Teacher of Students with Moderate Disabilities
(PreK-8)
Standard (b)2c
Demonstrates knowledge of and approach to the academic content of lessons.
License-Specific Evaluation Questions
Does the candidate satisfactorily demonstrate an understanding of how the individual
student’s moderate disability(ies) affects progress in learning the academic content in the
general curriculum program that their non-disabled peers learn?
Students with moderate disabilities, in general, have great difficulty processing
information as well as limited executive functioning. Many students with moderate disabilities
struggle with retaining and retrieving new material, expressing ideas and concepts, and/or
working for extended periods of time. For example, a majority of the students I worked with
during my practicum experienced difficulties in learning as a result of specific learning,
communication, and health disabilities. As a result, many of them faced exceptional challenges
in listening, thinking, speaking, reading, writing, and/or performing mathematical calculations
that non-disabled students do not have to overcome. As a result, the content and pace of the
general curriculum program is not appropriate for their learning needs as they require additional
time, instruction and support to access the content. In addition, these students experience
academic gaps where they lack the knowledge and skills to access and understand the material
presented in the general curriculum program.
Naturally, these deficits do not complement the nature of the general education
classroom or curriculum because they require remedial support and instruction, in addition to
specially designed instruction on grade level content. This entails additional time and support for
mastery. The difficulty with processing speed, language, memory, and attention in combination
with the academic gaps in their understanding, affects students with moderate disabilities ability
to understand and apply knowledge in all curricular areas. The limiting nature of their
disabilities prevent them from being fully capable of independently accessing grade-level
material and, without additional support, they will not be able to make progress in all areas of
the curriculum and the academic gaps resulting from their deficits will continue to grow.
Does the candidate appropriately use the information in the IEP of students with moderate
disabilities to modify the academic content, methodology/delivery of instruction, and
performance criteria (specially designed instruction) used in the general curriculum
program that their non-disabled peers learn?
Students with moderate disabilities require a variety of additional supports in order to
access the general curriculum and develop a firm understanding of the content. Many of the
students I worked with during my experience had the ability to understand the general curriculum
but required additional supports and accommodations in order to do so. For example, many of my
students IEPs expressed the need for breaking down content material, modeling it, and providing
repeated opportunities for review and application. Chunking and repeating concepts in more
manageable amounts enabled students to process, retain, and recall the information more
efficiently and also helped students with attentional difficulties maintain enough focus to learn.
Several of them also required simplifying and pre-teaching vocabulary while building up
background knowledge in order to enhance their understanding of new material and provide
repeated exposure. Almost all of my students required a multi-modal and sequential approach to
learning to reinforce the content through multiple means. As a result of my students’ academic
gaps, several of them also required the provision of remedial materials and instruction as needed to
supplement the general curriculum and ensure they had the necessary skills and knowledge to
access grade-level content. In some cases, the IEPs required that the content be modified as
needed, more specifically in the case of students with language-based disorders. This included
providing lower-level texts in reading to promote comprehension and modifying written
assignments to correlate their ability levels.
My students’ IEPs also expressed the need for careful and consistent observation in order
to make sure they are making progress towards their annual goals and objectives/benchmarks. It is
also necessary to provide regular progress reports and conduct several consistent informal and
formal assessments to provide additional information on students’ progress for teachers, parents
and the students themselves. Some students also required additional quizzes in their areas of
weakness in order to ensure they were improving in their deficit areas in addition to their
understanding of the grade-level content.
Does the candidate implement the specially designed instruction as required in the IEP to
help the students learn the academic content in the general curriculum program that their
non-disabled peers learn?
In order to implement the specially designed instruction required by the IEP to help the
students access grade-level content, I made sure to be very reflective and intentional in my
instructional practices. In each lesson, I made sure to spend the first portion previewing or
reviewing vocabulary and previously learned concepts in order to provide students with the
repetition and re-teaching they require to retain new material. Throughout my lessons, I made
sure to break down my explanations into smaller, more manageable portions to enhance the
students’ comprehension and recall in addition to helping them maintain focus for a long
enough period of time to benefit from the direct instruction. I also incorporated a period of
direct instruction, complemented by scaffolded notes, to provide students with the structured,
explicit explanations and modeling of the content that they require. I also tried to incorporate
interactive practice, applications, and activities in order to increase student engagement and
appeal to several styles of learning at one time. I consistently presented the content through
auditory, visual, and kinesthetic means which proves my intentionality in identifying and
appealing to students’ learning strengths. Frequent prompts and cues were also used with
students with attentional or impulsive difficulties to help them remain focused and on task.
When applicable I would scaffold students in reading by starting them off with a lower level
text and then gradually work up to more complex, grade-level readings. In a similar sense, in
writing I would frequently model assignments with students before providing them with
templates and graphic organizers, in addition to more specific accommodations as needed, to
scaffold them in completing grad-grade level work. After each lesson, I would evaluate my
instructional practices and accommodations used in order to identify how I could enhance
how address my students’ specific learning needs in the future.
On a frequent but not consistent basis, I would utilize small group activities to provide
more specific instruction and practice. This also allowed me to incorporate more
individualized instruction into my lessons so that students could receive the additional support
and attention they needed for improvement. In addition, I also designed and incorporated
remedial lessons to reteach foundational skills in order to address the students’ gaps in their
understanding. For example, I incorporated a mini-lesson on fractions and decimals into my
instruction when teaching students about ordering rational numbers on the number line
because I knew they had a very weak understanding of how to compare rational numbers.
Throughout my experience, I made sure to consistently reflect on my students’ progress
through observation, informal, and formal assessments in order to determine if I was
following the requirements of the IEPs appropriately in addition to determining the next steps
in my instruction. Although many of the accommodations I implemented are a natural aspect
of how I teach, paying careful attention to the requirements in the IEPs of my students ensured
that I was providing them all with the necessary support to complete grade-level work despite
the deficits and difficulties that result from their disabilities.
Does the candidate show a familiarity with the measurable annual goals and
objectives/benchmarks in the student’s IEPs?
After becoming familiar with my students’ IEPs, I made sure that I developed a
strong understanding of their measurable annual goals in addition to the objectives and
benchmarks that measured their progress towards those goals. With my students, I made
sure to incorporate objectives in my lessons that addressed their goals and, thus, ensured
the lessons also addressed their deficit areas. For example, several of my sixth-grade
students had goals involving identifying equivalent fractions. Thus, when I began teaching
a unit on ratios, I made sure to incorporate these concepts by providing students with ratio
problems that would allow them to practice those skills. In regards to my seventh-grade
students, I had a class specifically designed to work on their weak areas and, thus, would
frequently plan specific lessons incorporating various forms of application and practice
based on the goals and objectives outlined in a majority of their IEPs. Therefore, the most
frequent way that I remain familiar with my students’ measurable annual goals is by
ensuring I incorporate them into my instruction so they are addressed along with the
general curriculum.
In addition, I also make sure I am reflecting on my students’ progress towards
attaining their measurable annual goals. One way in which I did this was writing progress
reports for several students in the classroom where I was working. In doing so, I was
compelled to think critically about what my students were able to do in addition to what
they were still struggling with. I analyzed each of their objectives, reflected on their
performance in class, and expressed the extent to which they were making progress
towards each of the objectives/benchmarks outlining their goals. For example, one of my
sixth-grade student’s objectives was to perform operations with fractions. I was able to
express that she was not making substantial progress in meeting this objective because she
has not yet met another objective relating to the mastery of multiplication facts, which she
needs in order to work efficiently with fractions. This reveals that I have been exposed to
and interacted with my students’ measurable annual goals in several ways both by
incorporating them into my instruction and reflecting on their progress through formal and
informal means.
Does the candidate demonstrate the ability to help the students with moderate disabilities
learn the deficit skills detailed in the measurable annual goals and objectives/benchmarks
in the student’s IEPs?
Ensuring that students’ deficit skills detailed in the measurable annual goals and
objectives/benchmarks in their IEPs is crucial in ensuring their academic success and
understanding of the general curriculum. During my experience, I tried to helps students
learn the deficit skills that were causing the gaps in their understanding in several different
ways. The most frequent way in which I would address students’ deficits is through bell work
at the beginning of class. For example, each of my students’ goals in my math classes
involved work with word problems. Therefore, at the beginning of each math period the
students would complete a word problem displayed on the board in which they had to
identify the key words and question in the problem. Then they were required to solve the
problem, which almost always involved at least one deficit skill. Then, we would go over the
problem as a class. Through this strategy, the students were getting repeated exposure,
practice, and review in the weak areas outlined in their IEP goals and I witnessed noticeable
improvements with my students in several areas as they continued working on their deficits
through this means.
Another approach to helping students address learn their deficit skills is through
remedial mini-lessons. For example, when teaching about equivalent ratios and ratio tables to
a group of students who had a very weak understanding of equivalent fractions, I taught a
remedial lesson to help students understand the concept of equivalent fractions and how to
find them. For students who still needed additional support, I required them to come back for
additional lessons during their study hall. In addition, when introducing my students to
equations, I conducted a hands-on, interactive remedial lesson on the equal sign to help
students truly understand what the symbol means in a mathematical sentence. Therefore, I try
identify where my student will struggle as a result of their deficit skills while working with
the general curriculum and design activities and lessons that address both new content and
deficit skills so that my students are moving forward in both areas.
Finally, I also helped some of my students learn their deficit skills in a math skills
class specifically designed for helping students work on the gaps in their understanding in
math. In working with this class, I analyzed their IEPs to find commonalities in their annual
goals and objectives. I concluded that all of them needed assistance in performing operations
with integers and rational numbers according to their objectives and goals. Therefore, I have
been teaching several lessons and providing students with multiple modes of practice (games,
reciprocal teaching, etc.) in adding and subtracting positive and negative fractions. Therefore,
I have been able to help my students improve their deficit skills in multiple ways by
reviewing their goals and providing them with support on an individual, small group, and
whole class level.
Does the candidates use of assistive technology required in the student’s IEP help the
student learn that academic content in the general curriculum program that non-disabled
peers learn?
Most students with disabilities can and do benefit from technology in the classroom,
even if its use is not specifically outlined in their IEP. Incorporating technology increases
students’ motivation to learn in addition to personalizing lessons to a students’ needs. The
most prominent use of assistive technology used during my experience was an interactive
whiteboard. I used Mimio software to create interactive lessons that appealed to a variety of
learning styles. By using the interactive whiteboard, my lessons were able to help students
access the general curriculum by providing multiple means of representation, which provided
my students with several opportunities to acquire new information. In addition, it also
allowed me to provide my students with multiple means of expressing and demonstrating
what they know. Finally, the interactive whiteboard provided various means of engagement,
which was especially helpful for those who faced attentional difficulties. I found that the
interactive whiteboard was the most influential form of assistive technology in my classroom
as it provided students with the multi-modal approach to instruction that they require for
increased understanding. I also used it to help students remain organized, take notes, and
manage both assignments and time during lessons. This is a form of technology that simply
benefits almost all students with moderate disabilities.
In addition to the interactive whiteboard, I utilized additional forms of assistive
technology to help my students access the general curriculum. I allowed some students to use
a word processor on writing assignments to assist with fine motor difficulties, challenges in
writing for extended periods of time, and other writing deficits. In math, I allowed my
students to use calculators when appropriate to compute math problems that exceeded their
ability level. Finally, I also used computer-based instruction by assigning students lessons on
a diagnostic computer program that addressed their deficits in order to help them access
grade-level material more efficiently. Although I used assistive technology to compensate for
students’ deficits, I also utilized these tools to provide remedial instruction aimed at
alleviating deficits. I plan to continue to research, discover, and incorporate additional forms
of assistive technology that will help my students learn and benefit from the general
curriculum in the same way as their non-disabled peers as I continue to gain experience in
the field of special education.
Does the candidate’s use of behavioral intervention strategies that are identified in the
student’s IEP help the student learn the academic content in the general curriculum
program that non-disabled peers learn?
Behavior can be a challenging area for special education students, especially when
the behavior is a result of the students’ disability. Students with moderate disabilities often
require special assistance in regards to behavior in order to ensure they can focus and
participate on the material they need to learn. The behavioral issues I experienced with my
students were primarily related to impulsivity, hyperactivity, and attentional difficulties. As
a result, the students who exhibited these behaviors typically rushed to complete
assignments, did not give themselves time to process information, were easily distracted
during class, and had difficulty focusing on instruction and assignments. These students
faced challenges in learning because their behaviors prevented them from remaining alert
and attentive during a lesson, planning and organizing their ideas and thoughts, and
expressing or demonstrating their knowledge. Therefore, they had difficulty functioning in
the classroom and acquiring new knowledge without behavioral interventions.
The behavioral intervention strategies I used with my students helped them access
the academic content in the general curriculum because it enabled them to refocus their
attention on the content in order to listen to, think about, and effectively apply the
knowledge being presented. In addition, the intervention strategies I used also helped
students maintain a mindset in which they could slow down and fully process instructions
or information instead of responding impulsively. In some cases, the students’ hyperactivity
resulted in defiant behavior, which required individualized intervention as it was a direct
result of their disability. I would take the student aside and intervene by conferencing with
the student in order to enable the realization of why their behavior was preventing them
from learning. This helped them calm down and transition back into a mindset in which
they could focus on learning the material. In most other cases, however, my interventions
mainly consisted of clearly defining expectations so that students were aware of what
behavior was acceptable. I also utilized a lot of visual and verbal prompts to redirect
students back to the lesson or activity at hand. In addition, I tried to minimize auditory and
visual distractions and provide students with extra time on assignments to reduce
attentional challenges and impulsivity. As a result of these interventions, the students were
able to remain aware of what they were learning and experience the content in a
meaningful, sequential way rather than trying to piece together information and fill in the
holes from what they missed. Therefore, they were able to access the content in a way that
was conducive to their learning needs, which led to greater comprehension and a more
accurate demonstration of their knowledge.
Does the candidate appropriately interpret the results of formal and informal assessments
of the students with moderate disabilities?
In order to make informed decisions about the education of my students, I am constantly
gathering information about their learning through a variety of assessments. A majority of the
information I gather about my students’ understanding of the content and progress towards their
annual goals is through informal assessments. I use a lot of observation during interactive and
independent activities in addition to classroom discussion in order to determine what my
students understand and what they are still struggling with. For example, I often ask students to
explain the main idea of my lesson in their own words. From the quality and accuracy of their
responses, I can gather information as to how well they understand the material presented in
class. If they can provide a thorough and accurate explanation then they demonstrate a strong
understanding whereas if they have difficulty explaining, and it is not a result of their disability,
I know that they need more support in order to understand the content. I also use homework as a
means of informally assessing students’ knowledge because I can see what they are capable of
doing independently. Further, the games, activities, and independent work completed in class
are also designed to allow myself to observe the extent to which they can apply their knowledge
independently and accurately. If they need extensive assistance or cannot complete the
assignment accurately then I can determine that they do not have a sufficient understanding of
the lesson and, thus adjust my instruction accordingly. In using continuous and consistent
informal assessments, I am able to provide my students with immediate feedback so they can
adjust their behavior or understandings right away. It also allows me to rethink instructional
strategies, activities, and content based on student understanding and performance as I coach my
students in their learning.
However, I also make sure that I incorporate formal assessments to get a more
comprehensive picture of the extent to which my students understand what I am teaching them
as I require them to apply their knowledge. I have used both quizzes and projects to assess
students’ knowledge of the academic content. For example, after completing a unit on percent
and its application to the real world, I required my students to demonstrate their knowledge
through a project. The students had to create a sale flyer in which they discounted, marked up,
and charged interest on various items in their store. Through this project, I was able to determine
if students understood what each percent change was and if they knew how to calculate it
accurately. The students’ performance on this task demonstrated a strong understanding of the
content and I was able to move on to new material. In another situation, however, an
overwhelming majority of my students failed a quiz on probability and, as a result, I needed to
address students’ confusion regarding the different types of compound probability and work
with students individually to remediate the gaps in their understanding so they do not fall behind
as we continue to push forward. Overall, I have learned to design each aspect of my lessons and
units with a purpose in order to continually monitor my students’ understanding in addition to
adjusting and improving my instruction.
Does the candidate demonstrate familiarity with the state and federal law in special
education while working with the supervising practitioner, students’ families, and agency
representative?
Before completing my practicum, I was previously educated on the state and federal
laws in special education through my education courses. The Individuals with Disabilities
Education Act (IDEA) is the center of laws concerning special education and the defining
purpose of IDEA is to guarantee students a Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) that
prepares them to progress both in school and society. There are several laws under IDEA that
special educators must remain in compliance with and it was beneficial to see those in action
and review them during my student teaching experience.
From the start, my cooperating teacher reviewed the IEP timeline and process with
me. The most important thing I learned from this was the necessity of staying in compliance
with the timeline and completing the necessary communication, testing, and paperwork in the
allotted amount of time. My cooperating teacher also emphasized the importance of keeping a
physical record of all attempted parent communication as evidence for remaining in
compliance with the evaluation timeline. Unfortunately, I did not get the opportunity to attend
any initial meetings or reevaluations and only had the opportunity to sit in one annual review
because several IEP meetings had to be rescheduled. However, I was able to have several
discussions about these meetings with my cooperating teacher and gained experience with the
IEP in several other ways. For example, I was able participate in amending several IEPs while
adjusting the placement of several students from an inclusion to resource setting. Therefore, I
gained experience in sending out N1 forms to make parents aware of the changes and ensure
they were approved. I also gained experience in measuring students’ progress towards their
measurable annual goals and keeping parents informed of their progress by writing and
sending out several progress reports to accompany their report cards. I also gained exposure
to my responsibility and legal obligation of making sure that a students’ IEP is being carried
out as it was written and checking in with general education teacher to ensure they are
carrying out the accommodations, modifications, and supports that must be provided to the
student. Overall, it was incredibly valuable to witness the federal and state laws that I had
previous knowledge of being carried out in the school environment. I now feel as though I
have more applicable experience and a better understanding of my legal responsibilities as a
special educator.