students
  program - can an alignment be made?
• Look at the students schedule and activities -
  which curricular areas are being addressed?

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Aligning IEP goals/objectives with the General
Curriculum

• Matching goal areas with curricula content areas
• Language and Communication ELA
• Cooking, Voc, Func Academics Math
• Circle, cooking, shopping, Voc Science
• Circle, Func. Academics History

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Finding Alignment by looking at the students
schedule/educational content

• Morning meeting/Circle
• Cooking
• Vocational
• Classroom Activities
• OM
• APE
• Shopping

• ELA, Math, Science, History
• Math, Science
• ELA, Math, Science
• ELA, Math, Science, History
• ELA, Math, Science
• ELA, Math
• ELA, Math, Science