Page 36 - The Ontario Curriculum, Grades 11 and 12: Technological Education, 2009 (revised)

Special Education Transformation: The Report of the Co-Chairs with the Recommendations of the Working Table on Special Education, 2006 endorses a set of beliefs that should guide pro- gram planning for students with special education needs in all disciplines. Those beliefs are as follows:
All students can succeed.
Universal design6 and differentiated instruction7 are effective and interconnected means of meeting the learning or productivity needs of any group of students.
Successful instructional practices are founded on evidence-based research, tem- pered by experience.
Classroom teachers are key educators for a student’s literacy and numeracy development.
Each student has his or her own unique patterns of learning.
Classroom teachers need the support of the larger community to create a learning environment that supports students with special education needs.
Fairness is not sameness.
In any given classroom, students may demonstrate a wide range of strengths and needs. Teachers plan programs that recognize this diversity and give students performance tasks that respect their particular abilities so that all students can derive the greatest possible benefit from the teaching and learning process. The use of flexible groupings for instruc- tion and the provision of ongoing assessment are important elements of programs that accommodate a diversity of learning needs.
In planning technological education courses for students with special education needs, teachers should begin by examining the current achievement level of the individual stu- dent, the strengths and learning needs of the student, and the knowledge and skills that all students are expected to demonstrate at the end of the course, in order to determine which of the following options is appropriate for the student:
no accommodations8 or modified expectations; or
accommodations only; or
modified expectations, with the possibility of accommodations; or
alternative expectations, which are not derived from the curriculum expectations for a course and which constitute alternative programs and/or courses.
If the student requires either accommodations or modified expectations, or both, the rele- vant 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,9 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
6. The goal of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is to create a learning environment that is open and accessible to all students, regardless of age, skills, or situation. Instruction based on principles of universal design is flexible and supportive, can be adjusted to meet different student needs, and enables all students to access the curriculum as fully as possible.
7. Differentiated instruction is effective instruction that shapes each student’s learning experience in response to his or her particular learning preferences, interests, and readiness to learn.
8. “Accommodations” refers to individualized teaching and assessment strategies, human supports, and/or individualized equipment.
9. Alternative programs are identified on the IEP form by the term “alternative (ALT)”.
SOME CONSIDERATIONS FOR PROGRAM PLANNING
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