Universal Design of Learning
Universal Design of Learning (UDL) is an approach to curriculum design that can help teachers customize curriculum to serve all learners, regardless of ability, disability, age, gender, or cultural and linguistic background. UDL provides a blueprint for designing strategies, materials, assessments, and tools to reach and teach students with diverse needs.
UDL principles call for varied and flexible ways to:
Present or access information, concepts, and ideas = the What of learning
Plan and execute learning tasks = the How of learning ,and
Get engaged and stay engaged = the Why of learning
For more information go the CAST’s UDL Guidelines – http://udlguidelines.cast.org/?utm_medium=web&utm_campaign=none&utm_source=cast-about-udl
Accommodations and Modifications
Students who have an IEP or a Section 504 Accommodation Plan may be eligible to receive accommodations or modifications to provide them access and meaningful participation in their curriculum and school activities.
Generally, an accommodation is defined as something that allows the student to complete the same assignment or test as their peers, but with a change in the timing, format, setting, scheduling, response and/or presentation. Accommodations give the student equal access and opportunity to benefit from the educational program. Accommodations do not alter in any significant way the measurement of the assignment or test.
A modification alters what the expectation is for the student. Modifications are used to adjust an assignment or test in order for the student to complete work on a part of standard or an alternative assignment that is more in line with the student’s present levels.
Accommodations and modifications required need to be agreed upon by the student’s team and written into a student’s Individualized Education Program (IEP) or Section 504 Plan.
For more information, a list of considerations and examples go to https://osepideasthatwork.org/node/116.