Although increasing numbers of students with disabilities are included in general education classrooms for greater portions of the day, little guidance or direction has come from the field of special education to help address the challenge of grading students in inclusive settings. The shift to standards-based grading and reporting has further…

This article examines what is meant by access, participation, and progress in the regular education curriculum and suggests a new framework for curriculum reform that holds promise for all students, particularly students with disabilities. The Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is presented and materials and methods of UDL are described.…

This article describes an inquiry-based science project, presents the professional development that supported it, gives recommendations to teachers of inclusive classrooms, and provides a practical checklist for program assessment. A list of teacher characteristics recommended for the inquiry approach is also provided, along with classroom design…

This article discusses how professionals can recognize learning opportunities for students with severe disabilities within general education activities. It also includes examples of additional learning opportunities that provide ways for students to work on their individualized objectives in various settings. Recommendations are provided for…

This article provides a compilation of integration options for including students with severe disabilities. It discusses collaborative planning for inclusion, and provides a chart illustrating the stages of planning for curriculum adaptations for students with disabilities. A case study of collaborative planning is provided. (Contains references.)…

This article discusses the itinerant model and suggests ways that itinerant teachers might apply best practices in pre-academic instruction to their work within community settings, including: making environmental adaptations to maximize engagement; improving the social environment; and applying naturalistic strategies to embed specifically…

This article dispels myths about deafness and provides teachers with a list of academic accommodations for students who are deaf. The accommodations primarily emphasize the visual aspects of communication that are important when teaching students irrespective of their level of hearing loss. World Wide Web resources are also provided. (Contains…

Describes six features of instruction that efficiently accommodate and accelerate learning of a diverse range of students in the general education classroom, including organizing instruction around big ideas, using conspicuous strategies, priming students with background knowledge, using mediated scaffolding, judiciously planning and organizing…

This case study of a 14-year-old boy with severe disabilities describes the collaboration of a team of educators who sought to include him in eighth-grade general-education classes. His inclusion plan included four steps: planning, selecting classes, accommodating, and collaborating. The accomplishments of the student's inclusion in earth science…

Discussion of the grading of modified assignments for students with disabilities in inclusive settings focuses on the background of grading practices, the purpose of grades, current grading practices, development of effective grading procedures, and policies and practices. Emphasis is on providing feedback on actual accomplishments and needs. (DB)

This article discusses strategies for including students with visual impairments in general education settings. It explains categories of visual impairments and how students with visual impairments learn. Auditory learning and visual learning accommodations are addressed, and checklists for orientation and mobility adaptations, and for classroom…

This article argues that teachers need instructional techniques that do not simply water down content learning for students with disabilities, but are effective. It describes one research-based teaching technique, Content Enhancement and the Unit Organizer Routine, and illustrates instructional procedures, offers practical tips, and cites…

This article describes how educational professionals, community members, students and parents in Jessamine County, Kentucky, worked together to help students with moderate and severe disabilities transition after high school graduation. It discusses how elective coursework was successfully combined with functional, community-based, education…

This article presents a three-step process for creating a classroom accommodations plan under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act: (1) parent and student education, collaboration, and agreement; (2) teacher input/agreement; and (3) parent training for 504 follow-up, coordination, and advocacy. Physical, instructional, and behavioral…