Aligning IEPs to Academic Standards

Book excerpt: With increased emphasis on students meeting state academic standards, instructors of students with moderate and severe disabilities have wondered about their role. Will they continue to integrate their students in the regular classroom and in the general curriculum? Or will their participation in alternate assessments aligned to alternate achievement standards leave them stranded in self-contained classrooms once again? According to authors Ginevra Courtade-Little and Diane Browder, the answer lies in aligning students' IEPs to state standards consistent with students' grade and ability levels. By following this book, your students with significant disabilities can participate in parallel activities directly related to the general curriculum. For example, when meeting a math state standard in measurement, have the student match coins to a linear jig to purchase an item. It's really quite simple: You write IEP goals on standard-based content areas that are appropriate for a student's grade level and ability. This valuable and unique book does just that: Shows you how to construct student IEPs with goals aligned to each state's academic content standards for each student's assigned grade and ability level.