Special Education
We believe that mindset change must always come first when working with teachers and school leaders to support students with differing needs. Strong mindsets around inclusive practices that foster differentiation and specialized instruction are the first priority.
Supporting students with disabilities and differing needs is not about doing more, but rather getting to know students and families, being strategic in continuing to provide rigorous content to all learners, and being flexible to meet student’s data-driven needs.
Accelerating Academic Growth For Students With Special Needs Is Challenging
Working with schools throughout our nation, we know how administrators and teachers have struggled to accelerate the academic growth of students with special needs. Assessment and AYP data for students with disabilities show a decrease in districts’ abilities to meet increasingly challenging accountability targets.
Inclusive Mindsets
We hold the belief that each student deserves to be afforded the most appropriate and accommodating environment for their classroom setting, that all students can meet grade-level standards when provided access to curricula, and that there is immense value to student and family relationships to guide instruction.
Data Aligned Differentiation
Instruction should be targeted to leverage student strengths and meet student needs based on qualitative and quantitative data, universal benchmark assessments, screeners, and progress monitoring.
Strategic Planning and Programming
Specialized instruction that is strong is the result of strategic planning amongst leaders, teachers and co-teachers, strategic student groupings, as well as school schedules that allow for appropriate core content and interventions to occur.