DOMAIN 4

Information and Artifacts

SECONDARY ACADEMIC PROGRAMS IN PRACTICE

As of yet, the changes imposed by ESSA have not trickled down to the classroom level in my school. I do know that changes are coming based on what I hear discussed by district leaders, but it is unclear as to what those changes will look like. It is my hope that we are able to implement those changes thoughtfully with consideration of all students’ needs. I teach Comprehensive Life Skills in a self-contained special education setting in a traditional high school, using a functional curriculum with students identified as having mild-moderate intellectual disabilities. Although my district has adopted a functional curriculum I am required to use, I am able to supplement that curriculum with lessons of my own design, or other curriculum as I deem necessary. My students have a wide range of academic skill levels, from pre-kindergarten to second or third grade; making differentiation and assistive technology supports critical. My students participate in vocational skills training on campus and in the community. Although I do not have a curriculum for social skills, we constantly work on functional social skills and various aspects of different relationships. Most of my students demonstrate adaptive skills significantly below that of their same age, non-disabled peers. My current caseload consists of students from the age of 16 who are in their sophomore year of high school, up to the age of 21.  Students are eligible to remain in my classroom until they age out at 22 years old but are allowed to finish out that school year.

My students’ academic programming consists of a mix that best meets their needs. While I deliver instruction in functional academics in my classroom, I will adjust a student’s schedule to provide them with higher-level core academic instruction if their skills are higher. Additionally, my students are typically placed in two or three electives in the general education setting that are aligned with their interests. Depending on the content, teacher, class size, and student skill level additional support may be provided by a paraprofessional. Otherwise, students participate with designated accommodations per their IEP. This year, my students are in a wide range of electives; Human Development, Ceramics, Basketball, French, Culinary Arts, Baking, Library Aide, Team Sports, IT Essentials, and Drama. This ability to blend functional curriculum offered in my setting with general education courses provides my students with a balance of what they need from a functional academic standpoint and the skills they gain from being included in the general education setting. I have seen significant social and emotional growth, as well as self-advocacy gains by all of my students. I believe this is a result of academic programming that meets their needs and sets high expectations. I firmly believe it is as Bouck concluded, “perhaps curriculum decision making at the secondary level for students with moderate/severe ID should be viewed less of a dichotomy and more of a continuum” (2012, p. 1183). We are able to better prepare and serve students when we offer a continuum of choices based on their needs, the direction in which they are headed, and the necessary supports to get them there.

My state offers an adjusted diploma for special education students who do not complete the credit and testing requirements to obtain a standard diploma. Students in my class earn elective credits, as opposed to the core subject credits students earn in the general education setting and other core specific special education classes. I update students’ measurable post-secondary goals and annual goals based upon their responses to interview questions about their future and academic progress. If a student wants to live independently, I encourage them to consider electives in the culinary arts and math goals are based on independent living needs such as budgeting skills. If a student wants to go to college, I suggest more rigorous electives that will require them to improve self-advocacy skills to function more independently in a classroom setting and academic goals emphasize improving skill levels and the use of assistive technology.

One of the students on my caseload is currently pursuing a standard diploma and is planning to return for a sixth year of high school next year in his attempt to do so. His situation is atypical in that he did not decide to pursue the standard diploma until the end of his junior year, and not many students with an intellectual disability make the decision to pursue a standard diploma. His reasoning for pursing a standard diploma was to be able to access federal financial aid to attend college; and adjusted diploma would have limited his financial support options. He wants to attend the local university and continue to live at home with his family. Fortunately, he had been taking the appropriate math courses and some of the other required courses during his first three years of high school. He is catching up on English, Science and Social Studies courses along with participating in the required end-of-course exams and college and career readiness exams. The general education curriculum is adapted for him by his general education teachers based on how they are able to determine he is meeting the standards they are teaching. They are able to consult me to do this, but they do not ask for the support. I imagine that this is due to lack of time as opposed to lack of desire for help in making the adaptations. I do collaborate with his general education teachers to identify accommodations and I am able to provide him with extra time to work on assignments from his other classes during the one class period he is in my setting. He does have accommodations for state assessments identified in his IEP in addition to those identified for the classroom setting. I work with him on breaking down information when he is struggling with a concept or supporting him with executive functioning tasks like organization, stress management and time management. We also use time in my setting to continue to explore transitional topics such as career exploration, social skills development, and self-determination and self-advocacy.

Throughout my career, I’ve always been willing and able to share resources with other educators. This may happen in professional development, in-person collaboration, through mentoring opportunities, or simply sharing ideas and resources through email. I have been able to share many of the resources I have learned about through my studies at the University of Kansas. My colleagues have been appreciative and have even implemented changes in their own practices as a result. The most commonly shared and used resources include transition assessments.

Over the past two years, I have altered my practice to include instruction in transition-related topics such as self-advocacy, disability awareness, self-determination and transition assessment. I have learned to write strong measurable post-secondary goals that are tied to transition assessments. I have also improved my ability to align students’ IEP goals to measurable postsecondary outcomes, and identify accommodations to better support students in a variety of settings based on information gained from the student, family and other individuals of the IEP team. My overall practices as an educator in the secondary academic setting have dramatically improved and continue to be refined as part of a reflective practice.

ARTIFACTS

UNIVERSAL DESIGN FOR LEARNING LESSON PLAN

Competency 4.1

Adapting and altering the general education curriculum for students with disabilities can range from simple to complex, depending on the needs of the learners in the classroom, and the content. The attached lesson plan is a sample of implementing UDL in a 9th grade English class, and is designed with a variety of learners in mind. Brad and Myisha are mentioned in the lesson plans, but they are case study sample students (not my actual students).

PLANNING FOR POSTSECONDARY ACCOMMODATIONS

Competency 4.5

Truckee Meadows Community College is one of the many local postsecondary options for students. Many students prefer the cheaper tuition, smaller class sizes, and availability of class times that still allow them to work while attending school. TMCC has an excellent Disability Resource Center onsite to support students with disabilities. I have included a presentation I created to inform case managers about the admissions process, Disability Resource Center, and transition services available.

STATE TESTING ACCOMMODATIONS

Competency 4.6

This is a sample form used to determine accommodations for state assessments. It is also used to indicate participation in  state alternative testing, which is the assessment in which most of my students participate.