For Meeting the Needs of ALL Children Including Those At-Risk of Learning Failure

Why go this route?

• Because leaving no child behind means beginning where the child is.
• Because all children learn differently requiring teachers to find ways to work with a wide variety of needs without reducing expectations.
• Because we know that all children should have access to the general curriculum - and now the law requires it.
• Because all children can and will learn when provided with appropriate accommodations most relevant to their individual needs.
• Because proactive strategies for defining, teaching, and supporting appropriate student behaviors creates a positive environment for learning.
  

You'll know you arrived when . . .

• Every teacher practices several different instructional techniques resulting in successful educational experiences for each and all of their students.
• Student achievement increases while at-risk performance decreases.
• All students have access to, and are engaged in, learning in the general curriculum.
• No child is left behind.
  

Construction Zone:

It's about TIME

• Planning time will vary depending on teacher experience.
• Browsing through resources to obtain ideas will vary depending on students needs.
• Learning new strategies and incorporating them for all students could take several weeks.
  

Potential COST

• Professional development, if needed. This could be delivered by existing, experienced special education staff. 

The Process

A step-by-step guide to improving instruction for students with disabilities.

Click on the links below for additional information for each subject area:

1. Interventions
   Providing for services to lessen the effects of failure through remediation or preventative measures for students who are discovered to have, or be at risk of, developing a handicapping condition or other special need that may affect their development and/or success in school. The key to success is identifying difficulties and intervening as early as possible.
   
   
2. What is Differentiated Instruction?
   The art of responding to student differences must be approached by drawing from best practices to maximize each student's growth by meeting them where they are and helping them to progress by offering several different learning experiences in response to their varied needs. This article by Dr. Susan Wilkinson describes differentiated instruction - from understanding to practice.
   
   
3. Strategies to Improve Access to the General Curriculum
   From The Access Center, this paper offers instructional, learning, and assessment strategies in easy-to-follow chart forms designed to help struggling students effectively engage in learning general education curriculum content. Each research-supported practice provides information for student characteristics, practice descriptions, how it improves access, supporting research, implications for practice, and sources for additional information.
   
   
4. Understanding and Using Accommodations
   Providing appropriate instructional and assessment accommodations is one step in assuring that we meet the challenge that all students can and will learn. Excerpts of the publication:  Accommodations Manual: How to Select, Administer, and Evaluate Use of Accommodations for Instruction and Assessment of Students with Disabilities, from the Council of Chief State School Officers, offers guidance. References to Michigan requirements have been inserted throughout the document to ensure accuracy when planning both standard and non-standard instructional and assessment accommodations.
   
   
5. Behavioral Support Models
   Two behavior models are explored:

• Michigan Integrated Behavior and Learning Support Initiative (MiBLSi)
• OSEP Technical Assistance Center on Positive Behavioral Interventions & Supports 

How knowing several important federal laws requiring the participation of students with disabilities in standards-based instruction and assessment benefits your school in regard to the following initiatives:

No Child Left Behind (NCLB)
Stronger accountability for results is one of the four basic education reform principles contained in NCLB. This law complements the provisions in providing public accountability at the school, district, and state levels for all students with disabilities. NCLB explicitly calls for:

• The participation in such assessments of all students [Sec. 1111 (3) (C) (i)].
• The reasonable adaptations and accommodations for students with disabilities. 

One of the basic reform principles of NCLB is stronger accountability for results for all students. Through this federal legislation, in addition to other state and local district initiatives, assessments aimed at increasing accountability provide important information with regard to:

• ·how successful schools are including all students in standards-based education,
• how well students are achieving standards, and
• what needs to be improved upon for specific groups of students.

There are several critical elements in NCLB that hold schools accountable for educational results. Academic content standards (what students should learn) and academic achievement standards (how well they should learn) in reading/language arts, mathematics and science form the basis of state accountability systems. State assessments are the mechanism for checking whether schools have been successful in students attaining the knowledge and skills defined by the content standards.

Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act
IDEA specifically governs services provided to students with disabilities. Accountability at the individual level is provided through Individualized Education Plans (IEPs) developed on the basis of each childs unique needs. Requirements include the participation of students with disabilities in the general curriculum and in state and district-wide assessments. The IEP is developed, reviewed, and revised in accordance with this Act.

Section 504
Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act requires public schools to provide accommodations to students even if they do not qualify for special education services under IDEA. The definition of a disability under Section 504 is much broader than the definition under IDEA. All IDEA students are also covered by Section 504, but not all Section 504 students are eligible for services under IDEA. Section 504 states: No otherwise qualified individual with a disability in the United States shall, solely by reason of her or his disability, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance. [29 U.S.C. Sec. 794].

Books
Villa, Richard A. and Jacqueline S. Thousand, Creating an Inclusive School, 2nd Edition, Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD), 2005.

Articles
Council for Exceptional Children, No Child Left Behind Act of 2001: Reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, A Technical Assistance Resource, July 15, 2004, click here for web link:

E-Newsletter
The Education Innovator, from the US Department of Education, Office of Innovation and Improvement, features promising programs and practices along with timely and comprehensive rundowns on innovations. Click here to subscribe.

From the Center for Educational Networking (MDE OSE-EIS):

• Focus on Results features brief guidance and technical assistance documents published periodically to keep stakeholders up-to-date on current changes in rules and regulations, dispute resolution, Individualized Education Programs (IEP), alternate assessment, accountability, continuous improvement, early childhood and other valuable and relevant topics.
  
  
• Leading Change highlights the collaborative reform efforts of the Governor's Office, the State Board of Education, and the Michigan Department of Education for improving academic achievement and access to high-quality learning.

To subscribe click here.

Websites
(Click on name to access websites)

The Access Center, Improving Outcomes for All Students K-8:
The mission of the Access Center is to provide technical assistance that strengthens State and local capacity to help students with disabilities effectively learn in the general education curriculum. Goals:

• Increase awareness of research-based programs, practices, and tools
• Strengthen the ability of educators to be informed consumers of programs, practices, and tools
• Assist educators to implement and evaluate programs, practices, and tools 

The Access Center is housed at the American Institutes for Research in Washington, D.C.

Michigan Department of Education Office of Educational Assessment and Accountability:
The Office of Educational Assessment and Accountability is comprised of five programs. Michigan Educational Assessment Program and the Merit Examination, Assessment of Students with Disabilities, Assessment of English Language Learners, Accreditation / Accountability, National Assessment of Education progress.

National Center on Educational Outcomes:
The National Center on Educational Outcomes provides national leadership in the participation of students with disabilities in national and state assessments, standards-setting efforts, and graduation requirements.

OSEP Ideas that Work:
This web site is designed to provide easy access to information from research to practice initiatives funded by the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) that address the provisions of IDEA and NCLB. This web site will include resources, links, and other important information that supports OSEPs research to practice efforts.

Special Connections:
The ultimate goal of the project is to provide educators with tools and resources that support students with special needs in general education settings and in accessing the general education curriculum in meaningful ways. Four main areas of focus include Instruction, Assessment, Behavior Plans, and Collaboration.

Primary Author for this MI-MAP Packet: Teri Pettit, SE Consultant/Liaison, MAPSA