Teachers’ Guides to Inclusive Practices

Modifying Schoolwork

Third Edition

by Rachel Janney, Ph.D.
and

Martha E. Snell, Ph.D.

Contents

About the Authors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vii
About the Forms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ix
Acknowledgments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xi

1 Inclusive Education: The Big Picture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Defi ning Characteristics of Inclusive Education . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
An Organizing Framework for Schoolwide Systems of Student Support . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Improving Your Schools Inclusive Practices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

2 Curricular and Instructional Practices that Promote the Inclusion and Success of All Students . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

Universal Design for Learning and Differentiated Instruction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Active Learning and Brain-Compatible Learning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Peer-Mediated Learning Structures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Learning Strategies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
Graphic Organizers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Strategies to Increase Active Responding During Whole-Class Lessons . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Collaborative Planning for Diverse Groups of Students . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50

3 A Model for Creating Individualized Adaptations and Supports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
What Is a Model, and Why Is It Necessary? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
Creating Individualized Adaptations and Supports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67

4 Planning, Implementing, and Evaluating Individualized Adaptations and Supports for Students with Extensive Needs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91

Step 1: Gather and Share Information About the Student and the Classroom . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
Step 2: Schedule Instruction and Supports Across the Day . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104
Step 3: Plan and Implement Instruction, with Needed Adaptations and Supports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110
Step 4: Plan and Implement More Specialized Teaching Strategies. . . . . . . . . . . . . 124
Step 5: Monitor and Evaluate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137

5 Including All Students in Instruction in Core Curriculum Areas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145
Two Reminders: Start with Effective Teaching and Keep All Students Goals in Mind . . . . 146
Reading and Written Language . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148
Mathematics and Numeracy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161
Content Areas and Natural and Social Sciences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165
Tests and Testing Procedures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171
A Final Note: Do Not Reinvent the Wheel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173

References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 175
Appendix A: Blank Forms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189
Appendix B: Resources on Creating Effective Inclusive Schools and Designing Schoolwork for Inclusive Classrooms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 207
Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 211

About the Authors

Rachel Janney, Ph.D., is an independent scholar and consultant who has worked with and on behalf of children and adults with disabilities in a number of capacities, including special education teacher, educational and behavioral consultant, technical assistance provider, teacher educator, researcher, and author. For a number of years, she was a professor in the School of Teacher Education and Leadership at Radford University in Virginia, where she taught courses and supervised student teachers in the special education program, specializing in the inclusion of students with extensive learning and behavioral support needs. Dr. Janney received her masters degree from Syracuse University and her doctorate from the University of Nebraska - Lincoln.

Martha E. Snell, Ph.D., is Professor Emeritus in the Curry School of Education at the University of Virginia, where she has taught since 1973 and directed the graduate program in severe disabilities. Dr. Snell's focus has been the preparation of teachers with a particular emphasis on those working with students who have intellectual disabilities and severe disabilities. She has been an active member of the American Association on Developmental and Intellectual Disabilities, TASH, and the National Joint Committee on the Communication Needs of Persons with Severe Disabilities.

Dr. Snell and Dr. Janney have conducted several research projects in inclusive schools and classrooms. These projects have studied the ways that special and general educators work together to design and implement modifications and accommodations for students with disabilities in inclusive settings. Both authors have been frequent presenters at conferences and workshops on topics related to successful inclusive education.

Including All Students in Instruction in Core Curriculum Areas

FOCUSING QUESTIONS

• What are some generally effective evidence-based practices for literacy, mathematics, and content-area learning in inclusive classrooms?
• What are some strategies to create individualized supports and adaptations to enable students with disabilities to engage in typical instructional activities in the core curriculum areas?
• What alternative adaptations are feasible and effective for meeting the needs of students with extensive support needs within the core curriculum areas?

This chapter addresses considerations related to teaching core subject areas (reading and writing, mathematics, social and natural sciences) to all students. The strategies described for each subject area are organized according to the hierarchy of least-to-most intrusive supports, interventions, and adaptations presented in Chapter 1 and Chapter 3. For each curriculum area, we briefly describe generally effective teaching practices that assist teams in creating shared learning experiences.

Figure 5.1. Spelling homework menu. (Contributed by Kristyn McDaniel Cabler.)