A Guide to Adaptations and Modifications

Developed in consultation with representation from the following educational associations; BC Council of Special Educators (BCCASE), Learning Assistance Teachers Association (LATA), Special Educators Association (SEA), Office of the Inspector of Independent Schools, and British Columbia Teachers Federation (BCTF)

August 2009

August2009

AGUIDETOADAPTATIONSANDMODIFICATIONS
InBritishColumbia,threeprinciplesoflearningguidepracticeinthedevelopmentofIntegratedResource Packages(IRPs),whichcontaintheprovinciallyprescribedlearningoutcomesforgradesandsubjects.Theseare: Thesesamethreeprinciplesshouldguidethedifferentiationofinstruction,assessmentmethods,and/or materialsparticularlytheprinciplethatpeoplelearninavarietyofwaysandatdifferentrates. Todaysclassroomsarediverseandinclusivebynature.Differentiationofinstructionandassessmentandthe principlesofuniversaldesignarenowrecognizedpracticesforteachers. Bothdifferentiationanduniversaldesignprovidesystematicapproachestosettinggoals,choosingorcreating flexiblematerialsandmedia,andassessment.Toundertakedifferentiationanduniversaldesign,teachersneed tobeawareofarangeofaccommodations(multiplemeansofrepresentation,ofexpression,and/orof engagement)thatmaybenecessarytohelpeachstudentintheclassroomsucceed.Theseaccommodations maytaketheformofadaptationsand/ormodifications. Manystudentswithspecialneedsandsignificantlearningchallengeswillbeabletoachievethelearning outcomesforsubjectsorcourseswithnoorminoradaptations.Somemaybeabletoachievethelearning outcomesofsomesubjectsorcourseswithadaptations.Asmallproportionwillneedtoworkonindividualized outcomes,goalsdifferentthanthecurriculum;thisisreferredtoasmodification. Adaptations InBCpolicy,allstudentsshouldhaveequitableaccesstolearning,opportunitiesforachievementandthe pursuitofexcellenceinallaspectsoftheireducationalprograms.(PolicyDocument:SpecialEducation: http://www.bced.gov.bc.ca/policy/policies/special_ed.htm.)Adaptationsareteachingandassessment strategiesespeciallydesignedtoaccommodateastudentsneedssoheorshecanachievethelearning outcomesofthesubjectorcourseandtodemonstratemasteryofconcepts.Essentially,adaptationsarebest practiceinteaching.Astudentworkingonlearningoutcomesofanygradeorcourselevelmaybesupported throughuseofadaptations. Adaptationsdonotrepresentunfairadvantagestostudents.Infact,theoppositecouldbetrue.Ifappropriate adaptationsarenotused,studentscouldbeunfairlypenalizedforhavinglearningdifferences,creatingserious negativeimpactstotheirachievementandselfconcept. August2009 2 Learningrequirestheactiveparticipationofthestudent. Studentslearninavarietyofwaysandatdifferentrates. Learningisbothanindividualandgroupprocess.

 ExamplesofAdaptations Accommodationsintheformofadaptationsoccurwhenteachersdifferentiateinstruction,assessmentand materialsinordertocreateaflexiblelearningenvironment.Forexample,astudentcouldbeworkingonbelow gradelevellearningoutcomesinLanguageArtsandatgradelevelinallothersubjectsorcourses,someofwhich requirereadingmaterialsatthelowerreadinglevel. Adaptationsinclude,butarenotlimitedto: audiotapes,electronictexts,orapeerhelpertoassistwithassignedreadings accesstoacomputerforwrittenassignments(e.g.useofwordpredictionsoftware,spellchecker,idea generator) alternativestowrittenassignmentstodemonstrateknowledgeandunderstanding advanceorganizers/graphicorganizerstoassistwithfollowingclassroompresentations extendedtimetocompleteassignmentsortests supporttodevelopandpracticestudyskills;forexample,inalearningassistanceblock useofcomputersoftwarewhichprovidestexttospeech/speechtotextcapabilities preteachingkeyvocabularyorconcepts;multipleexposuretomaterials workingonprovinciallearningoutcomesfromalowergradelevel

Bestpracticeinteachingsuggeststhatarecordofsuccessfuladaptationsforanystudentshouldbekeptwithina studentsfiletobothdocumentcurrentpracticeandsupportfutureinstructionalneeds.Inthecaseofastudent withspecialneedswhohasanIndividualEducationalPlan(IEP)orEnglishasaSecondLanguagestudentswho haveAnnualInstructionalPlans,successfuladaptationsarerecordedintheseplanstodocumenthowthe studentisbeingsupportedcurrentlyandalsosootherteacherswillknowwhatworkswellforthatstudent. Forstudentswithspecialneeds,adaptationsthatareusedfortestsandexamsmustbeincludedintheirIEPsin orderforthemtobeconsideredforadaptationstotheprovincialexamconditions(adjudication). Studentswhoseeducationprogramsincludeadaptationswillgenerallybeworkingtowardgraduatingwitha DogwoodDiploma. GradingandReportingWhenThereAreAdaptations Gradingforstudentswhohavebeenprovidedwithadaptationsshouldbeinrelationtotheoutcomesofthe curriculum.Ifthelearningoutcomesthatastudentisworkingtowardarefromthecurriculumofagradelevel lowerthanthecurrentgradeplacement,thisshouldbeindicatedintheIEPorlearningplanandinthebodyof thestudentsprogressreport.FurtherinformationonthissubjectisavailableintheMinistrydocument: ReportingStudentProgress:PolicyandPractice: http://www.bced.gov.bc.ca/classroom_assessment/09_report_student_prog.pdf August2009 3

 Modifications ThissectionmaynotapplytostudentsinESLprogramsunlesstheyarealsoidentifiedasastudentwithspecial needsasdeterminedbyMinistryanddistrictprocesses. Accommodationsintheformofmodificationsareinstructionalandassessmentrelateddecisionsmadeto accommodateastudentseducationalneedsthatconsistofindividualizedlearninggoalsandoutcomeswhich aredifferentthanlearningoutcomesofacourseorsubject. WhenToUseModifications Thedecisiontousemodificationsshouldbebasedonthesameprincipleasadaptationsthatallstudentsmust haveequitableaccesstolearning,opportunitiesforachievement,andthepursuitofexcellenceinallaspectsof theireducationalprograms.Beforemodifyingtheoutcomesforastudent,schoolsshouldreviewall instructionalinterventionstriedandconsiderassessmentinformation,utilizingaprocessthatisongoingand consultativesimilartoIEPdevelopmentpracticesoverall. Modificationsshouldbeconsideredforthosestudentswhosespecialneedsaresuchthattheyareunableto accessthecurriculum(i.e.,studentswithlimitedawarenessoftheirsurroundings,studentswithfragile mental/physicalhealth,studentsmedicallyandcognitively/multiplychallenged.)Usingthestrategyof modificationsforstudentsnotidentifiedasspecialneedsshouldbeararepractice. Inmanycases,modificationsneedonlyformpartofaneducationalprogramforastudentwithspecialneeds, andtheyneednotbeapermanentorlongtermsolution.Whethertousemodificationsshouldbereviewedona regularbasis.Decisionsaboutmodificationsshouldbesubjectorcoursespecificwhereverpossible.For example,astudentwithanintellectualdisabilitymayrequiremodificationstoaspecificsubjectareasuchas mathematics;however,modificationsmaynotberequiredtomeettheprovincialoutcomesinphysical education. Althoughdecisionsaboutmodificationstoastudentscoursesorsubjectsmaytakeplaceingradesearlierthan Grade10,aformaldecisionthatanoverallprogramismodifieddoesnotneedtooccuruntilGrade10.The decisiontoprovidemodifications,particularlyatthesecondaryschoollevel,willresultinstudentsearninga SchoolCompletionCertificateuponleavingschoolratherthancreditstowardgraduationoraDogwood Diploma.Therefore,thecriticaldecisionofwhetherastudentseducationprogramshouldincludemodifications shouldnotbemadeinisolationbyasingleclassroomteacher.Thedecisionshouldbecarefullyandthoughtfully made,inconsultationwithparents,schooladministration,and/orinstructionalsupportpersonnel.Thisdecision shouldaddresslongertermeducational,careerandlifegoalsofstudentsandencompassplansforattaining thesegoals. August2009 4

 ExamplesofModifications Aneducationalprogramforastudentmightincludeacombinationofaccommodationswhichincludes modifications.Forexample,astudentcouldbeworkingongradelevellearningoutcomesinPhysicalEducation andHealthandCareerEducationandbelowgradelevellearningoutcomesinMathematics,allwithadaptations whileatthesametimeworkingonindividualizedlearningoutcomesthatmeetthestudentsIEPgoalsinall othersubjects.Theindividualizedoutcomesaddressfunctionallifeskillsandfoundationalacademicskills. Forstudentswithspecialneeds,modificationsthatconsistofindividualizedlearningoutcomesorgoalsmustbe includedintheIEP.Somefurthertypesofmodificationsinclude: Contentandevaluationrelatedtothecourseorsubjectbutatalowerlevelofconceptualdifficultythat isbasedonastudentsindividualizedoutcomesorgoals.Whenstudentsdowellonthisespecially designedmaterial,theyhaveachancetofeelsuccessful.Forexample,whilestudentsinaGrade3class areresearchingforpresentationsonthesolarsystem,astudentwithspecialneedsinthisclassusesa computertodragandclickplanetsintoatemplateofthesolarsystemandlearnstosaythenamesof eachplanet.Atthesecondarylevel,aGrade9studentwithspecialneedslearnshowtocountchange andmanageapersonalbudgetwhileotherstudentsareintroducedtoalgebraicexpressions. Onlyportionsofthelearningoutcomesareaddressedsothatastudentmayparticipateintheclassroom andfeelsuccesseventhoughtheyareworkingataconceptuallevelsignificantlydifferentfromthe otherstudents.Forexample,inascienceclassastudentwithspecialneedslearnstoidentifysafeand dangerouschemicalsusedinthelab,whileotherstudentscarryoutachemistryexperiment. Althoughrelatedtotheoutcomesofthecurriculum,thegoalsforastudentwithspecialneedsare significantlydifferent.Forexample,whileotherstudentsarelearninghowtoreadandrespondtotextin aGrade4classroom,astudentwithspecialneedsislearninghowtolistentostoriesatapreprimary levelandwhentoturnthepageattheappropriatetimeusingassistivetechnology. GradingandReportingWhenthereareModifications IfschoolsareusingBCeSISorStudentAchievementDataExchange(SADE)torecordprogressforstudentsin Grades4to12,avalueisrequiredtobeenteredtomaintainstudentrecordsovertime.Formoreinformation aboutBCeSIS,pleasecontactyourlocalschooldistrict.FormoreinformationaboutSADE,pleaseseethe followinglink:http://www.bced.gov.bc.ca/datacollections/sade/ Progressreportstoparentsforstudentswithspecialneedswhoareworkingtowardindividualizedoutcomesor goalsinanIEPratherthantheoutcomesofthecurriculumforthatsubjectorcoursemaybedoneusing structuredwrittencommentsorlettergrades.Themostappropriateformofreportingforthestudentshould bedeterminedcollaborativelyattheschoollevel.Iflettergradesareusedwhenmodificationshavebeenmade, thebodyofthestudentprogressreportshouldstatethattheevaluationisinrelationtotheindividualized outcomesorgoalsandnotinrelationtolearningoutcomesforthesubjectorcourse.ThespecificIEPoutcomes orgoalsevaluatedshouldbeincludedinthestudentprogressreport.Furtherinformationonthissubjectis availableintheMinistrydocument:ReportingStudentProgress:PolicyandPractice: http://www.bced.gov.bc.ca/classroom_assessment/09_report_student_prog.pdf August2009 5

 Continuewithdifferentiationof instructionusingadaptationsand universaldesignforlearningconcepts notingstrategiesthatworkparticularly wellforthestudent.

Isthestudentstrugglingwithsome courseorsubject? Didthestudent demonstrateimprovement? No Yes Trydifferentstrategiesand monitor. Yes

No

Adaptationor ModificationDecision Path

Thisguidereflectsthe collaborativeprocesswhichmight beusedtodetermineifastudent requiresadaptationsor modifications. Foundationaltotheprocessare thefollowing; Theprinciplethatstudentslearn inavarietyofwaysandat differentrates Teachersengagein differentiationofinstructionas bestpractise Studentswhorequire adaptationsormodifications mayonlyneedtheminsome subjectsorcourses Modificationstoastudents learningoutcomesmightbe consideredasashortterm solutionwiththegoalof transitioningbacktocourseor subjectoutcomeswherever possible.

Consultwithothers,reviewassessment information,initiatefurtherassessmentsor makereferrals,gatherideasforother adaptations. No Didthestudentdemonstrate improvement? No Yes

Consultwithothers.Doesthestudentrequire individualized goals/outcomesotherthanthoseof thecourseorsubject? Yes Modifications

Inwhichcoursesorsubjects?Whichlearningoutcomes?

August2009 Monitor theplan within theregularIEP cycle.

No Isthisashorttermplan? Yes

Includegoalstoassistin transitioningbacktothecourseor 6 subjectlearningoutcomes (whereverpossible)andmonitor withintheregularIEPcycle.