Aligning IEPs to the Common Core State Standards for Students with Moderate and Severe DisabilitiesGinevra Courtade, Ph.D. University of Louisville
What should be included in the IEP*?
(a) a statement of the present level of performance in both academic achievement and functional performance,
(b) a statement of measurable annual goals (both academic and functional),(c) a description of benchmarks or short term objectives, (d) a description of how student progress towards the goals will be
measured, (e) a statement regarding related services and supplementary aids and
services (based on peer reviewed research) to be provided,(f) an explanation of the extent to which student will not participate in the
general education classroom, (g) a statement of any accommodations needed to measure academic and
functional achievement of the student, (h) frequency, location, and duration of services, and (i) postsecondary goals beginning when the student is 16 years old.
According to IDEA 2004
What do you need in order to develop an effective IEP?• Knowledge of federal and state regulations• Guidelines for developing a standards-based IEP• A process for assessing and planning
Aligning IEPs to the Common Core State Standards for Students with Disabilities
Have you started incorporating CCSS into IEPs?
Underlying Assumptions in IEP Development Have Not Changed
• All students will receive instruction on state standards with opportunities for instruction in general education
• The student will receive instruction and supports to achieve academic and functional goals
• The student’s unique needs will be considered
What is a Standards-Based IEP?• An IEP developed through planning based on the student’s
grade level standards (or grade level alternate achievement standards)
• Strengths and needs based on standards• Planning process should identify ways to close the gap
between current performance and grade-level expectations
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Why Create a Standards-Based IEP for Students with Severe Disabilities?• Equity and accountability• IDEA 1997, 2004
• Involvement and progress in the general curriculum• Measureable goals that enable students to make progress in that
curriculum• NCLB
• Required outcome of achievement in reading, math, and science
A Standards-Based IEP
What it is
• An IEP that incorporates grade level appropriate academic goals based on state standards or alternate achievement standards
What it is NOT
• An IEP that is focused solely on academic standards
• A generic IEP that does not meet the individual needs of the student
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Always consider long range goals:The criterion of ultimate functioning
How do we get there? Begin with alignment• The process of matching two educational components which
strengthens the purpose and goals of both• Why is alignment important?
• IEPs aligned with state standards can prepare students for state assessments
• For students to show progress in academic content, they need academic instruction
• Well aligned IEPs can promote meaningful academic instruction.
Further Understanding Alignment
Alignment Example
SELECTING IEP GOALS THAT PROMOTE ALIGNMENT: HOW DO WE GET THERE?
Guidelines for developing an IEP that includes goals that align to state standards
Guideline 1
• Become familiar with state standards• Common Core State Standards-English
Language Arts• http://www.corestandards.org/the-standards/e
nglish-language-arts-standards• Common Core State Standards-Mathematics
• http://www.corestandards.org/the-standards/mathematics
• ILS Common Core Resources• http://isbe.net/common_core/htmls/
resources.htm
Additional National Standards
• National Science Education Standards• http://
www.nap.edu/openbook.php?record_id=4962• National Curriculum Standards for Social
Studies• http://
www.socialstudies.org/standards/curriculum
Guideline 2
• Become Familiar your State’s Approach to Extending Standards for AA-AAS• Illinois Alternate Assessment Frameworks• http://www.isbe.net/assessment/htmls/
iaa_framework.htm
IAA Reading Frameworks Priorities-Grade 4 example
Guideline 3
• Keep the planning student focused• Begin with an overview of recent progress
and strengths.• The student might lead the meeting• Members of the team who have conducted
recent assessments can present their findings
• The student’s preferences and individual goals can be a starting point for planning.
Guideline 4
• Consider both specific academic goals and broad access goals• The IEP creates access to the curriculum, but
is not a curriculum itself
Personally Relevant (Functional) Skills
Standards-based IEP
ELA (Reading,
writing, etc.)
Math
Science
Social Studies
SpeechOT/PT
ATSD
Skills
Social Skills
Self-Mgmnt Skills
Life Skills
Consider the circle diagram…• In an IEP for a student with severe disabilities
• Is academic content enough?• Not all of your objectives will align with state standards…DO
NOT “force fit” them• What else is needed to support the student?
• OT, PT, self-determination skills, etc.• Overall focus should be individualized skills that consider the
criterion of ultimate functioning• Personally relevant skills
Guideline 5
• Ask the question: Is it really academic?• Sometimes in extending the state
standard, the essence of the academic component is lost.
• General educators can be especially helpful as resource people in making sure that the final goals have clear links to academic content.
Is it really English Language Arts?Camilla is a 12 year old 7th grader with severe disabilities.
• Camilla will use her AAC device to greet peers in English class.• Camilla will acquire 20 sight words that relate to activities in her
community and home. • Camilla will select two major themes using pictures with phrases
after hearing a text summary read aloud; she will categorize 2-3 events in each chapter of the text during read alouds using additional pictures related to the story and will summarize by presenting a chart of these categories.
• Camilla will identify initial consonant and vowel sounds and use this skill in writing words with software that anticipates the spelling from the first letters.
Guideline 6• Do not force fit all IEP objectives into
alignment with academic standards• What else should be part of the IEP?
Writing Measurable IEP Objectives
Developing IEP objectives
• What are the general goals for the student?
• What is the student’s present level of performance?
• How does the student get from the present level of performance to the goal?• Short term objectives
Present Level of Performance
Camilla uses her AAC device to ask for basic needs and greets her friends using pictures. She will also point to pictures of familiar objects or people. She does not yet use pictures to represent a concept.
Objective 1 Given 30 new pictures and symbols presented on the computer selected from the content areas, Camilla will select the picture or symbol named.
Objective 2 Given a three choice array of pictures that relate to the lesson and asked show me ___ (e.g., "tornado"), Camilla will select the picture that shows the concept for 10 new concepts each quarter.
Objective 3 When asked, “What was the lesson about today?” Camilla will select a picture from a three choice array.
Annual Goal Given a variety of academic topics, Camilla will select pictures to represent major concepts described in class.
Writing Measureable Goals/Objectives
• What is a measureable objective?• One that when written, the entire IEP team or anyone else
working with the student, can agree that the criteria has been met
• Should include:• Condition-The circumstances under which the behavior will occur• Behavior-the skill, action, or performance that it is being monitored,
directly observed, and measured• Criteria-how much, how often, or to what standard the behavior
must occur in order to demonstrate that the objective has been reached
Non-measurable objective Measurable objectiveJoyce will improve her comprehension (Improve how?)
After participating in a read aloud of grade appropriate text, Joyce will identify four elements of the narrative (character, setting, event, problem).
Nick will increase his graphing skills (Increase to what?)
Your turn! Write a measurable goal for Nick.
Barry will identify the science concept (What concept should he identify?)
Your turn! Write a measurable goal for Barry.
Writing Goals/Objectives for Active Participation
• Consider how the student can be an active learner• Active participation occurs when the student
acquires independent responses that demonstrate understanding
• Example- Student with a physical disability chooses the main idea from a chapter within a chapter book• Passive approach-help the student choose the
main idea with hand over hand assistance• Active approach-have the student eye gaze to
which main idea best fit the chapter read
Examples
Passive Responses
• Brittany will circle the correct answer with physical guidance to answer comprehension questions
• Kevin will listen to a story the teacher is reading.
• Kristen will accompany her peer to buy lunch.
Active Responses
• Brittany will use a laser head pointer to select between 3 pictures projected on a screen to answer comprehension questions
• Your turn! Change the passive response for Kevin into an active response
• Do the same for Kirsten
Writing Standards-based Goals/Objectives
Promote Broad Skills in Literacy
• Common Core State Standards in English Language Arts• Reading• Writing• Speaking and listening• Language• There also are literacy
standards for history/social studies, science, and technology.
• National Reading Panel components• Phonemic awareness• Phonics • Fluency• Vocabulary • Text comprehension
Promote Broad Skills in Mathematics• Common Core State Standards in
Math K-8
• Counting & Cardinality (K)• Operations and Algebraic Thinking (K-5)• Numbers and Operations in Base Ten (K-
5)• Numbers and Operations-Fractions (3-5)• Measurement & Data (K-5)• Geometry (K-8)• Ratios & Proportional Relationships (6-7)• Ratios & Proportional Relationships (6-8)• Expressions & Equations (6-8)• Statistics & Probability (6-8)• Functions (Grade 8)
• Common Core State Standards in Math High School
• Numbers and Quantity• Algebra• Functions• Modeling• Geometry• Statistics & Probability
Present Level of Performance• Describe what
students can do in each content area
• Consider using level of symbol use to describe current performance
• In math Jerry can put one object with an object to show 1:1 correspondence. He does not yet use or recognize numbers or count. He can imitate a model to create sets to show the solution to a problem.
Definitions of Symbolic Levels
• Awareness: Has no clear response • Pre-symbolic (Beginning with Symbols):
Communicates with gestures, eye gaze, purposeful moving to object, sounds
• Early Symbolic (concrete): Beginning to use pictures or other symbols to communicate within a limited vocabulary
• Symbolic (abstract): Speaks or has vocabulary of signs, pictures to communicate. Recognizes some sight words, numbers, etc.
Concerns About Symbolic Levels
• Can not be used to infer cognitive level• Students may acquire symbols and show much higher functioning
than realized• Objects can be highly complex (e.g., models)• All students should have opportunity to receive and respond
with text • Students can become symbolic through training in use of AAC
Aligning Grade Level Standards: Incorporating Present Level of Performance-ELA
Strand: Category of standard
Grade level standard Objectives based on present level of performance
Reading: LiteratureIntegration of Knowledge and Ideas
4th Grade
Compare and contrast the treatment of similar themes and topics (e.g., opposition of good and evil) and patterns of events (e.g., the quest) in stories, myths, and traditional literature from different cultures.
Beginning Symbolic
Leslie will select an object/picture to represent a story’s theme for 4 of 5 opportunities..Early Symbolic
Adam will use pictures to identify themes in literature that has been read to him and sort the different stories by corresponding themes for 4 of 5 opportunities.Symbolic
Thomas will use a Venn diagram to compare and contrast the themes of literature he has previously read with 90% of responses correct for at least 3 stories.
Aligning Grade Level Standards: Incorporating Present Level of Performance-MathDomain Grade level standard Objectives based on
present level of performance
Expressions & Equations:
Analyze and solve linear equations and pairs of simultaneous linear equations
7th Grade
7.7a. Give examples of linear equations in one variable with one solution, infinitely many solutions, or no solutions. Show which of these possibilities is the case by successively transforming the given equation into simpler forms, until an equivalent equation of the form x = a, a = a, or a = b results (where a and b are different numbers).
Beginning Symbolic
Leslie will use the equal and not equal signs on her AAC device to indicate “same” or “not same” for 4/5 equations augmented with objects (e.g., ***=3). Early Symbolic
Hannah will use a pictorial number line to solve linear equations with sums under 10 for 4/5 equations. Symbolic
Thomas will write the linear equation for 3 of 4 known money facts (e.g., x quarters = $1.00 or x (25) = 100).
Apply Longstanding Values/ Supports
• Self Determination-making choices and decisions regarding one's quality of life free from undue external influence• Use general curriculum activities as context for learning self-
determination skills that contribute to increased autonomy for students
• Skills can promote learning of the general curriculum, while at the same time foster the acquisition of skills with lifelong benefits
Incorporating SD in Academic Objectives• Examples
• David will count tasks to determine how many jobs he completed.• Sam will use a picture/word journal to rate characteristics of
potential jobs based on likes/dislikes
• Which components of SD are embedded?
Your turn!• Write two standards-based objectives that embed a self-
determination skill.• Given numbers 1-10, Alex will correctly count items to represent
each number.• Stephanie will select pictures to identify 2/3 of a story’s main
characters.
Apply Longstanding Values/ Supports
• Assistive Technology• Should enable the student to engage in the task more
independently• Examples
• Photos, picture symbols, pencil grips, stamps, switches, software, touch screens
AT Examples
• John will read 5 three word phrases that use known words.
• David will watch as a peer counts manipulatives in sets of 1 to 10 items.
• John will read 10 complete sentences composed with a picture support program using picture cues to identify at least one novel word per sentence.
• David will use a math software program with virtual manipulatives and a head switch to choose the correct number of manipulatives that have been counted for sets 1-10.
• Original Objective • With AT
Your turn!Original Objective
• Chuck will choose 5 pictures to put in a journal and dictate a description of the pictures.
• Randy will partially participate in a science lesson.
With AT
Apply Longstanding Values/ Supports
• Personal relevance/ functionality• Using a real life activity to help make the standard meaningful
• Creates a picture symbol homework list (writing)• Locates a room by its number (math)• Uses a keypad in the cafeteria (math)• Locates the sports page using newspaper index (reading)• Follows a picture schedule (reading)
Examples of Real Life Applications of Geometry Skills
Home Work Leisure Community
Skill: Geometric shapesAge: 7
Play video games that use shapes.
Shape cues for chores at school (e.g., rectangle for toys in toy box; circle for help to set the round table for snack).
Forming shapes while playing games in P.E. (e.g., Let’s make a circle; boys in a line).
Identify shape signs (e.g., stop at red circle sign).
Perimeter and AreaAge: 12 (Middle School)
Make a “where I live” chart showing area of rooms.
Use laser measure to determine perimeter of objects.
Indicate perimeter of playing field to show concept of “out of bounds.”
Identify what foods are located in perimeter of grocery store.
Your turn!• Identify simple machines
and explain how they help us (Note: inclined planes, ramps, wheels, pulleys, screws, levers, etc.)
• Collect, organize and display data to solve problems (goal is to use graphs and data – bar graphs, tallies, pictographs, Venn diagrams, circle graphs, line plots, tables). Identify the mode of a set of data (most often occurring)
Practicing Alignment to State Standards
Aligning Language Arts Objectives• Lisa’s Scenario
• Lisa is a 3rd grade student with Rhett’s syndrome. She is nonverbal and currently uses objects to communicate. She shows an interest in books read to her by peers. She will also sometimes look at pictures in a magazine. Lisa is ambulatory, but has limited use of her hands. She enjoys social contexts and will sometimes make her meaning known by eye gazing or laughing.
Begin by considering the Strand of ELA• See Lisa’s ELA Handout
• Team targets one standard for each component of 3rd grade ELA• Defines priority skills
• Based on Lisa’s needs (challenges accessing the general curriculum: few foundational skills, limited hand dexterity), p. 83
Promote Self Determination
1. Lisa will choose books to be read aloud during individual reading times.
2. Lisa will independently engage with books using technology for read alouds.
3. Lisa will initiate use of picture communication for requests.
Use Assistive Technology
1. Lisa will use a voice output device with picture symbols to communicate requests.
2a. Given two pictures presented on a VOD or computer touch screen Lisa will answer "what" and "who" comprehension questions.
2b. Given two pictures presented on a VOD or computer touch screen Lisa will select one to fill in a sentence.
3. Lisa will use a touch screen computer to print a sentence she composed or activate a recorded book.
Embed in Real Life Activities• Lisa can use pictures for requesting during lunch and break
times as well as during class times.• During times when the class chooses literature for
independent reading, Lisa can have options that relate to her special interests which are horses and swimming as well as other stories from the 3rd grade reading list. The teacher may begin with some literature on these topics to teach her how to answer comprehension questions.
• Lisa can be taught to generalize her "who" and "what" answers and sentence writing to compose daily reports to share with her family about her day.
• Lisa can also generalize her emerging literacy skills to social stories the teacher will use to help her learn skills needed for the school environment like how to eat in the cafeteria.
Lisa’s IEP Objectives in ELA
1. Lisa will select a research topic using a picture request and copy/paste at least 5 pictures from the internet to create a report about the topic. (Writing Standard 3.7)
*see handout for additional examples
Aligning Math Objectives• Jerome’s Scenario
• Jerome is a student with Down syndrome and a moderate intellectual disability. He has mastered about 50 sight words and is learning to apply them in activities of daily living. Jerome also has learned to recognize initial and final consonants and short vowels can decode many simple words. With his sight words and decoding skills, he can often help the teacher read short passages of text that have been prepared with controlled vocabulary. He communicates using a picture wallet and single spoken words to make requests, answer questions, and socialize. In math, he rote counts from 1-10, but cannot count objects consistently or recognize numbers consistently. Jerome does understand the purpose of money and likes to make purchases, but needs help counting out the correct number of dollars. Jerome is 11 years old and in 6th grade.
Begin By Considering the Standards in Math• See Jerome’s Mathematics Handout
• IEP team targets at one or two priority standards in each of these areas based on the recommendation of the math teacher
• Develops priority skills• Based on Jerome’s needs (few numeracy skills-inconsistent
number identification, no computation), p. 91
Promote Self Determination
1. When presenting a math story, Jerome could choose the numbers to use in that days story. He could also choose which manipulatives to put into sets.
2. As Jerome masters using a graphic organizer, he can more easily self-direct his learning. He can learn to say, then do, the steps to solve the problem.
3. Jerome might set a goal for how many math problems to try that day. He could count and graph the number completed. This self-monitoring and self-evaluation also promotes his emerging numeracy skills.
Use Assistive Technology
1. The calculator is an important form of assistive technology for Jerome. Once he learns to enter numbers on the calculator, he will be able to perform more of the problems from the 6th grade text. Once he can find the numbers 1-9, the operation symbols, and equal, he will be able to compute problems.
2. Many of the skills Jerome needs to acquire can be practiced on the computer. For example, he could move items on a touch screen to create sets or perform computation on an on screen calculator.
3. The graphic organizers Jerome will learn to use are also a form of assistive technology. For example, he will have a graphic organizer to help him write fractions as ___ (how many are in part of the set)/___how many are in the whole.
Embed in Real Life Activities
1. Jerome can divide materials for projects into sets for the class or his small group and use this experience to practice matching numbers to sets and creating fractions and ratios.
2. By having a class store or token economy, Jerome can apply his general knowledge of money and interest in purchasing to practice counting accurately and learning the concept of debt (negative numbers) and zero (no money).
3. Identifying points on a plane can become very meaningful when applied to planning a route through a neighborhood or store.
IEP Objectives for Jerome In Mathematics1. When given a cluster of up to 20 objects, Jerome
will divide them into 1-5 sets and identify the number that represents each set for 8/10 trials. He will subdivide these sets to show division of fractions and ratios and represent this second number using a graphic organizer for 8/10 trials. (Mathematics: Rations and Proportional Relationships, Standard 6.1; Number System, Standard 6.1)
* see handout for additional objectives
Carina Example• Carina is a 5th grade students with severe, multiple disabilities.
She uses a wheelchair and has limited movement in her left arm. She can move her head from side to side. Carina uses a head switch to greet teachers and peers. She smiles when listening to stories that are read to her by an adult. Carina does not recognize any math symbols and does not respond to teacher count downs.
• Develop IEP goals and strategies to align
Work for one of your students
Are we done yet?• Your IEP is not complete…• Also include daily living skills, social skills, therapy goals, etc.
based on individual needs and preferences
Contact Information
Ginevra Courtade•[email protected]
• https://sites.google.com/site/ginevracourtade/
Resources• Courtade, G., & Browder, D. (2011). Aligning IEPs to the
Common Core State Standards for students with moderate and severe disabilities. Verona, WI: Attainment Company.
• http://wvde.state.wv.us/ose/StandardsBasedIEPs.pdf
