May 2019 ADA Compliant: June 2020
May 2019 2 | Page
Using Specially Designed Instruction in a general education setting for students with disabilities to
increase access to grade level content standards.
Kim Fratto, M.Ed.
Education Coordinator
Special Education Services
Access to Core Instruction
Effective Instruction
Becky Unker, M.Ed.
Education Specialist
Special Education Services
State Systemic Improvement Plan
Effective Instruction
Sydnee Dickson, Ed.D.
State Superintendent of Public Instruction
Leah Voorhies, Ph.D.
Assistant Superintendent of Student Support
250 East 500 South
P.O. Box 144200
Salt Lake City, UT 84114-4200
May 2019 3 | Page
Utah State Board of Education
250 East 500 South
P.O. Box 144200
Salt Lake City, UT 84114-4200
Utah State Board of Education Website
(https://schools.utah.gov)
District Name Location
1
Jennie Earl
Morgan, UT 84050
2
Scott L. Hansen
Liberty, UT 84310
3
Linda B. Hansen
West Valley City, UT 84120
4
Jennifer Graviet
South Ogden, UT 84403
5
Laura Belnap
Bountiful, UT 84010
6
Brittney Cummins
West Valley City, UT 84120
7
Carol Lear
Salt Lake City, UT 84102
8
Janet Cannon
Holladay, UT 84117
9
Cindy Davis
American Fork, UT 84003
10
Shawn Newell
Cottonwood Heights, UT 84121
11
Lisa Cummins
Herriman, UT 84096
12
Alisa Ellis
Heber City, UT 84032
13
Scott Neilson
Spanish Fork, UT 84660
14
Mark Huntsman
Fillmore, UT 84631
15
Michelle Boulter
St. George, UT 84790
USBE
Sydnee Dickson
State Superintendent of Public Instruction
USBE
Lorraine Austin
Board Secretary
May 2019 4 | Page
This document would not be possible without the contributions of the following
professionals:
Carol Anderson, M.Ed., Education Specialist-Behavior and Mental Health, USBE
Jessica Bowman, M.Ed., Education Specialist-Autism and Significant Cognitive Disabilities, USBE
Emily Bytheway, M.A., Program Specialist-Section Editor, USBE
Ginny Eggen, M.Ed., Education Specialist-Multi-Tiered System of Supports, USBE
Glenna Gallo, M.Ed., Former State Director of Special Education, USBE
Joleigh Honey, M.S., Education Coordinator-STEM and Secondary Mathematics, USBE
Susan Loving, M.S., Education Specialist-Transition, USBE
Emily Nordfelt, B.S., Administrative Secretary-Leadership Support, USBE
Britney Stevens, M.Ed., CCC-SLP, Speech Language Pathologist, CCC Private Practice
Betsy Sutherland, M.S., Education Specialist-Early Childhood, USBE
Jocelyn Taylor, Ph.D., CCC, Related Services Supervisor, Davis School District
Crystal Thomas, M.Ed., Education Specialist-Sensory Disabilities and Related Services, USBE
May 2019 5 | Page
The Purpose of This Document ...................................................................................................................................................................................................... 6
Five Anchors for Differentiating Tiered Instruction ...................................................................................................................................................................... 7
Five Anchors for Differentiating Tiered Instruction in Mathematics ........................................................................................................................................... 8
Five Anchors for Differentiating Tiered Instruction in Student Literacy ...................................................................................................................................... 9
Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) .................................................................................................................................................................................... 10
Effective Instruction Incorporating Universal Design for Learning and the Five Anchors for Differentiation Applied to All Tiers of Instruction ................. 11
What is Explicit Instruction? ........................................................................................................................................................................................................ 15
What is Universal Design for Learning? ....................................................................................................................................................................................... 16
Universal Design for Learning ...................................................................................................................................................................................................... 17
What is Equitable Access? ............................................................................................................................................................................................................ 18
Cycle of Ensuring Access to the General Education Curriculum ................................................................................................................................................. 19
Specially Designed Instruction: What It Is and What It Is Not ................................................................................................................................................... 20
Who Can Deliver Specially Designed Instruction? ...................................................................................................................................................................... 21
Adapting as Appropriate .............................................................................................................................................................................................................. 22
Becoming a Reflective Teacher .................................................................................................................................................................................................... 23
Early Childhood Core Strategies .................................................................................................................................................................................................. 24
English Lanuage Arts Core Strategies .......................................................................................................................................................................................... 29
Mathematics Core Strategies....................................................................................................................................................................................................... 34
What are the Eight Mathematical Practice Standards? .............................................................................................................................................................. 39
Eight Mathematical Practice Standards – What They are and What They Do .......................................................................................................................... 40
Positive Behavior Intervention and Support Strategies ............................................................................................................................................................. 42
Dynamic Learning Maps Essential Elements for English Language Arts Strategies ................................................................................................................... 45
Dynamic Learning Maps Essential Elements for Mathematics Strategies ................................................................................................................................. 51
Student Centered Transition Planning Strategies ....................................................................................................................................................................... 56
Language Development Strategies .............................................................................................................................................................................................. 59
Adaptive Physical Education Strategies ...................................................................................................................................................................................... 62
References .................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 64
May 2019 6 | Page
The Purpose of This Document
The purpose of this document is to help define specially designed instruction as it relates to the content, methodology,
and delivery of instruction for students with disabilities in a multi-tiered system of supports (MTSS). This document is
intended to aide educators in identifying methodologies and strategies that may benefit students with disabilities in all
settings.
The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) 2004 clearly defines students with disabilities as general education
students first. IDEA further states that students with disabilities are to be educated with their non-disabled peers to the
maximum extent appropriate, in addition, a "statement of the specific special education and related services to be
provided to the child and the extent that the child will be able to participate in regular educational programs." 34 CFR
300.346(a)(3) must also be included in the student’s Individual Education Plan (IEP).
Students with disabilities are entitled to a Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) under the law. Special education
services and supplementary aides and supports must be based on the student’s individual needs as determined through
a comprehensive evaluation and response to intervention(s) and are in addition to, and not in place of, general
education services.
Educators often struggle with differentiating instructional strategies for students that require additional supports. This
document contains a variety of strategies for pre-school, English language arts, math, behavior, transition, speech and
language, and physical education for students with mild/moderate disabilities and students with more complex
disabilities. The strategies can be implemented in a variety of educational settings by a variety of educators and support
staff. While this document does not contain an exhaustive list of strategies, it does list some of the most frequently
used, research-based, and easily implemented strategies. It breaks them down into three parts: the name of the
strategy, what it is by brief definition, and what it does for the student.
In addition to defining the strategies, this document also contains information to help educators reflect on their
practices as they plan, implement, and deliver instruction to support the learning and progress of ALL students through
equitable access while incorporating Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and using the five anchors of differentiated
instruction.
May 2019 7 | Page
Five Anchors for Differentiating Tiered Instruction
Interventions for students who are not making adequate progress in Tier I instruction can be addressed using the five
anchors for differentiated instruction as a tool to increase student engagement in the core content being taught. The
five anchors involve the following components:
• Instructional Time: Provide increased time to interact with the concepts and to improve instructional delivery
• Instructional Intensity: Increase the intensity of the instruction by working in smaller groups on specific skills
• Instructional Explicitness: Teach important concepts using multiple methods
• Strategic Instruction: Increase problem solving abilities by presenting multiple strategies
• Response Opportunities: Increase opportunities to respond, question and explain thinking
The five anchors are components of instruction that the teacher can initiate and control in response to student need.
They can be used together or independent of one another across all Tiers of instruction and content areas to meet the
needs of students in any classroom setting.
“The five anchors can serve as focal points for educators as they plan for and implement tiered mathematics
instruction, and as they problem solve the mathematics instructional needs of individual students. The degree to
which each anchor is emphasized across tiered instructional levels should increase as students demonstrate the
need for additional instructional support.” (Mathematics RTI: A Problem-Solving Approach to Creating an Effective
Model; Allsopp, et al., 2010).
Explicitness
May 2019 8 | Page
Five Anchors for Differentiating Tiered Instruction in Mathematics
Instructional Time:
• Increasing the time that students have to interact with math.
• Interaction with the math is crucial.
• This doesn’t mean simply giving them more math problems to do.
• Students need to be engaged in the mathematics.
• Teachers need to be using the eight mathematical practice standards in their
teaching.
Instructional Intensity:
• Have students work in small groups on math tasks.
• Small groups aren’t just for elementary students!
• Small groups allow the teachers more interaction with the students to discuss
their mathematical thinking.
Instructional Explicitness:
• Explicit instruction has to do with determining the most important and distinct
features of a concept.
• Highlighting that concept through multiple methods.
• CRA, Manipulatives, Graphic Organizers.
• Structured language experiences: build the students’ math vocabulary.
Strategic Instruction:
• Teach students problem solving strategies.
• Give them multiple strategies.
• Graphic Organizers and Manipulatives can be used in instruction.
Response Opportunities:
• Get your students “talking math.”
• Let them explain and justify their mathematical thinking to the teacher as well as fellow students.
• Teachers should “facilitate” math discussions by asking good open-ended questions which allow multiple entry points for all students to participate
in the math task.
Adapted from: Mathematics RTI: A Problem-Solving Approach to Creating an Effective Model by David Allsopp, Patricia Alvarez McHatton, Sharon
Nichole Estock Ray, Jennie L Farmer; 2010 LRP Publication
Instructional
Time
Instructional
Intensity
Instructional
Explicitness
Strategic
Instruction
Response
Opportunities
May 2019 9 | Page
Five Anchors for Differentiating Tiered Instruction in Student Literacy
Instructional Time:
• Increasing the time that students have to interact with content.
• Design meaningful tasks to engage students in the writing process.
• Teachers use the Utah core standards for student literacy.
Instructional Intensity:
• Have students work in small groups on specific tasks.
• Small groups allow the teachers more interaction with the students to discuss
their overall comprehension of the material.
Instructional Explicitness:
• Explicit instruction has to do with determining the most important and distinct
features of a concept to build content knowledge:
o Comprehension, value of evidence and ability to critique
• Highlighting that concept through multiple methods:
o Graphic organizers, technology, and digital media.
• Structured language experiences: build the students’ vocabulary.
Strategic Instruction:
• Teach students self-regulated strategy development (SRSD).
• Use the eight core routines:
o Evaluate exemplars, plan, revise, memorize the strategy, support it, independence, track feedback and progress, set goals.
Response Opportunities:
• Get your students “talking about and sharing their writing.”
• Let them explain and justify their meaning and purpose to the teacher as well as fellow students.
• Teachers should “facilitate” discussions by asking good open-ended questions which allow multiple entry points for all students to participate in the
task.
Adapted from: Mathematics RTI: A Problem-Solving Approach to Creating an Effective Model by David Allsopp, Patricia Alvarez McHatton, Sharon
Nichole Estock Ray, Jennie L Farmer; 2010 LRP Publication
Instructional
Time
Instructional
Intensity
Instructional
Explicitness
Strategic
Instruction
Response
Opportunities
May 2019 10 | Page
Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS)
Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) is a framework for implementing systemic, evidence-based practices to maximize student achievement in
academics and behavior in preparation for and leading to College and Career Readiness. Critical components of the MTSS model includes Universal,
Targeted, and Intensive levels of support. Universal (Tier 1) represents those supports provided to all students. Tier 1 practices should be implemented
with fidelity prior to addressing practices for Tier 2 or 3. Targeted (Tier 2) represents additional supports provided to remediate or accelerate student
success. Intensive (Tier 3) represents individually responsive supports intended to further remediate or accelerate student success and do not necessarily
equate to special education services. Individually responsive supports are developed based on individual need but may be provided in a small group or
individual format. Tier 2 and 3 supports are provided in addition to, not in place of, Tier 1 instruction.
Utah’s Definition of MTSS
The 3-Tier Critical
Components of an MTSS
High Quality Instruction
Data-Based
Decision
Making
Team-Based
Problem
Solving
Equitable Education for
Each Student
Supportive
Leadership
Proactive
Sch
ool
Climate and
Structure
College and
Career
Readiness
Parent and
Community
Involvement
Instructional layers of an MTSS model include Universal Design for Learning (UDL), differentiation including the five anchors of differentiation (time,
intensity, explicitness, strategic instruction, and response opportunities). These anchors are applied across the tiers as universal, targeted or intensive
supports. Instruction for students with disabilities can include accommodations, related services, and assistive technology, as needed, and is provided
thoughout the tiers as defined by the student’s IEP. The following graphic outlines how UDL, the five anchors of differentiation through tiered instruction,
and SDI can work together.
May 2019 11 | Page
Effective Instruction Incorporating Universal Design for Learning and the
Five Anchors for Differentiation Applied to All Tiers of Instruction
Universal Design for Learning (UDL)
UDL is an instructional framework that focuses on teaching learning processes in a way that will serve the needs of the greatest number of students in an
educational setting regardless of their learning characteristics and/or perceived abilities. UDL has three guiding principles: Representation: we must
present information in multiple ways, Engagement: we must offer flexible options to engage learners in the learning environment, and Expression: we
must provide and be open to a variety of ways for students to demonstrate what they have learned (www.CAST.org, 2014).
5 Anchors of Differentiation
(Adapted from: Mathematics RTI: A Problem-solving Approach to Creating an Effective Model (Allsopp, et al., 2010))
Time
Intensity
Explicitness
Strategic Instruction
Response Opportunities
Focus on increasing (a) the
amount of interaction time
with the content and (b)
the quality of instructional
delivery.
Target specific skills
students need to acquire;
guided by process
monitoring data and
delivered in small groups.
Highlight important
concepts through
multiple methods (i.e.,
content vocabulary,
graphic organizers).
Teach general and specific
strategies that help build
metacognitive awareness and
increase opportunities to become
independent problem solvers.
Allow students to explain and
justify their thinking. Facilitating
discussions by asking questions
that give students multiple entry
points to the content being taught.
Tiered Instruction
Adapted from National Center on Intensive Intervention
(https://intensiveintervention.org/special-topics/mtss/standards-relevant-instruction)
Tier 2 and Tier 3 are in addition to – not in place of – Core instruction
Tier 1 (Universal)
Tier 2 (Targeted)
Tier 3 (Intensive)
Core instruction guaranteed and delivered to all students…
providing multiple opportunities for students to take in
information. It includes ongoing formative assessment,
recognition of diverse learners, group work, problem solving,
choice, and multiple representations.
Core instruction with supplemental,
targeted supports that includes
differentiation based on the 5
anchors.
Core instruction with intensive, individually
responsive supports that includes differentiation
based on the 5 anchors.
Tier 3 does not necessarily equate to special
education services.
Special Education: Specially Designed Instruction (SDI)
Adapting, as appropriate, the content, methodology, or delivery of instruction to address the unique needs of the student that result from the student’s
disability to ensure access of the child to the general curriculum, so that the child can meet the same educational standards of the public agency that
apply to all children. IDEA 300.39 (b)(3)
• Accommodations reduce or eliminate the effects of a disability without decreasing the learning expectations
• Related services means transportation and such developmental, corrective, and other supportive services as are required to assist a student with
a disability to benefit from special education.
• Assistive technology means any item, piece of equipment, or product system that is used to increase, maintain, or improve the functional
capabilities of a student with a disability and the service necessary to directly assist a student with a disability in the selection, acquisition, or use
of an assistive technology device.
May 2019 12 | Page
Example One
Universal Design for Learning (UDL)
Use of graphic organizers with manipulatives for all students.
5 Anchors of Differentiation
• Time: Provide increased time to interact with the math concepts and to improve instructional delivery.
• Intensity: Increase the intensity of the instruction by working in smaller groups on specific skills.
• Explicitness: Teach important concepts using multiple methods.
• Strategic Instruction: Increase problem-solving abilities by presenting multiple strategies.
• Response Opportunities: Increase opportunities to respond, question, and explain thinking.
Tiered Instruction
(Adapted from National Center on Intensive Intervention)
Tier 1 (Universal)
Tier 2 (Targeted)
Tier 3 (Intensive)
Standards-aligned curriculum that is evidence-
based and includes tasks that allow entry points
for all students (low threshold, high ceiling).
Provide explicit teaching and explicit practice
of skills underlying the core content
standards.
Break instruction into small steps, prioritizing
foundational skills and core concepts not yet
mastered.
Special Education: Specially Designed Instruction (SDI)
Create a strategy bank for students to use when
they are not sure how to start a problem.
Provide small group instruction with multiple
opportunities for learning and practice. Use
CRA methods (i.e., graphic organizers,
manipulatives) specific to the task.
Include distinct instruction needed for
students to progress toward the annual goal(s)
outlined in their IEPs.
Ex: Use a graphic organizer to help student keep
problems in the correct format.
Ex: Teach students to use a calculator as a
tool to help them understand how to work
the problem.
Ex: Explicitly model for students and allow
additional time for students to practice with
manipulatives and/or graphic organizers, or
calculators.
May 2019 13 | Page
Example Two
Universal Design for Learning (UDL)
Post strategy and vocabulary bank on a bulletin board for all students to access.
5 Anchors of Differentiation
• Time: Provide increased time to interact with the math concepts and to improve instructional delivery.
• Intensity: Increase the intensity of the instruction by working in smaller groups on specific skills.
• Explicitness: Teach important concepts using multiple methods.
• Strategic Instruction: Increase problem-solving abilities by presenting multiple strategies.
• Response Opportunities: Increase opportunities to respond, question, and explain thinking.
Tiered Instruction
(Adapted from National Center on Intensive Intervention)
Tier 1 (Universal)
Tier 2 (Targeted)
Tier 3 (Intensive)
Incorporate effective teaching practices that
increase student engagement and participation
in learning core content (differentiation, UDL).
Explicitly teach a specific skill or vocabulary
that struggling students will need to know to
participate in the general education
setting/instruction.
Use appropriate strategies to help students
conceptualize the skill or task they have not
yet mastered.
Special Education: Specially Designed Instruction (SDI)
Present problems in a way that allows students
to access the core content being taught.
Determine specific skills students have not
mastered in order to make progress in and
access the grade-level core content.
Break instruction into small steps, prioritizing
foundational skills and core concepts not yet
mastered.
Ex: Explore the vocabulary words and symbols
or signs students will need to know in order to
participate.
Ex: Use multiple strategies to help make
connections between two representations;
provide opportunities for students to practice
and apply each strategy to create conceptual
understanding.
Ex: Pick a strategy to explicitly teach the skill;
hone in on the characteristics of proportional
relationships using one representation, such
as tables rather than worksheets that practice
just the problem.
May 2019 14 | Page
Example Three
Universal Design for Learning (UDL)
Provide progress monitoring tool for students to use and track their progress.
5 Anchors of Differentiation
• Time: Provide increased time to interact with the math concepts and to improve instructional delivery.
• Intensity: Increase the intensity of the instruction by working in smaller groups on specific skills.
• Explicitness: Teach important concepts using multiple methods.
• Strategic Instruction: Increase problem-solving abilities by presenting multiple strategies.
• Response Opportunities: Increase opportunities to respond, question, and explain thinking.
Tiered Instruction
(Adapted from National Center on Intensive Intervention)
Tier 1 (Universal)
Tier 2 (Targeted)
Tier 3 (Intensive)
Progress monitor periodically (at least 3 times a
year) to determine effectiveness of core
instruction and identify students in need of
additional supports.
Progress monitor 1-2 times per month using
a valid, reliable tool for the academic area
that is targeted.
Progress monitor weekly using a valid, reliable
tool for the targeted academic area and adjust
instruction as needed; the tool should be
sensitive to minimal change.
Special Education: Specially Designed Instruction (SDI)
Teach students to track their own progress in
order to help them identify their strengths and
areas for improvement.
Review students’ progress 1-2 times per
month; graph data and set goals with
students.
Monitor progress weekly to ensure students
are progressing toward goal(s) as outlined in
their IEPs in addition to progress monitoring of
core instruction.
Ex: Teach students to graph their performance
data (academic, behavior) using graph paper.
Ex: Teach students to graph their
performance and analyze data (academic,
behavior) for trends.
Ex: Use the student data tracking system to
teach students to identify gaps that prevent
them from progressing toward and mastering
grade-level core content (Gap Analysis).
May 2019 15 | Page
What is Explicit Instruction?
As educators, we are constantly faced with the question of how we can best present
material so that it is optimally
“learnable” for the different students we are trying to reach.
Explicit instruction is when the instructor clearly outlines what the learning goals are for
the student and offers clear,
unambiguous explanations of the skills and information
structures that are presented (The Science of Learning
Corporation, 2016).
Why Use Explicit Instruction?
When we highlight key features of a concept that make it distinct, students are better able to
understand it. As students
demonstrate learning difficulties, increasing the level of
instructional explicitness can result in more positive learning
outcomes (Mathematics RTI, 2010).
May 2019 16 | Page
What is Universal Design for Learning?
Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is an instructional framework that focuses on
teaching learning processes in a way that will serve the needs of the greatest
number of students in an educational setting regardless of their learning
characteristics and/or perceived abilities.
• The UDL framework for teaching and learning includes proactive planning of
curricula (goals, assessments, methods, and materials) and takes into account
the variability of all learners
• Based on the research from the learning sciences (e.g., education, psychology,
neuroscience)
• UDL has three guiding principles:
o Action and Expression: Provide students a variety of opportunities and
avenues to express what they know
o Representation: present information in multiple ways
o Engagement: offer flexible options to engage learners in the learning
environment (www.cast.org)
When and How Should UDL be Used?
UDL should be used daily to ensure that all students have equitable access to
instruction, technology, and materials necessary for their individual learning
characteristics. UDL is implemented through a range of teaching and learning
applications designed to accommodate students’ strengths and needs through:
Equitable use, flexible use, higher order thinking skills and application, key learning
points (foundational and essential skills are taught), and expectations and examples
(feedback to ensure task completion through mastery), (www.cast.org).
May 2019 17 | Page
Universal Design for Learning
UDL Guidelines
• Provide options for self-regulation
• Provide options for sustaining effort
and persistence
• Provide options for recruiting interest
• Provide options for comprehension
• Provide options for language,
mathematical expressions, and
symbols
• Provide options for perception
• Provide options for executive
functions
• Provide options for expression and
communication
• Provide options for physical action
May 2019 18 | Page
What is Equitable Access?
Providing a student access to the general education
curriculum goes beyond exposure to grade level content
standards. It is the responsibility of the instructor to
ensure that each student has the supports needed to
make the content “accessible” to him/her. “Access to an
equitable education is a legal right for all children, and
the quality of that access in classroom instruction is a
moral and ethical right,” (Wisconsin’s Guiding Principles
for Teaching and Learning, 2011).
Creating equitable access for students with disabilities
involves making content accessible and ensuring active
meaningful participation for each student where he/she
can progress toward grade level content standards.
“Beyond these general introductory statements
concerning access to the general curriculum, both IDEA
97’ and 04’ specifically require that students with
disabilities be involved in and progress in the general
education curriculum. Thus, the overall right to have
access to the general curriculum can, in fact, be viewed
as consisting of three interrelated stages: access,
involvement, and progress,” (Hitchcock et al., 2002).
May 2019 19 | Page
Cycle of Ensuring Access to the General Education Curriculum
(Adapted from Access to the General Education Curriculum for Students with Disabilities, 2005)
1
Access
Accessibility of the
curriculum to the student
2
Involvement
An ongoing process of
meaningful participation by
the student in the general
education curriculum
3
Progress
Progress in the general
education curriculum; refers
not only to the final outcome,
but also to an evaluative
measure that can feed back
into the earlier stages
May 2019 20 | Page
Specially Designed Instruction: What It Is and What It Is Not
Definition: Adapting, as appropriate the content, methodology, or delivery of instruction (i) to address the unique needs of a child that
result from the child’s disability; and (ii) to ensure access of the child to the general curriculum, so that the child can meet the educational
standards within the jurisdiction of the public agency that apply to all children. [§300.39(b)(3)]
Is...
In addition to core instruction (supplemental)
A service
What a teacher does
Based on teaching specific skills a student does
NOT ha
ve in order to access and make progress in
the general curriculum
Unique instruction written into the IEP that is
provided to the student to allow him/her to
progress toward annual goal(s)
Specific to the student (individualized)
Instruction that allows a student to make progress
in the ge
neral education curriculum and close the
gap in academic performance as compared to
his/her general education peers
Is Not...
In place of core instruction (supplant)
A place
What a student does
A restatement of the academic content standards
being taught
A commercial program
A schedule
An excuse for setting low expectations or teaching
below grade level (not making grade level content
available/accessible to students with disabilities)
May 2019 21 | Page
Who Can Deliver Specially Designed Instruction?
• Teachers with a special education license and related service providers with specialization in the area of need
have primary responsibility, in collaboration with general education teachers, to plan, implement, and monitor
SDI. Teachers dually certified in general education and special education can serve in both capacities, in
accordance with Utah’s licensing requirements (Florida Department of Education, 2014).
•
The ways in which SDI is implemented can vary. SDI may be implemented through direct
service, consultation,
co-teaching, support/facilitation, co-planning, coaching, and collaboration between general educator and
special educator. Ultimately, all students with disabilities are general education students who receive
additional supports via SDI based on a continuum of need (Florida Department of Education, 2014).
Can a General Education Teacher Deliver SDI? YES…
• If a special education teacher or related service provider is involved in the planning, delivery of and/or
progress monitoring of an intervention for a student with an IEP, then the intervention is part of the student’s
SDI. The team makes decisions about whom should deliver SDI. The most important question for the team is
whether the student is responding positively, as evidenced by rate of growth/progress-monitoring data. If not,
one element of the delivery that may require inspection is the fidelity level with which the intervention is
being delivered. A change in oversight or the delivery of the instruction may be warranted according to the
analysis of the student response data (adapted from the Florida Department of Education, 2014).
May 2019 22 | Page
Adapting as Appropriate
Content
What?
Methodology
How?
Delivery
Who? Where? When?
The core standards, learning objectives,
and individual student goals
• Move the learner beyond the basics
and encourage higher level thinking
• Engage students to apply what they
learn
• Content and context are consistent
with the theme
Kemp-Design Model
(http://educationaltechnology.net/kemp-
design-model/)
The process through which academic
instruction, social instruction, and
behavioral instruction and
interventions are developed
• Instructional design model
• Content sequencing and
evidence-based practices
• Instructional strategies and
learning activities
• Reflective practice
The repertoire of resources, supports, and
technologies used to communicate and
interact with students related to
individualized academic and behavior
content to support student learning and
engagement
• Resources (i.e., personnel, materials,
technologies, manipulatives, etc.)
• Supports (i.e., additional time, group
size, multiple representations, etc.)
• Delivery technologies, assistive
technologies, and accommodations
• Reflective practice
Methodology
and Delivery
are Often
Intertwined
May 2019 23 | Page
Becoming a Reflective Teacher
• “Teaching is a skill, and like any skill, it must be practiced. Just as athletes wanting to improve their skills must
identify personal strengths and weaknesses, set goals, and engage in focused practice to meet those goals,
teachers must also examine their practices, set growth goals, and use focused practice and feedback to
achieve those goals. These reflective processes are essential to the development of expertise in teaching.”
- Marzano Research, Becoming a Reflective Teacher, 2012 pg. 1
Setting Growth Goals
• The road to expertise starts and ends with small steps. For the reflective teacher, this amounts to setting
specific goals each year regarding classroom strategies and behaviors.
• Once a reflective teacher identifies growth goals, he or she engages in focused practice of specific strategies
and behaviors related to his or her goals.
• To facilitate the growth process, a teacher needs feedback on his or her use of specific instructional strategies
and teacher behaviors related to his or her growth goals.
• The final element of becoming a reflective teacher is observing and discussing teaching.
- Marzano Research, Becoming a Reflective Teacher, 2012 pg. 12-13
May 2019 24 | Page
Early Childhood Core Strategies
Meth
odology Delivery
The process through which
academic instruction, social
instruction, and behavioral
instruction and interventions
are developed.
The repertoire of resources,
supports, and technologies
used to communicate and
interact with students related
to individualized academic and
behavior content.
Developmentally Appropriate Practice
A research-based approach to early childhood education that promotes optimal learning and development in young
children. By being knowledgeable about what is typical at each stage of development in young children, teachers know
where children are in their developmental progress which informs decisions regarding experiences and activities that
are best for each child’s learning. A child’s development follows this sequence of typical development with later
abilities, skills and knowledge building on those skills already acquired with the development moving toward greater
complexity, increased self-regulation, and use of symbolic capabilities.
Development and learning in early childhood education include physical, social/emotional, and cognitive domains. All
three are important and closely interrelated. Development and learning in one domain influences and is influenced by
what takes place in other domains. Learning proceeds at varying rates from child to child with early experiences having
profound effects on each child's development by shaping their motivation, persistence, initiative, and flexibility.
May 2019 25 | Page
Strategies for Instructional Delivery – Early Childhood
Developmentally Appropriate Practices (DAP) from the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC)
(http://www.naeyc.org/dap/10-effective-dap-teaching-strategies)
Strategy What it is… What it does…
Acknowledge
Recognizing what children do or say
Helps children know that we have noticed
what they are doing through positive
feedback
Asking Questions
Probing and challenging children through
questions
Promotes children’s thinking and
discourse
Create or Add Challenge to
Moving the child beyond what they have
already mastered
Encourages children to expand their
learning and take risks
Demonstrate
Explicitly teaching children procedures
Shows children a correct way of doing
something
Encourage
Promoting a child’s persistence and
effort rather than praising and evaluating
what the child has done
Encourages the child to persevere through
a given task
May 2019 26 | Page
Strategies for Instructional Delivery – Early Childhood
(Developmentally Appropriate Practices (DAP) from the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC))
Strategy What it is… What it does…
Give Assistance
Cueing children
Encourages children to expand on their
current level of understanding
Give Directions for Children’s
Actions or Behavior
Teaching explicit steps for children to
follow
Prompts the expected behavior or skill
Model Attitudes
Showing children rather than telling
them
Helps children approach problems and
shapes positive behavior towards others
Provide Information
Explicitly giving children information Directs children’s learning
Specific Feedback
Giving precise feedback instead of
general comments
Helps the children know what they did
and what they need to do next
May 2019 27 | Page
Strategies for Instructional Delivery – Early Childhood
(Developmentally Appropriate Practices (DAP) from the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC))
Least Restrictive Environment for Preschool Age Children
LRE requirements, as outlined in IDEA, apply to the rights of all students, regardless of age or diverse abilities to
participate in inclusive environments, if appropriate. IDEA embraces the concept that special education services can
and should be provided in environments where preschoolers without disabilities would participate. Natural
environments for preschoolers that support children's rights to participate actively in school and community may
include, home, playgroups, child care, pre-school, Head Start and recreational or neighborhood activities. It is Utah’s
goal to increase the number of children served in regular early childhood settings, defined as a preschool program that
includes a majority (50% or more), of typically developing preschool age children. Research shows that with proper
supports and differentiated instruction, children with disabilities grow cognitively and socially in inclusive, regular
education settings.
May 2019 28 | Page
May 2019 29 | Page
English Lanuage Arts Core Strategies
Methodology Delivery
The process through which
academic instruction, social
instruction, and behavioral
instruction and interventions
are developed.
The repertoire of resources,
supports, and technologies
used to communicate and
interact with students related
to individualized academic and
behavior content.
The Five Anchors of Differentiated Instruction Applied to English Language Arts
(Adapted from Mathematics RTI: A Problem Solving Approach to Creating and Effective Model, Allsopp, et al., 2010)
Instructional
Time
Instructional
Intensity
Instructional
Explicitness
Strategic
Instruction
Response
Opportunities
Involves the
amount and the
quality of time
students are
engaged in
learning the
content through:
• Increasing the
amount of time
that students
have to interact
with the content
• Increasing the
quality of
instructional time
with the content
Involves a more
individualized approach:
• Targets specific skills a
student needs to
acquire
• Is guided by progress
monitoring data
• Delivered in small
groups
Small groups
allow the
teacher
more time to
work with and
interact
directly
with the student(s)
• Not just for Elementary
Involves determining the
most important and
distinct features of a
concept through:
• Highlighting the
concept through
multiple methods (KWL
charts, graphic
organizers, T charts,
etc.)
• Structured language
builds vocabulary
• The use of teacher and
student modeling
through a gradual
release model
Involves systematic,
sequential instruction of
basic literacy skills:
• phonemic awareness
• phonics
• fluency
• vocabulary
• comprehension
Supports the instruction of
cognitive strategies used
to extract and construct
meaning from:
• current text
• most recent text
• prior text
• background knowledge
Allows your students
to interact with the
content and each
other by:
• Letting students
explain and justify
their thinking to the
teacher and peers
• Allowing teachers to
facilitate discussions
by asking questions
that allow multiple
entry points for all
students to
participate
May 2019 30 | Page
Strategies for Instructional Delivery – English Language Arts
Glossary of Instructional Strategies
(http://www.beesburg.com/edtools/glossary.html)
Strategy What it is… What it does…
Big Five
A way of incorporating all reading
components: Phonics, Phonemic
Awareness, Comprehension, Vocabulary,
Fluency
Helps students master written and oral
communication through multiple
approaches
Cloze Procedure
A technique in which words are deleted
from a passage according to a word
count formula, and various other criteria,
and students insert words to construct
meaning
Gathers information about readers’
abilities to deal with the content and
structure of texts they are reading.
Expands the use of language structure and
background knowledge to predict
unknown words
Concept Maps
A special form of a web diagram for
exploring knowledge and gathering and
sharing information
Deepens student understanding and
comprehension of new concepts
Provide Information
Instruction in which the teacher serves as
the provider of knowledge; direct
instruction emphasizes student mastery
through the “I do,” ”We do,” and “You
do” model
Allows the teacher and the student to
focus as actively as possible on an
interactive model that promotes the
effective use of instructional time
May 2019 31 | Page
Strategies for Instructional Delivery – English Language Arts
(Glossary of Instructional Strategies)
Strategy What it is… What it does…
Explicit Teaching
Determining the most important and
distinct features of a concept and
highlighting them through multiple
methods so that a student can clearly
and meaningfully access them cognitively
Allows the student a variety of ways to
learn and interact with new concepts and
skills
Guided Practice
A method that allows multiple
opportunities to practice with teacher
guidance and feedback
Allows the student time to practice the
new skill with teacher guidance until the
student gains confidence in his or her
ability to practice the skill independently
Highlighting
Color highlighting on the whiteboard or a
student’s paper to attract and hold
student attention
Draws the students to key information
and details to help them organize it in a
way that makes sense
Independent Practice
After guided practice, a student should
practice the new skill independent of the
teacher’s help
Gives the student more opportunities to
engage with newly learned information
that will lead to mastery of the skill or
concept
May 2019 32 | Page
Strategies for Instructional Delivery – English Language Arts
(Glossary of Instructional Strategies)
Strategy What it is… What it does…
Inquiry Learning
A process of presenting a question,
problem, or scenario for the student to
examine
Emphasizes the process of thinking by
creating questions for students to find the
answer and evidence to support their
thinking
K | W | L
An introductory strategy that provides a
structure for recalling what a student
knows about a topic, noting what the
student wants to know, and, finally,
listing what has been learned and is yet
to be learned
Helps students process and keep track of
their thinking
Literature Circles
Student led groups that engage in critical
thinking and reflection as they read,
discuss, and respond to books
Facilitates cooperative learning and helps
students use each other as resources; it
creates opportunities for reluctant and
struggling readers to make choices about
their learning
Narratives
A report of a series of events arranged in
a logical order or sequence
Helps a student develop listening and
prediction skills by recalling and organizing
events in a story in a systematic way and
provides a way for the student to relate to
events and ideas in a literal manner
May 2019 33 | Page
Strategies for Instructional Delivery – English Language Arts
(Glossary of Instructional Strategies)
Strategy What it is… What it does…
Opportunities to Respond
Teacher instruction that allows the
student to actively and meaningfully
participate in the learning
Engages a student in the learning process
and helps develop underlying neural
connections that process learning of the
targeted skill
Scaffolding
Gradual shifting of responsibility to the
student after the desired learning
strategy or task has been modeled by the
instructor
Provides an effective way for the student
to gradually and thoroughly learn a
concept or skill
Thematic Webbing
A visual representation for brainstorming
ideas; a method of visually representing
relationships among ideas, concepts, or
events; ideas are explored and organized
Helps to diagram the relationships
between ideas or concepts in a way that
allows the student to expand and explore
beyond the initial concept
Think-Pair-Share
A way to differentiate instruction
through peer-based learning that
provides high levels of student
engagement
Provides the student time and structure to
think on a given topic and formulate ideas
to share with a peer; helps the student
develop conceptual ideas, filter
information, draw conclusions, and
consider other points of view
May 2019 34 | Page
Mathematics Core Strategies
Methodology Delivery
The process through which
academic instruction, social
instruction, and behavioral
instruction and interventions
are developed.
The repertoire of resources,
supports, and technologies
used to communicate and
interact with students related
to individualized academic and
behavior content.
The Five Anchors of Differentiating Instruction Applied to Mathematics
(Mathematics RTI: A Problem Solving Approach to Creating and Effective Model, Allsopp, et al., 2010)
Instructional
Time
Instructional
Intensity
Instructional
Explicitness
Strategic
Instruction
Response Opportunities
Involves the amount and the
quality of time students are
engaged in learning the content
through:
• Increasing the
amount of time
that students
have to interact
with the content
• Increasing the quality of
instructional time with the
content
• Not just doing more problems
• Teachers engage
students
through the eight
mathematical
practice
standards
(see pg. 39-40)
Involves a more
individualized approach:
• Targets specific skills a
student needs to
acquire
• Is guided by progress
monitoring data
• Delivered in small
groups
Small groups
allow the
teacher
more time to
work with and
interact
directly
with the
student(s)
• Not just for
Elementary
Involves determining the
most important and distinct
features of a concept
through:
• Highlighting the concept
through multiple methods
• The use of CRA, graphic
organizers,
manipulatives, etc.
• Increasing math
vocabulary through
structured language
experiences
• The delivery of clear and
transparent meaning of
concepts
Involves teaching
students general and
specific problem solving
strategies that help to
build metacognitive
awareness:
• The use of graphic
organizers and
manipulatives
• Problem solving
strategies that are
implemented
systematically and
consistently build
student
independence in
mathematics
Allows students to
interact with the
content and with each
other by:
• Letting students
explain and justify
their thinking to the
teacher and peers
• Allowing teachers
to facilitate
discussions by
asking questions
that allow multiple
entry points for all
students to
participate
May 2019 35 | Page
Strategies for Instructional Delivery – Mathematics
Glossary of Instructional Strategies
(http://www.beesburg.com/edtools/glossary.html)
Strategy What it is… What it does…
Advanced Organizers
A visual graphic organizer
Visually illustrates mathematical
connections and describes them in writing
Concept Maps
Teacher connects new information to
previously learned skills, states the new
topic to be learned, and provides a
rationale of why this new information
will be learned
Allows students to organize and reflect on
their conceptual understanding
Concrete | Pictorial | Abstract
CPA/CRA is a three-part instructional
strategy with each part building on the
previous instruction to promote student
learning and retention and to address
conceptual knowledge
Helps students connect ideas so they gain
a deep understanding of the math concept
Explicit Teaching
Determining the most important and
distinct features of a concept and
highlighting them through multiple
methods so that students can clearly and
meaningfully access them
Multiple methods provide the student
multiple modes of processing and learning
information
May 2019 36 | Page
Strategies for Instructional Delivery – Mathematics
(Glossary of Instructional Strategies)
Strategy What it is… What it does…
Guided Practice
The student will practice a new skill with
teacher guidance
Provides sufficient practice of content that
the student will be asked to do
independently
Highlighting
Color highlighting on the whiteboard or a
student’s paper to attract and hold
student attention
Draws the students’ attention to key
information and details to help them
organize it in a way that makes sense
Independent Practice
Practice of a new skill independent of the
teacher’s help
Allows students time to practice and
internalize the skills and content they are
learning
Manipulatives
Hands-on tools that allow a student to
visualize the concepts and seek solutions
to problems
Facilitate the students’ understanding of
important math concepts, then helps
them link these ideas to representations
and abstract ideas
May 2019 37 | Page
Strategies for Instructional Delivery – Mathematics
(Glossary of Instructional Strategies)
Strategy What it is… What it does…
Modeling
The teacher models for the student the
strategies for problem solving
High-level teacher support and direction
enables a student to make meaningful
cognitive connections
Questioning
Open-ended questions that allow
multiple entry points for mathematical
discourse
Through mathematical discourse, students
are able to reason and justify their
answers
Representation
A student creates representations to
organize, record, and communicate
mathematical ideas
Students develop, share, and preserve
their mathematical thoughts
Scaffolding
Gradual shifting of responsibility to the
student after the desired learning
strategy or task has been modeled by the
teacher
Provides an effective way for the student
to gradually but thoroughly learn a math
concept/skill
May 2019 38 | Page
Strategies for Instructional Delivery – Mathematics
(Glossary of Instructional Strategies)
Strategy What it is… What it does…
Sentence Frame
The answer is degrees
because it is a triangle.
The format of a sentence a student can
use in mathematical discourse
Allows the student to participate in
mathematics class discussions
Think Aloud
The teacher verbalizes the thought
process for a problem solving strategy
Engages students and helps them make
their way step-by-step through a solution
process, reasoning right along with the
teacher
Think-Pair-Share
Encourages students to think about a
question and then refine their
understanding through discussion with a
partner
Provides the student time and structure to
think and formulate ideas to share with a
peer; helps the student develop
conceptual ideas, deepen understanding,
filter information, draw conclusion and
consider other points of view
Vocabulary
Precise mathematics vocabulary
Enables students to communicate their
math thinking clearly and coherently
May 2019 39 | Page
What are the Eight Mathematical Practice Standards?
“The Standards for Mathematical Practice describe varieties of expertise that mathematics educators at all
levels should seek to develop in their students. These practices rest on important ‘processes and
proficiencies’ with longstanding importance in mathematics education,” Implementing Standards for
Mathematical Practices
(https://achievethecore.org/peersandpedagogy/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/Implementing-Standards-for-
Mathematical-Practices-Updated-2016.pdf)
May 2019 40 | Page
Eight Mathematical Practice Standards – What They are and What They Do
Mathematical Practice
Standard
What it is… What it does…
1. Make sense of problems and
persevere in solving them
Working to understand the problem,
finding a way to attack it, and working
until it is done, by planning a solution
pathway, comparing, and checking to
see if answers make sense.
Allows students to work through a tough
task using reasoning skills; the math
becomes about the process and not
about the one right answer.
2. Reason abstractly and
q
uantitatively
(cr
eate reasonable arguments)
Breaking apart a problem and showing
it symbolically, with pictures, or in any
way other than the standard algorithm.
Allows students to figure out what to do
with data themselves, instead of boxing
them into one type of organization.
3. Construct viable arguments and
critique the reasoning of others
Talking about math, using mathematical
language to kindly support or oppose
the work of others.
Encourages students to participate in
mathematical discourse in an
environment where they feel safe to
discuss their ideas, ask questions, and
justify their answers.
4. Model with Mathematics
Students use math in science, art,
music, and even reading. Using real
graphics, articles, and data from the
newspaper or other sources to make
math relevant.
Helps students use math to solve real-
world problems, simplify complicated
situations, organize data, and
understand the world around them.
May 2019 41 | Page
Mathematical Practice
Standard
What it is… What it does…
5. Use appropriate tools strategically
Deciding what tool is appropriate to use
with the math they are working on, i.e.
protractor, paper, calculator,
spreadsheet, graph, or computer
software.
Gives students the opportunity to select
the appropriate math tool to use to
correctly solve problems.
6. Attend to precision
Speaking and solving mathematical
problems with exactness, using clear
definitions.
Enables students to make use of precise
and exact math language. Their
measurements will be exact, numbers
will be precise, and explanations will be
detailed.
7. Look for and make use of
structure
Looking for patterns and recognizing
the significant aspects of mathematical
problems using clear definitions.
Allows students to identify multiple
strategies, select the best one, and see
complicated situations as being made of
multiple parts. Students will use what
they know is true to accurately solve a
new problem.
8. Look for and express regularity in
r
epeated reasoning
Showing students how a problem
works, looking at shortcuts, repeated
calculations, and attending to details.
Allows students to take their
mathematical reasoning, apply it to
other situations, and generalize to other
problem types.
May 2019 42 | Page
Positive Behavior Intervention and Support Strategies
Methodology Delivery
The process through which
academic instruction, social
instruction, and behavioral
instruction and interventions
are developed.
The repertoire of resources,
supports, and technologies
used to communicate and
interact with students related
to individualized academic and
behavior content.
May 2019 43 | Page
Strategies for Instructional Delivery – Behavior
Least Restrictive Behavioral Interventions (LRBI) Technical Assistance (TA) Manual,
2023
Strategy What it is… What it does…
Error Correct
Using consequences for behavioral errors
on a hierarchy of reductive techniques
with consequence levels matching the
severity of the student behavior
Reductive technique that will temporarily
stop or reduce a problem behavior
Establish Expectations
Developing three to five positively stated
classroom expectations and procedures
as the foundation for effective behavior
management
Well-defined classroom expectations and
procedures are the foundation of effective
behavior supports and skill instruction
Explicit Instruction
Determining the most important and
distinct features of a behavior and
highlighting them through multiple
methods so that a student can clearly
and meaningfully access them
A proactive approach to preventing
behavior problems from occurring;
teaches and reinforces expected behavior
and reduces behavioral errors
Reinforce Expectations
A procedure/system that aligns with
expectations with significant intensity to
build/maintain desired behavior
Provides positive input and feedback on
appropriate student behaviors; builds
positive climate and student teacher
interactions
May 2019 44 | Page
Classroom Management Checklist
Cla
ssroom Management Checklist includes the following components:
• Classroom environment
• Behavior management
• Classroom instruction
Problem Solving:
• Used to help students think about a problem without applying judgement. Both reflective and creative problem solving involve
knowing the issues and considering all the factors before deciding on a solution.
For more information on content and delivery, refer to the LRBI TA Manual to provide research-based behavioral supports and strategies
Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA)
The process of systematically applying interventions based upon the principles of learning theory to improve socially
significant behaviors to a meaningful degree and to demonstrate that the interventions employed are responsible for
the improvement of behavior.
Behavior analysts focus on the observable relationship of behavior to the environment, including antecedents and
consequences. By functionally assessing the relationship between a targeted behavior and the environment, the
methods of ABA can be used to change that behavior.
May 2019 45 | Page
Dynamic Learning Maps Essential Elements for English Language Arts Strategies
Metho
dology Delivery
The process through which
academic instruction, social
instruction, and behavioral
instruction and interventions
are developed.
The repertoire of resources,
supports, and technologies
used to communicate and
interact with students related
to individualized academic and
behavior content.
What are the Dynamic Learning Maps and Essential Elements?
The Essential Elements (EEs) are “specific statements and skills linked to the grade level expectations identified
in college-and-career-readiness standards” (DLM. They are the big rocks of the Utah Core Standards. Each EE
has a respective learning map with Node Linkage Progressions that identify basic skills within the standard to
be attainable for students with significant disabilities, no matter their ability level.
UDL Strategies for Essential Elements for English Language Arts (ELA)
The What of Learning:
Representation
The Why of Learning: Engagement The How of Learning: Expression
Say it: lecture, discussion
Show it: picture, graphics
Model it: demonstrate, think aloud,
manipulatives
Media: video, audio, computer
Instruction: reinforcement, error
correction, prompting, peer supports
Content: highly motivating content,
student choice, meaningful assignments
Low tech: picture support, graphic organizers,
choice board, stencils, scribe, alternate pencil
High tech: computer writing software, AAC,
adapted keyboard, on-screen keyboard, web-
based text analyzer, word prediction software
May 2019 46 | Page
Strategies for Instructional Delivery – Essential Elements for ELA
Adapted from the NPDC on Autism Spectrum Disorder; the DLM state site; and Teaching Students with Moderate and Severe Disabilities, Browder,
2001 (http://autismpdc.fpg.unc.edu/evidence-based-practices, https://dynamiclearningmaps.org/utah)
Strategy What it is… What it does…
Anchor-Read-Apply
An approach to text comprehension that
includes building background knowledge
related to the process, reading a book
uninterrupted, and a chance for a student
to apply a new strategy
Promotes independent comprehension of
text by activating background knowledge;
reading for a purpose and completing a
brief task related to the purpose of the
reading
Computer-Aided Instruction
Includes the use of computers to teach
academic skills and to promote
communication and language
development and skills; includes
computer modeling and computer tutors
Teaches academic skills and promotes
communication
Directed Reading and Thinking
Activities
(DR-TA)
Guides students in making predictions
based on their background knowledge,
then reading to confirm, refute, or change
those predictions (used within the
Anchor-Read-Apply approach)
Helps a student become an active and
thoughtful reader who can combine
background knowledge with content
provided in the story
Discrete Trial Training
A one-to-one instructional approach used
to teach skills in a planned, controlled,
and systematic manner
Teaches students to develop a new
response to a stimulus that can be
generalized across environments,
materials, and people
May 2019 47 | Page
Strategies for Instructional Delivery – Essential Elements for ELA
(Adapted from the NPDC on Autism Spectrum Disorder; the DLM state site; and Teaching Students with Moderate and Severe Disabilities, Browder,
2001)
Strategy What it is… What it does…
Know-Want to Know-Learned
(K-W-L)
A strategy to be used within the Anchor-
Read-Apply approach to engage prior
knowledge and establish a purpose for
reading
Helps students connect new knowledge
to content they have already been
exposed to
Naturalistic Intervention
A collection of practices, including
environmental arrangement, interaction
techniques, and behavioral strategies;
based on insights into the student’s
interests
Provides responses that build more
elaborate student behaviors that are
naturally reinforcing and appropriate
Picture Exchange Communication
System
(PECS)
A behaviorally-based intervention that
teaches the learner to use visual-graphic
symbols to communicate with others
Teaches the student to use pictures to
initiate communication and to
communicate wants, needs, and
comments
Pivotal Response Training
An intervention or treatment approach
derived from the principles of applied
behavior analysis
Builds "pivotal" skills or behaviors
(motivation to respond to cues,
responding to multiple cues, self-
management, and self-initiation)
May 2019 48 | Page
Strategies for Instructional Delivery – Essential Elements for ELA
(Adapted from the NPDC on Autism Spectrum Disorder; the DLM state site; and Teaching Students with Moderate and Severe Disabilities, Browder,
2001)
Strategy What it is… What it does…
Positive Reinforcement
The presentation of a reinforcer after a
learner uses a target skill/behavior;
positive reinforcers can be either primary
(e.g., food, liquids, comfort) or secondary
(e.g., verbal praise, highly preferred
activities, stickers, toys, edibles)
Increases the likelihood of the student
demonstrating the desired skill or
behavior
Predictable Chart Writing
A shared structured writing activity that
leads to the creation of a class book
Supports emergent and conventional
writers and readers
Prompting
Any help given to students that assists
them in using a specific skill correctly;
often used in conjunction with other
evidence-based practices, including time
delay and reinforcement
Assists students in using a specific skill
successfully, moving them toward
independence with the skill or behavior
through a variety of response-prompting
procedures, often referred to as errorless
learning
Speech-Generating Devices/VOCA
Electronic devices that are portable in
nature and can produce either synthetic
or digital speech for the user
Gives the student the ability to generate
speech
May 2019 49 | Page
Strategies for Instructional Delivery – Essential Elements for ELA
(Adapted from the NPDC on Autism Spectrum Disorder; the DLM state site; and Teaching Students with Moderate and Severe Disabilities, Browder, 2001)
Strategy What it is… What it does…
Story-Based Lessons
A structured process of shared story
activities
Allows the teacher to model reading
strategies, distinguish between various
uses of language, introduce new
vocabulary words and ideas, and increase
student motivation to read
independently
Task Analysis
Breaking a skill into smaller steps in order
to teach the skill; other practices such as
reinforcement, video modeling, and time
delay support task analysis
Teaches skills that involve multiple steps
in a way that helps the learner remember
what comes next
Time Delay
A brief delay provided between the initial
instruction and additional instructions or
prompts
Helps to fade the use of prompts during
instructional activities
Video Modeling
A mode of teaching that uses video
recording and display equipment to
provide a visual model of the targeted
behavior or skill
Provides a visual model of the targeted
behavior or skill
May 2019 50 | Page
Strategies for Instructional Delivery – Essential Elements for ELA
(Adapted from the NPDC on Autism Spectrum Disorder; the DLM state site; and Teaching Students with Moderate and Severe Disabilities, Browder,
2001)
Strategy What it is… What it does…
Visual Supports
A picture, graphic representation, or word
used to prompt an individual regarding a
rule, routine, task, or social response
Makes auditory information visual; they
organize a sequence of events, enhancing
the individual's ability to understand,
anticipate, and participate in those
events
Yes/No Comprehension
A parallel strategy to DR-TA for
informational texts; students vote yes or
no to predict if statements are true or
false (used within the Anchor-Read Apply
approach)
Helps a student become an active and
thoughtful reader who can combine
background knowledge with content
provided in the story and respond to
yes/no questions
Model ELA Lesson
Adapted book
Stor
y-based
lesson
Comprehension
response
ELA Lesson
Browder, D., Lee, A., & Woord, L. Teaching the common core to students with significant cognitive disabilities [PowerPoint slides]
May 2019 51 | Page
Dynamic Learning Maps Essential Elements for Mathematics Strategies
Methodology Delivery
The process through which
academic instruction, social
instruction, and behavioral
instruction and interventions
are developed.
The repertoire of resources,
supports, and technologies
used to communicate and
interact with students related
to individualized academic and
behavior content.
What are the Dynamic Learning Maps and Essential Elements?
The Essential Elements (EEs) are “specific statements and skills linked to the grade level expectations identified
in college-and-career-readiness standards” (DLM. They are the big rocks of the Utah Core Standards. Each EE
has a respective learning map with Node Linkage Progressions that identify basic skills within the standard to
be attainable for students with significant disabilities, no matter their ability level.
UDL Strategies for Essential Elements for Mathematics
(Adapted from Six Successful Strategies for Teaching Common Core State Standards to Students with Moderate to Severe Disabilities)
The What of Learning:
Representation
The Why of Learning: Engagement The How of Learning: Expression
Say it: lecture, discussion
Show it: picture, graphics
Model it: demonstrate, think aloud,
manipulatives
Media: video, audio, computer
Instruction: reinforcement, error
correction, prompting, peer supports
Content: highly motivating content,
student choice, meaningful assignments
Low tech: picture support, graphic organizers,
choice board, stencils, scribe, alternate pencil
High tech: computer writing software, AAC,
adapted keyboard, on-screen keyboard, web-
based text analyzer, word prediction software
May 2019 52 | Page
Strategies for Instructional Delivery – Essential Elements for Mathematics
Adapted from The National Professional Development Center on Autism Spectrum Disorder
(http://autismpdc.fpg.unc.edu/evidence-based-practices)
Strategy What it is… What it does…
Computer-Aided Instruction
Includes the use of computers to teach
academic skills and to promote
communication and language
development and skills; includes
computer modeling and computer tutors
Teaches academic skills and promotes
communication
Discrete Trial Training
A one-to-one instructional approach used
to teach skills in a planned, controlled,
and systematic manner
Teaches students to develop a new
response to a stimulus that can be
generalized across environments,
materials, and people
Math Stories
(Browder, D., Spooner, F.)
Guides students in making predictions
based on their background knowledge,
then reading to confirm, refute, or change
those predictions (used within the
Anchor-Read-Apply approach)
Helps a student become an active and
thoughtful reader who can combine
background knowledge with content
provided in the story
Naturalistic Intervention
A collection of practices, including
environmental arrangement, interaction
techniques, and behavioral strategies;
based on insights into the student’s
interests
Provides responses that build more
elaborate learner behaviors that are
naturally reinforcing and appropriate
May 2019 53 | Page
Strategies for Instructional Delivery – Essential Elements for Mathematics
(Adapted from The National Professional Development Center on Autism Spectrum Disorder)
Strategy What it is… What it does…
Picture Exchange Communication
System
(PECS)
A behaviorally-based intervention that
teaches the learner to use visual-graphic
symbols to communicate with others
Teaches the student to use pictures to
initiate communication and to
communicate wants, needs, and
comments
Pivotal Response Training
An intervention or treatment approach
derived from the principles of applied
behavior analysis
Builds "pivotal" skills or behaviors
(motivation to respond to cues,
responding to multiple cues, self-
management, and self-initiation)
Positive Reinforcement
The presentation of a reinforcer after a
learner uses a target skill/behavior;
positive reinforcers can be either primary
(e.g., food, liquids, comfort) or secondary
(e.g., verbal praise, highly preferred
activities, stickers, toys, edibles)
Increases the likelihood of the student
demonstrating the desired skill or
behavior
Prompting
Any help given to students that assists
them in using a specific skill correctly;
often used in conjunction with other
evidence-based practices, including time
delay and reinforcement
Assists students in using a specific skill
successfully, moving them toward
independence with the skill or behavior
through a variety of response-prompting
procedures, often referred to as errorless
learning
May 2019 54 | Page
Strategies for Instructional Delivery – Essential Elements for Mathematics
(Adapted from The National Professional Development Center on Autism Spectrum Disorder)
Strategy What it is… What it does…
Speech-Generating Devices/VOCA
Electronic devices that are portable in
nature and can produce either synthetic
or digital speech for the user
Gives the student the ability to generate
speech
Task Analysis
Breaking a skill into smaller steps in order
to teach the skill; other practices such as
reinforcement, video modeling, and time
delay support task analysis
Teaches skills that involve multiple steps
in a way that helps the learner remember
what comes next
Ten Frames
A 2x5 rectangular frame on which
counters are placed that are less than or
equal to 10 (it can be in the form of paper,
boxes, or life size)
Gives the student a strong concept of 10
and comparing numbers; teaches pre-
requisite knowledge for place value and
operations
Time Delay
A brief delay provided between the initial
instruction and additional instructions or
prompts
Helps to fade the use of prompts during
instructional activities
May 2019 55 | Page
Strategies for Instructional Delivery – Essential Elements for Mathematics
(Adapted from The National Professional Development Center on Autism Spectrum Disorder)
Strategy What it is… What it does…
Video Modeling
A mode of teaching that uses video
recording and display equipment to
provide a visual model of the targeted
behavior or skill
Provides a visual model of the targeted
behavior or skill
Visual Supports
A picture, graphic representation, or word
used to prompt an individual regarding a
rule, routine, task, or social response
Makes auditory information visual; they
organize a sequence of events, enhancing
the individual's ability to understand,
anticipate, and participate in those
events
Model Math Lesson
Personally
relevant story
Graphic
organizer
Task analysis
Math Lesson
May 2019 56 | Page
Student Centered Transition Planning Strategies
Methodology Delivery
The process through which
academic instruction, social
instruction, and behavioral
instruction and interventions
are developed.
The repertoire of resources,
supports, and technologies
used to communicate and
interact with students related
to individualized academic and
behavior content.
Evidence-Based Practice for Transition
• Evidence-based practices (EBPs) provide teachers with information about which teaching method in secondary
transition has been most effective at helping students with disabilities learn skills that will facilitate movemen
t
to
ward the student’s postsecondary goals.
• EBPs may be used to address the following areas of the Transition Taxonomy:
o Student-Focused Planning – practices in the areas of IEP development, student participation in planning,
and planning strategies
o Student Development – strategies in the areas of life skills, instruction, career and vocational curricula,
structured work experience, assessment, and support services
o Family Involvement – practices in family training, family involvement, and family empowerment
o Program Structure – practices in program philosophy, policy and evaluation, strategic planning, resource
allocation, and human resource development
May 2019 57 | Page
Strategy
Strategies for Instructional Delivery – Transition
Adapted from the National Technical Assistance Center on Transition
What
it is…
What it does…
Career Planning
Planning for post-secondary education,
employment, and independent living
Helps students make informed decisions
about their futures by connecting their
interests and skills with employment and
post-secondary education goals
Community-Based Instruction
Teaching functional and life skills in the
community where they would naturally
occur
Allows the student time to practice skills
necessary to increase access and
engagement in the community (e.g.,
public transportation, shopping, banking,
use of public services)
Computer-Aided Instruction
Using technology in a variety of ways to
assist with instruction
Allows a student to engage in an
instructional learning format targeted to
specific learning objectives
Peer-Assisted Instruction
A cooperative learning approach where
effectively trained peers serve as
instructional support facilitators
Supports the learning of academic and
social skills while encouraging greater
persistence in completing tasks and
courses
May 2019 58 | Page
Strategies for Instructional Delivery – Transition
(Adapted from the National Technical Assistance Center on Transition)
Strategy What it is… What it does…
Response Prompting
A strategy that uses stimuli that function
as extra cues and reminders for desired
behaviors (can be visual, auditory, textual,
or symbolic)
Prepares a student to participate in
conversations with diverse partners by
interpreting verbal and non-verbal cues
when communicating with others
Self-Advocacy
A motivation and self-determination
strategy designed to prepare students to
actively participate in their educational
and transitional planning for the future
Helps students identify their strengths
and learning needs as they set goals for
the future
Self-Determination
A way of teaching the student to engage
in self-directed and self-regulated learning
through a problem-solving approach
Teaches students to set a goal, create a
plan of action, and make adjustments to
their goal or plan as needed
Video Modeling
A response-prompting strategy that uses
video
It cues and reminds the student of
desired behaviors needed to complete a
specific task
May 2019 59 | Page
Language Development Strategies
Methodology Delivery
The process through which
academic instruction, social
instruction, and behavioral
instruction and interventions
are developed.
The repertoire of resources,
supports, and technologies
used to communicate and
interact with students related
to individualized academic and
behavior content.
Who Can Deliver Specially Designed Instruction- Language Development?
• Teachers with a special education license and related service providers with specialization in the area of need
have primary responsibility, in collaboration with general education teachers, to plan, implement, and monitor
SDI.
• Language instruction is not the responsibility of a specific individual. It is the responsibility of every individual who
comes in contact with a child throughout the day. Modeling proper language is not done solely within the
confines of a classroom. Language is to be experienced within multiple settings.
• Allowing children an opportunity to be enveloped in a language rich environment will increase their chances of
developing the connection between spoken and written language. “Spoken and written language have a
reciprocal relationship, such that each builds on the other to result in general language and literacy competence,
starting early and continuing through childhood into adulthood” (American Speech-Language Association, 2001).
May 2019 60 | Page
Strategies for Instructional Delivery – Language Development
Strategy What it is… What it does…
Focused Attention
Making eye contact, then waiting
expectantly to see if the child will offer a
more elaborated request
It allows the child to be reinforced for
communicative intent
Focused Stimulation
Provides multiple models of the target
skill
This allows the child to improve both
functional comprehension and use of the
target skill
Imitation
Repeating what the child says using
correct form, content, and use
Increases the chances the child will copy
the imitation using the corrected form;
increases the opportunity to provide
feedback on the child’s phonological,
lexical, and syntactic form
Incidental Teaching
Arranging the setting so the wanted or
needed items are visible but out of reach
It allows the opportunity for the child to
make a request
May 2019 61 | Page
Strategies for Instructional Delivery – Language Development
Strategy What it is… What it does…
Mand Model
Observing the child’s interest; Asks, “What
is that?” or, “Tell me what you need?” or,
the SLP waits for a one-word utterance
that is reinforced, “Oh you asked for the
marker—here it is!”
It increases the child’s sentence length
and allows for the opportunity for
expanded communication
Milieu Communication Training
A technique that includes three
components: environmental arrangement,
responsive interaction, and conversation-
based context
Uses imitative cues and extrinsic
reinforcement during interactive
activities
Self-Talk and Parallel Play
The act of describing one’s own actions
while engaged in parallel play
It increases the chance that the child will
imitate the target, then produce it
spontaneously
Vertical Structuring
Takes the fragmented utterances
produced by the child and expands them
into a complete sentence
It allows the use of the child’s naturalistic
response and provides cues to the child
for spontaneous imitation (i.e., “What is
this?” “Lion.” “Yes. What is the lion
doing?” “Roar.” “Yes, the lion is roaring.”)
May 2019 62 | Page
Adaptive Physical Education Strategies
Methodology Delivery
The process through which
academic instruction, social
instruction, and behavioral
instruction and interventions
are developed.
The repertoire of resources,
supports, and technologies
used to communicate and
interact with students related
to individualized academic and
behavior content.
Creating Quality, Inclusive Physical Education & Physical Activity for All Students
The purpose of IDEA is to ensure that children who are evaluated in accordance with this act and identified as
having a disability, have made available to them a free and appropriate public education (FAPE) that provides
special education and/or related services. Special education is specially designed instruction designed to meet
the unique needs of an individual student and includes instruction in physical education. At least annually,
schools are responsible for determining whether a student’s disability adversely affects his/her performance in
the regular physical education class. The regular physical education teacher or a specially trained adapted
physical education specialist should evaluate the student’s present level of functioning. Suggested areas to
evaluate might include skills leading to physical and motor fitness; fundamental motor skills and patterns; and
skills in aquatics, dance, and individual and group games and sports (including intramural and lifetime sports).
If the evaluation indicates the student needs adapted physical education, the IEP team is responsible for
developing IEP goals for the student in physical education. It is vital that the regular physical education teachers
take part in the development of the IEP since they will be responsible, often with assistance from the adapted
physical education teacher or other support, for implementing the physical education goals. It is important to
note that related services, such as physical or occupational therapy, cannot take the place of adapted physical
education.
May 2019 63 | Page
Strategies for Instructional Delivery – Adapted Physical Education
Ada
pted from PE Central
(https://www.dpi.nc.gov/districts-schools/classroom-resources/exceptional-children/resources-unique-needs/adapted-physical-education)
Strategy What it is… What it does…
Adapt Play Area
Reducing the size of the play area and
removing any obstacles
Gives the student with physical
limitations a clearer, more defined area
in which to participate in
Allowing Ball to Remain
Stationary
Use a batting tee in baseball or softball
Allows students to hit a ball from a
stationary tee that they might not
otherwise hit
Use of Velcro
Using Velcro with balls, modified mitts,
paddles, etc.
Allows a student with motor deficits an
opportunity to catch a ball or a moving
target
Varying Balls or Equipment
Using different sized, weighted, colored,
or textured balls or equipment
Allows a student with motor and visual
deficits an opportunity to participate
May 2019 64 | Page
American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. (2001). Roles and responsibilities of speech-language pathologists with respect to reading and writing in
children and adolescents [Position Statement]. Available from www.asha.org/policy.
Browder, D., Lee, A., & Wood, L., Teaching the common core to students with significant cognitive disabilities [PowerPoint slides].
Browder, D., Spooner, F., Teaching Students with Moderate and Severe Disabilities. New York, NY: The Guilford Press (math for students with significant
cognitive disabilities).
CAST (2011). Universal Design for Learning Guidelines version 2.0, Wakefield, MA
CAST: What is Universal Design for Learning? Retrieved from http://www.udlcenter.org/aboutudl/whatisudl
Code of Federal Regulations, Annual Edition, P.L. 101-476
Dynamic Learning Maps (DLM) Professional Development. Retrieved 03/05/15 from http://dlmpd.com/
Dynamic Learning Maps, Alternate Assessment System Consortium. Individual education programs linked to the DLM essential elements.
Dynamic Learning Maps. Essential Elements. Retrieved from https://dynamiclearningmaps.org/utah
Florida Department of Education, 2014.
Graphic Stock 2015. Photos retrieved 2015 from https://www.storyblocks.com/images
Glossary of Instructional Strategies. Retrieved from http://www.beesburg.com/edtools/glossary.html#
Hitchcock, C., Meyer, A., Rose, D., & Jackson, R. (2002). Peabody, MA:
National Center on Accessing the General Curriculum.
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, Amendments of 2004 P.L. 108-446
Innovating Learning Professionals, LC, 2014
Jimenez, B., Courtade,G., Browder,D. (2013),6 Successful Strategies for Teaching Common Core State Standards to Students with Moderate to Severe
Disabilities
Karger, J. (2005). Access to the general education curriculum for students with disabilities: a discussion of
the interrelationship between IDEA’04 and NCLB.
Wakefield, MA: National Center on Accessing the General Curriculum.
Lexicon Reading Center.
May 2019 65 | Page
Marzano, Becoming a Reflective Teacher, Marzano, Robert, J., 2012
Mathematics RTI: A Problem-Solving Approach to Creating and Effective Mode, David Allsopp, Patricia Alvarez McHatton, Sharon Nichole Estock Ray,
Jennie L. Farmer (2010), LRP publication.
National Association for the Education of Young Children. Retrieved from www.naeyc.org/dap
National Center on Intensive Intervention. Adapted from http://www.intensiveintervention.org/standards-relevant-instruction-multi-tiered-systems-
support-mtss-or-response-intervention
National Center on Universal Design for Learning. (2014) Universal design for learning guidelines.
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practices National Technical Assistance Center on Transition.
Openclipart. Photos retrieved 2017 from https://openclipart.org/share
PE Central.
Robertson, K., Math Instruction for English Language Learners.
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Utah MTSS 3-Tier Definitions, 2016, Utah State Board of Education. Retrieved 8/15/16 from https://www.schools.utah.gov/curr/_curr_/umtss/
mtss/Utah3TierDefinitions.pdf
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