Aligning IEPs to the CommonCore State Standards forStudents with Moderate andSevere Disabilities

Ginevra Courtade, Ph.D.University of LouisvilleDiane Browder, Ph.D.University of North Carolina, Charlotte

Underlying Assumptions in IEPDevelopment Have Not Changed

• All students will receive instruction on state standards with opportunities for instruction in general education

• The student will receive instruction and supports to achieve academic and functional goals

• The student’s unique needs will be considered

What is a Standards Based‐IEP?

• An IEP developed through planning based on the student’s grade level standards (or grade level extended evidence outcomes)

• Strengths and needs based on standards

• Planning process should identify ways to close the gap between current performance and grade level ‐ expectations

Why Create a Standards Based ‐IEP for Students with Severe Disabilities?• Equity and accountability• IDEA 1997, 2004

• Involvement and progress in the general curriculum• Measureable goals that enable students to make progress in that curriculum

• NCLB• Required outcome of achievement in reading,

math, and science

A Standards Based IEP‐

Always consider long range goals:The criterion of ultimate functioning

What it is• An IEP that incorporates grade level appropriate academic goals based on state standards or extended evidence outcomes

What it is NOT• An IEP that is focused solely on academic standards• A generic IEP that does not meet the individual needs of the student

How do we get there?Begin with alignment• Why is alignment important?

• IEPs aligned with state standards can prepare students for state assessments

• For students to show progress in academic content, they need academic instruction

• Well aligned IEPs can promote meaningful academic instruction.

SELECTING IEP GOALS THAT PROMOTE ALIGNMENT:HOW DO WE GET THERE?

• Become familiar with state standards• Common Core State Standards: English Language Arts

• http://www.parcconline.org/mcf/english-language- artsliteracy/overview-frameworks-elaliteracy

• Common Core State Standards: Mathematics

•http://www.parcconline.org/mcf/mathematics/parcc- model-content-frameworks-browser

Guideline 1

Guideline 2• Become Familiar with the State’s Approach to Extended Evidence Outcomes • 4th Grade Standard • Identify and interpret elements of fiction and nonfiction and support by referencing the text to determine the:

i. plot.ii. theme.iii. main idea and supporting details.iv. author’s choice of words.

Extension of the Standard • Use objects or pictures to identify main idea or theme • Sequence pictures to retell plot

Guideline 3

• Keep the planning student focused• Begin with an overview of recent progress

and strengths.• The student might lead the meeting• Members of the team who have conducted recent assessments can

present their findings• The student’s preferences and individual goals can be a starting point for planning.

Guideline 4

• Consider both specific academic goals and broad access goals

• The IEP creates access to the curriculum, but is not a

curriculum itself

Consider the circle diagram…• In an IEP for a student with severe disabilities

• Is academic content enough?• Not all of your objectives will align with state standards…DO NOT “force fit” them• What else is needed to support the student?

• OT, PT, self determination skills, etc.‐• Overall focus should be individualized skills that consider the criterion of ultimate functioning

• Personally relevant skills

Guideline 5

• Ask the question: Is it really academic?

• Sometimes in extending the state standard, the essence of the academic component is lost.

• General educators can be especially helpful as resource people in making sure that the final goals have clear links to academic content.

Is it really English Language Arts?Camilla is a 12 year old 7th grader with severe disabilities.• Camilla will use her AAC device to greet peers in English class.• Camilla will acquire 20 sight words that relate to activities in her community and home.• Camilla will select two major themes using pictures with phrases after hearing a text summary read aloud; she will categorize 2 3 events in each chapter of the text during read ‐ alouds using additional pictures related to the story and will summarize by presenting a chart of these categories.• Camilla will identify initial consonant and vowel sounds and use this skill in writing words with software that anticipates the spelling from the first letters.

Guideline 6

• Do not force fit all IEP objectives into alignment with academic standards

• What else should be part of the IEP?

Promote Broad Skills in Literacy• National Reading Panel components • Phonemic awareness • Phonics • Fluency • Vocabulary • Text comprehension

• Common Core State Standards in English Language Arts • Reading • Writing • Speaking and listening • Language • There also are literacy standards for history/social studies, science, and technology.

Promote Broad Skills in Mathematics

• Common Core State Standards in Math High School • Numbers and Quantity • Algebra • Functions • Modeling • Geometry • Statistics & Probability

• Common Core State Standards in Math K-8 • Counting & Cardinality (K) • Operations and Algebraic Thinking (K 5)‐ • Numbers and Operations in Base Ten (K 5)‐ • Numbers and Operations Fractions‐ (3 5)‐ • Measurement & Data (K 5)‐ • Geometry (K 8)‐ • Ratios & Proportional Relationships (6 7)‐ • Ratios & Proportional Relationships (6 8)‐ • Expressions & Equations (6 8)‐ • Statistics & Probability

Present Level of Performance

• In math Jerry can put one object with an object to show 1:1 correspondence. He does not yet use or recognize numbers or count. He can imitate a model to create sets to show the solution to a problem.

• Describe what students can do in each content area• Consider using level of symbol use to describe current performance

Apply Social Emotional Standards

• Comprehensive health standards address making choices and decisions regarding one's quality of life free from undue external influence

• Use general curriculum activities as context for learning self-determination skills that contribute to increased autonomy for students

• Skills can promote learning of the general curriculum, while at the same time foster the acquisition of skills

with lifelong benefits

Comprehensive Health StandardsComponent Example

Choice-Making • Make choices within an activity• Choose between two or more activities

Decision-Making• Decide topic for class project• Determine best resource to use to get

information

Problem-Solving• Look at a picture to determine why DVD

player is not working• Identify three alternative ways character in

story could resolve a conflict

Goal Setting• Set a goal for number of books to be read in

a month• Identify and communicate IEP goals

Self Management/Self Evaluation• Use a bar graph to track number of

assignments completed• Rate self on how well performed on given

assignment

Self Awareness• Develop picture/word list of likes and

dislikes• Develop and learn to read a list of “facts

about me”

Incorporating Comprehensive Health Standards in Academic Objectives• Examples

• David will count tasks to determine how many jobs he completed.• Sam will use a picture/word journal to rate

characteristics of potential jobs based on likes/dislikes

Apply Longstanding Values/Supports• Assistive Technology

• Should enable the student to engage in the task more independently• Examples

• Photos, picture symbols, pencil grips, stamps, switches, software, touch screens

AT ExamplesOriginal Objective

• John will read 5 three word phrases that use known words. • David will watch as a peer counts manipulatives in sets of 1 to 10 items

With AT

• John will read 10 complete sentences composed with a picture support program using picture cues to identify at least one novel word per sentence. • David will use a math software program with virtual manipulatives and a head switch to choose the correct number of manipulatives that have been counted for sets 1 10.‐

Your turn!Original Objective

• Chuck will choose 5 pictures to put in a journal and dictate a description of the pictures. • Randy will partially participate in a science lesson.

With AT

Apply Longstanding Values/Supports• Personal relevance/ functionality • Using a real life activity to help make the standard meaningful

• Creates a picture symbol homework list (writing)• Locates a room by its number (math)• Uses a keypad in the cafeteria (math)• Locates the sports page using newspaper index

(reading)• Follows a picture schedule (reading)

Examples of Real Life Applications of Geometry Skills

Home Work Leisure CommunitySkill:Geometric shapesAge: 7

Play video games that use shapes

Shape cues for chores at school (e.g., rectangle for toys in toy box; circle for help to set the round table for snack).

Forming shapes while playing games in P.E. (e.g., Let’s make a circle; boys in a line).

Identify shape signs (e.g., stop at red circle sign).

Perimeter and Area Age: 12(Middle School)

Make a “where I live” chart showing area of rooms.

Use laser measure to determine perimeter of objects.

Indicate perimeter of playing field to show concept of “out of bounds.”

Identify what foods are located in perimeter of grocery store.

Aligning Language Arts Objectives• Lisa’s Scenario

• Lisa is a 3rd grade student with Rhett’s syndrome. She is nonverbal and currently uses objects to

communicate. She shows an interest in books read to her by peers. She will also sometimes look at

pictures in a magazine. Lisa is ambulatory, but has limited use of her hands. She enjoys social

contexts and will sometimes make her meaning known by

eye gazing or laughing.

Begin by considering the Strand of ELA• See Lisa’s ELA handout • Team targets one standard for each component of 3rd grade ELA • Defines priority skills

• Based on Lisa’s needs (challenges accessing the general curriculum: few foundational skills, limited hand dexterity)

Promote Self Determination

1. Lisa will choose books to be read aloud during individual reading times.2. Lisa will independently engage with books using technology for read alouds.3. Lisa will initiate use of picture communication for requests.

Use Assistive Technology

1. Lisa will use a voice output device with picture symbols to communicate requests.

2a. Given two pictures presented on a VOD or computer touch screen Lisa will answer "what" and "who" comprehension questions.2b. Given two pictures presented on a VOD or computer touch screen Lisa will select one to fill in a sentence.3. Lisa will use a touch screen computer to print a sentence she composed or activate a recorded book.

Embed in Real Life Activities• Lisa can use pictures for requesting during lunch and break times as well as during class times.• During times when the class chooses literature for independent reading, Lisa can have options that relate to her special interests which are horses and swimming as well as other stories from the 3rd grade reading list. The teacher may begin with some literature on these topics to teach her how to answer comprehension questions.• Lisa can be taught to generalize her "who" and "what" answers and sentence writing to compose daily reports to share with her family about her day.• Lisa can also generalize her emerging literacy skills to social stories the teacher will use to help her learn skills needed for the school environment like how to eat in the cafeteria.

Lisa’s IEP Objectives in ELA1. Lisa will select a research topic using a picture request and copy/paste at least 5 pictures from the internet to create a report about the topic. (Writing Standard 3.7)

*see handout for additional examples

Aligning Math Objectives• Jerome’s Scenario

• Jerome is a student with Down syndrome and a moderate intellectual disability. He has mastered about 50 sight words

and is learning to apply them in activities of daily living. Jerome also has learned to recognize initial and final

consonants and short vowels can decode many simple words. With his sight words and decoding skills, he can often help

the teacher read short passages of text that have been prepared with controlled vocabulary. He communicates using a picture wallet and single spoken words to make requests, answer questions, and socialize. In math, he rote counts from 1 10, but cannot count objects consistently or recognize ‐ numbers consistently. Jerome does understand the purpose of money and likes to make purchases, but needs help counting out the correct number of dollars. Jerome is 11

years old and in 6th grade.

Begin By Considering the Standards in Math• See Jerome’s Mathematics Handout

• IEP team targets at one or two priority standards in each of these areas based on the recommendation of the math

teacher• Develops priority skills

• Based on Jerome’s needs (few numeracy skills inconsistent‐ number identification, no computation)

Promote Self Determination1. When presenting a math story, Jerome could choose the numbers

to use in that days story. He could also choose which manipulatives to put into sets.

2. As Jerome masters using a graphic organizer, he can more easily self direct his learning. He can learn to say, then do, the steps to ‐ solve the problem.3. Jerome might set a goal for how many math problems to try that

day. He could count and graph the number completed. This self‐monitoring and self evaluation also promotes his emerging ‐numeracy skills.

Use Assistive Technology1. The calculator is an important form of assistive technology for Jerome. Once he learns to enter numbers on the calculator, he will be able to perform more of the problems from the 6th grade text. Once he can find the numbers 1 9, the operation symbols, and equal, he ‐ will be able to compute problems.2. Many of the skills Jerome needs to acquire can be practiced on the computer. For example, he could move items on a touch screen to create sets or perform computation on an on screen calculator.3. The graphic organizers Jerome will learn to use are also a form of assistive technology. For example, he will have a graphic organizer to help him write fractions as ___ (how many are in part of the set)/___how many are in the whole.

Embed in Real Life Activities1. Jerome can divide materials for projects into sets for the class or his

small group and use this experience to practice matching numbers to sets and creating fractions and ratios.

2. By having a class store or token economy, Jerome can apply his general knowledge of money and interest in purchasing to practice counting accurately and learning the concept of debt (negative numbers) and zero (no money).3. Identifying points on a plane can become very meaningful when

applied to planning a route through a neighborhood or store.

IEP Objectives for Jerome in Mathematics1. When given a cluster of up to 20 objects, Jerome will divide them

into 1 5 sets and identify the number that represents each set‐ for 8/10 trials. He will subdivide these sets to show division of fractions and ratios and represent this second number using a graphic organizer for 8/10 trials. (Mathematics: Rations and Proportional Relationships, Standard 6.1; Number System, Standard 6.1)

* see handout for additional objectives

Are we done yet?• Your IEP is not complete…

• Also include daily living skills, social skills, therapy goals, etc. based on individual needs and preferences

Resourcesessworkshop.wikispaces.com