HLP #13: Make Adaptations

Summary

This video explains High Leverage Practice Number 13 for special education: adapting curriculum tasks and materials for specific learning goals. It introduces two types of adaptations—accommodations and modifications—both aimed at helping students with disabilities access and engage with the general education curriculum. Accommodations adjust how students access information or demonstrate learning, while modifications alter the learning goals or assessments themselves. The video emphasizes the importance of identifying appropriate adaptations, using content enhancements, and evaluating their impact to ensure student success. It concludes with a call to carefully match adaptations to learning goals and monitor their effectiveness.

Takeaways

• 😀 An adaptation is a change made by the teacher to support students with disabilities, specifically through accommodations and modifications.
• 😀 Accommodations help students access the curriculum without changing the learning task, keeping expectations the same as for their peers.
• 😀 Modifications change the learning objective, task, or assessment, often necessary for students with more significant disabilities.
• 😀 Accommodations include presentation, response, setting, and timing changes, such as using speech-to-text or providing extended test time.
• 😀 Modifications can involve alternative assignments or different standards of measurement to assess student progress.
• 😀 IEP teams play a crucial role in determining the necessary accommodations and modifications, documenting them in the student’s IEP or 504 Plan.
• 😀 Teachers should be flexible and assess the impact of accommodations and modifications, adjusting them as necessary to support student success.
• 😀 Content enhancements like graphic organizers and mnemonics can be used alongside accommodations to support student learning.
• 😀 It’s essential to evaluate whether the accommodations or modifications are effectively supporting student progress using data-based decisions.
• 😀 Teachers should continuously monitor the impact of accommodations and modifications through curriculum-based assessments to ensure they are helpful.

Q & A

What is High Leverage Practice #13 about?

High Leverage Practice #13 focuses on adapting curriculum tasks and materials to meet specific learning goals for students with disabilities. This includes implementing accommodations and modifications to support students' access to the curriculum.

What is the difference between accommodations and modifications?

Accommodations change the way students with disabilities access information or demonstrate learning without altering the learning goal or assessment. Modifications, on the other hand, change the learning goals or assessments themselves, often adjusting expectations based on the severity of the disability.

Can you give an example of an accommodation?

An example of an accommodation is providing a student with a disability extra time to complete an assignment or test. This allows them to work at their own pace without changing the learning goal.

What are presentation accommodations?

Presentation accommodations provide alternatives for presenting information to students. For example, a student who struggles with reading might listen to audio recordings of books or receive verbal directions instead of written instructions.

How do modifications differ from accommodations?

Modifications differ from accommodations in that they alter the learning task or assessment itself. For example, a modification might involve a student completing a simpler version of an assignment or taking a different assessment than their peers.

What role do IEP teams play in the adaptation process?

IEP teams are responsible for identifying the accommodations and modifications that will best support a student’s success. They also monitor the effectiveness of these adaptations to ensure they are meeting the student's needs.

What are content enhancements, and how do they support students?

Content enhancements are tools like graphic organizers or mnemonics that help students make connections between key concepts in the curriculum. These enhancements support learning and can be used alongside formal accommodations to better meet the needs of students with disabilities.

How can teachers ensure that accommodations are effective?

Teachers can ensure accommodations are effective by collecting data from assessments and observations, evaluating whether the adaptations are helping students achieve their learning goals, and adjusting them if needed.

What is a key component of evaluating accommodations and modifications?

A key component of evaluating accommodations and modifications is to use data from curriculum-based measurements (CBMs) and other assessments to assess student progress. This helps determine whether the adaptations are having the intended impact or if adjustments are necessary.

How should teachers approach the selection of accommodations and modifications?

Teachers should approach the selection of accommodations and modifications by being familiar with the student’s needs, understanding the learning objectives, and ensuring the adaptations are appropriate for the student's disability and the curriculum content.