Houston Independent School District
4400 West 18th Street
Houston, TX 77092
Access handouts at www.hisdsped.wordpress.com (Click RtI/IAT)
Session Objectives:
From a principal’s perspective, know and understand the:
1. Decision making processes that impact academic achievement for the child with special needs.
2. Perspectives that must be embraced to support the child with special needs to achieve grade
level expectations.
3. Key resources to support effective instructional and assessment decisions for the child with
special needs.
Achieving Grade Level Expectations – Decision Making Processes
Successful achievement of grade level expectations begins with the expectation that the student will be
instructed in the general education classroom, using the general education curriculum, by the general
education teacher to the maximum extent appropriate. Specialized instruction is designed to focus on
the development of specific skills for successful achievement in the general education setting.
Accommodations are used to allow the differently able child, access to all components of the general
education curriculum including goals, instruction, materials, and assessment. Curriculum for the child
with disAbility should be identical to the general education student when possible, equal when not.
Table 1. Decision Making Processes for Access to the General Education Curriculum
Goals
Instruction
Materials
Expect
Assessment
Expect students with disabilities to achieve grade-level academic content standards.
Learn about the
strengths and
needs of the
child.
Learn
Select
Implement
Evaluate
Select goals that
may require
specialized
supports /
services based
on the unique
needs of the
child.
Implement a
data based
strategy to
monitor student
progress.
Learn about
Learn about materials
accommodations for (especially technology)
instruction.
that enable
independent learning
skills
Select
Select materials that
accommodations for encourage independent
instruction that may engagement in the
be needed in
learning.
presentation,
response, setting,
timing, scheduling.
Learn about
accommodations for
assessment.
Consistently
implement selected
accommodations
and collect data to
determine the
effectiveness of the
accommodation
during instruction.
Implement selected
accommodations
and collect data to
determine the
effectiveness of the
accommodation
during assessment.
Consistently implement
selected materials and
collect data to
determine the
effectiveness of the
materials to support
independent
engagement in learning.
Select
accommodations for
assessment that
have proven to be
consistent and
reliable in
instruction.
Evaluate effectiveness.
Information in Table 1 was adapted from assessment accommodations materials published by the Maryland and Georgia Departments of Education (2008).
Developed by the Office of Special Education Services
Houston Independent School District
4400 West 18th Street
Houston, TX 77092
Achieving Grade Level Expectations – Perspectives to Embrace
 The goal is TEKS.
 Children achieve grade level expectations when instructed to the maximum extent appropriate in
the general education classroom, using the general education curriculum, by the general
education teacher.
 Specialized instruction supplements, not supplants, general education instruction.
 Specialized instruction focuses on specific skills to be developed for successful achievement in the
general education setting.
 Children with special needs are not “yours” or “mine”, they are “ours”. Facilitate partnerships
between general education and special education teachers for the children they share.
 Technology is a key to providing accessible instructional materials for the students who need
them.
 Assessment accommodations are identified based on evaluation of the accommodation
consistently implemented in instruction.
What is LRE?
Least Restrictive Environment (LRE) – IDEA 2004 requires that students with disabilities are instructed in
the general education curriculum (TEKS), in the general education classroom, by the general education
teacher to the maximum extent appropriate.
What is AIM?
Accessible Instructional Materials (AIM) - IDEA 2004 requires that core instructional materials be
provided in a timely manner in specialized formats when needed by students with disabilities.
Next Steps
1. Identify a point person on your campus to track the accommodation decisions made for
students on your campus, the implementation of these decisions, and the preparation for use of
these accommodations during assessment.
2. Consider how the instructional schedule for your campus facilitates LRE decisions.
3. Consider how you will facilitate partnerships between special education teachers and general
education teachers in the instructional and assessment decisions made for the children they
share.
4. Review with your special education team how instructional and assessment decisions are made
for students with disabilities.
5. Identify a professional development plan for your special education team on identifying
students who need accessible instructional materials and how these materials can be provided.
My Notes:
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Wilson Montessori
Merrie (Beth) Bonnette, Principal
Office of Special Education Services
Tamara Hall– thall@houstonisd.org – 713-556-7025
Beth Goodrich, OTR, ATP, PhD - egoodric@houstonisd.org
Developed by the Office of Special Education Services