Common Core State Standards and Students with Disabilities 1

Focus for this session: 1.CCSS and Students with Disabilities 2.CCSS – Benefits and Challenges for Students with Disabilities 3.Overcoming Challenges 4.Standards-Based IEPs 5.CCSS Assessments 2

1. CCSS - Application to Students with Disabilities 3

CCSS Coincides with Other Changes in Special Education at the National Level 4 Transition From Compliance Focus to Results-Driven Accountability

CCSS - Application to Students with Disabilities  Supports and related services designed to meet students’ unique needs and enable their access to the general education curriculum ; (IDEA 34 CFR §300.34, 2004) 5 CCSS Language

 An IEP that includes annual goals aligned with and chosen to facilitate their attainment of grade-level academic standards; 6 CCSS - Application to Students with Disabilities CCSS Language

 Teachers and specialized instructional support staff who are prepared and qualified to delivery high-quality, evidence- based, individualized instruction and support services. 7 CCSS - Application to Students with Disabilities CCSS Language

 Additionally:  Instructional strategies based on the principles of Universal Design for Learning (UDL)  Accommodations, including changes in materials and/or procedures 8 CCSS - Application to Students with Disabilities CCSS Language

“The Standards should also be read as allowing for the widest possible range of students to participate fully from the outset and as permitting appropriate accommodations to ensure maximum participation of students with special education needs.” 9 CCSS – Introduction to English Language Arts Standards CCSS Language

10 2. CCSS – Benefits and Challenges to Students with Disabilities

11 High Expectations for ALL Students Benefit

Research on the Influence of Teacher Expectations: Expectations DO Matter  Teachers’ expectations had a significant impact on the educational achievement of the students.  Low expectations for certain cohorts of students were a major factor in their poor academic achievement  Students from marginalized groups are more susceptible to teachers’ low expectations and this may serve to further widen the achievement gap when such students accept and confirm teachers’ negative expectations 12

Research on the Influence of Teacher Expectations: Expectations DO Matter  The Pygmalian Effect: The greater the expectation placed upon people (children), the better they perform. 13

“Assume that they (students with significant disabilities) are competent and able to learn, because to do otherwise would result in harm such as fewer educational opportunities, inferior literacy instruction, a segregated education, and fewer choices as an adult.” 14 Aligns with the “Least Dangerous Assumption” Benefit

 With clear, well-defined content standards, it is possible to better identify appropriate Universal Design for Learning (UDL) tools and accommodations for students with disabilities, both for instruction and for assessments. 15 Benefit

We’ve talked about the benefits of the CCSS, now let’s take a look at some of the challenges... 16

 Reading Staircase of “Text Complexity” Much more informational text Focus on “close reading” 17 Challenges Term to Know: Scaffold Term to Know: Scaffold

18 New Term: Lexiles New Term: Lexiles

“Students who struggle greatly to read texts within (or even below) their text complexity grade band must be given the support needed to enable them to read at a grade- appropriate level of complexity.” - CCSS Standards Appendix A 19 Understand this for the IEP Meeting

o Emphasis on argument as a type of writing o Research writing as a focus 20 Many years of research in writing instruction have provided useful writing strategies students can be taught to meet these writing challenges head on! Challeng e Self-Regulated Strategies Development 25 years of research Self-Regulated Strategies Development 25 years of research

 Mathematics o The Language of Mathematics o Demonstrating mathematical understanding including creating a viable argument and critiquing the reasoning of others o Procedural skill proficiency 21 Challenges

The Real Challenge for Students with Disabilities 22 CCSS All students leaving high school college and/or career ready Getting from hereto here. Access, Differentiation and UDL

Standards [and assessments] do not guarantee improved results or increased access and instruction... It assumes that assessments and accountability promote interventions and improvements in the quality of instruction, which in turn will produce higher performance. Martha Thurlow, Ph.D. Director, NCEO Testimony before the Unites States Senate,

Overall Major Issues Related to Students with Special Needs  Balancing the increased proficiency standards with the need for individualized instruction  Providing means for students to access the text in the general curriculum  Professional knowledge/development for general and special education teachers to meet the needs of students with disabilities 24

3. CCSS – Overcoming Challenges 25

How can you help your Student overcome these challenges?  Gain understanding about Universal Design for Learning 26 Universal Design for Learning Curriculum should from the outset be designed to accommodate all kinds of learners.

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28 Provide multiple means of representation Provide multiple means of action and expression Provide multiple means of engagement Universal Design for Learning: Guidelines

29 aim.cast.org For more information on UDL and Accessible Materials:

30 UDL and Accommodations  Curriculum and assessments designed using the principles of UDL can reduce the need for accommodations.  Provision of accommodations is dependent on school personnel  Such dependence reduces the likelihood that accommodations will be provided consistently and in accordance with a student’s IEP A Parent’s Guide to UDL – National Center for Learning Disabilities

 Understand the use of Evidence- Based Practices with your students: o The quality of access to and instruction of the CCSS comes down to the teacher in the classroom and the system in which he or she teaches. 31 How can you help your student overcome these challenges? Term to Know: Evidence -Based Practices Term to Know: Evidence -Based Practices

 Understand how the special education teacher and regular education teachers are collaborating around the needs of your student in regard to the CCSS. 32 How can you help your student overcome these challenges?

4. CCSS – Standards- Based IEPs 33 “Standards-Based IEP” An IEP that is framed by the state standards and contains annual goals aligned with, and chosen to facilitate the student’s achievement of, state grade-level academic standards.

 Standards-based IEPs have been required for more than 10 years. CCSS is expected to accelerate this movement.  The real issue is how to meld special education’s promise of individualized instruction with the common standards that all students should strive to meet. 34 IEPs and the CCSS

35 IEP Shift – Traditional Practice Assess the Student Determine Needs and PLAAFP Develop Annual Goals Modified from Bar-Lev & Van Haren, UW Oshkosh Planting the Seeds of Inclusion Conference

36 IEP Shift – IEP/CCSS Practice Identify Standards for ALL students at student’s grade level. Assess where student is functioning with regard to standards. Determine disability- related needs that prevent success. Develop annual goals to meet these needs. Modified from Bar-Lev & Van Haren, UW Oshkosh Planting the Seeds of Inclusion Conference

37 The Paradigm Shift When IEPs are connected to the standards, the focal point of the IEP team discussion changes to: 1.Identifying the standards that ALL students at a specific grade or age level should “know and be able to do.” 2.Assessing where the student is functioning with regard to the above standards. 3.Determining disability related needs that prevent the student from being proficient on these standards. 4.Developing an Annual Goal to address these needs.

 Standards-based IEPs are not intended to cover every possible educational goal for a student or eliminate any functional training students may require  The team picks the “biggies” – powerful enough to cover a range of skills.  Goals should be individualized relative to a student’s specific strengths and needs as demonstrated by student data 38 IEPs and the Common Core

 CCSS -Aligned Assessments  Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium CCSS – Assessments

40 English Language Arts Mathematics #Subject Area# 1Reading1Concepts & Procedures 2Writing2Problem Solving & Data Analysis 3Speaking/Listenin g 3Communicating Reasoning 4Research Total Composite

41 Uses Computer-Adaptive Testing Typical Testing Approach Curriculum Adaptive Testing Start

42 Mathematics

43 Mathematics

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45 Key Point: o A state can only make available to students the universal tools, designated supports, and accommodations that are included in the Smarter Balanced Guidelines.

46 Universal Tools Designated Supports Accommodations Embedded Breaks, Calculator, Digital Notepad, English Dictionary, English Glossary, Expandable Passages, Global Notes, Highlighter, Keyboard Navigation, Mark for Review, Math Tools, Spell Check, Strikethrough, Writing Tools, Zoom Embedded Breaks, Calculator, Digital Notepad, English Dictionary, English Glossary, Expandable Passages, Global Notes, Highlighter, Keyboard Navigation, Mark for Review, Math Tools, Spell Check, Strikethrough, Writing Tools, Zoom Non-embedded Breaks, English Dictionary, Scratch Paper, Thesaurus Non-embedded Breaks, English Dictionary, Scratch Paper, Thesaurus Embedded Color Contrast, Masking, Text-to-speech, Translated Test Directions, Translations (Glossary), Translations (Stacked), Turn off Any Universal Tools Embedded Color Contrast, Masking, Text-to-speech, Translated Test Directions, Translations (Glossary), Translations (Stacked), Turn off Any Universal Tools Non-embedded Bilingual Dictionary, Color Contrast, Color Overlay, Magnification, Read Aloud, Scribe, Separate Setting, Translation (Glossary) Non-embedded Bilingual Dictionary, Color Contrast, Color Overlay, Magnification, Read Aloud, Scribe, Separate Setting, Translation (Glossary) Embedded American Sign Language, Braille, Closed Captioning, Text-to-Speech Embedded American Sign Language, Braille, Closed Captioning, Text-to-Speech Non-embedded Abacus, Alternate Response Options, Calculator, Multiplication Table, Print on Demand, Read Aloud, Scribe, Speech-to-text Non-embedded Abacus, Alternate Response Options, Calculator, Multiplication Table, Print on Demand, Read Aloud, Scribe, Speech-to-text Language from Smarter- Balanced

 Alternate Assessments  Dynamic Learning Maps Alternate Assessment  National Center and State Collaborative Partnership 47

Questions? 48