Lesson Five Reading

 

Standards-Based IEPs

Many may ask, "Why develop standards-based IEPs?" The answer is quite simply that rigorous expectations for students in general education classrooms have implications for students with disabilities. Incorporating standards when developing an IEP challenges special educators to “preserve the rights of individual students within the framework of common standards” (McDonnell, McLaughlin & Morrison, 1997, p. 65).

Goals and Objectives Aligned to Standards

Consistency across classrooms, schools, districts, and the state is one of the benefits of aligning IEPs to standards. When IEP goals reflect state content standards, special and general educators communicate using a common language.

At the student level, targeting instruction to the state standards allows students with disabilities access to the general education curriculum.

The IEP bridges current student function to student needs in relation to state content standards. It is imperative to review assessment results as part of the IEP process. Every student should be tested throughout the year to verify progress towards meeting identified standards and goals.

The following questions should be considered at an initial IEP meeting and throughout the year:

1. Will the student require accommodations to meet grade-level standards?
2. Will the student require accommodations to demonstrate mastery on statewide testing?
3. Will the student require a highly modified curriculum and a focus on functional skills, therefore needing an alternate assessment on statewide testing?

Choosing Grade-Level Standards for Special Education Students

After assessing the student, the next step is to identify the target standard. There are over 3,000 standards to choose from in the California Content Standards. Trellis™ is an effective strategy to move students toward grade level standards (see next section for more about Trellis™).

The standards are indicated by a numbering system of 1.1, 1.2, and so on. As mentioned in Lesson 1 of this module, the California Content Standards are divided into domain areas (i.e., Reading, Writing, and Math). Each domain has different strands listed. For example, strands under math include: Number Sense (e.g., 1.0 Students understand the relationship between numbers and quantities). For reading, a strand might be: Word Analysis, Fluency, and Systematic Vocabulary Development (e.g., 1.0 Students know about letters, word, and sounds).

Once the student has been assessed, review the results and decide which strand in the standard domain is most appropriate for that student. Start at the student’s current grade level and begin the Trellis™ strategy.

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