1 / 30

Aligning Education Laws to Effective Learning Frameworks

Aligning Education Laws to Effective Learning Frameworks. Kim Mendenhall, Ph.D. Policy & Frameworks of Support. Since early parental advocacy, policy has been moving in the direction of educational integration and justice for all.

lixue
Download Presentation

Aligning Education Laws to Effective Learning Frameworks

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript


  1. Aligning Education Laws to Effective Learning Frameworks Kim Mendenhall, Ph.D.

  2. Policy & Frameworks of Support • Since early parental advocacy, policy has been moving in the direction of educational integration and justice for all. • Frameworks that support learning & achievement align with policy tenets.

  3. 1965

  4. 1970s

  5. 1990s

  6. 2000s

  7. 2000s continued...

  8. MTSS/UDL

  9. Discussion

  10. Policy Foundations of IDEA 2004 • Raised the bar for assuring access to general education curriculum • MTSS as a framework for academic support and identification for services • Established the National Instructional Materials Accessibility Standard (NIMAS) – greater access to general curriculum through technology • “...shift from focus on access to a focus on learning” (Rose et al., 2009, p. 151) • sets precedence for further research and development in new technology for the benefit of all students • integrate technology with policy and practice • Prepare students for challenges present in a competitive and advancing world. (Gordan, 2009; Karger, 2009; Rose et al., 2009; OSEP, 2007)

  11. Policy Foundations of ESEA Reauthorized (NCLB) & Current • Driven by student performance • Push for greater educational outcomes • Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) – effective forthcoming reauthorization should be built on “the theme of IDEA” (CEC, 2010, pg. 1): • Focus on individual need • Better teachers • Ensure success and high levels of achievement (Forte, 2010; CEC, 2010)

  12. IDEA 2004 & ESEA • Both laws require • states to establish higher and measurable standards and goals for students with disabilities and non-disabled peers • Alignment of assessments with standards • Improvement of teacher leadership • Early intervention services (EIS) • Accountability for struggling readers • Both support goal of providing appropriate education for students with disabilities (D. Fuchs, Fuchs, & Stecker, 2010; Hardman, 2006; Lieberman & Walker, 2007)

  13. Alignment of IDEA 2004 & ESEA • Attend to diverse instructional and individual needs of students in the general curriculum • Greater focus on accountability, progress, and student outcomes • Need for greater alignment with special and general education • “Scientifically-based” research • Allocation of excess funds from IDEA-Part B for schoolwide programs and ESEA activities as determined by LEA • Unified indicators to determine progress towards goals (Hardman, 2006; Hehir, 2009: OSERS, 2007)

  14. Alignment of IDEA 2004 & ESEA cont... • Recommendations: • Find a balance with IDEA • Congress “recognize differing levels of progress toward accountability matched with appropriate supports” (CEC, 2010, p. 11) • Accommodations during instruction and assessment within a UDL framework based on individual need (CEC, 2010; Rose, Hall, & Murray, 2009)

  15. Vision of IDEA & ESEA • Address student needs in a more inclusionary way • Fair and equitable in meeting the needs of all students • Improve outcomes • High quality standards for teachers and learning • Greater opportunity for ALL to learn (including children with disabilities) • Greater collaboration between educators • MTSS and UDL as a joint system of support (CEC, 2010; Blanton et al., 2011; Basham et al., 2010;Strangman et al., 2009)

  16. Instructional Framework of MTSS • “...make general and special education a seamless system” (Division for Lerning Disabilities, 2007 p. 3) • Teacher practices = INTERVENTION • Progress within the intervention = RESPONSE • Provides early intervention and instructional supports for ALL students (Kalberg et al., 2010; Sailor, 2009; Stangman et al., 2009; VanDerHeyden & Burns, 2011)

  17. Benefits/Features of MTSS • Research-validated core curriculum • Framework of supportive tiered interventions • Universal screening and progress monitoring • Use of data for instructional decisions and monitoring progress • 3+ levels of support: • Tier 1 – universal/primary • Tier 2 – supplemental • Tier 3 – tertiary/intense

  18. Instructional Framework of UDL • Encourages flexible learning opportunities & student choice • Eliminate barriers: • Meeting goals • Utilizing materials • Conducting assessment • Provide research-validated options for ALL learners to • Acquire information • Become engaged • Express themselves (Basham et al., 2010; CAST, 2011; Jimenez et al., 2007; Rose & Gravel, 2009; Stangman et al., 2009

  19. Benefits/Features of UDL • Improvement in student productivity, performance, and behavior • More engagement and enthusiasm for learning • Greater focus on student need • More collaboration • Greater enthusiasm for teaching • Reduction in special education referrals • Improved test scores • Curricular enhancement through use of technology (Gordon 2009; Rose, 2009; Sopko, 2009)

  20. Bridging MTSS and UDL • Emphasis of both: • Effective instruction • Research-validated curriculum • Differentiating instruction • Assessment – inform instruction & intervention

  21. Bridging MTSS and UDL cont... • UDL ≈ MTSS • Encouraging flexibility • Research-validated instruction & curriculum • MTSS ≈ UDL • Screening students • Progress monitoring • Decision on course of action • Tiers of support (Stangman et al., 2009)

  22. Bridging MTSS and UDL cont... • Access to learning environments • MTSS = Tiers of support • UDL = modifying curriculum, accommodations • Researchers – effective decision making • Aligning UDL & MTSS • Focus on preventing difficulties • Differentiation • Instruction – engages & motivates (Basham, 2010; Hehir, 2009;Jimenez et al., 2007; Stangman et al., 2009)

  23. Bridging MTSS and UDL cont... • IDEA 2004 – UDL Assistive Technology Act • Rose (2009) • Appropriating educational funds – innovative technology: • Assistive technology • Digital curricula – digital representation displayed in a variety of ways more effectively than print • UDL framework for ALL students • Continuum of funding – advancing assistive & augmentative technology • Innovative technology – accessible for ALL students (Edyburn, 2010; Rose, 2009; Sopko, 2009)

  24. Bridging MTSS and UDL cont... • IDEA 2004 – NIMAS • Further development & alignment of curriculum & assistive technologies • UDL & technologies • Breakdown of barriers • Greater access • MTSS & UDL • Bridge special and general education • Ensure “that all children reach a high level of achievement” (CEC, 2010, p. 1) (CEC, 2010; Rose et al., 2009)

  25. Aligning IDEA & ESEA within a Unified MTSS & UDL • IDEA & ESEA united • Access to curriculum • High quality education – bridge between special and general education • IDEA & ESEA separate • Meeting high performance = could overshadow meeting student needs IDEA provides a balance to high standards of ESEA (Hehir, 2009; Karger, 2009; Owen, 2011)

  26. Aligning IDEA & ESEA within a Unified MTSS & UDL cont... • IDEA • Identify students with disabilities • Provide fair and appropriate academic experience • ESEA • Provided accountability to carry out “IDEA’s goal of aiding disabled students’ educational achievement” (Owen, 2011, p. 9) at a time when expectations and accountability for their teaching and learning was suffering.

  27. Aligning IDEA & ESEA within a Unified MTSS & UDL cont... • Next reauthorization • Cohesion & balance between general & special education • More prepared and stronger workforce of educators • Equal access to assessment and accountability for ALL students • Meeting needs & improving outcomes of ALL students (included gifted learners) • Balancing IDEA & ESEA within a collaborative system of support • Implementing UDL – unbiased assessment tool for students • Accommodations with individual needs in mind • School wide plans – include UDL & MTSS • Increase in ESEA funding for school improvement (OSERS, 2007)

  28. Aligning IDEA & ESEA within a Unified MTSS & UDL cont... • Researchers suggest: • Differentiation of research-validated curriculum in unified MTSS & UDL frameworks – • Fewer tiers needed for intervention with an increase in universal student response • Great emphasis on effective instruction and curriculum • Teacher quality maximized • Reduction in special education referrals • Funding reallocated within a collaborative and unified system (Stangman et al., 2009; Levenson, 2011)

  29. Aligning IDEA & ESEA within a Unified MTSS & UDL cont... • UDL supports inclusion & meeting diverse needs • MTSS supports addressing students needs (intervention) & identifying progress through collection of data (response) • Aligned IDEA & MTSS - facilitate successful outcomes through unified MTSS & UDL (Kalberg et al., 2010; Rose, 2009; Sailor, 2009; VanDerHeyden & Burns, 2010)

  30. Conclusion • Common Core State Standards Initiative • Alignment of important components of IDEA & ESEA with effective learning frameworks of MTSS & UDL – can work within this initiative • Funding for ESEA needs to increase (CASE, 2011) = greater success in alignment • An aligned IDEA & ESEA, within a unified MTSS & UDL framework may reshape education in an equitable way for all students.

More Related