For more information, please contact NDSS Associate Director of Education Ricki rsabia@ndss.org.

Transcription

1 Universal Design for Learning (UDL) Language Elementary & Secondary Education Act (ESEA) Flexibility Requests Analysis NDSS strives to maximize the use of the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) framework in order to raise expectations and improve educational outcomes for students with Down syndrome from early childhood through postsecondary education. According to the National Center on Universal Design for Learning, UDL is a set of principles for curriculum development that gives all individuals equal opportunities to learn. UDL can help impact goals, teaching methods, instructional materials and assessments. UDL remains a key NDSS strategy to ensure that all students with Down syndrome are able to participate and make progress in the general education curriculum. NDSS leads the National UDL Task Force, comprised of more than 40 national education and disability organizations. NDSS works to implement UDL at all levels of government by promoting UDL in federal and state policy and legislation. ESEA Flexibility Requests Background Information The future of education policy is changing across the country with efforts currently underway to waive key requirements of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB), now called the Elementary & Secondary Education Act (ESEA). This process started in late 2011, when the U.S. Department of Education (USDOE) established a new process that allows states to submit ESEA Flexibility Request waiver application to the USDOE. These Flexibility Requests waive requirements from the NCLB in exchange for promises of education reform. To date, 38 states have submitted ESEA Flexibility Requests to the USDOE, most of which have already been approved. In order to get the ESEA Flexibility Requests approved, states have to submit plans detailing how all students would be transitioned to academic standards that promote college and career-readiness. Of the 38 applications submitted to the USDOE, 31 ESEA Flexibility Requests include language identifying activities related to UDL. Further, three states included information on Universal Design (UD), which can be used interchangeably for UDL. However, UD technically addresses physical access (e.g., does the student need a text reader or braille to gain access to the words on the page) whereas UDL addresses this physical access PLUS cognitive access (e.g., comprehension supports needed to understand the text). UDL ESEA Flexibility Request Overview NDSS has put together a state-by-state overview of the UDL and/or UD language in 34 ESEA Flexibility Requests. The overview also covers D.C. and the BIE. This information will help the Down syndrome community understand what each state department of education has proposed, as well as what advocates can do to promote UDL in their states, districts and schools. It is important to have a grassroots effort to ensure that states live up to the promises made in these ESEA Flexibility Requests. The language you will read in the overview was lifted verbatim from sections of each ESEA Flexibility Request that mentions UDL or UD. You can read this language in context and find out more about your ESEA Flexibility Request here. For more information, please contact NDSS Associate Director of Education Ricki rsabia@ndss.org. 1

2 Table of Contents Arizona... 3 Arkansas... 3 Colorado... 3 Connecticut... 3 District of Columbia... 4 Delaware... 4 Florida... 5 Georgia... 5 Idaho... 6 Illinois... 7 Iowa... 7 Kansas... 8 Kentucky... 8 Louisiana... 8 Maryland... 8 Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Nevada New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina Ohio Oregon Rhode Island South Dakota Tennessee Utah Virginia Washington Wisconsin

3 State-by-State Overview of UDL in ESEA Flexibility Requests 1. Arizona UDL Arizona Department of Education (ADE ) is also providing ongoing professional development and technical assistance to special education directors and school teams to support their site transition to the new college- and career-ready standards and aligned -assessments through implementation of research based strategies to ensure that students with disabilities are being included in the revised standards. Universal Design for Learning components are being used and built into training on strategies to provide access for all students to access the revised standards with appropriate accommodations and modifications. This information is being utilized at the site level to support students with disabilities in accessing the college- and career-ready standards during classroom instruction to ensure they will be on the same schedule toward college- and career-readiness as all students. 2. Arkansas UDL During the transition to college and career ready standards, a large portion of our professional development for all educators will focus on technology innovations and the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) principles. Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC ) items will adhere to the UDL principles so they will be accessible to all students, to the greatest extent possible, without adaptation or specialized design. This training is an essential component in providing the opportunity for all students, including those with disabilities, English Language Learners (ELLs), and low-achieving students to achieve success. ADE is incorporating Universal Design for Learning Principles (UDL) within the professional development for all teachers and leaders to support districts and schools through the transition to the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) and PARCC assessments. Arkansas Department of Education (ADE) is working with committees of Arkansas educators to develop instructional and local assessment resources to support ELLs and Students with Disabilities (SWD) during core instruction [State Collaborative on Assessing Student Standards- Assessing Special Education Students (SCASS ASES) and English Language Learner State Collaborative on Assessing Student Standards (ELL SCASS)]. Further consultation with teachers serving ELs and SWD identified the need for ADE to provide additional resources through Statewide System of Support (SSOS) to assist all general education, ELL and SWD teachers and instructional facilitators with specific instructional challenges in implementing CCSS. Specifically, teachers have asked ADE to develop and provide resources to help ELs and SWD use key ideas and details from text to gain meaning, and resources to match appropriate informational texts with language and reading levels of ELs. These resources will provide critical statewide support to teachers implementing the shift to using much a higher proportion of informational text in literacy instruction. This work will commence in the summer of 2012 with resources developed and released on an ongoing basis. 3. Colorado UD The comprehensive assessment system developed by the SMARTER Balanced Consortium will include the following key elements and principles: All components of the system will incorporate principles of Universal Design that seek to remove constructirrelevant aspects of tasks that could increase barriers for non-native English speakers and students with other specific learning needs. 4. Connecticut UDL and UD During the school year, the Connecticut State Department of Education s (CSDE s) Bureau of Special Education Bureau Chief and staff have addressed the membership of the Connecticut Council of Administrators of Special 3

4 Education administrators (ConnCASE), as well as the Council of Administrators of Private Special Education Facilities (CAPSEF), regarding the implementation of the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) and Next Generation assessments. These meetings have reached over 300 public and private school teachers and administrators of special education. Topics have included transition to the CCSS, including an emphasis on reading nonfiction text in the language arts standards, developmental aspects of the math standards, and the online and smart test design of the assessments. Discussions identified concerns from the field and future steps for professional development, policy guidance, and resource allocation. Some topics have already been identified, including aligning IEP vendors with the CCSS, providing written guidance on IEP development aligned to the CCSS and new assessments, developing Universal Design for Learning strategies, and using assistive technology. Connecticut has also discussed embarking on the process of developing model curricula through discussions with the New England Secondary School Consortium (NESSC). CSDE staff representing ELLs and students with disabilities will also participate in the discussion to ensure that the model curricula support universal design. 5. District of Columbia UDL As a governing state of the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC), the District of Columbia will make available all resources provided by the consortium, including, but not limited to, the principle of Universal Design for Learning. In an effort to address the needs of special education students who are placed in general education settings, we have provided professional development trainings and toolkits in the following areas: Universal Design for Learning 6. Delaware UDL and UD Other ways in which Delaware Department of Education (DDOE) has expanded the knowledge of general and special educators to support specialized instruction, accommodations and use scientifically, researched-based practices to scaffold learning for students with disabilities and those who are English Learners is to make professional development, webinars, resources and products available from a variety of our national centers. Some examples of our partners are: National Center on Universal Design for Learning Center for Applied Special Technology Delaware is a strong proponent of Universal Design for Learning and is partnering with the Delaware Assistive Technology Initiative (DATI) from the University of Delaware to offer professional development. Tier III Services are the most intense..examples of intensive professional development projects offered by the DDOE are Response to Intervention, Targeted and Individual Positive Behavior Supports, Instructional Support Team, Reading First, Improving Inclusionary Practices, Differentiation and Universal Design for Learning, Accessible Instructional Materials, Learning Focused Strategies, Social Skills Instruction, and Success for Secondary Struggling Readers. All Local Education Agencies (LEAs) will have access to the Minimal level of support. At this level, the Delaware Department of Education will provide regular statewide technical assistance sessions covering a variety of research based best practices that apply to all LEAs and schools. Topics may include, but will not be limited to, Universal Access to General Curriculum, Curriculum Alignment and Differentiation, Universal Design for Learning (UDL), success planning, goal setting and alignment, monitoring, resource allocation, building leadership capacity (including building collaboration between general education, special education, and English Learner education), school climate and Delaware Performance Appraisal System (DPAS) II. 4

5 Universal Design for Learning is a scientifically valid framework for guiding education practice to eliminate barriers and make the curriculum accessible for all students, including students with disabilities and the English Learners, by providing: flexibility in acquiring information, alternatives in demonstrating what they have learned, and strategies for engaging diverse learners and motivating them to learn by providing challenges and supports. The Center for Applied Special Technology states that UDL provides a blueprint for creating instructional goals, methods, materials, and assessments that work for everyone--not a single, one-size-fits-all solution but rather flexible, approaches that can be customized and adjusted for individual needs. It is the design of multiple, flexible instructional and assessment materials and curricular activities that allows learning goals to be achievable by individuals of wide variability, inclusive of cultural and linguistic backgrounds, differing abilities, and preferred learning tools and methods. These differentiated options or alternatives with multiple means of representation, action, expression and engagement are built into curricular planning and delivery through the instructional design of a lesson and unit for efficiency and minimize potential barriers of the learners. It is strategic in nature and often employs wide use of media for communication, accessible technology for customizing the display, providing alternatives for auditory or visual information, and guiding information processing, as well as managing systems for resources and monitoring progress. As we face rapid, global movements through digital learning, UDL offers insight on learning and new applications of technology that provide access to the general curriculum for ALL students and equal opportunities for them to demonstrate successful outcomes. In Delaware, we have partnered with the Delaware Assistive Technology Initiative (DATI) from the University of Delaware to offer professional development for curriculum leaders, teachers and technology personnel in regards to UDL practices. Our model lesson/unit template is consistent across curricular content subjects as directed in Race to the Top Assessment Grant (RTTT), Section B, and encourages the principles of universal design for learning and differentiating instruction. Those who are building model lessons and units have had professional development in UDL and will continue to receive technical assistance when needed. 7. Florida UD Florida s published specifications require that instructional materials submitted must: Include strategies, materials, and activities that consider and address the needs of students with disabilities (universal design for curriculum access) 8. Georgia UDL Ensuring adherence to the universal design for learning (UDL) principles in the design of curriculum and in the delivery of content through differentiated instruction is an essential component in providing the opportunity for these students (students with disabilities, English Learners, and low-achieving students) to achieve success. Technology innovations continue to provide new resources for instruction and support to students with disabilities, English Learners, and low-achieving students. Ensuring adherence to the universal design for learning (UDL) principles in the design of curriculum and in the delivery of content through differentiated instruction is an essential component in providing the opportunity for these students to achieve success. To complement the instructional materials that are being developed to assist teachers in the delivery of instruction for the new Common Core Georgia Performance Standards; the state intends to employ the principles of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) in the design of curricula so that methods, materials, and assessments meet the needs of all students. Traditional curricula may present barriers that will limit students access to information and learning. In a traditional curriculum, a student without a well developed ability to see, decode, attend to, or comprehend printed text may be unable to successfully maintain the pace of the instruction. The UDL framework guides the development of adaptable curricula by means of three principles. The common recommendation of these three principles is to select goals, methods, assessment, and materials in a way that will minimize barriers and maximize flexibility. In this manner, the UDL 5

6 framework structures the development of curricula that fully support every student s access, participation, and progress in all facets of learning. One of the key principles to guide professional development for instructional practices of diverse learners includes providing multiple means of engagement. This approach will assist teachers in delivering differentiated standard-based instruction that engages and provides access to all learners. Professional development activities designed to support teachers utilization of data derived from multiple measures will be emphasized as a component of sound instructional practice focused on improving student performance. To differentiate instruction is to recognize and react responsibly to students varying background knowledge, readiness, language, and preferences in learning and interests. The intent of differentiating instruction is to maximize each student s growth and individual success by meeting each student where he or she is and assisting in the learning process. The integration of technology provides an important component of UDL and will play a vital role in assuring these activities meet the needs of a diverse group of learners, including students with disabilities, English Learners (ELs), and low-achieving students. All efforts include attention to effective instruction for Students with Disabilities, use of UDL English Learners, and Response to Intervention (RTI) best practices. 9. Idaho (waiver not approved yet) UDL For example, the Idaho State Department of Education (ISDE) will provide professional development opportunities for school districts and public charter schools, which are infused and incorporate Universal Design for Learning (UDL) in instruction, technology integration, and assessment, which will in turn increase the opportunities for all students including those with disabilities to demonstrate progress toward the Common Core State Standards. UDL is a set of principles developed by the Center for Applied Special Technologies (CAST) at aimed at providing all students with equal opportunities to learn. It involves a flexible approach to instruction that can be adjusted to fit individual learning needs; by designing a learning environment and lesson plans which include opportunities for; multiple means of engagement: multiple means of representation and multiple means of representation and the consideration of appropriate assistive technology and accommodations. Equal access is extended to all students under UDL to include the following populations; students with disabilities, English language learners (ELL) and low-achieving students. The use of UDL principles is proposed to facilitate and assure equal access to the learning environment, technology and materials in the general education classroom and to the CCSS in all areas. In 2011, the State passed comprehensive education reform that resulted in significant changes to Idaho Code. This included changes related to public school funding, labor relations, and the structure of Idaho classrooms. A major goal of the education reform laws, known as Students Come First, was to increase the integration of technology in every Idaho classroom over the next five years to ensure that every student has equal access to educational opportunities, no matter where they live or how they learn. Through this technology, teachers can use new tools such as text-to-speech capabilities and magnification to benefit students with special needs. The ISDE will ensure that all schools have access to and can utilize UDL through a Statewide instructional management system, known as Schoolnet. Schoolnet is a web based platform now available to all classroom teachers and administrators at the building and district levels. Through Schoolnet, a teacher or administrator can access the Common Core State standards and lesson plans aligned to the standards and which are UDL-compliant. In partnership with Boise State, ISDE will create short, web-based interactive tutorials demonstrating best practices in classroom technology integration tied to the Common Core. The tutorials will emphasize Universal Design for Learning (UDL) to ensure teachers know how to individualize instruction and meet the needs of all students, including those who are English language learners, students with disabilities, or low-achieving students. All tutorials will be archived online for future use. 6

7 Additionally, ISDE has partnered with the University of Idaho s Center on Disabilities and Human Development to create the Idaho Assistive Technology Project (IATP). This project provides training and support Statewide concerning Universal Design for Learning (UDL) as it relates to lesson design and assistive technologies. The State Department of Education (SDE) is in the planning stages of recruiting and training a cadre of peer coaches who will act as trainers and reviewers of lesson plans submitted online into the statewide learning management system Schoolnet. This cadre will be trained in the principals of Universal Design for Learning as well as the Charlotte Danielson Framework to act as a local resource at the district level. In addition to the peer coach model the SDE plans to implement a series of live professional development opportunities over the course of the next year which will incorporate these principles. Archived professional development will be made available on demand. 10. Illinois (waiver not approved yet) UDL The Illinois State Department of Education (ISBE) will continue to analyze learning and accommodation factors as a means of providing high-quality professional development in areas such as co-teaching, differentiated instruction, instructional accommodations that allow students to learn within the framework of the new State Standards, Universal Design for Learning principles, assistive technology, special education in terms of connections to the new State Standards, and secondary transition correlated to the new State Standards to assist Students with Disabilities (SWDs) in accessing the college-and career-ready standards. ISBE is partnering with the Illinois Statewide technical Assistance Center (ISTAC) to continue to analyze learning and accommodation factors as a means of providing high quality professional development in areas such as co-teaching, differentiated instruction, Universal Design for Learning principles, special education in terms of connections to the Common Core State Standards, and secondary transition correlated to the Common Core State Standards to assist SWDs in accessing college- and career-ready content. 11. Iowa (waiver not approved yet) UDL Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is a validated practice for providing all students with multiple means of representation, expression, and engagement. The Center for Applied Special Technology (CAST) is recognized as the national leader in promoting and supporting UDL. Iowa has engaged in consultation with CAST for at least the last 10 years. Most recently, Iowa contracted with CAST to train Area Education Agency (AEA) managers and leaders on UDL. Prior to that, Iowa contracted with CAST to train the Assistive Technology Team leaders in the state on UDL. Principles of UDL have also been incorporated into the characteristics of effective instruction of the Iowa Core: teaching for understanding, teaching for learner differences, rigor and relevance, student-centered classrooms, and assessment for learning. The Iowa Core Content Leaders and the Response to Intervention workgroups all have members trained in UDL, who know that incorporating UDL principles into their respective work is efficient and effective. If these teams need additional support around UDL, a new contract with CAST will be implemented. Also a cadre of AEAs is piloting training in UDL in three regions of Iowa in order to actively work together to construct knowledge about teaching and learning using the principles of UDL, which are embedded in the characteristics of effective instruction of the Iowa Core Curriculum. Their work can be used to inform generalization of UDL practices at the classroom level. The cadre supports a systemic approach to develop collective responsibility for all students through intensive professional development, coaching and collaboration with our district partners in the context of their communities. 7

8 Three AEAs are entering into a collaborative relationship for the purpose of promoting and establishing a high level of implementation of the UDL framework in their local schools. This collaborative effort will allow combining resources in effective and efficient ways to promote a common, clearly defined vision; focus efforts in coordinated ways, and develop clear definitions, guidelines, and criteria for strategic planning, implementation and monitoring efforts. The collaborative planning approach will also allow for efficient development and sharing of instructional planning tools, templates, and models, and will provide a vehicle for communication and support. By scaling up the implementation of UDL across the three AEAs, all educators will have the strategies, tools, and instructional materials they need to effectively address the diverse learners in their classrooms thereby increasing learning outcomes. The AEAs have a three-year plan to support one urban, one medium, and one small sized district, which integrate UDL into everyday practice of schools. After year three, a plan for further scale-up to more schools within those three AEAs, and the other six AEAs, will be implemented. 12. Kansas UDL and UDA Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium (SBAC) assessment will be an adapted online assessment that contains a variety of accessibility options to benefit all students including students with disabilities and will be available in the school year SBAC is using Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and accessibility features such as audio readaloud, text magnification and highlighting. Dynamic Learning Maps (DLM) is a comprehensive assessment system grounded in research evidence and emerging theory about assessments for students with significant cognitive disabilities. It breaks new ground in universal design for assessment, learning map development, instructionally embedded assessment, and technology-based, instructionally relevant item types. The project website, dynamiclearningmaps.org, provides more information. 13. Kentucky UDL Specific strategies the Kentucky Department of Education (KDE) has implemented over the past year through professional development specifically targeting educators who work with students with disabilities, English Language Learners and other students considered at-risk. Strategies include: incorporating Universal Design for Learning practices 14. Louisiana UDL The agency also provides funding to eight regional centers to offer support and training in the area of technology for students with disabilities, students on 504 plans, and Universal Design for Learning. Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC) is supporting this transition with a focus on wide accessibility. Specifically, PARCC has engaged in the following strategies: Made a commitment to Universal Design to guide the assessment development 15. Maryland UDL The new Maryland Common Core State Standards (CCSS) Curriculum Framework emphasizes the incorporation of Universal Design of Learning (UDL) principles. As described more fully below, Maryland plans to take essential steps over the next several years to make these standards accessible to all Maryland teachers and students with a specific focus for students with disabilities and English Language Learners (ELLs) by incorporating Universal Design Learning (UDL) principles throughout the standards. Supporting Principals 8

9 During the 2011 Educator Effectiveness Academies, principals attended sessions on the Common Core State Standards with their English Language Arts, Mathematics, and STEM teachers. They worked with their school teams to develop the transition plans for implementation of the new standards for the school year. All principals from all school teams attended these academies, which is a total of 1,490 schools. Online follow-up sessions were provided in the fall and spring. The topics of these sessions included transition issues and integrating Universal Design for Learning Principles into daily instruction. Online and face-to-face opportunities for professional development, available from Institutions of Higher Learning (IHEs), Local Education Agencies (LEAs), and Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE), which have been reviewed for quality, will be posted in the Online Instructional Toolkit. As described more below, tools are also being designed using UDL principles and guidelines to assist in differentiation for teachers of students with disabilities (SWD), ELL and other diverse learners. In addition, MSDE staff from the Division of Special Education and Early Intervention Services and the Division of Instruction are currently drafting proposed regulations for the Code of Maryland Regulations (COMAR) for the use of UDL principles and guidelines in the development of curriculum instruction and assessment for all learners. Finally, MSDE s Division of Instruction is working with Local Education Agencies (LEAs) to create model units for each subject at every grade level and are using UDL guidelines and principles within these modules. The curriculum resources include intervention and enrichment modules, online courses, and multi-media resources to accelerate student learning opportunities. The model units and lessons will include resources for enrichment and acceleration/intervention. As curriculum resources are developed, specialists who work with students with disabilities and English Language Learners participate in the development of the resources. All curriculum resources incorporate Universal Design for Learning principles (discussed more below). and are reviewed by educators with an expertise in Special Education and ESOL. Intervention and enrichment modules will be available to students on a learning management system that has 24 hour access. Maryland is developing curriculum resources, including model units and lessons that are aligned to the Common Core State Standards. These resources are being developed by teams of Maryland educators from across the state. In addition to identifying specific components to be included in these models, educators are developing the resources based on the guidelines and principles of Universal Design for Learning to ensure that all children have access to the tools and resources needed to master the Common Core State Standards. Please see Appendix 1.B.13 for a description of the State UDL Resources and a flier that contains valuable information about tools that have been developed to help teachers teach all students. These tools include an online version of an interactive Universal Design for Learning (UDL) resource wheel and links to the two websites where educators can download free apps for their smart-phones. Both tools foster incorporating UDL into instructional practice at every grade level from pre-school through graduation. Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC), the consortium developing the assessments for Maryland and 23 other states, has stated that test items will adhere to Universal Design principles as well. PARCC is committed to providing all students with equitable access to high-quality, 21st-century PARCC assessments. For the assessment system as a whole, PARCC will consider how its assessments will be accessible to all participating students, including English Language Learners (ELLs) and students with disabilities (SWDs), and then include appropriate accommodations (as defined in the Notice for Inviting Applications) for SWD and ELLs. Accessible assessments will allow all individuals taking the assessments to participate and engage in a meaningful and appropriate manner, with the goal being to ensure that results are valid for each and every student. Through a combination of Universal Design principles and computer embedded supports, PARCC intends to design an assessment system that is inclusive by considering accessibility from the beginning of initial design through item development, field testing, and implementation, rather than trying to retrofit the assessments for SWD and ELLs. Paperand pencil assessments that have been designed without the benefit of Universal Design have focused primarily on 9

10 promoting accessibility after-the-fact resulting in the need to provide many more accommodations and a consequent need for increased test administration resources at the school level. Additionally, as the number of accommodations increases, so does the possibility of implementation infidelity. While external accommodations may be needed for some students to demonstrate what they know and can do, embedded support accessibility options and procedures need to be addressed during design and item development to minimize the need for accommodations during testing. Embedded accessibility supports at the item level, that do not shift the construct being measured, become a feature of the assessment for potential use by all children. PARCC s Accessibility, Accommodations, and Fairness Operational and Technical Working Groups are guided by the following key principles: 1) Minimize/eliminate features of the assessment that are irrelevant to what is being measured and that measure the full range of complexity of the standards so that students can more accurately demonstrate their knowledge and skills; 2) Design each component of the assessment in a manner that allows ELLs and students with disabilities to demonstrate what they know and can do; 3) Use Universal Design for accessible assessments throughout every stage and component of the assessment, including items/tasks, stimuli, passages, performance tasks, graphics and performance-based tasks; and 4) Use technology for rendering all assessment components in as accessible a manner as possible. These guiding principles demonstrate PARCC s deep commitment to developing assessments that reach the broadest range of students while maintaining comparability and measurement accuracy. Maryland s new Curriculum Management System will include extensive curriculum resources for educators and students. Universal Design for Learning Principles are imbedded in curriculum resources, including model units, model lessons, intervention modules, enrichment modules, and multi-media resources. These resources are reviewed by educators with an expertise in Special Education and ESOL. Intervention and enrichment modules will be available to students on a learning management system that has 24 hour access. The Maryland Learning Links (MLL) contains multiple channels and among them are the Teaching All Students, Professional Practice, and Leadership channels. The Teaching All Students channel contains multiple methods of presenting information about research-based practices such as Universal Design for Learning and Differentiated Instruction. Instructional Programs: Provide interventions for acceleration and enrichment opportunities to students in schools that will implement an intervention model at the start of the school year through programs with evidence of raising achievement; use Universal Design for Learning (UDL) tenets to identify and purchase instructional materials that are research-based, aligned with State academic standards, and have data-based evidence of raising student achievement; or compensate staff for universally designed instructional planning, such as examining student data, developing a curriculum that is aligned to State standards and aligned vertically from one grade level to another, collaborating within and across disciplines, and devising UDL student assessments. Professional Development and Support: Train staff, including special educators and ELL specialists on the implementation of new or revised universally designed instructional programs and policies that are aligned with the school s comprehensive instructional plan and the school s intervention model. Preparation for Accountability Measures: Develop and pilot a data system for use in Priority schools; analyze data on leading baseline indicators; or develop and adopt universally designed interim assessments for use in Priority schools. 10

11 State Education Agency (SEA) support for the development of the teacher and principal Professional Growth Plan (PGP) will be twofold. The major responsibility will be (a) to provide ongoing opportunities for professional growth in both online and face-to-face experiences; and (b) periodic reviews and discussions that are focused on classroom and school application of skills and content that constituted the learning experiences. With the advent of a new universally designed Maryland curriculum in all disciplines, support for teachers to learn, teach, and assess these new curricula will be a major outcome of the growth experiences. For principals, ongoing observation and effective feedback in the context of a new State curriculum will be a major focus, thus, placing teachers and principals on a parallel track for improvement and school reform. 11

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13 Under the direction of the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE), the Restructuring Implementation Technical Assistance (RITA) Initiative was developed in January This initiative is part of MSDE s Statewide System of Support for schools in improvement. One indicator that is measured for these schools is: The school district provides the school s instructional staff with well organized, user friendly curriculum documents with necessary resources to teach the district curriculum with fidelity and compliant with universal design principles. 16. Massachusetts UDL In the spring of 2011, Elementary and Secondary Education (ESE) launched a professional development initiative for approximately 300 educators on the design of model curriculum units and performance assessments based on the new standards. This project, which will continue through 2014, engages pre k to 12 teachers in designing curriculum and assessment materials based on the new standards, the principles of Universal Design for Learning, and the structures of Understanding by Design. Within a tiered system of support, the district and school has a balanced system of formative and benchmark assessments. The system is guided by is guided by: 1) Universal Design for Learning (UDL) principles (multiple means of representation, multiple means of action and expressions, and multiple means of engagement), 2) valid research, 3) the analysis of Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) results and other assessments and 4) input from professional staff. 17. Michigan UDL Other pedagogical practices focusing on Differentiated Instruction, Universal Design for Learning, and Co Teaching will be incorporated into the online learning supports for Priority school educators. School Reform Office will coordinate the development of support products and services from different offices within the Michigan Department of Education around a common theme of eliminating the achievement gap through instructional practices. These efforts will address general achievement gap considerations, such as narrowed instructional focus and differentiation of curriculum expectations, through interventions focusing on instructional practices that target these gaps, such as Universal Design for Learning (UDL), Instructional Differentiation, and policy practices including a focus on Beating the Odds schools. 18. Minnesota UDL Universal Design for Learning (UDL) principles and frameworks have been used to guide the development of both the 2007 mathematics state standards and the 2010 reading/language arts state standards. UDL principles provide for: Multiple and flexible methods of presentation to give students with diverse learning styles various ways of acquiring information and knowledge; Multiple and flexible means of expression and representation provide diverse students with alternatives for demonstrating what they have learned; Multiple and flexible means of engagement to tap into diverse learners interests, challenge them appropriately, and motivate them to learn. Addressing UDL principles in the development of standards creates more consistent access in instruction and assessment for students with disabilities and increases their opportunities to demonstrate what they know. Current versions of Minnesota academic standards were written to reduce barriers for special needs students in representation, expression and engagement. Acceptable demonstration of standards mastery is compatible with a variety of learning 13

14 styles and modes of receptive and expressive communication. The following examples illustrate UDL principles applied to the 2010 reading/language arts standards. Demonstrate understanding of text using vocabulary Produce and expand complete sentences in response to questions and prompts. Sort words into categories (e.g., colors, clothing). Some traditional standard language needed adjustments to apply UDL principles. The following are examples from reading/language arts: Original: Explain how the author of the text uses to structure information Alternate: Demonstrate an understanding Original: Speak audibly and clearly. Alternate: Communicate clearly Examples of Math Standards:-- Original: Use facts about angles to write and solve simple equations Alternate: Use facts about angles to develop and solve Original: Say the number word sequence to 100. Alternate: Demonstrate understanding of Standards Revision Lens for Students with Disabilities: Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) has developed a review process for standards revisions in which the Special Education Policy Division coordinates a review of the drafts to improve the accessibility of the standards for students with disabilities. This process was done for the 2007 Mathematics standards and the 2010 Common Core English Language Arts standards. Common themes across domain areas and previous revisions have helped improve the extent to which principles of Universal Design are incorporated into the standards. All special education teachers must be able to apply evidence-based methods, strategies, universal design for learning, and accommodations including assistive technologies to meet individual student needs and provide access to gradelevel content standards. (Minn. Rule , Subp. 2, C (1-3); District teams have been trained to support local implementation of UDL principles in instruction across environments and student groups to further make grade level content standards accessible to all students, including students with disabilities. 19. Mississippi UDL Through a combination of Universal Design for Learning principles and computer embedded supports, PARCC intends to design an assessment system that is inclusive for all participating students by considering accessibility from the beginning of initial design through item development, field testing, and implementation, rather than trying to retrofit the assessments for students with disabilities and English language learners. The Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC) working groups are guided by the following principles: 3. Use Universal Design for Learning for accessible assessments throughout every stage and component of the assessment, including items/tasks, stimuli, passages, performance tasks, graphics and performance-based tasks. PARCC Definitions: 14

15 Universal Design for Learning Principles: principles guiding the design environments, products, and communications in a way that is inherently accessible to all intended users. Universal Design for Assessment: refers to principles that support a flexible design approach for test items such that all participating students are able to demonstrate what they know and can do regardless of physical, sensory, behavioral, or cognitive impairment, and recognizing that no single model will meet all students needs. Accessible development includes consideration of questions such as: Does the item or task measure what it intends to measure? Does the item or task respect the diversity of the assessment population? Does the item or task material have a clear format for text? Does the item or task material have clear directions indicating what the student is supposed to do to answer the item or task? Does the item or task material provide enough information for the students to respond to the item or task? Does the item or task material have clear visuals (when essential to the item?) Does the item or task material have concise and readable text? Embedded Support: Any tool, support, scaffold, link, or preference that is built into the assessment system with the explicit expectation that the feature will help many diverse students. Embedded supports will be readily available onscreen, stored in a tool palette, or accessible through a menu or control panel as needed. To the extent possible, supports will be consistent through subtests. When an embedded support is made available to all users, it is considered a function of Universal Design. When a support is made available to only a subset of users based on their learner profile, it is considered an accessibility feature. 20. Missouri UDL Missouri has adopted the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) Framework in thinking through its model curriculum components. This means that teachers will be expected to plan for variability in students and include differentiation in planning. The curriculum is intended to build upon the idea that students need varied pathways, tools, strategies and scaffolds for reaching mastery. UDL curricula facilitate differentiation of methods, based on learner variability in the context of the task; learner s social/emotional resources; and the classroom climate. To facilitate core academic teachers consideration of the needs of special populations, and especially the needs of dual language learners and students with disabilities, and to support those teachers planning of instruction, the curriculum has embedded information specific to instructional differentiation in every unit. For example, a third grade unit in mathematics has a link to the Department s UDL summary page, which describes each population and the need for differentiated instruction. The teacher chooses the population English Language Learner (ELL) or Students with Disabilities (SWD), clicks on the link in that section, and is then given an array of resources and strategies specific to that particular sub-group at that grade level in that content area. The draft of this page with links may be found at The curriculum is almost finished, but the appropriate resources to link to each content unit are still being organized. However, this should illustrate how we plan to emphasize that differentiation in a variety of ways is needed to ensure that all students have access to the standards in appropriate venues. Curriculum writers have explored and continue to explore various media to provide increased variability and flexibility. The UDL website has provided an array of information for professional development, as well as resources that are embedded into the curriculum so that teachers have just-in-time supports. To ensure that this information is at the forefront of teachers consideration as they design instruction, a blurb is provided on the first page of each Model Curriculum Unit to lead teachers to resources for students needing additional support: Teachers can then select links for additional information for students with disabilities, students learning English, and even gifted students: 15

16 Detailed information on strategies for each of these groups may be found at the following links, which also provide additional resources as needed: Students with Disabilities: English Language Learners: Modules for the five-day trainings on access to core academic standards include power points, collaborative activities for participants, resources, and opportunities for participants to examine model lessons as they analyze standards. Each module has a focus on implementation of the standards, but development of that standard relies on sound instructional strategies, and Universal Design for Learning will be used as the primary resource for strategies that have been shown to be effective for students in these traditionally underachieving subgroups. 21. Nevada UDL and UD Over the next three years, Nevada Local Education Agencies (LEAs) will receive support for educational reform through the Nevada Striving Readers initiative that will align directly to the Nevada State Literacy Program (NSLP) and will include: Curricula and instruction materials (including those which incorporate technology and early language development) that (a) align to Common Core State Standards (CCSS) and Nevada Pre-K Standards, (b) adhere to principles of effective instruction and (c) incorporate technology with universal design. Of particular importance in this regard is support to assist teachers and administrators in helping to reach students with disabilities and students who are English Language Learners. Resources have been set aside from Title III and from IDEA to support professional development for relevant personnel on how to analyze achievement data for these student populations, and on sheltered instructional practices to encourage appropriate teaching approaches. Also addressed through the use of IDEA dollars is the sustainability of the Instructional Consultation Teams Model as described in detail in Principle 2 of this application, along with deepening districts implementation of co-teaching models, also described in Principle 2. Related to these efforts will be an explicit effort to focus on ensuring that the curriculum is accessible through the principles of universal design for learning (UDL) and differentiated instruction, and that assessments are accessible and well-designed to accurately measure student knowledge. 22. New Jersey UDL The New Jersey Department of Education (NJDOE) is prepared to engage state and national experts in the development or adoption of a model curriculum, aligned with CCSS and Universal Design for Learning ( UDL: precisely-defined constructs, accessible non-biased items, simple clear instructions, maximum readability and legibility), that all New Jersey districts can use to guide their implementation of the standards in order to prepare all students for college and career. This first version of the model curriculum aligned to both Common Core State Standards (CCSS) and UDL developed for implementation during the school year will include five six-week units including CCSS- and UDL-aligned student learning objectives (SLOs), recommendations for scaffolding SLOs to meet the needs of Students With Disabilities (SWDs), English Language Learners (ELLs) and/or low-achieving students, as well as end-of-unit assessments aligned to UDL principles and designed to separately assess each unit SLO in order to better inform the improvement and differentiation of instruction. The NJDOE will seek out national experts and possible partnerships across States to assist in the adoption or development of a CCSS- and UDL-aligned model curriculum while forming a state-wide coalition of curriculum, special education, and ELL experts, including members of the State s institutions of higher education, to guide and inform the 16