Page 33 - The Ontario Curriculum, Grades 9 and 10: The Arts, 2010

If the student requires either accommodations or modified expectations, or both, the relevant information, as described in the following paragraphs, must be recorded in
his or her Individual Education Plan (IEP). More detailed information about planning programs for students with special education needs, including students who require alternative programs and/or courses,5 can be found in The Individual Education Plan (IEP): A Resource Guide, 2004 (referred to hereafter as the IEP Resource Guide, 2004). For a detailed discussion of the ministry’s requirements for IEPs, see Individual Education Plans: Standards for Development, Program Planning, and Implementation, 2000 (referred to here- after as IEP Standards, 2000). (Both documents are available at www.edu.gov.on.ca.)
Students Requiring Accommodations Only
Some students are able, with certain accommodations, to participate in the regular course curriculum and to demonstrate learning independently. Accommodations allow access to the course without any changes to the knowledge and skills the student is expected to demonstrate. The accommodations required to facilitate the student’s learn- ing must be identified in his or her IEP (see IEP Standards, 2000, p. 11). A student’s IEP is likely to reflect the same accommodations for many, or all, subjects or courses.
Providing accommodations to students with special education needs should be the
first option considered in program planning. Instruction based on principles of universal design and differentiated instruction focuses on the provision of accommodations to meet the diverse needs of learners.
There are three types of accommodations:
• Instructional accommodations are changes in teaching strategies, including styles of presentation, methods of organization, or use of technology and multimedia.
• Environmental accommodations are changes that the student may require in the classroom and/or school environment, such as preferential seating or special lighting.
• Assessment accommodations are changes in assessment procedures that enable the student to demonstrate his or her learning, such as allowing additional time to complete tests or assignments or permitting oral responses to test questions (see page 29 of the IEP Resource Guide, 2004, for more examples).
If a student requires “accommodations only” in arts courses, assessment and evaluation of his or her achievement will be based on the appropriate course curriculum expecta- tions and the achievement levels outlined in this document. The IEP box on the student’s Provincial Report Card will not be checked, and no information on the provision of accommodations will be included.
Students Requiring Modified Expectations
Some students will require modified expectations, which differ from the regular course expectations. For most students, modified expectations will be based on the regular course curriculum, with changes in the number and/or complexity of the expectations. Modified expectations represent specific, realistic, observable, and measurable achieve- ments and describe specific knowledge and/or skills that the student can demonstrate independently, given the appropriate assessment accommodations.
SOME CONSIDERATIONS FOR PROGRAM PLANNING IN THE ARTS
5. Alternative programs are identified on the IEP form by the term “alternative (ALT)”.
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