Accommodations & Modifications

1. Accommodations& Modifications Elizabeth (Beth) Stark March 8, 2014 SPED 672

2. Accommodations • Supports and services provided to help a student access the general education curriculum and validly demonstrate learning • Examples: • Time: extend the time to take a test, finish assignments, learn new concepts, or complete activities • Setting: quiet rooms, rooms where distractions are minimized • Level of Support: peer, paraprofessional, or teacher • Assistive Technology (AT)- calculator, scribe, word processor • Sensory items • Visual schedules

3. Students receiving accommodations will… • NOT receive grade alterations • Can demonstrate that they learned the curriculum • Help maintain the least restrictive support

4. Accommodation Scenario 1 • My students are in grades 10-12 in a general education setting. They are learning about World War II in their history class. One student has ADHD and reads at a second grade level. I am having them complete mini reports on the leaders. They must find information, write, and draw pictures. • What accommodations can be made to support this student? • Use AT such as a word processor or scribe • Allow more time to complete the project • Have them work with a peer • Have the students work on the project in a quiet space

5. Accommodation Scenario 2 • The students are in the sixth grade in a general education setting. The students are expected to write compare and contrast essays, on their favorite holidays. The students are required to use a Venn diagram to form their ideas, use the information to write four paragraphs, and type it using correct formatting. Bob has Cerebral palsy and reads/writes at a third grade level. • What accommodations can be made to support this student? • Use AT such as a word processor or text-to-speech • Allow more time to complete the topic • Have the teacher give additional supports (outlines, graphs, word lists, sentence starters)

6. Modifications • Changes made to the content and performance expectations for individual students • Examples: • Quantity: Change the number or items the child is expected to learn/complete • Output: How a student responds to instruction • multiple choice questions v. essay • Open-ended questions v. yes/no options • Alternate Goals: Use GE curriculum and adapt the goal or outcome expectation

7. Students receiving modifications will… • See their grades affected • Have materials altered by their teacher • Have more specific outcomes for education

8. Modification Scenario 1 • My students are in grades 10-12 in a general education setting. They are learning about World War II in their history class. One student has ADHD and reads at a second grade level. I am having them complete mini reports on the leaders. They must find information, write, and draw pictures. • What modifications can be made to support this student? • Materials • Rewrite textbook passages, sections, or chapters • Highlight important sentences or paragraphs • Use a simplified textbook • Outcome • Student writes fragments using AT • Print picture from internet • 5 instead of 10 questions to answer

9. Modification Scenario 2 • The students are in the sixth grade in a general education setting. The students are expected to write compare and contrast essays, on their favorite holidays. The students are required to use a Venn diagram to form their ideas, use the information to write four paragraphs, and type it using correct formatting. Bob has Cerebral palsy and reads/writes at a third grade level. • What modifications can be made to support this student? • Materials • Rewrite textbook passages, sections, or chapters • Highlight important sentences or paragraphs • Use a simplified textbook • Outcome • Write one paragraph • Venn diagram brainstorm using speech to text

13. 9 Types of Curriculum Adaptations-- Diana Browning Wright

14. Misconceptions about LD • “If the student just tried harder he could do the work.” • A students effort can’t make him understand a concept or complete an activity • Use modifications and accommodations to make content more accessible. • “General Education is not the place for this student. He is just not reading at the level of the other student.” • Use modifications and accommodations to make content more accessible. • Students may be able to understand the content with supports • Students must receive their LRE by law

15. Noncompliance What if there is noncompliance? • If the report includes corrective actions, the CDE may require the school district or public agency to: • Convene a new IEP meeting • Conduct further assessments • Submit plans outlining proposals to correct violations and prevent future ones • Initiate personnel training in the areas of violations • Provide compensatory education or reimbursement • Review and revise procedures and practices • Participate in monitoring and reporting activities

16. Consequences of Noncompliance • What does noncompliance with Section 504 mean? A school district is out of compliance when it is violating any provision of the Section 504 statute or regulations. • What sanctions can OCR impose on a school district that is out of compliance? OCR initially attempts to bring the school district into voluntary compliance through negotiation of a corrective action agreement. If OCR is unable to achieve voluntary compliance, OCR will initiate enforcement action. OCR may: (1) initiate administrative proceedings to terminate Department of Education financial assistance to the recipient; or (2) refer the case to the Department of Justice for judicial proceedings * Office of Civil Rights (OCR), Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS)

17. Consequences of Noncompliance Continued • Who has ultimate authority to enforce Section 504? In the educational context, OCR has been given administrative authority to enforce Section 504. Section 504 is a Federal statute that may be enforced through the Department's administrative process or through the Federal court system. In addition, a person may at any time file a private lawsuit against a school district.  The Section 504 regulations do not contain a requirement that a person file a complaint with OCR and exhaust his or her administrative remedies before filing a private lawsuit.

18. 10 Keys to Successful Co-TeachingBoth teachers… • Teach. • Are in the room. • Names are on the class list. • Attend Open House. • Volunteered. • Have equal status. • Invest time in the process. • Are flexible • Commit to planning collaboratively. • Focus on the positive.

19. Collaboration: Advantages for ALL students • More time spent working cooperatively, learning content, and understanding students with different abilities. • Strong emphasis on learning skills, organizational responsibility and preparedness. • Diverse learning techniques and teaching techniques available. • More contact time with teachers for school and personal issues. • Unique learning need met to the greatest extent possible. • Improved self-esteem. • Opportunities for leadership and growth within the least restrictive environment. • Less fear of failure due to successful experiences. • Enhanced sense or responsibility. • Better/more meaningful grades.

20. Collaboration: Advantages for the General Educator • Learning opportunities to reach ALL students. • More time to focus on content and less on individual problems. • With help of a special educator, meet the needs of individual student learning styles. • More time to learn, share, and use learning strategies. • 2 times the opportunity to assist students. • Background info on special education students is provided. • Assistance for ALL students. • Support for students who need organizational strategies. • Peer pressure for appropriate behavior, which decreases negative behavior. • Professional growth.

21. Collaboration:Advantages for the Education Specialist • Time effective • Teach with a content area expert and learn GE classroom expectations. • Spend more time and energy in assisting students to develop motivation, effort, and responsibility for their own learning. • Have more opportunities to use learning strategies within content areas. • “Reality check” for student goals in a GE setting. • Partnership with a colleague in support of student IEP goals. • Reward of witnessing students’ success. • Improved student behavior. • Mutual learning and appreciation for each other’s expertise. • Professional growth.

22. Collaboration Implementation: Phase 1

23. Collaboration Implementation: Phase 2

24. Collaboration Implementation: Phase 3

25. References • Barrier, H. & Dover, W. (1994). Implementing a Collaborative Teaching Model. The Inclusion Facilitator. The Master Teacher, Inc. • Browning, D. (2005) . Nine Types of Curriculum Adaptations. Teaching & Learning 2005. • California Department of Education. Complaint Process: The special education complaint process with ffederal and state law resource links. Retrieved from http://www.cde.ca.gov/sp/se/qa/cmplntproc.asp. • Paula K. Rewriting History, and Nine Other Ways to Adapt Textbooks. Retrieved from http://www.paulakluth.com. • Mike S. (2011,April 26). Accommodations Interventions Modifications Chart: Docstoc. Retrieved from http://www.docstoc.com/docs/77998054/Accommodations-Interventions-Modifications-chart. • Melissa F. (2011, December 15). Accommodations and Modifications in Special Education: Friendship circle. Retrieved from http://www.friendshipcircle.org/blog/2011/12/15/accommodations-and-modifications-in-special-education/. • U.S. Department of Education. OCR. Protecting Students with Disabilities: Frequently Asked Questions About Section 504 and the Education of Children with Disabilities. Retrieved from http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/504faq.html.