SGA-304 [Core]
Universal Design for Learning
Supplemental Resources
Page (s)
2
3-5
6-12
13
14
15-16
17-18
Title of Document
UDL One-Pager
Three Dimensions of Variability
UDL Strategy Packet
Key Questions to Consider When Planning Lessons
Support Strategies Feedback Sheet
SGA-304 Final Checklist
SGA-304 Final Rubric
UDL One Pager
2
Three Dimensions of Learner Variability
OBSERVING ENGAGEMENT
Engagement is the ability to focus on material, sustain focus over time, and self-regulate one’s own mood to get
oneself back on task.
If you observe ALL of these things, this likely means
that…
If engagement is strong, you will notice…


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
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The student appears interested in the material
The student can articulate the purpose of the lesson
The student is willing to take risks and make
mistakes
The student is appropriately challenged (i.e, the
student is not flying through the questions, nor is
the student stuck on the first one)
The student is participating in and contributing to
group work
The student is able to self-regulate and refocus after
an emotional moment (e.g., silly to serious or
bouncing back after a consequence)
The student is still working hard at the end of the
period
If you observe any of these things, this likely means
that….
If engagement is weak, you might notice….










There are NO barriers to learning that are interfering
with the student’s engagement
The student appears disinterested and is not
participating
The student can't tell you why they are working on
something
The student doesn't raise a hand or share thoughts
freely
The student appears embarrassed when called on
and is slow to respond
The student flies through the work or gets stuck
early in the IP
The student is not participating in or contributing to
group work, but knows the answers when
questioned directly
The student is not participating in or contributing to
group work, and doesn’t know the answers when
questioned directly
The student is not able to bounce back and refocus
after an emotional episode (e.g., continues to giggle
after a silly moment or appear upset after a
consequence)
The student works less and less as the period goes
on
The student works inconsistently over the course of
the period
3
The student is uninterested in the material, is not
invested in the work, or lacks confidence in the ability
to be successful (E1)
The lesson is too easy or too difficult for the student
(E2)
The student is finding it difficult to control emotions
and to sustain focus over time, or is not sufficiently
motivated to do so (E3)
Three Dimensions of Learner Variability
OBSERVING UNDERSTANDING
Understanding is the ability to take in, interpret, and apply information to achieve higher levels of comprehension.
If understanding is strong, you will notice…
If you observe ALL of these things, this likely means that…




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


The student demonstrates factual understanding
of the text
The student is able to restate what the teacher or
a peer has said
The student is able to tell you the meaning of a
symbol or a vocabulary word
The student is able to accurately interpret a chart
or graph
The student is able to connect new content to
previously learned content
The student is able to synthesize information to
understand abstract ideas
The student is able to make inferences regarding
and think critically about a text
The student is able to generalize information and
apply it to new contexts
There are NO barriers to learning that are interfering
with the student’s understanding
If you observe any of these things, this likely means
that….
If understanding is weak, you might notice….










The student is not able to restate the information
in the text
The student is not able to restate what a teacher
or peer has said
The student is having trouble following directions
or answering the right question
The student is having difficulty accessing the content,
leading to factual misunderstandings (U1)
The student is not able to correctly define or use
vocabulary words
The student is not able to tell you what a symbol
means
The student is not able to read a table or graph
The student is confused by the language, symbols, or
expressions included in the lesson (U2)
The student is not able to retain what was learned
The student is not able to understand abstract
ideas
The student is not able to make inferences
regarding or think critically about a text
The student is not able to apply new knowledge
outside of the context in which it was taught
The student has a limited understanding of the content
that you’re teaching (U3)
4
Three Dimensions of Learner Variability
OBSERVING ACTION AND EXPRESSION
Expression is the ability to effectively communicate what one knows.
If expression is strong, you will notice…
If you observe ALL of these things, this likely means
that…



The student is able to clearly communicate ideas
orally, at the expected pace
The student is able to clearly communicate ideas in
writing, at the expected pace
The student is able to clearly communicate ideas
visually, at the expected pace
If you observe any of these things, this likely means
that….
If expression is weak, you might notice….



There are NO barriers to learning that are interfering
with the student’s understanding
The student's oral communicate is unclear, too
rapid, or too slow
The student's written communication is unclear; it
takes the student a long time to express thoughts
through writing
The student's visual representations are difficult to
interpret; it takes the student a long time to draw
The student is weak in a particular type of expression
and is struggling to communicate what the student
knows because of the format of the activity (D1, D2)
Action is the ability to work strategically to achieve intended outcomes.
If action is strong, you will notice…
If you observe ALL of these things, this likely means
that…



The student is able to strategically work toward a
goal, step by step
The student is able to evaluate progress toward a
goal and adjust course as necessary
The student is able to evaluate the quality of the
final product
There are NO barriers to learning that are interfering
with the student’s ability to act
If you observe any of these things, this likely means
that….
If action is weak, you might notice….



The student does not know how to get started on
a task
The student has difficulty identifying the
appropriate next step in a process
The student has difficulty evaluating whether or
not the task is going to be completed on time, or
whether the final product meets expectations
The student is having difficulty understanding the end
goal, identifying the steps to take to meet the goal,
and/or self-evaluating progress toward the goal (D3)
5
Differentiation Strategies
DIFFERENTIATION STRATEGIES
In the following pages, you will learn about a number of strategies that you might use to differentiate instruction in
order to better support a student. This is not an exhaustive list of strategies — there are likely other strategies that will
accomplish the same goals — but this is a good place to start.
Contents
DIFFERENTIATION STRATEGIES THAT SUPPORT ENGAGEMENT ...................................................................................7
E1. What do I do if my student appears disinterested, is not invested, or seems to be lacking confidence? .........7
E2. What do I do if my student is having trouble sustaining effort or motivation because the lesson is too easy or
difficult? ....................................................................................................................................................................7
E3. What do I do if my student is struggling to control emotions or maintain focus over time? ............................8
DIFFERENTIATION STRATEGIES THAT SUPPORT UNDERSTANDING..............................................................................9
U1. What do I do if my student is having difficulty accessing the content, which is leading to factual
misunderstandings? ..................................................................................................................................................9
U2. What do I do if my student is confused by the specific language, symbols, or expressions included in the lesson?
..................................................................................................................................................................................9
U3. What do I do if my student has a limited understanding of the content that I’m teaching? ..........................10
DIFFERENTIATION STRATEGIES THAT SUPPORT ACTION & EXPRESSION ...................................................................11
D1 & D2. What do I do if my student is weak in a particular type of expression and is having trouble demonstrating
what he or she knows? ...........................................................................................................................................11
D3. What do I do if my student is struggling to understand the end goal, to identify the steps needed to meet the goal,
or to self-evaluate progress toward the goal?........................................................................................................12
6
Differentiation Strategies
DIFFERENTIATION STRATEGIES THAT SUPPORT ENGAGEMENT
E1. What do I do if my student appears disinterested, is not invested, or seems to be
lacking confidence?
According to the UDL framework, if a student is disinterested in the material, not invested in the work, or lacks
confidence in the ability to be successful, it’s important to provide choices and scaffolds to engage and interest the
learner (sub-goal E1). The following differentiation strategies can be used to eliminate barriers to engagement caused
by disinterest, a lack of investment, or a lack of confidence.
A. Build student interest in the material by:
a. Building a relationship with the student in order to get to know the student’s interests and building
these interests into the lesson content
b. Hooking the student into the day’s lesson using a story that aligns with the student’s personal interests
c. Offering a choice of materials to engage with, so that the student can select based on interest. For
example, you might let the student choose two of three do-now items, choose a strategy for
conducting research (e.g., at the library, via video, or via internet), or choose the type of paper to use
to write the essay
B. Invest the student in the content by:
a. Stating a clear purpose at the beginning of the lesson
b. Introducing relevant problem situations that match scenarios the student encounters in his or her own
life
C. Make the student feel comfortable participating by:
a. Cueing the student before calling on him or her to increase predictability
b. Incorporating call and response into your lesson to increase anonymity
c. Giving the student the opportunity to share with a peer or the teacher or write the answer down
before sharing out whole-group
E2. What do I do if my student is having trouble sustaining effort or motivation because
the lesson is too easy or difficult?
According to the UDL framework, if the lesson is too easy or difficult for a student, it’s important to adjust the level of
challenge in order to help the student sustain effort and motivation (sub-goal E2). The following differentiation
strategies can be used to eliminate barriers to engagement caused by a lesson that is too hard or too easy for a student.
A. Strategically group the scholar with others at different instructional levels so that the student can support a
struggling peer or benefit from the strengths of that peer
B. Provide alternative tools and scaffolds for completing the assignment that align with your student’s needs as
well as the goal of the lesson. † This might look like:
a. Providing a calculator when computation isn't the goal of the lesson or take the calculator away to
increase challenge
b. Providing a table or graph for the student to complete, or asking the student to generate his or her own
table or graph to increase challenge
c. Providing templates with various amounts of information filled in, depending on the student’s need.
You might include sentence stems and examples to support a struggling student, or take these out to
support a more advanced student.
d. Increasing/decreasing text difficulty when you ask the student to learn by reading.
7
Differentiation Strategies
C. Plan frequent opportunities for targeted feedback throughout your lesson, so that the student knows what he
or she is doing well and what he or she can improve upon, by:
a. Strategically seating the child in a spot to which it’s easy to circulate
b. Checking in with that student first and circling back around frequently
c. Setting an academic focus with the student and providing feedback regarding just that focus until
progress is made in that area
E3. What do I do if my student is struggling to control emotions or maintain focus over
time?
According to the UDL framework, if the student is struggling to control emotions or maintain focus over time, it’s
important to provide scaffolds to help the student self-regulate emotion and motivation (sub-goal E3). The following
differentiation strategies can be used to eliminate barriers to engagement caused by difficulty self-regulating emotion
and motivation.
A. Reduce distractions, by:
a. Seating the students away from major distractions like doorways, pencil sharpeners, certain other
students, etc.
b. Testing the student in a separate location, free from distractions
B. Teach the student coping skills that will help the student focus and work through overwhelming situations, such
as:
a. Taking brain breaks as needed by taking a walk around the classroom or using the bathroom
b. Recognizing hunger or thirst and eating or drinking to address this need
c. Reducing anxiety by holding a fidget toy, doodling, using relaxation techniques, or deep breathing
d. Processing emotions by talking to someone or writing in a journal +*
C. Create a calming space in your classroom where the student can go when frustrated and/or to work when a
quiet space is needed+ *
D. Teach the student to set and monitor progress toward self-regulatory goals. To support the student:
a. Strategically seat the student in an easy-to-monitor spot in the classroom
b. Provide multiple opportunities for behavioral feedback throughout the lesson so that the student
knows what he or she is doing well and what he or she could be doing better. You can provide this
feedback by:
i. Putting behavior cue cards or post-its on the target student’s desk
ii. Putting stickers or tallies on an individualized behavior chart throughout the course of the lesson
c. Provide self-reflection opportunities so that the student can self-evaluate his or her behavioral
performance at the end of the lesson
E. Support the student in collaborative conflict resolution with peers
8
Differentiation Strategies
DIFFERENTIATION STRATEGIES THAT SUPPORT UNDERSTANDING
U1. What do I do if my student is having difficulty accessing the content, which is leading to
factual misunderstandings?
According to the UDL framework, if a student is having difficulty accessing the content, leading to factual
misunderstandings, it’s important to let the student choose how to receive new information (sub-goal U1). The
following differentiation strategies can be used to eliminate barriers to understanding caused by difficulty accessing the
content.
A. Provide written information in addition to other sources if a student struggles to process oral or visual
information, by:
a. Keeping Closed Captioning ON when showing videos or TV segments or providing transcripts so that
the student can read the information as well as listening to it
b. Providing key directions and questions in writing on a slide or handout, in addition to stating them
orally, so that the student can read the information as well as listening to it
B. Provide auditory information in addition to other sources if a student struggles to process written or visual
information, by:
a. Providing access to text-to-speech software, audio recordings of written text, or a teacher or peer
who can read aloud, so that the student can listen while following along in the text
b. Reading key directions and questions aloud, so that the student can listen while following along on a
slide or handout
C. Provide visual information in addition to other sources if a student struggles to process written or oral
information, by:
a. Including visual images such as video or photography alongside written or oral content
b. Posting visual reminders of behavioral expectations in addition to stating them orally or posting them
in writing
D. Offer the student a variety of sources to learn from so that the student can choose the one that is easiest to
access. This might look like:
a. Offering texts at various levels on the same content
b. Offering text, video, or infographics on the same content
U2. What do I do if my student is confused by the specific language, symbols, or expressions
included in the lesson?
According to the UDL framework, if a student is confused by the specific language, symbols, or expressions included in
the lesson, it’s important to provide scaffolds to help all learners understand language, symbols, and expressions (subgoal U2). The following differentiation strategies can be used to eliminate barriers to understanding caused by confusion
about these lesson components.
9
Differentiation Strategies
A. Support understanding of vocabulary by:
a. Pre-teaching important vocabulary to the student prior to the lesson
b. Giving the student access to glossaries, dictionaries, or other reference materials with key definitions
in/on them
c. Repeatedly exposing the student to important vocabulary over the course of the lesson
B. Support understanding of language by:
a. Offering material in alternate languages or providing translation supports
b. Providing visual representations of vocabulary, symbols, or expressions to make them more concrete
(e.g., you might provide an image to accompany the definition of a vocabulary word, or you might use
manipulatives to represent the number 301)
C. Clarify unfamiliar syntax by:
a. Explaining how symbols relate in a formula
b. Explaining how ideas relate in a diagram, graph, or illustration
U3. What do I do if my student has a limited understanding of the content that I’m
teaching?
According to the UDL framework, if a student has a limited understanding of the content you’re teaching, it’s important
to provide scaffolds to help the student reach higher levels of comprehension (sub-goal U3). The following
differentiation strategies can be used to eliminate barriers to understanding resulting in surface-level comprehension.
A. Help the student build schema on a topic by giving the student relevant background information. For example:
a. You might give the student a “schema builder,” which is a text box that includes key information related
to a topic about which the student is going to learn, in advance of the lesson.
b. You might give the student an article or short text related to the topic you are going to be studying
B. Guide information processing by:
a. Giving the student a graphic organizer or note-taking template that draws focus to the key
evidence/ideas so that the student can reference this template when asked to synthesize this
information
b. Charting key evidence/ideas throughout the lesson so that the student can reference this chart when
asked to synthesize this information
c. Giving the student a text with key pieces of evidence highlighted so that the student knows what to
focus on
d. Telling the student the specific part of the text to reread in order to answer a question. For example,
you might provide page numbers and/or paragraph numbers next to each question.
C. Guide visualization by:
a. Using models to highlight critical features, big ideas, and relationships (e.g., diagrams, manipulatives, or
concept maps)
b. Prompting the student to state what he or she sees, hears, smells, tastes, and feels about a given topic
c. Prompting the student to act out a narrative, problem, concept, or relationship
D. Support retention and transfer of new information by:
a. Helping the student make connections to what they already know by activating the student’s
background knowledge on a topic. For example:
10
Differentiation Strategies
i. You might give the student a KWL chart to record what he or she already knows and what he or
she wonders about before reading. Then, at the end of the lesson, you might have the student
fill in what he or she learned about the topic
ii. You might give the student a related image and ask the student to discuss what he or she sees
and already knows about that image prior to introducing the content
b. Using mnemonic aids or songs to teach the content so that your student is able to use the mnemonic or
song to support recall of the steps in the process and apply them independently
c. Providing opportunities for distributed practice by pre-teaching key skills or content or reviewing key
skills or content after the lesson, in a one-on-one or small-group setting
DIFFERENTIATION STRATEGIES THAT SUPPORT ACTION & EXPRESSION
D1 & D2. What do I do if my student is weak in a particular type of expression and is
having trouble demonstrating what he or she knows?
According to the UDL framework, if a student is having difficulty demonstrating what he or she knows, it’s important to
either: give the student choices about how to demonstrate understanding (sub-goal D1) or provide scaffolds to help
the student build fluency with a certain type of expression (sub-goal D2). The following differentiation strategies can
be used to eliminate barriers to expression that are making it difficult for a student to accurately demonstrate what he
or she knows.
A. Give expressive options, by:
a. Giving the student the option to audio record or dictate a response instead of writing it down
b. Giving the student access to speech-to-text software that will translate an oral response into writing
c. Giving the student opportunities to respond in a variety of ways, including: charting, writing, tweeting,
turning and talking to a partner, etc.
d. Giving the student the choice of project format. These options might include, but are not limited to:
creating storyboards and films, composing music or dances, or making models, PowerPoints, speeches,
or sculptures
B. Provide scaffolds that will help the student build fluency with writing, such as:
a. Giving the student tools that support the physical ability to write, such as pencil grips, paper with
raised lines, writing utensils that require less pressure (such as markers) and paper stabilizers
b. Giving the student scaffolds such as sentence stems or outlines to support clarity of communication
c. Conferencing with the student to help the student generate ideas about a topic prior to writing
d. Encouraging the student to practice a response orally before writing it down
e. Encouraging the student to read the writing out loud in order to check for errors
C. Provide scaffolds that will help the student build fluency with oral expression, such as:
a. Teaching the student to use visuals or slides to support recall of key points
b. Teaching the student to script a response prior to sharing it out orally
c. Giving the student opportunities to rehearse a response with a peer or with a teacher prior to sharing
with the group
11
Differentiation Strategies
D3. What do I do if my student is struggling to understand the end goal, to identify the
steps needed to meet the goal, or to self-evaluate progress toward the goal?
According to the UDL framework, if a student is having difficulty accomplishing a goal, it’s important to provide scaffolds
to help the student act strategically (sub-goal D3). The following differentiation strategies can be used to eliminate
barriers to action that are making it difficult for a student to work strategically toward a goal.
A. Clarify the goal for the student by:
a. Giving the student work exemplars before every assignment so that they have an example of what the
complete product should look like
b. Working with the student to analyze the exemplar to pull out key criteria for success
B. Support planning by:
a. Giving the student checklists that list all of the steps to completing each task
b. Coding student assignments by highlighting key information or using symbols to signal where the
instructions are, which questions to start with, which questions to complete independently vs. with a
partner, etc.
C. Support information and resource management by:
a. Teaching the student effective note-taking skills
b. Giving the student templates for organizing his or her work
D. Support the student’s ability to monitor progress toward a goal by:
a. Prompting the student to “stop and think” about the steps in a process
b. Teaching the student how to block time and set short-term goals
c. Rewarding the student for meeting mini-deadlines (e.g., getting a task done before the timer goes off)
E.
Teach the student to reflect on the quality of his or her work by:
a. Teaching the student how to use a rubric to self-evaluate
b. Teaching the student to select his or her best work out of a collection of examples
SOURCES
CAST. (2011). Universal Design for Learning Guidelines version 2.0. Wakefield, MA: CAST Professional Publishing.
Hall, T., Meyer, A., & Rose, D.H. (2015). Universal Design for Learning in the Classroom. New York: The Guilford Press.
Rapp, W. (2014). Universal Design for Learning in Action: 100 Ways to Teach All Learners. Baltimore: Brookes Publishing.
Novak, K. (2014). UDL Now: A teacher's Monday-morning guide to implementing Common Core standards using Universal Design for
Learning. Wakefield, MA: CAST Professional Publishing.
12
Key Questions to Consider When Planning Lessons
Reference:
Meyer, A., Rose, D., and Gordon, D. (2014). Universal Design for Learning: Theory
and Practice. Wakefield, MA: CAST.
13
Support Strategies Feedback Sheet
Skill #1: Selecting Support Strategies
Criteria for Success: The teacher selects a strategy
that is aligned with student needs, feasible to
implement in the teacher’s context, and compatible
with the objective and the characteristics of the
group.
Aligned. The strategy matches the specific student
need. The teacher is able to clearly explain why the
strategy will eliminate a barrier to learning in the
classroom.
Feasible. The strategy can be implemented
immediately, with minimal support from others. Few
additional resources are needed, beyond those
accessible to the teacher.
Compatible, Objective. The strategy does not modify
or interfere with the lesson objective.
Effective
Y/N?
Comments
Effective
Y/N?
Comments
Compatible, Students. When possible, the strategy
compliments the students’ strengths (e.g., leverages
things that students are good at to support an area of
need). The strategy does not introduce additional
barriers to learning due to other student needs.
Skill #2: Planning to Implement Support Strategies
Criteria for Success: The teacher plans to implement
the strategy regularly, with fidelity, and in a way that
builds student independence with the scaffold.
Fidelity. The teacher describes the strategy in a way
that demonstrates deep understanding of the
effective implementation of the strategy. Teacher
offers a clear, precise, and data-driven plan for
implementation.
Immediacy and Consistency. The teacher plans when
they will implement the strategy and plans to
implement it consistently, every time it’s appropriate
to do so.
Independence. The teacher plans to introduce the
scaffold in a way that supports independence. This
way, students can use the strategy without teacher
support and self-advocate for the strategy when the
teacher isn’t there.
14
Fall 2019 SGA-304 Core Midterm
Perspectives on Effective Teaching
Due Date
Assignment
Portfolio
Components
Rubric
Row
Suggestions
Did you…
Objective
Row 1
(in template & video)
12/2/2019
SGA-304
Definition
Character
Strengths &
Universal
Design for
Learning
(UDL)
(in template & video)
Video + Final
Assessment
Template
Give your students clear
definition of the strength
you chose?
Row 2
Rationale
(in template & video)
Row 3
Row 4
Give all of your students
a chance to practice the
character strength?
Row 5
Adopt a warmdemanding approach to
classroom culture?
(in template & video)
Warm-Demanding
(in template & Video)
Give your students clear
and inspiring rationale
for developing your
particular strength?
Give your students a
clear vision of what the
character strength looks
like in action?
Model
*Note, these
first five rows
Practice
are the video
portion of the (in template & Video)
assessment
Design a clear characterfocused lesson
objective?
Your timestamps in Studio should total no more than 15 minutes of
highlights from the components above
15
Due Date
Assignment
Portfolio
Components
Barriers
Rubric
Row
Row 6
SGA-304
Character
Strengths &
Universal
Design for
Learning
(UDL)
Did you…
Accurately identify
barriers to…
- Engagement
- Understanding, or
- Action/Expression
…in a way that
demonstrates
understanding of the
UDL framework?
Select a UDL
technique/strategy in
your plan that is likely to
eliminate the barrier?
Video + Final
Assessment
Template
12/2/2019
Suggestions
Techniques/Strategies
Row 7
Select a technique that is
feasible and aligned to
the class’ needs?
Select a technique that is
compatible and aligned
to the objective?
(Exemplary)
*Note, these
three rows
are the
written
portion of the
assessment
Plan to implement a UDL
technique/strategy with
fidelity?
Plan
Row 8
Plan to implement based
on your understanding of
your lesson, activities,
students, etc.?
16
SGA-304 Final Rubric
RUBRIC ROW
4.0: EXEMPLARY
(1)
The teacher presents a clear
and inspiring characterfocused lesson objective
CHARACTER
Objective
3.6: PROFICIENT
The teacher presents a clear
character- focused lesson
objective
3.0: FOUNDATIONAL
2.6 PTS: ATTEMPTING
The teacher presents a
character-focused lesson
objective that lacks clarity
The teacher (re)introduces the
character strength with a
definition that lacks clarity
and explains to students the
importance of the character
strength, but their
explanation lacks clarity or
inspiration
The teacher presents a
lesson objective, but not one
that relates to character
The teacher (re)introduces
the character strength but
without a definition and
explains to students the
importance of the character
strength, but their
explanation lacks clarity and
inspiration
0: LACKING
The teacher does not
present a lesson
objective.
Student(s) (re)introduce(s) the
character strength with a clear
definition and explain(s) to
fellow students the importance
of the character strength in a
clear and inspiring fashion (with
minimal teacher guidance).
The teacher (re)introduces
the character strength with a
clear definition and explains
to students the importance of
the character strength in a
clear and inspiring fashion
Student(s) describe(s) or
enact(s) a clear and inspiring
vision of what the character
strength looks like in action
The teacher gives students a
clear vision of what the
character strength looks like in
action
The teacher gives students a
vision of what the character
strength looks like in action,
but the vision lacks clarity
The teacher gives students a
vision of the character
strength, but the vision lacks
clarity
The teacher does not
give students a vision of
the character strength
(4)
CHARACTER
Practice
The teacher gives all students
the chance to better understand
AND build/exercise the
character strength through
effective practice
The teacher gives all students
the chance to better
understand OR build/exercise
the character strength
through effective practice
The teacher gives all or most
students the chance to better
understand OR build/exercise
the character strength
through practice, but the
practice lacks efficacy
The teacher gives some
students the chance to
better understand OR
build/exercise the character
strength through practice,
but the practice lacks efficacy
The teacher does not
give students the
chance to better
understand OR
build/practice
exercising the character
strength
(5)
CHARACTER
Warm
Demanding
The teacher adopts a warm
demanding approach to
classroom culture; they balance
creating a caring community
with enacting an assertive
stance, and they use deep,
existing knowledge about
students and students’
communities to personalize
responses for specific students
and situations
The teacher adopts a warm
demanding approach to
classroom culture; however,
they sometimes struggle to
balance care and
assertiveness
The teacher attempts to
adopt a warm demanding
approach to classroom
culture; however, they have
a misconception about this
tenet for practicing culturally
responsive teaching (e.g.,
absence of high
expectations)
The teacher does not
attempt to adopt a
warm demanding
approach to classroom
culture
(2)
CHARACTER
Definition &
rationale
(3)
CHARACTER
Model
The teacher adopts a warm
demanding approach to
classroom culture; they
balance creating a caring
community with enacting an
assertive stance
17
The teacher does not
(re)introduce the
character strength And
does not explain to
students the
importance of strong
character
RUBRIC ROW
4.0: EXEMPLARY
3.6: PROFICIENT
3.0: FOUNDATIONAL
2.6 PTS: ATTEMPTING
(6) UDL
Barriers
The teacher accurately identifies
barriers to engagement,
understanding, or expression in
their lesson in a way that
demonstrates nuanced
understanding of the UDL
framework
The teacher accurately
identifies barriers to
engagement, understanding,
or expression in their lesson in
a way that demonstrates
understanding of the UDL
framework
The teacher identifies barriers
to engagement,
understanding, or expression
in their lesson in a way that
demonstrates limited
understanding of the UDL
framework
The teacher identifies
barriers to engagement,
understanding, or expression
in their lesson plan in a way
that demonstrates
misconceptions about the
UDL framework
The teacher does not
identify barriers to
engagement,
understanding, or
expression in their
lesson
(7) UDL
Technique
The teacher selects a UDL
technique for inclusion in their
plan that is highly likely to
eliminate the barrier to learning
because it is feasible, well
aligned with the classes' needs
and highly compatible with the
objective and the other
characteristics of the class
The teacher selects a UDL
technique for inclusion in their
plan that is likely to eliminate
the barrier to learning because
it is feasible and well aligned
with the classes' needs
The teacher selects a UDL
technique for inclusion in
their plan that may eliminate
the barrier to learning
because it is somewhat
feasible or somewhat aligned
with the classes' needs
The teacher selects a UDL
technique for inclusion in
their plan that is unlikely
eliminate the barrier to
learning because it is not
feasible or is misaligned with
the classes' needs
The teacher does not
select a UDL technique
for inclusion in their
plan
(8) UDL
Plan
The teacher plans to implement
a UDL technique with fidelity, in
a way that reflects deep
understanding of the technique
and the lesson activities
The teacher plans to
implement a UDL technique
with fidelity, in a way that
reflects basic understanding of
the technique and the lesson
activities
The teacher plans to
implement a UDL technique in
a way that reflects limited
understanding of the
technique or the lesson
activities
The teacher plans to
implement a UDL technique
in a way that reflects
misconceptions about the
technique or the lesson
activities
The teacher does not
plan to implement a
UDL technique
18
0: LACKING