accommodations

Application to Students with Disabilities

TheCommonCoreStateStandardsarticulaterigorousgrade-levelexpectationsintheareasofmathematics

andEnglishlanguagearts..Thestandardsidentifytheknowledgeandskillsstudentsneedinordertobe

successfulincollegeandcareers

Studentswithdisabilities―studentligibleundertheIndividualswithDisabilitiesEducationAct

(IDEA)―mustbechallengedtoexcelwithinthegeneralcurriculumandbepreparedforsuccessintheir

post-schoollives,includingcollegeand/ommonstandardsprovideanhistoric

opportunitytoimproveacce

continueddevelopmentofunderstandingaboutrearch-badinstructionalpracticesandafocusontheir

effectiveimplementationwillhelpimproveaccesstomathematicsandEnglishlanguagearts(ELA)

standardsforallstudents,includingthowithdisabilities.

Studentswithdisabilitiesareaheterogeneousgroupwithonecommoncharacteristic:theprenceof

disablingconditionsthatsignificantlyhindertheirabilitiestobenefitfromgeneraleducation(IDEA34CFR

§300.39,2004).Therefore,howthehighstandardsaretaughtandassdisoftheutmostimportancein

reachingthisdivergroupofstudents.

Inorderforstudentswithdisabilitiestomeethighacademicstandardsandtofullydemonstratetheir

conceptualandproceduralknowledgeandskillsinmathematics,reading,writing,speakingandlistening

(Englishlanguagearts),theirinstructionmustincorporatesupportsandaccommodations,including:

•supportsandrelatedrvicesdesignedtomeettheuniqueneedsofthestudentsandtoenable

theiraccesstothegeneraleducationcurriculum(IDEA34CFR§300.34,2004).

•AnIndividualizedEducationProgram(IEP)1whichincludesannualgoalsalignedwithandchonto

facilitatetheirattainmentofgrade-levelacademicstandards.

•Teachersandspecializedinstructionalsupportpersonnelwhoarepreparedandqualifiedtodeliver

high-quality,evidence-bad,individualizedinstructionandsupportrvices.

PromotingacultureofhighexpectationsforallstudentsisafundamentalgoaloftheCommonCoreState

rtoparticipatewithsuccessinthegeneralcurriculum,studentswithdisabilities,as

appropriate,maybeprovidedadditionalsupportsandrvices,suchas:

•Instructionalsupportsforlearning―badontheprinciplesofUniversalDesignforLearning

(UDL)2―whichfosterstudentengagementbyprentinginformationinmultiplewaysand

allowingfordiveravenuesofactionandexpression.

1 AccordingtoIDEA,anIEPincludesappropriateaccommodationsthatarenecessarytomeasuretheindividualachievementand

functionalperformanceofachild

2UDLisdefinedas“ascientificallyvalidframeworkforguidingeducationalpracticethat(a)providesflexibilityintheways

informationisprented,inthewaysstudentsrespondordemonstrateknowledgeandskills,andinthewaysstudentsare

engaged;and(b)reducesbarriersininstruction,providesappropriateaccommodations,supports,andchallenges,andmaintains

•Instructionalaccommodations(Thompson,Mor,Sharpe&Hall,2005)―changesinmaterialsor

procedures―whichdonotchangethestandardsbutallowstudentstolearnwithintheframework

oftheCommonCore.

•Assistivetechnologydevicesandrvicestoensureaccesstothegeneraleducationcurriculumand

theCommonCoreStateStandards.

Somestudentswiththemostsignificantcognitivedisabilitieswillrequiresubstantialsupportsand

accommodationstohavemeaningfulaccesstocertainstandardsinbothinstructionandasssment,badon

upportsandaccommodationsshouldensurethatstudents

receiveaccesstomultiplemeansoflearningandopportunitiestodemonstrateknowledge,butretainthe

rigorandhighexpectationsoftheCommonCoreStateStandards.

References

IndividualswithDisabilitiesEducationAct(IDEA),34CFR§300.34(a).(2004).

IndividualswithDisabilitiesEducationAct(IDEA),34CFR§300.39(b)(3).(2004).

Thompson,SandraJ.,,MichaelSharpe,andSharonHall.“AccommodationsManual:Howto

Select,AdministerandEvaluateUofAccommodationsandAsssmentforStudentswithDisabilities,”

lforChiefStateSchoolOfficers,2005

/content/pdfs/.(AccesdJanuary,29,2010).

highachievementexpectationsforallstudents,includingstudentswithdisabilitiesandstudentswhoarelimitedEnglish

proficient.”byHigherEducationOpportunityAct(PL110-135)