Joanne Cashman, Ed.D . Director, The IDEA Partnership at

1. Joanne Cashman, Ed.D. Director, The IDEA Partnership at The National Association of State Directors of Special Education (NASDSE)

2. Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) Over Time First Focus Physical Access Procedural Safeguards/Due Process Least Restrictive Environment (LRE) Reasonable Benefit Evolving Focus Transition Recent Focus Access to the General Curriculum IEPs aligned to standards Assessment Accountability specified under ESEA (NCLB) Highly Qualified Personnel Subject area competence Source: IDEA Partnership

3. Grounding Belief All students are general education students first!

4. Students with Disabilities in the Common Core • Grounded in our evolving sense of reasonable benefit • Education prepares students for work and life • Informed by our growing knowledge of instruction • We are expected to use what we have learned about what works • Guided by provisions in recent reauthorizations • NCLB and IDEA define highly qualified in terms of subject area competence • Consistent with education reform • Cradle to College and Career is the overarching framework • Aligned with disability policy direction across the lifespan • Integrate employment, post-secondary access, independent living

5. Inclusive Practice • IDEA is one piece of disability policy across the lifespan • It is the first step! • If we miss the first step…outcomes change! • A new vision of inclusion is a ‘cradle to college and career’ vision • Begins early • Shared planning • High expectations • Personalized instruction • Thoughtful transitions

6. Intentionally Considering the Participation of Students with Disabilities in the Common Core • Do not recreate the ‘retrofit’ that we had with the first standards movement • Build on what we know about standards-based IEPs • Consider students with disabilities in dialogue and decisions about instruction and assessment • Consider students with disabilities in the general and alternate assessment

7. What have we learned about students with disabilities in standards-aligned systems?

8. Standards-Aligned Systems Are Not New We know… • Since the early 90’s, special educators have been discussing how to cross-walk individualization and standards • Standards-based IEPs developed when students with disabilities were included in large-scale assessments under IDEA and in the accountability system under NCLB

9. Accessing the General Education Curriculum We have defined… • General education curriculum • The full range of courses, activities, lessons, and materials routinely used by the general population of a school • Access • Active engagement in learning the content and skills of the curriculum that is being taught to general education students

10. Standards-Aligned IEPs We have learned … An IEP connects a student’s learning to grade- level standards and evaluates progress through the lens of the general education curriculum, standards, assessment anchors, and curriculum frameworks Adapted from: Pennsylvania Training and Technical Assistance Network (PATTAN)

11. We know… Specially designed instruction means adapting, as appropriate to the needs of an eligible child, the content, methodology, or delivery of instruction… To address the unique needs of the child that result from the child’s disability; and To ensure access of the child to the general curriculum, so that the child can meet the educational standards within the jurisdiction of the public agency that apply to all children IDEA 2004 SDI may involve any aspect of the student’s instruction, including materials, techniques, assessments, and activities SDI should inform assessment accommodations Specially Designed Instruction

12. Accessible Instructional Materials(AIM) We know about and use… • Specialized formats of curricular content • Textbook/other core instructional materials in Braille, audio, digital, or enlarged print format Adapted from: Pennsylvania Training and Technical Assistance Network (PATTAN)

13. Universal Design for Learning(UDL) We are learning the importance of… • Multiple means of representation • Consider display, presentation, comprehension • Multiple means of action and expression • Examine response, navigation • Multiple means of engagement • Attend to interest, choice, relevance, value and minimize distractions Source: CAST

14. Measuring Progress We know…. There are many effective ways to measure progress on the goals and progress in the general education curriculum Taking instructional data often and modifying instruction based on data are key Adapted from: Pennsylvania Training and Technical Assistance Network (PATTAN)

15. Assessment We understand… Assessment accommodations on IEP should be those used routinely by the student Source: NCEO

16. So… What is new about students with disabilities in the Common Core? • What new opportunities? • What new challenges?

17. Standards are Not a Curriculum • There is flexibility to teach to the standards in ways that are designed to support individual student engagement and learning • Common Core may permit teachers in many states to share ideas about how to teach concepts to students of varying ability

18. Opportunities Most students with disabilities are in the general education curriculum for major parts of the day…many up to 80% Opportunities exist in ‘the shifts’ … but will demand: • greater collaboration with general education • new kinds of professional development • A ‘grades span’ look at instruction for students with disabilities

19. To Help Practitioners and Families Get Grounded in the Common Core…. Multiple stakeholders working together www.ideapartnership.org Common Core Collection • Standards • Assessments • Right Sized resources (coming soon) Resources from many groups www.learningport.us

20. Thanks for inviting me today… For more information on the Partnership Collections Contact me 703-519-1501 ( Direct Line)… or email me joanne.cashman@nasdse.org