4 Step Process Accessing the General Curriculum for Students with Significant Cognitive Disabilities

1. 4 Step Process Accessing the General Curriculum for Students with Significant Cognitive Disabilities • July 2010

2. To help with the unlimited possibilities - 4 Step Process • Identify the standard(s) that the unit addresses • Define the outcomes(s) of instruction • Identify the instructional activities • Target specific objectives from the IEP [Clayton, J., Burdge, M., Denham, A., Kleinert, H., & Kearns, J. (2006). A four-step process for accessing the general curriculum for students with significant cognitive disabilities. Teaching Exceptional Children, 38(5). 20-27] Jean Clayton and Michael Burdge, Keystone Alternate Assessment

3. Jean Clayton and Michael Burdge, Keystone Alternate Assessment

4. Important features • Plan for accessible instructional unit • Start and stick with general education standards, outcomes, and activities • Focus on both participation and learning • Provide access while learning together whenever possible • Embed IEP instruction into academic instruction Jean Clayton and Michael Burdge, Keystone Alternate Assessment

5. An Instructional Unit Plan • Addresses one or more grade level standards or benchmarks; • Is a series of lessons spread across multiple days that center around a common theme or topic; • States what students should learn from the instruction; • Includes formative assessments; and • Describes instructional activities that will be used to help the learner reach the targeted learning. Jean Clayton and Michael Burdge, Keystone Alternate Assessment

6. Identify standard(s) that the unit addresses. State/District Standard Grade Level Standard(s) Determine what the standard is about The Big Idea - Wiggins and McTighe The Enduring Understanding - Wiggins and McTighe Deconstruct the Standards - Stiggins Jean Clayton and Michael Burdge, Keystone Alternate Assessment

7. The Big Idea • Goes beyond discrete facts • Focuses on large concepts, principles, or processes • Built by exploring “Enduring Understandings” and “Essential Questions” • Why is this topic worth studying? • How does it have meaning outside of the classroom? Jean Clayton and Michael Burdge, Keystone Alternate Assessment

8. Deconstruct the Standards • What are the building blocks that lead to student success? • The skills, ideas, concepts, and knowledge that students need to know and do Jean Clayton and Michael Burdge, Keystone Alternate Assessment

9. Why Unpack the Standards Jean Clayton and Michael Burdge, Keystone Alternate Assessment • To identify what students need to know and be able to do in order to show mastery of the standards and guide assessment OF the student. This guides state assessment (summative).

10. Why Unpack the Standards? To identify what students need to know and be able to do in order to guide instruction and assessment FOR the student. This guides daily instruction and formative assessment. Jean Clayton and Michael Burdge, Keystone Alternate Assessment

11. Why Unpack the Standards? • We need to prioritize curriculum for our students • Unpacking the standards allows us to focus on central ideas that can be generalized • Breaking standards into observable building blocks allows for targeted instruction Jean Clayton and Michael Burdge, Keystone Alternate Assessment

12. Identify the Focus of the Standard • What do students need to know? • Nouns • What do students need to do? • Verbs • To what degree do students need to perform it? •  Verbs (e.g., Bloom’s Level, DOK) Jean Clayton and Michael Burdge, Keystone Alternate Assessment

13. Students identify and analyze the elements of setting, characterization, plot, and the resolution of the conflict of a story or play: - internal/external conflicts - character conflicts, characters vs. nature, characters vs. society - antagonist/protagonist. Nouns (know) Verbs (do) • Elements of setting • Elements of characterization • Elements of plot • Resolution of conflict of a story or play • Identify • Analyze Jean Clayton and Michael Burdge, Keystone Alternate Assessment

14. To What Degree Do Students Need to Perform? Use Bloom’s Taxonomy to determine what level of complexity is required at the general education level. For Best Results: Work with General Educators or Content Specialists! Jean Clayton and Michael Burdge, Keystone Alternate Assessment

15. Activity Look at the next two standards and decide what students need to know and do. What do students need to know? Nouns (circle) What do students need to do? Verbs (underline) To what degree do students need to perform it? Verbs (e.g., Bloom’s Level, DOK) Jean Clayton and Michael Burdge, Keystone Alternate Assessment

16. Standards Mathematics represent, analyze, and generalize a variety of patterns with tables, graphs, words, and, when possible, symbolic rules Jean Clayton and Michael Burdge, Keystone Alternate Assessment

17. “I can” statements (another way to think about it) • I can represent patterns with tables • I can represent patterns with graphs • I can represent patterns with words • I can represent patterns with symbolic rules • I can analyze patterns with tables • I can analyze patterns with graphs • I can analyze patterns with words • Etc. Jean Clayton and Michael Burdge, Keystone Alternate Assessment

18. Standards • Reading • Interpret the character's traits, emotions, or motivations, and provide supporting evidence from a text. Jean Clayton and Michael Burdge, Keystone Alternate Assessment

19. “I can” statements • I can interpret the character’s traits • I can interpret the characters emotions • I can interpret the character’s motivation • I can interpret the character’s traits and provide supporting evidence • I can interpret the character’s emotions and provide supporting evidence • I can interpret the character’s motivation and provide supporting evidence Jean Clayton and Michael Burdge, Keystone Alternate Assessment

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21. Your Turn – 15 minutes • Discuss the selected standard(s) and decide what the Big Idea or Enduring Understanding would be. • Discuss what all students are expected to understand according to the selected standard/benchmark/ performance indicator. • The discussion should be on the selected standard and the general education curriculum to ensure a common understanding. We will talk about the student with disabilities later (we promise). • Complete the What Student Needs to Know and Do section of the DOK chart. Jean Clayton and Michael Burdge, Keystone Alternate Assessment

22. 2. Define the outcome(s) of instruction for the unit. • Learning outcomes indicate what students should be able to: • Know • Understand • Do • Learning outcomes should be written with observable and active terms Jean Clayton and Michael Burdge, Keystone Alternate Assessment

23. Prioritizing outcomes for the student with disabilities • It is important to begin with learning outcomes developed for the general education lesson plan. This will facilitate: • Closer connection to the standard • Rich instructional activities • Prioritization of outcomes should not result in exclusion from all instruction. It should focus the learning process. Jean Clayton and Michael Burdge, Keystone Alternate Assessment

24. Ways to prioritize outcomes • Reduce the breadth • Reduce the complexity • Specify the information • Reduce the number of outcomes Jean Clayton and Michael Burdge, Keystone Alternate Assessment

25. Reducing breadth of outcome • Grade level standard: The student will identify and explain the use of literary elements (e.g., characterization, setting, plot, theme, point of view) in a passage • General education learning outcome: Students will identify and explain characterization, setting, plot, and theme in “Because of Winn Dixie” • Reduced breadth learning outcomes: • Identify and explain characterization… • Identify and explain setting in… • Identify and explain plot… • Identify and explain theme… Jean Clayton and Michael Burdge, Keystone Alternate Assessment

26. Reducing complexity of outcome • Grade level standard: The student will identify and explain the use of literary elements (e.g., characterization, setting, plot, theme, point of view) in a passage • General education learning outcome: Students will identify and explain characterization, setting, plot, and theme in “Because of Winn Dixie” • Reduced complexity outcome: • Identify the characterization… • Identify the setting… • Etc. Jean Clayton and Michael Burdge, Keystone Alternate Assessment

27. Specifying the information • Grade level standard: The student will identify or explain the use of literary elements (e.g., characterization, setting, plot, theme, point of view) in a passage • General education learning outcome: Students will identify and explain characterization, setting, plot, and theme in “Because of Winn Dixie” • Specified information outcome: • Identify and explain characteristics of two characters … • Identify and describe the plot … Jean Clayton and Michael Burdge, Keystone Alternate Assessment

28. Reducing the amount of outcomes • General education grade level standard: Describe location and movement using common language and geometric vocabulary • General education outcomes: • Identify congruent 2-D shapes • Determine the area and perimeter of 2-D shapes • Create a drawing by flipping, sliding, and turning shapes • Reduced number of outcome: • Create a drawing by flipping, sliding, and turning shapes Jean Clayton and Michael Burdge, Keystone Alternate Assessment

29. Decision questions • What does the student already know? • What supports are already in place for the student? • What will be most applicable to the student? • What would generalize to other areas? • What are IEP goals and objectives? • What are assessment expectations? Jean Clayton and Michael Burdge, Keystone Alternate Assessment

30. Non - example • General education grade level standard: Describe location and movement using common language and geometric vocabulary • General education outcomes: • Identify congruent 2-D shapes • Determine the area and perimeter of 2-D shapes • Create a drawing by flipping, sliding, and turning shapes • Target student outcome: • Put 2-D shapes in a container Jean Clayton and Michael Burdge, Keystone Alternate Assessment

31. Back to the standard • Once the prioritized outcome(s) is selected, it is important to go back to the standard Jean Clayton and Michael Burdge, Keystone Alternate Assessment

32. Four Step Chart Jean Clayton and Michael Burdge, Keystone Alternate Assessment

33. Formative assessments Jean Clayton and Michael Burdge, Keystone Alternate Assessment • A test given primarily to determine what students have learned in order to plan further instruction. ASCD Lexicon for Learning www.ascd.org • Use formative assessment results to make informed instructional decisions: • Adjust instructions if needed • Add more time or move to next activity • Add practice if needed • Revise supports provided

34. Formative assessments Jean Clayton and Michael Burdge, Keystone Alternate Assessment Formative assessments take on many forms: • Student or teacher journals • Cards on which student respond to a question • Conversation • Graphic organizer • Quiz • Presentation • Book report • Project • Etc.

35. Individualized formative assessment Jean Clayton and Michael Burdge, Keystone Alternate Assessment • Review the assessment planned for the general education students • Ensure that the formative assessment designed for the student with significant cognitive disabilities: • Is accessible for the student (physical, cognitive, etc.) • Matches the prioritized outcome • Informs student achievement

36. Four Step Chart Jean Clayton and Michael Burdge, Keystone Alternate Assessment

37. Your turn! (15 minutes) • Discuss the outcomes that have already been determined for all general education students. • Determine prioritize outcomes for the student. • Discuss the formative assessment(s) for all general education students. • Determine if any changes are needed for the student. • Complete the DOK sections of the DOK chart: • Briefly describe objectives at various DOK levels • List possible formative assessments at various DOK levels Jean Clayton and Michael Burdge, Keystone Alternate Assessment

38. Step 3: Identify the instructional activities that move students towards achievement of the standard. Jean Clayton and Michael Burdge, Keystone Alternate Assessment • What are the instructional activities planned for all students? • What barriers are keeping the target student from accessing instruction, participating in activities, demonstrating learning, etc.? • What supports will reduce identified barriers? • How will the supports assist the student in accessing instruction, participating in activities, and demonstrating learning?

39. Analyzing the activity Jean Clayton and Michael Burdge, Keystone Alternate Assessment • What learning are all students supposed to access in this activity? • What behaviors or skills are all students doing when participating in this instructional activity and materials (e.g., discussing, reading, writing)? 39

40. General education activity 1 • The class will discuss what they already know about Washington Irving’s “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow,” which may be familiar to them from the film adaptation by Tim Burton or the animated version by Walt Disney and then read the story. Compare Irving’s short story with the movies or folklore. Example discussions: • The proportion of humor and terror in Irving’s telling. • How much is the Headless Horseman shown. • The underlying dynamics of the plot. Jean Clayton and Michael Burdge, Keystone Alternate Assessment 40

41. Accessing instruction within the context of what all students are learning Jean Clayton and Michael Burdge, Keystone Alternate Assessment Can the target student comprehend information shared during instruction using the materials provided? Can the student interact with materials, communicate, and demonstrate knowledge? Will the student be interested in the activity and remain engaged long enough to learn? 41

42. General education activity 1 Jean Clayton and Michael Burdge, Keystone Alternate Assessment What barriers might exist for Maria? 42

43. General education activity 1 Jean Clayton and Michael Burdge, Keystone Alternate Assessment What supports could be used to remove barriers for Maria? 43

44. Back to the standard Jean Clayton and Michael Burdge, Keystone Alternate Assessment Once the activities are selected it is important to go back to the standard. 44

45. General activity 2 • Print out the story and have students underline unfamiliar words (e.g., cove, implore, inveterate). In small groups students will: • Determine definitions using context clues and dictionaries. • Rewrite an assigned section of the story in a more simpler direct manner as stories are written today. Jean Clayton and Michael Burdge, Keystone Alternate Assessment

46. General education activity 2 Jean Clayton and Michael Burdge, Keystone Alternate Assessment What barriers might exist for Maria?

47. General education activity 2 Jean Clayton and Michael Burdge, Keystone Alternate Assessment What supports could be used to remove barriers for Maria?

48. Non-example Jean Clayton and Michael Burdge, Keystone Alternate Assessment What supports could be used to remove barriers for Maria?

49. Back to the standard Jean Clayton and Michael Burdge, Keystone Alternate Assessment Once the activities are selected it is important to go back to the standard. 49

50. Jean Clayton and Michael Burdge, Keystone Alternate Assessment