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Educators across the nation face a critical challenge: how to effectively increase the achievement and learning of students with disabilities and, by extension, all students.
With 82% of students with disabilities spending the majority of their instructional time in general education classrooms, the problem is not merely where these students are placed, but what genuinely occurs in those classes. Districts often struggle with ineffective Tier 1 instruction, where if elements of "GREAT instruction" are not fully implemented, students with disabilities are more susceptible to low levels of learning. Teachers frequently lack essential resources like comprehensive Scope and Sequence documents with specific instructional materials, and co-teaching efforts can fall short, leading to segregated "low level" classes or inadequate planning time. Compounding this, students with disabilities, who most need frequent practice and feedback, often become "magnificent at being invisible," receiving the least opportunities for engagement. This 6-page instructional guide directly supports educators in implementing this solution by outlining "15 Big Ideas to Increase the Achievement and Learning of Students with Disabilities (and ALL Students)." It provides actionable strategies, such as developing a clear Scope and Sequence document with instructional units and materials readily available to teachers. To overcome co-teaching barriers and enhance learning, the guide offers "9 Big Ideas for Developing the Master Schedule," detailing how to prioritize the placement of students with disabilities and co-teaching teams, ensure common planning time, and prevent tracking. Furthermore, it advocates for drastically increasing student practice turns and feedback, introducing and exemplifying the "Engagement Cycle" (teacher models, students write, explain, write again, debrief) as a method to achieve this. Crucially, it redefines co-teaching expectations, asserting that there should be two teachers leading different small groups simultaneously to provide a "drastically different and better" student learning experience with high rates of differentiated practice and feedback, ensuring all students receive the precise and effective instruction they need. The great news is that all the strategies presented in this guide will ultimately benefit all students, fostering deep collaboration across the entire school community. |
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Guide to Great Instruction
Addressing UnderperformanceDespite high rates of inclusion in general education classrooms, and the understanding that simply placing students in general education is not enough; the quality of instruction they receive is paramount. The source asserts that districts "can’t intervene or 'special ed' your way out of ineffective Tier 1 instruction."
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Systemic SupportThe guide emphasizes the critical role of systemic support and thoughtful master scheduling to enable effective instruction, especially for co-teaching. It highlights that teachers need "everything they need to teach," including clear Scope and Sequence documents with instructional units, vocabulary, assessment methods, and most importantly, specific instructional materials readily available.
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Transforming Classroom PracticeDrastically increase student engagement, practice turns, and feedback, especially through differentiated instruction in co-taught settings. It identifies that "All human learning requires two things: practice turns and feedback", yet many students with disabilities often receive the least opportunities for both, becoming "magnificent at being invisible."
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The great news is that all the strategies presented in this guide will ultimately benefit all students, fostering deep collaboration across the entire school community.
The Guide to Great Instruction for Every Classroom!
The profound solution to this pervasive problem is to "Provide GREAT Instruction in every class, in every school, for every student every day!". This isn't solely the teacher's burden; "GREAT instruction is everyone's job," with administrative personnel responsible for ensuring teachers have necessary resources. "GREAT" instruction is defined as Guided by performance standards, Rigorous with research-based practices, Engaging and exciting, Assessed continuously, and Tailored in flexible groups. Both general and special education personnel are jointly responsible for both Tier 1 instruction and specially designed instruction, emphasizing a unified approach. A key component of this solution is to bring clarity to "Specially Designed Instruction" (SDI) by developing a concrete list of instructional practices that meet unique student needs, enable grade-level standards, and adapt content or methodology based on IEPs.