Find the Fit: GLEs and Comprehensive Curriculum for ALL Nanette Olivier, Louisiana Department of Education Kristina Braud, Louisiana Department of Education

The New Access Guide: Why? NCLBIDEA CurriculumRegardless of where children receive instruction, all students with disabilities should have access to, participate in, and make progress in the general curriculum (pg ) States must also document that students with the most significant disabilities are, to the extent possible. Included in the general curriculum…. (pg ) Sec Subpart B © (5) (A) Almost 30 years of research and experience has demonstrated that the education of children with disabilities can be made more effective by – Having high expectations for such children and ensuring their access to the general education curriculum in the regular classroom, to the maximum extent possible. AccessA state may… define alternate achievement standards, provided those standards 1) are aligned with the state’s academic content standards, 2) promote access to the general curriculum, 3) reflect achievement standards possible. (pg ) ILSSA Group, University of Kentucky

The New Access Guide: Why? Peer Review (tied to Title I funding) Non Regulatory Guidance Grade Level A State’s academic content standards may either be grade – specific or may cover more than one grade if grade –level content expectations are provided for each of grades 3 through 8 (pg. 2) …….is appropriate for the grade level specified, and that reflects clearly articulated progressions across grade level. (pg. 8) …..States are responsible for designing assessment systems that permit all students in the tested grades to be assessed based on grade-level content and achievement standards. States must first ensure that the assessment is based on State content standards (pg. 10) ILSSA Group, University of Kentucky

Establish process for:  Students in LAA 1  Students in LAA 2  Students with disabilities  Any student struggling with the curriculum, whether identified or not

Multiple Task Forces  General educators in all content areas from elementary-high school  Special educators (significant disabilities, mild/moderate)  Gifted educators  DOE personnel  Significant Disabilities Leadership Committee

What does GLE access mean? What is the target? Students:  receive instruction on grade-level expectations within the context of grade-level curriculum ensuring that the intent of the grade-level standard remains intact. For some students, this may be at a lower complexity level.  use the same materials or adapted version of the materials, and appropriate assistive technology to gain access. Adapted from: ILSSA Group, University of Kentucky

Universal Design for Learning (UDL)  Developed by the Center for Applied Special Technology (CAST)  Connects the principles of universal design to principles of learning supported by brain research and literature on learning  UDL Concepts  Recognition: What am I learning?  Expression: How do I demonstrate I am learning?  Engagement: Why am I learning? Accessibility Task Force, 5/23/06

Where do we go wrong?  Curriculum involvement with lower grade-level expectations  Curriculum involvement with no expectation to learn  Content involvement with no curriculum connection  Student performance in separate curriculum Adapted from: ILSSA Group, University of Kentucky

Problem: Curriculum involvement + lower grade level expectations What it looks like  Students receive instruction on lower grade-level curriculum; however, the focus of instruction is on a lower grade-level standard which may or may not spiral to the upper grade levels. The fix  Adherence to the grade-level standard should be considered first before considering pre-requisite skills. Adapted from: ILSSA Group, University of Kentucky

Problem: Curriculum involvement + no expectations to learn What it looks like  Students work solely on access skills such as motor, social, and communication within the context of grade-level curriculum activities.  Students receive assistance in completing grade level curriculum with no expectations to align with the intent of the standard. Adapted from: ILSSA Group, University of Kentucky

Problem: Curriculum involvement + no curriculum connection What it looks like  Students receive assistance in completing age-appropriate, content-related activities with no expectations to learning the required grade-level skills, contents, and knowledge.  Students work primarily on access skills such as motor, social, and communication within the context of age-appropriate activities but not grade-level curriculum activities. Adapted from: ILSSA Group, University of Kentucky

Problem: Student Performance + Separate Curriculum What it looks like  Students work primarily on a developmental progression; skills found in PreK/early elementary.  Students work on separate functional curriculum (catalogue approach). Adapted from: ILSSA Group, University of Kentucky

Reasons we miss the target  Developmental or functional curriculum approaches represent “tradition” in special education  Lack of understanding of academic standards by special education personnel  Exclusion of special education staff in general education curriculum activities  Lack of student/teacher access to and understanding of appropriate technology Adapted from: ILSSA Group, University of Kentucky

How to hit the target  All curriculum planning should adhere to principles of Universal Design for Learning (CAST).  Consider the widest array of possible users  Multiple means of representation  Multiple means of expression  Multiple means of engagement Adapted from: ILSSA Group, University of Kentucky

What the task force considered  GLEs  Comprehensive Curriculum  Critical function  Symbolic levels  Depth of Knowledge

Critical Function  What is the “essence” of the GLE?  What is the “core” of the GLE?  What is the “intent” of the GLE? Bottom Line: Regardless of the input and expression of knowledge, what does the student need to know?

Symbolic Levels  Symbolic - uses or is learning to use words but may need words paired with picture symbols occasionally  Early Symbolic - uses or is learning to use picture symbols but may need pictures paired objects occasionally  Pre-symbolic - uses or is learning to use tactile cues and or objects Diane Browder, Ph.D., UNCC, NAAC

Grade Level Example: Biographies Standard  Compare and contrast elements of biographies Symbolic Level:  Reads and writes at grade level Content  Biographies of well known Americans Activities/skills  Silent reading of biography; answer questions about comparisons; compose biography with all elements Diane Browder, Ph.D., UNCC, NAAC

Level 3 - Symbolic Standard  Compare and contrast elements of biographies Symbolic Level:  Reads sight words & sentences with pic symbols; writes sight words or can circle large vocabulary of picture symbols Content  Biographies of well known Americans Activities/skills  Read aloud biography written in simple sentences with picture cues; circle pictures to answer questions about comparisons; compose biography by selecting pictures and making captions Diane Browder, Ph.D., UNCC, NAAC

Level 2 - Early Symbolic Standard  Compare and contrast elements of biographies Symbolic Level  Recognizes a few picture symbols; recognizes larger number familiar objects and can use some symbolically Content  Biographies of well known Americans Activities/skills  Simplified text with pictures and repeated lines and vocabulary read to student about; student selects pictures to answer question about the story; puts pictures into circles to show “same” and “different” to compare biography with own life story Diane Browder, Ph.D., UNCC, NAAC

Level 1- Pre-symbolic Standard  Compare and contrast elements of biographies Symbolic Level  Picture recognition is inconsistent, must be paired with objects; communicates by looking at/ moving to objects or people Content  Biographies of well known Americans Activities/skills  Adapted text with pictures read with student; objects also used to give meaning; student looks at/ points to objects from story Diane Browder, Ph.D., UNCC, NAAC

Depth-of-Knowledge (Cognitive Demand) Depth-of-Knowledge Levels: 1. Recall and Reproduction Recall a fact, information, or procedure. Knowledge 2. Skils/Concepts Use of information, conceptual knowledge, procedures, two or more steps, etc. Comprehension 3. Strategic Thinking Requires reasoning, developing a plan or sequence of steps; has some complexity; more than one possible answer; generally takes less than 10 minutes to do. Analysis and Evaluation 4. Extended Thinking Requires an investigation; time to think and process multiple conditions of the problem or task; and more than 10 minutes to do non-routine manipulations. Evaluation / Synthesis Norman Webb (1999)

D O K Level Task Required ELA Math 1 RECALLA rote response Recall facts; use dictionary recognize figurative language Definition, fact or simple algorithm 2 SKILL/ CONCEPT Mental process involved; multi steps Use context clues; identify and summarize major events Classify, organize data, estimate 3 STRATEGIC THINKING More demanding reasoning involved, explanation required Explain author’s purpose; use multiple sources to address a topic Deciding which concepts to apply to solve a complex problem 4 EXTENDED THINKING High cognitive demands; relate ideas within or among content areas Examine/explain alternative perspectives across various sources Design and conduct projects and experiments

Grade-Level StandardsGrade Level 6Grade Level 10 Grade-Level Performance… Writing Adaptations for a struggling learner Provide a scribe or word predictive program Provide a sample and a previously taught graphic organizer for paragraph writing Adaptations for students with mild disabilities might be Fill in a formatted letter with a cloze procedure Template of a business letter and a sample Adaptations for Students at the symbolic level (reads some sight words: excellent picture reading) Fill in a formatted letter with a cloze procedure with picture symbols Prewritten letter: students put parts in correct order Standard: Writing Grade-Level Content: Letters - parts of a business letter Diane Browder, Ph.D., UNCC, NAAC

Adaptations for students at the early symbolic level (able to use some pictures symbolically) Fill in a formatted letter with a cloze procedure with picture symbols: Teacher assistance signing and/or reading Prewritten letter: students put parts in correct order; with pictures cues or matching (date to date) Adaptations for students at the pre- symbolic level (needs to use objects to help understand pictures/words Indicate who the letter is going to (picture); object representing what the letter is about; bridge by writing letters to others (family, in community or school) Calendar; picture of person, object the letter is about, picture of who it is going to; sequence parts in correct order Adaptations for students at the awareness level (limited intentionality in communication: few consistent responses) Make eye contact with object-focus attention (look at object that represents the letter) Student finds/reacts to picture of self; indicates signature should be signed for them Diane Browder, Ph.D., UNCC, NAAC

What task force members asked for:  User friendly (formats suggested)  Range of entry points for activities  Resources  Examples of technology support  Guidelines for IEP development (and keep the “I” in the IEP)  Ready reference for all teachers

 Formative and summative assessment suggestions  Functional skills in curriculum  Electronic links  Extensive professional development

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Plans for ’06-’07  Form teacher workgroups to implement process. Use groups to provide feedback, problem solve, & create teacher-friendly products.  Place emphasis on “real application” of materials.  Expand process across varying levels of learner needs and abilities.